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With no end to fighting in sight, Palestinians in Gaza began fasting for the holy month of Ramadan on Monday as hunger worsens across the strip and pressure grows on Israel over the growing humanitarian crisis.
The United States, Qatar and Egypt had hoped to broker a cease-fire ahead of the normally joyous month of dawn-to-dusk fasting that would include the release of dozens of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of a large amount of humanitarian aid, but the talks stalled last week.
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 hostage. Hamas is still believed to be holding around 100 captives.
The war has driven around 80% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million people from their homes and pushed hundreds of thousands to the brink of famine. Gaza’s Health Ministry said that at least 31,112 Palestinians have been killed since the war began. The ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count, but says that women and children make up two-thirds of the dead.
Currently:
— Palestinians in Gaza begin Ramadan with hunger worsening and no end in sight to the Israel-Hamas war.
— Biden cajoles Netanyahu with tough talk, humanitarian concerns but Israeli PM remains dug in.
— Muslims spot Ramadan crescent moon in Saudi Arabia, meaning month of fasting starts Monday for many.
— Find more of AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
Here's the latest:
ISRAELI ARMY CENSURES A TOP COMMANDER FOR GAZA BOMBING
TEL AVIV, Israel — The Israeli military says it has censured a top commander over the bombing of a university in Gaza.
The military says Brig. Gen. Barak Hiram, the commander of the 99th Division, was rebuked for the January blast, which according to Al-Israa University destroyed buildings for graduate studies and bachelor’s colleges at its main campus outside Gaza City.
The military says Monday that an inquiry showed Hamas was using the buildings and their surroundings for military purposes but that Hiram did not receive the proper approvals needed to carry out the blast.
The university said at the time of the demolition that Israeli forces had occupied the campus for over two months and had used it as a base of operations.
Hiram's censure, which amounts to a notch in his personal file in the military, is a rare case of Israel reprimanding its forces for their conduct during the war in Gaza.
Hiram was also criticized when he ordered a tank to fire at a house where militants were holding hostages during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel. The fire may have killed some of the hostages, according to their families. The military said commanders had to make difficult decisions in a complex battlefield that day, and that it would investigate the incident.
