The Gaza Health Ministry said at least 149 people had been killed in the past 24 hours. As Muslim worshippers marked the first Friday of the fasting month of Ramadan, thousands attended prayers in the revered Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, amid a heavy Israeli security presence and restrictions on entry. Hamas would want this to lead to "a complete [Israeli] withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and a permanent ceasefire", the official added. Israel's retaliatory campaign against Hamas has killed at least 31,490 people in Gaza, most of them women and children, according to the health ministry. Distributing aid in Gaza should be done in a safe, dignified and predictable manner."

Source: The Hindu March 16, 2024 02:23 UTC