Hamas leaders ‘are all dead men’: Netanyahu insists on total victory
Al-Arouri was responsible within Hamas for maintaining close relations with the pro-Iranian Shiite militia Hezbollah in Lebanon. He was therefore also of central importance for the procurement of weapons for the Islamists in Gaza.
According to the report, the Israeli Air Force bombed a building in the Nuseirat refugee camp on Saturday night, where Issa was said to have been staying at the time. The Israeli forces are still investigating whether the top Hamas leader was actually among the victims of the strike.
No end in sight to Israel-Gaza war as Ramadan begins
Katz addressed the 15-member council, which met to discuss a UN report that found there were “reasonable grounds to believe” sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, took place at several locations during the attack on October 7.
“We are asking you to condemn the sexual violence crimes these barbarians committed in the name of the Muslim religion,” Katz told the Security Council, also urging the body “to put as much pressure as possible on the Hamas organisation to release immediately and unconditionally all the kidnapped hostages”.
He called for sanctions to be imposed on Hamas, accusing the group of crimes “worse then the terror actions carried out by al-Qaeda, Isis and other terror organisations” who had been targeted by the Security Council.
The Security Council has called for the immediate, unconditional release of all hostages in resolutions adopted in November and December. It is currently considering a US-drafted resolution that includes a condemnation of the October 7 attack by Hamas “as well as its taking and killing of hostages, murder of civilians, and sexual violence including rape”.
US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield urged council members to condemn Hamas.
“There can be no doubt about what happened on October 7. The evidence before us is damning and devastating. Now, the only question is: How will we respond? Will this council finally, finally, finally condemn Hamas’ sexual violence? Or will we continue to stay silent?” she asked the Security Council.
Palestinian UN ambassador Riyad Mansour accused Israel in the Security Council of pursuing the “forcible displacement of our people by making Gaza unliveable”.
Additional reporting by Reuters