Spain urges UN to take immediate action to 'stop the killing' in Gaza
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"Israel" continues to bombard the Gaza Strip and block humanitarian aid from entering the Palestinian enclave.
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Palestinians struggle to get donated food at a community kitchen in Khan Younis in Gaza on May 5, 2025 (AP)
Spain will submit a draft resolution to the UN General Assembly calling for "proposing urgent measures to stop the killing of innocent civilians and ensure humanitarian aid" in Gaza, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced Wednesday.
Addressing the Spanish parliament, Sanchez stressed that "the international community cannot remain indifferent to what is happening" as violence escalates in the Palestinian territory, where "Israel" continues to bombard the strip and block humanitarian aid from entering.
Sanchez has been among the most vocal European critics of the aggression, formally recognizing Palestine as a state last year.
Gaza death toll rises to 52,653
In 24 hours, hospitals in Gaza have received 38 martyrs, including four of whom were retrieved from under the rubble, in addition to 145 injuries, according to the latest report by the Gaza Ministry of Health on Wednesday.
Numerous victims remain trapped beneath the debris or lie in the streets, inaccessible to ambulance and civil defense crews due to the ongoing “Israeli” airstrikes across the Gaza Strip.
The death toll from the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza has reached 52,653, while the number of wounded has reached 118,897 since October 7th, 2023, the Ministry of Health highlighted. Since March 18, the casualty toll has reached 2,545 martyrs and 6,856 wounded.
Footage shows moments following the Israeli attack on a school sheltering displaced #Palestinians in al-Bureij camp in #Gaza.#Palestine #GazaGenocide pic.twitter.com/LJZzoPEIvy
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 6, 2025
EU urges 'Israel' to lift Gaza blockade
As "Israel" tightens its grip on the strip, the European Union renewed an urgent call on Wednesday for "Israel" to immediately lift the blockade on Gaza, allowing humanitarian aid to reach those in need, and warned against its planned new aid delivery mechanism.
"As the occupying power, Israel is obliged under international law to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches the population in need," said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, Crisis Management Commissioner Hadja Lahbib, and Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica in a joint statement.
The statement also urged a ceasefire and the immediate release of captives, while expressing concern over a new aid delivery system approved by "Israel" on May 4. The statement said the new system undermined humanitarian principles by outsourcing aid distribution to non-humanitarian actors and private security firms, a move criticized by the UN and aid groups.
'Israel' to expand its war on Gaza
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on May 5 that the Israeli military is poised for a significant incursion into the Gaza Strip, emphasizing that the occupation forces will not just conduct strikes and retreat but will instead maintain a sustained presence on the ground in Gaza as part of an extended military campaign.
Netanyahu's statement came after a five-hour meeting of the Israeli security-political cabinet on Sunday night, where ministers agreed to escalate the current military offensive in Gaza.
Israeli Channel Kan 11 reported that the upcoming military operation in Gaza, codenamed "Gideon's Chariots," is anticipated to begin following US President Donald Trump's visit to the region.
The Israeli security cabinet, led by Netanyahu, approved a gradual expansion of the ongoing war in Gaza, according to Kan 11, while the Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir confirmed that the Israeli Occupation Forces issued tens of thousands of call-up orders to reservists.
Far-right Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich reiterated their extremist demands for a complete reoccupation of the Gaza Strip and the forced displacement of its Palestinian population, with Ben Gvir asserting that "the only aid permitted into Gaza should be support for voluntary migration."
Smotrich reinforced this stance by stating, "We are taking control of Gaza permanently, not just conducting temporary operations; this is a war for total victory," while emphasizing that "there should no longer be any hesitation in calling this an occupation."
