GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories, June  11, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Deadly
fighting rocked Gaza on Tuesday as US top diplomat Antony Blinken promoted a
ceasefire plan and Jordan hosted an emergency summit for the war-ravaged
Palestinian territory.

Secretary of State Blinken, on his eighth Middle East tour since the
October 7 Hamas attack, urged the Palestinian militant group to accept the
truce and hostage release deal.

During a visit to Israel, he said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had
"reaffirmed his commitment" to the proposed six-week cessation of hostilities,
which was also backed by a UN Security Council vote.

"Everyone has said yes, except for Hamas," Blinken said. "And if Hamas
doesn't say yes, then this is clearly on them."

He then headed to neighbouring Jordan to attend an emergency summit for
Gaza, alongside leaders from the Arab world and beyond, aiming to address
Gaza's humanitarian crisis.

The Israeli siege has left Gaza's 2.4 million people without adequate food,
clean water, medicines and fuel, pushing many to the brink of starvation. Only
occasional aid shipments provide temporary relief.

"The horror must stop," UN chief Antonio Guterres told the conference,
voicing his support for the truce plan first outlined by US President Joe Biden
late last month.

"The speed and scale of the carnage and killing in Gaza is beyond anything
in my years as secretary-general," he told the gathering on the shores of the
Dead Sea.

UN humanitarian coordinator Martin Griffiths labelled the Gaza conflict a
"stain on our humanity" and called for $2.5 billion in funding until year-end.

Amid diplomatic efforts to address the crisis, Israel conducted further
strikes on Gaza, resulting in casualties according to hospital sources.

The Israeli army said four soldiers were killed in the southern city of
Rafah on Monday in what Hamas called a booby-trap explosion.

- UN Security Council vote -

Israel has faced mounting international criticism over the escalating death
toll in the conflict.

Health officials in Hamas-ruled Gaza reported 274 people were killed during
an Israeli special forces raid on Saturday to rescue four hostages.

The UN human rights office expressed deep concern over the civilian
casualties in the Nuseirat raid and said it was "deeply distressed" over the
ongoing hostage situation in Gaza.

The UN Security Council on Monday endorsed a US-drafted ceasefire plan in a
resolution that expressed support for the Israel-backed initiative and urged
Hamas to accept it.

Hamas said it "welcomes" elements of the resolution, and also reaffirmed
its willingness to engage with mediators.

However, it has also insisted on a permanent ceasefire, contrasting with
Netanyahu's stance, which emphasises the return of hostages and the dismantling
of Hamas.

Netanyahu suffered a setback on Sunday when Benny Gantz, a centrist former
army chief, quit his war cabinet, citing the lack of a post-war governance plan
for Gaza as the main reason.

During his visit, Blinken met Gantz and opposition leader Yair Lapid, both
of whom have been vocal critics of the right-wing prime minister and his
handling of the conflict.

Washington has also pushed for a "day-after" plan for Gaza, promoted a
governance role for Hamas's rival, the Palestinian Authority, and urged steps
toward a two-state solution.

Netanyahu and his far-right coalition partners reject the idea of
Palestinian statehood, arguing it would endanger Israel's security and
effectively "reward terrorism".

- 'Siege and destruction' -

The Gaza war broke out after Hamas's October 7 attack resulted in the
deaths of 1,194 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on
Israeli official figures.

The militants also seized 251 hostages, more than 100 of whom were released
during a November truce. After special forces rescued four captives on
Saturday, 116 hostages remain in Gaza, though the army says 41 of them are dead.

The Israeli army launched a devastating offensive on the Gaza Strip that
has left at least 37,164 people dead, the majority of them civilians, according
to the Hamas-ruled territory's health ministry.

The latest Israeli deaths in Rafah took to 298 the military's overall
losses in the Gaza campaign since its ground offensive began on October 27.

In Jabaliya, Soad al-Qanou said her young child Amjad was suffering from
malnutrition as aid shipments had failed to adequately address Gaza's desperate
needs.

"This war has destroyed our lives and turned them upside down," she told
AFP. "There is no food, no drink. There is siege and destruction everywhere."
Among aid pledges made at the Jordan meeting, the United States promised
$404 million for food, water, health supplies and other aid.

Spain announced $17 million in new assistance, and Indonesia said it was
ready to send medical teams, a field hospital and a hospital ship and to
evacuate 1,000 patients.

Blinken, hitting back at critics of US support for Israel, noted the UN
appeal for the Palestinians was only one-third funded.

"Some who have expressed great concern over the suffering of the
Palestinian people in Gaza, including countries with the capacity to give a
lot, have provided very little or nothing at all," Blinken said, likely
referring to US adversaries China and Russia.

"It is time for everyone -- everyone -- to step up."

The United States is the largest donor to the Palestinians. It also
provides Israel with $3.8 billion in annual military aid.