GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories, Feb  21, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Israel kept
up its deadly bombardment of war-torn Gaza as Washington vetoed a UN Security
Council resolution that called for a ceasefire in the Palestinian territory.

Global powers trying to navigate a way out of the spiralling crisis have so
far come up short, and mediation efforts have so far failed to secure a truce
to halt the fighting.

Adding to Gaza's woes, the UN's food agency said Tuesday that it had to
stop desperately-needed deliveries to the north of the territory after facing
"complete chaos and violence" there -- a decision condemned by Hamas.

The World Food Programme had only just resumed deliveries Sunday but said
its convoy was met with gunfire, violence and looting, while a truck driver was
beaten.

"We are shocked about this decision by the World Food Programme to suspend
the delivery of food aid in northern Gaza, which means a death sentence and
death for three-quarters of a million people," the Hamas government media
office said Tuesday night.

Calling on the agency to "immediately reverse its disastrous decision", it
said "we hold the United Nations and the international community responsible".

Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, Gaza has been plunged
into a food crisis, with outside aid severely restricted.

The UN has repeatedly sounded the alarm over the dire humanitarian
situation in Gaza, warning that food shortages could lead to an "explosion" of
preventable child deaths.

More than four months of relentless fighting have flattened much of the
coastal territory, pushing 2.2 million people to the brink of famine and
displacing three-quarters of the population, according to UN estimates.

"We can't take it anymore. We do not have flour, we don't even know where
to go in this cold weather," said Ahmad, a resident of Gaza city, where streets
are strewn with rubble from destroyed buildings and garbage.
"We demand a ceasefire. We want to live," he said.

- Ceasefire veto -

But in New York, Washington vetoed a UN Security Council resolution drafted
by Algeria, which demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the
"unconditional" release of all hostages kidnapped in the October 7 attacks.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Washington's ambassador to the UN, called the vote
"wishful and irresponsible" as it could put negotiations to free hostages in
Gaza "in jeopardy".

The veto provoked criticism from countries including China, Russia, Saudi
Arabia and even close US allies France and Slovenia.

Hamas said the US veto equalled "a green light for the occupation to commit
more massacres".

As world powers voted, Israeli strikes pounded Gaza early Wednesday as
fighting on the ground raged on, leaving 103 people dead, according to the
Hamas-run health ministry in the territory.

Witnesses reported heavy fire in areas around Gaza, including the south of
the territory's main city Khan Yunis and Rafah near the Egyptian border, where
around 1.4 million displaced Palestinians have sought shelter.

- 'Graveyard' -

Rafah, Gaza's last city to face a ground invasion by Israeli ground troops,
is also the main entry point for desperately needed relief supplies via Egypt.

Qatar, which has played a key role in mediation efforts between Hamas and
Israel, said Tuesday that medicines sent into Gaza under a deal co-negotiated
by France had reached the hostages held by the militants, in exchange for a
shipment of humanitarian aid.

But overall, negotiation efforts have failed to secure a longterm truce and
despite international pressure, Israel has insisted that a ground operation
Rafah is essential to destroy Hamas.

The war started when Hamas launched its unprecedented attack on October 7
that resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people in Israel, mostly civilians,
according to an AFP tally of Israeli figures.

Hamas militants also took about 250 hostages -- 130 of whom remain in Gaza,
including 30 presumed dead, according to Israel.

Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 29,195 people, mostly
women and children, according to the latest count by the territory's health
ministry.

Leaders of global humanitarian groups said a ground offensive could turn
the Rafah into a "graveyard", warning of the "truly unimaginable" consequences
of a full-scale assault.

Israel has said that unless all the hostages are freed by the start of
Ramadan on March 10 or 11, it will push on with its offensive during the Muslim
holy month, including in Rafah.

- G20 firestorm -

On Wednesday, Brett McGurk, the White House coordinator for the Middle East
and North Africa -- is expected to land in Egypt and then head to Israel
Thursday to advance a hostage deal.

McGurk will also reiterate US President Joe Biden's concerns about an
Israeli operation in Rafah, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby
said.

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh is already in Cairo for talks, the militant
group said -- days after mediators warned that prospects for a truce had dimmed
despite meetings with both Israeli and Hamas negotiators last week.

Adding to the international chorus of criticism of Israel, Colombian
President Gustavo Petro on Tuesday accused Israel of committing a "genocide" of
the Palestinians in Gaza -- echoing comments made by Brazilian President Luiz
Inacio Lula da Silva.

Lula sparked a diplomatic firestorm with his comments ahead of the G20
summit in Rio de Janeiro opening Wednesday, and Israel have declared him
"persona non grata".