International pressure mounts as Israel's allies call for cease-fire in Gaza

In the midst of the 10weeklong IsraelHamas conflict Israelrsquos key allies such as France the UK and Germany have joined global appeals for an immediate ceasefire US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is set to arrive in Tel Aviv to further emphasize the need for deescalation in the ongoing hostilities in GazaThe war which has persisted for over two months has left a devastating toll on the Palestinian population with over 18700 reported casualties Large portions of northern Gaza now resemble a moonscape and approximately 85 per cent of the territorys population has been displaced from their homesNotably a Cayman Islandsflagged tanker the Swan Atlantic came under attack in the Red Sea a vital shipping route off Yemen The incident is the latest in a series of assaults in the region with Houthi rebels in Yemen claiming responsibility citing support for PalestiniansHuman Rights Watch HRW has accused Israel of deliberately starving Gazas population labeling it a war crime HRW alleges that Israeli forces have obstructed the delivery of essential supplies including water food and fuel while also impeding humanitarian assistanceHeres whats happening in the warA COMMERCIAL SHIP IS ATTACKED IN THE RED SEAA Cayman Islandsflagged tanker has been attacked in a crucial shipping route off Yemen a US military official said MondayThe attack that targeted the Swan Atlantic a chemical and oil products carrier is the latest in a series of assaults on vessels in the Red Sea and its strategic Bab elMandeb StraitThe attacks have been claimed by Iranianbacked Houthi rebels in Yemen who say they are targeting vessels linked to Israel in support of Palestinian militantsThe US official said the vessel was attacked by multiple projectiles at about 9 am local timeAlso read Cancelled Mossad chiefrsquos trip to Qatar to restart hostage talksThe USS Carney a US warship which provides security to ships in the area responded to the incident said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the attackThe British militarys United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations which monitors Mideast shipping lanes also reported an incident in the Bab elMandeb Strait off Yemens port of Mocha and warned vessels in the area to exercise cautionIt reported ldquoa possible explosion in the waterrdquo about 2 nautical miles from the vesselThe Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for the assaultRIGHTS WATCHDOG ACCUSES ISRAEL OF DELIBERATELY STARVING CIVILIANSHuman Rights Watch is accusing Israel of deliberately starving Gazas population a method of warfare that it described as a war crimeThe New Yorkbased rights organization said Monday that Israeli forces were ldquodeliberately blocking the delivery of water food and fuel while wilfully impeding humanitarian assistance and apparently razing agricultural areasrdquoThe United Nations food agency reported on December 14 that 56 per cent of Gazas households were experiencing ldquosevere levels of hungerrdquo up from 38 per cent two weeks earlierHRW said that following the October 7 attack by Gazabased militants on Israel that killed around 1200 people top Israeli officials including Defense Minister Yoav Gallant made public statements ldquoexpressing their aim to deprive civilians in Gaza of food water and fuelrdquo Other Israeli officials have made statements conditioning the provision of humanitarian aid on the release of the approximately 240 hostages Palestinian militants took into Gaza HRW saidThe starving of civilians is a war crime under international humanitarian law For the first two months of the war humanitarian aid was delivered to Gaza through a single border crossing from Egypt severely restricting the amount of food and other supplies that could reach the coastal enclaves residents After pressure from the United States Israel reopened a second bordercrossing into Gaza last week But the amount of aid entering the territory is still less than half of prewar imports even as needs have soared and fighting hinders delivery in many areas With inputs from AP and PTI