UN chief condemns Israeli massacre of civilians in Gaza, urges ‘immediate stop’

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the Israeli regime's massacre of civilians in the besieged Gaza Strip as "unacceptable".

The UN chief urged the occupying regime to "immediately" stop the bloodshed, Farhan Haq, deputy UN spokesperson, said on Wednesday.

"Israel must abide by its obligations under international humanitarian law, including the proportional use of force and taking all feasible precautions to spare civilians and civilian objects in the conduct of military operations," Haq said.

The spokesman also denounced the regime's closure of Gaza's border crossings with the rest of the world, which had prevented the entry of foodstuffs, medical supplies, and fuel into the Israeli-blockaded coastal sliver.

The remarks were made following two consecutive days of Israeli airstrikes against the enclave that have so far killed and injured dozens of Palestinians.

The fatalities include three senior commanders of the Islamic Jihad, a Gaza-based resistance movement, as well as their wives and children.

Israel assassinates 3 senior Islamic Jihad commanders, wives, children in Gaza strikes

The Israeli military has assassinated three high-ranking commanders of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad resistance movement in a series of targeted strikes on the Gaza Strip.

Arab League condemns Israeli bloodletting

Also on Wednesday, the Arab League regional grouping's Council urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to complete an underway investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Israeli regime against the defenseless Palestinian people, the official Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.

It also condemned the "barbaric Israeli raids on the Gaza Strip, which targeted civilians, children, and women in residential neighborhoods while they were sleeping safely in their homes," saying the Israeli aggression had "claimed the lives of entire families."

The Arab League body called on the UN secretary-general to implement practical and effective options to protect Palestinian civilians.

The Council, meanwhile, expressed full solidarity with the Palestinian people, and supported their steadfastness in the face of the continuous and escalating Israeli aggression.

Gaza's resistance factions have been retaliating against the Israeli aerial assaults by bringing the occupied territories under rocket barrages.

Palestinian resistance launches retaliatory rocket attacks on Tel Aviv, other Israeli cities

Palestinian resistance factions in Gaza have fired rockets towards Israeli cities in retaliation for the regime

According to the resistance's joint command, the groups have so far fired "hundreds" of rockets towards the occupied territories, including the coastal city of Tel Aviv, in an operation codenamed "Revenge of the Free."

The regime, itself, has admitted that the at least 400 rockets have been fired towards the territories from the direction of the Gaza Strip.

Lebanon's al-Mayadeen television network reported that the rockets had damaged a house in Tel Aviv.

Rocket attacks also caused massive destruction in Ashkelon, another coastal city, which is located in the western part of the occupied territories.

Reports say at least 16 people have been injured as a result of the Palestinian reprisal.

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