TRANSCRIPT
The war in Gaza is now in its third month.
Gaza's health authorities say about 18,000 people have been confirmed to have been killed and 49,500 injured in Israeli strikes, with thousands more missing and presumed dead under rubble.
The toll no longer includes figures from northern parts of the enclave, beyond the reach of ambulances and where hospitals have ceased functioning.
Israel's air and ground response also caused some 1.9 million to flee their homes.
Mohamed Salim, who has just been released after five days of detention by Israel, shares his experience:
“We were thrown on the ground for five days with no food, no water, 24 hours a day of torture. They hit us with the back of the gun on our backs. They broke our backs. They hit me with their shoes on my chest, head and legs.”
With very little aid allowed in, Palestinians now also face severe shortages of food, water and other basic goods.
The World Health Organization says the impact of Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip has been catastrophic for the region's healthcare capabilities while creating conditions ideal for the spread of deadly diseases.
A motion being reviewed by the WHO proposed by Afghanistan, Morocco, Qatar and Yemen demands passage for medical personnel and their supplies and tasks the organisation with securing funding to rebuild hospitals.
However, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the organisation will be unable to achieve this goal without a ceasefire.
“A ceasefire is the only way to truly protect and promote the health of the people of Gaza. I deeply regret that the Security Council was unable to adopt a resolution on such a ceasefire last Friday. Gaza's health system is on its knees and collapsing. Only 14 hospitals out of the original 36 are even partially functional.”
Several protests are taking place around the world, showing support for both sides of the conflict.
In Australia, tens of thousands of people who support Palestinians rallied across cities for a ninth week, calling for an end to Israel's land and air bombardment of Gaza.
In Sydney, Palestinian activist Said Fayyad comments:
“This is nothing new. This is part of a decades-long brutal military occupation the Palestinian people have had to endure and until international law is applied and until the United Nations and other international bodies come together and put more pressure on Israel, we're going to be marching as long as we can.”
In Melbourne, thousands of supporters rallied amongst a sea of Palestinian flags in the city centre.
Meanwhile, members of the Jewish community have also gathered to demand the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
In Tel Aviv, Israel's largest city, about 100 people held yellow umbrellas and formed the outline of the sun in the middle of the hostages plaza.
They also held a banner that read "Bring our sunshine back."
Initially a climate change protest, activists opted to link their cause with the liberation of Israeli hostages detained by Hamas.
Omer Metzeger, whose grandparents are held as hostages, explains:
“I think it's right. We need to bring our sunshine home. And I think more than that, I want to bring them the sunshine because they don't have any right now. They physically don't have sunshine.”
Others decided to walk together to call for the fighting to stop.
In Turkiye, thousands marched to the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul on Sunday to protest the war.
Rabbis from the orthodox Jewish group ‘Neturei Karta’ joined the protest organized by local major Islamic NGOs.
Dovid Feldman, a Rabbi from the group who came from New York, takes the floor:
“Unfortunately, we are witnessing now weeks and already decades of an endless cycle of bloodshed where everyone suffers. We have to realize that this bloodshed is a new phenomenon in Palestine. We use to live in peace in Palestine. What caused all of this?”
Demonstrators chanted slogans in support of the Palestinians and held banners and Palestinian flags.
