UN ambassadors have condemned Israel’s plans to “take control” of Gaza City as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted it was the “best way” to end the war. During a press conference, which Netanyahu said was intended to “puncture the lies”, the Israeli leader said the planned offensive would move “fairly quickly” and would “free Gaza from Hamas”.He also claimed Israeli hostages held in Gaza were “the only ones being deliberately starved” and denied Israel was starving Gazans.Meanwhile, Israel came under heavy criticism at an emergency meeting of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, with the UK, France and others warning the plan risked “violating international humanitarian law”.Along with Denmark, Greece and Slovenia, they called for the plan to be reversed, adding it would “do nothing to secure the return of hostages and risks further endangering their lives”.Other council members expressed similar alarm. China called the “collective punishment” of people in Gaza unacceptable, while Russia warned against a “reckless intensification of hostilities”. UN Assistant Secretary General Miroslav Jenca told the meeting: “If these plans are implemented, they will likely trigger another calamity in Gaza, reverberating across the region and causing further forced displacement, killings, and destruction.”But the United States defended Israel, with Ambassador Dorothy Shea telling the meeting the US had been working “tirelessly” to free hostages and end the war, and the meeting undermined those efforts.She added the war “could end today if Hamas let the hostages go”, and accused other UN members of taking advantage of the meeting to “accuse Israel of genocide”, an allegation she insisted was “demonstrably false”.Thousands of protesters have also taken to the streets across Israel to oppose Israel’s plan, fearing it puts the lives of hostages at …
