“We call for an independent investigation to establish the facts and the responsibilities,” it said in a statement on X.At least 178 Palestinians have been killed while 589 have been injured in Israeli strikes on Gaza so far. Frontiers sans Medics (MSF) has called for an independent investigation into a Nov 18 attack on its convoy in Gaza City, which killed two people who were family members of its staff.
In a statement, it said the incident “immediately appeared to be a deliberate attack” and that the organisation “considers that all elements point to the responsibility of the Israeli army for this attack”.
It further said it has requested a formal explanation for this attack from the Israeli authorities. MSF noted that after it sent more vehicles to Gaza City, “they too were destroyed by the Israeli forces”.
The statement includes testimonies of MSF staff members — one of whom said: “Two days later, after the convoy attack, a bulldozer clearing the way for Israeli tanks came and damaged our cars and threw them away from the right and the left side of the street.”
Heavy fighting continued in Gaza on Saturday following a day after the temporary humanitarian truce collapsed in the besieged enclave, with the Israeli military claiming to have hit Hamas command centres.
In an update on X, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Saturday that it "struck operational command centers in Gaza, which Hamas terrorists were operating, as well as underground sites and a military compound from which anti-tank missiles were launched at soldiers" on Saturday.
The IDF also said that it eliminated multiple terrorist cells throughout Gaza, including one with over 10 terrorists operating adjacent to ground troops.
It further claimed of thwarting two additional terrorist cells -- in joint IDF ground and aerial activities -- that launched mortar shells toward IDF troops in Gaza.
According to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry in Gaza, at least 178 people were killed and 589 injured since the resumption of the hostilities.
Meanwhile, more than 260 Palestinians were detained by Israeli forces in the West Bank during the period of the now-expired truce, according to the Palestinian Prisoner Society.
Under the Israel-Hamas truce, a total of 104 hostages -- 80 Israelis, 24 foreign nationals -- and 240 Palestinian prisoners were released in between November 24 to 30.
But the IDF has said that at least 136 hostages are still being held in Gaza, including 17 women and children.
The Israeli military has also said that a new interactive map showing Gaza divided up into numbered districts and “evacuation zones” is meant to reduce casualties when it carries out strikes in civilian areas.
Earlier on Friday, the IDF dropped leaflets in areas of southern Gaza which included a QR code that connects to the map.
But telecommunications and electrical infrastructure in Gaza suffered extensive damage over weeks of bombardment, leaving many residents with unreliable access to the internet and power.
War between Israel and Hamas resumed in full force on Friday, with airstrikes hitting targets in the Gaza Strip minutes after the week-long truce expired.
The Israeli army said on Friday that with the resumption of fighting it had published a map to advise Gazans of safe areas for their evacuation.
The Biden administration has informed Israel that Washington will impose visa bans in the next few weeks on Israeli extremist settlers engaged in violence against Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank, a senior State Department official said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet that the US will take its own action against an undisclosed number of individuals
In Israel, sirens warned of incoming rockets at several communal farms near Gaza, a sign that militants also restarted attacks. The renewed hostilities heightened concerns for Palestinians, many of whom have been displaced by the war.
Qatar said negotiators were still trying to restart the cease-fire. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry singled out Israel’s role in the resumption of fighting and said it “complicates mediation efforts and exacerbates the humanitarian catastrophe”.
Meanwhile, Israel has blamed the Palestinian group for resumption of war. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war resumed because Hamas had violated the terms of the truce. “It has not met its obligation to release all women hostages today and has launched rockets at Israeli citizens,” he said in a statement.
Besides, the entry of aid and fuel trucks for the Gaza Strip at Egypt’s Rafah crossing were also halted as Israel resumed its military campaign, said Egyptian security and aid sources.
Urging parties to ensure that a lasting ceasefire be upheld, The United Nations on Friday deplored the resumption of military operations in Gaza. The resumption of hostilities in Gaza is catastrophic, said Volker Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
“A lasting ceasefire must be implemented. Inaction at its core is an approval of the killing of children,” James Elder, spokesperson for UNICEF, told reporters via a video link from Gaza