Israel invades Gaza, Palestinian President "calls for help" from the UN

On July 13, a group of Israeli naval commandos entered the Gaza Strip in the first ground attack on the territory, despite a call for a ceasefire by the United Nations Security Council just hours earlier.

Israeli soldiers deployed near the border with the Gaza Strip

An Israeli military spokesman confirmed the information and said the location where the commandos entered was where the Palestinian Hamas movement had been firing long-range rockets at Israeli civilians. Several rounds of gunfire occurred, injuring four Israeli soldiers, but the entire group returned safely.

This is the first time the Israeli army has admitted entering the Gaza Strip since it launched a retaliatory offensive called "Protection Borders" against the Hamas movement.

On the same day, at a meeting with the UN Secretary-General's special envoy for the Middle East, Robert Serry, Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas called for the international community's support in protecting Palestinian civilians from Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip.

Mr. Abbas affirmed that "Israel's aggression must end immediately" and said that the Palestinian leadership will soon announce decisions to deal with Tel Aviv's attacks.

Meanwhile, an official revealed that Palestine plans to join 20 international treaties to enhance its diplomatic activities and raise its status. Details of the plan will be announced in the next few days.

In the face of tense developments in the Gaza Strip, on July 13, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Speaking on television, Minister Le Drian said: "France condemns the rocket attacks by the Hamas Islamist movement, but also urges Tel Aviv to exercise restraint in its responses, in particular respecting international law and avoiding civilian casualties."

Earlier, on July 12, China's Special Envoy for the Middle East, Wu Sike, called for an urgent ceasefire between Israel and Palestine and expressed concern over the escalating conflict in the region, saying that the two sides need to resolve the issue through peace negotiations.

Beijing opposes the use of force against civilians and believes that retaliatory actions only increase hostility between the two sides, the official said.

According to sources, next week, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini will travel to the Middle East to seek a solution to end the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Foreign Minister Steinmeier is expected to hold talks in Israel, the West Bank and Jordan. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Mogherini, who currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union (EU), will also meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas to seek a ceasefire agreement between the parties./.

According to Vietnam+