JERUSALEM, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Israel on Thursday rejected the United Nations (UN) Security Council's call for extended humanitarian pauses in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
"Extended humanitarian pauses are untenable as long as 239 abductees remain in the hands of Hamas," Israeli Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lior Haiat said in a statement.
It called on the UN Security Council "to unequivocally condemn Hamas" for its Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israeli communities which killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians.
The UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution calling for "urgent and extended humanitarian pauses and corridors throughout the Gaza Strip" to allow urgently needed aid to reach civilians in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
At least 11,500 people have been killed by the Israeli attacks in Gaza, including 4,710 children and 3,003 women, while more than 29,000 others were injured, according to the government media office in Gaza. ■
