Live Updates: Death toll from Israel's war on Gaza rises to 45,059

Tuesday, December 17, 2024

10:15 GMT — At least 45,059 Palestinians have been killed and 107,041 wounded in Israel's brutal war on Gaza since October last year, the Gaza health ministry has said in a statement.

10:15 GMT — Israeli army says 2 soldiers killed in Gaza’s Rafah

Two Israeli soldiers were killed in Rafah in southern Gaza, the military has said.

A military statement said the two soldiers, from the army’s Nahal Brigade's Combat Engineering Corps, were killed in the city, without providing any further details.

Israeli media said that an initial probe by the army found that the two soldiers lost their lives in a building collapse on Monday, in addition to two others wounded.

The new fatalities brought the number of Israeli soldiers killed since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict last year to 819, according to military figures.

10:14 GMT — Displaced Palestinians in Gaza flee western Rafah amid Israeli military incursion

An Israeli military incursion into Rafah has forced hundreds of displaced Palestinians to flee from the city in southern Gaza, witnesses said.

Israeli military vehicles staged a limited incursion in northwestern Rafah towards al-Mawasi, an area designated by the Israeli army as a “safe zone” for civilians, the witnesses said.

Tents of displaced people came under fire from Israeli drones and military vehicles moving in the area, forcing civilians to flee, they added.

The Israeli army did not issue any prior warnings before the raid.

Separately, the Civil Defense Agency said several Palestinians were killed and wounded in an Israeli strike near a mosque in the beach area in Rafah.

07:20 GMT — Israeli strikes across Gaza kill at least 14 Palestinians

Israeli strikes across Gaza have killed at least 14 Palestinians, at least 10 of them in one house in Gaza City, medics have said as tanks pushed deeper towards the western area of Rafah in the south.

Medics said the Israeli air strike on the house in the Daraj suburb of Gaza City destroyed the building and damaged nearby houses.

Four other people were killed in two separate air strikes in the city and the town of Beit Lahia north of the enclave said medics, medics added.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

In Rafah, near the border with Egypt, Israeli tanks pushed deeper towards the western area of Mawasi, known as a humanitarian-designated area, residents said.

Heavy fire from tanks rolling into the area forced dozens of families sheltering there to flee northwards towards Khan Younis.

06:20 GMT — Gaza truce talks 'productive', 'small differences' remain — US

The US has described recent talks over a potential ceasefire and hostage exchange deal between Israel and Hamas as "productive" while cautioning that a "very small number of differences" still stand in the way of an agreement.

"The negotiations have been productive in recent days," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told a press briefing.

"We have continued to try to work with the other mediators to narrow the differences."

05:21 GMT — Israel kills one Palestinian, wounds several in West Bank raids

Israel has killed a Palestinian man and wounded several others during raids across the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that "a martyr tried to reach the Rafidia Government Hospital in Nablus coming from the Askar refugee camp."

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society, which earlier issued an alert about a young man wounded on the hill near Askar camp, confirmed that Israeli forces had blocked medical teams from reaching the site.

04:50 GMT — Israeli officials in Doha for Gaza truce talks

Israeli officials arrived in Doha, Qatar, for talks aimed at a Gaza ceasefire and a hostage deal, a source with knowledge of the talks told the AFP news agency.

"An Israeli technical team is in Doha to discuss the ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza," the source said, on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks.

"This is between Israeli and Qatari working-level teams," the source said, indicating discussions were aimed a bridging gaps between the parties.

04:20 GMT — Conditions in north Gaza hospital 'appalling': WHO chief

A World Health Organization said a humanitarian team finally reached one of northern Gaza's only functioning hospitals at the weekend to deliver fuel, food and medicines and found "appalling" conditions.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X that after multiple attempts, the United Nations health agency and partners reached the Kamal Adwan Hospital "two days ago, amid hostilities and explosions in the vicinity of the hospital during the mission".

The team, he said, had "delivered 5,000 litres of fuel, food and medicines, and transferred three patients and six companions to Al-Shifa", the Palestinian territory's main hospital.

For our live updates from Monday, December 16, 2024, click here.