Live Updates: Israel kills 45,259 people in Gaza as its brutality continues

Sunday, December 22, 2024

10:28 GMT — Israel kills 45,259 people in Gaza as its brutality continues

Israel has killed at least 45,259 Palestinians and wounded 107,627 others in Gaza since October 7, 2023, the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave has said.

11:38 GMT — Hamas says it shot Israeli army officer in Gaza’s Jabalia

Palestinian resistance group Hamas has said that it had shot an Israeli army officer in northern Gaza.

The group’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said the officer was shot by its fighters in the Jabalia refugee camp, without specifying whether he was killed.

The claim came one day after Hamas said that its fighters had killed five Israeli soldiers in clashes in Jabalia on Saturday.

There was no immediate Israeli comment on the Hamas’ claim.

08:32 GMT — Israel continues bombing Gaza; at least 28 killed in new attacks

At least 28 Palestinians have been killed in the latest Israeli attacks, including at one family's home and a school building, according to the civil defence agency in the besieged enclave.

There was no let-up in the violence in Gaza more than 14 months into Israel's brutal war on the besieged enclave, even as Hamas said a ceasefire deal was "closer than ever".

Civil agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal said in a statement that at least 13 people have been killed in an air strike on a house in central Gaza's Deir al Balah belonging to the Abu Samra family.

Bassal said that eight people including four children were killed in the attack on the school, which had been repurposed as a shelter for Palestinians displaced by the war.

He also said an overnight strike killed three people in Rafah, in the south.

And a drone strike early on Sunday hit a car in Gaza City, killing four people, he added.

03:15 GMT — Israeli army arrests Palestinian child in occupied West Bank raids

Israeli soldiers have detained a Palestinian child during raids in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian news agency, Wafa.

Israeli forces carried out operations in towns and villages across Al-Bireh, Hebron, and Jenin, using tear gas and live ammunition during raids. A child was taken into custody in Al-Bireh.

Illegal Israeli settlers damaged Palestinian-owned vehicles in Bethlehem, escalating tensions in the area.

01:47 GMT — Israeli government still far from reaching prisoner swap agreement with Hamas: Report

Israeli officials stated that the Israeli government is still far from reaching a prisoner swap agreement with Hamas.

According to a report on Israeli state television KAN, unnamed Israeli officials shared their views on the ongoing negotiations for a prisoner swap.

The officials mentioned that there are still significant issues in the talks between Israel and Hamas, and that the situation is far from moving toward a mutually acceptable formula.

The officials confirmed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has no intention of halting the attacks on Gaza.

01:35 GMT — Nationwide protests erupt in Israel to demand Netanyahu’s resignation

Israelis staged protests across the country, demanding the resignation of PM Benjamin Netanyahu's government, accusing it of obstructing a ceasefire and prisoner swap agreement with Gaza.

Opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid emphasised that they would not negotiate with Netanyahu's government and would not back down.

"We will win. Bibi (Netanyahu) is not actually growing stronger. The people are not on their side. There are no elections because they are terrified of elections because they know the truth," he said.

22:03 GMT — Spain's PM calls for global recognition of Palestine

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has urged the international community to recognise Palestine as a state and work towards granting it full membership in the United Nations, while calling for an end to the Israeli occupation.

Speaking at the Socialist International Conference in Morocco, he emphasised the importance of achieving a "just and comprehensive peace" in the Middle East, stressing that global efforts must be unified to address the escalating crises in various regions, particularly in Palestine.

"We must end the Israeli occupation and enable the Palestinian people to establish their independent state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, within the framework of a two-state solution," Sanchez said.

07:00 GMT — Israel bombs Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza

Israeli army have launched a heavy bombardment on Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, in northern besieged Gaza, resulting in damage to some sections, WAFA news agency said.

The agency cited medical sources who reported that the hospital came under intense and indiscriminate shelling, with Israeli soldiers targeting the facility using bombs, artillery shells, and sniper fire.

The attack caused significant damage to the hospital's infrastructure, including its power generators and various departments.

06:20 GMT — Spain's PM calls for global recognition of Palestine

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has urged the international community to recognise Palestine as a state and work towards granting it full membership in the United Nations, while calling for an end to the Israeli occupation.

Speaking at the Socialist International Conference in Morocco, he emphasised the importance of achieving a "just and comprehensive peace" in the Middle East, stressing that global efforts must be unified to address the escalating crises in various regions, particularly in Palestine.

"We must end the Israeli occupation and enable the Palestinian people to establish their independent state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, within the framework of a two-state solution," Sanchez said.

05:23 GMT — US carries out strikes in Sanaa against Houthis

The US military said it conducted precision air strikes against a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility operated by Houthis in Yemen's capital, Sanaa.

In a statement, the US military's Central Command said the strikes aimed to "disrupt and degrade Houthi operations, such as attacks against US Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden".

The US military also said it struck multiple Houthi one-way drones and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea.

For our live updates from Saturday, December 21, 2024, click here.