Live Updates: Israel strikes northern Gaza, kills 8 Palestinians

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

06:40 GMT — Israel strikes northern Gaza, kills 8 Palestinians

Israel has killed eight Palestinians and wounded seven others in its strike on a house sheltering displaced families in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza.

A medical source told Anadolu Agency the victims were brought to the Kamal Adwan Hospital following the strike, which targeted a home belonging to the Battah family near the hospital building.

Israeli warplanes bombed the family's home, which was housing displaced people from the Ashkar and Swaiti families, mostly women and children.

05:23 GMT — Legal experts in Spain call for arms embargo on Israel

A group of legal experts in Spain called on the government to impose an arms embargo on Israel over its carnage in besieged Gaza.

Jurists for Palestine, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) comprising Spanish judges, prosecutors and lawyers, submitted a petition with more than 1,200 signatures to parliament calling for sanctions, including an arms embargo.

Speaking outside parliament, Pilar Barrado, a judge and spokesperson for the NGO, said Israel's genocide in Gaza and violations of international law had reached an intolerable level.

04:45 GMT — US says hoping Gaza ceasefire 'in coming weeks' is reached

The US remains hopeful that a Gaza ceasefire and hostage exchange deal can be reached "in the coming weeks" with ongoing efforts to bridge final differences, the State Department said.

Addressing reporters at the Foreign Press Center, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller underscored the urgency of reaching an agreement, expressing frustration at the repeated setbacks in negotiations.

"We believe that we are at the point where we ought to be able to get to an agreement. The differences between the two parties really have been narrowed such that all remaining differences ought to be bridgeable," Miller said.

For our live updates from Tuesday, December 17, 2024, click here.