Live Updates: Israel strikes southern and central Gaza, kills 8

Monday, December 9, 2024

06:00 GMT — Israel strikes southern and central Gaza, kills 8

Israel has bombarded central and southern besieged Gaza, killing at least eight Palestinians and wounding several others.

A man and his wife were killed, and six others, including their infant daughter, were seriously wounded when an air strike hit the tent where they were staying in the town of Al-Zawayda in central Gaza, a medical source told Anadolu Agency.

Six more Palestinians were killed and several others wounded when an Israeli drone targeted a motorcycle and a civilian vehicle in the Khirbat Al-Adas area in Rafah city, another medical source said.

05:26 GMT — Israeli army burns truck carrying goods bound for southern Gaza

The Israeli army has burned a truck carrying goods in the Al Zeitoun neighbourhood southeast of Gaza City.

The army stopped the privately owned truck as it was heading to the southern part of the enclave via Salah al-Din Street, witnesses told Anadolu Agency.

They added that the army forced the driver to get out of the truck and took him to an unknown location, then set the truck on fire.

04:37 GMT — Israel, Hamas close to reaching 'small' ceasefire deal: Sources

Israel and resistance group Hamas are close to reaching a "small" ceasefire deal, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority said, citing political sources.

The broadcasting authority quoted the unnamed Israeli sources as saying that the two sides are close to finalising a deal that would include a two-month ceasefire.

03:52 GMT — Netanyahu claims Assad's fall could strengthen hostage swap deal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the fall of Syria's Bashar al Assad regime could lead to a hostage swap deal in besieged Gaza.

He said that the fall of Assad "could open the door to new opportunities to strengthen a deal for the return of the hostages from Gaza."

03:10 GMT — Director of key north Gaza hospital says power outage threatens patients

The director of northern Gaza's Kamal Adwan Hospital said the lives of more than 100 patients were in danger after electricity, oxygen and water supplies were cut due to Israel's onslaught.

Hossam Abu Safiyeh said recent Israeli shelling and bombing had severely damaged the hospital and cut the water and electricity supply to parts of it.

"The outage of electricity and water persists, and we urgently appeal to the international community for assistance," he said.

02:30 GMT — Israel's barbaric war on Palestine's Gaza must end: South Africa

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has said Israel's "barbaric war" against the people of Gaza must end.

"As nations, we know too well the pain of having our lands colonised and our people oppressed. South Africa and Algeria stand firm in our support for the Palestinian people's quest for self-determination," Ramaphosa said while addressing Algeria's parliament during a working visit on Friday, according to a transcript released by the government and seen by Anadolu over the weekend.

He said, "The killing of women, children, and non-combatants; the bombardment of homes, schools, and hospitals; and the denial of humanitarian aid is a stain on the conscience of the world," he said, adding, "We cannot turn a blind eye to this injustice."

For our live updates from Saturday, December 8, 2024, click here.