Live Updates: Israeli bomb kills four in Gaza as humanitarian crisis deepens

Friday, December 20, 2024

1247 GMT — At least Four Palestinians were killed and several others injured in an Israeli air strike targeting a home in northern Gaza, according to eyewitnesses.

The strike hit a home in Beit Hanoon, where Israel’s military has intensified operations and ethnic cleansing for over two months, eyewitnesses said.

In southern Gaza, medical sources reported that an infant, Aisha Adnan Sufyan Al-Qassas, died early Friday due to extreme cold while sheltering in a tent in Khan Younis’s Al-Mawasi region.

Nearly 2 million displaced residents out of Gaza’s 2.4 million population are enduring severe humanitarian conditions, with critical shortages of food, water, and essential supplies.

1301 GMT — Netanyahu is ‘not fit’ to lead Israel: Former defence minister

Former Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz has said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is "not the right person to lead the Jewish people."

"Netanyahu is the prime minister, but he is not suited to lead a community like the Israeli society,” Gantz said on X.

"The State of Israel and the Israeli society deserve a different leadership," he added.

Netanyahu has faced intense criticism for his refusal to negotiate a prisoner exchange agreement for Israeli captives in Gaza as well as corruption charges against him.

1229 GMT — Israeli Embassy in Ireland takes down flag ahead of closure

The Israeli Embassy in Dublin has taken down its national flag, signaling the first steps toward its closure.

The development follows an announcement by Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar that the embassy would be shut down due to what it called Ireland’s “antisemitic rhetoric,” a claim Dublin denies.

Saar criticised Ireland’s recognition of State of Palestine and accused the country of attempting to redefine "genocide" in international law to support claims against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

The removal of the Israeli flag from the embassy’s location on Shelbourne Road, Ballsbridge, occurred shortly after Saar’s announcement.

1054 GMT — Palestinian officials accuse Israeli settlers of mosque arson in West Bank

Palestinian officials reported that Jewish settlers had set fire to a mosque in the occupied West Bank, an act Israeli police said was under investigation.

The Palestinian foreign ministry in Ramallah condemned the incident, calling it a "blatant act of racism" and a reflection of the " widespread incitement campaigns against our people carried out by elements of the extremist right-wing ruling government" of Israel.

Israeli police and the domestic Shin Bet security agency described the incident as a matter of "great severity".

They said they would "act decisively to ensure accountability for those responsible", adding an investigation was underway, with authorities gathering testim ony and evidence from the scene.

1014 GMT — Death toll from Israel's ongoing onslaught in Gaza tops 45,200

At least 77 more Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza, bringing the overall death toll since last year to 45,206, the Health Ministry in the enclave said.

A ministry statement added that some 107,512 others have been wounded in the ongoing assault.

“Israeli forces killed 77 people and injured 174 others in three massacres of families in the last 24 hours,” the ministry said.

“Many people are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added.

09:00 GMT — Israel continues to bomb Gaza, kills at least 19 Palestinians

Israeli forces have launched attacks on various parts of Gaza, killing 19 Palestinians and wounding many others, local reports said.

The Civil Defence Directorate said in a statement that air strikes in the Sabra neighbourhood in southern Gaza City targeted the homes of the Abu Shanab, Kiyyali and Al-Lawh families, killing nine people and wounding many others.

Health sources said that Israeli drones targeted two motorcycles in southern Gaza, killing three people.

08:35 GMT — At least 10 killed in Israeli attack on al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza

At least 10 Palestinians were killed and three wounded, two critically, in an Israeli attack on the Shati refugee camp in western Gaza City, health sources said.

Israeli forces targeted a group of Palestinians who were waiting in line for water at the camp, the sources said.

07:38 GMT — Israel violates ceasefire with Lebanon 6 times on its 23rd day

The Israeli army violated a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon six times on its 23rd day, reports said.

Since the ceasefire was declared on Nov. 27, the total number of Israeli violations has risen to 259, with 31 people killed and 37 wounded during the incidents.

According to Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA), Israeli forces demolished homes in the southern Lebanese town of Kafr Kila, causing tremors felt throughout the area.

06:30 GMT — 'Nowhere is safe, no one is spared' in Gaza — MSF report

A new report by Doctors Without Borders (MSF), titled "Gaza: Life in a Death Trap," has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to save lives and ensure the flow of humanitarian aid.

The organisation has also demanded an end to Israel's targeted and indiscriminate attacks on civilians and called on its allies to act swiftly to protect Palestinian lives and uphold international law.

Highlighting the devastating impact of repeated Israeli military attacks on Palestinian civilians over the past 14 months, Christopher Lockyear, MSF secretary general, said, "People in Gaza are struggling to survive apocalyptic conditions, but nowhere is safe, no one is spared, and there is no exit from this shattered enclave."

05:40 GMT — Israeli army imposes curfew in occupied West Bank

The Israeli army imposed a curfew on the Palestinian town of Deir Istiya in the occupied West Bank.

Bilal Mansour, an anti-settlement activist, told Anadolu that Israeli forces stormed the town, sealed its entrances and announced the curfew through loudspeakers.

He said the troops blocked the town’s main access points, patrolled its streets and ordered shopkeepers to close their businesses. They also restricted the movement of residents.

05:00 GMT — Pentagon says there are 2,000 US troops in Syria

The Pentagon said there are 2,000 US troops in Syria, more than double the number it had previously acknowledged.

Spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said that in addition to the 900 troops that were deployed to Syria on a longer-term basis to aid in counter-Daesh operations, 1,100 others were sent on a "temporary" basis to help "meet shifting mission requirements" in the anti-Daesh fight.

"A certain element of this also goes into diplomatic and operational security concerns as it relates to the region. But again, given the difference in the number that we've been providing, I made the decision to go ahead and give you that number," he told reporters.

04:21 GMT — Egypt resumes flights to Lebanon after 3-month suspension

Egypt's national carrier said that flights between Cairo and Beirut resumed after a three-month suspension.

“In light of the stability of the situation in Lebanon, we are pleased to announce the resumption of direct flights between Cairo and Beirut after a three-month hiatus," it said in a statement. The first flight was Thursday.

The suspension began Sept. 24, when EgyptAir announced it was halting flights to Beirut because of instability in Lebanon.

For our live updates from Thursday, December 19, 2024, click here.