Live Updates: Israeli soldier flees Brazil amid Gaza war crimes investigation

Sunday, January 5, 2025

09:08 GMT — Israeli soldier flees Brazil amid Gaza war crimes investigation

An Israeli soldier accused of committing war crimes during the Gaza war has fled Brazil where authorities were pressing for an investigation, local media has said.

The investigation stems from a complaint filed by the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), a Belgium-based organisation advocating for justice for Palestinian victims, the Israeli public broadcaster KAN said.

According to Israeli Channel 12, the complaint includes over 500 pages of evidence, including videos, geolocation data, and open-source intelligence, linking the soldier to destruction in Gaza.

HRF called for the soldier’s immediate detention to prevent his escape or the destruction of evidence, the channel said.

Despite a court order, the soldier, identified as a reservist, managed to leave Brazil and is reportedly en route back to Israel, KAN said. Details about how he evaded arrest remain unclear.

The escape follows a series of similar incidents involving Israeli soldiers abroad.

09:23 GMT — At least 2 Palestinians killed as Israeli warplanes pound Gaza

At least two Palestinians were killed and several others injured in Israeli air strikes in Gaza, medics have said.

The Civil Defence Agency said the body of a Palestinian was recovered and several people were injured after an Israeli strike that reduced a home to rubble in the southern city of Khan Younis.

Another Palestinian was killed in Israeli bombardment in the northern town of Jabalia, a medical source said.

Artillery shelling also targeted northwestern Rafah in southern Gaza and the western and northern parts of the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, according to witnesses.

No information about casualties was not yet available.

02:03 GMT — Israeli negotiator says captives not priority for gov't: report

A family member of a hostage revealed that a senior Israeli negotiator said returning the captives is not the Benjamin Netanyahu government's top priority, but rather dismantling Hamas.

The official, according to Haaretz citing the relative who spoke before the Israeli negotiator left for Qatar last week, said that while Hamas' infrastructure in Gaza has been largely destroyed, the group's eradication will take time, requiring ongoing military operations.

The relative expressed concern over the government’s priorities, especially in light of troubling public statements by Israeli ministers, who did not clearly commit to the return of all captives.

The family member shared the emotional distress caused by the ministers' comments, stating, “We hear these statements and can't sleep at night.”

23:12 GMT — Israel military says missile from Yemen intercepted

The Israeli military has said that it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen, shortly after sirens sounded.

"Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in Talmei Elazar, a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted prior to crossing into Israeli territory," the military said in a statement posted to Telegram.

21:08 GMT — Israel killed 10 journalists in December: syndicate

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate has said Israel killed at least 10 journalists in December, WAFA news agency reported.

In a statement issued by the Syndicate's Freedoms Committee, it revealed that the Israeli military carried out 84 violations and crimes against Palestinian journalists during the previous month.

The agency said five of the victims were killed in a brutal attack while inside a live broadcast vehicle.

20:29 GMT — Gaza truce talks resume as Israel kills 30 in fresh strikes

Israel confirmed that negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal had resumed in Qatar, as rescuers said more than 30 people had been killed in fresh bombardment of the blockaded enclave.

The civil defence agency said a dawn air strike on the home of the al Ghoula family in Gaza City killed 11 people, seven of them children.

Katz said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has given "detailed instructions for the continued negotiations".

07:00 GMT — Israel killed 184 Palestinians over past 3 days in Gaza

The Israeli army has killed 184 Palestinians and wounded dozens of others over the past three days, the Gaza Media Office said.

"In a dangerous and unethical escalation as usual, the Israeli occupation army carried out more than 94 strikes, bombardments, and crimes over the past 72 hours, targeting unarmed civilians and residential areas across Gaza governorates, particularly in Gaza City, in a brutal and deliberate manner," the office said in a statement.

"The attacks killed more than 184 Palestinians, including dozens whose bodies have not been retrieved due to the destruction of infrastructure and the inability to reach them under the rubble," the office added.

06:23 GMT — Israel military says missile from Yemen intercepted

The Israeli military has said that it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen, shortly after sirens sounded.

"Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in Talmei Elazar, a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted prior to crossing into Israeli territory," the military said in a statement posted to Telegram.

05:21 GMT — Israel killed 10 journalists in December: syndicate

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate has said Israel killed at least 10 journalists in December, WAFA news agency reported.

In a statement issued by the Syndicate's Freedoms Committee, it revealed that the Israeli military carried out 84 violations and crimes against Palestinian journalists during the previous month.

The agency said five of the victims were killed in a brutal attack while inside a live broadcast vehicle.

04:29 GMT — Gaza truce talks resume as Israel kills 30 in fresh strikes

Israel confirmed that negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal had resumed in Qatar, as rescuers said more than 30 people had been killed in fresh bombardment of the blockaded enclave.

The civil defence agency said a dawn air strike on the home of the al Ghoula family in Gaza City killed 11 people, seven of them children.

Katz said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has given "detailed instructions for the continued negotiations".

For our live updates from Saturday, January 4, 2025, click here.