At the least 68 individuals had been killed by an Israeli strike in central Gaza, well being officers mentioned on Sunday, whereas the variety of Israeli troopers killed in fight over the weekend rose to fifteen.
The 68 fatalities embrace at the very least 12 ladies and 7 youngsters, in line with early hospital figures.
“We had been all focused,” mentioned Ahmad Turokmani, who misplaced a number of relations together with his daughter and grandson. “There is no such thing as a secure place in Gaza anyway.”
Earlier, the well being ministry in Gaza gave the dying toll as 70. The Israeli army had no rapid remark.
As Christmas Eve fell, smoke rose over the besieged territory, whereas within the West Financial institution Bethlehem was hushed, its vacation celebrations known as off. In neighbouring Egypt, tentative efforts continued on a deal for an additional change of hostages for Palestinians held by Israel.
The conflict has devastated components of Gaza, killed roughly 20,400 Palestinians and displaced nearly all the territory’s 2.3 million individuals.
The mounting dying toll amongst Israeli troops – 154 for the reason that floor offensive started – may erode public assist for the conflict, which was sparked when Hamas-led militants stormed communities in southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 and taking 240 hostage.
Israelis nonetheless largely stand behind the nation’s acknowledged targets of crushing Hamas’s governing and army capabilities and releasing the remaining 129 captives. That is regardless of rising worldwide stress in opposition to Israel’s offensive, and the hovering dying toll and unprecedented struggling amongst Palestinians.
Hamas exacts a value
“The conflict exacts a really heavy value from us, however now we have no alternative however to proceed combating,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned.
In a nationally televised speech, Israeli President Isaac Herzog appealed for the nation to stay united. “This second is a take a look at. We won’t break nor blink,” he mentioned.
There was widespread anger in opposition to his authorities, which many criticise for failing to guard civilians on October 7 and selling insurance policies that allowed Hamas to realize energy over time. Netanyahu has averted accepting duty for the army and coverage failures.
“Over time, the general public will discover it laborious to disregard the heavy value paid, in addition to the suspicion that the goals that had been loudly heralded are nonetheless removed from being attained, and that Hamas is displaying no indicators of capitulating within the close to future,” wrote Amos Harel, army affairs commentator for the Haaretz newspaper.
The Israeli army mentioned it had accomplished the dismantling of Hamas’s underground headquarters in northern Gaza, a part of an operation to take down the huge tunnel community and kill off prime commanders that Israeli leaders have mentioned may take months.
Efforts towards negotiations continued. The top of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Ziyad al-Nakhalah, arrived in Egypt for talks. The militant group, which additionally took half within the October 7 assault, mentioned it was ready to think about releasing hostages solely after combating ends. Hamas’s prime chief Ismail Haniyeh travelled to Cairo for talks days earlier.
Inside gaza
Israel’s offensive has been some of the devastating army campaigns in latest historical past. Greater than two-thirds of the 20,000 Palestinians killed have been ladies and youngsters, in line with the well being ministry in Gaza, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants.
On Friday, Israeli airstrikes on two properties in Gaza killed 90 Palestinians, together with dozens from an prolonged household, in line with rescuers and hospital officers. One of many properties, situated in Gaza Metropolis, grew to become one of many deadliest airstrikes within the conflict after 76 individuals from the al-Mughrabi household had been killed, mentioned Mahmoud Bassal, a spokesman for Gaza’s Civil Protection division.
The Palestinian Purple Crescent mentioned a 13-year-old boy was shot and killed in an Israeli drone assault whereas inside al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis, part of Gaza the place Israel’s army believes Hamas leaders are hiding.
An Israeli strike in a single day hit a home in a refugee camp west of town of Rafah, on Gaza’s border with Egypt.
At the least two individuals had been killed and 6 others wounded when a missile caught a constructing within the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza.
And Palestinians reported heavy Israeli bombardment and gunfire in Jabaliya, an space north of Gaza Metropolis that Israel had claimed to regulate. Hamas’ army arm mentioned its fighters shelled Israeli troops in Jabaliya and Jabaliya refugee camp.
Israel faces worldwide criticism for the civilian dying toll however it blames Hamas, citing the militants’ use of crowded residential areas and tunnels. Israel has launched 1000’s of airstrikes since October 7. It says it has killed 1000’s of Hamas militants, with out presenting proof.
Israel additionally faces allegations of mistreating Palestinian males and teenage boys detained in properties, shelters, hospitals and elsewhere throughout the offensive. It has denied abuse allegations and mentioned these with out hyperlinks to militants are rapidly launched.
Chatting with the AP from a hospital mattress in Rafah after his launch, Khamis al-Burdainy of Gaza Metropolis mentioned Israeli forces detained him after tanks and bulldozers partly destroyed his house. He mentioned males had been handcuffed and blindfolded.
“We did not sleep. We did not get meals and water,” he mentioned, crying and overlaying his face.
One other launched detainee, Mohammed Salem, from the Gaza Metropolis neighbourhood of Shijaiyah, mentioned Israeli troops beat them. “We had been humiliated,” he mentioned.
Worldwide stress
The United Nations Safety Council has handed a watered-down decision calling for the speedy supply of humanitarian assist for hungry and determined Palestinians and the discharge of all of the hostages, however not for a ceasefire.
But it surely was not instantly clear how and when deliveries of meals, medical provides and different assist, far beneath the every day common of 500 earlier than the conflict, would speed up. Vehicles enter via two crossings: Rafah, and Kerem Shalom on the border with Israel. Wael Abu Omar, a spokesman for the Palestinian Crossings Authority, mentioned 123 assist vehicles entered Gaza on Sunday,
The top of the World Well being Group, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, reiterated UN requires a humanitarian cease-fire, including on social media that the decimation of the Gaza well being system is a tragedy.
Amid issues a few wider regional battle, the US Central Command mentioned a patrol ship within the Purple Sea on Saturday shot down 4 drones launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, some time two Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles had been fired into worldwide transport lanes.
The Iran-backed Houthis say their assaults are geared toward Israel-linked ships in an effort to cease the Israeli offensive in Gaza.