Live blog: Hamas snipers kill two Israeli soldiers in northern Gaza

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

1600 GMT — Palestinian resistance group Hamas has said its fighters have killed two Israeli soldiers in an attack in northern Gaza.

The group's armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said its snipers shot dead two Israeli soldiers in central Jabalia in northern Gaza.

The group said its fighters also targeted a personnel carrier and three Merkava tanks with anti-tank shells and an explosive device in the towns of Jabalia and Beit Lahia.

Since October 7, 2023, hundreds of Israeli soldiers have been killed mostly on the Gaza front, according to Israeli media.

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1710 GMT — More than 1,000 scientists sign open letter calling for Gaza ceasefire

More than 1,000 scientists worldwide, mainly psychologists and neuroscientists, have signed an open letter urging a ceasefire in Gaza and for the international community to pressure Israel to respect international humanitarian law, according to Spanish news agency EFE.

Signatories include Nobel laureates May-Britt Moser and Edvar d Moser from Norway and Susumu Tonegawa from Japan.

Several Spanish researchers, including Pablo Lanillos, a member of the Neuro Artificial Intelligence and Robotics group at the Cajal Institute, also signed the letter.

"This appeal is powerful because it comes from neuroscientists — people who study how the brain perceives and processes such conflicts," Lanillos told EFE.

1700 GMT — Israel opened fire inside Turkish hospital in West Bank: Doctors Without Borders

Doctors Without Borders said Israeli forces raided and opened fire inside the Turkish hospital in Tubas, occupied West Bank on Tuesday.

MSF International said on X that Israeli forces detained staff, intimidated patients and caused damage to the emergency room.

"During this hour-long raid, five medical staff were detained and one person was wounded. Medical staff on site were threatened at gunpoint and subjected to aggressive questioning. Patients were told to stay still or they would be shot and killed," the medical charity said.

"This violent incursion is unacceptable and shocking," argued Karine Robert, MSF deputy head of mission for Palestine.

1624 GMT — Israel says deaths of six hostages in Gaza probably linked to Israeli strike

The deaths of six Israeli hostages whose bodies were recovered from Gaza in August were probably linked to an Israeli strike near where they were being held, the Israeli military said.

"At the time of the strike, the military had no information, not even a suspicion, that the hostages were in the underground compound or its vicinity," the military said in a statement about the investigation into the hostages' deaths.

"Had such information been available, the strike would not have been carried out."

The statement said it was "highly probable that their deaths were related to the strike near the location where they were held," although the precise circumstances were still not clear.

1547 GMT — Russia stresses implementation of Israel-Lebanon ceasefire agreement

Russia stressed the importance of striving to implement the ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Lebanon, as Beirut reported more than 120 violations since the deal went into effect last week.

Responding to a question from Anadolu about ceasefire violations by Israeli forces since the agreement went into effect on November 27, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told a news conference in Moscow that the situation in the region is changing rapidly, so Moscow considers it inappropriate to comment on the current status of the agreement's implementation.

"There is, however, an important nuance: we expressed our hope that the agreement would work. The same assessment was shared by political scientists and officials who recognised that it is one thing to reach an agreement and quite another to put it into reality. Therefore, we must strive for this," Zakharova said.

1410 GMT — Israel kills 30 more Palestinians as death toll soars to 44,532

At least 30 more Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza, bringing the overall death toll since last year to 44,532, the Health Ministry in the enclave said.

A ministry statement added that some 105,538 others have been injured in the ongoing assault.

"Israeli forces killed 30 people and injured 84 others in three massacres of families in the last 24 hours," the ministry said.

1357 GMT — Hamas threatens to 'neutralise' hostages if Israel launches rescue operation

Hamas said it had information that Israel intended to carry out a hostage rescue operation similar to one conducted in Gaza's Nuseirat camp in June and threatened to "neutralise" the captives if such an operation took place, according to an internal statement seen by Reuters.

In the internal statement dated November 22, Hamas told its operatives not to consider any repercussions of following the instructions and said Israel was responsible for the fate of the hostages. It did not say when any Israeli operation was expected to take place.

1355 GMT — Elderly Palestinian beaten to death by Israeli soldiers in West Bank

An elderly Palestinian was beaten to death by Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank, local media said.

Sheikh Atef Malik Derieh died after he was assaulted by Israeli soldiers in the town of Aqraba, south of Nablus, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

“Occupation soldiers badly beat the elderly man as he was on his land near a settlement road in the town,” municipal chief Salah Jab told Wafa. "He sustained serious injuries and died of his wounds at the hospital," he added.

1245 GMT — Blinken claims 'ceasefire is holding' in Lebanon

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has claimed that the ceasefire in Lebanon was "holding" despite a series of Israel attacks.

"The ceasefire is holding, and we're using the mechanism that was established when any concerns have arisen about any alleged or purported violations," Blinken told journalists on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels.

1233 GMT — Palestine blames US for Israeli settler violence in occupied West Bank

The Palestinian Authority held the US administration responsible for violence by illegal Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.

Two Palestinian homes, a shop, and three vehicles were set ablaze in attacks by illegal settlers in the towns of Huwara and Beit Furik near Nablus in the northern West Bank.

"We condemn the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank, including Jerusalem," authority spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh said in a statement.

"The continuation of these terrorist attacks by colonists, with the support and protection of the occupation forces … is the responsibility of the American administration, which provides full support to the occupation authorities," he added.

1230 GMT — Vital oxygen station shuts down at northern Gaza hospital amid Israeli onslaught

A vital oxygen station at Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza ceased operation amid a deadly Israeli onslaught in the area, a medical source said.

"The oxygen station has completely stopped due to damage in the supply lines," the source told Anadolu Agency.

The source said repairing the plant appears "impossible" because of "the intense Israeli fire around the hospital, including drone strikes from quadcopter aircraft."

He warned of a "serious threat" to the lives of patients at the hospital if the station was not repaired.

1100 GMT — Lebanon death toll from Israeli war tops 4,000 — health minister

Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad said the toll in more than a year of Israeli aggression had reached 4,047 dead, most of them since September.

"Until now... we have recorded 4,047 dead and 16,638 wounded," Abiad told reporters a week after a ceasefire took effect. Most of the deaths occurred after September 15, he said, adding that "we believe the real number may be higher" due to unrecorded deaths.

1008 GMT — Four children among 22 killed in Israeli air strikes on Gaza

At least 22 people, including four children, were killed in fresh Israeli air strikes in Gaza, medical sources said.

Witnesses said a drone shelled a group of civilians in Block C in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. Five people lost their lives in the attack, including four children, the medical source said.

Israeli fighter jets also hit a home in the northern town of Beit Lahia, leaving five people dead, the source added. Another medical source said that two people were killed in another Israeli strike in the Zuhur neighbourhood in the southern city of Rafah.

0953 GMT — WHO evacuates 11 cancer patients from Gaza to Jordan

The World Health Organization (WHO) has evacuated 11 children requiring cancer treatment from Gaza to Jordan amid calls for increased medical aid.


Accompanied by 20 companions, these patients are among thousands in the region who urgently need medical care outside the war-torn enclave, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X late Tuesday.

Tedros emphasised the critical need for expanded medical evacuations, urging all available corridors to be utilised to ensure the safe transfer of patients requiring life-saving treatment.

“Thousands of patients across Gaza still need medical evacuations for life-saving medical care,” he stated, adding that “peace is the best medicine.”

0945 GMT — One woman, 2 children among 22 Palestinians detained by Israel

At least 22 more Palestinians were detained in Israeli military raids in the occupied West Bank, according to prisoners’ affairs groups.

A woman and two children were among the detainees in the raids that targeted several towns in the occupied territory, including Hebron, Bethlehem, Qalqilya, Tubas, Nablus, and Ramallah, the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement.

"The raids were marked by abuse, threats against detainees and their families, and acts of vandalism and destruction on citizens' homes," it added.

0937 GMT — Israel awaits Hamas response to Egyptian proposal for Gaza ceasefire, prisoner swap: Israeli media

The Israeli government is awaiting Hamas’ response to an Egyptian proposal for a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner swap deal, Israeli media said.

"If Israel receives a positive response, it will immediately send its negotiating delegation to Cairo," the Israeli public broadcaster KAN said.

"If progress is made in the negotiations, Israel must make concessions to end the war and release the prisoners," KAN said, citing an unnamed Israeli official.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Egypt has floated a proposal for a 60-day truce and a prisoner exchange between Palestinian factions and Israel.

0915 GMT — Israel kills 20 in Gaza; Lebanon reports 5 new truce violations

Israeli tanks pushed into northern parts of the Khan Younis area in the south of Gaza and Palestinian medics have said Israeli air strikes had killed at least 20 people across the enclave.

Medics said 11 people have been killed in three air strikes on areas in central Gaza, including six children and one medic. Five of the dead had been queuing outside a bakery, they said.

A further nine Palestinians were killed by tank fire in Rafah, near the border with Egypt, medics said.

0904 GMT — Lebanon reports five new Israeli violations of ceasefire deal

Lebanese media has reported five new Israeli violations of a fragile ceasefire deal between Beirut and Tel Aviv.

Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA) said an Israeli artillery shell hit the Marjayoun Plain area in southern Lebanon.

Israeli army forces also blew up several buildings in the town of Khiam and struck Kfarkela town with artillery shells, NNA said.

0953 GMT — WHO evacuates 11 cancer patients from Gaza to Jordan

The World Health Organization (WHO) has evacuated 11 children requiring cancer treatment from Gaza to Jordan amid calls for increased medical aid.


Accompanied by 20 companions, these patients are among thousands in the region who urgently need medical care outside the war-torn enclave, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X.

Tedros emphasised the critical need for expanded medical evacuations, urging all available corridors to be utilized to ensure the safe transfer of patients requiring life-saving treatment.

0947 GMT — 1 woman, 2 children among 22 Palestinians detained by Israel in occupied West Bank raids

At least 22 more Palestinians were detained in Israeli military raids in the occupied West Bank, according to prisoners’ affairs groups.

A woman and two children were among the detainees in the raids that targeted several towns in the occupied territory, including Hebron, Bethlehem, Qalqilya, Tubas, Nablus, and Ramallah, the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement.

“The raids were marked by abuse, threats against detainees and their families, and acts of vandalism and destruction on citizens' homes,” it added.

0937 GMT — Israel awaits Hamas response to Egyptian proposal for Gaza ceasefire, prisoner swap: Israeli media

The Israeli government is awaiting Hamas’ response to an Egyptian proposal for a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner swap deal, Israeli media has said.

“If Israel receives a positive response, it will immediately send its negotiating delegation to Cairo,” the Israeli public broadcaster KAN said.

"If progress is made in the negotiations, Israel must make concessions to end the war and release the prisoners," KAN said, citing an unnamed Israeli official.

0901 GMT — Qatar condemns 'deliberate' Israeli attacks on Gaza shelters

Qatar has condemned what it described as Israel's deliberate targeting of displaced people and UNRWA-run schools sheltering tens of thousands across the war-ravaged Gaza.

Abdulaziz Al Mansoori, Qatar's representative, expressed this stance during the annual Pledging Conference of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva, as reported by Qatari state news agency QNA.

0403 GMT — Doctors urge evacuation of Gaza patients amid Israeli attacks

Palestinian and international doctors have called for the opening of a humanitarian corridor from Gaza to enable the urgent evacuation of 25,000 patients to hospitals in East Jerusalem as Israel’s ongoing genocide has rendered most of the enclave’s medical facilities non-operational.

The call came during a press conference at the Augusta Victoria Hospital in East Jerusalem.

The doctors emphasised that based on estimates, 25,000 people in Gaza urgently require life-saving medical treatment due to their critical conditions.

2332 GMT — Israel cracks down on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank

Israeli soldiers cracked down on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank during raids on several towns.

Witnesses reported confrontations in eastern Nablus and the Al-Masaken neighbourhood, where Palestinians burned tyres and threw stones at advancing Israeli troops.

Israeli army attacked with tear gas, stun grenades and live fire. No injuries were immediately reported.

Similar unrest occurred in the town of Beita, south of Nablus, and in Qalqilya.

2305 GMT — Israel strikes northern Gaza hospital, wounds three

Three staff members at Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern besieged Gaza were wounded in an Israeli drone strike targeting its courtyard, according to medical sources.

A medical professional at the hospital told Anadolu Agency that Israeli forces used quadcopter drones to bomb the hospital courtyard, leaving one of the staff members in critical condition and requiring immediate intensive care.

2043 GMT — Israel claims to have killed Hezbollah representative in Syria

Israel has claimed to have killed the Hezbollah representative to Syria in an air strike in the capital, Damascus.

In a statement, Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee identified the representative as Salman Nimer Juma'a.

"Juma'a played a pivotal role, on behalf of Hezbollah, within the Syrian military apparatus in transferring weaponry," he added.

2035 GMT — Israel kills one person in its strike on Lebanon's Shebaa

Lebanon's Health Ministry said an Israeli drone strike on a southern town killed one person amid a fragile truce.

"An Israeli enemy drone strike on the town of Shebaa killed one person," a Health Ministry statement said.

The state-run National News Agency (NNA) described the dead man as a "shepherd".

For our live updates from Tuesday, December 3, 2024, click here.