Live blog: Israel kills three more displaced Palestinians in Gaza's Jabalia

Thursday, January 9, 2025

1636 GMT — At least three Palestinians have been killed and 25 others wounded in an Israeli air strike on a school sheltering thousands of displaced people in the Jabalia area of northern Gaza.

According to the Civil Defence Service, the deceased included a child and a woman.

More updates 👇

1901 GMT — US House passes bill to impose sanctions on International Criminal Court

The US House of Representatives passed a bill to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) in protest of its arrest warrant for Israeli officials.

The bill, which was introduced last Friday as soon as the 119th Congress began, passed in a 243-140 vote.

The Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act imposes sanctions on those who aid efforts by the ICC to prosecute Americans or Israelis.

The ICC issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

1757 GMT — Parents of Israeli soldiers in Gaza tell Netanyahu not 'cannon fodder'

Hundreds of parents of Israeli soldiers fighting in Gaza accused Netanyahu of "dragging" the war that has killed nearly 400 troops in the Palestinian territory.

The parent group of about 800 Israelis said in a letter addressed to Netanyahu, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, that they "cannot allow you to continue sacrificing our children as cannon fodder".

1501 GMT — UNRWA ban will 'only deepen' sufferings in Gaza: WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) chief has reiterated that banning the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) will "only deepen" the suffering of people in Gaza as "no other agency can match" its scale of assistance.

"UNRWA is the largest health provider in Gaza," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X.

"With about 1,000 health workers, UNRWA handles over 16,000 medical consultations per day, including for childhood vaccinations, maternal health services, malnutrition screening and mental health support." 


"No other agency can match this scale. Banning UNRWA will only deepen the suffering of the people in need of lifesaving care," Tedros said.

1451 GMT — Israel opens underground prison for detainees: report

Israel has opened an underground prison for detainees where they have no access to sunlight, Israeli media has said.

According to the Israeli public broadcaster KAN, the facility, located in central Israel, is designed to house Hamas and Hezbollah.

The Israeli broadcaster said some 75 detainees from Hamas and Hezbollah are currently being held at the underground prison.

"Even the small window in the ward has been sealed off for the detainees,” it added.

1304 GMT — Polish president seeks protection for Netanyahu

Poland's President Andrzej Duda has asked the country's government to ensure that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can attend observances marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz later this month without the risk of being arrested, a Polish presidential aide said.

There have been reports suggesting that the warrant could prevent Netanyahu from travelling to Poland to attend observances marking the anniversary of the liberation in 1945 of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp by Soviet forces on Jan. 27.

1301 GMT — Ten Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza's Beit Hanoun in two weeks

At least 10 Israeli soldiers have been killed in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun in the past two weeks, Israeli media reported.

Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth said the soldiers were killed by Palestinian fighters since the start of a military operation in the town two weeks ago.

The army said on Wednesday night that three soldiers were killed and three others injured in a roadside bomb explosion in Beit Hanoun.

According to figures released by the Israeli army, at least 831 soldiers have been killed and 5,589 others injured in the Gaza conflict on Oct. 7, 2023.

1124 GMT — Israeli army arrests 15 more Palestinians in West Bank raids

The Israeli army has detained 15 more Palestinians in military raids in the occupied West Bank, prisoners' affairs groups said.

Former prisoners were among the detainees in the raids that targeted Hebron, Bethlehem, Qalqilya, East Jerusalem and Ramallah, the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement.

According to the statement, Israeli forces held and interrogated 50 Palestinian residents in Hebron before releasing them.

"The arrest campaigns came amid a massive aggression launched by the (Israeli) occupation against our people in retaliation that falls under the crime of collective punishment," the statement said.

1112 GMT — Gaza death toll rises over 46,000 amid Israel's genocidal war

At least 70 more Palestinians were killed in relentless Israeli attacks in Gaza, bringing the overall death toll since October 2023 to 46,006, the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave said.

A ministry statement added that some 109,378 others were injured in the ongoing assault.

“Israeli forces killed 70 people and injured 104 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.

0926 GMT — At least 13 Palestinians killed in fresh Israeli attacks in Gaza

At least 13 Palestinians were killed in fresh Israeli air strikes in Gaza, medics said.

A medical source said eight people lost their lives when Israeli warplanes hit a home in the Jabalia Nazla area in northern Gaza.

A father and his three sons were also killed in another strike targeting a home in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, another source added.

Another Palestinian died of injuries from an Israeli strike in the central city of Deir al-Balah, the source added.

0830 GMT — US has power to halt all military aid to Israel, health care workers tell Congress

Doctors Against Genocide (DAG) has called for the US to halt aid to Israel after their colleagues were detained last month by Israeli forces in Gaza.

DAG, a global coalition of health care workers, mobilised more than 50 medical professionals on Capitol Hill to advocate for the release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, who was detained by Israeli forces along with others during a December 27 raid on the health facility.

The delegation visited members of the House of Representatives and Senate on Wednesday to advocate for urgent congressional action on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

"We're here to bring to the attention of the Senate and House of Representatives about the genocide that is occurring in Gaza, especially north Gaza, and in particular the targeting by the Israeli military of all the hospitals in Gaza, particularly Kamal Adwan Hospital, which has been destroyed, and most of the hospitals have been destroyed," Omar Scott Antar told Anadolu Agency.

0808 GMT — Houthi group reports 6 more US-UK raids on Yemen

The Yemeni Houthi group reported six more US-UK raids on three provinces in the northern and western parts of the country.

The Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV said "an American-British aggression targeted with two raids the Jarban area of the Sanaa province, northern Yemen."

It added that three US-UK raids were carried out on the Harf Sufyan district in the Amran province and a sixth raid on the Alluheyah district in the Al-Hudaydah province, western Yemen.

0453 GMT — Captive found dead in Gaza amid mounting truce pressure on Israel

Israeli soldiers have recovered the body of Youssef al-Ziyadne, a 53-year-old captive, in southern Gaza.

The discovery has intensified pressure on Israel as it negotiates a potential ceasefire deal with Hamas that could free the remaining captives and halt the ongoing violence in the region.

The Israeli military is now investigating whether another set of remains found nearby belongs to Ziyadne's son, Hamzah, who was also thought to be alive until now.

Israel has reported that about a third of the remaining 100 hostages have already died, and fears are growing that as many as half could be dead.

0125 GMT — Hamas claims responsibility for West Bank attack that killed 3 Israelis

The Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, claimed responsibility late Wednesday for an attack in the occupied West Bank that killed three Israelis.

In a statement, the group announced that it carried out the attack Monday in coordination with the Al-Quds Brigades and Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades.

Gunfire was reported targeting a bus and other vehicles carrying Israelis.

Three Israeli settlers were killed and six injured, Israeli medics said. Authorities said the assailants fled the scene.

0022 GMT — Israel continues to 'severely' restrict aid efforts in Gaza — UN

The UN has reported severe Israeli restrictions on aid efforts in Gaza, where civilians are enduring "horrific levels of violence" amid ongoing attacks.

"Our colleagues from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) report that Palestinian civilians endure horrific levels of violence as hostilities continue across the Gaza Strip," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric at a news conference.

Saying the UN and its partners provided aid to more than 2,000 families in southern and central Gaza between December 22 and January 4, Dujarric said: "We also assisted about 200 families in Gaza governorate itself."

2305 GMT — Israel kills 9 Palestinians in Gaza air strikes

Israel has killed at least nine Palestinians and wounded several others in its air strikes on besieged Gaza.

Civil defence crews recovered the bodies of five people after a strike that targeted a group of civilians near Gaza Municipality Park in the city centre.

Four more bodies were brought to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital following an Israeli airstrike on Deir al Balah in central Gaza, a medical source told Anadolu Agency.

The Israeli army targeted a house in western Deir al Balah, destroying it and causing damage to nearby homes, eyewitnesses told Anadolu.

They added that the air strike resulted in fatalities and wounds while rescue teams continued searching for missing people under the rubble.

2252 GMT — Lebanon reports 19 more Israeli violations despite ceasefire

The Israeli army committed 19 fresh violations of a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon, bringing the total number of breaches since the agreement took effect on November 27 last year to 432.

The latest figure comes from statistics compiled by Anadolu Agency based on announcements by Lebanon's official National News Agency (NNA).

According to reports from the agency, the new violations were concentrated in the districts of Marjayoun and Bint Jbeil in Nabatieh Governorate, Tyre district in South Governorate, and Hermel district in Baalbek-Hermel Governorate.

The violations included incursions, artillery and tank shelling, demolitions of homes and buildings, drone and warplane overflights, and sweeping operations with machine guns.

2233 GMT — 3 Israeli soldiers killed, officer critically injured in northern Gaza

Three Israeli soldiers were killed, and an officer was critically injured when their tank struck a booby-trapped pit in Beit Hanoun in the northern besieged Gaza.

"Three soldiers from the 46th Armored Battalion…part of the 162nd Division, were killed in combat in northern Gaza," the military said in a statement, adding an officer from the battalion was critically injured.

The Israeli army did not provide any details, but Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that the tank they were in was lured into an ambush and drove over explosive devices in a booby-trapped area. The massive explosion killed three soldiers and injured a fourth.

2140 GMT — US denies Gaza genocide after declaring one in Sudan

The White House rejected successive findings from multiple organisations that Israel's carnage on besieged Gaza constitutes genocide, just one day after it said one was taking place in Sudan.

"There's no genocide happening from the Israeli side on Palestinians. It's clear, as the secretary of state articulated, that what we're seeing in Sudan is genocide. It's the wanton, systematic, direct, deliberate slaughter, rape, murder, torture of people based on their ethnicity or their faith that is genocide, and that's what's going on," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters.

"That is not what we're seeing in Gaza, just not. The IDF (Israel's military) isn't waking up every day, putting their boots on the floor, and saying, 'Hey, we're going to go kill some innocent people because they happen to be Palestinian.' Now that doesn't mean that there haven't been too many civilian casualties in this conflict, absolutely too many," he added in reference to the Israeli military.

For our live updates from Wednesday, January 8, 2025, click here.