Live blog: Gaza faces its gravest humanitarian crisis amid Israeli war — UN

Friday, December 13, 2024

1524 GMT — The situation in Gaza is as dire as it has ever been, with thousands of children hospitalised due to acute malnutrition, the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) has warned.

Louise Wateridge, UNRWA's senior emergency officer in the besieged coastal enclave, told reporters in Geneva from central Gaza that the suffering and sadness are still ongoing.

She noted that Gaza now has the world’s highest number of child amputees, with many undergoing surgeries without anaesthesia.

Wateridge said 30 people were reported to have been killed during Israeli strikes in the Nuseirat refugee camp the night before, which resulted in horrific scenes of people looking for loved ones under rubble.

Citing medical workers on the ground, the UNRWA official underlined that too many patients are dying from treatable illnesses due to a lack of medication and equipment.

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1853 GMT — Multiple Palestinians killed in Israeli air strikes on Gaza City

At least four more Palestinians were killed and several others in Israeli air strikes that targeted a house and a group of people in Gaza City.

A medical source told Anadolu that three Palestinians were killed and five others injured when Israeli jets bombed a house in the Zeitoun neighbourhood in southeastern Gaza City.

Eyewitnesses told Anadolu that medical teams and residents of the neighbourhood are looking for missing people under the rubble of the targeted building.

In another air strike targeting a group of people in the Al-Sabra neighbourhood, southern Gaza City, one Palestinian was killed and three others were injured, according to a local source.

1812 GMT — Qatar condemns Israeli attacks on Gaza, urges Palestinian protection

The Qatari Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned the "heinous massacre" committed by the Israeli army in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza that left dozens of Palestinians killed.

An Israeli air strike on Thursday night targeted Nuseirat and killed at least 40 Palestinians and injured 84 others, according to Gaza local sources.

In a statement, the Gulf nation's Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the Israeli deadly airstrike, and stressed the pressing need "for urgent international action to provide protection for the brotherly Palestinian people in light of the brutal and repeated crimes of the occupation against them."

The statement also emphasized "the need to reinforce regional and international efforts to immediately end the Israeli aggression on Gaza, to avoid the fall of more innocent and defenceless people (...) and prevent the expansion of the circle of violence in the region ."

1654 GMT — Moroccans rally against Israeli genocide in Gaza

Thousands of Moroccans have staged solidarity protests in support of Gaza which has been enduring genocide and ethnic cleansing by Israel for over a year.

The rallies marked the 62nd consecutive week of protests under the slogan “Gaza is a Trust, Normalisation is Betrayal.”

Protesters condemned the ongoing Israeli attacks on Palestinian civilians and criticized the international community’s inability to stop the violations, according to an Anadolu reporter.

Chants included “Moroccan Salute to Free Palestine,” “Palestine Belongs to the Free,” and “Normalization is a Stain of Shame.” Demonstrators also held signs reading “Palestine is a Trust, Normalization is Betrayal” and “We Stand with Gaza, We Stand with Palestine.”

1448 GMT — Houthis claim drone strikes on south, central Israel

Yemen’s Houthi group has said that it carried out three military operations targeting sites in central and southern Israel using drones, according to the group's military spokesperson.

Speaking during a large solidarity demonstration for Gaza in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, Yahya Saree said in a statement the first two drone strikes targeted a military site in Ashkelon in southern Israel and another in Jaffa in central Israel.

He stated that the drones successfully bypassed Israeli interception systems and hit their intended targets.

1356 GMT — Palestinian president calls for Israeli withdrawal from Gaza

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and for the Palestinian Authority (PA) to assume control of the territory.

Abbas made the remarks during a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella in Rome, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

During the meeting, Abbas briefed Mattarella on the latest developments in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, emphasizing the ongoing humanitarian crisis caused by Israel's brutal war in Gaza.

He also highlighted the escalating Israeli military actions in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, citing illegal Jewish settler violence, killings, and raids on Palestinian cities, towns, villages, and refugee camps, as well as continued settlement expansion.

1342 GMT — Another Palestinian shot by Israeli forces in West Bank

Another Palestinian man was shot dead by Israeli forces in the southern West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

A ministry statement said that Mohammad Ahmad Suleiman, 32, shot by Israeli forces in the town of Beit Awwa, was taken to Dura Governmental Hospital south of Hebron.

At least 812 Palestinians have since been killed and over 6,450 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Health Ministry.

1211 GMT — Hamas captures Israeli drones in Gaza

The Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, has said that it seized three Israeli drones conducting intelligence operations in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza.

In a statement, it said its fighters successfully captured “three Zionist quadcopter drones" while they were on reconnaissance missions in the Al-Jeninah neighbourhood east of Rafah.

In recent months, the Israeli military has increasingly deployed quadcopter drones for operations, including targeted killings, launching grenades, and issuing evacuation warnings.

1204 GMT — Gaza death toll nears 44,900 after Israel kills 40 more

At least 40 more Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza over the last 24 hours, bringing the overall death toll since last year to 44,875, the Health Ministry in the enclave has said.

A ministry statement added that some 106,454 others have been injured so far in the ongoing assault, now in its second year.

"Israeli forces killed 40 people and injured 98 others in three massacres of families in the last 24 hours," the ministry said.

1203 GMT — 14 Palestinians killed in Israeli air strikes on Gaza

At least 14 Palestinians were killed and several others injured on Friday in several Israeli air strikes targeting various areas of Gaza.

Medical sources told Anadolu that three Palestinians were killed when an Israeli air strike hit a tent housing displaced members of the Jabour family in the Jouret Al-Lout area of the southern city of Khan Younis.

In central Gaza, a medical source confirmed the death of a Palestinian in an Israeli air strike on the Al-Maghazi refugee camp.

Eyewitnesses stated that Israeli air strikes targeted civilians near the Women’s Association in the Nuseirat camp, resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries. Medics also confirmed injuries from an air strike on a home near Ahmad Yassin Mosque in the same area.

1159 GMT — Nuseirat camp massacre due to global inaction on Israel: Palestine

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has condemned the "brutal massacre" carried out by the Israeli army in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.

"We condemn the savage massacre perpetrated by the occupation forces in Nuseirat camp, which led to the deaths and injuries of more than 150 Palestinians and caused massive destruction to buildings," the ministry said in a statement on Friday.

It emphasised that this atrocity is “a direct result of the international community’s inaction and its failure to enforce its decisions and obligations.” "This failure emboldens Israel to deepen its crimes and continue its systematic destruction of Gaza," said the ministry.

1050 GMT — Lebanese premier places hopes in US President-elect Trump for solution in Palestine

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has told Spanish daily El Pais in an interview that he trusts incoming US President Donald Trump to find a solution for Palestine.

“I am sure that Trump will try to impose a solution to the Palestinian problem. In his first term, he already demonstrated that he seeks peace in the region and across the world,” he said.

0851 GMT — US sees 'encouraging signs' on reaching Gaza ceasefire

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said he saw "encouraging signs" of progress toward a ceasefire in Gaza.

His remarks came after meeting Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on the second leg of his Syria crisis tour following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime.

"We discussed Gaza, and we discussed I think the opportunity... to get a ceasefire in place. And what we've seen in the last couple of weeks are more encouraging signs that that is possible," Blinken told reporters in Ankara.

0756 GMT — Israel kills more Palestinians as it continues bombing Gaza

Three Palestinians have been killed and several others wounded in an Israeli air strike targeting a tent sheltering displaced individuals in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

Medical sources said that the air strike hit a tent housing displaced members of the Jabour family in the Jouret Al Lout area of southern Khan Younis.

In central Gaza, eyewitnesses stated that Israeli strikes targeted civilians near the Women’s Association in Nuseirat Camp, resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries.

Medics also confirmed injuries from an air strike on a home near Ahmad Yassin Mosque in the same area.

0620 GMT — Death toll rises to 33 in Israeli strike on Gaza's Nuseirat camp

The death toll from an Israeli air strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza has risen to 33, with 84 others injured and missing, the Government Media Office in Gaza has said.

In a statement, the office condemned the "horrific massacre" targeting a residential block housing dozens of civilians, including women, children, and elderly individuals.

The attack, it said, is part of a “broader policy of forced displacement and a violation of international law and a crime against humanity.”

0553 GMT — One injured by live ammunition as Israel hits Nablus

A Palestinian man was injured by live ammunition during an Israeli military raid on the city of Nablus, north of the occupied West Bank, according to medical sources.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported that a Palestinian man was shot in the chest and foot during the Israeli forces' incursion into the Old City of Nablus, after which he was transferred to the hospital for medical treatment.

Israeli forces also stormed the eastern part of the city, including the areas around the Balata and Askar refugee camps.

0540 GMT — President Abbas discusses developments with Lebanese PM in Rome

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati at his residence during his visit to Rome, where the two leaders discussed the latest developments in Palestine and Lebanon.

The conversation focused on achieving a comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza, facilitating humanitarian aid, and ensuring Israel’s full withdrawal from the region.

Emphasising Palestine's international recognition as an independent state, they say that the implementation of the International Court of Justice’s ruling on ending the occupation and the necessity of convening an international peace conference in mid-2025.

0506 GMT — Saudi Arabia calls for ceasefire in Gaza and support for UNRWA

Saudi Arabia has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, urging the international community to increase support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Abdulaziz Al Wasil, condemned the "abusive use of the veto" and the selective application of international law, arguing that these factors have contributed to the continuation of Israel's "genocidal war" and the expansion of Israeli crimes in Gaza.

He further emphasised that the lack of accountability has only intensified the suffering of the Palestinian people.

2100 GMT — Israel kills at least 30 Palestinians in Gaza's Nuseirat camp

Israel has killed at least 30 Palestinians and wounded 40 in an air strike on a home in the Nuseirat camp in besieged Gaza.

Israeli fighter jets targeted several homes and buildings in the camp, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

Reports indicated that most of those killed and wounded were women and children.

Witnesses reported significant destruction in the area, with ambulances and civil defence teams continuing to search for missing people under the rubble.

2048 GMT — Israel blocks UN aid convoy to Gaza hospital amid escalating crisis

The Israeli army has blocked a UN convoy carrying fuel and medical supplies meant to support the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, the hospital's director said.

In a video statement, Hussam Abu Safiya said that the World Health Organization (WHO) delegation informed us that the Israeli army denied entry to a convoy carrying critical fuel and medical supplies, forcing it to return to southern Gaza.

Highlighting the dire situation, he said: "There is a severe shortage of medical supplies needed to treat the injuries arriving at the hospital. We are operating at a minimum capacity with limited resources."

"Daily operations occur under constant bombing, threats, and fear, with shrapnel landing in hospital sections due to nearby strikes," Abu Safiya added.

For our live updates from Thursday, December 12, 2024, click here.