Live blog: Israel continues bombing Gaza; 11 killed in recent home attack

Sunday, December 22, 2024

0702 GMT — The death toll from an Israeli air strike that targeted a home in the southeastern part of Deir al Balah, central Gaza, has risen to 11, according to medical sources.

Earlier, the same source had reported four fatalities and eight injuries following the strike on a residential building in the city.

The attack completely destroyed the house belonging to the Abu Samra family, caused severe damage to nearby properties, and resulted in numerous casualties.

Rescue teams and medical personnel continue to search the rubble for missing persons.

More updates 👇

0316 GMT — Israeli air strikes target Gaza school shelter, several killed

Six people have been killed and others wounded in an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza, the civil emergency service reported.

0315 GMT — Israeli army arrests Palestinian child in occupied West Bank raids

Israeli soldiers have detained a Palestinian child during raids in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian news agency, Wafa.

Israeli forces carried out operations in towns and villages across Al-Bireh, Hebron, and Jenin, using tear gas and live ammunition during raids. A child was taken into custody in Al-Bireh.

Illegal Israeli settlers damaged Palestinian-owned vehicles in Bethlehem, escalating tensions in the area.

0147 GMT — Israeli government still far from reaching prisoner swap agreement with Hamas: Report

Israeli officials stated that the Israeli government is still far from reaching a prisoner swap agreement with Hamas.

According to a report on Israeli state television KAN, unnamed Israeli officials shared their views on the ongoing negotiations for a prisoner swap.

The officials mentioned that there are still significant issues in the talks between Israel and Hamas, and that the situation is far from moving toward a mutually acceptable formula.

The officials confirmed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has no intention of halting the attacks on Gaza.

0135 GMT — Nationwide protests erupt in Israel to demand Netanyahu’s resignation

Israelis staged protests across the country, demanding the resignation of PM Benjamin Netanyahu's government, accusing it of obstructing a ceasefire and prisoner swap agreement with Gaza.

Opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid emphasised that they would not negotiate with Netanyahu's government and would not back down.

"We will win. Bibi (Netanyahu) is not actually growing stronger. The people are not on their side. There are no elections because they are terrified of elections because they know the truth," he said.

2203 GMT — Spain's PM calls for global recognition of Palestine

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has urged the international community to recognise Palestine as a state and work towards granting it full membership in the United Nations, while calling for an end to the Israeli occupation.

Speaking at the Socialist International Conference in Morocco, he emphasised the importance of achieving a "just and comprehensive peace" in the Middle East, stressing that global efforts must be unified to address the escalating crises in various regions, particularly in Palestine.

"We must end the Israeli occupation and enable the Palestinian people to establish their independent state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, within the framework of a two-state solution," Sanchez said.

2139 GMT — Israel bombs Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza

Israeli army have launched a heavy bombardment on Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, in northern besieged Gaza, resulting in damage to some sections, WAFA news agency said.

The agency cited medical sources who reported that the hospital came under intense and indiscriminate shelling, with Israeli soldiers targeting the facility using bombs, artillery shells, and sniper fire.

The attack caused significant damage to the hospital's infrastructure, including its power generators and various departments.

2123 GMT — US carries out strikes in Sanaa against Houthis

The US military said it conducted precision air strikes against a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility operated by Houthis in Yemen's capital, Sanaa.

In a statement, the US military's Central Command said the strikes aimed to "disrupt and degrade Houthi operations, such as attacks against US Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden".

The US military also said it struck multiple Houthi one-way drones and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea.

For our live updates from Saturday, December 21, 2024, click here.