Live blog: Israel continues to bomb Gaza, kills at least 19 Palestinians

Friday, December 20, 2024

0351 GMT — Israeli forces have launched attacks on various parts of Gaza, killing 19 Palestinians and wounding many others, local reports said.

The Civil Defence Directorate said in a statement that air strikes in the Sabra neighbourhood in southern Gaza City targeted the homes of the Abu Shanab, Kiyyali and Al-Lawh families, killing nine people and wounding many others.

Health sources said that Israeli drones targeted two motorcycles in southern Gaza, killing three people.

Separate air strikes in central Gaza City and the southern city of Rafah left six more Palestinians dead and many wounded.

Additionally, an Israeli drone strike in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza killed one person and wounded others, according to local reports.

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0351 GMT — At least 10 killed in Israeli attack on al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza

At least 10 Palestinians were killed and three wounded, two critically, in an Israeli attack on the Shati refugee camp in western Gaza City, health sources said.

Israeli forces targeted a group of Palestinians who were waiting in line for water at the camp, the sources said.

0238 GMT — Israel violates ceasefire with Lebanon 6 times on its 23rd day

The Israeli army violated a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon six times on its 23rd day, reports said.

Since the ceasefire was declared on Nov. 27, the total number of Israeli violations has risen to 259, with 31 people killed and 37 wounded during the incidents.

According to Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA), Israeli forces demolished homes in the southern Lebanese town of Kafr Kila, causing tremors felt throughout the area.

2300 GMT — 'Nowhere is safe, no one is spared' in Gaza — MSF report

A new report by Doctors Without Borders (MSF), titled "Gaza: Life in a Death Trap," has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to save lives and ensure the flow of humanitarian aid.

The organisation has also demanded an end to Israel's targeted and indiscriminate attacks on civilians and called on its allies to act swiftly to protect Palestinian lives and uphold international law.

Highlighting the devastating impact of repeated Israeli military attacks on Palestinian civilians over the past 14 months, Christopher Lockyear, MSF secretary general, said, "People in Gaza are struggling to survive apocalyptic conditions, but nowhere is safe, no one is spared, and there is no exit from this shattered enclave."

2215 GMT — Israeli army imposes curfew in occupied West Bank

The Israeli army imposed a curfew on the Palestinian town of Deir Istiya in the occupied West Bank.

Bilal Mansour, an anti-settlement activist, told Anadolu that Israeli forces stormed the town, sealed its entrances and announced the curfew through loudspeakers.

He said the troops blocked the town’s main access points, patrolled its streets and ordered shopkeepers to close their businesses. They also restricted the movement of residents.

Soldiers also searched vehicles and pedestrians, claiming that stones had been thrown at settler vehicles near the town, Mansour added.

2150 GMT — Pentagon says there are 2,000 US troops in Syria

The Pentagon said there are 2,000 US troops in Syria, more than double the number it had previously acknowledged.

Spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said that in addition to the 900 troops that were deployed to Syria on a longer-term basis to aid in counter-Daesh operations, 1,100 others were sent on a "temporary" basis to help "meet shifting mission requirements" in the anti-Daesh fight.

"A certain element of this also goes into diplomatic and operational security concerns as it relates to the region. But again, given the difference in the number that we've been providing, I made the decision to go ahead and give you that number," he told reporters.

2100 GMT — Egypt resumes flights to Lebanon after 3-month suspension

Egypt's national carrier said that flights between Cairo and Beirut resumed after a three-month suspension.

“In light of the stability of the situation in Lebanon, we are pleased to announce the resumption of direct flights between Cairo and Beirut after a three-month hiatus," it said in a statement. The first flight was Thursday.

The suspension began Sept. 24, when EgyptAir announced it was halting flights to Beirut because of instability in Lebanon.

At the time, several Arab and international airlines followed suit amid Israeli airstrikes against Lebanon.

A fragile ceasefire has been in effect since Nov. 27 between Israel and Lebanon.

For our live updates from Thursday, December 19, 2024, click here.