Live blog: Israel continues unabated killing of Palestinians across Gaza

Sunday, December 15, 2024

0908 GMT — At least 34 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded in Israeli attacks targeting homes and tents in displacement camps across Gaza, medical sources said.

Fifteen people were killed when Israeli forces raided a school housing displaced families in Izbat Abd Rabbo, a neighbourhood in the northern town of Beit Hanoon, a medical source said.

Israeli fighter jets hit a house in al-Nafaq neighbourhood in northern Gaza, leaving five people dead and wounding several others, a medical source said.

Three more people were killed and several wounded in another strike on a Palestinian home in the Zeitoun neighbourhood in Gaza City, he added.

The bodies of four people were recovered after an Israeli strike on another house in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood in Gaza City, taking the death toll in the attack to seven, another source said.

In northern Gaza, a husband, wife, and two daughters were killed in Israeli artillery shelling in the northern town of Beit Hanoon, he added.

Eight people were also wounded in an Israeli strike on a tent sheltering displaced civilians in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, the source said.

More updates 👇

1038 GMT — Death toll from Israel's war on Gaza rises to 44, 976

Health ministry in the besieged Palestinian enclave has said that Israel's war in Gaza has killed at least 44,976 Palestinians and wounded 106,759 others, since October last year.

0808 GMT — Hamas claims sniper attack on Israeli soldier in northern Gaza

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas has claimed to have shot dead an Israeli soldier in northern Gaza.

In a statement, the group’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said that its fighters had sniped the soldier east of Jabalia, without providing further details.

There was no immediate Israeli comment on the statement.

Hamas published footage of its fighters ambushing an Israeli military convoy in al-Faluja in the Jabalia refugee camp.

2255 GMT — Thousands protest in Israel for Gaza hostage deal

Thousands of Israelis demonstrated for a deal to release the remaining hostages still held in Gaza after more than 14 months of Tel Aviv's war in the Palestinian territory.

"We all can agree that we have failed until now and that we can reach an agreement now," Lior Ashkenazi, a prominent Israeli actor, told a crowd gathered in Tel Aviv.

Itzik Horn, whose sons Eitan and Lair are still being held captive in Gaza, said: "End the war, the time has arrived for action and the time has arrived to bring everyone home."

There has been guarded optimism in recent days that a ceasefire and hostage release deal might finally be within reach after months of abortive mediation efforts.

2126 GMT — Israeli army issues new illegal evacuation orders for south Gaza

The Israeli army has ordered Palestinians to evacuate two residential areas in southern Gaza, including locations previously designated as "safe", in preparation for a military attack.

"To all residents of the Gaza Strip located in blocks 2270, 2260, 131, 2352, 2353 and 2354 (in al-Qarara and Wadi al-Salqa), move immediately westward to the humanitarian zone," said army spokesperson Avichay Adraee.

The areas identified by the army on a map attached to the statement include locations previously classified as "safe", where thousands of Palestinians now reside, including displaced individuals who were forced from their original areas and set up tents.

Illegal evacuation orders are usually followed by air strikes or ground incursions by the army.

The Israeli army has warned Palestinians on several occasions to evacuate areas in Gaza to locations it claims are "humanitarian", only to later commit "massacres" by bombing tents sheltering displaced people.

For our live updates from Saturday, December 14, 2024, click here.