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Live blog: Israeli army issues new illegal evacuation orders for south Gaza

Israel's war in Gaza — now in its 436th day — has killed at least 44,930 Palestinians and wounded 106,624 others. In Lebanon, Israel has killed 4,047 people since October 2023 and keeps breaching the November 27 truce deal.

Reuters

People make their way through rubble following an Israeli strike at a post office where people were sheltering in Nuseirat in central Gaza, December 12, 2024. / Photo: Reuters

Sunday, December 15, 2024

2126 GMT — The Israeli army orders 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.

Israel's brutal assaults continue in Gaza, leaving Palestinians dead or wounded, as evacuation orders displace thousands and access to food, water, and medical care remains severely restricted. Ashraf Shannon has more pic.twitter.com/aAgnxXV82j
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) December 14, 2024

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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.