Live blog: UNSC vote on Gaza postponed as members appeal US against veto

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

2101 GMT — A UN Security Council vote on a resolution calling for a pause to the Israeli war on Gaza has been postponed again, diplomatic sources said, as member states wrangled over wording while aid efforts in Gaza neared collapse.

Three diplomatic sources said the vote on the text, the latest version of which seen by the AFP news agency calls for the "suspension" of hostilities, had been pushed to Wednesday.

The US has opposed previous resolutions calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza without mentioning Hamas.

The council had scheduled a vote late on Monday afternoon, but it was postponed until Tuesday morning to try to get the US to support the resolution or abstain.

The US vetoed a Security Council resolution backed by almost all council members and dozens of other nations demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. The 193-member General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a similar resolution on December 12 by a vote of 153-10, with 23 abstentions.

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1843 GMT — At least 50 killed as Israel bombs residential buildings

At least 50 Palestinians were killed when Israeli fighter jets struck two residential buildings in Gaza City, according to official news agency Wafa.

Several people remain trapped under the rubble following the attack in the al Rimal neighbourhood, Wafa said, citing local sources.

The Palestinian Health Ministry has yet to confirm the fatalities.

1901 GMT — US formed coalition in Red Sea part of aggression against Palestinians: Yemen's Houthis

The international coalition formed by the US to protect maritime navigation in the Red Sea is part of the aggression against the Palestinian people, the political bureau of Yemen's Houthi group has said in a statement, adding that the coalition contradicts international law.

"Yemen's armed forces don't represent any threat to any country, we only target Israeli ships or ships heading toward Israeli ports", it added.

"We affirm our steadfast position in supporting the Palestinian people until Israel’s aggression ends, and siege on the Gaza strip is lifted", the statement reads.

1814 GMT — US working on UN draft resolution on Gaza aid to resolve outstanding issues

The United States is working with countries on the United Nations Security Council to resolve outstanding issues related to a draft resolution demanding that Israel and Hamas allow aid access to Gaza and set up UN monitoring of the humanitarian assistance delivered, the US State Department has said.

Speaking at a briefing, Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Washington would welcome a resolution that fully supports addressing the humanitarian needs of the people in Gaza but the details of the text matter.

1726 GMT — Another Israeli soldier killed in Gaza, death toll rises to 464 since Oct. 7

Another Israeli soldier was killed in Gaza, taking the military death toll to 464 since Oct. 7, the army has said.

A military statement said the soldier from the 551st Brigade’s 7008th Battalion was killed in fighting in northern Gaza.

His death brought to three the number of Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza.

1721 GMT — Israel must 'do more' about settler violence in West Bank: US

A US diplomat has condemned settler violence in the occupied West Bank and demanded that Israel "do more" to stop attacks.

"As Special Coordinator Wennesland highlighted, the events that have unfolded in the West Bank over the last year have moved us farther away from that reality,” Deputy US Ambassador Robert Wood told the UN Security Council, referring to an independent Palestinian state.

“That includes the ongoing construction of settlements in the West Bank, which undermines the possibility."

The US condemns these "violent attacks, period. We believe the perpetrators must be held accountable,” he said.

1720 GMT — Hezbollah says 2 more fighters killed in clashes on Lebanon’s border with Israel

Lebanese group Hezbollah has said that two of its fighters had been killed in clashes near Lebanon’s border with Israel.

The group, however, did not provide any details about the circumstances leading to their death.

The Lebanese group also said its fighters struck an Israeli tank near the Malikyeh outpost, “killing and injuries those inside.”

In another statement, Hezbollah said it shelled the Israeli Metula military site near the border, inflicting “direct hits.”

1702 GMT — Egypt, US agree to prevent displacement of Palestinians: Cairo

Egypt and the United States have agreed to work by all means to prevent the displacement of Palestinians from their lands, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry has said.

The ministry added that Egypt had urged the US to support the UN resolution on humanitarian aid for Gaza.

1658 GMT — Dozens killed, injured as Israeli jets strike residential building in Gaza City

Dozens of Palestinians were killed and injured when Israeli fighter jets struck a residential building in Gaza City, according to eyewitnesses.

Several people remain trapped under the rubble following the attack in the al Rimal neighbourhood, the witnesses said.

The Palestinian Health Ministry has yet to confirm the fatalities.

1652 GMT — Houthis warn 'any country' that acts against them will be hit in Red Sea

A top Houthi official has warned that any country that acts against the Yemeni rebels will have its ships targeted in the Red Sea.

"Any country that moves against us will have its ships targeted in the Red Sea," Mohammed Ali al Houthi said in a televised interview with Iran's Al Alam television.

1621 GMT — Qatar, Israel hostage talks positive but deal not imminent: source

A meeting between Qatar’s prime minister and the heads of Israel’s Mossad spy agency and the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Warsaw about hostages held by Hamas was positive but there is no expectation of an imminent deal, according to a source briefed on the diplomatic efforts.

"The talks were positive with negotiators exploring and discussing different proposals in an attempt to progress on negotiations," the source said. "An agreement is not expected imminently, however."

1559 GMT — Israel's steps to let aid into Gaza 'far short of what is needed': UN

Israel's steps to allow aid into Gaza are "far short of what is needed," senior United Nations official Tor Wennesland has said.

"The delivery of humanitarian aid in the (Gaza) Strip continues to face nearly insurmountable challenges," said Wennesland, the organisation's special coordinator for the Middle East peace process.

"Amid displacement at an unimaginable scale and active hostilities, the humanitarian response system is on the brink. Limited steps by Israel... are positive, but fall far short of what is needed to address the human catastrophe on the ground."

1548 GMT — China hopes US will ‘stop single-handedly blocking’ UNSCR that seeks ceasefire in Gaza

China expressed hope that the US will “stop single-handedly blocking Security Council resolutions” that seek an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to prevent an “even larger humanitarian catastrophe."

"The international community has been calling more strongly for a ceasefire. The UN General Assembly has adopted two resolutions with an overwhelming majority," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin noted in a news conference in Beijing. "We hope the US will listen to the voice of the international community.”

1441 GMT — Israel says 15 more soldiers injured in Gaza fighting in one day

The Israeli army has said that 15 soldiers were injured in clashes in Gaza in the past 24 hours.

A military statement said the number of troops injured in the ongoing fighting in the Palestinian territory reached 719 since Israel expanded its ground offensive on Oct. 27, including 166 seriously.

Israeli military figures showed that 463 soldiers have been killed and 1,860 others injured since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict on Oct. 7.

1438 GMT — Hamas says it rejects talks over prisoners during war, open to moves to end conflict

Hamas rejects holding negotiations over exchanging prisoners during the Israeli war, but is open to any initiative to end it, a senior official from the Palestinian movement has said in a statement.

"We affirm our position of categorically rejecting to hold any form of negotiations over prisoners exchange under the continuing Israeli genocidal war", Basem Naem said.

"We are, however, open to any initiative that contributes to ending the aggression on our people and opening the crossings to bring in aid and provide relief to the Palestinian people," he added.

1421 GMT — Gaza hospital out of action after Israeli army assault: director

One of the last remaining hospitals in northern Gaza stopped operating after being stormed by the Israeli army, its director has said.

Fadel Naim said that Israeli troops had attacked the Al Ahli hospital and arrested doctors, medical staff and patients, destroying part of the building's grounds.

Israel's attack has "put the hospital out of action", he said. "We can't receive any patients or injured."

1419 GMT — Israel ready for new Gaza truce for hostage release: Herzog

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has signalled readiness on the part of the country to enter another foreign-mediated Gaza truce to recover hostages held by Hamas and enable more aid to reach the besieged Palestinian enclave.

"Israel is ready for another humanitarian pause and additional humanitarian aid in order to enable the release of hostages," Herzog, whose public role is largely ceremonial, told a gathering of ambassadors, according to his office.

"And the responsibility lies fully with (Hamas leader Yahya) Sinwar and (other) Hamas leadership," he said.

1346 GMT — Red Cross chief: Gaza crisis is 'moral failure'

The conflict in Gaza is a "moral failure" of the international community, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross has told journalists, urging all parties to reach a new deal to halt the fighting.

"I have been speaking of moral failure because every day this continues is a day more where the international community hasn't proven capable of ending such high levels of suffering and this will have an impact on generations not only in Gaza," ICRC president Mirjana Spoljaric told journalists in Geneva following trips to Gaza and Israel.

"There's nothing without an agreement by the two sides, so we urge them to keep negotiating and to keep facilitating the space that we need in order to operationalise the releases (of hostages and detainees)."

1337 GMT — UN rights chief concerned over growing number of Palestinians 'corralled' towards Egypt

The UN human rights chief has expressed concern over the growing number of civilians in Gaza being "increasingly corralled" towards the Palestinian enclave's border with Egypt as hostilities with Israel continue.

"The call for a ceasefire — on human rights and humanitarian grounds — is getting louder by the day, and must be heeded," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said in a statement.

"Now, Palestinians are being forced into smaller and smaller areas, in a mass displacement up to the Gaza-Egyptian border while military operations continue to encroach ever closer," he said. "There is simply nowhere left in Gaza for them to go."

1326 GMT — Gaza death toll from Israeli attacks climbs to 19,667: official

The Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks on Gaza mounted to 19,667 since Oct. 7, the Health Ministry in the enclave has said.

Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al Qudra added that 52,586 other people were injured in the Israeli onslaught.

"Hospitals in Gaza’s south are no longer able to accommodate more injured people," the spokesman said at a press conference.

Al Qudra said 99 medical personnel are held by Israeli forces in harsh conditions.

"The detainees include the directors of Al Shifa, Al Adwa and Kamal Adwan hospitals," he added.

1317 GMT — Over 2,800 Israeli soldiers receive rehabilitation treatment amid attacks on Gaza

More than 2,800 Israeli soldiers are receiving rehabilitation treatment in the Israeli Defence Ministry's rehabilitation department since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict on Oct. 7, according to local media.

Around 91 percent of the soldiers are defined as lightly injured, 6 percent as moderately and 3 percent as severely, Haaretz newspaper said, citing data given by Limor Luria, head of the rehabilitation department, at a hearing with the Health Warfare Commission.

The data showed that 18 percent of the soldiers were suffering from mental health difficulties and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

1243 GMT — Israeli secret service’s warnings were ignored before Oct. 7 attack: Opposition leader

Israel’s opposition leader has accused the Netanyahu government of ignoring warnings made by the secret service before the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.

"There were many failures on the part of our state before the Hamas attack. We must investigate exactly how this could have happened,” former prime minister and centrist party leader Yair Lapid said.

"Two weeks before the Hamas attack, I received information from the Israeli secret service that an outbreak of violence was imminent in Gaza and the West Bank. I warned about this in a press conference – unfortunately, nobody wanted to hear it at the time," he said.

1209 GMT — Erdogan calls on US to stop Israeli attacks on Gaza

Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that he reminded the US of its historical responsibility to stop Israel’s attacks on Gaza.

"During a meeting with (US President Joe) Biden, I reminded the US of its historical responsibility. How can the world shout louder about the need to stop Israel," Erdogan told journalists on Tuesday aboard his plane returning from Hungary.

"There is no situation where Al Fatah and Hamas cannot meet. They are in talks, and it is possible for these talks to progress further," Erdogan added.

The president also said that there is much Türkiye has done and can do regarding Hamas and Al Fatah meeting, adding that it is crucial for Fatah and Hamas to "coexist peacefully."

1158 GMT — Israel hits Gaza's Nasser Hospital twice in past 48 hours: UNICEF

A hospital in southern Gaza was targeted twice by Israeli forces in the last 48 hours, UNICEF has announced.

"Over the past 48 hours, the largest remaining fully functional hospital in Gaza has been shelled twice. That hospital is Al Nasser," spokesperson James Elder said in a UN press briefing in Geneva.

Located in the besieged enclave's city of Khan Younis, Nasser Medical Complex "not only shoulders large numbers of children who have brutal wounds of war, but it also shelters hundreds and hundreds of women and children from across the Gaza Strip who were simply seeking safety," Elder said.

1111 GMT — Hamas rocket salvo sets off sirens in Tel Aviv

Sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and Hamas said it had launched a salvo of rockets against Israel's commercial capital.

There was no immediate word of casualties or damage in the incident, which appeared to show the Palestinian resistance group retained longer-range rocket capabilities even as Israel presses a Gaza war now in its 11th week.

1045 GMT — South Africans joining Israeli army could face prosecution: Foreign Ministry

South African citizens joining the Israeli army amid the ongoing Tel Aviv's war on Gaza could face prosecution back home, the Foreign Ministry has warned.

"The South African Government is gravely concerned by reports that some South African citizens and permanent residents have joined or are considering joining the Israeli army in the war in Gaza and the other occupied Palestinian territories," a ministry statement said.

"Such action can potentially contribute to the violation of international law and the commission of further international crimes, thus making them liable for prosecution in South Africa," it added.

1020 GMT — Israeli will 'review' details of attack that killed French Foreign Ministry staffer in Gaza

The Israeli army has said that it will "review" the details of an attack on Gaza in which a French Foreign Ministry staffer was killed.

"From an initial examination, it can be confirmed that on … December 13th, the IDF struck a number of military targets" in the Rafah area in Gaza, the Israeli army spokesperson said in response to a written question from Anadolu.

"The IDF is aware of the claims of harm caused to a French Foreign Ministry employee," it said, adding the army has not received sufficient details to review the incident.

1019 GMT — UN agencies voice anger at attacks on Gaza hospitals

UN officials voiced anger and disbelief about the situation in Gaza hospitals, where injured people do not have basic supplies and children recovering from amputations are being killed in the ongoing conflict.

"I'm furious that children who are recovering from amputations in hospitals are then killed in those hospitals," said James Elder, spokesperson for the UN Children's Agency.

He added that the Nasser Hospital, the largest operational hospital left in the enclave, had been shelled twice in the past 48 hours.

Margaret Harris, World Health Organisation spokesperson, described the situation in Gaza hospitals as "beyond belief" and "unconscionable".

0845 GMT — Israeli army holds 240 people inside Gaza's Al Awda Hospital

The Israeli army has turned the Al Awda Hospital in northern Gaza into a “military barracks,” the Health Ministry in the besieged Palestinian enclave said.

In a statement, ministry spokesman Ashraf al Qudra said the Israeli army is holding 240 Palestinians, including 80 medical staff, 40 patients and 120 displaced people inside the hospital.

He also said the Palestinians inside the hospital are stuck with no water, food, and medicine, adding that the Israeli army prevents movement between the hospital units.

Al Qudra said that Israeli forces have arrested six hospital staff, including Ahmed Muhanna, the director of the hospital, and a patient.

0805 GMT — Israel kills dozens of Palestinians in Jabalia refugee camp

At least 20 Palestinians were killed and 40 others wounded in an Israeli strike on the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, a spokesperson for the health authorities in Gaza have said.

2243 GMT — Israel kills girl who lost parents, siblings in previous strike

Israel has killed a girl who lost her parents, all siblings and a leg in a previous air strike, authorities in besieged Gaza said.

The Nasser Medical Complex in the city of Khan Younis in the southern of besieged Gaza was subjected to Israeli artillery shelling overnight, which resulted in the killing of 13-year-old Donia Abu Mohsen, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza announced.

The ministry said in a brief statement on Telegram that the teenager "was martyred and joined all her family members after the maternity building in Nasser Medical Complex was targeted," it said.

According to the ministry, she lost her parents and all her siblings in the war, and she remained alone after losing a leg in a previous Israeli air strike.

The Director-General of Nasser Hospital, Mohammed Zaqout, characterised this assault on the hospital as "a deliberate Israeli attempt to dismantle every facet of life in Gaza."

For our live updates from Monday, December 18, click here.