Live blog: Israel adamants to have security control over Gaza after war

Wednesday, December 25, 2024

1715 GMT — Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has reaffirmed that the country intends to maintain control of Gaza while establishing security zones and buffer zones.

Katz's remarks come as sensitive negotiations on a hostage swap deal and a ceasefire continue, contradicting previous statements by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu about a prisoner swap deal.

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1650 GMT — Pope calls for 'arms to be silenced' in Christmas appeal

Pope Francis called for "arms to be silenced" around the world in his Christmas address, appealing for peace in the Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan as he denounced the "extremely grave" humanitarian situation in Gaza.

He used his traditional message to the world's 1.4 billion Catholics to call for talks for a just peace in Ukraine. His voice breathless, the 88-year-old pontiff also appealed for a ceasefire in Gaza and for the freeing of Israeli prisoners.

"I think of the Christian communities in Israel and Palestine, particularly in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is extremely grave," he told thousands of the faithful gathered in front of St Peter's Basilica in Rome for the "Urbi et Orbi" ("to the city and the world") address.

1540 GMT — Israel vows increased air strikes against Houthi sites in Yemen

Israeli Air Force Chief Tomer Bar vowed to escalate air strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen amid rising escalation over Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

"We operate with significant force wherever we are required," the public broadcaster KAN quoted Bar as saying during a pilot graduation ceremony.

"We have struck the Houthis in Yemen three times, and we will continue and increase the frequency and intensity of these strikes as needed," he added.

1230 GMT — 'New' Israeli conditions delaying agreement on Gaza ceasefire: Hamas

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas said Israel has set new conditions which have led to delays in reaching a Gaza ceasefire agreement.

Hamas said, however, that it was showing flexibility and that the talks on a ceasefire, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, are going in a serious direction.

1216 GMT — Gaza death toll nears 45,400 as Israel kills 23 more civilians

At least 23 more Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza, pushing up the overall death toll since last year to 45,361, the Health Ministry in the enclave said.

A ministry statement added that some 107,803 others were wounded in the ongoing assault.

"Israeli forces killed 23 people and injured 39 others in three massacres of families in the last 24 hours," the ministry said.

1112 GMT — Israeli rights group petitions court to halt Israeli attacks on northern Gaza hospital

An Israeli rights group said that it petitioned the High Court to halt army attacks on the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza.

In a statement, the Physicians for Human Rights group said the petition seeks an immediate halt to Israeli army attacks on the hospital.

It also calls for establishing a humanitarian corridor to the besieged hospital to bring fuel, medicine, and medical equipment and safely evacuate patients and medical staff from the facility.

1032 GMT — Death toll from Palestinian Authority crackdown in Jenin rises to 7

A Palestinian Authority (PA) security personnel died of injuries in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, taking the death toll from an ongoing sweep in the area to seven, a security spokesperson said.

PA forces launched a crackdown two weeks ago against what they call "outlaws" in the Jenin refugee camp.

Anwar Rajab, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Authority forces, said an intelligence agent succumbed to his wounds "while fulfilling his duty in Jenin camp." According to local media, at least seven people have so far been killed in the crackdown, including three security personnel, three civilians, and a commander of the Islamic Jihad group.

0850 GMT — At least 24 killed in overnight Israeli strikes on homes, tents housing displaced Gazans

At least 24 Palestinians were killed in overnight Israeli air strikes on homes and tents in displacement camps in Gaza, medical sources said.

Ten people lost their lives when an Israeli jet hit a home in the Maen area in the southern city of Khan Younis, one source said.

Two more people were killed in another strike targeting a residential apartment in al-Manara neighbourhood in southern Khan Younis, he added.

Civil Defence teams retrieved the bodies of two Palestinians after an Israeli strike on a tent for displaced civilians in western Khan Younis, medics said.

0733 GMT — Israeli strikes deeper into Lebanon

The Israeli army launched an air strike in the Bekaa region in eastern Lebanon, the first such attack since a ceasefire agreement last month, Lebanese media has said.

The Israeli strike targeted an area between the towns of Talia and Hizzine in the Baalbek district, the state news agency NNA reported.

Lebanese authorities have reported around 300 Israeli violations since the ceasefire agreement took effect on November 27 to end over 14 months of fighting between the Israeli army and Hezbollah group.

0733 GMT — West Bank deaths rise to 8

In the occupied West Bank, Israeli army fire has killed four Palestinians in the occupied West Bank city of Tulkarem, taking the death toll from ongoing military attacks in the area to eight, the Health Ministry has said.

A ministry statement said that seven more people were wounded, including two seriously, in the offensive.

The Israeli army began a large-scale military operation in Tulkarem late on Monday, triggering clashes with angry Palestinian residents, according to witnesses.

0630 GMT — 9 Israelis hurt after rocket fire from Yemen

Nine Israelis were injured while running for shelter after rocket fire from Yemen, Israeli media said.

Air defences intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Yemen before entering Israeli airspace, the Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported.

The attack caused air-raid sirens to sound in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area with nine people hurt while running for shelter, KAN said.

0626 GMT — Jewish settlers storm Al-Aqsa, perform Talmudic rituals

Jewish settlers, escorted by Israeli forces, stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Palestinian news agency WAFA has reported.

Local sources confirm that dozens of settlers in successive groups entered the mosque through the Al-Maghariba Gate.

Reports say the Jewish settlers conducted provocative tours, performing Talmudic rituals across the Mosque’s courtyards, coinciding with the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.

Israeli forces have fortified their presence at the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque and at the entrances to the Old City.

0527 GMT — Israeli army says intercepted missile from Yemen

The Israeli army has said it intercepted a ballistic missile fired towards the country from Yemen.

Air raid sirens sounded over a wide swathe of central Israel as a precaution against falling debris, but the army said it shot down the projectile before it entered Israeli territory.

No injuries were reported, according to Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel's emergency medical services.

"A missile that was launched from Yemen was intercepted before crossing into Israeli territory," the Israeli army wrote on the Telegram social media platform.

"Sirens regarding rocket and missile launches were activated due to the possibility of falling shrapnel from the interception."

0600 GMT –– West Bank, Gaza Christians pray for peace amid Israeli attacks

The West Bank city of Bethlehem is gearing up to observe Christmas without its customary festive displays for the second consecutive year due to Israel’s deadly war on Gaza.

The city, including the Church of the Nativity, believed to be built on the grotto where Jesus Christ was born, lacks any celebratory atmosphere. Instead, prayers and calls for an end to the Israeli war on Gaza have replaced the usual festivities.

Typically, at this time of year, Bethlehem's streets, alleys, and churches are adorned with Christmas decorations, with one of the world’s most beautiful Christmas trees erected in Manger Square near the famous church. The city also usually bustles with tourists during the holiday season.

But for the second year, the Israeli war on Gaza has dimmed the Christmas celebrations in the city and stolen the joy from its residents. This year’s Christmas celebrations in the city are limited to religious rituals and family visits.

1926 GMT — Israel has killed at least 7 Palestinians and wounded several others across besieged Gaza.

Eyewitnesses told Anadolu Agency that six Palestinians were killed and scores of others wounded when an Israeli warplane targeted a home in Jabalia al-Nazla in northern Gaza.

A medical source told Anadolu that a Palestinian was killed in an Israeli air strike that targeted the top floor of a building near the Jabalia bus station east of the city.

According to a statement from the administration of Al-Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, 12 Palestinians, including two children and three women, were wounded as a result of an Israeli strike on an area near the Abu Areeban School.

2103 GMT — Palestinian death toll in occupied West Bank rises to 8

The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that an ongoing assault by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank has resulted in eight fatalities, including two women.

The Ramallah-based ministry said seven were killed in the Tulkarem refugee camp and one in the nearby Nur Shams camp after the military launched a brutal raid.

Two women — Khawla Ali Abdullah Abdo, 53, and Bara Khalid Hussein, 30 — were among those killed in Tulkarem, the ministry said.

2053 GMT — Israeli army detonates explosive robots near Gaza hospital

The Israeli military detonated two explosive-laden robots near the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, causing loud explosions heard as far as Gaza City, witnesses told Anadolu Agency.

Due to the intensity of Israeli fire in the area, details remain unavailable.

2005 GMT — Saudi Arabia hails UN resolution seeking ICJ opinion on Israeli obligations to facilitate aid to Palestinians

The Saudi Cabinet has welcomed the adoption of a UN General Assembly resolution seeking an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Israel's obligations to facilitate humanitarian aid to Palestinians from the United Nations, states, and international organisations.

According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired the session held in Riyadh.

In this context, the Cabinet praised the UN resolution and the positive stance of nations that supported it.

For our live updates from Tuesday, December 24, 2024, click here.