Monday, December 18, 2023
17:25 GMT – Gaza death toll exceeds 19,400
At least 19,453 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 7, the Health Ministry said on Monday.
Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qudra said at a press conference that 52,286 other people have also been injured in the offensive.
Israel has bombarded the Gaza Strip from the air and land, imposed a siege, and mounted a ground offensive in retaliation for a cross-border attack by Hamas on October 7.
13:29 GMT — CIA director Bill Burns is set to meet Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and the head of Israel's Mossad spy agency in Warsaw to discuss a potential new deal to secure the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, Axios has reported, citing two US and Israeli officials.
More updates 👇
13:19 GMT — Evergreen shipping line to stop accepting Israeli cargo, suspend Red Sea route
Taiwanese container shipping line Evergreen has said that it has decided to temporarily stop accepting Israeli cargo with immediate effect and instructed its container ships to suspend navigation through the Red Sea until further notice.
Evergreen added that ships on regional services to Red Sea ports will sail to safe waters nearby and wait for further notification, while container ships which are scheduled to pass through the Red Sea will be rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope to continue their voyages to destination ports.
13:01 GMT — Houthi rebels attack a commercial ship in Red Sea
A Cayman Islands-flagged tanker has been attacked in a crucial shipping route off Yemen, a US military official has said.
The attack that targeted the Swan Atlantic, a chemical and oil products carrier, is the latest in a series of assaults on vessels in the Red Sea and its strategic Bab el Mandeb Strait.
The attacks have been claimed by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who say they are targeting vessels linked to Israel in support of Palestinian fighters.
12:56 GMT — 4 Palestinians killed in Israeli army raid on Al Far'a refugee camp in occupied West Bank
At least four young Palestinians were killed as Israeli forces raided the Al Far'a refugee camp near the city of Tubas in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry has said.
The raid marked the second such incident within two weeks, a ministry statement said.
In a separate statement, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said that its teams provided medical assistance to six seriously injured people in the Al Far'a camp and that they have been rushed to hospitals.
According to an Anadolu reporter, the Israeli army withdrew from the refugee camp after a two-hour raid in the area.
Three Palestinians were detained during the raid, local sources said.
11:57 GMT — Türkiye continues efforts to deliver urgent humanitarian aid to Palestinians
Türkiye continues its efforts to deliver urgent humanitarian aid for Palestinians, the Turkish foreign ministry spokesperson has said.
"We continue our efforts, together with all our institutions and organisations, to deliver the urgently needed humanitarian aid for the Palestinians," Oncu Keceli said on X.
In coordination with AFAD, the Turkish disaster management authority, approximately 2,500 tons of humanitarian aid arrived at the Al Arish port in Egypt through 13 air shipments and two ships between Oct. 13 and Dec. 12, he added.
"This figure is expected to increase."
12:46 GMT — Italian foreign minister criticises Israel for shooting inside Gaza church
Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani criticised Israel for allegedly shooting inside a Christian compound in Gaza, in a rare Italian reprimand on how Israel is conducting the war against Hamas.
“It seems serious to me that there are snipers who shoot inside Christian churches. The terrorists aren’t there. Hamas terrorists are in the underground tunnels," Tajani said on the sidelines of an event at the Foreign Ministry in Rome.
12:33 GMT — France demands clarification from Israel after its staffer killed in Gaza air strike
France has demanded clarification from Israel over the killing of one of its Foreign Ministry staffers in an air strike at a residential building in Rafah, southern Gaza.
In a joint press conference with her Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen in Tel Aviv, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said: "We have asked for a complete spotlight on the circumstances that could explain the targeting of this house, following the explosion that resulted in the death of this staffer".
The ministry stated that "some staffers sought refuge in the home of a colleague working in the French Consulate, and the house was subjected to Israeli shelling on Dec. 13".
12:30 GMT — Israel kills dozens in Gaza as US defence head arrives for talks
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has arrived in Israel for talks on the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza.
Austin, who is accompanied by Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Charles Q. Brown, is expected to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Israel’s war Cabinet during his visit.
The top defence official will press Israeli leaders to "transition to a new phase of the war" in Gaza after weeks of heavy strikes and a ground offensive, according to The Times of Israel newspaper.
12:22 GMT — Over 100 Palestinians killed in Israeli air strikes in northern Gaza
More than 100 Palestinians were killed and scores were missing following Israeli air strikes on houses in the city of Jabalia in northern Gaza.
According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, health sources reported on Monday morning that more than 100 Palestinians were killed in Jabalia, with as many people still trapped under the rubble. At least 20 people were also injured in the attacks.
On Sunday, it was reported that civil defence teams recovered more than 30 bodies.
Around 100 people are estimated to remain trapped under the rubble, according to the Palestine TV Channel.
12:29GMT — Israeli army unleashed attack dogs on wounded: Officials
Gaza health officials have called for probe after Israeli forces were accused of using bulldozers and unleashing attacker dogs during a raid on the Kamal Adwan Hospital.
Israeli forces raided the hospital last week after besieging and shelling it for several days.
At a press conference on Sunday, Munir Al Bursh, the general director of hospitals in Gaza, and the hospital's pediatric department head Hussam Abu Safiya said Israeli forces destroyed some sections of the medical facility, denied access to aid, and attacked health workers, the wounded, and displaced civilians seeking refuge.
Earlier, Palestinian Health Minister Mai Al Kaila had called for an international investigation into the Israeli acts.
12:19 GMT — Catholic cardinal condemns 'cold-blooded killing' of 2 women
The head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales has condemned the "cold-blooded killing" of two women by an Israeli sniper at a Catholic church in Gaza.
"What absolutely puzzles me is this there’s nothing to further Israel's right to defend itself, which I understand," Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Vincent Nichols told SkyNews.
"The killing of evidently vulnerable and innocent people seems to me to set back what Israel says it's trying to achieve," Nichols added.
When reminded that the Israeli army denied allegations that it had attacked the church, Nichols said: "That's hard to believe, frankly, because the people in Gaza and the cardinal Archbishop of Jerusalem they're not given to tell lies."
12:10 GMT — Israel's security minister criticises government over opening
Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has criticised the government for allowing aid trucks to enter Gaza through the Kerem Shalom border crossing.
According to Israel's Maariv newspaper, Ben-Gvir expressed his anger at the sudden change in policy without a discussion in the Cabinet, describing the decision as irresponsible. He said aid delivery through the crossing should not be allowed unless all the hostages were back home.
Israeli authorities on Friday announced the temporary reopening of the Kerem Shalom, acquiescing to the US calls to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
12:08 GMT — HRW denounces Israel for using starvation as 'weapon of war'
Israel is using starvation as a “weapon of war” in Gaza by intentionally cutting people’s access to water and food, which is a war crime, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) said.
“Israeli forces are deliberately blocking the delivery of water, food, and fuel, while willfully impeding humanitarian assistance, apparently razing agricultural areas, and depriving the civilian population of objects indispensable to their survival,” the rights group said in a statement.
It pointed out to the statements made by high-ranking Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Energy Minister Israel Katz on their intention to “deprive civilians in Gaza of food, water and fuel – statements reflecting a policy being carried out by Israeli forces".
0652 GMT — Hamas official rejects new hostage-prisoner talks
A Hamas official has said discussion about another hostage-prisoner exchange deal with Tel Aviv was not possible until the Israeli army withdrew from Gaza and implemented a permanent truce.
Khalil Al-Haye, a Hamas representative based in Lebanon, told Al Jazeera that they will continue their resistance against Israel in the besieged enclave.
He emphasized the need for a comprehensive cease-fire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza before addressing the issue of hostages and prisoners.
1129 GMT — CIA director Bill Burns is set to meet Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and the head of Israel's Mossad spy agency in Warsaw to discuss a potential new deal to secure the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, Axios has reported, citing two US and Israeli officials.
More updates 👇
1229 GMT — Evergreen shipping line to stop accepting Israeli cargo, suspend Red Sea route
Taiwanese container shipping line Evergreen has said that it has decided to temporarily stop accepting Israeli cargo with immediate effect and instructed its container ships to suspend navigation through the Red Sea until further notice.
Evergreen added that ships on regional services to Red Sea ports will sail to safe waters nearby and wait for further notification, while container ships which are scheduled to pass through the Red Sea will be rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope to continue their voyages to destination ports.
004:00 GMT - WHO condemns ''effective destruction'' of Kamal Adnan Hospital in Gaza
The head of the World Health Organization denounced "the effective destruction" of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in the north of Gaza, adding that at least eight patients had died.
Among the deceased patients was a 9-year-old child, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
His statement came as the Israeli army pulled out of the hospital after an operation lasting several days, claiming it had been used as a command and control centre by Hamas. Hamas has repeatedly denied such claims.
03:30 GMT - Palestinian Authority urges France to help resolve issue of settler violence in occupied West Bank
The Palestinian Authority urged France to help resolve the problem of settler violence against Palestinians.
During a meeting between Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh and French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Shtayyeh emphasized the need to put pressure on Israel to stop violations by illegal settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Shtayyeh also called for opening all crossings with the Gaza Strip to allow the entry of humanitarian aid, medical supplies and fuel and to restore electricity and water services.
03:00 GMT - Israel faces new calls for truce after killing of hostages raises alarm about its conduct in Gaza
Israel's government faced calls for a ceasefire from some of its closest European allies after a series of shootings, including the "mistakenly" killing of three Israeli hostages, fueled global concerns about the conduct of the 10-week-old war in Gaza.
Israeli protesters are urging their government to renew negotiations with Gaza's Hamas government, whom Israel has vowed to destroy.
Israel is also expected to face pressure to scale back major combat operations when US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visits Monday.
02:35 GMT - Palestinian journalist killed in Israeli bombardment
Palestinian journalist Haneen Al Qashtan was killed along with her family in an Israeli airstrike on their house in the Al Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza, local Media Office said.
The statement noted that the number of journalists killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7 has now reached 95.
In a previous statement, the media office said Israel has intentionally killed journalists in Gaza with the aim of silencing the Palestinian narrative, concealing the truth and preventing news and information from reaching regional and international public opinion.
For our live updates from Sunday, December 17, click here.
