Gaza Conflict
Live Reporting
Biden to meet relatives of Americans held hostage by Hamas
President Joe Biden has planned to host family members of Americans held hostage by Hamas as Israel intensifies its bombardment in Gaza after a pause in fighting during which more than 100 hostages were released, Reuters reports.
Relatives of all eight Americans who are deemed unaccounted for after the group’s October 7 attack on Israel are expected to attend the gathering at the White House, a senior Biden administration official said.
Biden has been personally engaged on the hostage issue and has spoken numerous times with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the emir of Qatar on how to secure their release, the administration official said.
People of Gaza ‘running out of time and options’: UNRWA chief
The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees has warned that the people of Gaza are “running out of time and options” as Israel’s campaign against Hamas grinds on, AFP reports.
“They face bombardment, deprivation and disease in an ever-shrinking space,” UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini told the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva.
Lazzari warned that people in the Palestinian territory are “facing the darkest chapter of their history since 1948, and it has been a painful history”.
US warship shoots down Houthi drone launched from Yemen: US official
The US Navy destroyer Mason shot down a Houthi drone launched from Yemen that was headed in its direction as it responded to reports of an attack on a commercial vessel, Reuters reports citing a US defence official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The official said the Houthis had attacked the commercial vessel Ardmore Encounter with skiffs and then fired two missiles that missed the ship.
The Ardmore Encounter reported no damage or injuries and continued on its way, the US official said.
The incident came a day after Yemen’s Houthis said they hit a Norwegian commercial tanker with a missile in their latest protest against Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, underlining the risks of the widening conflict that has shaken the Middle East.
Israel suffers worst combat losses since October, diplomatic isolation
Israel announced its worst combat losses for more than a month on Wednesday after an ambush in the ruins of Gaza City, and faced growing diplomatic isolation as civilian deaths mounted and a humanitarian catastrophe worsened.
Intense fighting was under way simultaneously in the north and south of the enclave, a day after the United Nations demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.
Moscow calls for UN conference to solve Israel conflict 'forever'
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov called on UN chief Antonio Guterres to organise an international conference to find a lasting solution to the conflict between Israel and Hamas,.
“The only way for this problem to be solved forever, and to be solved in a just way, is to hold an international conference with all five permanent members of the UN Security Council.”
EU chief urges sanctions on 'extremist' Israeli West Bank settlers
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen backed imposing sanctions on “extremist” Israeli settlers responsible for attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank.
“The rise in violence by extremist settlers is inflicting immense suffering on the Palestinians."
Hospitals in northern Gaza unable to provide any medical services: Ministry
A spokesman for the Ministry of Health in Gaza has given an update on the healthcare situation in northern Gaza.
Here are his translated comments:
No medical services are available in the area.
The al-Ahli Arab Hospital is at full capacity and is unable to provide any medical services.
Israeli forces opened fire on several medical personnel at the Kamal Adwan Hospital.
Israel controls the flow of medical aid into Gaza and the number of patients seeking treatment abroad.
Young girl tries to shelter from Gaza rain under table
As we’ve been reporting, cold weather and rains have brought further misery to displaced people across Gaza.
Palestinian photographer Hatem Hani has shared a video showing a little girl hiding from the rain under a table on a street in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.
US-Israel divide on Gaza is result of ‘long-term indulgence’: Analyst
Tamer Qarmout, assistant professor of public policy at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, says that the increasing divide between the US and Israel over the war is the “result of a long US tolerance for Israel’s policies, eliminating any prospect of peace with the Palestinians”.
“The US for decades has accommodated Israel, protected Israel, shielded Israel … Israel feels it has an immunity to keep going with its occupation. That’s the real problem here,” he said.
“The result is that, because of this long-term indulgence, you have a rebellious Israeli government that is in direct confrontation with the US now. They have a clear rift now … they don’t have a shared vision over the peace process any more,” he added.
Ten soldiers killed, says Israeli army
The Israeli army says 10 of its soldiers, including a colonel who commanded a forward base for the Golani infantry brigade, were killed in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday.
Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher said nine soldiers died during an operation in a Shujayea refugee camp in northern Gaza.
“It’s clear that this was an ambush,” he said.
Israeli military raid on Jenin enters second day
The Israeli military raid on Jenin and its refugee camp has surpassed the 24-hour mark with no signs of stopping.
The ongoing operation now stands as one of the “largest, longest” on the occupied West Bank since the commencement of Israel’s war on Gaza on October 7, sources reported.
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club said that up to 100 Palestinians may have been apprehended during the raid, and about 30 of those initially detained may have been released.
Israeli bombardment kills more than a dozen in Khan Younis, Rafah
It was another very difficult night for Palestinians across the Gaza Strip.
There were more air raids and heavy artillery shelling on the eastern side of Rafah city. There are reports that eight people from one family have been killed in northern Rafah – an area that is supposed to be safe for people to evacuate to.
Rafah has become a large refugee centre, and people have poured into the city within the past few days as the Israeli military expands its military operations on the ground.
In Khan Younis, near the vicinity of al-Nasser hospital, eight people died after a residential home was targeted – killing every single member of al-Amoudi family.
Four more residential homes surrounding the targeted house were severely damaged.
Israeli forces have been raiding Jenin for more than 29 hours
An Israeli military raid on Jenin and the Jenin refugee camp has been going on for 29 hours, and there are still no signs of it ending.
Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford, reporting from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, said videos showed one residential home being surrounded by the Israeli army, which put out warnings for its occupants to leave. There was at least one arrest made in that location.
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club said that up to 100 Palestinians may have been arrested in the raid so far, and about 30 of those initially detained may have been released.
Raids are also taking place across the West Bank in the cities of Nablus, Hebron, Bethlehem and the Ramallah outskirts.
U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY WILL VISIT ISRAEL, BAHRAIN AND QATAR TO SEEK MARITIME PROTECTION
The Pentagon announced Tuesday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will travel to Israel, Bahrain and Qatar next week as the U.S. continues to press allies to commit to an international maritime task force to protect commercial ships in the Red Sea as those ships have come under increased attacks.
Austin will also meet with his defense counterparts in Tel Aviv to show continued U.S. support for Israel’s right to defend itself but also press the need for Israel to avoid more civilian casualties in Gaza.
Late Monday, a land-based cruise missile launched from Houthi-controlled Yemen hit the Motor Transport ship STRINDA, causing a fire. The USS Mason, a destroyer, responded to assist the ship.
Buildings demolished in occupied West Bank’s Anata and Marj Na’ja: UN
Palestinian-owned buildings were demolished by Israeli forces in Anata and Marj Na’ja in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, the UN reports.
In total, at least 1,001 Palestinian-owned structures have been demolished in the occupied West Bank this year alone, displacing at least 1,870 people, according to the latest figures from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Demolitions reported yesterday in Anata and Marj Na'ja, #WestBank, occupied #Palestinian territory https://t.co/hG9VUlAUXf pic.twitter.com/nvGggAlz3p
— OCHA oPt (Palestine) (@ochaopt) December 13, 2023
Yemen’s Houthis attack civilian ships with no connection to Israel: HRW
Human Rights Watch says Yemen’s Houthis are targeting several commercial ships carrying civilian crews in the Red Sea that have no connection to Israel.
“The Houthis are claiming that they’re carrying out attacks on behalf of Palestinians, when the reality is that they’re attacking, arbitrarily detaining, and endangering civilians on ship crews who have zero connection to any known military target,” Michael Page, Middle East and North Africa deputy director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.
“The Houthis should immediately release the hostages and end their attacks on civilians caught in the crosshairs of their declared war on Israel.”
The watchdog said the Norwegian-flagged Strinda, which was hit by a missile on Tuesday, was carrying palm oil to Italy rather than oil to Israel, as stated by the Houthis. On December 3, two other bulk cargo carriers were attacked, despite not being bound for Israel.
Israeli military says 8 more soldiers killed in Gaza over past day
Those killed included a 35-year-old lieutenant colonel, two 23-year-old majors, a 19-year-old sergeant and a 22-year-old captain all serving with the Israeli infantry’s Golani Brigade. All were killed in fighting in northern Gaza.
Two majors – one 26 years old and another 20 years old – with the 669 Special Rescue Tactical Unit were also killed in fighting in the north of the Gaza Strip, according to the Israeli military.
And a 19-year-old sergeant in the combat engineers was also killed in the north of the Palestinian territory, it said.
On Tuesday, the UN reported that a total of 105 Israeli soldiers had been killed since Israel invaded Gaza and that 600 had been injured, citing the Israeli military.
It was not known if that total figure included the latest eight deaths reported.
Senior PLO official says UN General Assembly vote shows Israel’s isolation
In a brief statement posted on social media, Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary-general of the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s executive committee, has said Israel is isolated internationally over its war on Gaza.
Al-Sheikh issued the statement after 153 UN member states voted in favour of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, with only 10 countries, including the US, opposing the resolution and 23 others abstaining.
The resolution, however, is considered as non-binding.
Israel sends four new warships to Red Sea
Four new Israeli warships have “sailed for the first time to the Red Sea,” the Israeli army has said in a post on X.
Israel deployed the new ships as a Senior Houthi official issues warned vessels in the Red Sea against navigating towards Israel.
The new warships are part of Israel’s growing fleet of Sa’ar 6-class corvettes, which the Times of Israel reported earlier this year was “tasked with protecting [Israel’s] gas field and shipping lanes.”
Fitted out with Israeli weapons, the ships are made in Germany, which has significantly increased its military exports to Israel since October 8.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators tell Trudeau: Canada vote on Gaza ceasefire ‘not enough’
Demonstrators gathered outside Ottawa’s Shaw Centre to urge Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal Party to support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and end arms sale to Israel.
In a video posted on social media and verified by Al Jazeera’s verification unit, Sanad, demonstrators are seen waving Palestinian flags while making their demands outside the convention centre where Trudeau and his party were holding a holiday season gathering.
Just hours before the protest, Canada voted in favour of a humanitarian ceasefire resolution which was overwhelmingly passed during a special session of the UN General Assembly.
Large crowd now encircling the Shaw Centre as the @liberal_party has its holiday party today to tell @JustinTrudeau and his colleagues that a non-binding ceasefire vote isn't enough - we need a permanent ceasefire, to end the sale of arms, end the siege and end the occupation. pic.twitter.com/V3x3QRniul
— Sam Hersh (@SamHersh01) December 12, 2023
Australia backs UN resolution for Gaza ceasefire in rare split with US
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Wednesday the country had supported a UN resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza out of concern for civilians in the besieged enclave, in a rare split with close ally the United States.
After dire warnings by U.N. officials over a deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza in the two month long war between Israel and Hamas militants, the 193-member U.N. General Assembly passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire with 153 countries including Australia voting in favour and 23 abstaining.
Biden says Netanyahu must change, Israel losing global support
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that Israel is losing support over its "indiscriminate" bombing of Gaza and that Benjamin Netanyahu should change, exposing a new rift in relations with the Israeli prime minister.
Biden's remarks, made to donors to his 2024 re-election campaign, were his most critical to date of Netanyahu's handling of Israel's war in Gaza. They are a stark contrast to his literal and political embrace of the Israeli leader days after Hamas militants' Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel.
"Israel's security can rest on the United States, but right now it has more than the United States. It has the European Union, it has Europe, it has most of the world ... But they're starting to lose that support by indiscriminate bombing that takes place," Biden said.
US, Israel isolated as UN General Assembly votes for a cease-fire in Gaza
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations on Tuesday demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war after more than three-quarters of the 193-member General Assembly backed the move, which had been vetoed by the United States in the Security Council last week.
The United States does not have a veto in the General Assembly. It voted against the resolution, along with Israel and eight other countries. The resolution was adopted to a round of applause with 153 votes in favour, while 23 countries abstained from the vote.
The vote also shows the growing isolation of the United States and Israel.
