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Palestinians mourn family killed within the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip outdoors a morgue in Khan Younis on Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023.
Mohammed Dahman/AP
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Mohammed Dahman/AP
Palestinians mourn family killed within the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip outdoors a morgue in Khan Younis on Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023.
Mohammed Dahman/AP
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza (AP) — At the very least 68 folks had been killed by an Israeli strike in central Gaza, well being officers mentioned Sunday, whereas the variety of Israeli troopers killed in fight over the weekend rose to 17.
Related Press journalists at a close-by hospital watched frantic Palestinians carry the useless, together with a child, and wounded following the strike on the Maghazi refugee camp east of Deir al-Balah. One bloodied younger lady appeared surprised whereas her physique was checked for damaged bones.
The 68 fatalities embrace at the least 12 ladies and 7 youngsters, in keeping with early hospital figures.
“We had been all focused,” mentioned Ahmad Turkomani, who misplaced a number of relations together with his daughter and grandson. “There isn’t a secure place in Gaza anyway.”
Earlier, the Well being Ministry in Gaza gave the dying toll as 70. The Israeli navy had no quick remark.
As Christmas Eve fell, smoke rose over the besieged territory, whereas within the West Financial institution Bethlehem was hushed, its vacation celebrations known as off. In neighboring Egypt, tentative efforts continued on a deal for an additional trade of hostages for Palestinians held by Israel.
The battle has devastated components of Gaza, killed roughly 20,400 Palestinians and displaced virtually all the territory’s 2.3 million folks.
The mounting dying toll amongst Israeli troops — 156 for the reason that floor offensive started — might erode public help for the battle, which was sparked when Hamas-led militants stormed communities in southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 and taking 240 hostage.
Israelis nonetheless largely stand behind the nation’s said targets of crushing Hamas’ governing and navy capabilities and releasing the remaining 129 captives. That is regardless of rising worldwide stress towards Israel’s offensive, and the hovering dying toll and unprecedented struggling amongst Palestinians.
A Palestinian girl stands in her dwelling after an Israeli strike in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023.
Hatem Ali/AP
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Hatem Ali/AP
A Palestinian girl stands in her dwelling after an Israeli strike in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023.
Hatem Ali/AP
HAMAS EXACTS A PRICE
“The battle exacts a really heavy value from us, however we have now no selection however to proceed combating,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned.
In a nationally televised speech, Israeli President Isaac Herzog appealed for the nation to stay united. “This second is a take a look at. We is not going to break nor blink,” he mentioned.
There was widespread anger towards his authorities, which many criticize for failing to guard civilians on Oct. 7 and selling insurance policies that allowed Hamas to realize power through the years. Netanyahu has averted accepting duty for the navy and coverage failures.
“Over time, the general public will discover it onerous to disregard the heavy value paid, in addition to the suspicion that the goals that had been loudly heralded are nonetheless removed from being attained, and that Hamas is displaying no indicators of capitulating within the close to future,” wrote Amos Harel, navy affairs commentator for the Haaretz newspaper.
The Israeli navy mentioned it had accomplished the dismantling of Hamas’ underground headquarters in northern Gaza, a part of an operation to take down the huge tunnel community and kill off prime commanders that Israeli leaders have mentioned might take months.
Efforts towards negotiations continued. The top of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Ziyad al-Nakhalah, arrived in Egypt for talks. The militant group, which additionally took half within the Oct. 7 assault, mentioned it was ready to think about releasing hostages solely after combating ends. Hamas’ prime chief Ismail Haniyeh traveled to Cairo for talks days earlier.
Israeli troopers carry the flag-draped casket of Workers Sgt. Birhanu Kassie throughout his funeral at Mt. Herzl navy cemetery in Jerusalem, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023.
Ohad Zwigenberg/AP
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Ohad Zwigenberg/AP
Israeli troopers carry the flag-draped casket of Workers Sgt. Birhanu Kassie throughout his funeral at Mt. Herzl navy cemetery in Jerusalem, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023.
Ohad Zwigenberg/AP
INSIDE GAZA
Israel’s offensive has been one of the devastating navy campaigns in latest historical past. Greater than two-thirds of the 20,000 Palestinians killed have been ladies and kids, in keeping with the Well being Ministry in Gaza, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants.
On Friday, Israeli airstrikes on two properties in Gaza killed 90 Palestinians, together with dozens from an prolonged household, in keeping with rescuers and hospital officers. One of many properties, positioned in Gaza Metropolis, grew to become one of many deadliest airstrikes within the battle after 76 folks from the al-Mughrabi household had been killed, mentioned Mahmoud Bassal, a spokesman for Gaza’s Civil Protection division.
The Palestinian Purple Crescent mentioned a 13-year-old boy was shot and killed in an Israeli drone assault whereas inside al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis, part of Gaza the place Israel’s navy believes Hamas leaders are hiding.
An Israeli strike in a single day hit a home in a refugee camp west of town of Rafah, on Gaza’s border with Egypt. At the very least two males had been killed, in keeping with Related Press journalists within the hospital the place the our bodies had been taken.
At the very least two folks had been killed and 6 others wounded when a missile caught a constructing within the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza.
And Palestinians reported heavy Israeli bombardment and gunfire in Jabaliya, an space north of Gaza Metropolis that Israel had claimed to manage. Hamas’ navy arm mentioned its fighters shelled Israeli troops in Jabaliya and Jabaliya refugee camp.
Israel faces worldwide criticism for the civilian dying toll but it surely blames Hamas, citing the militants’ use of crowded residential areas and tunnels. Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes since Oct. 7. It says it has killed hundreds of Hamas militants, with out presenting proof.
Israel additionally faces allegations of mistreating Palestinian males and teenage boys detained in properties, shelters, hospitals and elsewhere through the offensive. It has denied abuse allegations and mentioned these with out hyperlinks to militants are shortly launched.
Chatting with the AP from a hospital mattress in Rafah after his launch, Khamis al-Burdainy of Gaza Metropolis mentioned Israeli forces detained him after tanks and bulldozers partly destroyed his dwelling. He mentioned males had been handcuffed and blindfolded.
“We did not sleep. We did not get meals and water,” he mentioned, crying and masking his face.
One other launched detainee, Mohammed Salem, from the Gaza Metropolis neighborhood of Shijaiyah, mentioned Israeli troops beat them. “We had been humiliated,” he mentioned. “A feminine soldier would come and beat an outdated man, aged 72 years outdated.”
Israeli military troops are seen close to the Gaza Strip border, in southern Israel, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023.
Ariel Schalit/AP
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Ariel Schalit/AP
Israeli military troops are seen close to the Gaza Strip border, in southern Israel, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023.
Ariel Schalit/AP
INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE
The United Nations Safety Council has handed a watered-down decision calling for the speedy supply of humanitarian help for hungry and determined Palestinians and the discharge of all of the hostages, however not for a cease-fire.
But it surely was not instantly clear how and when deliveries of meals, medical provides and different help, far beneath the each day common of 500 earlier than the battle, would speed up. Vans enter via two crossings: Rafah, and Kerem Shalom on the border with Israel. Wael Abu Omar, a spokesman for the Palestinian Crossings Authority, mentioned 123 help vans entered Gaza on Sunday,
The top of the World Well being Group, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, reiterated U.N. requires a humanitarian cease-fire, including on social media that “the decimation of the Gaza well being system is a tragedy.”
Amid issues a couple of wider regional battle, the U.S. Central Command mentioned a patrol ship within the Purple Sea on Saturday shot down 4 drones launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, some time two Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles had been fired into worldwide delivery lanes.
The Iran-backed Houthis say their assaults are geared toward Israel-linked ships in an effort to cease the Israeli offensive in Gaza.
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