In a single day, Israel murders nearly 100 Palestinians
A vote by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on a draft resolution urging a truce was postponed by one day, as the attacks persisted. It is currently anticipated to occur today.
The seaside community is in ruins as a result of Israel’s drive to destroy Hamas, which has also resulted in widespread famine and homelessness. 52,586 Palestinians have been injured and at least 19,667 Palestinians have died in the fighting.
Over 60% of Gaza’s infrastructure had been destroyed or damaged, and over 90% of the 2.3 million people living there had been uprooted, according to UNRWA, the UN organization for Palestinian refugees.
Israeli Prime Minister
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the war will not end until Hamas releases the last 129 prisoners it is keeping in Gaza and the resistance organization is destroyed, despite demands from abroad to refrain from killing innocent people.
Tuesday’s UN Security Council vote to authorize relief deliveries was postponed for an additional day as negotiations to prevent a third US veto of action regarding the two-month-long Israel-Hamas war continued.
⚡️Al-Quds Brigades (PIJ) published scenes of the artillery & rocket launches targeting IOF army’s supply line in the areas east of Khan Yunis.
In the footage, helicopters were spotted evacuating the casualties. pic.twitter.com/IlsthZM6zO
— Arya – آریا 🇮🇷 (@AryJeay) December 19, 2023
The resolution, which was written by the United Arab Emirates, was originally scheduled to be put to a vote by the 15-member council on Monday. However, there have been multiple delays because, according to diplomats, the US and the UAE are unable to reach a consensus on wording that includes ending hostilities and proposing to establish UN assistance monitoring.
On Tuesday, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield responded to reporters who questioned if they were getting close to a deal, saying, “We’re trying, we are.”Beyond Gaza, the violence has extended into the Red Sea, where Yemeni Houthi troops have been using drones and missiles to attack commercial ships. As a result, a multinational naval operation has been established to safeguard trade routes.
Southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden
Joint naval patrols will take place in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, which comprise a significant East-West global commerce route, according to US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, who announced in Bahrain.
“This is an international challenge that demands collective action,” Austin stated.
The unsuccessful boarding attempt was reported to British marine security company Ambrey on Tuesday, west of Yemen’s port city of Aden.
Shippers are changing their routes to avoid Africa.
The Houthis declared that they would continue to target commercial vessels along the crucial commerce corridor, maybe conducting a marine action once every twelve hours.
“Only Israeli ships or those heading to Israel will be targeted,” Houthi official Mohammed Abdulsalam told Reuters, adding, “Our position in support of Palestine and the Gaza Strip will remain until the end of the siege, the entry of food and medicine, and our support for the oppressed Palestinian people will remain continuous.”
Street fighting
Residents of Khan Younis in Gaza claimed on Wednesday that gunfights between Hamas members and Israeli forces advancing into the city’s central and eastern districts were becoming more intense.
Twelve Palestinians were slain in an Israeli attack on a city home, according to Gaza’s health officials.
Since its invasion, Israel has lost 132 soldiers as a result of fighting within Gaza. There were likely more Israeli casualties in reality.
At least 20 people were killed and numerous others were injured while they slept at home in the southern Rafah neighborhood, where hundreds of thousands of refugees have gathered in recent weeks, according to Gazan health officials, after Israeli missiles struck the area on Tuesday.
Locals claimed they had to use their bare hands to dig in the debris. Mohammed Zurub, whose family lost 11 members in the incident, called it a “barbaric act.”
According to the health ministry, there was another attack in the north that left 13 people dead and over 75 injured in the Jabalia refugee camp. As night fell on Tuesday, Palestinians said that the Israeli tank and aerial shelling on Jabalia was getting stronger.
Despite widespread concern over the enormous human cost, Israeli military officials informed reporters during a briefing on Tuesday that Israel’s campaign to destroy Hamas and the movement’s urban warfare strategy comes with a high cost in terms of civilian casualties.
Talks on aid, captives
On Tuesday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog expressed his country’s willingness to go into yet another “humanitarian pause” in the conflict, one that would allow more aid to reach Gaza and allow for the recovery of other captives held by Hamas.
A week-long ceasefire in late November brokered by US and Qatari officials resulted in the release of 110 prisoners in return for 240 Palestinian women and children who were detained by Israel.
Senior Hamas official Basem Naem, who is located outside of Gaza, said that as long as the conflict lasted, there would be no more talks on prisoner exchanges.
The leaders of the US and Israeli intelligence services, as well as the prime minister of Qatar, held “positive” talks in Warsaw to discuss methods to revive negotiations, a source briefed on diplomatic efforts told Reuters on Tuesday. The insider stated that a deal was not anticipated to happen very soon.
