Casualties
- 18,800+ killed* and more than 51,000 wounded in the Gaza Strip.
- 297 Palestinians killed in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem
- Israel revises its estimated October 7 death toll down from 1,400 to 1,147.
- 450 Israeli soldiers killed since October 7, and at least 1,682 injured.
*This figure was confirmed by Gaza’s Ministry of Health on December 16. Due to breakdowns in communication networks within the Gaza Strip, the Ministry of Health in Gaza has not been able to update its tolls regularly and accurately since mid-November. Some rights groups put the death toll number closer to 20,000.
Key Developments
- Palestinian Ministry of Health: 505 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank since the beginning of 2023, including 297 Palestinians since October 7.
- UNFPA: About 45,000 pregnant women and 68,000 breastfeeding women in the Gaza Strip face the risk of anemia, bleeding, and death.
- WHO: Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City is “a complete horror scene” and a “bloodbath” with patients filling the floor.
- Gaza Ministry of Health: Israel wants to “eliminate” Gaza’s health sector
- Gaza Health Ministry: 110 people were killed in an Israeli attack in Jabalia in Gaza on Sunday.
- Israeli forces killed four Palestinians, including two children, during a military invasion of the al-Faraa refugee camp near Tubas in the occupied West Bank.
- Israel media: The U.S. is seeking a “revamp” of the Palestinian Authority (PA) as one possible solution to the post-war governance of Gaza.
- Israeli forces targeted the maternity ward of the Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis during a shelling attack.
- Egyptian Security Sources: Israel and Hamas are both open to a renewed ceasefire and hostage release.
Israel’s Genocide Against Gaza Continues
An Israeli military sniper killed a mother and daughter inside the Holy Family Parish in Gaza on Saturday, according to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which oversees Catholic Churches across Cyprus, Jordan, Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank. Seven others were wounded from the attack on the complex, which is housing most of Gaza’s Christian families seeking safety. Pope Francis condemned the attack and said that “unarmed civilians are targets for bombs and gunfire. And this has happened even within the parish complex of the Holy Family, where there are no terrorists, but families, children, people who are sick and have disabilities, sisters.” Maija Ehlinger, Jomana Karadsheh, Kareem El Damanhoury, and Heather Chen report for CNN.
Three Israeli hostages who were mistakenly killed by Israeli soldiers in Gaza on Friday, were holding a white cloth, the Israeli military said. Israel confirmed an investigation is underway “at the highest level” and that the case was “against our rules of engagement.” An Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) official said one of its soldiers felt threatened by the men before declaring them “terrorists” and opening fire. The hostages were either abandoned by their captors or had escaped, according to the official. Hugo Bachega reports for BBC News.
Questions of Israel’s pre-war Hamas intelligence have been raised following the Israeli military saying yesterday, in a post on X, it has discovered the largest tunnel in Gaza which facilitated the transit of militants, equipment, and vehicles just a few hundred yards away from the nearby Israeli military base and fortified Erez crossing. The military said the tunnel shaft is over 2.5 miles in length and links up with Hamas’ wider tunnel network throughout Gaza. Israeli military spokesperson Major Nir Dinar said, “As far as I know, this tunnel doesn’t cross from Gaza into Israel and stops within 400 meters from the border, which means the indicators won’t indicate that a tunnel is being built.” His statement is a reference that while Israel was aware of the presence of Hamas tunnels prior to Oct. 7, it was not aware of the extent of such a tunnel network. POLITICO reports.
The U.N. has called for an investigation into the deaths at Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza following an Israeli military raid in the medical facility. Israel claimed its armed forces detained several Hamas members and discovered a trove of weaponry and military equipment, some of which was allegedly hidden inside an incubator and a newborn resuscitation station. The military withdrew from the hospital on Saturday after initially entering last Tuesday. The IDF said yesterday that its military personnel communicated with medical staff prior to entering, and that all but “a few dozen” civilians refused to evacuate the hospital. Fatima AbdulKarim, Saeed Shah, and Margherita Stancati report for the Wall Street Journal.
Humanitarian aid entered the Gaza Strip through a second border crossing yesterday, the U.N. said. A spokesperson for the U.N. agency said that Israel has agreed to allow up to 200 trucks a day through the Kerem Shalom crossing, in addition to the aid passing via Rafah. Meanwhile Israel’s agency overseeing policy for the Palestinian territories, known as COGAT, said yesterday that 79 humanitarian aid trucks were inspected and able to pass through the Kerem Shalom crossing. Vivian Yee reports for the New York Times.
At least 110 people were killed and dozens more injured in the past 24 hours following Israeli attacks on Jabalia in northern Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. CNN reports.
REGIONAL RESPONSE
Israel and Hamas are open to a renewed ceasefire and hostage release deal, according to two Egyptian security sources. Both Egypt and Qatar – which brokered the original deal – demanded the opening of the Kerem Shalom crossing before negotiations could begin, the sources said. Hamas is insisting on setting the list of hostages unilaterally and for Israel to withdraw behind specific lines, while Israel is demanding a timeline to see the list before agreeing on details of a cease-fire, according to the sources. Reuters reports.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan asked U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a phone call yesterday for Washington to use its influence and leverage over Israel to end the attacks in Gaza, according to a Turkish diplomatic source. “Fidan emphasized the need for Israel to be made to sit at the (negotiating) table after a full ceasefire is achieved, in order to start a process aimed at realizing a fair and lasting peace based on a two-state solution,” the source added. Reuters reports.
INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
France called for an “immediate and durable truce” in the war, as French foreign minister Catherine Colonna met with Israeli foreign minister, Eli Cohen. A statement released by the French foreign ministry prior to the visit said Colona would call for a truce which should “lead to a lasting ceasefire with the aim of releasing all hostages and delivering aid to Gaza.” Mr Cohen reiterated Israel’s stance during the meeting that there would not be a ceasefire, but said that France could have an important role in preventing regional tensions arising from the war. France’s foreign ministry also insisted Israel explain an airstrike which killed one of its staff in Rafah last week. BBC News reports.
U.K’s Foreign Secretary David Cameron and Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said yesterday in a jointly authored Sunday Times piece that they would like to see a “sustainable ceasefire.” It follows the U.K abstention last week in the UN Security Council vote for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire. “We do not believe that calling right now for a general and immediate ceasefire, hoping it somehow becomes permanent, is the way forward,” Cameron added. Andre Rhoden-Paul reports for BBC News.
On Sunday, Pope Francis said Israel was using “terrorism” tactics after reports that an Israeli sniper killed a mother and daughter, and injured seven others, who had taken refuge inside a Church complex. Newsweek
| Analysis |
| “To avoid the worst, Washington will have to revisit its core assumptions, renew its commitment to the Middle East, and lay out a fresh vision for the region,” Istituto Affari Internazionali’s Maria Fantappie and Johns Hopkins University’s Vali Nasr write in Foreign Affairs. “The United States must also subscribe to a vision for Middle East security that does not divide the region into camps but makes room for all actors.” “[BP’s announcement is] the most tangible sign of disruption to energy flows since the attacks spiraled,” Bloomberg’s Rachel Graham writes. “The disruptions are a stark reminder of the inflationary and economic pressures that make securing the area a top priority.” Read the full suite of Foreign Affairsand CFR.org resources on Israel and the current conflict.U.S. RESPONSEU.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to visit Israel and three Persian Gulf nations this week, following the Biden administration’s recent urges for Israel to move to a more narrowly focused phase in the war. Austin will meet with Netanyahu and Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, where discussions are to focus on how Israel can carry out this new phase of war involving smaller groups of forces, U.S. officials said. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will also join Austin for the talks. Eric Schmitt reports for the New York Times.IRAN-BACKED MILITANTSThe Biden administration is exploring options to strike back against the Houthis following new attacks over the weekend, according to two U.S. officials. The USS Carney shot down 14 one-way drones launched from a Houthi-controlled region in Yemen on Saturday morning, while the British-HMS Diamond shot down a Houthi drone. On Friday, the Houthis struck a Liberian-flagged vessel in the Red Sea and launched two ballistic missiles toward the Bab el-Mandeb strait, which struck another LIberian-flagged vessel. A Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment on ongoing plans, although three additional destroyers have been moved into the Mediterranean Sea this week, and one official said a Carrier Strike Group vessel has been moved into the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Yemen, to support U.S. defense in the area. Lara Seligman and Alexander Ward report for POLITICO.Israel said yesterday it struck the Iran-backed Hezbollah weapon launch sites and facilities in Lebanon in response to attacks with tank fire, airstrikes, and artillery, while Hezbollah said it attacked Israeli army targets along the border including barracks and a command center. Israel did not report any casualties from the attacks. Reuters reports.Israel’s Allies Call for Scale Down of Attacks as Red Sea Tensions Affect ShippingU.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was expected to urge Israel (AP) to decelerate its sweeping military offensive in the Gaza Strip on a visit to Israel today, while the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom (UK) called for a cease-fire over the weekend in light of continued civilian casualties. Inside Israel, families of hostages held by Palestinian militant group Hamas also pressed for the Israeli government to increase its focus on hostage releases after Israeli troops said on Friday they mistakenly killed three hostages waving a white flag. Regional tensions related to the Israel-Hamas war also yielded new economic consequences today, with British oil giant BP announcing it was suspending (The Guardian) oil and gas shipments through the Red Sea following a series of attacks on commercial tankers. Over the weekend, the U.S. and UK militaries said their ships downed fifteen drones (AP) that were suspected to be launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. |
Majority of US Adults Under 25: Dismantle Israel – Poll
According to the Harvard-Harris poll, conducted this week, 60 percent of US young adults from ages 18 to 24 believe Israel is committing genocide against the people of Gaza.
The majority of US adults from ages 18 to 24 believe the ongoing crisis in Gaza should be resolved by dismantling the state of Israel and turning it over to Hamas and the Palestinian people, a new poll has found.
The Harvard-Harris poll, conducted this week and released on Friday, showed that 51 percent of young Americans believe the Israeli state should be “ended,” compared with 32 percent who favor a two-state solution. Just 17 percent said Arab countries should absorb the Palestinians to resolve the conflict.
Among all age groups, six in ten Americans call for a two-state deal, while only 19 percent want Israel to be given to the Palestinians.