DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli airstrikes killed astatine slightest 21 people, including astatine slightest 2 children, connected Saturday successful Gaza, infirmary unit said, while a caller effort astatine ceasefire talks was underway successful Qatar aft nearly 15 months of war.
Thousands rallied again successful Israel to property for a ceasefire deal, hours aft Hamas released a video showing 1 of nan hostages still held successful Gaza. Such videos, for illustration an uptick successful airstrikes, person been seen arsenic attempts to asseverate unit during talks.
A mini boy cried complete his begetter successful confederate Gaza’s Khan Younis, and a female draped herself complete 1 of nan bodies wrapped successful achromatic plastic. Three airstrikes successful nan metropolis deed a car, a location and group connected nan street, according to unit astatine Nasser Hospital.
The Civil Defense, first responders affiliated pinch nan Hamas-run government, said an airstrike destroyed a residential area down nan Saraya analyzable successful Gaza City, sidesplitting astatine slightest 5 people.
And Israeli strikes connected Saturday evening killed 3 group successful Bureij and 3 others successful Deir al-Balah successful cardinal Gaza, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, wherever nan bodies were taken. One kid was among nan dead. A young man leaned against a infirmary wall and wept.
Israel’s subject said it targeted Hamas militants pinch a onslaught adjacent Salah al-Din successful confederate Gaza overnight and pinch a onslaught connected a conveyance successful Deir al-Balah successful cardinal Gaza. It besides said Hamas fired a projectile that deed adjacent nan Erez crossing into Gaza.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said astatine slightest 59 group had been killed and much than 270 others were wounded by strikes successful nan past 24 hours.
There were nary contiguous statements connected nan indirect negotiations toward a ceasefire. The talks person many times stalled arsenic Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows to property connected successful Gaza until Hamas is destroyed. Fighters pinch Hamas, which wants Israeli forces retired of Gaza completely, proceed to regroup successful areas wherever Israeli forces withdraw.
The talks are mediated by Qatar, Egypt and nan United States, which plans a $8 cardinal weapons sale to Israel, U.S. officials say.
UN Human Rights Chief @volker_turk calls connected nan @UN Security Council & each those pinch power to return action to safeguard hospitals and wellness services successful Gaza, to protect civilians arsenic a matter of absolute privilege & to guarantee accountability for each violations of international… pic.twitter.com/u3dDtn3lYh
— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) January 3, 2025A caller video of a hostage
The warfare is by acold nan deadliest information of fighting betwixt Israel and Hamas. It began erstwhile Hamas and different militants attacked confederate Israel connected Oct. 7, 2023, sidesplitting astir 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting astir 250. Around 100 hostages are still successful Gaza, astatine slightest a 3rd believed to beryllium dead.
Families of hostages and others person rallied play to property Netanyahu to scope a ceasefire woody that would bring loved ones home, saying clip is moving out. At Saturday night’s rally successful Tel Aviv, constabulary carried distant immoderate protesters who staged a sit-in connected a street.
In a video released by Hamas earlier nan latest rally, Israeli worker and hostage Liri Albag, speaking nether duress, expressed anguish complete her business and mentioned being held 450 days.
“Today is nan opening of a caller year; nan full world is celebrating. Only we are entering a acheronian year, a twelvemonth of loneliness,” she said. She besides said a chap captive had been wounded by nan fighting successful Gaza, adding, “We are surviving successful an highly terrifying nightmare.” She didn’t sanction nan injured person.
Netanyahu’s agency said he said pinch Albag’s parents and told them that “efforts are ongoing, including astatine this very moment” to bring hostages home. Albag’s family successful a connection said that “It’s clip to make decisions arsenic if your ain children were there!”
Israel’s retaliatory violative has killed astatine slightest 45,717 Palestinians successful Gaza, according to nan territory’s Health Ministry, which says women and children dress up much than half nan dead. The ministry doesn’t separate betwixt civilians and combatants successful its tally. It says uncounted bodies stay beneath rubble aliases successful areas wherever emergency responders can’t reach.
Israel’s subject says it only targets militants and blames Hamas for civilian deaths, because its fighters run successful dense residential areas. The service says it has killed 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.
The warfare has caused wide destruction and displaced astir 90% of Gaza’s organization of 2.3 million, many of them aggregate times. Winter has now arrived, and hundreds of thousands are sheltering successful tents adjacent nan sea. A mini number of children person died from exposure to nan cold.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said successful a connection that Indonesian Hospital was nary longer operational aft Israeli operations successful nan area, and said each nationalist hospitals successful nan north, mostly isolated by a monthslong Israeli offensive, were now retired of service. Access to nan northbound is heavy restricted and claims tin beryllium difficult to verify.
Tensions elsewhere
Meanwhile, successful nan Israeli-occupied West Bank, relatives mourned an 18-year-old Palestinian who nan Palestinian Health Ministry said was killed Friday during clashes pinch Israel’s service successful nan Balata exile campy successful Nablus. The ministry said that 9 different group were wounded.
Palestinian wellness officials person said Israeli raids passim nan West Bank since Oct. 7, 2023, person killed much than 800 Palestinians. Israel says astir of these are militants, but youths throwing stones and group not progressive successful confrontations person besides been killed.
A fragile ceasefire betwixt Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has held up for much than a month, though its position look improbable to beryllium met by nan agreed-upon 60-day deadline. Israel and Hezbollah had exchanged occurrence almost regular since nan warfare successful Gaza began.
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Associated Press writer Natalie Melzer contributed to this study from Nahariya, Israel.