© Agence France-Presse
Heavy urban battles raged on Monday in the Gaza Strip, more than two months into a war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas.
Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented attack against Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 240 hostages — 137 of whom remain in Gaza, Israeli officials say.
In response, Israel vowed to destroy Hamas and began relentless bombardments alongside a ground offensive in Gaza that has killed at least 17,997 people, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
During a seven-day truce that expired on December 1, Hamas released 105 hostages including 80 Israelis freed in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
On day 66 of the war, here are five key developments from the past 24 hours:
– Rocket strikes –
Israeli police on Monday reported “multiple impact sites of rocket fragments” in Holon, on the edge of Tel Aviv. They said a civilian was lightly wounded.
Separately, Israel’s military said it was striking the source of munitions fired from Lebanon.
– Isreali troop deaths top 100 –
More than 100 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the beginning of the ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army said Monday.
The army told AFP that the number of soldiers killed so far in the operation, which began on October 27, has reached 101 after three more soldiers died in the conflict.
– WHO urges immediate aid –
The World Health Organization’s executive board on Sunday adopted a resolution calling for immediate, unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza after the WHO chief said medics faced unimaginable conditions.
Medyascope'u destekle. Medyascope'a abone ol.
Medyascope’u senin desteğin ayakta tutuyor. Hiçbir patronun, siyasi çıkarın güdümünde değiliz; hangi haberi yapacağımıza biz karar veriyoruz. Tıklanma uğruna değil, kamu yararına çalışıyoruz. Bağımsız gazeteciliğin sürmesi, sitenin açık kalması ve herkesin doğru bilgiye erişebilmesi senin desteğinle mümkün.
The 34 countries on the board adopted the resolution by consensus, even though some, notably the United States, had reservations about the dearth of references to the Hamas attacks of October 7.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the board had managed to achieve “the first consensus resolution on the conflict… since it began two months ago.”
– Hezbollah fighters killed –
Israeli strikes late Sunday near Damascus killed two Hezbollah fighters and two Syrians working with the Lebanese group, a war monitor said Monday.
Two Hezbollah sites in the Sayyida Zeinab district south of the capital and “a radar battalion” near the airport were targeted late Sunday, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, reporting the deaths.
Hezbollah issued statements on Monday announcing the death of two of its fighters, without specifying where or when it happened. Both Hezbollah and Hamas are backed by Iran.
– United Nations to meet –
The UN General Assembly will meet on Tuesday to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, officials and diplomats said Sunday, after the United States last week vetoed a Security Council resolution for a ceasefire.
According to diplomatic sources, the General Assembly could vote on a text for a ceasefire resolution at the meeting. Assembly resolutions are non-binding.
