Live: Israel kills at least 58 Palestinians in 24 hours

At least four Palestinians "died" during interrogations conducted by Shin Bet, Israel’s internal intelligence agency, since 7 October 2023, the Israeli daily Haaretzhas revealed.

Following an investigation by the Investigation Complaints Unit at the Ministry of Justice (MBAT), the attorney general’s office ruled out 0pening a criminal investigation against Shin Bet personnel in two of the cases.

One of them concerns the death of Dr Iyad al-Rantisi, director of the Kamal Adwan hospital’s maternity department, whose body bore signs of trauma after interrogation.

On 18 June, Haaretz reported that al-Rantisi died at an interrogation facility run by Shin Bet six days after his arrest on 10 November when he was fleeing northern Gaza with his family along an Israeli-designated “safe corridor”.

READ MORE: Four Palestinians killed during Shin Bet interrogations since 7 October

Ireland's Foreign Minister and Tánaiste Micheal Martin announced his government gave approval for the country to intervene in South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

Today the Government gave approval for Ireland to intervene in South Africa’s International Court of Justice case against Israel under the Genocide Convention. pic.twitter.com/raOoj8xMrG

— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) December 11, 2024

Al Jazeera’s Gaza correspondent, Anas Al-Sharif, has been awarded Amnesty International’s 2024 Human Rights Defender Award. The accolade recognises his outstanding reporting on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and his vivid portrayal of civilian suffering amidst ongoing conflict.

Amnesty International commended Al-Sharif’s unwavering commitment to documenting the harsh realities on the ground, emphasising his role in raising global awareness about the plight of civilians in the besieged region. His work has been lauded for its bravery and humanity, giving a powerful voice to those affected by the conflict.

The award highlights the critical role of journalism in defending human rights and shedding light on the stories of marginalised communities.

Medical sources reported to Al Jazeera Arabic that Israeli air strikes on Gaza since Wednesday morning have resulted in the deaths of 40 Palestinians.

Among the victims, 29 were from the northern region of the Strip. The raids targeted multiple areas, escalating the humanitarian crisis in the already besieged enclave.

The Civil Defence in Gaza confirmed that an Israeli air strike near Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip killed a mother and her two children, reported the Palestinian media outlet Arab48.

The tragic incident adds to the mounting toll of casualties in the besieged region, with medical sources reporting that 35 people have been killed across the Gaza Strip since dawn, 27 of them in the northern area.

A Palestinian health official reported on Wednesday that Israeli bombings early in the day caused significant damage to Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, disrupting critical systems, including the water and oxygen networks.

This attack worsens the already dire conditions at the facility, which is struggling to cope with the ongoing siege imposed by Israeli forces on the region, Al Jazeera Arabic reported. The blockade has prevented the delivery of essential medical and food supplies, further deepening the humanitarian crisis in northern Gaza.

According to medical sources, at least 35 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli air strikes across the Gaza Strip since the early hours of the day. The majority of the casualties, 27 in total, were reported in the northern regions of the enclave, Al Jazeera Arabic reported.

The raids targeted several locations throughout Gaza, exacerbating the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

The Palestinian Prisoners Club reported that Israeli forces carried out a series of raids across multiple areas in the occupied West Bank overnight, detaining 20 Palestinians.

The arrests took place in various towns and villages, as tensions in the region remain high. Local sources indicated that the detainees were taken to undisclosed locations for questioning, with no immediate details on the charges or circumstances surrounding the arrests.

Medical sources reported that Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip have claimed the lives of 33 Palestinians since dawn today, with 23 of the victims killed in the northern region of the territory.

Al Jazeera Arabic confirmed the fatalities, which include several civilians, as rescue teams continue to search for survivors under the rubble left by the attacks. The escalating violence by Israel has further strained an already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where access to medical care and essential supplies remains critically limited.

An Israeli hospital in Safed reported that it admitted four Israeli soldiers who sustained injuries during operations in southern Lebanon. The hospital confirmed receiving the wounded late last night.

Details regarding the nature of their injuries or the circumstances of the incident remain undisclosed. The situation reflects ongoing tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border.

At least 28 people were killed, with several others still missing beneath the rubble, following an Israeli air strike on a building near Kamal Adwan Hospital, in one of a series of massacres that have been committed in northern Gaza, reported the Palestinian media outlet Arab48.

The targeted structure, belonging to the Abu Tarabish family, was reduced to ruins during the attack. Rescue teams are continuing efforts to locate survivors amid the debris, but the scale of destruction has hampered operations.

The bombing is part of ongoing Israeli escalations in the Gaza Strip. Medical facilities in the area, including Kamal Adwan Hospital, are struggling to cope with the influx of wounded residents, while emergency responders face immense challenges in accessing affected areas.

Good morning Middle East Eye readers. Here are some of the latest updates from the Israeli war on Gaza, now in its 431st day: 

• Efforts for Gaza ceasefire: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to discuss reaching a ceasefire in Gaza, according to the US State Department.

• Deadly raid near Kamal Adwan Hospital: An Israeli air strike on a house near Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, killed 18 people, with others reported missing. The attack highlights the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region, Al Jazeera reported.

• West Bank crackdown: Israeli forces imposed a security cordon around the Abu Obeida Mosque in Qalqilya’s Kafr Saba neighbourhood after storming the city and opening fire, according to Palestinian sources.

• Aid blocked in northern Gaza: The United Nations reported that humanitarian aid to northern Gaza has been largely inaccessible for the past 66 days. As a result, 65,000 to 75,000 Palestinians are without food, water, electricity, or health care. Israel's continued siege of Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, and Jabaliya has worsened the crisis, forcing thousands to flee schools and seek shelter in Gaza City.

  • Only four UN-supported bakeries remain operational across Gaza, all located in Gaza City, worsening food insecurity
  • Sigrid Kaag, U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Gaza, described the situation as "utterly devastating," emphasizing the plight of civilians

• Call for probe into U.S. citizen's killing: The family of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish-American woman killed by Israeli forces in September during a protest in the occupied West Bank, will meet with Blinken. They are calling for an independent US-led investigation into her death, Reuters reported

Our liveblog will shortly be closing until tomorrow morning.

Here are the day's key developments:

-At least seven Palestinians were killed and several others wounded in an Israeli air strike on a house in the Nuseirat camp in the central part of the Gaza Strip, medics told the Reuters news agency in the early hours of Wednesday, local time. 

-The Israeli news outlet Yedioth Ahronoth, commonly referred to as Ynet, has quoted an Israeli official who thinks a Gaza ceasefire deal is possible in January. According to the official, it's Hamas that has changed its mind and is now leaning toward the completion of an agreement. 

-The Biden administration also sees increased energy towards a Gaza ceasefire deal after hostilities were tamped down between Israel and Lebanon, US deputy national security advisor Jon Finer said in an interview at the Reuters NEXT conference in New York on Tuesday.

-The Government Media Office in Gaza has reported that 25 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike targeting a residential building in Beit Hanoun. Dozens more were injured.

-More than 353 footballers, including 91 children, hav been killed by Israel's war on Gaza since October last year, according to the Palestinian Football Association. It said that 546 people from the Palestinian sports and scouting movements had been killed in total. 

-Israel's war on Gaza has led to a health disaster, particularly in the overcrowded southern areas of Mawasi, Rafah and Khan Younis, reported the Palestinian news agency Wafa. The situation is dire for the displaced population, with conditions posing a significant threat to their lives.

At least seven Palestinians were killed and several others wounded in an Israeli air strike on a house in the Nuseirat camp in the central part of the Gaza Strip, medics told the Reuters news agency in the early hours of Wednesday, local time. 

The Israeli news outlet Yedioth Ahronoth, commonly referred to as Ynet, has quoted an Israeli official who thinks a Gaza ceasefire deal is possible in January.

According to the official, it's Hamas that has changed its mind and is now leaning toward the completion of an agreement. 

Hamas has previously agreed to at least two ceasefire deals earlier this year that included a release of captives in Gaza, but Israel did not come on board.