Live: Israel kills at least 58 Palestinians in 24 hours

Germany’s foreign ministry has expressed its opposition to any Israeli occupation of Gaza, stressing that Palestinian territories must not be diminished.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, the ministry reaffirmed its support for mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas, advocating for a negotiated solution.

“We do not endorse imposing a political outcome on the Palestinians that goes beyond their will. A ceasefire, humanitarian aid for Gaza and the release of hostages are essential,” the ministry said.

The remarks come amid ongoing international scrutiny of Israel’s actions, raising concerns over their implications for Palestinian sovereignty and rights.

Evidence of ethnic cleansing and destruction in Gaza, including mass killings, siege and forced displacement, is "undeniable", a new report has found. 

In its latest findings, Doctors Without Borders, also known as Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), detailed Israel's ongoing devastation in the enclave, dismantling of essential civilian infrastructure and systemic denial of humanitarian assistance. 

The report, titled "Gaza: Life in a Death Trap", calls for an immediate and sustained ceasefire, saying: "The complete destruction of Palestinian life in Gaza and all things that make up the very fabric of society must stop."

MSF warns that even if Israel's war on Gaza were to end today, the long-term consequences would be unprecedented. 

Read more: Israel's destruction in Gaza shows 'clear signs of ethnic cleansing': Report

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Thursday passed a resolution seeking an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Israel's legal obligations to guarantee the functioning of UN humanitarian agencies, particularly the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (Unrwa).

Introduced by Norway, the resolution secured broad international support, passing with 137 votes in favour and 12 against. The move comes amid increasing concerns over Israel's restrictions on humanitarian operations in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Hamas’ military wing, the Qassam Brigades, has reportedly recruited thousands of new fighters in Gaza and continues to adapt its tactics amid ongoing battles with Israeli forces.

According to reports from Israeli news outlet Walla on Wednesday, the Qassam Brigades have grown by approximately 4,000 members in recent months.

Sources within the Israeli military’s Southern Command revealed that Hamas has implemented “unusual methods of operation” to counter Israeli troops in southern Gaza. These tactics have allegedly allowed the group to evade Israeli intelligence and prevention operations throughout the conflict.

Israeli forces have reportedly been grappling with exhaustion and psychological strain, further complicating their operations.

The Israeli army has expressed satisfaction with a recent operation conducted by Palestinian Authority (PA) forces in the Jenin refugee camp, according to the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA). The operation, said to have been carried out under Israeli military oversight, involved approximately 300 armed PA personnel.

Israel's Central Command has advised strengthening the PA’s security apparatus and increasing coordination with it.

Following this recommendation, the Israeli security cabinet directed the army to bolster collaboration with PA forces.

Abdul Malik al-Houthi, leader of Yemen’s Houthi movement, has announced plans to intensify actions against Israel, describing the situation as an active war, according to the Yemeni news agency Saba.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told MSNBC that the United States is intensifying efforts to finalise a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. 

Blinken expressed optimism, claiming that Hamas is under mounting pressure to engage in negotiations. "We are encouraged about prospects for a truce," he said, emphasising the urgency of bringing a halt to the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

However, Blinken strongly rejected the idea of an Israeli occupation of Gaza, calling it counterproductive and detrimental to Israel's interests.

"The alternative to a deal," he said, "is an enduring Israeli occupation of Gaza, which we reject. And we reject it, among other reasons, because it's profoundly not in Israel's interest." He warned that Hamas militants "have the capacity to make life a living hell for any occupying force in Gaza."

The Israeli army reported intercepting a suspicious aerial target over the Mediterranean Sea, believed to be a drone launched from Yemen, the Israeli paper Haaretz reported.

Military officials stated the interception occurred before the target entered Israeli airspace, preventing any need for public alerts.

Haaretz reports that Israel's army is considering supplying military equipment to Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces as part of efforts to bolster coordination.

The move reportedly follows directives from Israel's security cabinet, aimed at reinforcing intelligence-sharing and supporting the PA in confronting militant groups.

The plan signals an attempt to stabilise areas under PA control while maintaining Israeli dominance over the region’s security framework.

Critics argue such measures often serve Israel’s interests more than those of Palestinians, with the PA’s security apparatus frequently accused of prioritising collaboration with Israeli forces over the welfare of its own people. Observers question whether these initiatives genuinely promote peace or further entrench occupation dynamics.

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 10 Palestinians at two shelters housing displaced families and wounded several other people in eastern Gaza city, medics told Reuters on Thursday.

Their bodies lay together, inseparable: “One piece, one shroud, one grave … two little angels, burned to death."

This is how my dear friend, English professor Abeer Barakat, described the tragic loss of her seven-year-old niece, Dania, and four-year-old nephew, Yahya. 

Abeer, who taught at what was once the University College of Applied Sciences in Gaza, struggled to find words to convey the gravity of Israel’s “heinous crime”, which killed her youngest brother, Tareq, along with his wife and their two small children. 

The family was burned alive in a tent in Gaza’s al-Zawayda village after Israel shelled the area early last month. A missile hit their tent directly, leaving no chance of survival.

The haunting scene of Tareq’s 69-year-old aunt, Naimiya, arriving at the ambulance to identify Tareq’s charred body should forever weigh on the world’s conscience. 

READ MORE: How Israel turned Gaza's 'safe zones' into graveyards, opinion by Ghada Ageel

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday that Israel's strikes on Syrian military infrastructure were "violations" of the country's sovereignty and called for them to cease.

"Extensive Israeli air strikes continue. These are violations of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and they must stop," he said ahead of a UN Security Council meeting chaired by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Yemen's Houthis on Thursday that they "will pay a heavy price" after Israel launched strikes in Yemen in response to a missile attack from the armed group.

"After Hamas, Hezbollah, and the [Bashar al-] Assad regime in Syria, the Houthis are almost the last remaining arm of Iran's axis of evil," Netanyahu said in a statement. "The Houthis are learning and will learn the hard way, that those who strike Israel will pay a very heavy price for it."

Reporting by AFP

Israeli forces have killed at least four Palestinians after bombing a vehicle in Tulkarm, occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Three others were seriously wounded.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has accused Israel of "ethnic cleansing" in the Gaza Strip in a report documenting Israel's war on Gaza published on Thursday.

The report documents 41 attacks on MSF staff, including air strikes on health facilities and direct fire on humanitarian convoys. The NGO said it was forced to evacuate hospitals and health centres on 17 occasions.

"We are seeing clear signs of ethnic cleansing as Palestinians are forcibly displaced, trapped and bombed," said Christopher Lockyear, MSF's secretary general.

MSF's report, entitled "Gaza: Life in a Death Trap", said the siege of the Palestinian territory has drastically reduced humanitarian aid, with only 37 trucks authorised daily in October 2024, compared with 500 before the war.

🔴 Repeated military attacks on Palestinian civilians
🔴 Dismantling of healthcare system
🔴 Suffocating siege
🔴 Denial of aid

Israel has been destroying the conditions of life in Gaza over the past 14 months. More in our latest report: https://t.co/4E4DCu2zKj

— MSF International (@MSF) December 19, 2024