Live: Palestinian death toll in Gaza nears 26,000

Qatar on Wednesday said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was obstructing mediation efforts in the Gaza war, after a leaked recording allegedly captured him calling the Gulf state "problematic".

"We are appalled by the alleged remarks attributed to the Israeli Prime Minister in various media reports about Qatar's mediation role," Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson, Majed Al Ansari, said on social media platform X.

"If the reported remarks are found to be true, the Israeli PM would only be obstructing and undermining the mediation process, for reasons that appear to serve his political career, instead of prioritizing saving innocent lives, including Israeli hostages," he wrote.

Netanyahu called Qatar "problematic" in a leaked recording from a meeting with hostage families that aired on Israel's Channel 12 news on Tuesday.

"You haven't seen me thank Qatar, have you noticed? I haven't thanked Qatar. Why? Because Qatar, to me, is no different in essence from the UN, from the Red Cross, and in a way it's even more problematic. However, I'm willing to use any mediator now who can help me bring them [the hostages] home."

Asked to comment on Qatar's statement and whether the leaked recording was authentic, an Israeli government spokesperson said Israel "cannot go into details regarding the efforts and steps taken to release the hostages".

Good morning readers of Middle East Eye,

We are on day 111 of the Israeli war on Gaza and the Palestinian death toll in the besieged strip stands at 25,700, the vast majority women and children.

In its latest update the Palestinian Health Ministry has said that  at least 63,740 have been wounded in attacks by the Israeli military.

More than 8,000 missing who are believed to be dead and buried under rubble. 

Here are the major developments from the last few hours: 

• The UN humanitarian agency OCHA reports that “no one can enter or exit” Nasser Hospital due to bombardments nearby, including 400 dialysis patients who are in “need of support”
• A reported Israeli tank fire that killed at least nine people at a UN shelter in Khan Younis, and wounded dozens, has sparked international outrage
• Four children were killed when Israeli warplanes bombed a residential area in the Nuseirat refugee camp, the Palestinian news agency Wafa report
• The International Court of Justice will deliver its response to South Africa’s request for emergency measures to protect Palestinians from “irreparable harm” on Friday, part of its case against Israel for allegedly committing genocide in Gaza
   

Good evening readers of Middle East Eye,

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said on Wednesday that at least 25,700 people have now been killed in the besieged Palestinian territory since the war began on 7 October.

At least 210 people were killed over the past 24 hours, and nearly 400 others were wounded.

At least six Palestinians have been killed and 11 others wounded in Israeli bombing which targeted various areas in Khan Younis, Al Jazeera reported.

Israeli forces attacked the Jabalia neighbourhood in Gaza on Wednesday, killing at least 14 people, according to Al Jazeera Arabic. 

In other developments:

• On Friday, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will decide whether to implement provisional measures against Israel, in response to South Africa’s allegations that Israel’s military actions in Gaza constitute state-led genocide.
• Italy is set to provide hospital treatment to 100 Palestinian children from Gaza, with plans to transport them by air and sea in an operation in the next few days, announced Defence Minister Guido Crosetto.
• British Foreign Minister David Cameron visited Israel on Wednesday to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to Haaretz. 
• The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday that seven out of 24 hospitals are “partially functioning” in northern Gaza and suffering a shortage of personnel and supplies.
• The Israeli occupation has deprived more than 625,000 students in the Gaza Strip of education, said the Palestinian Ministry of Education. 
• New York City public schools are expanding training on antisemitism and Islamophobia to middle and high schools as a result of tensions over the war in Gaza.

US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, along with other representatives, sent a letter Wednesday to President Biden and the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), calling for an evaluation of the State Department’s adherence to the Leahy Laws and Biden’s Conventional Arms Transfer policy in relation to security aid provided to the Israeli government.

At a press conference on 5 January, a National Security Council spokesperson said that the US government has yet to undertake an official assessment of Israel’s adherence to international law since the onset of the Gaza war.

In response, several representatives of Congress are urging Biden and the GAO to perform their necessary oversight roles to confirm compliance with legal standards in US arms transfers.

“If human rights for all people is a principle that this administration would claim to uphold internationally, then you must conduct assessments as to the State Department’s compliance with both of the Leahy Laws and your own Conventional Arms Transfer policy as it pertains to security assistance to Israel. We demand you immediately take the aforementioned steps to enforce these policies without delay,” the letter said.

On Wednesday, Yemen's Houthi group said they launched ballistic missiles at several US warships in the Gulf of Aden and Bab el-Mandeb area, which were reportedly safeguarding two American commercial ships.

The "clash" led to a US warship being directly hit and forced the two commercial vessels "to withdraw and return", Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement.

Deputy State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel expressed the United States' concern over Israel's strike on a UN training centre in Gaza's Khan Younis, which was sheltering displaced people on Wednesday.

"We deplore today's attack on the UN's Khan Younis training centre," Patel told a news briefing, calling it "incredibly concerning."

"Civilians must be protected, and the protected nature of UN facilities must be respected, and humanitarian workers must be protected so that they can continue providing civilians with the life-saving humanitarian assistance that they need," Patel said.

The Unrwa director in Gaza had said that an incident involving two Israeli tank rounds striking a building sheltering about 800 people in the southern Gaza Strip resulted in the death of nine Palestinians and injuries to 75 others.

On Friday, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will decide whether to implement provisional measures against Israel, in response to South Africa’s allegations that Israel’s military actions in Gaza constitute state-led genocide.

On Wednesday, the United Nations’ highest court announced that its 17-member judge panel will deliver its verdict in court on 26 January at 1200 GMT.

White House spokesperson John Kirby said on Wednesday that initial assessments suggest the US strikes on Houthi targets were successful.

Early on Wednesday, the US military executed additional strikes in Yemen, successfully targeting and dismantling two Houthi anti-ship missiles poised for launch towards the Red Sea, a statement from the US military said.

Italy is set to provide hospital treatment to 100 Palestinian children from Gaza, with plans to transport them by air and sea in an operation in the next few days, announced Defence Minister Guido Crosetto on Wednesday.

According to Crosetto, the first 30 children will fly from Egypt, where they sought refuge and medical assistance after escaping the Israeli bombardment of Gaza.

Additionally, 30 children along with their families are expected to arrive in Italy at the end of January on the military ship Vulcano, departing from the Egyptian port of al-Arish.

Crosetto did not specify the timing or mode of transport for the remaining 40 children.

The Israeli military and intelligence are relying almost exclusively on the Palestinian Ministry of Health for figures and death tolls, two Israeli sources have revealed, according to reports. 

According to one of the sources, a comprehensive investigation was conducted during the war, and revealed that the numbers published by the ministry are “on the whole reliable” when it came to death tolls and previous operations. 

The two sources also said that the Israeli army does not have its own reliable source when it comes to the number of Palestinian civilians killed. 

The comments come after US President Joe Biden questioned the death toll given by the ministry in October. 

In response, the ministry released the names of 7,028 people killed by Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip. 

The 210-page report detailed the names, ages, genders and ID numbers of every person killed in the enclave. 
 

Hamas has condemned the re-arrest of a 17-year-old Palestinian who was originally freed in a swap deal in November 2023. 

Hamas called on mediators of the November deal to interfere and pressure Israel to “live up to what was agreed upon”.

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society called the arrest a “blatant violation” of the terms of the swap agreement and a “dangerous” indicator that Israel is willing to re-detain freed prisoners.

The teenager has been identified as Youssef al-Khatib. 

Aid deliveries to Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing have been blocked for over five hours due to an Israeli protest, according to Haaretz. 

The organisation Mothers of Combat Soldiers has blocked the crossing and is demanding that any aid that enters Gaza is on the condition that captives are returned and the “disarmament of Hamas”.
 

At least 16 leading international humanitarian organisations, including Oxfam, Save the Children, Amnesty International and the American Friends Service Committee, have issued a joint call for all UN member states to halt arms transfers to Israel and Palestinian armed groups.

On Wednesday, the organisations said: "We demand an immediate ceasefire and call on all states to halt the transfer of weapons that can be used to commit violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. 

"All states have the obligation to prevent atrocity crimes and promote adherence to norms that protect civilians. The international community is long overdue to live up to these commitments," they added.
 

Palestinians in Gaza have been forced to resort to eating barley and animal fodder in their bread, amid shortages caused by Israel’s bombing and cutting off of supplies. 

The UN has previously warned about starvation in Gaza as Israel has continued to obstruct vital aid from entering the Strip. 

One man said that there is a “true famine” in north Gaza. 
 

Israeli forces attacked the Jabalia neighbourhood in Gaza on Wednesday, killing at least 14 people, according to Al Jazeera Arabic. 

The air strikes targeted the al-Zamil family home, causing widespread destruction.