Live: At least 74 children killed in Gaza in first week of 2025
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The health ministry in Gaza said on Friday that 77 people were killed in the past 24 hours, taking the overall death toll of the war to 45,658.
The ministry also said in a statement that at least 108,583 people had been wounded in Israel's war on Gaza since 7 October.
As a writer, my words often spill onto the page like a flood of emotions, capturing the nuances of life, love and loss. But in this moment of reflection, I find myself grappling with a profound sense of displacement - now an inseparable part of my identity, as it is for all Palestinians who have been pushed from their homes in northern Gaza and expelled to the south.
My roots are in northern Gaza. I grew up in al-Rimal neighbourhood in the heart of Gaza City, where the vibrancy and beauty of life once enveloped me.
Laughter used to echo through the crowded streets as students headed to their schools and universities, and calls to prayer filled the skies of Gaza. Warm greetings exchanged with neighbours formed the fabric of my daily life.
I deeply miss my neighbourhood, where the scent of freshly baked bread and pastries wafted from local bakeries, and the delicious aromas of falafel, hummus and kunafa filled the air from nearby shops. Along with the fragrant notes of coffee, nuts and spices, and the tangy aromas of pickles, olives and red peppers, this created a delightful atmosphere.
I remember the stunning dresses displayed in shop windows. At night, the streets were mesmerising and magical, illuminated by bright lights.
Read more: War on Gaza: Our memories of home will never die Opinion by Huda Skaik
At least two people were killed in Deir al-Balah neighbourhood, located in the north of central Gaza, as an Israeli drone fired a missile at a vehicle in the area of az-Zawada, Al Jazeera reports.
It has been reported that victims are being taken to Nasser hospital with the death toll expected to rise.
In a separate incident, at least 10 people have been critically injured in a drone attack that targeted Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, also in northern Gaza.
The head of the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa), Philippe Lazzarini, has warned of the consequences of Israel’s planned ban on the agency’s activities in occupied Palestine.
He was referring to a bill due to be issued by the Israeli cabinet in four weeks that aims to prohibit Unrwa’s work in the country.
In a post on X, he said the bill is "part of broader efforts to erase Palestinian history and identity."
He added: "UNRWA can be replaced only through a functioning Palestinian state, which would address the plight of Palestine refugees. That can be reached through political will and diplomacy. It’s time to switch gears, set the priorities and work towards peace.”
Lazzarini also listed some of the work done by Unrwa since the war began in Gaza on 7 October.
The Israeli army said two rockets were fired from northern Gaza towards Sderot in the Israeli south.
One of the rockets fell near the Nir Am kibbutz, while the other hit an open area.
No casualties were reported.
Earlier, Israeli media outlets have reported that it intercepted a rocket that was fired from central Gaza targeting a helicopter.
The Israeli army issued forced evacuation orders for Palestinians in Bureij area afterwards.
The Israeli army has issued a forced evacuation order for Palestinians in the Bureij neighbourhood, following a rocket which it said was fired from central Gaza.
“Terrorist organisations are once again firing rockets from this area that has been warned several times in the past. For your own safety, move immediately to the humanitarian zone,” the Israeli army’s Arabic language spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted on X.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested that his ongoing criminal trial testimonies, which are due over the next two weeks, be cancelled after his recent surgery.
On Thursday, Netanyahu was released from hospital following a prostate surgery he underwent on Sunday.
His request has been approved by the court, according to Israeli media outlets.
The Israeli prosecution said it did not decline his request with the condition that he complies with medical instructions.
He has testified for six days so far, since the start of the testimony on 10 December.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reaffirmed Turkey's commitment to pursuing a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, emphasising the need to halt Israel's violence against the Palestinians.
The Israeli army announced that two rockets were launched from the northern Gaza Strip. One reportedly landed near Kibbutz Nir Am, while the other struck an open area.
Israeli forces killed Palestinian journalist Omar al-Dirawi along with his parents in a strike on their home in central Gaza on Friday.
Dirawi, who worked for various media outlets, is the 202nd journalist to have been killed by the Israeli army in Gaza since the start of the war in October 2023, according to Gaza’s government media office.
“The Government Media Office condemns in the strongest terms the targeting, killing, and assassination of Palestinian journalists by the Israeli occupation, and we call on the International Federation of Journalists, the Federation of Arab Journalists, and all journalistic bodies in all countries of the world to condemn these systematic crimes against Palestinian journalists and media professionals in the Gaza Strip,” the office said in a statement.
It called on the international community to prosecute Israel in international courts for its crimes.
Dirawi and his family were mourned by colleagues and loved ones. His press vest put over the shroud covering his body.
Read more: Israeli strike kills Palestinian journalist alongside his parents in central Gaza
Hamas has issued a statement urging global support for Palestinians amid the ongoing Israeli genocide.
Hamas called on the international community, the World Health Organization and the Red Cross to intervene immediately to halt Israel’s assault on what remains of Gaza’s healthcare system.
The group also appealed to “free peoples” worldwide to stand in solidarity with Palestinians and intensify pressure on Israel to end its ongoing crimes, which it said are being carried out with American support.
In its statement, Hamas condemned the attack on the Indonesian Hospital, describing it as part of a broader plan of genocide and forced displacement targeting Palestinians in Gaza.
A Gaza Civil Defence spokesman revealed to Al Jazeera Arabic the dire situation in the northern Gaza Strip, where Israeli aggression has reduced the population from 200,000 to a mere 10,000.
The spokesman described the conditions at the Indonesian Hospital as desperate, with 20 people enduring severe hardship amidst constant threats from Israeli forces. He accused the occupation of executing a military blueprint aimed at crushing northern Gaza's infrastructure and population called the "General’s Plan"
He said Israel's stranglehold on Gaza’s health and civil defence systems had caused the humanitarian situation to deteriorate rapidly.
Israeli forces have ordered the immediate forced expulsion of everyone inside the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, Al Jazeera is reporting.
The hospital, housing mostly women and children, remains under fire, with heavy shelling reported in its vicinity.
Many of those inside are critically wounded and unable to move, leaving them trapped as violence intensifies.
The move to forcibly evacuate the hospital comes amid a wider expansion of Israeli military operations in northern Gaza, including attacks on nearby medical facilities.
An Israeli air strike near the entrance of al-Shifa Hospital in western Gaza City claimed the lives of five Palestinians and left several others wounded, reported Al Jazeera Arabic.
The attack targeted civilians seeking refuge at the hospital gate amidst the ongoing bombardment.
The humanitarian sector has always had its issues in Palestine, but the way it has been operating since the genocide in Gaza began is more troubling than ever.
After signing the Oslo Accords in 1993, and under the guise of "state-building", international donors and major NGOs arrived with pre-packaged liberal agendas, throwing around terms like “empowerment”, “development”, and “statehood”.
On the surface, they came to help. In reality, their presence served other purposes, ones far removed from supporting Palestinian liberation.
These organisations, whether intentionally or not, have actively depoliticised the Palestinian struggle, fragmented grassroots movements and enforced a dependency on international aid that prioritises foreign policy interests over the needs of the people.
By framing and packaging the issue as one of “development” or “humanitarian aid”, NGOs shifted the focus from addressing the structural violence of Israeli occupation to solving technical problems. The Palestinian struggle for freedom was reduced to issues like “capacity building”, completely stripped of its political essence.
