Live: At least 74 children killed in Gaza in first week of 2025

Israeli occupation forces launched a series of raids across the occupied West Bank, targeting areas such as Nablus and the Shuafat camp in Jerusalem, Palestinian media have reported.

During the assault, several Palestinian citizens were abducted, and homes in the Shuafat camp, north of Jerusalem, were destroyed.

Witnesses reported that Israeli forces, accompanied by a bulldozer, stormed the Salam suburb northeast of the city, leaving a trail of devastation in their wake.

The Palestinian Meteorological Department has predicted additional rainfall and thunderstorms throughout Gaza today, with temperatures forecasted to stay cold to very cold, according to the Wafa news agency.

Overnight, torrential rains caused severe flooding in central and southern parts of the territory, compounding the hardships faced by residents already enduring the aftermath of relentless Israeli attacks.

Wafa, referencing the Meteorological Department, reported that conditions are expected to improve by Wednesday, as clouds begin to clear. However, the damage from the downpour has further highlighted Gaza's fragile infrastructure, worsened by years of Israeli blockades and destruction.

Palestinian media reports reveal that over 180 children born during Israel's war on Gaza, which began on 7 October 2023, have been killed amid relentless Israeli bombardment.

Tragically, the total number of infants who lost their lives before reaching their first birthday has now exceeded 800, according to the same sources.

These harrowing figures underscore the catastrophic impact of Israel’s military campaign on Gaza’s most vulnerable, with children bearing the brunt of the violence. More than 17,000 children have been killed by Israel in Gaza. 

The Gaza Municipality has issued a stark warning of an impending health and environmental disaster following an Israeli airstrike on a vital sewage pumping station in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighbourhood.

The bombing severely damaged the facility, causing untreated sewage to flood the streets and raising fears of widespread contamination and disease.

Municipal officials have expressed alarm over the growing threat to public health, blaming Israel’s relentless assault for pushing Gaza’s already fragile infrastructure to the brink of collapse.

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reports that the Israeli rehabilitation department is managing approximately 1,000 new cases each month of individuals “wounded from the war.”

Since October 7, 2023, more than 13,500 Israelis have been treated for injuries, with the broadcaster sharing these figures on social media. 

According to the report, 51 per cent of those injured are under 30, while 43 per cent are grappling with “psychological reactions,” underscoring the mental toll of the ongoing violence.

Despite the focus on these statistics, there is a conspicuous lack of acknowledgement of the far more severe humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza, where Palestinians continue to bear the brunt of relentless Israeli attacks.

Good morning, Middle East Eye readers, 

Here are some of the latest updates from Israel's war on Gaza:

• Torrential rain and thunderstorms are wreaking havoc in Gaza, flooding shelters in Deir el-Balah and Khan Younis, compounding the plight of displaced Palestinians

• Israeli airstrikes hit a sewage pumping station in Gaza City, with local officials warning of severe health and environmental risks in the northern region

• The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor urged the UN to act urgently after Palestinian authorities reported the deaths of five more detainees from Gaza in Israeli custody

• Global doctors are rallying on social media under #FreeDrHussamAbuSafiya, demanding Israel release the detained director of Kamal Adwan Hospital

• A senior UN official cautioned the Security Council about the “dangerous escalation” in the Middle East, highlighting continued hostilities between Israel and Yemen's Houthis

• The Houthis called on the Security Council to denounce US-Israeli "terrorism," insisting that respecting international law requires enforcing resolutions on Palestine