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

The Israeli army has reiterated orders preventing residents of more than 60 villages in southern Lebanon from returning to their homes.

In a statement posted on X, Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee warned residents to stay away: "The [Israeli military] does not intend to target you and, therefore, at this stage, you are prohibited from returning to your homes from this line south until further notice. Anyone who moves south of this line exposes himself to danger."

The prohibition comes amid ongoing Israeli violations of a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, in effect since September 23. In one such breach, Israeli forces recently attacked the town of Khiam, killing seven people.

The Israeli military has announced the deaths of two soldiers during clashes in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday.

Two others from the Nahal Brigade’s reconnaissance unit sustained serious injuries during the same engagement.

According to military figures, the total number of Israeli soldiers killed since 7 October, 2023, has risen to at least 884.

The Palestinian Red Crescent has reported retrieving the body of an 18-year-old killed in an Israeli airstrike on the town of Tammun in the occupied West Bank.

Medical teams attempting to access the site have been blocked by Israeli forces, with unconfirmed reports of additional casualties in the area.

Meanwhile, in Talouza, near Nablus, a 40-year-old Palestinian man was fatally shot by Israeli soldiers, further intensifying violence in the occupied West Bank.

Palestinian villagers in the occupied West Bank endured a night of terror as Israeli settlers attacked homes and vehicles, reportedly in revenge for a shooting near the illegal Kedumim settlement that left three dead.

Palestinian human rights activist Ihab Hassan described the violence as “a horrific night in the West Bank,” highlighting that attacks occurred across several villages, including Fara’ata, Amatin, Hajjah, Turmus Aya, Kafr Qaddum, and Funduq.

The assaults, marked by arson and vandalism, have further escalated tensions in the West Bank.

🚨A horrific night in the West Bank:

Israeli settler terrorists set Palestinian homes on fire in the village of Turmusaya, near Ramallah. This is part of a planned pogrom sweeping across the West Bank, fueled and backed by the Israeli government. pic.twitter.com/0bA3Fup9kP

— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) January 6, 2025

Good morning, Middle East Eye readers,

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

• Israeli airstrikes on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza killed two Palestinians, pushing Monday’s death toll in the Strip to at least 28.

• In the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces bombed the town of Tammun, killing one person during a manhunt for suspects linked to a shooting that killed three Israelis near the illegal Kedumim settlement.

• Tom Fletcher, the UN relief chief, warned that humanitarian efforts in Gaza have reached a "breaking point," citing an Israeli gun attack on a clearly marked WFP convoy on Sunday as part of a wider assault on aid workers.

• Palestinian homes and vehicles in at least six villages were torched by Israeli settlers overnight in what activists described as "retaliatory terror" following the Kedumim attack.

• The Palestinian Authority's security forces also intensified their crackdown, raiding the town of Attil and killing three resistance fighters, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.

• Israel’s military is facing fresh criticism from rights groups for withholding information on Dr Hussam Abu Safia, the detained director of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, and denying his legal team access.

Good evening Middle East Eye readers. On Monday, several Israeli citizens were killed in an attack that took place in the occupied West Bank. The attackers targeted a bus and two cars near the village of al-Funduq, east of Qalqilya, where settlers often transit through to the illegal settlements of Kedumim, Shavei Shomron, and others.

In response to the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he approved a "series of additional offensive and defensive actions" in the West Bank.

Also in retaliation, groups of Israeli settlers began launching attacks on Palestinians. One such attack burned the facilities of a Palestinian farmer north of Ramallah, and another attack was launched on the village of Hajjah, near where the initial attack on the Israelis.

Meanwhile in Doha, negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza continue to slowly progress. Hamas on Monday said it approved a list of 34 Israeli captives that could be released in a possible ceasefire agreement with Israel.

Here's what else you need to know about today's developments in the Israeli war on Gaza and the regional developments linked to the conflict:

• Israel's military confirmed two of its soldiers were killed in same battle in northern Gaza.

• Israel's attacks on Gaza on Monday killed more than a dozen Palestinians, with one air strike hitting the Bureij refugee camp and killing at least four.

• Yahya Saree, a spokesperson for the Houthi's armed forces, said in a statement on Monday that the Yemeni group, known officially as Ansar Allah, launched a “specific and joint military operation targeting the American aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman using two winged missiles and four drones”.

• Saree also said that Ansar Allah launched three attacks on Israel.

• In a news conference in Lebanon, US envoy Amos Hochstein said the Israeli withdrawals from western Lebanon would continue until the Israeli army was completely out of the country.

• Several homes have been set on fire following a Palestinian Authority (PA) raid in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin, with video footage showing plumes of smoke rising over the area.

After confirming the death of one soldier on Monday, Israel's military said a second was killed during the same battle in northern Gaza.

This Israeli soldier was also a part of the same Nahal Brigades, and was killed in northern Gaza.

The confirmation comes after Israel's military said two soldiers were "seriously wounded" in the same part of Gaza and were transferred to hospital.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported on Monday that Israeli authorities seized 262 dunums (262,000 square metres) of Palestinian land northeast of occupied Jerusalem.

The report said that Israel was taking the land for a route that aimed to provide more links with the Qalandiya Airport.

Since Israel's war on Gaza, Israeli authorities and settlers have increased their attacks on Palestinians and illegal seizures of Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank.

The Israeli military on Monday said a soldier from its Nahal Brigade was killed in battle in northern Gaza.

The announcement from Israel comes after its military said that two additional soldiers serving in this brigade were “seriously injured” in fighting in the north of the Strip.

Israel's military killed at least four Palestinians in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza on Monday evening.

The attack also wounded another 13 people, with children among both the dead and wounded.

The strike hit the home of the Abdul Hadi family.

Yahya Saree, a spokesperson for the Houthi's armed forces, said in a statement on Monday that the Yemeni group launched a “specific and joint military operation targeting the American aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman using two winged missiles and four drones”.

Saree said the operation took place north of the Red Sea while the US military was preparing to launch a major attack against Yemen.

Saree also said the armed forces carried out three military operations on Monday afternoon, with two targeting areas around Tel Aviv and the third targeting an area in Ashkelon.

US envoy Amos Hochstein said on Monday he was happy to see the Israeli army withdraw from western Lebanon.

In a news conference in Lebanon, where Hochstein met with top Lebanese officials, the Biden official said the Israeli withdrawals would continue until the Israeli army was fully out of the country.

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire deal in November 2024, but since then Hezbollah has accused Israel of violating the ceasefire dozens of times with air strikes and attacks inside Lebanon. Israel, meanwhile, has accused Hezbollah of violating the terms it had agreed to.

Reporting by Reuters

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an assessment with top security officials about a shooting that took place in al-Funduq on Monday, the prime minister's office said in a statement posted on X.

“The prime minister approved the operations to apprehend the terrorists and bring them to justice, as well as a series of additional offensive and defensive actions in Judea and Samaria,” the office said.

The office didn't provide further details.

A shooting in the occupied West Bank on Monday morning killed three Israelis and wounded eight others, with one of the injured in critical condition.

Attackers targeted a bus and two cars near the village of al-Funduq, east of Qalqilya, where settlers often transit through to the illegal Israeli settlements of Kedumim, Shavei Shomron, and others.

Israeli officials said two Palestinians were responsible for the shooting, with the fate of the attackers unknown.

According to Israel's emergency services, Magen David Adom, a bus driver, was left seriously wounded while two other Israelis were in moderate condition, and five more had mild injuries.

The UN's World Food Programme condemned Israel's attack on its convoy in Gaza on 5 January, describing the attack as "horrifying".

Israeli forces struck the agency's convoy, consisting of three vehicles and eight staff members, with 16 bullets near the Wadi Gaza checkpoint. The attack caused no injuries.

The WFP said the convoy was clearly marked and had received prior security clearances from Israeli authorities.

Several homes have been set on fire following a Palestinian Authority (PA) raid in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin, with video footage showing plumes of smoke rising over the area.

The PA said it is cracking down on the Jenin Brigades armed faction.