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

Footage verified by Al Jazeera’s Sanad agency reveals the moment Israeli special forces infiltrated the Balata refugee camp using an ambulance on 19 December, resulting in the deaths of two Palestinians, including a woman.

The operation has drawn widespread condemnation, with critics highlighting the troubling tactics employed by Israeli forces.

Nicola Perugini, an international relations professor at the University of Edinburgh, pointed out the hypocrisy of the move, noting that Israel’s military continues to accuse Hamas of using medical facilities for military purposes in Gaza - a claim that remains largely unsubstantiated.

Perugini took to social media to express his outrage, stating, "The Israeli army hiding in an ambulance to carry out an operation in Balata refugee camp, Nablus. The same army that destroyed Gaza’s hospitals based on the fabricated accusation that they are a network of military command centres."

UN Special Rapporteur for Palestine, Francesca Albanese, also condemned the Israeli actions, labelling the use of ambulances for military operations as a clear violation of international law.

"Misusing the protected status of medical vehicles and personnel is a flagrant violation of the Geneva Conventions and may constitute a crime of perfidy," she wrote on X. "By systemically disregarding IHL, Israel has rendered the legal frameworks meant to protect civilians completely meaningless."

This latest raid highlights Israel's ongoing use of controversial and aggressive tactics, further inflaming tensions in the region and prompting calls for accountability.

Three individuals have been killed in a shooting attack on a bus in the northern occupied West Bank, according to Reuters.

The shooting happened near the Kedumim Israeli settlement in the northern West Bank. 

Two children were killed in an Israeli drone attack on the town of Al-Shawka, east of Rafah, as reported by Al Jazeera Arabic.

Israeli media has reported that six individuals were injured, including two critically, in a shooting attack near the Kedumim settlement in the northern West Bank. The assailant opened fire from a vehicle, targeting both a bus and a car, before fleeing the scene.

The Israeli army confirmed it had received reports about the incident. 

Israeli forces killed 14 Palestinians in overnight attacks across Gaza, with dozens more wounded. The Wafa news agency provided a detailed breakdown of the casualties:

• Barakat family tragedy: Four members of the Barakat family were killed when their home near the Sheikh Radwan pond in northern Gaza City was targeted.
• Drone strike near mosque: A woman and a child were killed in a drone attack on a residential building next to the Great Omari Mosque.
• Casualty in Jabalia: One person was killed in an attack on Jabalia.
• Twins killed: Twin siblings lost their lives in northern Gaza.
• Doctor targeted: Dr Tharabat Salim, a volunteer at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, was killed in a strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp.
• Farmers attacked: Two farmers were killed in the Musbah area of Rafah.
• Further deaths in Rafah: Another attack in Rafah claimed the lives of two more individuals.

The strikes have drawn widespread condemnation, with critics accusing Israel of indiscriminate attacks on civilians and vital infrastructure. Calls for an immediate ceasefire and accountability continue to grow.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza has sounded the alarm over a dire health crisis in the northern part of the Strip, describing the situation as "catastrophic," Al Jazeera Arabic reported.

Officials report that essential medical supplies are nearly depleted, with only minimal aid reaching the area despite the desperate need.

Efforts are underway to involve international organisations in an attempt to reopen the Indonesian Hospital, a critical facility in northern Gaza. However, the lack of resources and the ongoing Israeli blockade have hampered progress.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has signalled Washington’s urgent push to finalise a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. Speaking to reporters in South Korea, Blinken emphasised the Biden administration’s desire to "bring this over the finish line in the next two weeks, the time we have remaining."

Israel reportedly plans to occupy certain locations across the northern border in Lebanon indefinitely, sparking fresh controversy over its territorial ambitions.

Channel 13 revealed that during a meeting led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's political leadership expressed its intention to remain in areas of southern Lebanon.

Israeli forces carried out a series of pre-dawn raids in the occupied West Bank, abducting ten Palestinians, according to reports from the Wafa news agency.

The operations have drawn sharp criticism for their heavy-handed tactics, which included property damage and the use of live ammunition.

In Nablus, soldiers detained Louay al-Sarawi after storming several homes and leaving them "ransacked." In the town of al-Yamoun, west of Jenin, three men were taken into custody during a separate raid.

The most intense operation occurred in Qalqilya, where six Palestinians were arrested. Witnesses reported that Israeli troops used sound bombs and live fire while snipers positioned themselves on rooftops, creating a scene of fear and chaos.

Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine, has praised a Brazilian court's decision to investigate an Israeli soldier accused of crimes in Gaza, describing the move as a much-needed step towards justice.

Her comments, made on X, came after the Belgium-based Hind Rajab Foundation announced that the court had acted on its complaint against Israeli soldier Yuval Vagdani, ordering police to open an investigation.

Israeli media later reported that Vagdani had fled Brazil, apparently to evade legal proceedings. Albanese criticised Israel’s attempts to shield its military personnel, accusing the country of trying to avoid setting a dangerous precedent.

She wrote, "Apartheid Israel will go to great lengths to shield its soldiers since a conviction abroad for crimes against Palestinians is a precedent it cannot afford. Yet, justice is unstoppable."

The case has highlighted ongoing calls for international accountability for Israel’s actions in Palestine, with rights groups urging further legal measures against alleged war crimes.

Good morning, Middle East Eye readers,

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

• Ongoing strikes: Israeli airstrikes on Gaza persist with devastating consequences. Palestinian media report six more fatalities in northern Gaza City, including women and children.
• Hamas captive list: Hamas has shared with Reuters a list of 34 captives it says will be freed as part of a truce deal's first phase. This comes after Benjamin Netanyahu's office denied receiving confirmation of such an agreement
• Humanitarian concerns: A Hamas official revealed to AFP that the captives include women, children, the elderly, and the ill. However, the group says it requires a week-long pause in hostilities to verify who amongst the captives is alive or dead
• Hospital under fire: Relief International has condemned Israel's targeting of al-Awda Hospital in Jabalia. Staff and patients remain trapped, fearing for their lives, as they await safe evacuation to Gaza City
• Violations beyond Gaza: In Lebanon, Israeli forces bombed the town of Taybeh in the Marjayoun district. This attack breaches a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, signed in November

Good evening Middle East Eye readers,

On Sunday, Israel continued to attack the Gaza Strip with at least 23 people were killed by Israeli strikes across the enclave, rescuers told the AFP. 

In the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Authority continued its crackdown on Al Jazeera. The PA  informed news and radio companies not to broadcast or transmit any websites or satellite channels of Al Jazeera, according to a letter sent to Palestinian media companies and viewed by Middle East Eye. 

Hamas has approved a list of 34 hostages presented by Israel to be exchanged in a possible ceasefire deal, Reuters also reported, citing a Hamas official. 

Here's what else you need to know about Saturday's developments in Israel's war on Gaza:

• At least two people were killed by Israel's raid on Nablus
• The Jerusalem Post reported that Israel does not plan to withdraw from southern Lebanon at the end of a 60 day truce, with an official saying that the Lebanese Army is not ready to fully deploy to the border
• Israeli security agencies and ministries are preparing to assist soldiers and reservists facing potential arrest when they travel abroad for participating in alleged war crimes in Gaza, Haaretz reported

Israeli news site The Jerusalem Post has reported that Israel does not plan to withdraw from southern Lebanon at the end of a 60 day truce, with an official saying that the Lebanese Army is not ready to fully deploy to the border.  

Israeli and Lebanese media have reported that US presidential envoy Amos Hochstein is set to travel to Beirut on Monday. 

Seperately, Axios journalist Barak Ravid said Hochstein met Saudi Arabia's foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan in Riyadh to discuss the election of a Lebanese President. 

At least two people were killed by Israel's raid on Nablus on Sunday. 

The Israeli military said its forces killed a Palestinian fighter in the occupied West Bank city, where they dismantled an explosives manufacturing laboratory.

The Palestinian Health Ministry earlier said that a 17 year-old boy was also killed in the attack. 

A teenage boy was killed by Israeli troops in Nablus in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry  announced on Sunday.

The 17-year-old boy was killed by Israeli forces in the Askar Refugee Camp near Nablus.

Israeli troops had stormed Nablus and nearby areas on Sunday.