Live: Israeli forces withdraw from Netzarim Corridor

Hundreds of people gathered at the Church of the Nativity in the holy city of Bethlehem on Tuesday to mark another solemn Christmas overshadowed by the war in Gaza.

Missing for a second consecutive year were the festive decorations, and the crowd paled in comparison to the throngs of tourists and pilgrims of Christmases past -- a reflection of the sombre mood as Israel's war on Gaza drags on.

At Manger Square, the heart of the Palestinian city dominated by the revered church that marks the site where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born, a group of scouts held a small parade that broke the morning's silence.

"Our children want to play and laugh," read a sign carried by one of them, as his friends whistled and cheered.

Reporting by AFP

The Israeli army's Arabic-speaking spokesperson says they confiscated some 84,000 weapons of various types in Lebanon.

The army "operated in about 20 villages in southern Lebanon that Hezbollah had turned into terrorist strongholds, using civilian areas to store weapons and launch attacks on the State of Israel," Avichay Adraee said on X.

"We are determined to prevent Hezbollah from rearming and rebuilding its capabilities, and from threatening the security of Israel," he said.

Three separate reports published this month by leading international human rights and medical groups have detailed the same horrifying story: that Israel is well advanced in its genocide of the Palestinian population in Gaza.

Or, to be more accurate, they have confirmed what was already patently clear: that, for the past 14 months, Israel has been slaughtering tens of thousands of Palestinians with indiscriminate munitions, while at the same time gradually starving the survivors to death and denying them access to medical care.

Genocides can happen with gas chambers. Or with machetes. Or they can be carried out with 2,000lb bombs and aid blockades. Genocides rarely look the same. But they are all designed to arrive at the same endpoint: the elimination of a people.

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) agree that Israel is striving for extermination. It has not hidden its intent, and that intent is confirmed by its actions on the ground. 

READ MORE: Another expert report finds Israel is committing genocide. The West yawns, opinion by Jonathan Cook

Earlier this year, when a rumour spread that Palestinians could travel from southern Gaza to the north, Sabreen Lashin was one of the first to attempt to return home.

But, much to her disappointment, the mother from Gaza City’s al-Shati refugee camp was blocked by Israeli forces occupying the so-called Netzarim corridor, or the “axis of death” as Palestinians refer to it.

Fed up with the miserable life of displacement she had endured in southern Gaza for a year and three months, she refused to give up.

Along with five other women, she attempted to explain to the soldiers the harsh living conditions in southern Gaza. 

There, she had been displaced 14 times, each time seeking safety from Israeli bombardment, but to no avail. 

READ MORE: Netzarim corridor: Israel’s ‘axis of death’ for Palestinians 

Cutting through the uncharacteristic darkness and silence, faint Christmas music drifts through the centre of Beirut's suburb of Hadath.

The town is still reeling from Israel's two-month war on Lebanon. Local scouts, attempting to bring as much holiday cheer as they can, organised a small Christmas party in a vocational centre.

Children had their faces painted, teenagers distributed food and young boys competed on a punching machine.

Dania Sabbagh, the centre's owner, told Middle East Eye that they hosted this event "because there are no decorations and no life at all".

READ MORE: 'Children cannot stay depressed': Beirut Christians mark dampened Christmas after Israel war

Israel's raid on Tulkarm, occupied West Bank killed two Palestinians, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

Khawla Abdo, a 53-year-old woman was killed by Israeli shelling while Fathi Saeed Odeh Salem, an 18-year-old man, was shot in the abdomen and chest.

Al Jazeera condemned what it called an "incitement campaign" by governing Palestinian group Fatah in the occupied West Bank.

"Al Jazeera Media Network condemns the incitement campaign initiated by Fatah in the West Bank against Al Jazeera and its journalists, particularly against Al Jazeera correspondent Mohamad Atrash, for covering the clashes between the Palestinian National Security Forces and Palestinian resistance fighters in Jenin," the network's statement read.

Al Jazeera says that it "has been and remains a platform for the Opinion and the Other Opinion and professional in its credible and impartial coverage".

"Al Jazeera has successfully maintained its professionalism throughout its coverage of the unfolding events in Jenin. The voices of both the Palestinian resistance and the Spokesperson of the Palestinian National Security Forces have always been present on Al Jazeera’s screens," the statement added.
 
The network adds that fatah's "deplorable" campaign "puts the lives of journalist Mohamad Atrash and his colleagues at risk".

"The Network holds Fatah, Palestinian National Security Forces, and relevant institutions of the Palestinian Authority accountable for any harm that may befall Mohamad Atrash or any of Al Jazeera journalists in the occupied West Bank."

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (Unrwa) has issued a damning statement, revealing that a child is killed in Gaza every hour amidst the relentless Israeli assault.

"They are not just numbers, they are lives lost in a short time without any justification," the agency stated, highlighting the devastating toll of Israel’s actions.

In a post on the X platform, the agency emphasised the harrowing plight of Gaza’s children, many of whom are physically and emotionally scarred. Those who survive endure the trauma of displacement, deprived of education, and left scavenging for food among the ruins of their homes.

Unrwa revealed that at least 14,500 children have been killed during the conflict, calling for an immediate end to the war. "The killing of children cannot be justified," the agency stressed, urging global action to stop the bloodshed.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry has described the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza as "a stain on the forehead of humanity," issuing a stark condemnation of the ongoing genocide.

In a statement, the ministry highlighted the worsening conditions faced by Palestinians under relentless Israeli bombardment, urging international cooperation to end the violence.

The ministry reaffirmed that negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza remain active and stressed the importance of supporting Qatari-Egyptian mediation efforts to achieve a resolution. "The humanitarian crisis demands an immediate end to hostilities," the statement read.

Despite global outcry, the situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, with calls for an end to the conflict largely ignored by Israel. Critics accuse Tel Aviv of deliberately escalating the crisis, exacerbating the suffering of civilians, and disregarding international humanitarian law.

In a move criticised as an attack on press freedom, Fatah threatened Al Jazeera's operations in the occupied West Bank, accusing the network of biased reporting on the Palestinian Authority's assault on Jenin.

The statement issued by Fatah lashed out at the network, declaring, "To all Al Jazeera staff working in Palestinian territories, we hope you reconsider your stance and withdraw from this compromised channel that has destroyed and continues to destroy the Arab world."

It went on to claim that Al Jazeera "feeds the media space with lies, especially in Palestine, where it sides with a group of lawless individuals and thugs in Jenin camp, attempting to portray them as heroes resisting occupation."

Al Jazeera, however, condemned the incendiary campaign against its journalists, including correspondent Mohammed Al Atrash, saying the attacks followed its coverage of the confrontations between Palestinian security forces and resistance fighters in Jenin.

"Al Jazeera was and will remain a platform for opinion and other opinions, covering events with professionalism and credibility," the network asserted in response. It emphasised its commitment to balanced reporting, stating that while it aired the voices of resistance fighters, it also gave equal representation to the Palestinian security forces.

This episode highlights the growing tension between Fatah, seen by many as a collaborator with Israeli forces, and independent journalism that dares to cover the dissent and resistance movements emerging within Palestine. Critics have accused Fatah of prioritising its political agenda over the legitimate struggles of Palestinians, aligning itself too closely with Israeli interests to maintain its grip on power.

An Israeli drone attack has killed a Palestinian near Rafah in southern Gaza, Al Jazeera Arabic has reported.

According to the Palestinian Information Centre, the strike involved a quadcopter drone targeting a group of individuals in the area.

Earlier reports indicated that Israeli artillery shelling east of Deir el-Balah had claimed the life of at least one person, with several others wounded in the relentless assaults across the besieged territory.

The attacks are the latest in Israel's ongoing campaign, which has seen widespread devastation and loss of civilian life in Gaza.

The relentless Israeli assault on Gaza has claimed the lives of at least 45,338 Palestinians and injured 107,764 others since the war began on 7 October last year, the Palestinian health ministry reported.

In its latest grim update, the ministry revealed that hospitals across the besieged territory received 21 bodies and 51 injured individuals in the past 24 hours alone, highlighting the ongoing devastation caused by Israeli forces.

The catastrophic human toll has pushed Gaza’s medical facilities to the brink of collapse. With supplies exhausted, hospitals are overwhelmed by the continuous stream of casualties arriving daily from Israel’s indiscriminate bombardment.

The government media office in Gaza has accused Israeli forces of providing full support for the theft of humanitarian aid, while deliberately targeting security personnel responsible for protecting such supplies.

In a damning statement, the media office claimed that Israel has assassinated 723 policemen and aid workers since 7 October, 2023, when the bombardment and blockade of Gaza escalated into what they described as genocide.

"The occupation army often targets policemen guarding aid shipments," the statement read. "Armed gangs, fully protected by the occupation forces, then loot the humanitarian aid as part of a deliberate starvation strategy imposed as collective punishment on Gaza's civilian population."

As Israel's onslaught in Gaza escalates, Israel has moved to label Yemen's Houthi group as a "terrorist organisation", pushing the UK and EU to take action.

Israel’s Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, claims the Houthis pose a threat to Israel, the region, and the world, but the timing of this request raises questions about Israel’s real motives.

Saar has stated that the primary response to the group’s actions should be their classification as terrorists. This comes despite Israel’s own history of military aggression and continued operations in Gaza, which have left thousands of Palestinians dead and displaced.

The Houthis have launched a series of drone and missile attacks towards Israel, saying they are standing in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Yet, Israel, which has been heavily criticised for its bombardment of Gaza, is now trying to rally international support for its cause, using the Houthis’ actions to deflect attention from its own ongoing human rights abuses.

As the devastation in Gaza is condemned internationally, the Israeli army has set up a luxury resort village for soldiers, replete with lavish comforts, while Palestinians suffer under siege and relentless violence.

The Israeli military has begun operating a seawater desalination plant in northern Gaza, providing tens of thousands of litres of water daily for the troops. This move comes as ordinary Palestinians in Gaza struggle to access basic necessities, with the enclave facing widespread shortages.

Situated near the frontline in norther Gaza, the soldiers’ resort offers an astonishing array of amenities, including a cafe, internet access, massage rooms, PlayStation consoles, and "hotel-like" breakfasts, according to Israeli media reports.

A soldier, taken aback by the extravagant setting, remarked, "I never imagined I would receive something like this inside Gaza."

While Israel’s military forces enjoy unprecedented luxury, the civilians in Gaza continue to endure unimaginable hardship, with entire neighbourhoods reduced to rubble and little prospect for relief just hundreds of metres away.

The resort complex, located just a stone's throw from the destruction, offers treatment couches, a mobile dental clinic staffed by a doctor and assistant, and beanbags for relaxation. Some soldiers were photographed sipping ice-cold energy drinks and hot cappuccinos, while others indulged in whipped cream cookies.

This stark contrast between the well-being of soldiers and the suffering of civilians highlights the disparity in living conditions amid the ongoing conflict.