Live: At least 137 people killed by Israel recovered from rubble in Rafah

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for Israel to end its "continued occupation" and "military operations" in southern Lebanon, following a ceasefire in November that aimed to halt fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

Guterres stressed that Israel's military presence in the UNIFIL area and its ongoing operations in Lebanese territory violate UN Resolution 1701, which was intended to end the 2006 conflict between the two sides.

He urged for these actions to cease immediately, addressing members of the UN peacekeeping force during his visit.

Israeli Channel 13 has reported that the government will convene in two hours to decide on the prisoner exchange agreement, citing unnamed sources.

Channel 12 added that Israel is expected to receive a list tomorrow of the kidnapped individuals who will be freed from Gaza on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Channel 14 revealed that some Palestinian prisoners, including those sentenced to life imprisonment, will be released to Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Hamas has accused Israel of deliberately carrying out massacres in Gaza in an effort to sabotage the recently announced ceasefire agreement.

“The enemy's continued perpetration of horrific massacres in Gaza and its intensification after the agreement confirms its terrorist approach and thirst for bloodshed,” Hamas said in a statement.

The group called on the international community, the United Nations, and other relevant parties to take urgent action to stop what it described as "Zionist terrorism."

Israel’s relentless bombardment of Gaza has killed at least 113 Palestinians since the ceasefire agreement was announced, according to the territory’s civil defence.

More than 264 people have also been wounded in the continued attacks.

Gaza City has borne the brunt of Israel’s strikes, with 87 people killed. Fourteen more were killed in Khan Younis, while central Gaza and Rafah recorded 10 and two deaths respectively.

Among the dead are 28 children and 31 women, further exposing the devastating toll on Palestinian civilians.

After 15 months of relentless bombardment that has caused unprecedented death and destruction in Gaza, analysts say Israel is far from victorious.

Despite its overwhelming firepower and international backing, Israel has failed to achieve several of its key objectives for the war, launched on 7 October 2023 after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. 

This failure, coupled with the immense human cost in Gaza, reveals a deeper crisis within Israel’s military and political strategies, say analysts Sami Orabi and Ameer Makhoul. 

7 October was a massive strategic, military and intelligence failure for Israel, one that its armed forces were intent on making up for.

However, in many ways Israel’s military actions have only exacerbated those weaknesses, not strengthened them, argue Orabi and Makhoul.

Read more: Israel destroyed life in Gaza but it is far from victorious

Two Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli air strike on Jabalia al-Balad, located in northern Gaza, Al Jazeera Arabic reported. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s final press conference was interrupted on Thursday by two journalists who blasted him over the US’s support for Israel's war on Gaza before they were forcibly removed from the State Department's press briefing room.

The journalists repeatedly interrupted Blinken within the first 15 minutes of his hour-long press conference. The outgoing Secretary of State asked both men to hold their questions until later, but they persisted until security guards came to take them away.

“Why did you keep the bombs flowing?” Max Blumenthal, editor of the Grayzone, an online news site, shouted at Blinken from the back of the press room. “Why did you sacrifice the rules-based order on the mantle of your commitment to Zionism?”

As Blumenthal was escorted out of the room by security, he continued to accost Blinken.

“You helped destroy our religion Judaism by associating it with fascism…your father-in-law was an Israel lobbyist, your grandfather was an Israel lobbyist…Why did you allow the holocaust of our time to happen? How does it feel to let your legacy be genocide?”

Read more: 'Why aren't you in the Hague?': Blinken's final press briefing descends into chaos

Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has threatened to resign if the ceasefire agreement with Hamas is approved, calling it a "disastrous" move that undermines Israel’s war efforts.

• Ben Gvir insisted he would ensure Netanyahu remains prime minister but could no longer support the government if the deal goes through.
• He condemned the agreement for releasing "hundreds of terrorists with blood on their hands" and allowing "thousands" to return to northern Gaza armed.
• The minister accused Netanyahu of compromising Israel’s security by conceding on key military positions, including the Philadelphi Corridor.
• He vowed to vote against the deal and resign if it is ratified but hinted at rejoining the government if Israel resumes its assault on Gaza.
• While expressing support for hostage releases, he argued Israel should achieve this by cutting aid to Gaza rather than negotiating with Hamas.

Ben Gvir’s threats highlight the deep divisions within Netanyahu’s far-right coalition as Israel faces mounting pressure to halt its relentless bombing campaign.

In his last television interview as president, Joe Biden cautioned that Israel’s long-term survival depends on recognising Palestinian rights and ensuring their safety.

• Speaking to MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell, Biden warned that ignoring Palestinian concerns risks fuelling chaos and sparking a wider regional war.
• He stressed that Israel “cannot sustain itself” without addressing Palestinian demands and ensuring their security, along with that of American Jews.
• His remarks come as the US faces growing international criticism over its unwavering support for Israel despite its devastating assault on Gaza.

Biden’s comments mark a rare rebuke of Israel, though his administration has continued to supply military aid throughout its brutal campaign in Gaza.

Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed at least 101 Palestinians and left more than 264 wounded since the ceasefire agreement was announced, according to the territory’s civil defence.

• Gaza City suffered the worst casualties, with 82 people killed in relentless Israeli strikes.
• Among the dead were 27 children and 31 women, highlighting the devastating toll on civilians.
• The ongoing bombardment raises doubts over Israel’s commitment to the truce, as Palestinians continue to be killed despite the supposed deal.

Rescue workers warn that the death toll is likely to rise, with many still trapped under rubble and medical services overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the destruction.

A journalist removed from a press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has accused the State Department of silencing him for raising uncomfortable questions about Gaza.

• Sam Husseini said he was deliberately shut down while trying to challenge US policy on the war in Gaza.
• He said State Department officials worked to prevent him from pressing Blinken on Washington’s refusal to acknowledge that the Geneva Conventions apply to Palestinians.
• “I didn’t plan to be dragged out. I just wanted to ask urgent, pointed questions,” Husseini said.
• Speaking to US comedian and writer Katie Halper, he called the US stance on international law in Gaza “utterly scandalous.”

His removal has fuelled criticism of the Biden administration’s handling of the war, with accusations that Washington is shielding Israel from accountability.

Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed at least 10 Palestinians since dawn on Friday, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.

• Six people were killed in separate Israeli air strikes targeting northern Gaza.
• In the central Gaza Strip, four more bodies were pulled from the rubble of a house in Nuseirat, which was hit by an Israeli air strike.

US President-elect Donald Trump has insisted the Gaza ceasefire deal would never have materialised without his intervention, claiming full credit for the agreement.

“If we weren’t involved in this deal, the deal would’ve never happened,” Trump said, according to AFP.

During a televised appearance, Trump lashed out at President Joe Biden for attempting to take credit, calling him “ungracious” and dismissing his role in the negotiations.

“He didn’t do anything!” Trump declared, adding that without his administration’s involvement, “the hostages would never be out.”

Israeli bombardment of central and southern Gaza has killed at least nine Palestinians since dawn on Friday, Al Jazeera Arabic reported.

Despite ceasefire discussions, Israel continues its relentless assault on the besieged enclave, adding to the mounting death toll and devastation.

The leaders of the G7 nations have called the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas a “significant development” and pressed for its full implementation, stressing the urgency of ending the devastating assault on Gaza.

In a statement, the bloc—comprising Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the US—urged all sides to engage in the next phases of talks to ensure the agreement is upheld and leads to a lasting end to hostilities.

“With a ceasefire soon to take hold, it is also crucial that we seize this opportunity to put an end to the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, where conditions continue to deteriorate,” the statement read.