Israel pushes ahead with offensive in Gaza, after US vetoes humanitarian ceasefire at UNSC

Israel continued with its air and ground offensive in Gaza on Saturday, boosted by a US veto at the UN Security Council derailing efforts towards a humanitarian ceasefire. Unable to leave Gaza, more than 2 million Palestinians faced more bombardment yesterday, even in areas that had been described as safe zones by Israeli authorities.

Israel orders residents out of Khan Younis

Israel ordered residents of Khan Younis, the main city in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, to get out even as it pounded the length of the enclave overnight. Since a truce with Hamas in the two-month-old war collapsed on December 1, Israel has expanded its ground assault into the southern half of the Gaza Strip, with residents reporting ‘fierce battles’ from Khan Younis, as reported by news agency Reuters.

'Lost five soldiers in this war': Israel

The Israeli army said early Sunday that five of its soldiers have died in the country’s war against Palestinian militant group Hamas. According to an IDF statement posted on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), four Israeli soldiers were killed in the battle in southern Gaza, while a fifth succumbed to his injuries from the fighting that took place on October 7, the day the war started.

After Gaza return, British-Palestinian surgeon gives testimony to UK war crimes unit

A British-Palestinian surgeon, who was part of a Doctors Without Borders medical team working in the Gaza Strip for weeks during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, said he has given testimony to a UK war crimes unit on what he witnessed there. Ghassan Abu Sitta, a plastic surgeon specializing in conflict medicine, in an interview with The Associated Press, said much of his testimony related to attacks on health facilities. He added that the health system has been targeted and destroyed in Gaza, in addition to the staggering numbers of killed and injured. "The worst thing was initially the running out of morphine and proper strong analgesics and then later on running out of anesthetic medication, which meant that you would have to do painful procedures with no anesthetic," Abu Sitta told AP. He also denied Israel’s claims that the al-Ahli hospital in northern Gaza was targeted by a “misfired Palestinian rocket” and said the injuries he saw were more consistent with damage caused by an Israeli missile.

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This is an archive article published on December 10, 2023

Israel pushes ahead with Gaza offensive; Palestinian death toll exceeds 17,700 | Top developments

Meanwhile, around 137 hostages remain in captivity in Gaza.

israel hamas war top developments palestine death toll

Israeli soldiers patrol as smoke rises from the Gaza Strip after Israeli strikes on Saturday. (AP)

Israel continued with its air and ground offensive in Gaza on Saturday, boosted by a United States veto at the UN Security Council derailing efforts towards a humanitarian ceasefire.

The US on Friday utilised its veto power to block a United Nations resolution backed by almost all other Security Council members and dozens of other nations demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza.

On Saturday, the official death toll in Gaza exceeded 17,700, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Many thousands are missing and presumed dead under the rubble. The ministry has also said about 40% of deaths were of children under 18.

Meanwhile, around 137 hostages remain in captivity in Gaza.

Here’s a round-up of the latest developments in the Israel-Hamas war

01
Israel pushes ahead with offensive in Gaza, after US vetoes humanitarian ceasefire at UNSC
Israel continued with its air and ground offensive in Gaza on Saturday, boosted by a US veto at the UN Security Council derailing efforts towards a humanitarian ceasefire.

Unable to leave Gaza, more than 2 million Palestinians faced more bombardment yesterday, even in areas that had been described as safe zones by Israeli authorities.
02
Israel orders residents out of Khan Younis
Israel ordered residents of Khan Younis, the main city in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, to get out even as it pounded the length of the enclave overnight.

Since a truce with Hamas in the two-month-old war collapsed on December 1, Israel has expanded its ground assault into the southern half of the Gaza Strip, with residents reporting ‘fierce battles’ from Khan Younis, as reported by news agency Reuters.
03
Latest death toll from Palestine
On Saturday, the official death toll in Gaza exceeded 17,700, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Many thousands are missing and presumed dead under the rubble.

The ministry has also said about 40% of deaths were of children under 18.

Meanwhile, around 137 hostages remain in captivity in Gaza.
04
'Lost five soldiers in this war': Israel
The Israeli army said early Sunday that five of its soldiers have died in the country’s war against Palestinian militant group Hamas.

According to an IDF statement posted on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), four Israeli soldiers were killed in the battle in southern Gaza, while a fifth succumbed to his injuries from the fighting that took place on October 7, the day the war started.
05
After Gaza return, British-Palestinian surgeon gives testimony to UK war crimes unit
A British-Palestinian surgeon, who was part of a Doctors Without Borders medical team working in the Gaza Strip for weeks during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, said he has given testimony to a UK war crimes unit on what he witnessed there.

Ghassan Abu Sitta, a plastic surgeon specializing in conflict medicine, in an interview with The Associated Press, said much of his testimony related to attacks on health facilities. He added that the health system has been targeted and destroyed in Gaza, in addition to the staggering numbers of killed and injured.

"The worst thing was initially the running out of morphine and proper strong analgesics and then later on running out of anesthetic medication, which meant that you would have to do painful procedures with no anesthetic," Abu Sitta told AP.

He also denied Israel’s claims that the al-Ahli hospital in northern Gaza was targeted by a “misfired Palestinian rocket” and said the injuries he saw were more consistent with damage caused by an Israeli missile.