'Horror' in Gaza hospitaIs as Israel kills 90 people in Jabalia

This live blog is now wrapping up. Thanks to all for following along. The New Arab will be back at 9am GMT with live coverage of events in Gaza. 

A north Gaza hospital that Israeli troops raided is no longer functioning and patients including babies have been evacuated, putting the enclave's collapsing health services in further peril, a World Health Organization official said on Monday.

Gazan authorities said Israeli forces last week used a bulldozer to smash through the perimeter of the Kamal Adwan hospital, forcing out and killing displaced people.

Reuters could not independently verify the accounts. The WHO had said it was urgently seeking information about the hospital.

"What we understand is it's not functional anymore," Richard Peeperkorn, WHO representative for Gaza, told Reuters.

He said two newborn babies were taken home "to their families and with a description how to take care of them", while other patients including infants were evacuated to Al Ahli and Al Shifa hospitals. "Many health workers were reportedly detained", he said.

Read the full report here.

World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that a UN team that visited Nasser Hospital “found deeply concerning conditions” following an Israeli attack on the medical facility’s pediatric unit, which killed a child who had already been seriously wounded in a separate attack in which she lost her family.

“Nasser’s ability to function has deteriorated drastically since WHO’s last visit on 7 December,” Ghebreyesus said in a social media post.

He said more than 1,000 patients and 4,000 internally displaced people in Gaza continue to seek shelter at the medical facility.

“Health workers told WHO colleagues they fear for their lives and are not sure how long they can remain safely at Nasser,” he added, before urging an “immediate ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas.

“Civilians in Gaza need peace.

Girl killed, 2 children injured following attacks on Nasser Hospital in south #Gaza; health workers fear for their lives -- @WHO mission finds.

A WHO, @UNOCHA and @UNDSS team, on a mission to Nasser Hospital in south Gaza today, found deeply concerning conditions following…

— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) December 18, 2023

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a call with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Monday in which he condemned attacks by Yemen's Houthi movement on commercial vessels in international waters in the Red Sea, the State Department said on Monday.

"The Secretary also condemned continued attacks by the Houthis on commercial vessels operating in international waters in the southern Red Sea and urged cooperation among all partners to uphold maritime security," the State Department said in a statement.

Layla Moran, a Liberal Democrat MP, told Channel 4 news on Monday night that she feared for the lives of relatives who are among hundreds of Palestinian civilians trapped in the Holy Family Parish Catholic Church.

‘I’m worried that if it’s not the bullets that kill them, it will be the lack of water,” Moran, who has Palestinian ancestry, said.

Moran has been highlighting the plight of the Palestinian Christians stuck inside the church, with no electricity and water, as Israeli forces take up positions outside.

Two women were killed by Israeli snipers inside the church over the weekend.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that the Swan Atlantic, a Cayman Islands-flagged tanker, faced a drone and ballistic missile attack launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, while M/V Clara, a cargo ship, reported an explosion in the water near their location.

CENTCOM said that a US warship responded to a request from assistance from the Swan Atlantic.

No injuries were reported in either incident.

On December 18, at approximately 9:00 (Sanaa time), there were two Houthi militant attacks against commercial shipping in the Southern Red Sea.

The chemical/oil tanker motor vessel SWAN ATLANTIC was attacked by a one-way attack drone and an anti-ship ballistic missile launched… pic.twitter.com/mPK4g8FN0t

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 19, 2023

“The recent escalation in reckless Houthi attacks originating from Yemen threatens the free flow of commerce, endangers innocent mariners, and violates international law. The Red Sea is a critical waterway that has been essential to freedom of navigation and a major commercial corridor that facilitates international trade.

“Countries that seek to uphold the foundational principle of freedom of navigation must come together to tackle the challenge posed by this non-state actor launching ballistic missiles and uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) at merchant vessels from many nations lawfully transiting international waters.

“This is an international challenge that demands collective action. Therefore, today I am announcing the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian, an important new multinational security initiative under the umbrella of the Combined Maritime Forces and the leadership of its Task Force 153, which focuses on security in the Red Sea.

Operation Prosperity Guardian is bringing together multiple countries to include the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain, to jointly address security challenges in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, with the goal of ensuring freedom of navigation for all countries and bolstering regional security and prosperity."

US news site Axios reports that Israeli officials told Lloyd Austin during meetings today in Tel Aviv that they want the armed Lebanese group pushed back by roughly 10km (6 miles), citing unnamed US and Israeli official sources.

The report says that Israeli PM Netanyahu and Defence Minister Gallant told Austin that Israel could not accept the displacement of its citizens in the north as Hezbollah continues its cross-border strikes on Israeli territory. They said they want to see progress on this issue in the “next few weeks”, Axios reports.

Austin responded saying that the US will push for a peaceful solution and urged the Israelis not to do anything to escalate already simmering tensions

Ramy Abdu, the head of the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, says the group will be releasing a new study on Tuesday showing harrowing hunger levels in the Palestinian enclave.

In a post on X, Abdu said that 71 percent of the population in Gaza “faces severe hunger, with 98% experiencing inadequate food consumption”.

Sixty-four percent have resorted “to consuming fruits, wild or raw food, & expired items to alleviate hunger”, he added.

🚨 Alarming figures from @EuroMedHR study on hunger levels in Gaza set to be released tomorrow:
71% of Gaza's population faces severe hunger, with 98% experiencing inadequate food consumption. 64% resort to consuming fruits, wild or
raw food, & expired items to alleviate hunger. pic.twitter.com/KWZ5niYo7j

— Ramy Abdu| رامي عبده (@RamAbdu) December 18, 2023

Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi discussed in a phone call with the UN Secretary General António Guterres Egypt’s intensified efforts for Gaza ceasefire and entry of sufficient quantity of aid, the presidency said in a statement on Monday.

Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah movement on Monday vowed any Israeli attacks on civilians "will be reciprocated", after an Israeli strike hit a building opposite a funeral procession for one of the group's fighters.

The frontier between Lebanon and Israel has seen regular exchanges of fire, mainly between the Israeli army and Hamas ally Hezbollah, since Israel's war on Gaza began on October 7.

The Iran-backed group on Monday evening said they launched a "salvo of rockets" at the Israeli border town of Kiryat Shmona "in response to the enemy's targeting of the funeral in Aita al-Shaab", a Lebanese border town.

"Any harm to civilians will be reciprocated," the group added in a statement.

Read the full report here. 

Christos Christou, the international president of Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres, or MSF), says the raids on health facilities have become commonplace in an Israeli military strategy that disregards both “basic humanity and the rules of war”.

In a series of posts on X, Christos wrote about his visit to the occupied West Bank two weeks ago and called for an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza.

“Nothing can be gained from the continued bombing of civilians,” he said.

Two weeks ago, I visited the occupied territories of Palestine, to meet our teams. I visited Jenin, Nablus and Ramallah; unfortunately, it was impossible for me to enter Gaza but I spoke to my colleagues there. I want to share some of my observations from that trip 👇

— Christos Christou (@DrChristou) December 18, 2023

“The mounting civilian death toll and humanitarian crisis are unacceptable and not in line with American interests; nor do they advance the cause of security for our ally Israel,” wrote the legislators.

Signatories to the letter included staunch supporters of Israel from the centrist wing of the Democratic Party, including Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, highlighting widespread discontent with Israel’s war effort among Democrats.

Over the past several days, unnamed US officials have told media outlets that the Biden administration is trying to get Israel to change its strategy in Gaza amid global outcry and domestic pressure on the US president ahead of the 2024 election.

But publicly, senior US officials continue to say that the administration will not tell Israel how to conduct its military offensive, stressing that US support for the country is ironclad.

Joined NatSec Dems expressing deep concern to @POTUS for PM Netanyahu’s military strategy in Gaza.

“The mounting civilian death toll and humanitarian crisis are unacceptable and not in line with American interests; nor do they advance the cause of security for our ally Israel.” pic.twitter.com/RzLjUeFFdz

— Rep. Jason Crow (@RepJasonCrow) December 18, 2023

Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi politburo, told Al Jazeera on Monday that his group will be able to confront any coalition formed by the United States that could deploy to the Red Sea.

Earlier on Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin gave a joint press conference with his Israeli counterpart, saying: "We are taking action to build an international coalition. This is not just a U.S. problem, it's an international problem." Austin announced that a virtual meeting would be held on Tuesday between him and "fellow ministers to address this threat."

Houthi official al-Bukhaiti also told Al Jazeera that the U.S. offered not to obstruct efforts toward a lasting peace in Yemen in exchange for Houthis halting their military operations in the Red Sea, and "we categorically reject this," he said.

"There is indirect contact from countries, including the U.S. to stop our operations," he added. 

The Israeli military says on X that the missiles launched from Syria fell on open areas inside its territory.

In response, it said it used artillery to target the source of the fire inside Syria and attacked a Syrian Army position with tanks.

Using terminology he has already used to refer to a Palestinian Authority-ruled Gaza, the Israeli prime minister posted on social media: “We will not allow the replacement of Hamastan with Fatahstan”.

Last week Netanyahu said that the Palestinian Authority – which is led by President Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Fatah movement – should not take control of Gaza, but did not specify what the alternative was.

The US, for its part, has said that Gaza and the occupied West Bank – where the PA has some authority – should be ruled together

Norwegian doctor Mads Gilbert says that a friend of his, the head of the emergency services at al-Shifa Hospital has been “brutally” killed in an Israeli attack, along with his family.

“My good friend and dear colleague, Dr Hani al-Haitham, head of [the] Shifa emergency department, was brutally murdered by Israel, along with his beloved wife, Dr Sameera Ghifari and their five children Shireen, Tia, Sameer, Wafa [and] Sara. In cold blood, coward Israeli soldiers killed seven more unarmed civilians,” Gilbert said on X

Yesterday, my good friend and dear colleague, Dr. Hani Al-Haitham, head of Shifa emergency department, was brutally murdered by Israel, along with his beloved wife, Dr. Sameera Ghifari and their five children Shireen, Tia, Sameer, Wafa & Sara. In cold blood, coward Israeli… pic.twitter.com/wqqzRUK1VV

— Dr. Mads Gilbert (@DrMadsGilbert) December 18, 2023

Several people have reportedly been killed by Israeli warplanes after they targeted two residential homes in the Nuseirat and Deir al-Balah refugee camps in the central Gaza Strip, according to media and local human rights monitors.

There were other deaths reported in the southern city of Rafah after a separate Israeli air attack on a home.

Breaking: A horrific massacre perpetrated by an Israeli drone, claiming the lives of five children, four of them siblings, while playing outside their home west of the Nuseirat Refugee Camp.
-Karam Suleiman Abu Ghazal, 12 years
-Salam Suleiman Abu Ghazal, 10 years
-Aseel Suleiman… pic.twitter.com/Rs1CXXCp8g

— Ramy Abdu| رامي عبده (@RamAbdu) December 18, 2023

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement says the comments by Austin – who reiterated earlier today that Israel is waging a self-defence war in Gaza – are a confirmation of Washington’s management of the Israeli military.

These statements are “a shameless US blessing and an encouragement to the Israeli enemy to continue its barbaric and Nazi crimes against our Palestinian people”, the group said.

A member of the European Parliament said that he had “no doubt” that Israel is deliberately frustrating the international humanitarian efforts to get aid inside the Gaza Strip.

Speaking after a parliamentary visit to the Rafah border crossing on the Egyptian side, Barry Andrews, the MEP for Dublin, said that there were hundreds of trucks parked outside the crossing “as far as the eye can see”.

However, they were all being held up, as anything going inside Gaza must be approved by Israel, which has listed thousands of items as being banned for “dual use”, or military use.

“Humanitarian access is a basic requirement for any conflict,” Andrews said. “There would be more truck movements at a busy supermarket in Ireland and yet, behind the gates at Rafah, 2.3 million people are suffering for want of food, water, medicine & fuel."

I have just completed a trip to the Rafah crossing with @Europarl_EN colleagues from @RenewEurope - the first Parliamentary delegation to secure access to the area. The purpose of the visit was to see first hand the international humanitarian effort that is underway and the… pic.twitter.com/cHF30GvpE9

— Barry Andrews MEP (@BarryAndrewsMEP) December 17, 2023

Hamas's military wing on Monday released footage it claimed showed three Israeli hostages held in Gaza.

The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades video, titled "Don't let us grow old here", showed three bearded men sitting on chairs at an undisclosed location, with one of them asking Israeli authorities to work towards their release.

Israel will gradually transition to the next phase of its war in Gaza in which the local population would likely be able to first return to the north of the coastal strip, the country's defence minister said on Monday.

"I can tell you that soon we will be able to distinguish between different areas in Gaza," Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said in a joint news conference with his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin in Tel Aviv.

"In every area where we achieve our mission we will be able to transition gradually to the next phase and start working on bringing back the local population," Gallant said. "That means that it can be achieved maybe sooner in the north rather than in the south."

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that he was not in Israel to dictate any timeline or terms for Israel's military campaign, but he did discuss making the transition to lower intensity operations.

"That doesn't signal an end to the operation. It sometimes means that you're being more precise, you're being more focused on a specific target set," he said. 

Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib recently addressed the death of Al Jazeera cameraman Samer Abudaqa in a southern Gaza Israeli attack, saying it "adds to an already unbearably high death toll."

Abudaqa, whose family resides in Belgium, was critically injured alongside Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief Wael Dahdouh in an Israeli drone strike on Khan Younis. Dahdouh received hospital treatment for his wounds, but Israeli forces hindered Palestinian rescuers from reaching Abudaqa, leading to his death after several hours of unattended bleeding.

In her social media post, Lahbib did not specifically attribute Abudaqa's death, instead referring to it as his "passing." She emphasized, "the senseless loss of all innocent lives must stop."

The passing of Al Jazeera cameraman Samer Abu Daqqa in Gaza tragically adds to an already unbearably high death toll.

Journalists, guardians of the truth, must wield their pens and cameras in complete safety.

The senseless loss of all innocent lives must stop.

— Hadja Lahbib (@hadjalahbib) December 18, 2023

Israeli National Security Minister Ben-Gvir announced on Monday his intention to exit the coalition government if the current military operations do not persist at full capacity, as reported by Israeli news sources.

Ben-Gvir has expressed dissatisfaction with the government's approach to the conflict, pointing out that even after 73 days of warfare, Hamas appears to remain unshaken.

“You don’t make pauses and don’t allow our enemies to set shocking conditions for the release of the hostages,” he emphasised.

The Israeli military said that  Yarin Gahali, 22, and Netanel Silberg, 33 have been killed on Monday.

Fifty-three Israeli soldiers have been killed since the end of the truce in early December.

Mujahed Badran, along with his wife Um Emad and their two children, may soon lose their home in Silwan if the Israeli municipality of Jerusalem carries out its threat and demolishes the tiny flat they currently reside in. 

The Badran family have lived in it for about four years. Mujahed, 27, said he built his flat on top of his parents just before he married. 

"A week ago, municipal workers came and took measurements of my home", Mujahed explained. Surveilling a home slated for demolition is a standard procedure before a municipal crew is sent to carry out the destruction, which can happen any day now, according to Mujahed. 

Mujahed isn't alone in this predicament. Israel has slated thousands of homes for demolition in occupied East Jerusalem, at least 20,000  watchdogs say. What makes Silwan unique, however, is the immense interest Israeli settlers have towards it.

Read more from The New Arab's correspondent in Jerusalem here.

Al Jazeera journalist and audio commentator, Abdullah Alwan, was killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting his family’s home in the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, the media network has announced Monday.

Alwan, who worked for Al Jazeera Arabic's website on the Midan page, was renowned for his unique voice. He used this distinctive talent to provide audio commentary for various television programs within the Al Jazeera Media Network.

Abdullah Alwan, a journalist and voiceover artist, lost his life in an Israeli bombing that struck his family's residence in Jabalia, located in the northern Gaza Strip, last night. pic.twitter.com/Dj057K4Eej

— PALESTINE ONLINE 🇵🇸 (@OnlinePalEng) December 18, 2023

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, in a televised speech following the announcement of his third term victory, expressed concerns about the Gaza war's impact on Egypt's "national security."

"The war between Hamas and Israel constitutes a threat to Egyptian national security in particular and to the Palestinian cause in general," he stated.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health says that Israel has launched at least 16 attacks in the last few hours.

Today's Israeli strike on the Jabalia refugee camp resulted in 151 Palestinian deaths and 313 injuries, with many victims still trapped and buried under rubble.

A series of attacks has been targeting the al-Shifa medical complex over the last six hours, where 26 Palestinians were killed and many others were wounded.

Israeli forces have also arrested at least 93 medical personnel, including hospital directors. These individuals are reportedly facing inhumane treatment, including torture, starvation, and exposure to extreme cold.

🚨BREAKING: AL SABRA SCHOOL TARGETED.

The effects of the occupation’s artillery shelling of the Al-Sabra School, which houses hundreds of displaced families in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood of Gaza, and appeals to evacuate the displaced pic.twitter.com/She8q7zFEm

— Palestine Now (@PalestineNW) December 18, 2023

The US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, reaffirmed the United States' support for Israel in his remarks made before meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on Monday.

Before his discussion with Israel's war cabinet, Austin stated, “We are leading a multinational task force in the Red Sea to uphold the essential principle of freedom of navigation. The US's commitment to Israel remains robust. It's our ongoing endeavor to ensure Israel has the requisite resources for its defense."

Austin also mentioned the need for enhancing humanitarian assistance to Gaza. "It is imperative to enhance the delivery of humanitarian aid to the two million displaced individuals in Gaza, and to improve the distribution of this aid."

The Palestinian Health Ministry said on Monday that the death toll in Gaza has now reached 19,453 with 52,286 injured, since the war stared on 7 October

Former UK defense minister Ben Wallace criticised Netenyahu's "killing rage", saying that it could perpetuate the conflict for 50 years.

"If he thinks a killing rage will rectify matters then he is very wrong,"  the senior conservative MP also wrote in a Daily Telegraph op-ed.

Wallace also argued that Israel's response in Gaza risks its moral standing and legal justification for the current violence.

 "Going after Hamas is legitimate; obliterating vast swathes of Gaza is not. Using proportionate force is legal, but collective punishment and forced movement of civilians is not."

He warned of the long-term implications of Israel's current approach."We are entering a dangerous period now where Israel’s original legal authority of self-defense is being undermined by its own actions. It is making the mistake of losing its moral authority alongside its legal one."

"When all this is over, and the IDF withdraws from what is left of Gaza, there will still be Hamas. All the action will have achieved is the extinction, not of the extremists, but the voice of the moderate Palestinians who do want a two-state solution," Wallace added.

Israeli army targeted participants in the funeral of Hezbollah's Hassan Maan Surour in his town of Aita al-Shaab in southern Lebanon.

The shelling was reportedly carried out from a drone positioned on the roof of one of the buildings, located less than forty meters away from the funeral procession.

فيديو يوّثق لحظة سقوط صاروخ من مسيرة على بعد أمتار من مكان تشييع شهيد لـ #حزب_الله في #عيتا_الشعب pic.twitter.com/CGXvtAfywS

— Al Jadeed News (@ALJADEEDNEWS) December 18, 2023

The scarcity of clear water and the hygiene can become as “dangerous” as the Israeli bombardment of Gaza, says a  member of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders.

“The water system isn’t working anymore – it has completely collapsed,” said MSF's logistics coordinator Ricardo Martinez, who spent four weeks in Gaza during the war.

“People are being pushed to the limit, having to fight for their survival. At most, people have one litre of water per day – that’s for drinking, washing and cooking,” added Martizez, who spent a month in Gaza during the war, in an interview posted on the NGO's website.

The lack of fuel and electricity are further intensifying the challenges people face on day-to-day basis.

“Without fuel, the grinding mills are not working, so nobody has wheat – no wheat, no food. Trucks coming from Egypt are offloading aid to trucks in Gaza, but without fuel, these trucks are unable to move and distribute the aid,” he said.

The UN Security Council (UNSC) is set to vote for a new resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza later on Monday.

The draft text "calls for an urgent and sustainable cessation of hostilities to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access in the Gaza Strip for those in need."

A US veto blocked the vote on a ceasefire resolution at the UNSC on 8 December.

Note: This update was posted on Friday, 22 December 2023 after a statement was received from the Israeli army.

The Israeli army confirmed on Thursday, 21 December that its forces had arrested the director of al-Awda Hospital.

The al-Awda Health and Community Association announced the arrest of Dr Ahmed Muhanna on Sunday, 17 December, describing him as a humanitarian worker in the health sector.

The military said in a statement that it was operating in the area of the hospital but, contrary to reports, did not enter it.

"About a hundred men who evacuated the hospital at the request of the IDF [Israeli army] underwent a field interrogation," the military added.

It alleged that, of these men, 13 suspected of "being involved with terrorist activity" were "detained and transferred for further interrogation in Israel".

The Israeli army did not name Muhanna but said that the hospital director "is among those arrested", adding that he was "detained for information" about the alleged activities.

The al-Awda Health and Community Association said on Sunday that 21 medical staff were arrested before being released three hours later, adding that the association "denounces the continued detention" of Muhanna.

It said the incident came after al-Awda Hospital had been besieged for almost two weeks.

The Israeli military said that in coordination with the facility's director its forces called the names of the suspects and then called for all men between the ages of 20 and 50 to "come out for security checks".

Israeli forces attacked the al-Awda hospital in northern Gaza Sunday night, after it was besieged and bombed for around two weeks.

The Palestinian health ministry said that the hospital's medical team were stripped of their clothes, arrested and interrogated for four hours.

The director of the hospital, Dr Ahmed Muhanna, was arrested and his location remains unknown.

The Palestinian health ministry had warned earlier that Israeli military may be planning a massacre in al-Awda hospital, similar to the one recently committed in the Kamal Adwan hospital.

The Israeli army has attacked Al Awda hospital in Jabalya camp and arrested its medical and nursing staff. Dr Ahmad Muhanna its Medical Director has been taken away to an unknown location by the Israeli army. pic.twitter.com/yHhFbjtLHz

— Ghassan Abu Sitta (@GhassanAbuSitt1) December 17, 2023

Israeli forces fired gunshots at the Kamal Adwan hospital while health officials held a press conference on Sunday.

WHO says the hospital was "effectively destroyed" and described its situation as appalling.

Palestinian health officials say that bulldozers reportedly crushed patients alive in the hospital's grounds in the raid ongoing since Friday.

 

 

 

 

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