[Part of a news summary.]
Israel-Palestine live: Palestinians sheltering in Gaza hospital 'crushed to death' by Israeli bulldozers
Initial probe finds captives shot and killed by Israeli soldiers were shirtless and waved white flags
The families of hostages held in Gaza called on Israel on Saturday to stop fighting and make a deal to secure their release after the army admitted "mistakenly" killing three captives in the Palestinian territory.
The Israeli army has said the three hostages killed by troops on Friday were carrying a white flag and had cried for help in Hebrew.
The news of their killing has sparked protests in Israel, and the relatives of the remaining hostages are terrified their loved ones could be next.
"We only receive dead bodies. We want you to stop the fight and start negotiations," Noam Perry, daughter of hostage Haim Perry, said at an event in Tel Aviv organised by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
"We feel like we're in a Russian roulette game (finding out) who will be next in line to be told the death of their loved one," said Ruby Chen, father of 19-year-old soldier Itai, who is among the captives.
"They explained to us first that the ground operation would bring back the abductees," he said.
"It doesn't work. Because since then, abductees have been seen returning, but not so much alive. It's time to change this assumption," he said.
40 minutes ago
Two Palestinian men have been killed by Israeli gunfire in two separate incidents in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
A 20-year-old died of his wounds after being shot in the abdomen by Israeli forces in the town of Beit Ummar, and a 25-year-old was killed in the city of Tulkarm, the health ministry said in a statement, according to Reuters.
That brought the total number of Palestinian fatalities reported in the West Bank since 7 October to 290.
1 hour ago
Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem has condemned the killing of a Christian mother and daughter who had taken refuge in a Catholic church complex in Gaza.
The two women were allegedly shot dead "in cold blood" on Saturday by an Israeli military sniper while they were inside the Holy Family Parish church complex in Gaza.
"Nahida and her daughter Samar were shot and killed as they walked to the Sister's Convent," the office of the Catholic bishop wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
"Seven more people were shot and wounded as they tried to protect others in the church compound… they were shot dead in cold blood inside the premises of the parish."
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
Hundreds of Christians are thought to have sought refuge in the church, the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip, since the conflict started on 7 October.
In the same post, the patriarchate also said that rockets fired from an Israeli tank on Saturday morning had severely damaged the Convent of the Sisters of Mother Theresa, home to 54 people with disabilities. The strike had rendered the home "uninhabitable" and destroyed its generator, leaving the residents "currently displaced and without access to the respirators some of them need to survive".
"We are at a loss to comprehend how such an attack could be carried out," the patriarchate continued. "Even more so as the whole church prepares for Christmas."
— Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem (@LPJerusalem) December 16, 2023
A British MP has said that her relatives are among the hundreds trapped in the church.
Liberal Democrat MP, Layla Moran, said her family were "days away from dying" without access to water or food, after seeking refuge there when their home was bombed in the first week of war.
On Saturday, she tweeted that the situation was going "from bad to worse".
I’m grateful to all who have been helping to raise the alarm about the situation in the church. It’s going from bad to worse. https://t.co/MY1ZICefTo
— Layla Moran 🔶 (@LaylaMoran) December 16, 2023
On Saturday evening, British Conservative MP and chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Alicia Kearns, tweeted: "Explanation needed from the IDF as to how they’ve determined the Holy Family Parish in Gaza is a legitimate target."
2 hours ago
A vigil for healthcare workers in Gaza is being held in London, with hundreds of people in attendance.
The vigil is to raise awareness on the medical workers being targeted, to mourn the loss of those killed in Israeli aggressions and demand a ceasefire.
We are at the UK healthcare workers vigil for Gaza in London, calling for a #CeasefireNOWpic.twitter.com/l2UyoSQjdc
— Medical Aid for Palestinians (@MedicalAidPal) December 16, 2023
2 hours ago
The Foreign Press Association, which represents journalists working in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, is the latest organisation to join calls for an investigation into the killing of Samer Abu Daqqa.
"We consider this a grave blow to the already limited freedom of the press in Gaza and call on the army for a prompt investigation and explanation," the organisation said.
"The FPA is alarmed by the military's silence and calls for an immediate enquiry and explanation as to why it apparently attacked the area and why Samer could not be evacuated in time to be treated and potentially saved," they added.
Israeli forces killed the Al Jazeera journalist on Friday after preventing emergency services from reaching him, resulting in him bleeding to death.
2 hours ago
The United Nations agency Unrwa said on Saturday that there have been at least 150 hits on UN facilities in the enclave carried out by Israel.
The organisation added that schools, medical facilities and UN buildings should not be a target.
"In Gaza, they have become just that," they said, adding that "not even places protected by the laws of war have been spared".
2 hours ago
The wife of a freed Israeli captive, Raz Ben-Ami, said on Saturday she begged the Israeli cabinet to recognise that fighting may harm captives, according to Haaretz.
"We begged the war cabinet, warning that fighting might harm the hostages, unfortunately we were right," she said.
The comments come after the Israeli army revealed they mistakenly shot three captives in Gaza, killing them, despite the fact one spoke in Hebrew asking for help and the others held up a makeshift white flag.
2 hours ago
The manager of Gaza's Al-Awda Hospital said on Saturday that no aid or supplies have reached the hospital for 67 days.
Speaking to Al Jazeera in an audio message Ahmed Muhanna said that there was also no oxygen left at the facility.
He added that Israeli tanks are surrounding the hospital.
3 hours ago
British lawyer, politician and member of the House of Lords Sayeeda Warsi said on Saturday that the Israeli army is "trigger happy, pumped with hatred and out of control".
The comments were made on social media platform X in response to the news that the Israeli army fatally shot three captives held in Gaza while they were holding a makeshift white flag.
"If this is how the IDF treats hostages imagine what the Palestinians are suffering every day," she said.
"These crimes have been committed in full view with Israeli politicians, soldiers and commentators proudly espousing genocidal intent.
"Those involved must be held to account and we must ensure British nationals STOP fighting for the IDF," she added.
If this is how the IDF treat hostages imagine what the Palestinians are suffering every day.
— Sayeeda Warsi (@SayeedaWarsi) December 16, 2023
Israeli organisations like @BtSIsrael and others have been warning about IDF tactics for years.
Trigger happy, pumped with hatred and out of control - the videos from Gaza, some filmed… https://t.co/Ig2257apPo
3 hours ago
French shipping giant CMA CGM, the third-largest shipping company in the world, announced on Saturday that they are pausing all container shipments through the Red Sea, according to Reuters.
CMA CGM is the third shipping company to pause container traffic through the Red Sea in the past two days, following similar announcements from the Danish company Maersk and the German company Hapag-Lloyd.
These announcements come as the Yemen-based Houthi group has repeatedly attacked commercial ships in the Red Sea as they target Israeli ships in the ongoing war, threatening one of the world's busiest trade routes.
3 hours ago
Israeli forces have bulldozed the tents of displaced Palestinians outside the Kamal Adwan hospital on Saturday, crushing people alive according to live reporting from Al Jazeera Arabic.
Video footage from the network showed mangled tents and belongings following the trampling.
Hundreds of people were sheltering in tents after being displaced from their homes.
Euro-Med Monitor called for an independent investigation into the incident.
The monitor said that some of the displaced Palestinians were “buried and crushed alive.”
The organisation added that they received testimonies from medics in Gaza at the scene who confirmed that Israeli forces buried and crushed Palestinians before withdrawing.
One eyewitness said that a body could be seen emerging from the sand.
3 hours ago
Israeli forces bombed the Young Men's Christian Association in Gaza on Saturday, where hundreds of Palestinians were sheltering.
Further air strikes targeted residential buildings in the surrounding areas.
According to the chairman of the Euro-Med Monitor, dozens are reported to be dead or wounded.
4 hours ago
French lawmaker Thomas Portes said it was "unacceptable" for French nationals to participate in the ongoing war.
The comments, posted on social media platform X, said that "war crimes" were being committed by the Israeli army.
"While the UN, through several of its special rapporteurs, warns of genocidal risks … the presence of citizens with French nationality dishonours France," he added.
4 hours ago
The Palestinian Red Crescent announced on Saturday that the communications blackout caused by intense Israeli bombing is hampering their efforts in assisting wounded people.
"The third day of the communications blackout in Gaza poses significant challenges for our teams in reaching the wounded and patients," they said in a statement.
They added that people are unable to call 101 for emergency services.
🚨The third day of the communication blackout in #Gaza poses significant challenges for our teams in reaching the wounded and patients 🚑, as people are unable to call the 101 emergency service.#IHl#HumanRights #NotATarget ❌ https://t.co/5CsB5i95mW
— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) December 16, 2023
5 hours ago
Reports from the Wall Street Journal on Saturday state that the Israeli intelligence agency's chief and Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the Qatari prime minister, are set to meet in Norway's capital.
The meeting is about renewed discussions on the release of captives.
The reports said the meeting would be "exploratory", and that the Israeli official is also set to meet Egyptian officials.