The Israeli military continues its intense bombardment of the Gaza strip, killing and injuring dozens of Palestinian civilians, as its genocidal war on Gaza entered its 75th day. Despite the increasingly dire humanitarian situation across Gaza, the Israeli forces once again struck predominantly civilian targets, including refugee camps, hospitals, residential buildings and other locations where civilians were taking refuge. International human rights organizations have issued repeated and desperate appeals for a humanitarian truce and a cessation in fighting to avert further civilian deaths and suffering, but Israel has refused to heed any of their calls. Israeli forces hit all parts of Gaza with airstrikes and artillery attacks, shattering the illusion of “safe” zones in the strip.
The genocidal Israeli war continues as the United Nations Security Council once again postponed a crucial vote on a ceasefire resolution, now scheduled to be held on Thursday December 21, reportedly over disagreements regarding the text of the resolution. The United States, Israel’s primary global backer, reportedly raised objections to the text calling for “an urgent and sustainable cessation of hostilities”. On December 8, the US vetoed the UNSC resolution calling for a ceasefire, standing alone, despite widespread demands for a ceasefire from its own population.
On Monday, December 18, the head of Israel’s spy agency Mossad, CIA Director Bill Burns, and Qatari prime minister, met in Warsaw to begin talks regarding a possible truce and hostage exchange. The Qataris have positioned themselves as conduits to relay information to Hamas.
On Wednesday, December 20, Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’ political bureau, traveled to Egypt to hold talks with Egyptian officials about the situation in Gaza, a day after meeting with Iran’s foreign minister to discuss the prospects of a long term, lasting ceasefire.
Meanwhile, as the ceasefire talks inch along and Western governments refuses to put significant pressure on Israel to stop its violence, Palestinian civilians bear the brunt of the indiscriminate and barbaric Israeli war. Bombardments and artillery strikes today and in the last 24 hours struck multiple locations in Rafah, Khan Younis, Deir al-Balah, Gaza city, the Jabalia refugee camp, the al-Rimal neighborhood, the Nuseirat refugee camp, among several other areas. At least 27 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli attacks in Rafah, 13 in Deir al-Balah, 13 in Gaza city, the number of casualties unconfirmed from other areas.
Israeli attacks on hospitals and health centers also continue.
?Urgent: Occupation forces are still besieging the PRCS ambulance center ? in #Jabalia, northern #Gaza. ⚠️Artillery shelling continues in the vicinity of the center, with the sounds of explosions heard. Israeli snipers are positioned on the roofs of surrounding buildings,…
— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) December 20, 2023
The death toll in Gaza has crossed 20,000, including close to 8,000 children and 4,000 women. Almost 54,000 Palestinians have been wounded. At least 8,000 Palestinians are also missing, feared trapped under the rubble of destroyed buildings.
Israeli violence and repression against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank also continues unabated, with dozens of raids across the Palestinian territory. According to reports, in the last 24 hours, the Israeli security forces, made up of thousands of soldiers and accompanied by drones, armored military vehicles, and military bulldozers, raided numerous cities, towns and villages in the West Bank. Raids were conducted in and around Nablus, Hebron, Jenin, Tulkarm, occupied East Jerusalem, Bethlehem, among other areas. In Nablus, reports stated that Palestinian fighters resisting the invading Israeli soldiers engaged them in sustained firefights.
Since October 7, Israeli forces, in their drastically escalated raids, have killed at least 302 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, while also injuring close to 4,000. They have also illegally arrested and detained more than 4,600 Palestinians in these raids in a little over the last two months.
