Israeli airstrikes and ground bombardment devastated Gaza for the 76th consecutive day as the death toll surpassed 20,000, including 8,000 children killed, along with close to 54,000 injured, multiple news reports stated on December 21. Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council vote on a ceasefire resolution, scheduled to be held on Wednesday, was delayed once again and is now expected to be held today. Airstrikes and ground shelling struck all parts of Gaza in the last 24 hours, killing and injuring dozens of Palestinians. Multiple violent military raids also continued across the occupied West Bank, leading to mass illegal arrests of Palestinians.
Meanwhile, talks between Hamas and Israel being mediated by Egypt and Qatar have also not progressed, as Israel refuses to agree to a complete and long term ceasefire. Hamas has said today that it will not agree to a hostage for prisoners exchange deal if Israeli aggression is not put to an end permanently.
At the same time, there is significant likelihood of a US veto on the UNSC resolution, despite increasing calls from the international community for an immediate, unconditional ceasefire, resulting in Israel and the US being completely isolated in supporting the continuation of this genocidal war.
The Israeli military bombed several locations in Rafah in Southern Gaza, including a number of homes and residential buildings as well as the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, killing at least four Palestinians and injuring several others. Israel today also ordered the mass evacuation of the central and southern parts of the city of Khan Younis, which is currently sheltering hundreds of thousands of internally displaced Palestinians.
Gruesome details also emerged from Gaza city of Israeli soldiers separating, rounding up and summarily executing 11 to 12 Palestinian men in front of other members of their families. The United Nations Human Rights Office has said that if reports of such an incident are true, they may “amount to a war crime.”
Additionally, Israeli forces destroyed a Palestinian cemetery in the eastern part of Gaza, an act which analysts have said has been done to “terrorize the population,” and to “break their will psychologically,” in order for them to stop resisting the occupation in the future.
Airstrikes and ground bombardment has also been reported throughout the day from various other parts of Gaza, with Israeli soldiers significantly continuing to lay siege on a number of hospitals and medical facilities, including at an ambulance center, in what the UN has described as “one of the most sadistic forms” that the Israeli war has taken. Latest reports from the World Health Organization say that only 9 out of the 36 hospitals and medical facilities in Gaza are currently functioning.
In addition to the intense bombardment and attacks in Gaza, Israeli forces have also continued to stage violent military raids across the occupied West Bank in the last 24 hours and today, with reports noting raids in and around Nablus, Jenin, Al Bireh, Jericho, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Tulkarm, Tubas, and occupied East Jerusalem, among other places. At least 16 buildings and other civilian structures have been demolished, including two structures which were being used by Palestinians as shelters for farm animals. At least 25 Palestinians have also been arrested in the raids today, taking the total number of Palestinians arrested since October 7 to nearly 4,700.
Clashes between Palestinian residents and the invading Israeli soldiers were reported in the West Bank, with the soldiers reportedly attacking the resisting Palestinians with live ammunition fire and stun grenades. Since the beginning of the invasion of Gaza, in the accompanying escalation in raids and military violence in the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces have killed at least 301 Palestinians and injured nearly 3,500 others.
