2023-12-30 16:30:00
Israel expands offensive in Gaza as UN officials sound alarms regarding danger to civilians. Here, the latest information on the conflict
The Israeli military declared on Friday that it was “expanding operations” and dismantling Hamas infrastructure in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza, while claiming to have destroyed a network of tunnels near Gaza City along with one of the “stash apartments” belonging to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
As the Israel Defense Forces reported their progress on the ground, United Nations officials once more sounded the alarm regarding the consequences for Gaza’s civilian population.
The United Nations Palestine Refugee Agency (UNRWA) said in a post on X on Thursday that more than 150,000 people “have nowhere to go” following the IDF’s latest warning to evacuate large areas of central Gaza.
Even civilians who have reached shelters have not always been able to escape the damage. UNRWA declared on Friday that at least 308 people sheltering in its shelters had died and at least 1,095 others had been injured since the latest fighting in the enclave began on October 7.
And on Thursday, the U.N. aid chief described the frustrations of getting aid to the enclave, where an acute hunger crisis is affecting millions of people. UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths described “constant shelling. Poor communications. Damaged roads. Convoys shot at. Delays at checkpoints.” He added that “this is an impossible situation for the people of Gaza and for those trying to help them.”
Here are some key updates from Friday:
More information regarding Israel’s ground operations: In Khan Younis, the IDF said its troops fought Hamas using airstrikes, snipers and tank fire over the past day. In Gaza City, the discovery of Sinwar’s “hideout” was part of a network of tunnels located and destroyed “in recent weeks,” the IDF reported Friday. Israeli authorities say the “long and branching” tunnel system was used by senior Hamas officials. CNN cannot independently verify the IDF’s claims.
Israel faces possible case in international court: South Africa has filed an application with the International Court of Justice to begin proceedings over genocide allegations once morest Israel for its war once morest Hamas in Gaza, the court said. Israel has rejected South Africa’s claims, stating that the country “calls for the destruction of the State of Israel” and that its “demand lacks a factual and legal basis.” Israel also faced fresh condemnation on Friday from the United Arab Emirates, whose U.N. ambassador called Israel’s defense statements and stated goals in the war once morest Hamas a “fallacy.”
35 dead in Israeli attacks, most of them women and children: 35 Palestinians were killed and dozens injured following Israeli airstrikes on residential buildings in central Gaza overnight, Dr. Khalil Al-Dikran, head of nursing at Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir, told CNN on Friday. Al-Balah, in central Gaza. Most of the dead and wounded were women and children, and many were dismembered, he said.
The IDF accepts that there was “unintended harm” to civilians in the airstrike that caused 70 deaths: The IDF acknowledged that there was what it calls “unintended harm” to civilians as a result of the airstrikes in central Gaza on December 24. The attacks were directed once morest targets in the Al Maghazi refugee camp. Around 70 people were killed in the attacks, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry.
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