2023-12-16 20:09:00
It is late followingnoon in Gaza. This is what you need to know
The three Israeli hostages who died this Friday following being accidentally shot by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers in Gaza were shirtless and waving a white flag, according to an IDF officer.
More than one IDF soldier shot the hostages, the official told CNN following briefing reporters on Saturday, adding: “This was once morest our rules of engagement.”
The official said an investigation into the killings is underway, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government faces growing pressure to do more to remove the remaining hostages.
According to a military spokesman, Israeli soldiers have been asked to “be more careful” when encountering people in civilian clothes.
Here are other key events:
Funeral of a journalist: Hundreds of people gathered this Saturday in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, to mourn the death of Al Jazeera journalist Samer Abu Daqqa, killed on Friday in an airstrike.
Abu Daqqa’s body – wrapped in a white cloth, with the press vest and helmet he was wearing when he was wounded – was carried on the shoulders of the gathered crowd from the Al-Nasser medical complex in Khan Younis to a nearby cemetery. .
Abu Daqqa’s employer on Friday accused the IDF of “attacking and systematically kill to Al Jazeera journalists and their families.” The Israeli military responded that it has “never” deliberately attacked journalists and that it takes “all operationally feasible measures to protect both civilians and journalists.”
A deadly air strike: The Health Ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza said an airstrike early Saturday killed 14 people in a northern area of the territory. Dr. Munir Al-Bursh, director general of the ministry, told CNN that the victims were mainly women and children.
A couple of school raids: Also in northern Gaza, the IDF said it carried out raids on two schools where Hamas fighters were allegedly hiding. Israel Army Radio reported that 25 Hamas fighters were killed and 50 surrendered during the operation, although the IDF has not confirmed those figures to CNN.
A break in Rafah: The IDF carried out a “tactical pause” for humanitarian purposes in the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood of Rafah, southern Gaza, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. local time (3 a.m. to 7 a.m. ET) this Saturday, according to Israeli authorities. The pause was intended to allow civilians to replenish stocks of basic items such as food and water, but it is unclear how many people were aware of such an opportunity, due to the collapse of connectivity in the area.
A deadly year in the West Bank: 2023 has been the deadliest for Palestinians in the West Bank since 2005, when the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs began keeping records, according to a report by the organization. A total of 477 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank and Jerusalem between January 1 and December 15, the office’s office said.
A sea route under attack: Commercial maritime traffic in the Red Sea remains under threat. The US military said Iran-backed Houthi militants attacked three commercial ships on Friday, hitting two, while a British warship shot down a suspected attack drone targeting merchant ships.
A U.S. Navy ship also shot down 14 drones launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, preventing damage to ships in the area, according to U.S. Central Command. The Houthis have declared that any ship bound for Israel is a “legitimate target” following the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel and the subsequent Israeli offensive in Gaza.
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