Live Updates: Israel issues ultimatum for 20% of Palestinians in Khan Younis

Thursday, December 21, 2023

05:31 GMT - Israel issues new ultimatum to Gaza residents to leave

Israel has issued a new ultimatum, ordered the residents of large areas of besieged Gaza's main southern city to flee, the United Nations said.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs [OCHA] said Israel had released maps showing new areas covering about 20 percent of the Khan Younis city that had been marked for mass exoduses.

Before fighting broke out, the area was home to more than 110,000 people, OCHA said.

05:00 GMT - Hezbollah loses another fighter

Lebanon's Hezbollah has said that one of its fighters was killed in fighting with the Israeli army along border areas with Israel.

A statement by the Lebanese group identified the fighter as Ibrahim Raslan, and it said he was killed "on the road to Jerusalem," in reference to Hezbollah's fight in support of Palestinian resistance against a devastating Israeli onslaught on besieged Gaza.

The group also said its fighters targeted an Israeli military site in Al Abad and fortifications with appropriate weapons, and inflicted "confirmed casualties."

04:49 GMT - Almost 60% of Germans believe Israel is 'foreign'

Fifty-nine percent of Germans agree with the phrase, "Israel is foreign to me," according to a poll by the German Forsa Institute on behalf of the Welt newspaper.

Among Germans between 30 and 44 years of age, as much as 70 percent feel Israel is foreign, the newspaper reported.

The survey concluded that 57 percent of Germans think Israel pursues "its interests without regard for other peoples."

04:13 GMT - Israel holds 300 Palestinians from Gaza in harsh conditions

Israeli media have reported that the army is holding hundreds of Palestinians from besieged Gaza, accused of being Hamas' armed wing elite forces members, in harsh conditions.

Israeli Channel 12 alleged that 300 members of the Al Qassam Brigades elite forces, known as Nukhba Forces, are currently being held in Israel.

It said the Palestinians are being classified at the highest level — dangerous.

It noted that they were arrested in Israeli towns and areas around Gaza on October 7, and are accused of being involved in the Hamas surprise blitz.

04:00 GMT - Blinken underscores US commitment to 'independent Palestinian state'

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has underscored Washington's commitment to "an independent Palestinian state" in a telephone conversation with his French, German and UK counterparts.

Blinken "stressed the importance of urgently addressing humanitarian needs in Gaza, the imperative of minimising civilian casualties, and the need to prevent the conflict’s further escalation," in the call with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron, according to spokesperson Matthew Miller.

"The Secretary also condemned attacks by the Houthis on commercial vessels operating in the Red Sea and urged cooperation among all partners to uphold maritime security," he added.

03:24 GMT - 'Over 4,000' French mercenaries engaged in Israel's war on Gaza

A French lawmaker has urged the government to investigate more than 4,000 citizens fighting alongside the invading Israeli army for "war crimes" in Palestinian territories.

Thomas Portes from the La France Insoumise [LFI] party wrote on X that he sent a letter to Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti, requesting an investigation into the 4,185 French-origin soldiers fighting alongside Israeli army in Gaza.

It comes as French President Emmanuel Macron urged Israel not "to flatten Gaza" or "attack civilian populations indiscriminately."

03:00 GMT - Sanctions requested against pro-Israel lawmaker in France

Tensions have reached a boiling point in a heated French parliamentary session as sanctions were sought against lawmaker Meyer Habib, who holds French and Israeli citizenship.

Accusations stemmed from alleged "war crime propaganda" following a debate on recent Israeli attacks on Gaza. Eric Coquerel, a member of the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) took the floor to mourn a Foreign Ministry official killed in Gaza by Israel.

Coquerel's attempt to observe a one-minute tribute for the official was met with rejection, prompting him to voice concerns about casualties in Gaza.

02:23 GMT - 8,000 Palestinian children killed by Israel remembered in Netherlands

A commemorative event was organised in Rotterdam for more than 8,000 Palestinian children killed in Israel's attacks on Gaza.

The event was organised by the Olive Tree Planting Foundation at Binnenrotte Square, which was transformed into a somber sea of remembrance as approximately 8,000 pairs of children's shoes were laid out to symbolize the tragic toll of the conflict.

Every 10 minutes, pairs of shoes were added to the display, symbolising the alarming frequency with which children are killed in the region. Volunteers tirelessly worked to distribute informational brochures to passersby, shedding light on the dire situation in Gaza.

For our live updates from Wednesday, December 20, click here.