Live Updates: Israel kills 25 Palestinians, including minors, in Gaza

Thursday May 23, 2024

06:30 GMT - Israel kills 25 Palestinians, including minors, in GazaIsraeli military has killed at least 17 Palestinians, including more than 10 children, and wounded dozens after targeting two homes in Gaza City and Rafah. In Al-Nuseirat camp, Israeli military killed eight Palestinians.

Local sources reported that 16 Palestinians, including 10 children, were killed and several citizens were wounded due to an Israeli air strike on a house in the Al-Daraj neighbourhood in central Gaza City.

Additionally, sources reported one Palestinian killed after Israeli forces targeted a house in Rafah, south of Gaza, belonging to the Al-Sha'er family.

Early on Thursday morning, Israeli forces targeted a house in Al-Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, killing eight Palestinians. Witnesses said the bombardment resulted in the destruction of a house belonging to al-Shami family and caused significant damage to the homes of residents in the adjacent area, which shelters displaced people.

They said medical teams and civil defence personnel are still searching for the dead and wounded at the site.

05:25 GMT — Israelis rally near Netanyahu's office, seeking hostage deal

Hundreds of Israelis have protested in front of hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office during the convening of the war council, demanding the release of hostages in Gaza.

Protests also erupted in several Israeli cities after a video was published showing Hamas fighters capturing female Israeli soldiers at a military base in the Nahal Oz settlement adjacent to Gaza fence on October 7 last year.

Hamas said in a statement that "the video clip being circulated in the Israeli media is a manipulated and edited segment, and the authenticity of its content cannot be verified."

04:30 GMT –– Colombia to open embassy in Ramallah as Israel torments Gaza

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro has ordered the opening of an embassy in the Palestinian city of Ramallah, Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo told journalists.

At the beginning of this month, Petro, who has criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and requested to join South Africa's case accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice, said he would cut diplomatic relations with Israel over its war in Gaza.

"President Petro has given the order that we open the Colombian embassy in Ramallah, the representation of Colombia in Ramallah, that is the next step we are going to take," Murillo said on Wednesday.

03:40 GMT –– Egypt again rejects Israel's plans to push Gaza residents to Sinai

Egypt has renewed its rejection of Israel's plans to displace Gaza residents to Sinai and held Tel Aviv responsible for preventing the entry of humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave.

"Egypt firmly rejects Israel's plans to relocate Gaza residents to Sinai," Egypt's Al-Qahera news channel reported, quoting a high-level source.

"Egypt will not allow Israel' s ambitions to be realised in Palestinian territories at its expense," the source stressed, adding: "Israel must review Egypt's accumulated aid shipments at the Karem Abu Salem crossing, which exceed 500 trucks, before accusing Egypt of preventing aid from entering the enclave."

03:00 GMT –– UCLA police chief reassigned after attack on pro-Palestine protesters

The police chief for the University of California at Los Angeles has been removed from his post three weeks after campus officials came under fire for their handling of a violent, overnight mob attack on pro-Palestine activists encamped at UCLA.

John Thomas, who was formally appointed UCLA police chief in January, has been "reassigned temporarily, pending an examination of our security processes," Vice Chancellor Mary Osako said in a statement.

Campus police Captain Gawin Gibson was named UCLA's acting chief of police effective on Tuesday, Osako said.

For our live updates from Tuesday, May 22, click here.