Live Updates: Israel kills several Palestinians in northern Gaza

Thursday, July 25, 2024

4:3 GMT — Israel kills several Palestinians in northern Gaza

As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a speech to the US Congress about how Israeli army cares for civilians, an Israeli air strike targeting a gathering in the town of Beit Lahia in the northern part of besieged Gaza killed several Palestinians and wounded many others.

Witnesses told Anadolu Agency that an Israeli aircraft launched the strike on a gathering in the Beit Lahia project area, resulting in numerous casualties.

Israeli artillery also intensified shelling in the Zaytoun, Tel al-Hawa and Shuja'iyya neighbourhoods in Gaza City, they added.

03:53 GMT — Israeli army says it recovered bodies of 2 hostages

Israeli local media claims Israeli army has recovered the bodies of two hostages who were killed during the October 7 attack last year by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas and were being held in Gaza.

While not elaborating on how and when precisely they were killed, Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth daily claims Maya Goren and Oren Goldin were killed more than nine months ago and the Israeli army returned their bodies.

The announcement noted that Goren will be buried "next to her husband Avner Goren" who also died in the October 7 events.

03:23 GMT — Israeli opposition leaders slam Netanyahu's speech to US Congress

Israeli opposition leaders sharply criticised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to the US Congress. Yair Lapid, the leader of the There Is a Future Party, called the address "disgraceful."

"Disgrace! An hour of talking without uttering the single sentence: 'There will be a kidnapping deal,'" Lapid wrote on X, accusing Netanyahu of failing to address a prisoner exchange deal with the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

Similarly, Deputy Knesset Speaker Evgeny Sova from the opposition Yisrael Beiteinu Party took to X to criticise Netanyahu's leadership.

For our live updates from Wednesday, July 24, 2024, click here.