Live Updates: Israel 'ready' for new humanitarian pause in Gaza

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

17:25 GMT – Israel's Gaza truce to facilitate hostage release – Herzog

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has signalled readiness on the part of the country to enter another foreign-mediated Gaza truce to recover hostages held by Hamas and enable more aid to reach the besieged Palestinian enclave.

"Israel is ready for another humanitarian pause and additional humanitarian aid in order to enable the release of hostages," Herzog, whose public role is largely ceremonial, told a gathering of ambassadors on Tuesday, according to his office.

"And the responsibility lies fully with (Hamas leader Yahya) Sinwar and (other) Hamas leadership," he said.

05:07 GMT - UN to vote on Gaza aid truce

Israel faced another round of global pressure for a ceasefire in Gaza with a new UN vote and fresh Western diplomatic efforts, although the United States vowed to continue arming its ally.

The UN Security Council was set to convene to weigh a call for a ceasefire in the besieged Palestinian territory, after a previous bid was vetoed by the United States.

UK Foreign Minister David Cameron was also due to meet French and Italian leaders to push for a "sustainable ceasefire" in the conflict, his office said.

04:45 GMT - "My mother was killed by Israeli fire"

An Israeli woman who was freed in a recent prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas said her mother was killed and she was wounded when Israeli forces opened fire on the vehicle in which they were abducted.

In an interview that aired on Israel’s Channel 12, the woman recounted being taken by fighters from the Palestinian group's armed wing the Al Qassam Brigades in a tractor, which came under Israeli fire.

03:35 GMT - Pro-Palestinian rally at New York's Penn Station calls for truce

A pro-Palestinian rally has taken place inside Moynihan Train Hall at New York's Penn Station.

Demonstrators carrying Palestinian flags and banners called for a "Free Palestine" and demanded that the US government support an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Police reportedly closed some entrances to the terminal.

Protests have been ongoing since Israel i attacks on Gaza in October, with demonstrators reiterating their calls for the Biden administration to end its support for Tel Aviv.

03:00 GMT - Blinken, in call with Saudi counterpart, condemns Houthis

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has held a call with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan in which he condemned attacks by Yemen's Houthi movement on commercial vessels in international waters in the Red Sea, the State Department said.

"The Secretary also condemned continued attacks by the Houthis on commercial vessels operating in international waters in the southern Red Sea and urged cooperation among all partners to uphold maritime security," the State Department said in a statement after the call.

The Houthis have waded into Israel's war on Gaza by attacking vessels in vital shipping lanes and even firing drones and missiles at Israel, more than 1,600 kilometres from their seat of power in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa. The Houthi group said it launched a drone attack on two cargo vessels in one of its latest attacks in the region.

02:42 GMT - Raided Gaza hospital not functioning, patients evacuated: WHO

A hospital in northern Gaza that Israeli troops raided is no longer functioning, and patients, including babies, have been evacuated, putting the enclave's collapsing health services in further peril, a World Health Organization official said.

"What we understand is it's not functional anymore," Richard Peeperkorn, WHO representative for Gaza, told Reuters news agency.

He said two newborn babies were taken home "to their families and with a description of how to take care of them", while other patients, including infants, were evacuated to Al Ahli and Al Shifa Hospitals.

02:13 GMT - Israel kills girl who lost parents, siblings in previous strike

Israel has killed a girl who lost her parents, all siblings and a leg in a previous air strike, authorities in besieged Gaza said.

The Nasser Medical Complex in the city of Khan Younis in the southern of besieged Gaza was subjected to Israeli artillery shelling overnight, which resulted in the killing of 13-year-old Donia Abu Mohsen, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza announced.

The ministry said in a brief statement on Telegram that the teenager "was martyred and joined all her family members after the maternity building in Nasser Medical Complex was targeted," it said.

For our live updates from Monday, December 18, click here.