The situation remains disastrous on Sunday, December 24, in Gaza. The Palestinians are threatened by famine, after more than two months of a war that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated, during an interview with Joe Biden, that he wanted to wage until the elimination of Hamas. During their telephone conversation on Saturday, the American president “underscored the crucial need to protect the civilian population”and the two men discussed the “goals” and the “phasing” of the Israeli offensive, according to the White House. Faced with the press, Joe Biden clarified that he had not “no ceasefire requested”. Follow our live stream.
Bombing and artillery fire continue in several areas of Gaza. In Deir el-Balah, in the center, a strike on Saturday left people dead and many injured, including several women and children, AFP noted.
New attacks on ships in the Red Sea and off the coast of India. A chemical tanker was hit off the coast of India on Saturday by a “attack drone fired from Iran”, and two oil tankers and a US destroyer sailing in the Red Sea were also targeted by drones launched by Houthi rebels in Yemen, according to the US military. According to the maritime security firm Ambrey, the chemical tanker “is affiliated with Israel” and sails between Saudi Arabia and India, the Wall Street Journal claiming for its part that the Dutch company operating the MV Chem Pluto “is linked to Israeli shipping magnate Idan Ofer”.
More than 200 Palestinians killed in the last 24 hours. Incessant Israeli bombings and ground operations in the Gaza Strip have killed more than 200 Palestinians in the past 24 hours, Hamas said on Saturday. The Israeli army announced the death of nine soldiers on Saturday during fighting with Hamas in Gaza, one of the heaviest casualties for a day in the small territory since the start of the conflict on October 7.