what to remember from Thursday, December 28

The Israeli army continues its strikes on Khan Younes, in the Gaza Strip, where 40% of the population is threatened with famine according to UNRWA.

Israel continues its offensive against Palestinian Hamas with bombings in Khan Younes, in the south of the Gaza Strip, as well as incursions into the West Bank and strikes near the Syrian capital, Thursday December 28. The army also released its findings after the death of three Israeli hostages killed “by mistake” on December 15. Here are the main events of the 83rd day of fighting between Israel and Hamas.

The Israeli army continues its strikes on Khan Younes

The Israeli army continued its operations on Thursday in Khan Younes, the main city in the south of the Gaza Strip, but also in the refugee camps in the center of the territory where deadly night strikes were reported by the Hamas Ministry of Health .

The Hamas Ministry of Health has reported 21,320 dead and 55,603 injured since the start of Israeli bombardments. The Israeli army said that more than 500 Israeli soldiers, officers and reservists, have been killed since October 7, including 167 in the ground offensive launched on October 27.

40% of Gaza population threatened with famine, says UNRWA

In a post on (ex-Twitter), UNRWA believes that “40% of the population is now threatened with famine”. “Every day is a struggle to survive, to find food and to find water”, declared Thomas White, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. According to UNRWA, “the only remaining hope is a humanitarian ceasefire”.

UN calls for end to ‘unlawful killings’ in West Bank

A Palestinian was killed and 14 others were injured Thursday at dawn, during an incursion by the Israeli army in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, according to the official Palestinian Wafa agency. In this context, the UN asked Israel to “put an end to unlawful killings” among the population of this territory, denouncing a rapid deterioration of human rights in this area.

Israeli-American hostage declared dead by her kibbutz

Judith Weinstein Haggai, aged 70, died the day she was kidnapped by Palestinian Hamas during the October 7 attack, the Nir Oz kibbutz, where she resided, announced Thursday. She was presented as the oldest woman held hostage in the Gaza Strip.

“It has now been authorized to publish that she was killed that Saturday”, declared the kibbutz, six days after the announcement of the death of her husband in similar circumstances. Of the 250 people taken hostage by the Islamist movement during the attacks, which left around 1,140 dead, 129 are still being held in Gaza, according to Israeli authorities.

Hostages killed by Israeli army: soldiers heard cries for help, army says

Israeli soldiers heard cries for help from three hostages held by Hamas in Gaza who were shot dead “by mistake” on December 15, according to the findings of an army investigation released Thursday. During their assault on a building on December 10, soldiers heard screams of “hostages” And “Help !” in Hebrew, says the army. But they believed in a stratagem by Hamas fighters to set a trap for them in this building located in Choujaiya, and left the building.

The hostages came out on December 15 shirtless and waving a white flag, but Israeli soldiers took them away. “identified as threats” and fired, killing two of them instantly. According to the army’s findings, the battalion commander on the scene ordered his troops not to shoot, and ordered the surviving hostage to advance towards the soldiers. But two of them, “who did not hear the order because of the noise of a nearby tank”shot the hostage.

France welcomes two first injured Palestinian children

The two children were “treated in pediatric hospital departments”announced the Ministries of Health and Foreign Affairs in a joint press release, which “thanks the Egyptian authorities” for their participation in these evacuations. The two ministries “are working on a new operation” of the same type “starting next week” for Palestinian children “injured or seriously ill“.

Israeli strikes near the Syrian capital

Israel has “carried out airstrikes from the occupied Syrian Golan, targeting targets in the southern region”indicated the Syrian Ministry of Defense. “Our air defense intercepts hostile targets in the vicinity of Damascus”the official Syrian agency Sana wrote earlier.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the strikes targeted a Syrian air defense position in the Sweida region, to the south, and the surroundings of Damascus international airport. The attack near the airport came 24 hours after the resumption of flights, suspended since an Israeli attack at the end of November.

An agreement in principle for a humanitarian corridor via Cyprus

Israel has agreed in principle to Cyprus to open a maritime corridor between the eastern Mediterranean island and the Gaza Strip, under Israeli supervision, in order to directly deliver humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory. “There are still some logistical issues that need to be resolved”specified the spokesperson for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.