'Exhausted' Gazans pin hopes for 2024 while fighting rages on into 13th week

GAZA/JERUSALEM — Palestinians and Israelis end a dark year on Sunday, with no end in sight to the deadliest military offensive on Gaza.

Fighting raged over the weekend across Gaza, where displaced Palestinians said they were "exhausted "in the conflict, now in its 13th week.

Smoke billowed over the Gaza Strip's southern city of Khan Younis, the focus of recent fighting in the grinding offensive.

Further south, the border city of Rafah near Egypt was teeming with Gazans seeking safety from Israel's relentless bombardment in its fight against Palestinian militants.

"Enough with this war! We are totally exhausted," said Umm Louay Abu Khater, 49, who had fled her home in Khan Younis, taking refuge in Rafah.

"We are constantly displaced from one place to another in cold weather," she said. "The bombs keep falling on us day and night."

The Israeli army kept up its campaign in the face of mounting international pushback, reporting "fierce battles" and airstrikes across Gaza.

"We were hoping that 2024 would arrive under better auspices and that we would be able to celebrate the new year at home with our families," said Mahmoud Abou Shahma in a camp in Rafah.

"We hope that the war will end and that we will be able to return to our homes and live in peace," said the 33-year-old from Khan Younis.

Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says the Israeli military campaign has killed at least 21,822 people, by far the heaviest death toll in any Israeli operation.

On Sunday, the ministry reported numerous deaths in overnight strikes on central Gaza's Zawayda and the nearby Al-Maghazi refugee camp.

On the Israeli side, about 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas attack on Oct 7.

Hamas also took about 250 people hostage, and Israel says 129 of them remain in captivity, Agence France-Presse reported. The Israeli army says 170 soldiers have been killed in combat inside Gaza.

As the conflict has raged, UN chief Antonio Guterres has condemned the "epic human suffering "and "collective punishment" of Palestinian civilians.

He and other world leaders have repeatedly called for a cease-fire.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that Israel's war against Hamas will last for "many months" — until the Palestinian militant group has been eliminated.

"We will guarantee that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel," he told a news conference, adding that the military was involved in a "complex fight" and needed time to achieve its goals.

Hostages' release urged

As Netanyahu spoke, more than a thousand relatives and supporters of the hostages demonstrated in Tel Aviv to maintain pressure on his government to bring their loved ones home.

"I hope there's going to be another deal, even a partial deal or some will be released. I'm trying to hold on to every shred of hope," said Nir Shafran, 45.

International mediators — who in late November brokered a one-week truce that saw more than 100 hostages released and some aid enter Gaza — continue in their efforts to secure a new pause in fighting.

US news outlet Axios and Israeli website Ynet, both citing unnamed Israeli officials, reported that Qatari mediators had told Israel that Hamas was prepared to resume talks on new hostage releases in exchange for a cease-fire.

The Gaza conflict has also intensified tensions across the region.

Yemen's Houthi militia have repeatedly targeted vessels in the vital Red Sea shipping lane with strikes they say are in support of Palestinians in Gaza.

On Saturday, the US military said one of its destroyers shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired from territory controlled by the Houthis.

Israel has also traded frequent cross-border fire with Lebanon's Hezbollah movement.

In Syria, at least 23 fighters were killed on Saturday in raids "likely" carried out by Israel, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Meanwhile, the Israeli government on Sunday approved the appointment of a new foreign minister to replace Eli Cohen, a statement said. Israel Katz, the current energy minister, will swap positions with Cohen as part of the ministerial rotation that is subject to parliamentary approval.

Agencies via Xinhua

JERUSALEM - Israel declared on Tuesday the expansion of its ground offensive in the central Gaza Strip, as the United Nations warned that the escalation of attacks is exacerbating a "catastrophic" humanitarian crisis in the war-ravaged Palestinian enclave.

Israel previously urged the residents of Gaza to move from the northern region to the central and southern regions, which it claimed as "safe zones". However, the Israeli forces later expanded their strikes across the strip, including the central and southern parts.

In a statement, UN Human Rights Office's spokesperson Seif Magango reported that more than 50 strikes occurred in central Gaza on Dec 24-25, targeting the refugee camps of Bureij, Nuseirat, and Maghazi, where two strikes hit seven residential buildings, killing at least 86 people.

"An unknown number of people are still believed to be trapped under the rubble," Magango said.

The escalated Israeli bombardment, said Magango, is "deepening an already catastrophic humanitarian situation", with all roads connecting the three camps destroyed, hindering the delivery of relief aid. Shelters and hospitals, operating at a minimal capacity, are grappling with critical overcrowding and limited resources.

Palestinian health authorities have reported that approximately 21,000 people, predominantly children, women, and the elderly, were killed during the 81-day conflict, with thousands more missing and presumed to be buried under the rubble. A majority of the 2.3 million population has been displaced, and the UN reports widespread hunger.

Meanwhile, an Israeli military spokesperson told reporters that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) believes that "thousands" of Hamas militants are located in the refugee camps of central Gaza.

IDF Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi said in an address to soldiers that the attacks will now concentrate on central and southern Gaza.

According to Halevi, the military "is close to completing the dismantling of Hamas' battalions in the northern Gaza Strip".

He said that the military killed "many" militants and Hamas commanders, some surrendered to the Israeli forces and "hundreds" were taken prisoner. However, "it cannot be said that we killed them all. It seems likely that we will still encounter fighters in this area."

He acknowledged that the ongoing attack has exacted a "heavy and painful toll" on soldiers' lives, with official figures indicating that the number of Israeli troops killed has reached 161 since the beginning of Israel's ground invasion.

The Israeli objectives -- eliminating Hamas and bringing back home about 129 hostages who are still held in Gaza -- "are not simple to achieve", Halevi noted, saying that the fight would continue "for many more months".

Addressing the parliament Security and Foreign Affairs Committee, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also emphasized that Israel faces "a long fight".

He said that since Hamas launched its surprise attack on Oct 7, Israel has been "in a multi-front war. We are being attacked from seven different arenas: Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), Iraq, Yemen, and Iran".

Israel has "retaliated in six of these arenas", Gallant said. "Anyone who acts against us is a potential target, there is no immunity."

BEIJING -- China will continue to work with all parties to enhance coordination and galvanize more responsible and meaningful actions in the UN Security Council for an early cessation of hostilities in Gaza, the implementation of the two-state solution and peace and stability in the Middle East, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks when asked to comment on Resolution 2720, which was passed by the UN Security Council with 13 votes in favor and two abstentions last Friday, calling for urgent action to expand humanitarian assistance to Gaza and creating the conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities.

Mao said that China voted in favor of Resolution 2720, which is the second resolution adopted by the Security Council since the start of the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict. She also added that the resolution does not quite come up to international expectations and has certain gaps that needed to be filled.

Mao said as the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict has killed and injured tens of thousands of civilians and the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, China has urged for the resolution to be implemented effectively, humanitarian assistance to be expanded and a monitoring mechanism to be established as soon as possible.

Realizing a ceasefire remains the absolute priority and prerequisite for everything else, Mao said. China will continue to work with all parties to enhance coordination and galvanize more responsible and meaningful actions in the Security Council to make relentless efforts for an early cessation of hostilities in Gaza, the implementation of the two-state solution and peace and stability in the Middle East, she added.

CAIRO/JERUSALEM — Israel said its armed forces were increasingly focused on Hamas targets in south Gaza on Sunday, after the UN Security Council appealed for more aid for the enclave.

Signaling a pivot after weeks of intensive fighting around Gaza City, the Israeli army said troops were now looking to the Hamas stronghold of Khan Younis and elsewhere in the south, where most displaced Palestinians are trapped.

The refugee camp-turned-city is the birthplace and power base of Yahya Sinwar, Hamas' leader in Gaza.

Israel's chief military spokesperson said on Saturday that its forces had achieved almost complete operational control of northern Gaza and were preparing to expand the ground offensive to other areas in the strip, with a focus on the south.

More than a dozen Israeli soldiers were killed in combat over the weekend, the Israeli military said, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that the conflict in Gaza was exacting a "very heavy price".

US President Joe Biden discussed the situation with Netanyahu on Saturday. Israel's main ally has kept up its support while expressing concern over the growing casualty toll and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Biden declined to detail his conversation with Netanyahu, telling reporters it was a "private conversation." But, he added: "I did not ask for a cease-fire."

Biden and Netanyahu talked in detail about Israeli military operations in Gaza, including "its objectives and phasing", the need to protect civilian lives and securing the release of hostages being held captive, the White House said.

US officials have said they want and expect Israel soon to shift its military operations in Gaza to a lower-intensity phase during which there will be more targeted operations focused on the Hamas leadership and its infrastructure.

UN vote

After days of wrangling to avert a threatened US veto, the UN Security Council on Friday passed a resolution urging steps to allow "safe, unhindered, and expanded humanitarian access" to Gaza and "conditions for a sustainable cessation" of fighting.

The resolution was toned down from earlier drafts that called for an immediate end to 11 weeks of conflict and diluting Israeli control over aid deliveries, clearing the way for the vote in which the United States abstained.

The proposed resolution, presented by the United Arab Emirates, garnered support from 13 council members.

Christians held a somber Christmas vigil in Bethlehem in the West Bank on Saturday, with candle-lit hymns and prayers for peace in Gaza instead of the usual festive celebrations.

Most years Bethlehem basks in the central place it holds in the Christian story of Jesus' life.

But with Israel's campaign in Gaza, this year people in Bethlehem decided to have no large tree, the usual centerpiece of Christmas celebrations.

Syrians also canceled Christmas festivities in solidarity with Gaza. Aleppo's central district of Azizia is usually home to a bustling festive market and a huge Christmas tree, while its streets are adorned with lights and trinkets. But this year, the main square is almost empty and there are no Christmas decorations in sight.

Agencies - Xinhua

Beijing said on Tuesday that it hopes Washington will listen to the growing international calls to end hostilities between Palestine and Israel, and refrain from unilaterally obstructing the United Nations Security Council from passing relevant resolutions.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin made these remarks at a news conference, after United States Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns said at a recent Brookings Institution event that China wishes to become influential in the Middle East, but it is on the shoulders of the US to end this conflict.

The US should play its due role in promoting an immediate cease-fire and ending the violence to prevent a larger-scale humanitarian disaster, Wang said.

Since the outbreak of the Palestine-Israel conflict, China has been committed to pushing for a cease-fire and protecting civilians.

As president of the UN Security Council for November, China promoted the adoption of the first resolution and submitted China's position paper to push the UNSC to take more action.

Beijing has also provided multiple batches of humanitarian assistance, including cash, food and medicine to Gaza, Wang said.

The spokesman stressed that China does not have selfish interests in the Middle East and does not seek to form exclusive circles.

China always believes that the future of the Middle East should be in the hands of the people in the region, he said, adding that China supports the Palestinian people's just cause of restoring their legitimate national rights.

In recent years, China has proposed a series of initiatives and proposals to broker peace in the Middle East.

In March, Saudi Arabia and Iran reached a deal, which includes the agreement to resume diplomatic relations under the mediation of China. Last week, the first vice-ministerial level meeting of the China-Saudi Arabia-Iran trilateral joint committee was held in Beijing.

All of these efforts were made to encourage regional countries to realize development through solidarity and resolve disputes and differences through dialogue and consultation, said Wang, adding that China would like to work relentlessly to that end.

JERUSALEM -- Israeli President Issac Herzog said on Tuesday that his country is ready for another humanitarian ceasefire in the ongoing conflict in Gaza in exchange for the release of hostages.

"I can reiterate the fact that Israel is ready for another humanitarian pause and additional humanitarian aid in order to enable the release of hostages," Herzog told a group of foreign ambassadors during a briefing on the current situation of the Israel-Hamas conflict, adding the responsibility "lies fully with" Hamas.

Chief of Israel's Mossad spy agency David Barnea held a meeting in Poland on Monday with the Director of US Central Intelligence Agency William Burns and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to discuss a potential new hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, Israeli media reported.

From Nov 24 to Nov 30, Israel and Hamas observed a seven-day cease-fire after the mediation of Qatar, Egypt, and the United States. During the ceasefire, several batches of Israeli hostages in Gaza were released in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel and the entry of humanitarian aid into the besieged Gaza Strip.

Israel and Hamas resumed military operations immediately after the ceasefire collapsed on Dec 1.

GAZA  -- The death toll of Palestinians has risen to 19,453 in the Gaza Strip since the outbreak of the Hamas-Israel conflict on Oct 7, the Hamas-run health ministry said Monday.

Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qedra said during a press conference in the southern Gaza Strip that 52,286 Palestinians were wounded by Israel's air and artillery attacks since the conflict began.

He added that there was an urgent need to evacuate 5,000 wounded people from the Gaza Strip so that they can receive treatment outside the Palestinian enclave.

The spokesman said the health and humanitarian situation in the shelters in the southern Gaza Strip is "catastrophic due to the spread of diseases and the lack of health care."

He called on international institutions to provide the Gaza Strip with medicines and fuel in order to resume the operation of hospitals, especially those in the northern Gaza Strip, which have suspended their services due to Israel's attacks and siege.

JERUSALEM - Israel was stepping up bombardments on the Gaza Strip amid increased calls for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, which has claimed the lives of more than 18,800 Palestinians in Gaza.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned in a statement that the Al Shifa hospital in northern Gaza, which was the enclave's largest medical center before the war, is currently "minimally functional" and needs to "urgently resume at least basic operations to continue serving the thousands in need of lifesaving health care".

A joint team from the United Nations and the WHO visited the hospital and described its emergency department as "a bloodbath", with "hundreds of injured patients inside and new patients arriving every minute".

Patients with trauma injuries were being sutured on the crowded floor, with limited or no pain management available at all, according to the team.

"Tens of thousands of displaced people are using the hospital building and grounds for shelter," and there is "a severe shortage" of drinking water, food, and medicines, the statement noted.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson unit reported in an update that heavy fighting took place across Gaza, with Israeli forces striking more than 200 locations in the past day.

Israeli forces raided a building near a UNRWA school, claiming to have found machines for the production of rocket parts, and three tunnel shafts nearby.

The IDF said it has uncovered the largest underground Hamas tunnel system in Gaza so far. The system splits into branches of tunnels, spans over more than 4 km and reaches 400 meters from the Erez crossing, a passageway between Gaza and Israel.

The IDF reported that three additional soldiers were killed in the war in Gaza, bringing the total number of military casualties to more than 120 since Israel initiated its ground offensive. The total Israeli death toll reaches 454 soldiers and approximately 800 civilians, most of them killed during the initial Hamas attack on communities in southern Israel on Oct 7, according to official Israeli figures.

Meanwhile, calls for a ceasefire have intensified amidst mass rallies worldwide, urging Israel to halt the deadly attacks in Gaza. French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna arrived on Sunday for a visit to Israel and the occupied West Bank, where she urged an "immediate and durable" truce in the ongoing war.

"Too many civilians are being killed," she said during a press conference in Tel Aviv alongside her Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen.

GAZA -- Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said on Wednesday that the Gaza-ruling Palestinian faction is ready to discuss with Israel any arrangement or initiative that could lead to a ceasefire in Gaza.

"We are open to discuss any arrangement or initiative that could end the (Israeli) aggression," Haniyeh, head of the Hamas political bureau, said in a televised speech aired on Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV, adding that without Hamas, any arrangement regarding the future of Gaza would not succeed.

Haniyeh said Hamas welcomed the United Nations General Assembly's resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and applauded the efforts of Saudi Arabia and the ministerial committee assigned by the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit to end the Gaza conflict.

He confirmed Hamas's rejection of any post-war political arrangements that exclude Hamas and other Palestinian factions, and urged for increased international pressure to halt Israeli attacks on Gaza.

Earlier, Israeli media reported several Hamas leaders' departure from Qatar to undisclosed destinations, suggesting potential relocations to countries such as Lebanon, Iran, or Algeria.

No confirmation from Hamas has been obtained regarding these reports.

Israel's conflict with Hamas since Oct. 7 has resulted in extensive casualties. At least 18,608 Palestinians have been killed and 50,594 others wounded in the Israeli attacks on Gaza and about 1,200 people have died in the Hamas attacks on Israel.

With 153 votes in favor, 10 against, and 23 abstentions, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza.

Despite a General Assembly vote only carrying moral weight, as UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said, the messages they send are "very important" since they reflect world opinion.

And as CNN said, it is a rebuke to the United States which was the only country to veto a cease-fire resolution in the 15-member UN Security Council last week. All the other UNSC members approved the resolution apart from the United Kingdom, which abstained.

Tuesday's resolution, which was passed at an Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly, calls for a cease-fire, for all parties to comply with international law, and for humanitarian access to hostages as well as their "immediate and unconditional" release. Although its language is tougher than the Security Council resolution the US vetoed — it demands, rather than calls for or urges the two sides to agree to a cease-fire — the US was one of the countries that voted against the resolution. US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, indicated that the US is sticking to its guns, saying that since the resolution "failed to condemn Hamas", the US wouldn't support it.

The death toll in Gaza, which has been described as the world's largest outdoor prison, continues to rise, 18,200 Palestinians plus 104 Israeli soldiers have been killed since Israel launched its military operation in response to the Hamas attacks on Oct 7 that killed 1,200 people and saw around 240 kidnapped. Over 100 hostages are still being held in Gaza, according to Israeli authorities.

Israel has said it will not stop its military campaign until it eradicates Hamas. But it is generally believed that it will not be able to do that, and in the meantime, its military operation has left half of the 2.3 million people in Gaza starving, according to the UN World Food Programme. Hundreds of or even more newborns in incubators face the threat of death because the electricity has been cut off. And almost 40,000, or 18 percent, of the buildings in Gaza, have been damaged or destroyed.

The Joe Biden administration's seemingly unconditional support for Israel is prolonging the humanitarian disaster in Gaza and causing more casualties with every hour that passes. It's time that the US acknowledged what is happening in Gaza and played a more constructive role by persuading Israel to agree to a cease-fire.

The US should recognize that it is standing on both the wrong side of world opinion and history with its intransigence.

China's top envoy to the United Nations on Monday made a field trip to the Rafah crossing, the only border crossing between Gaza and Egypt.

Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN, joined ambassadors from Security Council members on the visit organized by the United Arab Emirates, aiming to assess the humanitarian situation and challenges faced by the Palestinian people.

The delegation engaged in a series of briefings by Egyptian and UAE agencies on the ongoing efforts to provide humanitarian and medical assistance.

The visit also included discussions with heads of UN agencies and on-site inspections of key facilities, such as the border crossing, humanitarian warehouses, hospitals and desalinated water plants, according to a news release by China's mission to the UN.

"Paid a field trip to Rafah today with Security Council colleagues. A great initiative by the UAE Mission to UN," Zhang said on the social media platform X on Monday.

"We saw the long queue of trucks waiting for passage to Gaza. We met with medical workers who were helping the Palestinians with courage and dedication," he said. "We heard the strong voice calling for peace from the young volunteers. We discussed with UN humanitarian teams on the ground the serious situation they are facing."

"The war must stop now. We must also double our humanitarian efforts to help the Palestinians who are struggling with the unprecedented catastrophe in Gaza," Zhang said on X.

"Esteemed Zhang Jun, our world needs more peace and fewer wars. Let's find ways to peacefully dialog instead of conflict so we can bring understanding and harmony. May the future be free from war, granting generations hope in a peaceful world," said one comment under his post.

Zhang also conveyed his appreciation to Egypt, the UAE and UN agencies for "their proactive measures in assisting the Palestinian people during a critical period", according to the news release.

Zhang said that China has been "making unremitting efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at an early date and has provided urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian side".

China will continue to urge the Security Council to play a responsible role in making the realization of a cease-fire a matter of the utmost urgency on the one hand while promoting the expansion of humanitarian access on the other, so as to alleviate the suffering endured by the Palestinian people, he said.

Monday's tour came at a critical juncture as the UN on Friday did not adopt a draft resolution that demands a humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza. The US vetoed the resolution and said that it does "not support calls for an immediate cease-fire".

"While the United States strongly supports the durable peace, in which both Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security, we do not support calls for an immediate cease-fire," Robert Wood, alternate permanent representative of the US to the UN, said at the meeting on Friday.

"This would only plant the seeds for the next war because Hamas has no desire to see a durable peace to see a two-state solution," he said.

minluzhang@chinadailyusa.com

GAZA - The United Nations said Saturday that tens of thousands of Palestinians flocking into Rafah are facing overcrowding and in need of shelters.

In a press statement sent to Xinhua, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that since Dec 3, tens of thousands of internally displaced have arrived in Rafah, the southern tip of the Gaza Strip. Most of them came from the neighboring Khan Younis city, following evacuation orders issued by Israeli forces and the continued bombing and fighting.

Those newly displaced people face severe overcrowding in Rafah, with no empty space for shelter, not even in the streets or other open areas.

"Thousands of displaced people set up temporary structures and tents in a Qatari Field hospital under construction and the Al-Quds Open University campus in Rafah," the agency added.

For many Palestinians, this is the second or third displacement they have experienced since the start of Israel's attack on the Gaza Strip on Oct 7.

According to the UN, it is estimated that about 1.9 million people in Gaza, or approximately 85 percent of the population, are internally displaced.

Nearly 1.2 million of these displaced people have been registered in 151 facilities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) throughout the Gaza Strip.

Since Oct 7, Israel has been launching massive airstrikes and a ground offensive in Gaza in response to the Hamas surprise attack on Israel that killed around 1,200 and in which over 200 were taken hostage.

Palestinians have already been driven from northern Gaza to the south of the enclave as Israel bombed the northern part and put boots on the ground there. Having extended its military offensive to the south, the Israeli military operations will no doubt turn southern Gaza into a bloody slaughterhouse.

Israel's military offensive in Gaza, in retaliation for Hamas' abrupt attacks on Israel on Oct 7, has entered its second month. Yet, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted on Saturday that his country's ground operation in Gaza must continue to ensure the release of hostages.

Netanyahu's government has already withdrawn its negotiation team from cease-fire talks with Hamas in Qatar, leaving little room and hope for further negotiations. This has fueled growing international concern that Israel's military apparatus is determined to exact retribution on the people in Gaza.

The World Health Organization said on Monday it had been forced to move supplies from a WHO medical warehouse in southern Gaza as the Israeli military's ground operations there made it inaccessible. WHO officials said the health sector in Gaza has undergone "a massive degradation" with 18 hospitals currently functioning well below capacity and down from 36 prior to the start of the current conflict.

Since Israel resumed military operations in Gaza, members of the world community have raised concerns and put intensive pressure on Israel to halt its punishment offensive, with the United Nations warning the situation in Gaza was becoming "more apocalyptic".

Israel consumed by rage, fear and loathing, and an internal blame game within its political circle for lapses that enabled the Oct 7 attacks, shows no signs that compassion will stay its vengeful hand. But even the United States, which has thrown its hat into the ring in support of Israel — as well as two aircraft carriers — has begun to put pressure on Israel as the situation in Gaza is no longer condonable by any blinkered loyalty or self-serving need. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan saying that "too many innocent civilians have died in the Gaza conflict" has been the strongest censure of Israel by the US administration so far.

Influential stakeholders such as the US must ramp up the pressure on Israel to see sense. Its punishment of the Palestinians in Gaza is not conducive to its long-term security. Greater efforts are needed by the international community acting in consort to protect civilians in Gaza. More civilian casualties in Gaza will be a scar on the conscience of Israel and a terrible indictment of the world's impotence to prevent the barbarism that has characterized the conflict.

UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is alarmed by the resumption of hostilities between Israel and Palestinians after a short pause, said his spokesman on Monday.

The secretary-general is extremely alarmed by the resumption of hostilities between Israel and Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups in Gaza over the weekend, including rocket fire toward Israel from Gaza and the renewal of ground operations and intensified airstrikes by the Israel Defence Forces in southern Gaza, said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, in a statement.

Guterres calls on all parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law. The United Nations continues to appeal to Israeli forces to avoid further action that would exacerbate the already catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and to spare civilians from more suffering. Civilians, including health workers, journalists and UN personnel, and civilian infrastructure must be protected at all times, said the statement.

"The secretary-general reiterates the need for unimpeded and sustained humanitarian aid flow to meet the needs of the people throughout the (Gaza) Strip. For people ordered to evacuate, there is nowhere safe to go and very little to survive on," it said.

Guterres also remains gravely concerned about the escalation of violence in the occupied West Bank, including intensified Israeli security operations, high numbers of fatalities and arrests, spiking settler violence and attacks on Israelis by Palestinians, it said.

The secretary-general reiterates his call for a sustained humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza and the unconditional and immediate release of all remaining hostages, said the statement.

TUNIS - Tunisia received on Sunday the first group of 20 wounded Palestinians from the Gaza Strip for treatment, the country's private radio station Mosaique FM reported.

The wounded Palestinians, along with 21 family members, boarded a Tunisian military plane and arrived at the international airport of Tunis Sunday evening, Ridha Dhaoui, the president of Tunisian National Council of the Order of Physicians, told Mosaique FM.

According to Dhaoui, the wounded Palestinians, aged 1-21, will be admitted to both public and private hospitals in Tunis to receive the medical treatment.

Dhaoui added that most of the injured Palestinians had broken bones and serious burns.

Dhaoui announced that another plane carrying 150 wounded Palestinians was expected to arrive in Tunis on Dec 5.

The move is part of Tunisia's efforts to treat the large number of wounded Palestinians in the Gaza Strip amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. More than 15,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the beginning of the conflict on Oct 7, and 41,316 others were injured, according to the Gaza-based Media Office.

JERUSALEM - Israel's military chief Herzi Halevi said on Sunday that the military has expanded the ground operation against Hamas to the southern Gaza Strip, an area previously considered as a "safe zone".

"We fought strongly and thoroughly in the northern Gaza Strip, and we are also doing it now in the southern Gaza Strip," Halevi, the chief of the General Staff of Israel Defense Forces (IDF), said during a tour at Israel's Gaza Division outside the besieged enclave, according to a statement released by the military.

He said that the Israeli ground troops, in combination with air and sea forces, have almost completely "dismantled" two Hamas brigades, killing brigade commanders, company commanders, and "many" operatives.

Halevi said that on Saturday morning, a day after a fragile seven-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas had collapsed, the forces "started the same process in the southern Gaza Strip." He vowed that the offensive in the southern Gaza Strip "will be with no less strength than that, it will be with no fewer results than that, and Hamas commanders will meet the IDF everywhere in a very, very strong way".

Halevi added that the offensive in the northern Gaza Strip would continue with full force.

The expansion of Israel's ground operation has heightened concerns over the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

"People have lost everything, and they need everything," the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), wrote on the social media platform X. "Gaza's population will soon begin dying from diseases as well as Israeli bombardment," the agency warned.

Meanwhile, rocket fire from Gaza continued on Sunday, targeting mainly southern Israeli communities. Rockets and anti-tank missiles were launched at northern Israel from Lebanon, lightly injuring at least four people in the community of Beit Hilel in the Galilee, according to Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service.

In the Golan Heights, originally Syrian territory that was annexed by Israel, two projectiles were identified crossing from Syria in two separate incidents, the Israeli army said in a statement, adding that troops fired towards the area from which the projectiles were launched.

Despite the continuation of rocket fire, Israel's Homefront Command announced that all restrictions on schools and workplaces have been lifted, allowing the resumption of all activities, except in the southern communities adjacent to the Gaza Strip, where schools have been closed since the beginning of the war and remained so.

More than 15,000 people were killed in Gaza since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict, with 75 percent of them being children, women, and the elderly, and 41,316 others were injured, according to the Gaza-based Media Office. Israeli authorities said about 1,200 people were killed on the Israeli side.

Israel carried out heavy bombardments in the Gaza Strip on Sunday as international pressure mounted for greater protection of civilians and the renewal of an expired truce deal with Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The prospect of another cease-fire in Gaza appeared bleak, as Israel recalled its negotiators and Hamas' deputy leader said any further swap of hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel would only happen as part of ending the conflict.

The Israeli army said it had conducted more than 400 strikes in Gaza since the truce deal collapsed on Friday, including more than 50 in Khan Younis and its surrounding areas in the south. Hamas said at least 240 Palestinians were killed in the offensive.

Israeli strikes also hit the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza on Saturday, killing at least 13 people, according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.

United States Vice-President Kamala Harris, who is in the United Arab Emirates to attend the COP28 global climate conference, sharply criticized on Saturday the rising civilian toll in Israel's eight-week offensive, sparked by an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel on Oct 7.

The overall death toll in Gaza had surpassed 15,200 as of Saturday, with 70 percent of the dead being women and children, according to Hamas.

"Too many innocent Palestinians have been killed," Harris told reporters in Dubai. "Frankly, the scale of civilian suffering and the images and videos coming from Gaza are devastating."

An estimated 1.7 million Gaza residents — more than two-thirds of its population — have been displaced by the conflict, according to the United Nations. On Sunday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, said on X, formerly Twitter, that he couldn't "find words strong enough to express our concern over what we're witnessing".

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said that Israel had told NGOs not to bring aid convoys across the Rafah border crossing from Egypt after the truce expired. As a result, Gaza residents are once again grappling with shortage of food, water and daily necessities.

Biden losing support

In the US, Muslim community leaders from several swing states pledged on Saturday to withdraw support for President Joe Biden at a conference in suburban Detroit, citing his refusal to call for a cease-fire in Gaza. They said the community's support for Biden is waning as more Palestinian men, women and children are killed in Gaza.

The weeklong truce, brokered with the help of Qatar and Egypt, led to the release of 80 Israeli hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners. But the deal collapsed with both sides blaming each other for violating its conditions. Israel said that Hamas had tried to fire a rocket before the cease-fire ended, and that it had failed to produce a list of further hostages for release.

Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told reporters on Saturday that fresh military action was needed to "create the conditions that push (Hamas) to pay a heavy price".

French President Emmanuel Macron appealed for "stepped-up efforts to reach a lasting cease-fire "to free all hostages, allow in more aid and to assure Israel of its security. He said he was heading to Qatar to work on a new truce deal.

Macron took issue with Israel's stated war aims, warning that if the "total destruction of Hamas" in Gaza was the goal, "the war will last 10 years".

AGENCIES — XINHUA

GAZA -- Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip have killed at least 65 people since truce expired and fighting resumed on Friday morning, Palestine's official news agency WAFA reported.

Local medical sources told Xinhua that dozens of others were injured in varying degrees as a result of Israeli raids that targeted several areas of the Palestinian enclave.

The government media office in Gaza said in a statement that Israeli aircraft bombed a number of inhabited homes and crowded areas in several cities of the Gaza Strip.

Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) which controls Gaza, said on Friday it has resumed its attacks on Israeli cities upon the end of the week-long humanitarian ceasefire.

Al-Qassam Brigades said in a press statement that they "targeted the cities of Ashkelon, Sderot, and Beersheba with rocket barrages" in response to the Israeli strikes on Gaza.

In Gaza, al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine, said its fighters attacked an Israeli army unit gathered south of Gaza City using several mortar shells.

Field clashes between Palestinian militants and Israeli forces took place inside and north of Gaza City, according to Palestinian security sources and eyewitnesses.

Meanwhile, sirens were sounding in Israeli towns near their border with the Gaza Strip on Friday morning for the first time since Israel and Hamas reached a humanitarian truce on Nov 24, according to Israeli media.

The Israeli army confirmed that it intercepted a missile fired towards Israel from the Gaza Strip. In the wake of the attack, the Israeli Home Front Command tightened guidelines for civilians in some areas of the country.

The temporary humanitarian truce reached between Israel and Hamas began on Oct 24 and ended at 7:00 am local time (0500 GMT) Friday.

During the ceasefire days, 240 Palestinians, 86 Israelis, and 24 foreign citizens were released.

JERUSALEM - The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas continued on Thursday for the seventh day as more hostages were freed from the Gaza Strip and mediators pressed ahead with the efforts to further extend the fragile truce.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived early Thursday in Israel, marking his fourth visit to the Middle East since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict on Oct 7.

Blinken held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and attended the Israeli wartime Cabinet, which was discussing the Qatari-mediated proposals to prolong the ceasefire in Gaza, as well as Israel's plans to resume military operations against Hamas after the hostages were returned.

In remarks to reporters alongside Israeli President Isaac Herzog before their meeting, Blinken expressed his hope that the truce, which started on Nov 24, could be extended.

Blinken also stressed the importance of increasing the desperately needed humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza and the release of more hostages. "This process is producing results. It's important, and we hope that it can continue," he said.

Blinken also met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah, during which Abbas highlighted the urgent need to implement a "complete" ceasefire in Gaza, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

Speaking at a press conference in Tel Aviv, Blinken said that he urged Israel to put civilian protection plans in place to minimize civilian casualties once it resumes operations in Gaza.

The truce persisted following diplomatic efforts throughout the night between Wednesday and Thursday. Late on Wednesday, Hamas stated that Israel rejected a list of hostages slated for release on Thursday. Israel maintains its stance, demanding that Hamas releases a minimum of 10 hostages daily to sustain the ceasefire.

After intensive diplomatic endeavors overnight, Israel abandoned plans to resume fighting at dawn. The Israeli military released a statement just minutes before the truce was set to expire at 0700 (0500 GMT) that "the operational pause will continue."

Following the diplomatic efforts, two female Israeli hostages were released on Thursday evening, the first two out of 10 Israeli hostages expected to be released later at night, according to the Israeli military.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Prisoners Society published a list of eight Palestinian women and 22 children held in Israeli custody, who are slated to be released on Thursday.

On Thursday morning, a deadly shooting attack in Jerusalem served as a stark reminder of the volatile atmosphere and raised concerns about further escalation.

Two Palestinian gunmen opened fire near the entry of Jerusalem, killing three civilians, according to a police statement. Israel's Shin Bet internal security service later identified the two as residents of East Jerusalem linked to Hamas.

Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack, stating it was "a natural response to crimes of occupation in Gaza, the killing of children in Jenin, and the harm to prisoners."

The Palestinian Health Ministry said that more than 15,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza since Oct 7, and over 6,500 others are missing. In Israel, about 1,200 people were killed, mostly in the Oct 7 Hamas surprise attack on Israel that triggered the conflict.

JERUSALEM - The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Thursday morning that the ceasefire with Hamas in the Gaza Strip will be extended.

"The operational pause will continue in light of the mediators' efforts to continue the process of releasing the hostages and subject to the terms of the framework," read a short statement released by the IDF several minutes before the expiration of the current truce deal.

It did not reveal the length of the extension. According to a statement by Hamas, the truce, which was set to expire on Thursday morning, will be extended for an additional day.

Only eight hostages will be released by Hamas on Thursday, according to several Israeli media, as the two Israeli-Russian women released by Hamas earlier on Wednesday will be included in the hostage list for Thursday. In exchange, 30 Palestinians will be released from Israeli prisons.