- At least 20 people have been reportedly killed, including seven children, in the bombing of the city of Rafah by Israeli forces.
- A UN expert warns that “every single Palestinian in Gaza is going hungry” as Israel continues its deadly bombardment of the enclave.
- Al Jazeera denounces the killing of its journalist Anas al-Shifa’s 65-year-old father in an Israeli attack on his home in northern Gaza.
- Israel says it will screen humanitarian aid at the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing, but supplies will still enter Gaza only via Egypt’s Rafah.
- More than 18,200 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli bombardment since October 7. The revised death toll in Israel stands at 1,147.
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Israel’s defence minister says war will ‘take time’
Israel’s defence minister has pushed back against international calls for a ceasefire, saying the current phase of what Israel says is an operation against Hamas will “take time”.
“We are going to defend ourselves. I am fighting for Israel’s future,” Yoav Gallant, a member of Israel’s three-man war cabinet, said in a briefing with The Associated Press.
Gallant refused to commit to any firm deadlines but signalled that the current phase, characterised by heavy ground fighting backed up by air power, could stretch on for weeks and that further military activity could continue for months.
He added that the next phase would be lower-intensity fighting against “pockets of resistance” and would require Israeli troops to maintain their freedom of operation.
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Know their names: Palestinians killed by Israel in the occupied West Bank
This year, at least 483 Palestinians have been killed and more than 12,769 wounded by Israeli forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank.
Since October 7, as jets bombarded Gaza, the Israeli military ramped up its raids in the West Bank. As of December 10, at least 106 Palestinian children have been killed by Israeli soldiers or settlers this year, reaching three times the number recorded in 2022.
This year alone accounts for a quarter of all Palestinian deaths over the past 20 years.
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Photos: Gaza on Tuesday morning
[Said Khatib/AFP] 
[Jack Guez/AFP] 
[Jack Guez/AFP] 
[Jack Guez/AFP] -
Photos: Aftermath of Israeli strikes on houses in Khan Younis
[Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters] 
[Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters] 
[Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters] 
[Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters] -
Israeli raids continue in the occupied West Bank
In addition to the raid in the city of Jenin, where four Palestinians have been killed, Israeli forces have carried out operations in other parts of the occupied West Bank:
- Israeli raids took place in the town of Silwad, northeast of Ramallah where 15 people were arrested.
- Several people were detained in the town of Samu in Israeli raids on Palestinian homes.
- Olive fields in the towns of Qasr and Orta, south of Nablus, were vandalised by Israeli forces who were accompanied by Israeli settlers.
- Raids were also reported in Bethlehem and Deir Ballut south of Qalqilya city.
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Houthis say they targeted tanker headed to Israel
A spokesperson for Yemen’s Houthi group has confirmed that it was behind a missile attack on a Norway-flagged chemical tanker off the Yemeni coast on its way to Israel.
“In support of the oppressed Palestinian people, currently reeling under the destruction, killing and siege of the Gaza Strip, and to heed the calls of our free Yemeni people, the Yemeni Naval Forces carried out an outstanding military operation against MV Strinda,” Yahiya Sarie said.
“Over the past two days, the Yemeni Armed Forces prevented a number of vessels from passing through. Those vessels heeded our warnings.
“We reiterate that we will continue to prevent all vessels headed to the Israeli ports, regardless of their nationalities, from navigating in the Arab or Red Sea, until the necessary food and medical supplies are delivered to our brothers in the Gaza Strip.”
The Palestinian Health Ministry is reporting that a fourth Palestinian has been killed in Israeli raids on Jenin in the occupied West Bank.
One person was wounded in the attack on al-Sibat neighbourhood, Wafa news agency reported, while at least 40 people have been arrested.
Israeli forces have also surrounded three hospitals in the area, the report added.
With the latest killings, the death toll in West Bank since October 7 has gone up to 279.
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US unlikely to put any real pressure to rein in Israel
There’s no denying that the Biden administration would like to see Israel change certain aspects of its conduct.
White House officials have concerns about how the war in Gaza will impact the region in the long term but there are no signs that the administration wants to put any real pressure on Israel to make the changes it would like to see.
The Israelis understand that the opinions of the White House are just opinions, rhetoric is just rhetoric and if there’s no real pressure, this language doesn’t really mean anything.
Given the elections coming up, I don’t think that Biden wants to have a fight with the pro-Israel lobby. I doubt he will do much to challenge the Netanyahu government.
At the same time, as this war drags on and the humanitarian disaster worsens, we can see Biden paying a price politically. We can see voters who otherwise would have backed Biden decide to vote for a third party candidate, or not vote at all.
Source:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2023/12/12/israel-hamas-war-live-palestinians-going-hungry-as-israel-pounds-gaza
