Israelis and Palestinians ended a dark year on Sunday, December 31, with no prospect of an end to the fighting and their world beyond. In these final hours of 2023, there is no respite from air strikes, artillery fire and ground fighting in Gaza, much to the dismay of an “exhausted” Palestinian population. This devastating war was triggered by an unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israeli soil on October 7, which killed around 1,140 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP count based on official Israeli data. Follow our live stream.
New strikes. During the night, the Hamas Ministry of Health reported numerous deaths in attacks in Al-Mughazi and Al-Zawayda (center), adding to the 21,672 people, mostly women and minors, already killed in Gaza since the start of the war, according to the findings Palestinian Hamas Ministry of Health.
A chaotic health situation. The World Health Organization warns of the growing danger of the spread of infectious diseases and the United Nations fears famine.
Israeli firmness. The war “will continue for many more months until Hamas is eliminated and the hostages are released,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday. “We guarantee that Gaza will never again pose a threat to Israel,” he added at a news conference in Tel Aviv.
A slim hope for a ceasefire. International mediators led by Qatar and Egypt managed to broker a week-long ceasefire in late November that allowed the release of more than 100 hostages and the entry of limited aid into Gaza. And they are currently continuing their efforts for a new lull in fighting.