The UN Security Council has still not been able to agree on a resolution on the situation in the Gaza Strip. The 15 members' vote on a text was postponed until Friday, December 22, after being postponed several times since Monday amid the threat of a veto from the United States. In particular, discussions about the control of humanitarian convoys stalled. It was originally intended to be entrusted solely to the United Nations, but Israel, fearful of weapons entering Gaza, wants to retain control over the aid trucks. Follow our live stream.
There is a threat of famine. About half of Gaza's population faces acute malnutrition and excess mortality by February 7, according to a report released Thursday by the United Nations Hunger Monitoring System. “We have been warning for weeks that in the face of such deprivation and destruction, every day that passes will only bring more hunger, disease and despair to the people of Gaza,” Gaza humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths warned the UN Nations.
The bombings in Gaza continue. The Israeli army claims to have killed “more than 2,000” terrorists in the Gaza Strip since December 1st. On Thursday, the area was intensively bombarded with 230 attacks in 24 hours, focusing mainly on the south of the enclave. An Israeli attack in Rafah killed five people early Friday, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
Negotiations for a new ceasefire. Diplomatic efforts continue on multiple fronts to secure a new humanitarian pause and the release of hostages still held in the Gaza Strip. The head of Hamas' political branch, Ismaïl Haniyeh, is in Cairo for talks with the Egyptian mediator. Israel, for its part, is conducting dialogues with Qatar and the United States.