The war between Hamas and IsraelDossierWhile Netanyahu called on Palestinians to move to the south of the territory at the start of the conflict, the Israeli army is now calling on them to evacuate ahead of possible attacks. Find out the key facts about the conflict in the Middle East this Thursday, December 21st.
On the 76th day of the war between Hamas and Israel, both camps appear to be increasing their signals for a new ceasefire as fighting continues. This Thursday, December 21, the IDF ordered the evacuation of a new town in the south of the Gaza Strip, while the day before, the Hamas Ministry of Health announced a new death toll. There are now 20,000 deaths in Palestine, the vast majority of them women, children and people under the age of 18. Follow Middle East news throughout the day.
Israel calls for the evacuation of the largest city in the southern Gaza Strip, Khan Younes. The Israeli army ordered the “immediate evacuation” of an area representing “approximately 20%” of the city of Khan Younes, a report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) said. According to the organization, more than 111,000 people lived in the area before the Israeli offensive began, but today the city has 141,000 residents, many of whom are fleeing the fighting in 32 camps. Since the start of the conflict, the Israeli army has issued evacuation orders for civilians before carrying out attacks in Gaza.
The UN Security Council suspended the American position. The U.N. Security Council is set to try again on Thursday to speak with one voice in a repeatedly postponed vote on a resolution seeking to increase aid to the Gaza Strip. The Council, suspended from the position of the United States, which has been widely criticized for its inaction since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, has been negotiating intensively for several days on this text supported by the United Arab Emirates. The vote, originally scheduled for Monday, was postponed several times, the last on Wednesday at the request of the Americans, who on December 8 vetoed an earlier text that called for a “humanitarian ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip, which was carried out by Israeli forces in retaliation the bloody and unprecedented Hamas attack on October 7th was shot at. As the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, most Council members appear keen to avoid another veto. For example, the reference to an “urgent and permanent cessation of hostilities” was deleted at the request of the Americans, according to diplomatic sources.