Palestinians mourn family killed within the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip outdoors a morgue in Khan Younis on Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023.

Mohammed Dahman/AP

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Mohammed Dahman/AP

Palestinians mourn family killed within the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip outdoors a morgue in Khan Younis on Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023.

Mohammed Dahman/AP

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza (AP) — At least 68 folks have been killed by an Israeli strike in central Gaza, well being officers mentioned Sunday, whereas the variety of Israeli troopers killed in fight over the weekend rose to 17.

Associated Press journalists at a close-by hospital watched frantic Palestinians carry the useless, together with a child, and wounded following the strike on the Maghazi refugee camp east of Deir al-Balah. One bloodied younger lady seemed shocked whereas her physique was checked for damaged bones.

The 68 fatalities embrace at the least 12 girls and 7 youngsters, in response to early hospital figures.

“We were all targeted,” mentioned Ahmad Turkomani, who misplaced a number of relations together with his daughter and grandson. “There is no safe place in Gaza anyway.”

Earlier, the Health Ministry in Gaza gave the loss of life toll as 70. The Israeli army had no speedy remark.

As Christmas Eve fell, smoke rose over the besieged territory, whereas within the West Bank Bethlehem was hushed, its vacation celebrations referred to as off. In neighboring Egypt, tentative efforts continued on a deal for an additional alternate of hostages for Palestinians held by Israel.

The battle has devastated elements of Gaza, killed roughly 20,400 Palestinians and displaced nearly all the territory’s 2.3 million folks.

The mounting loss of life toll amongst Israeli troops — 156 because the floor offensive started — might erode public help for the battle, which was sparked when Hamas-led militants stormed communities in southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 and taking 240 hostage.

Israelis nonetheless largely stand behind the nation’s said targets of crushing Hamas’ governing and army capabilities and releasing the remaining 129 captives. That’s regardless of rising worldwide strain towards Israel’s offensive, and the hovering loss of life toll and unprecedented struggling amongst Palestinians.

A Palestinian lady stands in her dwelling after an Israeli strike in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023.

Hatem Ali/AP

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Hatem Ali/AP

A Palestinian lady stands in her dwelling after an Israeli strike in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023.

Hatem Ali/AP

HAMAS EXACTS A PRICE

“The war exacts a very heavy price from us, but we have no choice but to continue fighting,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned.

In a nationally televised speech, Israeli President Isaac Herzog appealed for the nation to stay united. “This moment is a test. We will not break nor blink,” he mentioned.

There has been widespread anger towards his authorities, which many criticize for failing to guard civilians on Oct. 7 and selling insurance policies that allowed Hamas to achieve energy over time. Netanyahu has averted accepting accountability for the army and coverage failures.

“Over time, the public will find it hard to ignore the heavy price paid, as well as the suspicion that the aims that were loudly heralded are still far from being attained, and that Hamas is showing no signs of capitulating in the near future,” wrote Amos Harel, army affairs commentator for the Haaretz newspaper.

The Israeli army mentioned it had accomplished the dismantling of Hamas’ underground headquarters in northern Gaza, a part of an operation to take down the huge tunnel community and kill off high commanders that Israeli leaders have mentioned might take months.

Efforts towards negotiations continued. The head of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Ziyad al-Nakhalah, arrived in Egypt for talks. The militant group, which additionally took half within the Oct. 7 assault, mentioned it was ready to think about releasing hostages solely after preventing ends. Hamas’ high chief Ismail Haniyeh traveled to Cairo for talks days earlier.

Israeli troopers carry the flag-draped casket of Staff Sgt. Birhanu Kassie throughout his funeral at Mt. Herzl army cemetery in Jerusalem, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023.

Ohad Zwigenberg/AP

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Ohad Zwigenberg/AP

Israeli troopers carry the flag-draped casket of Staff Sgt. Birhanu Kassie throughout his funeral at Mt. Herzl army cemetery in Jerusalem, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023.

Ohad Zwigenberg/AP

INSIDE GAZA

Israel’s offensive has been some of the devastating army campaigns in current historical past. More than two-thirds of the 20,000 Palestinians killed have been girls and kids, in response to the Health Ministry in Gaza, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants.

On Friday, Israeli airstrikes on two properties in Gaza killed 90 Palestinians, together with dozens from an prolonged household, in response to rescuers and hospital officers. One of the properties, situated in Gaza City, grew to become one of many deadliest airstrikes within the battle after 76 folks from the al-Mughrabi household have been killed, mentioned Mahmoud Bassal, a spokesman for Gaza’s Civil Defense division.

The Palestinian Red Crescent mentioned a 13-year-old boy was shot and killed in an Israeli drone assault whereas inside al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis, part of Gaza the place Israel’s army believes Hamas leaders are hiding.

An Israeli strike in a single day hit a home in a refugee camp west of town of Rafah, on Gaza’s border with Egypt. At least two males have been killed, in response to Associated Press journalists within the hospital the place the our bodies have been taken.

At least two folks have been killed and 6 others wounded when a missile caught a constructing within the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza.

And Palestinians reported heavy Israeli bombardment and gunfire in Jabaliya, an space north of Gaza City that Israel had claimed to regulate. Hamas’ army arm mentioned its fighters shelled Israeli troops in Jabaliya and Jabaliya refugee camp.

Israel faces worldwide criticism for the civilian loss of life toll but it surely blames Hamas, citing the militants’ use of crowded residential areas and tunnels. Israel has launched 1000’s of airstrikes since Oct. 7. It says it has killed 1000’s of Hamas militants, with out presenting proof.

Israel additionally faces allegations of mistreating Palestinian males and teenage boys detained in properties, shelters, hospitals and elsewhere in the course of the offensive. It has denied abuse allegations and mentioned these with out hyperlinks to militants are shortly launched.

Speaking to the AP from a hospital mattress in Rafah after his launch, Khamis al-Burdainy of Gaza City mentioned Israeli forces detained him after tanks and bulldozers partly destroyed his dwelling. He mentioned males have been handcuffed and blindfolded.

“We didn’t sleep. We didn’t get food and water,” he mentioned, crying and masking his face.

Another launched detainee, Mohammed Salem, from the Gaza City neighborhood of Shijaiyah, mentioned Israeli troops beat them. “We were humiliated,” he mentioned. “A female soldier would come and beat an old man, aged 72 years old.”

Israeli military troops are seen close to the Gaza Strip border, in southern Israel, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023.

Ariel Schalit/AP

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Ariel Schalit/AP

Israeli military troops are seen close to the Gaza Strip border, in southern Israel, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023.

Ariel Schalit/AP

INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE

The United Nations Security Council has handed a watered-down decision calling for the speedy supply of humanitarian help for hungry and determined Palestinians and the discharge of all of the hostages, however not for a cease-fire.

But it was not instantly clear how and when deliveries of meals, medical provides and different help, far beneath the every day common of 500 earlier than the battle, would speed up. Trucks enter by way of two crossings: Rafah, and Kerem Shalom on the border with Israel. Wael Abu Omar, a spokesman for the Palestinian Crossings Authority, mentioned 123 help vehicles entered Gaza on Sunday,

The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, reiterated U.N. requires a humanitarian cease-fire, including on social media that “the decimation of the Gaza health system is a tragedy.”

Amid issues a few wider regional battle, the U.S. Central Command mentioned a patrol ship within the Red Sea on Saturday shot down 4 drones launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, some time two Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles have been fired into worldwide transport lanes.

The Iran-backed Houthis say their assaults are geared toward Israel-linked ships in an effort to cease the Israeli offensive in Gaza.