Israel-Hamas war highlights: Israel says Gaza aid enters from Kerem Shalom

Israel-Hamas war LIVE updates: Israel and Hamas are showing willingness to consider a ‘renewed ceasefire’ and the release of hostage, according to two Egyptian security sources on Sunday, both. However, there are lingering disagreements regarding the implementation process.

Egypt and Qatar, who had previously mediated a week-long ceasefire and hostage release, are emphasizing the need for prompt aid delivery and the opening of the Kerem Shalom crossing before engaging in further negotiations, as per the sources.

Despite the crossing being accessible, aid delivery to Gaza is facing delays due to inspections and has yet to reach its destination. There were optimistic signs for peace when a source revealed that Israel's intelligence chief had a conversation on Friday with Qatar's prime minister.

(Reuters)

According to a report by ANI, Israeli military raided the vacation homes of Yahya Sinwar and other Hamas leaders in Khan Yunis, Israel Defence Forces announced on Sunday. Khan Yunis is the second largest city in Gaza and is considered the capital of its southern district.

Israel Defense Forces have shared a video of the biggest Hamas tunnel uncovered in Gaza. Taking to X(formerly Twitter), they gave details about the tunnel.

On Sunday, Pope Francis condemned the killing of two Christian women who had taken refuge in a church complex in Gaza, by Israeli military, reported Reuters.

On Sunday, Israeli army said that it had discovered biggest Hamas tunnel in Gaza so far, just a few hundred metres from a key border crossing, reported AFP. According to the report, the tunnel was big enough to allow the passage of small vehicles.

Israel Defence Forces (IDF) claimed that it conducted strikes on Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon in response to the attack carried out on the border, The Times of Israel was cited by ANI. During the operation, a fighter jet and attack helicopter struck several buildings used by Hezbollah and a drone hit a group of operatives.

Israel has allowed the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing. Trucks have been lining up at the crossing to be inspected.

"Starting today (December17), UN aid trucks will undergo security checks and be transferred directly to Gaza via Kerem Shalom, to abide by our agreement with the US," COGAT, the branch of military which coordinated humanitarian aid with the Palestinian territories, said in a statement as quoted by Reuters.

Pressure from international community is mounting on Israel for a cease-fire in Gaza. Families of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, are also pleading with Israeli government to ensure the release of their relatives, reported AFP.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again vowed that "we will fight until the end. We will achieve all of our aims -- eliminating Hamas, freeing all our hostages and ensuring that Gaza will not again become a centre for terrorism."

On Sunday, some of Israel's closest European allies appealed for cease-fire in Gaza, reported PTI. Meanwhile, Israel is bombarding parts of Gaza which has resulted in the death of hundreds of civilians.

On Sunday, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna urged all parties including Israel to 'deescalate' on the Israel-Lebanon border where tensions have been on the rise since the start of the Gaza war.

"The risk of escalation remains... and if things were to spiral out of control, I don't think anyone would benefit, and I say this to Israel too. This call for caution and deescalation applies to everyone," said Colonna as quoted by AFP.

Israel allowed Gaza aid to enter through the Kerem Shalom border crossing for 1st time since the outbreak of war against Hamas, reported Reuters. Israel had agreed to open the crossing to aid trucks last week.

On Saturday, colleagues of a US Agency for International Development contractor, claimed that he was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza last month. Hani Jnena, 33, was killed November 5 along with his wife, their 2-year-old and 4-year-old daughters, and her family, the US-based humanitarian group Global Communities said as quoted by AP.

Israel has shared the video of a mother whose daughter is held hostage by Hamas. The mother recalled how Hamas abducted her daughter.

The foreign ministers of the UK and Germany jointly appealed for “a sustainable cease-fire” in Gaza in a letter published in the Sunday Times, reported Bloomberg. Foreign Secretary David Cameron and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock highlighted the loss of civilian lives in ongoing Israeli offensive against Hamas.

According to a report by Reuters, the French foreign ministry claimed that one of its workers had died as a result of injuries sustained from an Israeli attack in Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip. The killed worker had sought refuge in a residential building which was bombed by Israel.

Israeli government is under increased pressure from hostages' families to secure the release of their relatives held in captivity in Gaza. On Saturday, the families protested against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"Take us into consideration and come up with a plan now (for negotiation)," said Noam Perry, daughter of hostage Haim Perry, at the protest.

On Sunday, the World Health Organisation termed the emergency department at the Al-Shifa hospital in northern Gaza as "a blood bath", reported AFP. Notably, the hospital has been devastated in Israeli strikes.

"The team described the emergency department as a 'bloodbath', with hundreds of injured patients inside, and new patients arriving every minute," the organisation said.

Taking to X(formerly Twitter), Israel has shared video proof of finding weapons in the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Jabalya, Gaza. Hospital workers confessed about the hidden weapons.

On Sunday, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna reached Israel where she will meet her Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen in Tel Aviv. Colonna is also due to meet the families of French hostages still held in Gaza and to call for an "immediate and durable new humanitarian truce", according to a foreign ministry statement as quoted by AFP.

Two more Israeli soldiers were killed in fighting in the Gaza Strip, Israel's military said on Sunday.

The military said that 121 soldiers have died since Israel launched its ground offensive in Gaza on Oct. 27.

Two Palestinians from Tulkarm in the occupied West Bank were shot dead by Israeli forces on Sunday, and a third from Jenin died from injuries sustained a few days ago, the Palestinian health ministry said.

Israel appeared to confirm that new negotiations were under way to recover hostages held by Hamas, after a source said Israel's intelligence chief met the prime minister of Qatar, a country mediating in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a press conference on Saturday the war in Gaza was existential and must be fought until victory. He said Gaza would be demilitarised and under Israeli security control.

Israel's offensive in Gaza helped clinch a partial hostage-release deal in November, Netanyahu said, vowing to maintain intense military pressure on Hamas. He has vowed to destroy the militant Palestinian group, which runs the densely populated strip.

Major international film festivals in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have warmed up to a movie that has chillingly captured a violent occupation and an unsettling hostage situation on the big screen only a month before the Israel-Hamas war began. Shot in the West Bank of Palestine last year, ‘The Teacher’ had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, before Hamas invaded Israel on October 7 and took hundreds of hostages. Read More

As per sources, Israel's intelligence chief met the prime minister of Qatar, a country that has been mediating in the ongoing conflict.

Qatar played a significant role in last month's humanitarian truce, the first and thus far only ceasefire of the war.

Israel says its forces raided the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza over several days this week, adding that the facility was being used as a Hamas ‘command and control centre.’

Soldiers left the site on Saturday but not before detaining 80 militants hiding there, as per the IDF.