At least 12 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks Gauze Strip, mostly women and children, officials said Wednesday, as the nearly 15-month conflict enters the new year.
One strike hit a house in the Jabaliya area of northern Gaza, the most isolated and heavily destroyed part of the territory, where Israel he has been leading a major operation since the beginning of October. Gaza’s Hamas-led health ministry said seven people were killed, including a woman and four children, and at least a dozen others were wounded.
Another overnight attack in the Bureij refugee camp built in central Gaza killed a woman and a child, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, which received the bodies.
“Are you celebrating? Enjoy while we die. We’ve been dying for a year and a half,” said a man carrying the child’s body under the flashing lights of an ambulance.
Israel’s military said militants fired rockets at Israel from the Burei area overnight and that its forces responded with a strike targeting the militant. The army also issued orders for the evacuation of the area.
A third strike in the southern city of Khan Younis killed three people, according to Nasser Hospital and European Hospital, which received the bodies.
The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and kidnapping about 250. About 100 hostages are still being held in Gaza, and at least a third are believed to be dead.
“Just for life”: Displaced residents of Gaza wonder what lies ahead for the new year
Israel’s air and ground offensive has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-led Gaza Health Ministry. He says that women and children make up more than half of the dead, but does not say how many of those killed were militants.
The Israeli military says it only targets militants and blames Hamas for civilian deaths because its fighters operate in densely populated areas. The army claims to have killed 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.
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The conflict has caused widespread destruction and displaced about 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million, many of them multiple times.
Hundreds of thousands of people live in tents on the coast as winter brings frequent rainstorms and nighttime temperatures drop below 10 degrees Celsius (50 F). At least six infants and one other person died of hypothermia, according to the Ministry of Health.
Many displaced Palestinians in central Gaza rely on charity kitchens as their only food supplier amid aid cuts and skyrocketing prices. AP footage shows a long line of children waiting for rice, the only food served at a kitchen in Deir al-Balah on Wednesday.
“Some of these kitchens are closing because they are not receiving aid, and others are distributing small amounts of food and it is not enough,” said Umm Adham Shaheen, a displaced person from Gaza City.
American and Arab mediators spent nearly a year trying to broker a truce and the release of the hostages, but those efforts repeatedly stalled. Hamas demanded a permanent ceasefire, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to continue fighting until “total victory”.
Israel has recorded a net departure of citizens for the second year running
More than 82,000 Israelis moved abroad in 2024, and 33,000 people immigrated to the country, Israel’s National Bureau of Statistics announced. Another 23,000 Israelis returned after long periods abroad.
It was the second consecutive year of net departures, a rare occurrence in the history of a country that actively encourages Jewish immigration. Many Israelis, seeking respite from the war, have moved abroad, leading to concerns whether this will lead to a “brain drain” in sectors such as medicine and technology.
Last year, 15,000 fewer people immigrated to Israel than in 2023.
Army blames ‘weakening of discipline’ for archaeologist’s death
In a separate development, Israel’s military blamed “operational burnout” and a “weakening of discipline and security” for the killing of a 70-year-old archaeologist in southern Lebanon in November along with a soldier while they were visiting a combat zone.
According to Israeli media reports, Zeev Erlich was not on active duty, but was wearing a military uniform and had a weapon. The military said he was a reservist and identified him as a “fallen soldier” when it announced his death.
Erlich was a famous West Bank immigrant and researcher of Jewish history. Media reports say he entered Lebanon to investigate an archaeological site.
The military launched an investigation after the two were killed in a Hezbollah ambush. A special investigation is looking into who let Erlich in. The family of the soldier who died with him expressed anger at the circumstances.
The military said the entry of civilians who are not military contractors or journalists into combat zones is not widespread. However, there have been multiple reports of Israeli civilians who support the permanent Israeli presence in Gaza or Lebanon entering those areas.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
