Israel-Hamas war live: Israeli bombardments, hunger spread in Gaza

The Israeli army has published the names and details of eight soldiers and officers killed in fighting in the Gaza Strip, after notifying their families.

The army also posted an update on soldiers who had been injured on its website.

As we reported earlier, Bethlehem is one of the places targeted by Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank overnight.

Israel’s ongoing violence in Gaza and the West Bank has meant that Christian souvenir shops in Bethlehem, and Jerusalem, are facing a Christmas like never before.

Watch our report on a family of Palestinian wood carvers in Bethlehem here:

We reported earlier on Tel Aviv protests calling for the return of captives held by Hamas, with some protesters also calling for a ceasefire.

Domestic protests like these “may place increased pressure” on the Netanyahu government “to actually do something positive towards getting a ceasefire with Hamas”, Martin Kear, an international relations lecturer at the University of Sydney, told Al Jazeera.

As protests around the world grow, they may also place pressure on other governments, says Kear, but he adds that US support for Israel has helped it to “weather the storm internationally”.

In relation to protests aimed at companies, Kear says it is difficult to quantify their effect beyond a “public relations issue” that brands find “unwelcome”.

But, he says, the protests do show around the world that “people are saying enough is enough” and asking, “When does Israel’s right to defence turn into vengeance?”

At Christmas, Noha Helmi Tarazi normally decorates her home with a large tree, which she describes as a symbol of light and joy.

The 87-year-old prepares the house for her family, who gather here each year, and makes Christmas sweets and large, festive meals.

This year, no one will gather in her home. Even the children do not feel like celebrating, she says.

“There is no joy left in our hearts.”

You can read more here.

Thousands of Palestinians have once again been forced to flee their homes as the Israeli military has issued new evacuation orders in the central Gaza Strip.

The order, issued on Friday by Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee, told residents of the Bureij camp and other central Gaza areas to relocate to the southern city of Deir el-Balah.

Palestinians, many displaced several times since October 7, could be seen pushing prams with infants and carrying their belongings on carts pulled by donkeys as they headed towards Deir el-Balah.

Once they arrive in the city, they’ll not only have to contend with Israeli bombs, but also severe overcrowding as hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people have sought refuge there from other parts of Gaza.

See the photo story here.

We’ve published several new articles over the last day. Here are some of the highlights:

• From Gaza – Israel orders ‘death corridor’ evacuation for Palestinians in central Gaza
• From occupied East Jerusalem – In Jerusalem’s Christian Quarter, ‘it doesn’t even feel like Christmas’
• Analysis – Israel says Gaza war is like WWII. Experts say it’s ‘justifying brutality’
• Opinion – The anatomy of Zionist genocide

And there’s plenty more here.

The phone call with Netanyahu happened earlier on Saturday while Joe Biden was still at the White House.

He is now at Camp David for the Christmas holiday weekend.

Biden talked to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the objectives and the phasing, which is a fancy way of saying how much longer will the Israelis try to go after Hamas, and how quickly can they wrap up major military operations.

Now, the president is going to be paying attention to events over the holiday weekend because the war is still very much under way.

That said, the United States is very keen to see major military operations wind down sooner rather than later. That was the reason for recent trips by Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin to the region.

But of course, it’s all going to depend on how much pressure the United States can ramp up in the coming days.

Members of the Christian village of Ain Ebel on Lebanon’s border with Israel are prepared for a subdued Christmas this year, as Israel’s war in Gaza continues to spill over into the country.

Regular missile fire has been exchanged between Israel and Lebanon since October 7, with the Israeli military striking a number of Hezbollah targets across the border.

At Saint-Joseph des Saints-Coeurs School in the village, French UN peacekeepers attempt to create a sense of normalcy for children as they prepare sweets and hand out presents during a Christmas party.

Cornel West, the well-known philosopher and political activist, has welcomed South Africa’s referral of Israel to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

South Africa has reportedly recently completed the paperwork for the war crimes complaint which was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in mid-November.

West said that South Africa was showing “moral clarity and global leadership in officially filing paperwork to the ICC charging the State of Israel with war crimes against the precious people of Gaza”.

“This is the kind of leadership sorely missing in the US with the current administration,” said West, who is running as an independent candidate for US president.

“People of the global majority and conscience will never turn a blind eye to the suffering, subjugation, and illegal occupation of Palestine,” he added in a post on X.

I salute President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Republic of South Africa for demonstrating moral clarity and global leadership in officially filing paperwork to the ICC charging the State of Israel with War Crimes against the precious people of Gaza. With video evidence now confirming…

— Cornel West (@CornelWest) December 23, 2023