COMMUNICATION ORGANIZATIONS, December 18 (IPS) – After 14 months of conflict between Israel and Palestine, negotiations for a ceasefire agreement have made promising progress. The proposed agreement includes the release of hostages in Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Palestinian territories, and a plan for displaced Gazans to return safely to their homes in the northern part of the enclave. Despite both Israeli and Palestinian officials expressing hope for the deal, hostilities from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) continue to threaten the lives and infrastructure of thousands of Gazans.
On December 16, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz informed the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that Israel is “closer than ever” to an agreement with Hamas to release Israeli hostages and end the war in Palestine. A senior Palestinian official echoed this to reporters, describing the talks between the two parties as “the decisive and final stage”.
“We believe — and the Israelis have said this — that we’re getting closer, and there’s no doubt about it, we believe that, but we’re also cautious in our hopes,” White House spokesman John Kirby said. Despite talks of a cease-fire on social media and among senior officials, the IDF continues to strike populated areas and issue new evacuation orders, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
“In Gaza City, allies say clashes escalated over the weekend – particularly in areas affected by new evacuation orders – leaving many Palestinians dead and injured,” said United Nations (UN) spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.
On December 12, two airstrikes hit three residential buildings in the Al Nuseirat camp in central Gaza. According to figures from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), these airstrikes killed an estimated 49 Palestinians, including at least 17 children. Three days later, the IDF attacked a school in East Tuffah, causing extensive damage to the building and injuring several civilians.
Local authorities have confirmed that around 110 Palestinians have been killed since December 14-15 in the Gaza Strip. On December 16, the IDF bombed a school-turned-shelter in Khan Younis, located in the southern part of the enclave. According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), at least 13 people died and 48 were injured in the attack.
UNRWA Emergency Response Officer Louise Waterridge described the brutality of the attack to UN News, saying, “I went to Nasser Hospital this morning. One of the children I spoke to, her name was Mona, aged 17; he had very bad injuries on his leg – he had very bad wounds – and he was in the hospital with his sister…their mother was crushed to death under the rubble.”
The IDF said the shelter was being used as a training ground that would coordinate attacks on Israel. Hamas denied the allegations and accused the IDF of trying to “justify the indiscriminate killings”.
Manal Tafesh, a resident of Khan Younis camp whose brother and children died in the incident, told the media that people were eating dinner in their homes when the planes attacked the camp. “Our children are gone, our children are gone. Our youth is gone. Our children are gone, and our lineage is gone. When will this darkness end?” Tafesh said.
On December 16, the UN confirmed that more than 45,000 civilians have been killed in the past 14 months of conflict in Gaza. Catherine Russell, Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in a press release said that approximately 14,500 Gazan children were killed.
According to Dujarric, Israeli authorities issued two new evacuation orders on December 13 and 14. These orders went into effect in Gaza City, northern Gaza, and the Deir al Balah area. UN partners described 250 families moving south from northern Gaza and an estimated 450 families who left their homes in Deir al Balah. According to UN estimates, approximately 1,500 Gazans were displaced on the night of December 14 from Izbet Beit Hanoun.
Living conditions continue to worsen in shelters as the harsh winter season approaches. According to Russell, hunger is rampant in the north and access to humanitarian aid remains severely restricted.
On December 13, the World Food Program (WFP) sent a statement on X (known as Twitter), emphasizing the urgency of the increasing hunger levels among the displaced people of Gaza. The Head of Emergency Communications at WFP, Jonathan Dumont, warned that due to the restriction of aid delivery, the majority of Gazans may not have enough food. “To avoid hunger, we must find a way to get consistent food,” said Dumont.
Dumont went on to explain the deteriorating living conditions in Gaza and said, “There is no electricity, no running water and no sewage (treatment). Almost everyone has lost their home. Many people live in tents.”
Russell added that infectious diseases are rampant in the shelters, with an estimated 800 documented cases of hepatitis and 300 cases of chicken pox. In addition, thousands of children are suffering from skin rashes and severe respiratory infections, which have been exacerbated by the cold weather.
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