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FACTS: Latest developments in Israel-Hamas war
This handout picture released by the Israeli army on December 23, 2023 shows soldiers operating in the Gaza Strip amid continuing battles between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. PHOTO/AFP
Fighting between Israel and Hamas raged on Saturday with Gaza's health ministry reporting more than 200 killed in 24 hours, as a UN resolution urged more aid to the besieged territory.
Hamas launched an unprecedented attack against Israel from Gaza on October 7, killing about 1,140 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Hamas and other Palestinian militants also took around 250 hostages, of whom 105 have been released and several killed, including by friendly fire.
Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel has relentlessly bombarded Gaza and deployed ground troops in an offensive that has killed 20,258 people, mostly women and children, according to the Palestinian territory's Hamas government.
On day 78 of the war, here are five key developments from the past 24 hours:
Hamas says 201 killed in 24 hours
The health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said on Saturday that 201 people had been killed in the territory in the past 24 hours, updating the overall death toll since the start of the war to 20,258.
It earlier said 18 people were killed in an overnight strike on a house in Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.
UN resolution urges more aid
After days of wrangling over its wording, members of the UN Security Council passed late Friday a resolution demanding "immediate, safe and unhindered" deliveries of life-saving aid be rushed to Gaza "at scale".
Israel has said Gaza crossings under its control were closed for aid deliveries on Saturdays "in line with the agreement reached with the US, Egypt and the UN", leaving only the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border open.
Hamas 'lost contact' with hostage guards
Hamas's armed wing said on Saturday it had "lost contact" with its militants tasked with guarding five Israeli hostages, out of 129 captives remaining in Gaza according to Israeli authorities.
"We believe that those hostages have been killed" in Israeli strikes, said Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Obeida without elaborating or providing evidence.
UN says nowhere safe in Gaza
The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said the Israeli army's evacuation order for civilians in the central Gaza Strip would force them to relocate to areas with ongoing air strikes.
"There is nowhere for people to go. Nowhere is safe," the agency said.
Drone strike on 'Israel-affiliated' ship -
A drone strike damaged a ship in waters off Veraval, India, according to two maritime agencies. One of the sources, Ambrey, said the tanker was "Israeli-affiliated".
There was no immediate claim of responsiblity but the attack adds to fears of regional escalation from the Israel-Hamas war.
Since the conflict broke out, Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels have in solidarity with Hamas launched a flurry of drone and missile attacks on a vital shipping lane in the Red Sea.
