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Mourners react during the funeral of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, January 8, 2025 [Mohammed Salem/Reuters]
By Alastair McCready, Urooba Jamal, Mersiha Gadzo, Edna Mohamed, Farah Najjar and Brian Osgood
Published On 8 Jan 2025

This live page is now closed. You can continue to follow our coverage here.

8 Jan 2025 - 23:59
 (23:59 GMT)

That’s a wrap from us

Thank you for joining us.

You can read our piece about Israel’s relentless attacks across Gaza here.

For an explainer on why the US has accused Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces of genocide, but not Israel, read our piece here.

8 Jan 2025 - 23:45
 (23:45 GMT)

Here’s what happened today

This live page is closing soon. Here’s a recap of the day’s main developments:

  • Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 50 Palestinians, including 33 in the battered and besieged north, health officials said.
  • US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has expressed optimism about the prospects of reaching a ceasefire deal in Gaza that would see the release of Israeli captives in the territory, saying an agreement is “very close”.
  • Hamas said Israel is seeking to keep the healthcare sector in Gaza in “permanent crisis”, deliberately ensuring that only limited quantities of fuel, which only last a few hours, reach hospitals in the enclave.
  • US President-elect Donald Trump has demanded that Hamas release captives held in Gaza by the time he enters office on January 20 or face repercussions.
  • In the occupied West Bank, new clashes broke out between Palestinian security forces and fighters in Jenin as the Palestinian Authority, which partially governs the occupied territory, kept up its weeks-long, widely criticised, security operation.
  • The Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing, has claimed responsibility for an attack in the West Bank that killed three Israelis on Monday. It said that the attack had been a joint operation along with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s al-Quds Brigades, and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.
8 Jan 2025 - 23:30
 (23:30 GMT)

Captive families criticise gov’t after Israeli found dead in Gaza

The mother of an Israeli captive held in Gaza has reacted to the news that the body of captive Yousef al-Ziyadna had been found in the Palestinian enclave, saying that Israeli military pressure was killing those held in Gaza.

“Every day that passes could be their last,” said Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is being held in Gaza.

“The kidnapped are killed in captivity while Netanyahu delays and refuses to end the war and reach a comprehensive deal,” Zangauker was quoted by the Israeli media outlet Maariv as saying.

Maariv also reported that Odeh al-Ziyadna, a relative of Yousef, said that the government “did not want to bring [the captives] back alive”.

8 Jan 2025 - 23:15
 (23:15 GMT)

Army chief Aoun likely to be selected Lebanon president: Report

Joseph Aoun is set to be elected Lebanon’s president by the country’s parliament on Thursday, three senior political sources have told the Reuters news agency.

We reported earlier that several parliamentary blocs had come out in support of Aoun on Wednesday, and the sources told Reuters that enough Shia parliamentarians would also back the head of the army.

Lebanon’s main Shia representatives, Hezbollah and Amal, have long refused to back Aoun, and Lebanon has been without a president since 2022. But momentum has recently gathered behind Aoun’s candidacy.

8 Jan 2025 - 23:00
 (23:00 GMT)

Third Israeli soldier killed in Gaza on Wednesday named

The Israeli military named the soldier as 20-year-old Nevo Fisher, a tank commander in the 401st Armoured Brigade’s 46th Battalion.

Fisher was one of three Israeli soldiers killed in an attack in Beit Hanoon, in northern Gaza. The other two, Matityahu Ya’akov Perel and Kanaoo Kasa, were named by Israeli authorities earlier in the day.

Israel has repeatedly claimed to have severely weakened Hamas, particularly in northern Gaza where Israel puts heavy restrictions on Palestinians preventing their free movement and attacking civilians. However, Palestinian fighters continue to conduct attacks on Israeli soldiers.

8 Jan 2025 - 22:45
 (22:45 GMT)

WATCH: Gaza fuel shortage – Health Ministry warns lives are at risk

8 Jan 2025 - 22:30
 (22:30 GMT)

US lawmaker decries humanitarian crisis in Gaza

Democratic Congressman Lloyd Doggett writes on X: “Continued obstruction of food and water to Gaza and destruction of the health care system is taking a deadly toll on the innocent.”

8 Jan 2025 - 22:15
 (22:15 GMT)

MSF sounds alarm over lack of fuel, saying patients in Gaza hospitals are ‘at risk’

Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF, says that the lives of newborn babies and other patients are at risk in three hospitals in Gaza “as they run out of fuel”.

Nasser Hospital, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital and the European Hospital in Gaza are on the verge of closure due to the lack of fuel, MSF warned in a statement.

The lack of fuel “could be catastrophic for those who need machines to stay alive”, MSF said.

Health officials in Gaza have been pleading for the entry of much-needed fuel required for electricity to keep hospitals operational.

The group said its teams are transferring fuel to Nasser Hospital and to Al-Aqsa Hospital, serving only as a temporary solution for the next 36 to 48 hours.

“MSF is alarmed by this catastrophic situation, which could have tragic and serious consequences as the situation is unlikely to improve,” it said. “We call on all parties to facilitate the entry of fuel into Gaza and to ensure its safe delivery to medical facilities.”

8 Jan 2025 - 22:00
 (22:00 GMT)
Developing

Qassam claim responsibility for West Bank attack

The Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing, has claimed responsibility for an attack in the occupied West Bank that killed three Israelis on Monday.

The claim of responsibility said that the attack had been a joint operation along with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s al-Quds Brigades, and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.

The shooting attack took place near the illegal Israeli settlement of Kedumim, when two gunmen opened fire at cars and a bus, Israeli media reported.

8 Jan 2025 - 21:45
 (21:45 GMT)

Israel to hide identities of soldiers after international prosecution efforts for Gaza crimes

The Israeli military has issued new media guidelines, specifying that all soldiers under the rank of brigadier general should have their identities hidden in interviews and not be linked to a specific combat incident, reports The Times of Israel.

The interview will also have to be approved by the military censor before it airs.

The move comes after cases were filed in various countries, including in Brazil and Argentina, against Israeli soldiers, accusing them of committing war crimes in Gaza. Most of the evidence gathered, however, has not come from media interviews and instead via the soldiers’ own use of social media, where many have documented attacks on Palestinians, abuse of prisoners, destruction of buildings and glee at the widespread devastation in Gaza.

8 Jan 2025 - 21:30
 (21:30 GMT)

At least 50 killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza Strip: Wafa

At least 50 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza since dawn, including 33 victims in the north of the enclave, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reports, citing medical sources.

Here is a breakdown of some of the attacks:

  • At least five were killed in a strike on a park in Gaza City.
  • One was killed in a strike on Nassr Street in Gaza City.
  • Two were killed in an attack near a residential tower west of Gaza City.
8 Jan 2025 - 21:15
 (21:15 GMT)
Developing

Casualties arrive at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital after central Gaza attack

Casualties, including at least two children, have arrived at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah after the Israeli attack on the al-Dabji family home.

Videos verified by Al Jazeera’s Sanad agency show severely injured Palestinians arriving at the hospital and receiving first aid treatment.

8 Jan 2025 - 21:00
 (21:00 GMT)
Developing

Four killed in latest Israeli strike on central Gaza

An air raid targeting a residential home in Deir el-Balah has killed four people and wounded several others, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reports.

The home belonged to the al-Dabji family and is located near an UNRWA medical facility west of the city, Wafa added.

8 Jan 2025 - 20:45
 (20:45 GMT)

Israeli minister Smotrich criticises Gaza ceasefire negotiations

Israel’s far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich has once again waded into the debate over a potential Gaza ceasefire deal, saying that there “should have been no negotiations with Hamas”, particularly as US President-elect Donald Trump is set to enter the White House.

The comments were made on Wednesday, according to Israeli media reports.

Smotrich, known for his anti-Palestinian positions and his support for an open-ended continuation of Israel’s war on Gaza, said that Israel should take advantage of what he forsees as a more pro-Israeli US administration to increase the military pressure on Gaza and seize territory.

“We need to stop being afraid of the word ‘occupation’,” Smotrich is quoted as saying. “We need to stay in Gaza for a very long time.”

Israeli Minister of Finance and leader of the Religious Zionist Party Bezalel Smotrich [File: Gil Cohen-Magen/Pool via Reuters]
8 Jan 2025 - 20:30
 (20:30 GMT)

Lebanon army chief sees boost in support ahead of presidential vote

The Lebanese Parliament will meet tomorrow to elect a new president amid the fragile ceasefire with Israel. The presidency has been vacant since the end of Michel Aoun’s term in October 2022.

Lebanese lawmakers, who choose the republic’s president, have been unable to agree on a new head of state.

But heading into Thursday’s vote, army chief Joseph Aoun – who is believed to enjoy the backing of the US and Saudi Arabia – appears to be the frontrunner.

The US provides aid to the Lebanese military and often stresses its role in ensuring the stability of the country.

The army has been deploying in south Lebanon as part of the ceasefire agreement that ended the brutal war between Hezbollah and Israel.

Today, several parliamentary blocs came out in support of Aoun. Hezbollah officials have previously said that they have good relations with the army chief, but the group’s lawmakers have not said how they will vote tomorrow.

To become president, Aoun will need 86 votes in the 128-seat parliament because as army chief, his election requires a constitutional amendment.

The incoming president will have to deal with an ailing economy, near-daily Israeli violations of the ceasefire, and reconstruction after the widespread destruction from the war.

Lebanon’s Army Chief General Joseph Aoun [File: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters]
8 Jan 2025 - 20:15
 (20:15 GMT)

Israeli military says three soldiers killed in Gaza

The Israeli military says three soldiers were killed and one other was seriously wounded in an “incident” in northern Gaza.

It identified two of the slain troops as Matityahu Yaakov Perel and Kanaoo Kasa, both 22 years old, saying that the name of the third soldier will be released later.

Perel and Kasa served in the 401st “Iron Tracks” Brigade, which has suffered heavy losses under Hamas attacks since the start of the ground invasion of Gaza in 2023.

8 Jan 2025 - 20:00
 (20:00 GMT)

Families of some Israeli captives in Gaza to attend Trump’s inauguration: Report

Family members of Israeli captives who are dual US nationals held in Gaza will be attending US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, Israeli daily Haaretz reports.

Relatives are set to meet several officials from the incoming administration, as well as members of the US Congress, according to the report.

Trump has demanded that Hamas release captives held in Gaza by the time he enters office or face repercussions.

“If they’re not back by the time I get into office, all hell will break out in the Middle East, and it will not be good for Hamas and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone,” Trump said. “I don’t have to say any more, but that’s what it is.”

8 Jan 2025 - 19:47
 (19:47 GMT)

UNRWA sounds alarm over incoming Israeli ban

UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini says if Israel’s ban on the agency is implemented, the decision will have “a disastrous impact on the people we support”.

He added that the ban would hamper the delivery of humanitarian aid to people in the beseiged Gaza Strip as well as services in the occupied West Bank.

Lazzarini warned that other UN agencies have said they cannot fill in the void and provide direct education and healthcare to Palestinians.

“In the absence of UNRWA or functioning Palestinian institutions, the State of Israel – as an occupying power – will have to provide assistance + services to the population across the occupied Palestinian territory including in Gaza,” he said.

8 Jan 2025 - 19:34
 (19:34 GMT)

Did Israel recover the bodies of one or two captives in Gaza?

There have been conflicting reports in Israel on whether the bodies of one or two dead captives have been retrieved by the Israeli military in Gaza.

While some officials have said that the bodies of Yousef al-Ziyadna and his son Hamza were found in an underground tunnel in Rafah, the Israeli military only confirmed recovering the body of Yousef, saying that he was killed in captivity.

The Israeli military also said that it found items that “raise serious concerns” about the life of Hamza.

8 Jan 2025 - 19:21
 (19:21 GMT)

Palestinian Authority security forces detain journalist in West Bank

Local sources tell Al Jazeera Arabic that Palestinian Authority security forces have arrested independent journalist Jarrah Khalaf for his coverage of the PA’s raids against fighters in the Jenin refugee camp.