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Israeli Strikes on Jabaliya and Rafah Kill Dozens, Pushing Gaza Death Toll Toward 20,000

HeadlineDec 19, 2023

At least 13 Palestinians have been killed and 75 others wounded in an Israeli strike on the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza. Today’s deadly assault came after at least 110 Palestinians were reportedly killed in and around Jabaliya since Sunday. Meanwhile, in the southern city of Rafah, at least 29 people were killed, with many more trapped under the rubble, after Israel’s military bombed three residential buildings. With the latest attacks, the number of Palestinians killed since October 7 is rapidly approaching 20,000.

On Monday, Israeli officials allowed a few dozen trucks carrying desperately needed humanitarian aid through the Kerem Shalom border crossing from Israel into Gaza. It was the first time since early October Israel allowed aid in through the crossing — adding to a trickle of aid Israel’s military has allowed through Gaza’s border with Egypt. Truck drivers said the aid convoy was a tiny fraction of what’s needed.

Mohammed Al-Hato: “The aid coming through is not enough. It doesn’t come in every day, and time is short. Trucks wait 17 to 18 days at the crossing. … We hope that the world would allow for the aid to reach these poor people. Those living in the displaced camps are in a bad situation. They have no life.”

After headlines, we’ll speak with the Israel and Palestine director at Human Rights Watch, which has just published a report headlined “Israel: Starvation Used as Weapon of War in Gaza.”

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