Israel Hamas war updates: Hamas leader Saleh Arouri killed in Beirut explosion

Here are the latest updates on the Israel Hamas war, which began Oct. 7: Wednesday, Jan. 3 A top Hamas official was killed in an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday. Saleh Arouri, 57, deputy chief of Hamas and one of the founders of the group’s military wing, was killed in an airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut alongside six other people, The Associated Press reported.

Even before the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had threatened to assassinate Arouri, who had been accused by Israel of planning an attack against it in the West Bank. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack. However, an anonymous U.S. defense official told The Washington Post that the IDF was responsible for the strike.

If Israel is responsible for the airstrike, “it would be its first attack on Beirut since the 34 day war between Israel and Hezbollah in the summer of 2006,” according to AP. Meanwhile, Hamas officials called Arouri’s death a “cowardly assassination” by Israel, while Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the attack is an attempt by Israel to pull Lebanon into the war.

“The explosion is an Israeli crime that clearly aims to bring Lebanon into a new phase of confrontations after the ongoing daily attacks in the south,” Mikati said, per Al Jazeera. Tuesday, Jan. 2 The Israeli military announced Monday that it would begin withdrawing several thousand troops from Gaza in the upcoming weeks, though an IDF spokesperson stated that the fighting is expected to continue.

“Some of the reservists will return to their families and employment this week,” IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a press briefing . “This will significantly ease the burden on the economy and allow them to gather strength for the upcoming activities in the next year, as the fighting will continue and they will still be required.” Meanwhile, Israel’s ground troops continued to push into central and southern Gaza Tuesday.

Over 85% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been driven from their homes, with most fleeing to southern Gaza, The Associated Press reported. In the past 24 hours, at least 207 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces, according to the health ministry in Gaza. At least 22,185 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since October, the health ministry said, per CNN .

Friday, Dec. 15 The latest: Israeli soldiers mistakenly shot and killed three hostages who were being held by Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement Friday, The Washington Post reported. The soldiers were fighting in the Shejaiya neighborhood east of Gaza City when they mistook the hostages for a threat and shot the three of them, per the Post .

Two of the hostages were confirmed to have been abducted on the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, per the Times . The names of the two victims are: White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan urged Israel to “transition to the next lower intensity phase in a matter of weeks, not months,” in the Israel Hamas War during his visit with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday, Axios reported.

Since the Oct. 7 attacks, President Joe Biden’s administration has largely supported efforts of “Israel’s stated goal of ousting Hamas in Gaza,” per Axios . Sullivan also said the U.S. needs to see evidence of “Israel’s intent to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza,” according to CNN . White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Monday, Dec.

4, 2023, in Washington. Evan Vucci, Associated Press Wednesday, Dec. 13 The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of demanding an immediate humanitarian cease fire in the Israel Hamas War Tuesday. The U.S. voted against the resolution, along with Israel and eight other countries.

Twenty three countries abstained from the vote. The resolution also called for “the unconditional release of hostages and for the besieged enclave to have access to aid,” The Washington Post reported. Not the first time the U.S. voted against a cease fire: Last week, the U.S. vetoed a proposed United Nations Security Council demand for an immediate cease fire.

What does the vote mean?: This vote “is politically significant and seen as wielding moral weight” but it is nonbinding, meaning Israel has the power to agree to a cease fire on its own without intervention. What’s happening from the U.S. perspective?: According to The Associated Press , “More than the United Nations or any other international organization, the United States is seen as the only entity capable of persuading Israel to accept a cease fire.” How Israel responded: Gilad Erdan, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, requested the members to vote against the resolution, arguing that a cease fire would equal “the survival of Hamas,” per the Post .

The latest on the fighting in Gaza: More than 18,400 Palestinians have been killed since Oct. 7, according to the Hamas run health ministry — a large portion of those killed have been children. Ground fighting and air strikes continue in major cities, per CNN . Palestinian United Nations Ambassador Riyad Mansour, second from right, speaks during a press conference ahead of a U.N.

General Assembly vote on a resolution calling for a cease fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, at U.N. headquarters. Bebeto Matthews, Associated Press Wednesday, Dec. 6 As the death toll in Gaza surpasses 16,000 and bomb strikes reportedly hit the area near the Jabalya refugee camp, a U.N.

agency has declared it to be “one of the most dangerous places in the world,” per CNN . The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East described the situation in Gaza as worsening by the minute, per CNN . As the area being targeted with bombs expands in Gaza, more Palestinians are being displaced and the ongoing humanitarian crisis is deepening.

For the first time since he took office in 2017, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres invoked Article 99 of the U.N. Charter, which allows him to “bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security,” according to Al Jazeera .

“The situation is fast deteriorating into a catastrophe with potentially irreversible implications for Palestinians as a whole and for peace and security in the region,” Guterres wrote in his letter invoking Article 99, claiming the international community shares “a responsibility to use all its influence to prevent further escalation and end this crisis.” Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani spoke with Guterres, emphasizing the need for aid in Gaza and potential de escalation, Al Jazeera reported.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Wednesday that Israel had Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s home surrounded. According to The Guardian , Netanyahu recorded a video statement, saying: “Yesterday I said that our forces could reach anywhere in the Gaza Strip. Today they are encircling Sinwar’s house.

His house may not be his fortress and he can escape but it’s only a matter of time before we get him.” Monday, Dec. 4 Israel airstrikes attacked south Gaza on Monday, while the Israeli military mandated large scale evacuations from the town amid an expanding ground assault, The Associated Press reported.

The bombing of the area “is pushing Palestinians into a progressively shrinking portion of the besieged territory.” United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged Israel to refrain from actions that would exacerbate the already critical humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to protect innocent civilians from more of the ongoing war.

“For people ordered to evacuate, there is nowhere safe to go and very little to survive on,” U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said, per Reuters . After seizing parts of northern Gaza, the Israeli military progressed into the final region previously fully controlled by Hamas in Khan Younis, the largest city in southern Gaza.

Israeli authorities believe that Hamas’ military and political leaders have relocated there for refuge after fleeing from the north, according to The New York Times . “New satellite images collected at 9 a.m. on Sunday local time and analyzed by the Times showed that the Israeli military had reached a position south of Deir al Balah, about 3 miles north of the center of Khan Younis,” the Times added.

“The images showed dozens of armored vehicles in the area and berms erected to fortify their positions, vehicles and activities that closely resemble earlier Israeli operations in the north. The imagery also showed tracks and clearings, most likely from bulldozers.” Palestinians have been left with the choice to remain in the trajectory of Israeli forces or escape within the limited bounds of southern Gaza.

Humanitarian workers cautioned that this widespread displacement would worsen the severe humanitarian crisis already happening in the region. Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, posted on X (formerly Twitter) Monday saying, “I have arrived in Gaza, where people’s suffering is intolerable.

I repeat our urgent call for civilians to be protected in line with the laws of war and for aid to enter unimpeded. The hostages must be released and @ICRC allowed to safely visit them.” I have arrived in Gaza, where people’s suffering is intolerable. I repeat our urgent call for civilians to be protected in line with the laws of war and for aid to enter unimpeded.

The hostages must be released and @ICRC allowed to safely visit them. https://t.co/64AaIwOLQJ “The Gaza health ministry also says more than 300 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more wounded since the fighting resumed four days ago,” NPR news reported. NPR added that the Israeli military reported it had demolished over 60% of the 800 tunnel shafts linked to Hamas, which were identified since the war began.

“The tunnel shafts were located in civilian areas, many of which were near or inside civilian buildings and structures, such as schools, kindergartens, mosques and playgrounds,” the military said in a statement on Sunday, per U.S. News and World Report . Friday, Dec. 1 Efforts to extend a seven day truce failed and fighting in the Gaza Strip started at 7 a.m.

local time, Al Jazeera reported. According to The Associated Press , Israel “accused Hamas of having violated the cease fire.” The Gaza Ministry of Health says 109 people have died since fighting resumed. The delivery of aid to the Gaza Strip at the Rafah border crossing has also been put on hold.

In a post to X , the IDF said, “Hamas violated the operational pause, and in addition, fired toward Israeli territory. The IDF has resumed combat against the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza.” Hamas violated the operational pause, and in addition, fired toward Israeli territory. The IDF has resumed combat against the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza.

pic.twitter.com/gVRpctD79R Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Hamas did not meet “its obligation to release all of the women hostages today and has launched rockets at Israeli citizens,” per the BBC . Hamas claimed fighting resumed due to Israel’s refusal “to accept all offers to release other hostages”.

The Israeli army’s campaign of heavy shelling and airstrikes resumed across the Gaza Strip, including in the north, central and southern regions. Previously, Israel had declared the south to be safe, purporting the target of their military operations to be the north. The Israel Defense Forces sent evacuation orders urging Palestinians to leave certain areas and which imply military aggression will be focused in the South, Al Jazeera reported.

According to CBS News , the IDF also created and published a map of evacuation zones in the Gaza Strip so that residents could “evacuate from specific places for their safety if required.” The Israeli military sent SMS warnings to residents in some areas of the map saying, “The IDF will begin a crushing military attack on your area of residence with the aim of eliminating the terrorist organization Hamas ...

stay away from all military activity of every kind,” per CBS News . Airstrikes began 10 minutes later. The truce allowed for some medical aid, fuel and food supplies to be delivered, as well as hostages to be released by both Israel and Hamas. Hamas released 110 people, including 80 Israelis, while Israel released 240 Palestinians.

Qatar has expressed hopes of reinstating a pause, claiming that negotiations are ongoing. According to CBS News , U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told reporters that he regrets the resumption of fighting, saying “Israel has one of the most sophisticated militaries in the world. It is capable of neutralizing the threat posed by Hamas while minimizing harm to innocent men, women and children.

And it has an obligation to do so.” Thursday, Nov. 30 Just minutes before the temporary cease fire was set to expire, mediators for Israel and Hamas announced that the pause in fighting would continue through Thursday. The pause in fighting was extended for a seventh day “in light of the mediators’ efforts to continue the process of releasing hostages, and subject to the terms of the agreement,” Israel’s military stated, according to Al Jazeera .

Israel and Hamas agreed to a four day pause in fighting on Friday, Nov. 24. Under the agreement, Hamas agreed to release 10 hostages a day in exchange for 30 Palestinian prisoners. On Thursday, Hamas freed two Israeli hostages with more expected later in the day, The Associated Press reported..