Updates: Israel violates Gaza ceasefire

The Israeli military stated that an airstrike in eastern Rafah killed five fighters as they “emerged from a tunnel” in a zone under Israeli control, according to Al Jazeera.

According to an official statement, troops from the Nahal Brigade observed the fighters approaching in a way that was deemed an “immediate threat” and coordinated with the Air Force to target them.

The military added that its forces “will continue operations to neutralise any immediate threats” in the area.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated his strong opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state, stating that it will not alter its position even if such a shift could help establish diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia, according to a report by Al Jazeera citing Israeli media.

In an interview, Netanyahu said, “There will be no Palestinian state. As simple as that … It's an existential threat to Israel.”

Despite this, the Israeli premier said he remains “cautiously optimistic” about the possibility of reaching a normalisation agreement with Saudi Arabia, though he acknowledged that the conflict in Gaza has delayed progress.

Activists are protesting Germany’s plans to resume weapons shipments to Israel, ending a partial ban.

Israel has killed more than 300 Palestinians in Gaza since the ceasefire went into effect.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that he was deeply concerned about ongoing Israeli attacks that killed 33 Palestinians over the last few hours.

“It’s not for us, given our lack of participation as a guarantor, to say the ceasefire is holding or not holding … Our concern is the fragility of the ceasefire,” said his spokesperson, quoting Guterres.

Stephane Dujarric — the spokesperson — said: “People are getting killed – Palestinians are getting killed – and that needs to stop.”

Dujarric said the main focus now is getting crucial humanitarian relief to the suffering people of Gaza after two years of war.

“Trump’s plan for the UN right now, this moment, is on delivering humanitarian aid. We are doing the very best that we can in using every space that is allotted to us to deliver that humanitarian aid,” he added.

The phase of searching Palestinian bodies beneath rubble is set to begin on Saturday, Al Jazeera reported, adding that the operation will be carried out by Gaza’s Civil Defence and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The operation will begin at 9am (local time), in the Barakat al-Waz area of central Gaza’s Maghazi camp, where 64 have been missing for months following Israeli strikes on residential buildings.

Civil Defence, forensic teams, Egyptian representatives, and families of the missing individuals will participate in the search operation.

France is concerned about the intensification of Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon and is also calling the Israeli army to respect Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, a French foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday.

"We are concerned about this intensification of Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon. We condemn the Israeli strikes that are killing civilians in the south. Our position is one of respect for the ceasefire of 27 November 2024[...]," he said.

The Israeli military stepped up airstrikes in south Lebanon on Wednesday, killing at least one person as it pressed a campaign of near-daily attacks which it says is designed to block a military revival by Iran-backed Hezbollah in the border area.

"We are following developments in the Golan Heights with great concern. France calls for the withdrawal of the Israeli army and respect for Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity," the spokesperson said about Syria.

Gaza health authorities said fresh Israeli air strikes killed five people, as ceasefire mediator Qatar warned the renewed attacks threatened to undermine the fragile weeks-long truce between Israel and Hamas.

The new strikes came the morning after one of the deadliest days in the Gaza Strip since the truce began on October 10, and after Israel launched a series of attacks targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon despite the nearly year-long ceasefire there.

Qatar, a key mediator in the Hamas-Israel war, condemned the latest air strikes as "a dangerous escalation that threatens to undermine the ceasefire agreement".

Mahmud Bassal, spokesman for the Gaza civil defence agency, which operates under Hamas authority, told AFP that five people were killed and several wounded Thursday in strikes and artillery shelling east of Khan Yunis in the south.

Hamas has said that Palestinian children deserve protection similar to that enjoyed by children everywhere else, Al Jazeera reported.

"The United Nations commemorates Universal Children’s Day on November 20th, while Palestinian children endure a tragic reality," Hamas said in a statement adding that Israeli onslaught had "destroyed the very foundations of life — food, medicine, clean water, healthcare, education and psychological support — in violation of international conventions and humanitarian values, and in disregard of UN resolutions guaranteeing the rights of Palestinian children".

The group further urged for international prosecution of Israeli leaders for the "crimes against children".