Day 57 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Saturday, Dec. 2

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office released a statement Saturday saying talks to revive a truce had broken down as the Israeli military deepens its campaign in southern Gaza.

Rina Bassist, Ezgi Akin, Beatrice Farhat, Elizabeth Hagedorn, Adam Lucente, Jack Dutton, Jared Szuba and Al-Monitor’s contributors on the ground in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel contributed to this blog.

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Live updates (all times EDT):

Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023

4:00 pm: US defense chief says Israel must shield civilians to win in Gaza

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday urged Israel to protect civilians as it battles Hamas in Gaza, saying that shielding noncombatants is necessary for victory in the urban fight against the Palestinian militant group.

3:45 pm: Turkey's Erdogan rejects US pressure to cut Hamas ties

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pushed back against mounting US pressure to cut Ankara's historic ties with Hamas in the wake of the militants' unprecedented attacks on Israel.

3:20 pm: US intercepts Iranian drone in Gulf waters 

CENTCOM announced on Saturday that it intercepted an Iranian drone in Gulf waters. An “aircraft from Dwight D Eisenhower Carrier Air Wing intercepts an Iranian UAV operating in an unsafe and unprofessional manner during aircraft carrier flight operations in the Arabian Gulf," CENTCOM posted on X with a photo appearing to show the Iranian drone. “The US Navy will continue to fly and sail where international law allows,” it read.

12:00 pm: Gaza death toll reaches 15,200

As Israel ramps up its military campaign in southern Gaza, the death toll has passed 15,200, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Saturday. The ministry said 240 people had been killed in the enclave since fighting resumed after a seven-day truce lapsed on Friday morning. 

11:00 am: Israel recalls Mossad negotiators from Qatar

A team of Mossad agents left Qatar on Saturday as efforts to revive a truce between Israel and Hamas and facilitate the release of more hostages in Gaza hit a roadblock. "Following the impasse in the negotiations and under the guidance of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mossad head David Barnea ordered his team in Doha to return to Israel," the prime minister's office said in a statement.

7:00 am: Israel conducts strikes on 400 targets inside Gaza

The Israeli military said it conducted strikes against 400 targets in Gaza overnight Friday and into Saturday, including 50 in the Khan Yunis area in southern Gaza. On a visit to the Gaza border on Saturday, Israel's defense chief Yoav Gallant said, "In the last two days, we have also operated in areas where we did not operate in the last month, and this will increase."

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