Despite pressure from the US and other allies, alongside mounting military casualties, the Israeli premier announced Sunday that the military would continue the war "until absolute victory."
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):
Friday, Dec. 22, 2023
8:30 am: Israeli hostage in Gaza declared dead
Gadi Haggai, who was thought to be held hostage by Hamas, was killed during the group's Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel and his body was taken to the Gaza Strip, where it’s currently being held, announced Kibbutz Nir Oz, where Haggai lived. The 73-year-old disappeared on the morning of Oct. 7 while taking a morning walk with his wife, Judith, a dual Israeli-American citizen. Judith, who was wounded in the attack, is still being held hostage by Hamas.
5:56 am: Jordanians hold mass rally in solidarity with Palestinians
Thousands of Jordanians took to the streets of Amman to express their support for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to local media. The protesters condemned the ongoing Israeli bombardment and targeting of civilians, calling for international and Arab action to end the Israeli offensive. Jordanians have been holding weekly protests across the kingdom since the Israel-Hamas war erupted Oct. 7.
4:00 am: More than half-million Gazans starving, UN says
More than a quarter of the population in Gaza is starving due to the ongoing war, the United Nations said in a new report on Thursday. The risk of famine is “increasing each day,” the report said, citing insufficient amounts of aid reaching the enclave.
2:20 am: Exchange of fire along Lebanon-Israel border
Israeli warplanes launched a series of strikes on southern Lebanon, including in the Labbouneh area and on the outskirts of Nabatieh, Lebanon's official National News Agency said. Israeli artillery shelling was reported in Aita al-Shaab, Qaouzah, Rab al-Thalathine and Ramyeh. Israeli media earlier reported a barrage of rockets fired from Lebanon toward northern Israel, and the Israeli military said it had struck the launch sites in response. The Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, engaged in heavy cross-border fire with Israel since early October, has yet to comment on the Israeli reports.
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For our previous live coverage, see:
Day 76 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Thursday, Dec. 21
Day 75 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Wednesday, Dec. 20
Day 74 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Tuesday, Dec. 19
Day 73 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Monday, Dec. 18
Day 72 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Sunday, Dec. 17
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Day 70 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Friday, Dec. 15
Day 69 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Thursday, Dec. 14
Day 68 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Wednesday, Dec. 13
Day 67 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Tuesday, Dec. 12
Day 66 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Monday, Dec. 11
Day 65 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Sunday, Dec. 10
Day 64 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Saturday, Dec. 9
Day 63 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Friday, Dec. 8
Day 62 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Thursday, Dec. 7
Day 61 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Wednesday, Dec. 6
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Day 59 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Monday, Dec. 4
Day 58 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Sunday, Dec. 3
Day 57 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Saturday, Dec. 2
Day 56 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Friday, Dec. 1
Day 55 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Thursday, Nov. 30
Day 54 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Wednesday, Nov. 29
Day 53 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Tuesday, Nov. 28
Day 52 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Monday, Nov. 27
Day 51 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Sunday, Nov. 26
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Day 44 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Sunday, Nov. 19
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Day 40 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Wednesday, Nov. 15
Day 39 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Tuesday, Nov. 14
Day 38 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Monday, Nov. 13
Day 37 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Sunday, Nov. 12
Day 36 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Saturday, Nov. 11
Day 35 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Friday, Nov. 10
Day 34 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Thursday, Nov. 9
Day 33 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Wednesday, Nov. 8
Day 32 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Tuesday, Nov. 7
Day 31 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Monday, Nov. 6
Day 30 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Sunday, Nov. 5
Day 29 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Saturday, Nov. 4
Day 28 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Friday, Nov. 3
Day 27 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Thursday, Nov. 2
Day 26 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Wednesday, Nov. 1
Day 25 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Tuesday, Oct. 31
Day 24 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Monday, Oct. 30
Day 23 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Sunday, Oct. 29
Day 22 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Saturday, Oct. 28
Day 21 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Friday, Oct. 27
Day 20 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Thursday, Oct. 26
Day 19 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Wednesday, Oct. 25
Day 18 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Tuesday, Oct. 24
Day 17 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Monday, Oct. 23
Day 16 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Sunday, Oct. 22
Day 15 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Saturday, Oct. 21
Day 14 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Friday, Oct. 20
Day 13 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Thursday, Oct. 19
Day 12 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Wednesday, Oct. 18
Day 11 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Tuesday, Oct. 17
Day 10 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Monday, Oct. 16
Day 9 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Sunday, Oct. 15
Day 8 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Saturday, Oct. 14
Day 7 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Friday, Oct. 13
Day 6 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Thursday, Oct. 12
Day 5 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Wednesday, Oct. 11
Day 4 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Tuesday, Oct. 10
Day 3 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Monday, Oct. 9
Day 2 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Sunday, Oct. 8
Day 1 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Saturday, Oct. 7