Israel launches operation in northern Gaza as freezing temperatures kills woman

Israeli forces on Monday killed a Palestinian man in the northeast of Gaza City, as soldiers launched a military operation in the north of the enclave, despite a ceasefire in place since October.

The Palestinian man has been identified by medical sources as Mohammad Khaled Abdel Moneim, with reports stating he was killed after Israeli forces shot a bullet to his head in the Tuffah neighbourhood.

This comes just a day after three Palestinians were killed and six others wounded in Israeli strikes, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, The New Arab’s Arabic language sister publication, reported.

The Israeli army on Monday also said it has launched a "targeted operation" in the north of the Strip to "exhaust all of the intelligence", destroying infrastructure and wounding civilians in the process.

Meanwhile, the lack of aid coming into Gaza has exacerbated conditions, particularly amid a drop in temperatures, resulting in a 63-year-old woman succumbing to the cold.

The woman has been named as Zainab Mohammad Musbeh, and died in southern Gaza, where tens of thousands of displaced people are sheltering in makeshift tents.

Aid groups have reiterated that Israel must comply with the terms of the ceasefire agreement, which stipulates that aid trucks must be allowed into Gaza daily; however, Israel has continued to heavily restrict humanitarian assistance.

The latest developments come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel would agree to open the Rafah crossing only for people, and under full Israeli supervision, after the last Israeli captive is returned from Gaza.

The army launched a widespread search for the remains of Ran Gvili on Sunday into Monday, concentrating efforts in the Tuffah neighbourhood.

Israeli media reported that there are hundreds of bodies in a cemetery, and there is a high likelihood that Gvili’s remains will be found there based on intelligence.

Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the search efforts would "continue for as long as necessary", adding that if the body is not found in this area, then teams would widen their search.  

Hamas spokesperson, Abu Obaida, said the group was operating with full transparency and called on Israel to abide by the truce agreement.

"We provided everything we had in our possession, both prisoners and bodies, as quickly as possible and without any delay, despite Israel violating the agreement dozens of times," a statement from the group said.

The search for the remains of the captive comes as the US pushes for the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, with US envoy Steve Witkoff stating on Sunday that the US delegation had a "positive and constructive" meeting with Netanyahu.

He said discussions centred on "the ongoing progress and plans for implementing the second phase of Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza", and that both sides agreed on the next steps and the importance of continued cooperation on matters in the region.

In the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces assaulted five Palestinians in a raid on the Balata refugee camp, early on Monday morning, the official Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said ambulance crews treated five people for injuries.

Israeli forces further closed the Atara military checkpoint north of Ramallah, restricting the movement of Palestinian people.

Since the start of the war on Gaza in October 2023, there has been an uptick in Israeli attacks on Palestinians as well as raids and arrests.