Israel demolishes homes in Gaza despite 'truce', while also ranking as the highest killer of journalists this year

Israeli forces on Tuesday morning continued demolishing homes in the besieged Gaza Strip, particularly in the south of the enclave, while a media watchdog revealed that Israel was behind the killing of almost half of all the journalists killed worldwide this year.

The home demolitions have been concentrated in and around Khan Younis, with buildings blown up by heavy shelling and gunfire, The New Arab's Arabic edition reported.

Israeli aircraft also launched raids on several neighbourhoods in Gaza City despite the truce agreement that came into effect in October. Areas targeted included al-Tuffah and al-Zaytoun.

Several Palestinians were wounded after Israel bombed a tent sheltering displaced families, with local media reporting that children were among the injured.

Other reports said Israeli forces detonated a booby-trapped military vehicle on Baghdad Street in the Shujayyea neighbourhood on Tuesday.

Israel's renewed attacks have heightened anxiety among Palestinians over whether the war will truly end. Israel has repeatedly delayed moving to the next phase of the ceasefire deal, claiming Hamas must first return the remains of captives held in the Strip. Hamas has responded that such work is almost impossible under Israel’s restrictions on heavy equipment entering Gaza.

The United States has in recent days pushed Israel to advance to the next stage of the deal, warning that the shaky truce risks collapsing.

The Israeli government announced that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet US President Donald Trump on 29 December, with discussions expected to focus on the ceasefire process. A government spokesperson said the two leaders will talk about "future steps and phases, and the international stabilisation mechanism for the Gaza ceasefire plan".

The developments came as Reporters Without Borders (RSF) revealed on Tuesday that Israel was responsible for around half of all journalists killed worldwide this year. The watchdog said 29 Palestinian journalists were killed in Gaza, with Israel accounting for 43 percent of all journalist deaths in 2024.

RSF said the findings make Israel "the worst enemy of journalists".

The organisation also highlighted one of the deadliest attacks, a so-called "double tap" strike on a hospital in south Gaza on 25 August, which killed five journalists, including two contributors to Reuters and the Associated Press.

Israel claimed it was targeting a Hamas surveillance camera at Nasser Hospital, but offered no evidence. Netanyahu later called the bombing a "tragic mishap".

Palestinians have long warned that Israel systematically targets hospitals, schools and other civilian sites while making unfounded claims of Hamas activity to justify the strikes.

Since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023, at least 220 journalists have been killed, making Israel the deadliest country for media workers for three consecutive years.

Israel has also barred foreign journalists from entering Gaza since the start of the war, while granting access to pro-Israel influencers producing content aimed at downplaying hunger and shortages of aid in the enclave.

Several rights groups have said it is likely Israel has committed war crimes in Gaza, noting that hospitals and journalists are protected under international law.