Israeli forces raid West Bank as Gaza grapples with storm aftermath

TNA’s live coverage of the latest from the war on Gaza concludes for today. Join us again tomorrow at 0800 GMT for updates from the besieged Palestinian enclave.

A delegation of six Canadian parliamentarians was denied entry into the occupied West Bank by Israeli authorities on Tuesday, CBC News reported.

The officials were reportedly asked to sign waivers acknowledging themselves as potential security risks if they entered the territory. They refused and were subsequently barred from entry.

According to the Toronto Star, Israeli officials expressed concerns over the trip’s funding. An Israeli spokesperson said that because the funding could be traced to Islamic Relief—a group designated as a terror organisation in Israel—the delegation was prohibited from entering the West Bank.

Islamic Relief has not confirmed any financial support to Canadian Muslim Vote, the organisation said to have arranged the trip.

Islamic Relief is a leading humanitarian aid organisation in North America, conducting domestic and international relief efforts.

Roughly 9,300 Palestinians are currently imprisoned or detained by Israel, according to Palestinian rights organisations.

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society says the total includes at least 350 children, most of whom are being held in Ofer and Megiddo prisons.

The group adds that around 3,500 detainees from the occupied West Bank are being held under administrative detention, a policy that allows imprisonment without charge or trial based on alleged future security threats, often relying on undisclosed evidence.

In addition, some 1,220 Palestinians detained during Israeli military operations in Gaza have been designated as “unlawful combatants”, a classification that permits open-ended detention, the organisation said.

Three young men arrested over the weekend on suspicion of attacking a pregnant Palestinian woman in Israeli city of Jaffa have a documented history of violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, a police representative reportedly told a judge during a remand hearing.

According to Hebrew-language media, the suspects are linked to the so-called “hilltop youth” movement and have previously been subjected to police-issued restraining orders that temporarily barred them from entering the West Bank.

Haaretz reported that one of the suspects had been placed in administrative detention two years ago on suspicion of involvement in attacks against Palestinians in the central West Bank.

Police believe the three travelled to Jaffa on Saturday with the intention of carrying out a premeditated, racially motivated assault.

The alleged victim was identified as 30-year-old Hanan Abu Shehadeh, who was driving with her two children and mother-in-law at the time.

Abu Shehadeh said the men shouted racist insults at her, spat on her young daughter through the open car window, and then pepper-sprayed her and other family members.

During the hearing at the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court, police also said the suspects gave identical accounts of the incident in separate interrogations, according to Ynet, raising concerns that their statements may have been coordinated in advance.

More than 50 MPs and peers have called on the UK government to urgently step in over the worsening health of Palestine Action activists on hunger strike in British prisons, warning that some detainees are at risk of life-threatening complications.

In a letter signed by 51 parliamentarians and sent to the justice secretary, the group urged an immediate meeting with the law firm representing eight prisoners who are refusing food.

The lawmakers said the lawyers had contacted the government on December 9, cautioning that without swift intervention their clients’ health could decline “beyond any possible recovery”.

“We are growing increasingly dismayed at the government’s lack of action to protect the health and wellbeing of British citizens,” the letter said.

The hunger strikes relate to the imprisonment of activists linked to Palestine Action, who are accused of targeting military or defence-related sites, including RAF bases and locations connected to Israeli arms firm Elbit Systems.

The hunger strikers are at risk of death.

I asked the minister if he would do the bare minimum and meet their lawyers — a demand shared by over 50 MPs and Peers.

His response? “No”. MPs laughed along. They should be ashamed of themselves.

pic.twitter.com/NTNnIc4ZMB

— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) December 16, 2025

A 16-year-old Palestinian has been killed by Israeli settler fire in the occupied West Bank town of Tuqu, south east of Bethlehem, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa. 

According to the town's mayor, the killing of Muheeb Ahmed Jibril happened following the funeral of Ammar Sabah, another 16-year-old who was killed by Israeli forces during a raid on the town.

After the funeral, Jibril and other young men were at the town's northern entrance when a settler got out of his vehicle and shot at them. Another person was also seriously wounded in the shooting.

Iran's judiciary said Tuesday that a dual national arrested during the recent 12-day war with Israel and who has since been on trial for espionage holds the Swedish citizenship.

"Recently, a case was investigated in Alborz Province regarding a dual-citizen spy. This person received Swedish citizenship in 2020 and has resided there since," said judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir, according to the judiciary's Mizan Online news agency.

British police said on Tuesday they had charged two men with belonging to the banned Iran-backed group Hezbollah and attending terrorism training camps in Lebanon.

The men were arrested at their home addresses in London in April and rearrested last week when they were subsequently charged with a total of nine terrorism offences.

"These arrests and charges follow a painstaking investigation by detectives of Counter Terrorism Policing London, who have worked closely with a number of overseas law enforcement colleagues," said Commander Dominic Murphy, head of London's Counter Terrorism Policing.

"I want to reassure the public that I do not assess there is an ongoing threat to the wider public as a result of the activities of these two individuals."

Annis Makki, 40, is charged with attending a terrorist training camp at the Birket Jabbour airbase in Lebanon in 2021, being involved in the preparation of terrorist acts, being a member of Hezbollah, and expressing support both for Hezbollah and the banned militant group Hamas.

Mohamed Hadi, 33, is also accused of belonging to Hezbollah and attending a training camp in Baffliyeh in south Lebanon in 2015 and at the Birket Jabbour airbase in 2021.

Both men are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' court later on Tuesday. 

Qatar has strongly condemned Israel’s decision to approve 19 settlements in the occupied West Bank, describing the move as a “flagrant violation” of international law and Palestinian rights.

In a statement, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said the Israeli government’s approval contravenes international legitimacy resolutions, “particularly United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334”, which considers Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory illegal.

The ministry added that the decision amounts to a “blatant infringement on the rights of the Palestinian people” and called on the international community to shoulder its responsibility to stop Israel’s settlement expansion.

A senior Hamas official has warned that Israel’s actions risk undermining the ceasefire agreement, accusing it of committing “blatant and outrageous violations” since the deal came into force.

In a televised address, Ghazi Hamad said Israel had repeatedly manipulated the terms of the agreement, claiming it has breached the ceasefire 813 times. He said mediators had confirmed that Hamas had not committed a single violation and had fully complied with the deal.

Hamad argued that the Israeli army’s repeated breaches demonstrate they are being carried out deliberately under government direction. He said Israeli forces have crossed the designated yellow line on multiple occasions and accused Israel of blocking the entry of humanitarian aid under the claim that it could be used for other purposes.

He also said Israel continues to withhold information about prisoners and missing people, further threatening the sustainability of the ceasefire.

The head of Israel’s Prison Service has warned that conditions inside Israeli jails are nearing a critical point, with the risk of a serious escalation as the war continues and the situation for Palestinian detainees worsens.

Speaking before the Knesset’s National Security Committee on Tuesday, Prison Service commissioner Kobi Yaakobi said tensions inside security sections of prisons are intensifying, Haaretz reported.

“There’s a sense that the war is [ongoing] at a low intensity,” Yaakobi told lawmakers, drawing a direct link between developments inside prisons and Israel’s wider military campaign.

He added that the situation behind bars is particularly fragile, saying, “I can say with certainty that, inside the prisons, we’re on the verge of [a violent escalation].”

At least one Palestinian has been killed and several others injured after part of a residential building collapsed in Gaza City during heavy rainfall, Gaza’s Civil Defence said, as cited by Anadolu Agency.

Civil defence crews recovered a body from the rubble of a home that partially collapsed in the Shati refugee camp, while several injured people were pulled from the debris.

Witnesses told Anadolu that strong winds and heavy rain, which have lashed Gaza since Monday evening, flooded or destroyed thousands of tents housing displaced families, further worsening already dire living conditions.

Gaza’s infrastructure has been left severely weakened by months of Israeli attacks, leaving many buildings at risk of collapse during extreme weather.

Israel has participated in a joint cyber and military exercise with the United States, amid claims by Israeli officials that dozens of attempted cyberattacks have recently been foiled.

In a statement, the Israeli military said it had concluded the 10th annual Cyberdome exercise in cooperation with US Cyber Command over the weekend.

The drill involved more than 120 cyber specialists from both forces and was held at a secure US military facility.

The Israeli army has confirmed that its forces shot and killed a Palestinian teenage boy in the occupied West Bank, saying he was throwing stones at soldiers.

In a brief statement cited by The Times of Israel, the military said a “riot” broke out near Bethlehem, during which stones were allegedly thrown at Israeli troops.

“The troops used riot dispersal means and then opened fire on a main instigator,” the army said, adding that “a hit was identified.”

The Palestinian Authority’s Health Ministry identified the victim as 17-year-old Ammar Yasser al-Sabah. Local media footage on Tuesday showed his family mourning over his body.

The death toll in Gaza has continued to climb as Israel’s war claims more civilian lives, according to figures released by the Palestinian health ministry on Tuesday.

The ministry said at least 70,667 Palestinians have been killed since 7 October 2023, with women and children accounting for the majority of those killed.

Health officials added that a further 171,151 people have been injured in Israeli attacks, while many others are still believed to be buried beneath the rubble, as ambulance and rescue teams struggle to access heavily bombarded areas.

Over the past 24 hours, Gaza hospitals received the bodies of two Palestinians recovered from the debris, as well as six wounded survivors. Medical sources warned that the actual toll is likely far higher, with entire neighbourhoods remaining inaccessible.

Since the ceasefire agreement announced on 11 October, Israeli attacks have killed at least 393 Palestinians and injured 1,074 others, while 634 bodies have been recovered from beneath destroyed buildings.

A group of around 20 Israeli settlers assaulted a Palestinian family overnight into Tuesday near the West Bank village of al-Auja, attacking them with clubs, Haaretz reported, citing Palestinian sources.

According to the sources, the settlers arrived from the area of a former Israeli army base close to the Yitav settlement.

Those injured include a father, a mother and their three daughters. The Palestinian Red Crescent said all five were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Gaza’s Civil Defence agency has appealed for additional bulldozers to accelerate efforts to recover the bodies of Palestinians buried beneath rubble across the enclave.

The agency estimates that the remains of more than 9,500 Palestinians have yet to be retrieved, with rescue teams saying they lack sufficient heavy machinery to access collapsed buildings.

According to the United Nations, more than 60 million tonnes of debris must be removed from Gaza.

Israeli authorities continue to restrict the entry of bulldozers into the Strip — a move Gaza officials say violates the ceasefire — with Israel claiming the equipment could be used by Hamas for military purposes.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has welcomed the UN General Assembly’s approval of two resolutions that reaffirm Palestinians’ right to self-determination and permanent sovereignty over their natural resources.

In a post on X, the ministry said the first resolution confirms the “inalienable rights” of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state based on the 1967 borders.

The measure was passed by a large majority on Tuesday, with 164 countries voting in favour, eight opposing it and nine abstaining.

A second resolution, focused on permanent sovereignty over natural resources in the occupied Palestinian territory, was also approved by an overwhelming majority. It received 156 votes in favour, with eight against and 10 abstentions.

The resolution supports Palestinian demands for Israel to end the exploitation of Palestinian natural resources and acknowledges their right to seek compensation.

 Appeals judges at the International Criminal Court on Monday rejected one in a series of legal challenges brought by Israel against the court's probe into its conduct of the Gaza war.

On appeal, judges refused to overturn a lower court decision that the prosecution's investigation into alleged crimes under its jurisdiction could include events following the attack on Israel by Palestinian group Hamas on October 7, 2023.

The ruling means the investigation continues and the arrest warrants issued last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence chief Yoav Gallant remain in place.

Israel's Foreign Ministry called the ruling an example of the ICC's disregard for the sovereign rights of countries who are not members of the court, in a post on social media platform X.

Israel rejects the jurisdiction of the Hague-based court and denies war crimes in Gaza, where it has waged a military campaign it says is aimed at eliminating Hamas following the October 7 attacks.

The ICC had initially also issued a warrant for Hamas leader Ibrahim al-Masri for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, but withdrew that later following credible reports of his death.

A ceasefire agreement in the conflict took effect on October 10, but the war destroyed much of Gaza’s infrastructure, and living conditions are dire.

According to Gaza health officials, whose data is frequently cited with confidence by the United Nations, some 67,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in Gaza.

This ruling focuses on only one of several Israeli legal challenges against the ICC investigations and the arrest warrants for its officials. There is no timeline for the court to rule on the various other challenges to its jurisdiction in this case.

Israeli warplanes carried out air strikes, alongside artillery shelling, on areas east of Rafah and Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, The New Arab’s Arabic-language sister site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reports.

UNRWA has warned that Israeli demolition plans pose a serious threat to the Nur Shams refugee camp, as Israeli occupation forces intensify operations against refugee camps in the northern occupied West Bank.

Roland Friedrich, UNRWA’s head of affairs in the West Bank, said Israeli authorities have issued a new demolition order that could see around 25 homes in Nur Shams destroyed from 18 December, putting hundreds of Palestinian refugees at risk after many have already been forcibly displaced.

He said satellite imagery reveals extensive destruction even before the latest order, with almost half of the camp’s buildings already damaged or demolished.

"This falls within a recurring pattern witnessed in the region this year, whereby Israeli forces demolish homes with the aim of imposing long-term control over the camps in the northern West Bank, which would lead to a permanent change in the geographical character of these camps."

Friedrich added that Israeli authorities justify the demolitions on the grounds of "military necessity", but stressed that such actions "do not make anyone safer".

He warned that the displacement of more than 32,000 Palestinian refugees across the northern West Bank must not become permanent, noting that families have spent 11 months waiting to return home, only to see those hopes undermined by repeated demolitions.

US President Donald Trump on Monday said the International Stabilization Force for Gaza is already running and that more countries would be added.

"I think that, in a form, it's already running," Trump said in the Oval Office.

"More and more countries are coming into it. They're already in but they'll send any number of troops that I ask them to send."