International

Gaza War Day 87: New Year Begins With Israeli Bombing, Death Toll Near 22,000 Mark | Key Updates

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Saturday that Israel's military campaign against Hamas in Gaza will persist for 'many more months'.

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Israel Gaza war
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As the world celebrates the new year today, those in war zones continue to bear the brunt of war.

The war on Gaza reached day 87 and the new year began in the besieged Palestinian enclave with Israeli bombing as the death toll near the 22,000 mark. 

Here are the latest updates:

1. So far,  at least 21,822 people have been killed and 56,451 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. 

The revised death toll from the October 7 attack in Israel stands at 1,139.

2. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Saturday that Israel's military campaign against Hamas in Gaza will persist for "many more months".

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This announcement comes in the face of persistent international calls for a cease-fire, fueled by increasing civilian casualties, hunger, and mass displacement in the besieged enclave.

3. Israeli officials are concerned the International Court of Justice (ICJ) could charge the state with genocide in Gaza, Haaretz reported on Monday. 

Amid international criticism of Israel for its continued bombing of Gaza, South Africa moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on December 29, for an urgent order declaring that Israel was in breach of its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention.

4. Across the world, people marked New Year's Eve with protests for peace in Palestine. Notable events include:

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Thousands of people marched in Turkey's Istanbul Monday morning calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. 

In Lahore, Pakistan, demonstrators took to the streets on rollerblades and motorbikes, waving Palestinian flags.

Tahrir Square in Baghdad displayed a Christmas tree adorned with items resembling children in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

5. On January 1st, Hamas launched over 20 rockets towards southern and central Israel. Sirens were heard across various cities, including Ashdod, Sderot, Rehovot, Ness Ziona, Holon, Lod, and Modiin. There have been no injuries reported.

Hamas' armed wing said the barrage was in response to "massacres against civilians" in Gaza.

6. A senior figure in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, calls on Sunday for Palestinian residents of Gaza to leave the besieged enclave. 

The comments appear to underscore fears in much of the Arab world that Israel wants to drive Palestinians out of the land where they want to build a future state, repeating the mass dispossession of Palestinians when Israel was created in 1948.

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