Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks in Gaza rises to 45,658

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Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks in Gaza rises to 45,658

2025-01-04 03:24 Last Updated At：05:17

The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 45,658, with 108,583 others injured, the Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Friday.

In the past 24 hours alone, at least 77 people were killed and 145 others were injured in Gaza, according to the statement.

Israeli airstrikes targeted Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip on Friday, killing seven people, including four children. Several others were injured, some of whom are in critical condition.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military has threatened medical teams, patients, and staff at Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza, warning that the facility will be bombed unless they evacuate immediately.

The Hamas-run media office reported on Friday that the Israel Defense Forces continue to destroy hospitals in northern Gaza, leaving approximately 40,000 Palestinians without access to medical services.

On the same day, the Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Amy Pope, stated that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has worsened due to freezing winter temperatures and recent rainfall. Meanwhile, humanitarian aid entering the region remains severely limited, leaving residents in urgent need of shelters and other essential supplies.

According to a UN report released in mid-December last year, at least 945,000 Gazans are in urgent need of winter items such as warm clothing, blankets, and tarpaulins.

The IOM has reiterated its call for all parties involved in the conflict to immediately cease fire, release detainees, protect Gaza's civilians, and ensure the uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid.

Hamas confirmed on Friday that indirect negotiations with Israel have resumed in Doha, Qatar, with the goal of achieving a complete ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement, Hamas said that the latest round of talks is expected to focus on achieving a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire, securing the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and facilitating the safe and prompt return of displaced Palestinians to their homes.

U.S. Senate blocks bid to curb presidential war powers on Venezuela

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday voted 51-50 to effectively block a bipartisan resolution aimed at curbing President Donald Trump's authority to use military force in Venezuela, after two GOP senators flipped under intense pressure from the White House.

After senators Josh Hawley and Todd Young reversed their position and left the chamber deadlocked 50-50, U.S. Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote on a procedural motion, derailing the measure that would have required the president to obtain congressional approval before taking further military action in the oil-rich South American nation.

The resolution was introduced in the wake of a U.S. military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro. The U.S. Senate on January 8 voted 52 to 47 to advance the war powers resolution.

Trump had publicly criticized the five Republicans who joined all Democrats to back the bill, saying they "should never be elected to office again."

The president also called each of the five senators to vent his frustration over their votes, said a report from The Hill.