The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 55,432, with 128,923 others injured, since the conflict between Hamas and Israel began on October 7, 2023, Gaza's health authorities said on Monday.
Over the past 24 hours, Israeli attacks killed 68 Palestinians and injured 182 others, according to Gaza's health authorities.
Also on Monday, Gaza's civil defense agency said that Israeli troops opened fire at people waiting to get supplies at an aid distribution site near the southern city of Rafah, causing at least 20 deaths and more than 200 injuries.
Later that day, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it received 200 people at its field hospital near Rafah.
The Israel Defense Forces has yet to make comments on this.
Gaza death toll hits 55,432; Israeli gunfire kills 20 at aid site on Monday
Gaza death toll hits 55,432; 20 killed in Israeli gunfire at aid site
U.S. stocks finished slightly higher on Monday, staging a late-session recovery as investors navigated a volatile landscape marked by a criminal probe into the Federal Reserve leadership.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 86.13 points, or 0.17 percent, to 49,590.2. The S&P 500 added 10.99 points, or 0.16 percent, to 6,977.27. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased by 62.56 points, or 0.26 percent, to 23,733.9. Despite the positive close, the market experienced significant intraday turbulence, with the Dow dropping nearly 500 points at its session lows.
Nine of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in positive territory. Consumer staples and industrials led the gainers, rising 1.42 percent and 0.75 percent, respectively. Financials and energy were the primary laggards, declining 0.8 percent and 0.66 percent.
Market sentiment was initially shaken by an announcement on Sunday from Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who confirmed that federal prosecutors are investigating him over the Fed's multi-billion-dollar project to renovate its headquarters. Powell characterized the probe as an attempt by the Trump administration to compromise the Fed's independence.
Further weighing on the financial sector was a proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump to cap credit card interest rates at 10 percent for one year, which triggered a sell-off in banking stocks amid concerns over restricted lending and reduced profitability. Capital One shares plummeted 6.42 percent, while Citigroup, JPMorgan and Bank of America also recorded losses.
In contrast, retail giant Walmart led the Dow's advance, climbing 3 percent following news of its upcoming inclusion in the Nasdaq 100 index. The company also announced a strategic partnership with Google's Gemini AI to enhance the digital shopping experience.
Investors are awaiting Tuesday's release of the U.S. consumer price index for December 2025. Following last week's cooling labor market data, market participants increasingly expect the Fed to maintain interest rates at their current levels during the upcoming January meeting.
U.S. stocks close higher amid criminal probe into Fed chair Powell
