Israel’s war on Gaza live: ‘Deadliest conflict in 21st century’, says Oxfam

This live page is now closed. Follow along with our ongoing coverage of the Israeli war on Gaza here.

To read more about South Africa’s case accusing Israel of genocide at the ICJ, you can read our key takeaways here.

You can also read our coverage of a new report by the group Oxfam International, which found that the daily death toll in Gaza exceeds that of any major 21st-century conflict.

You can also watch an interview with Palestinians in Gaza sharing their feelings on the ICJ case, below.

We will soon be closing this live page. Here’s a recap of the day’s main developments:

• Reuters news agency reports explosions heard in Yemen as US officials say the US and UK have carried out airstrike against Houthi fighters in response to Red Sea attacks.
• The International Court of Justice began hearing arguments in a case brought forward by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide in its campaign in Gaza. Palestinians largely welcomed the proceedings, which included powerful arguments for why the ICJ had to act to stop Israel’s war on Gaza. Israeli officials accused the UN’s top court of being a “legal arm” of Hamas.
• In Gaza, Israel continued its bombing attacks, launching devastating strikes on Khan Younis and Rafah that killed several civilians, including children.
• The UN said only one-fifth of the 5,000 beds needed to meet trauma and emergency needs are available in Gaza, as Israel’s assault continues to take a devastating toll on the Strip’s overstretched health system.
• Reports of anticipated strikes by the US and the UK were met with defiance by Yemen’s Houthi rebel group, who have said that the two powers will not “scare us” out of Red Sea attacks in support of Palestinians in Gaza.
• The group Oxfam International said that Israel’s assault on Gaza is killing an average of 250 Palestinians per day, far outpacing the daily average of other conflicts in recent years.
• Hezbollah launched dozens of rockets at Israel after the group said that an Israeli strike on an ambulance killed two medical workers in southern Lebanon.

Reactions [to the ICJ] are coming from across the aisle in Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the case being brought against Israel is “hypocritical” and that Israelis will defend themselves in the face of these lies. He went on to say that the Israeli army is the most moral in the world.

Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant reiterated that sentiment saying there is no army more moral and there is no war more just. He also says that the Israeli army differentiates between uninvolved civilians and combatants, saying they even provide access to humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.

Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari said the world should not forget about what happened on October 7, and that they will not let the world forget. Additionally, Israeli media has said comments from far-right, ultra-nationalist Israeli ministers, calling for the displacement of Palestinians and the building of illegal settlements inside Gaza, are hurting Israel’s case.

As the world sees the largest pro-Palestine protests on record, the interest in owning a keffiyeh is skyrocketing. Hirbawi is the last known factory making keffiyehs in Palestine. So how is that changing Hirbawi and the meaning behind the keffiyeh?

Listen to the latest episode of The Take, below:

John Fetterman, a staunch defender of Israel, had rebuked South Africa, saying that the country should sit out accusations of genocide “given the history there”.

Fetterman’s comments earned him praise from far-right advocates who have long promoted conspiracy theories about a genocide against white farmers in South Africa.

The senator later told The Independent in a statement, “The entirety of my point was this: South Africa should instead focus on the spiraling humanitarian crises on its own continent – like Sudan where more than 7 million people have been displaced with widespread atrocities.”

But the clarification did little to allay the anger of Fetterman’s critics. One social media user said the senator’s remarks are akin to saying “the Africans should stick to their own business and let the whites handle this”.

A report from US news outlet Bloomberg says that the European Union’s member states are discussing whether there is enough support to fund and equip an operation aimed at thwarting Houthi attacks on commercial shipping.

Quoting “people familiar with the matter”, Bloomberg said that plans for the operation could be finalised as early as January 22, when European foreign ministers meet in Brussels.

Anger at the Yemeni group has been growing among Western nations in recent weeks, with the US warning of “consequences” should the attacks continue.

Reports from US and UK newspapers say that strikes from those countries on the Houthis could be imminent.

Revenue is down 40 percent year on year since January 1 compared with 2023, says the Suez Canal authority head, Osama Rabie.

Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have forced major shippers to avoid the key international route, with traffic down 30 percent between January 1 and January 11.

Day one of the International Court of Justice’s hearing of a genocide case brought against Israel by South Africa is complete.

Some in Gaza are hopeful that an outcome in favour of Palestine may help end their suffering.

“The world must investigate what has been done in Gaza. Taking this matter to the court gives our citizens confidence that there are a few people in the world who still believe in justice,” one man in Rafah told Al Jazeera.

Others weren’t convinced that any decision by an international body would make a difference.

Hear more of what they had to say by watching in our video:

The Yemeni rebels have struck a defiant tone amid reports that the US and the UK are preparing a military attack against them.

“All the American and British threats have not and will not terrorise or scare us or make us back down from fulfilling our responsibility in support of our brethren in Gaza. Rather, they will reinforce our faith and certainty in our right stance and just cause,” Houthi official Abdulqader al-Mortada wrote in a social media post.

The US previously warned of “consequences” for the Houthis if they continue their attacks on shipping lanes in the Red Sea. The group had pledged to target Israel-linked ships until the war in Gaza stops.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has said that it was able to deliver food aid to the centre of Gaza City for the first time in several weeks.

“For the first time in weeks, @WFP was able to deliver crucial food assistance to thousands of people facing catastrophic hunger in the center of #Gaza city,” the group’s director in Palestine said in a social media post on Thursday.

“Safe and sustained access is essential to ensure continuous food aid reaches those in need.”

Al Jazeera’s correspondent in the occupied West Bank reports raids on the northern city of Tulkarem and the nearby Nur Shams refugee camp, noting that sirens were sounding in both locations.

Video verified by Al Jazeera shows Israeli military convoys entering the city.

Additional video we verified shows a separate raid on the town of Yabad, southwest of Jenin, in the occupied West Bank.

The Arab Israeli Knesset member Ahmad Tibi spoke out against remarks calling for the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza.

In a social media post, Tibi pointed out that after years of Arab lawmakers being accused by the right of defaming Israel, comments from members of the far-right are being used in a case that has damaged Israel’s international image.

“Here today, [as] Israel is being sued in The Hague, the lawsuit cites countless members of the Knesset,” said Tibi. “And guess how many Arab MKs ‘supporting terrorism and embracing terrorists’ are mentioned there – zero. Only Jewish ministers and judges on the right.”

Norman Finkelstein says that although the South African delegation was “excellent” and made a “very credible presentation” against Israel, it may be at a disadvantage because the Israeli delegation did not give a written submission.

“South Africa didn’t have a clue what the Israelis would be arguing, whereas the Israelis have the double advantage. Number one, the South Africans submitted a complaint running to 84 pages, so the Israelis know exactly what arguments would be made. And secondly, they heard the arguments today.”

The UK government is holding a full cabinet meeting ahead of possible air raids against Yemen’s Houthi rebels, reports The Times.

The British newspaper says that there are plans for Houthi targets including bases and boats. The Yemeni group, which controls much of the country’s heavily populated northwest, has been firing at ships it says are linked to Israel travelling through the Red Sea, in support of the Palestinians in Gaza.

The Wall Street Journal has also reported that Western diplomats have told shipping companies that the attacks are likely to target the Yemeni cities of Hodeidah and Hajjah, and possibly even the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa.

The WSJ reported that the Houthis have moved some of their weapons in anticipation of an attack. The Iran-allied group weathered years of attacks by a Saudi-led coalition during the war in Yemen, which is ongoing, but has been relatively quiet since 2022.

On Wednesday, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution calling for the Houthis to immediately halt attacks on Red Sea shipping.

While Palestinians have welcomed the ICJ case against Israel, opinions within that country are almost universally negative, even as some media outlets criticise remarks by far-right authorities such as National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

“You’re hearing from Israeli media who say that comments by right-wing ministers in the government, known ultra-nationalists, are fuel and more evidence for South Africa’s case against Israel,” Al Jazeera correspondent Hamdah Salhut reported from occupied East Jerusalem, citing “the language used by ministers like Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, about wanting to displace Palestinians from Gaza, about wanting to rebuild illegal settlements”.

“But the Israeli political sphere on both sides of the aisle, even the opposition, have come out and said that this is hypocrisy and that the Israelis will do everything they can to defend their case,” she added.