Rabia Ali
06 December 2023•Update: 06 December 2023
ISTANBUL
Here is a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Wednesday, including the surge in death toll of Palestinians in Israeli airstrikes, the grim UN data showing one child is killed every 10 minutes in Gaza, Israeli plans to retain security of Gaza after the conflict, and a new asylum deal between the UK and Rwanda.
TOP STORIES
The Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has soared to 16,248 people, the government media office in the besieged Palestinian enclave said on Tuesday.
"The victims include 7,112 children and 4,885 women, while more than 43,616 others were injured," the office said in a statement.
According to the media office, some 7,600 people remain unaccounted for.
The Israeli death toll in the Hamas attack stood at 1,200, according to official figures.
On average one child is killed every 10 minutes in Gaza, a World Health Organization (WHO) representative said on Tuesday, calling the situation "humanity's darkest hour."
"We are talking almost about 16,000 people killed, its more than 60% (are) women and children, and more than 42,000 people injured," Richard Peeperkorn, WHO representative in occupied Palestinian territories, told a UN press briefing in Geneva.
Peeperkorn added: "On average a child is killed every 10 minutes in Gaza. I think in that sense we are close by the humanity's darkest hour."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that the Israeli army will retain control of Gaza's security after the war, rejecting the possibility of giving that responsibility to an international force.
Speaking at a news conference after a meeting with his war-time Cabinet, Netanyahu said only the Israeli army can see to the demilitarization in Gaza, adding "no international force can be responsible for this."
About the Israeli army's operation in southern Gaza, he said that the army also besieged Jabalia and Khan Younis, adding "there is no place we cannot reach."
In a bid to address UK Supreme Court concerns, Britain and the East African country of Rwanda on Tuesday signed a new deal on a reworked asylum scheme.
The new treaty was signed by UK Home Secretary James Cleverly and Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta to address concerns of the UK Supreme Court, which last month ruled that the government's original plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda was unlawful.
Under the new treaty, relocated individuals will be given safety and support, and will not be returned to an unsafe third country.
NEWS IN BRIEF
- Two Palestinians were killed and three wounded early Wednesday by Israeli gunfire in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society.
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Qatar on Tuesday blasted what he called Israel's "war crimes" and its "crimes against humanity" in Gaza, calling for a permanent cease-fire.
- A Syrian worker was killed Tuesday and two of his family members were injured in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a poultry farm in southern Lebanon, according to the Lebanese state media.
- Two more Israeli soldiers were killed in the Gaza Strip, bringing the military death toll on Tuesday to seven, the army said.
- The Israeli military killed 43 Palestinians using US-made munitions in two documented airstrikes in the blockaded Gaza Strip, Amnesty International said in a report on Tuesday.
- France decided to freeze the Palestinian group Hamas leader's assets for six months under a ruling published in the Official Gazette on Tuesday.
- UNICEF warned on Tuesday that the so-called safe zones declared by Israel in Gaza do not meet the requirements of a safe zone and pose risks of being "zones of disease."
- The US State Department highlighted Tuesday that the humanitarian aid going into Gaza is not sufficient, and Washington is engaging with Israel to increase the assistance, as "there's not enough being done right now."
SPORTS
Declan Rice scored a very late winner for English leaders Arsenal as the Gunners were handed a dramatic 4-3 victory against Luton in a Tuesday away match.
Arsenal, with 36 points now, went five points clear at the top of the English Premier League. Second-place Liverpool are set to visit Sheffield United on Wednesday.
Inter Miami's Argentine superstar Lionel Messi was named TIME's 2023 Athlete of the Year on Tuesday, the US news magazine confirmed on X.
Messi was honored by TIME after his move to the Major League Soccer club Inter Miami from French powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain in July.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
- Türkiye, Islamic Development Bank sign $200M deal for quake recovery
The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group and Development Investment Bank of Türkiye on Tuesday signed a $200 million financing agreement to support the earthquake-hit southern region.
"The financing will support Türkiye's post-earthquake recovery efforts and revitalization of the agri-food sector in the most affected provinces," the IsDB Group said on X.
Health professionals in Italy staged a 24-hour nationwide strike on Tuesday over the government's proposed pension cuts and other measures affecting health care, local media reported.
Some 85% of medical staff abstained from work and up to 1.5 million medical appointments may have been missed as a result, said state-run ANSA news agency, citing trade unions.
