Thu Dec 12 19:16:50 UTC 2024: ## Gaza: Israeli Strikes Kill Dozens Despite UN Ceasefire Call

**GAZA CITY, December 13, 2024** – At least 33 Palestinians were killed in Israeli air strikes on Thursday, including 12 guards protecting aid trucks, despite a UN General Assembly resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The attacks, which wounded approximately 30 others, mostly children, occurred just hours after the UN’s call for a cessation of hostilities.

According to Mahmud Bassal, spokesman for Gaza’s civil defence agency, the strikes targeted aid trucks carrying flour destined for UNRWA warehouses. He stated that the Israeli military aims to cripple all services in Gaza. Witnesses reported residents looting flour from the damaged trucks following the attacks.

The Israeli military claimed the strikes were precise operations targeting Hamas militants within a humanitarian corridor, alleging the militants planned to hijack the aid. This statement echoes previous allegations of Hamas diverting humanitarian aid.

The ongoing conflict, which has raged for over 14 months, has created an acute humanitarian crisis. UNRWA spokeswoman Louise Wateridge described conditions in Gaza as “appalling and apocalyptic,” highlighting the severe restrictions on aid delivery to besieged areas in northern Gaza. Separate Israeli strikes on homes near Nuseirat refugee camp and Gaza City killed another 21 people, including children.

The death toll from Israel’s offensive in Gaza has now reached at least 44,805, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, a figure the UN considers reliable. This follows a Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023, which killed 1,208 people. The ongoing hostage situation, with 96 hostages still held in Gaza, further complicates efforts for a resolution. While the UN’s ceasefire resolution was rejected by the US, there are recent indications that stalled ceasefire negotiations may be revived.

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