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Middle East live updates: Israel to act against Houthis in Yemen, Netanyahu says

A Houthi missile injured 16 people in Tel Aviv on Saturday.

ByDavid Brennan and Meredith Deliso
Last Updated: December 23, 2024, 1:35 PM EST

Rebel forces in Syria are building a transitional government after toppling the regime of President Bashar Assad in a lightning-quick advance across the country.

Meanwhile, the ceasefire in Lebanon is holding despite ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah targets, which Israeli officials say are responses to ceasefire violations by the Iranian-backed militant group. The Israel Defense Forces continues its intense airstrike and ground campaigns in Gaza.

Tensions remain high between Israel and Iran after tit-for-tat long-range strikes in recent months and threats of further military action from both sides. The IDF and the Yemeni Houthis also continue to exchange attacks.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing.
Dec 22, 2024, 5:26 PM EST

At least 7 dead after IDF strikes humanitarian area in Gaza

At least seven people were killed after an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, which is located in the southern Gaza Strip.

The strike hit a collection of tents within what had been designated a humanitarian area, where displaced people were sheltering.

The Israel Defense Forces acknowledged the strike on Sunday, saying in a statement it was "an intelligence-based strike on a Hamas terrorist."

"Prior to the strike, numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence," the IDF said.

- ABC News' William Gretsky

Dec 21, 2024, 7:12 AM EST

21 killed in Gaza, IDF northern offensive continues

The Gaza Ministry of Health said Saturday that 21 people were killed and 61 injured in three separate Israeli attacks over the last 24 hours in the Hamas-run territory.

A total of 45,227 people have been killed since the start of the war, health officials said.

Men pray over the bodies of victims of an Israeli airstrike outside the Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, on Dec. 21, 2024.
Abdel Kareem Hana/AP

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces continued intense operations in northern Gaza, particularly around the Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahia.

The director of the hospital said there is shooting "around the clock" nearby, adding that on Friday the third floor and the hospital entrance were shelled.

The director said the IDF is blocking the entry of all requested medical supplies. Nine people need urgent evacuation for surgery in Gaza City and the hospital is currently treating over 70 people, he said.

-ABC News' Samy Zyara and Victoria Beaule

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