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Middle East live updates: Gaza death toll rises to 46,000, officials say
70 Gazans were killed in the last 24 hours of Israel strikes, officials said.
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.
The Israel Defense Forces continues its intense airstrike and ground campaigns in Gaza, particularly in the north of the strip around several Palestinian hospitals. A latest round of peace talks to end the 15-month-old war is set to resume in Qatar.
Meanwhile, the November 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.
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:
- Lebanon elects army chief as new president
- Gaza death toll passes 46,000
- Israel recovers body of hostage found in Gaza tunnel
- Biden, Trump teams 'very collaborative' on Gaza push, envoy says
- Israeli settlers attack West Bank Palestinian villages
- 3 Israelis killed in West Bank shooting
- WHO director calls for release of Kamal Adwan hospital director
Gaza's displaced confined to 'overcrowded' schools, UNRWA says
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East warned on Thursday that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza are still sheltering in "overcrowded" schools as Israel's 15-month war on the enclave continues.
"Playgrounds for children are homes for the displaced," UNRWA wrote on X. "More humanitarian aid must come into Gaza and a ceasefire is more critical than ever."
UNRWA facilities in Gaza have been attacked frequently since the Israeli invasion began, as have school buildings doubling as shelter for Gazans displaced by the fighting.
The vast majority of Gaza's pre-war population of 2.2 million has been displaced at least once since the fighting began.
-ABC News' Joe Simonetti
Gaza death toll passes 46,000
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Hamas-run Gaza announced that 46,006 people have been killed in Gaza since the war with Israel began on Oct. 7, 2023.
The number of injured rose to 109,378, officials said Thursday morning.
At least 70 people were killed in the past 24 hours, the ministry said, and 104 more were injured by Israeli strikes across the Palestinian territory.
-ABC News' Joe Simonetti
US bombs Houthi weapon sites in Yemen
U.S. Central Command conducted "multiple precision strikes" against two Houthi underground storage facilities in Yemen on Wednesday, the command said in a statement.
"The Houthis used these facilities to conduct attacks against U.S. Navy warships and merchant vessels in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden," CENTCOM said. "There were no injuries or damage to U.S. personnel or equipment."
U.S. and British forces -- backed by a range of allies -- have been bombing the Iran-aligned Houthi organization in Yemen since January.
The strikes are a response to Houthi attacks on commercial and military shipping in the Red Sea and elsewhere, launched in protest of Israel's war in Gaza. The Houthis have also launched direct attacks on Israel and vowed to continue to do so while the war in Gaza continues.
Israel has launched several waves of strikes on Yemen in response. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last month that Israel would continue to act against the Houthis "with force, determination and sophistication."
American hostage families to attend Trump inauguration
Families of American hostages who are still believed to be held in Gaza will attend President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration later this month, a release from the families said Wednesday.
"During the trip, the families plan to meet with officials from the incoming Trump administration, along with members of Congress and their staff," the release said.
"The families are urging leaders to prioritize the safe return of their loved ones and to take decisive action to bring an end to their prolonged captivity," it added.
There are seven American hostages still believed to be held captive inside Gaza, according to the families.
Trump said this week that "all hell will break out in the Middle East" if the remaining Gaza hostages are not released before his inauguration on Jan. 20.
-ABC News' Nadine Shubailat and Ellie Kaufman