Gaza death toll surpasses 12,000, including 5,000 children; at least 24 dead at al-Shifa since Israeli siege: Day 42 of the Hamas-Israel war

Thank you for following our LIVE coverage of day 42 of the Hamas-Israel war.

You can read a summary of today's events here.

We'll be back tomorrow with more news coverage and analysis right here at L'Orient Today.

Israeli troops will hit Hamas targets wherever they can find them, including in the south of the Gaza Strip, Israel's chief military spokesman says, as forces continue their ground operation in the north of the besieged enclave, Reuters reports.

"We are determined to advance our operation. It will happen wherever Hamas exists, including in the south of the strip," Daniel Hagari told a regular briefing. “It will happen at the time, place, and conditions that are best for the military."

Read our analysis of Israel's ground invasion here.

Cyprus and Israel are close to reaching an agreement to open a humanitarian aid corridor from the Mediterranean island to war-torn Gaza, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said today.

Under the plan, aid would be collected, inspected, and stored in Cyprus and then sent to the Gaza Strip on ships checked daily by a joint committee including Israel.

"We are in contact with Israel to implement some final arrangements," Christodoulides told reporters, adding the details were also being discussed with the United Nations.

Read more here.

The fuel entering Gaza — two truckloads a day as per Israeli approval — will be used, among other things, to operate cellular services in the strip, according an Israeli army spokesperson in a conversation with foreign reporters, Haartez reports.

The Israeli army shells an area around the south Lebanon border village of Aita al-Shaab, residents of the village told L'Orient Today.

Hezbollah announces its thirteenth attack of the day which it said took place at 7 p.m. against an Israeli position facing the south Lebanon border village of Kfarshouba and "directly hit the target."

Bahrain's Crown Prince called on Hamas to release Israeli women and children taken hostage in Gaza and for Israel, in exchange, to release Palestinian women and children held in Israeli prisons, Reuters reports.

In his address, Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa also said the war was creating conditions for further violence around the world, that there must be a viable and independent Palestinian state, and that immediately following the war, Palestinian elections must be organized.

The Gaza Press Office announces that more than 12,000 Palestinians, including 5,000 children, were killed by Israeli air strikes on Gaza since Oct. 7, Reuters reports.

Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim Khan says he received a referral regarding the situation in the state of Palestine from South Africa, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Comoros, and Djibouti, Reuters reports.

Shepherds in southern Lebanon are experiencing a threat to their livelihoods as a result of Israeli shelling in the area. Reuters interviewed Ali Beber, a shepherd with a flock of 350 sheep.

"All of us shepherds take our herds to [the border areas of] Mais al-Jabal, Houla ... but with the shelling, you can't get anywhere near there." The sheep are now squeezed into a corrugated metal pen in the town of Majdal Selm. Beber walks them briefly every day but has had to buy haystacks to feed them — at a cost of around $2,000.

Read more here.

Six ambulances given by Saudi Arabia will reach the Gaza Strip today, Saudi state TV reported, according to Reuters. 

As of their last report on Nov. 15, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that 55 ambulances have been damaged in Gaza since the beginning of the war.

Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Haragi said on X that "In the last few hours, a number of anti-tank missiles were detected towards the areas of Shumra, Shatula, and Menara, the IDF attacked the sources of the fire. In addition, a fighter jet attacked a terrorist infrastructure of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon.

"Nothing can replace respect for international law and the founding of a Palestinian state," says Lebanese caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib.

In an interview with the Hungarian ambassador to Lebanon, Bou Habib added that "we must think of the post-war period and put pressure on Israel to obtain peace."

A doctor working at al-Shifa Hospital says the situation there is "totally terrifying." The Israeli army continues to lay siege to the hospital compound for the second full day. "The Israeli tanks and the Israeli troops have been moving within the hospital area, all over the hospital," said Doctor Ahmed El Mokhallalati, speaking to Reuters earlier today. "They are shooting all the time, all the areas."

Read more here.

 Hamas' armed wing, al-Qassam Brigades, says that "Zionist" hostages were not held in hospitals but were transferred there for treatment due to the seriousness of their conditions and to save their lives, Reuters reports.

BREAKING: Hezbollah announced that at 2 p.m. it attacked a mobile brigade in the Israeli village of Metula with two drones laden with explosives. According to their statement, they "directly hit the target." The party also announced that at 3:30 p.m., it targeted a "mobile unit of special forces at the Israeli army" that was located in an area facing the south Lebanon border village of Houla. This is Hezbollah's eleventh announced attack todday, a record number of such announcements made in one day since the beginning of the clashes.

A woman cooks in a destroyed mosque, amid shortages of food supplies and fuel, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip Nov. 17, 2023.  (Credit: Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters)

The Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi says the decision to bring fuel into Gaza does not harm operational goals, Haaretz reports.

Hezbollah announced two attacks which they said took place at 2:55 p.m. and 3 p.m. on an Israeli position facing Dhaira and an Israeli brigade facing Marwahin, both villages on the south Lebanon border, and said they "directly hit the target."

The Health Ministry in Gaza announced 24 people have died at the besieged al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza in two days due to power outages there, AFP reports.

Hezbollah announced an attack that took place at 2:40 p.m. at an Israeli position facing the south Lebanon border villages of Dhayra and Houla and said they "directly hit the target." Israel responds to the origins of the attacks around Houla.

“Food and water are running out, and the aid provided by the Israeli army is very, very minimal,” said a doctor at al-Shifa Hospital, according to Reuters.

“Israeli forces are continuing their search in the hospital but have found nothing,” he added.

The outskirts of Dhayra (Sour district), Aita al-Shaab, Rmaish (Bint Jbeil district) and Kfarkila (Marjayoun district) were shelled, a security source told L'Orient Today's correspondent in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah announced that it targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers at 1:05 p.m. in the Israeli locality of Yir'on and another gathering at 1:25 p.m. in the al-Dhayra site with "appropriate weapons and caused direct hits."

Nearly 830,000 displaced persons are now sheltered in 154 UNRWA facilities throughout the Gaza Strip, reported the UN agency for Palestinian refugees on X (formerly Twitter).

In addition, 183 Palestinians, including 47 children, have been killed in the occupied West Bank by Israeli security forces and eight, including one child, by Israeli settlers since Oct. 7, UNRWA added.

Hundreds of people participated today in a march in Saida in solidarity with Gaza at the invitation of Hamas and Jamaa Islamiyaa, L'Orient Today's correspondent in the South reported.

The march started at Saida's Martyrs' Square and ended at Nejmeh Square in the city center.

People carried Palestinian flags and raised banners denouncing the targeting of children, civilians and hospitals in Gaza.

During the protest, speeches were delivered that called for the unity of the Palestinian people and to support the "resistance" everywhere.

(Photo: Muntasser Abdallah)

Pope Francis will meet next week with relatives of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, Reuters reported Friday, citing a source.

The Vatican's number two, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, said the Holy See believed their release and a ceasefire – which Israel has so far ruled out – were two "fundamental points" to resolve the crisis, added the agency.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for regular, daily flows of patients to be allowed to leave the Gaza Strip for treatment in Egypt, to relieve overwhelmed hospitals, according to AFP.

The WHO hopes to be able to deploy a team to Gaza as soon as possible to assess the situation, and is calling for the establishment of a "mechanism to facilitate the evacuation of the most critical patients," said Richard Peeperkorn, head of the office of WHO in the occupied Palestinian territories, to journalists in Geneva, by videoconference from Jerusalem. He explained that 50 to 60 patients per day would have to be evacuated to Egypt.

According to the WHO, 47 of 72 primary health centers in Gaza are out of service and 25 of 36 hospitals are not operational, with the rest struggling to function. “It is clear that this is not enough to meet the incessant needs due to hostilities,” commented Mr. Peeperkorn

The Israeli army announced Friday that it had killed at least “five terrorists” in Jenin, a stronghold of Palestinian armed groups in the occupied West Bank, while the Palestinian Ministry of Health recorded two deaths in Hebron, in the south of the Palestinian territory.

Read the full story here.

Israel's war cabinet has approved the delivery of two truckloads of fuel a day to Gaza for UN needs, AFP reported quoting an Israeli official.

"The fuel is intended to provide minimal support" to water, sewage and sanitation systems in Gaza in order to prevent pandemics, he added.

Four artillery shells fell on the outskirts of Dhayra, South Lebanon, residents told L'Orient Today's correspondent in southern Lebanon.

Forests in Labbouneh, in the Naqoura area, were also shelled, according to residents.

Finally, the Jardah Israeli site, which is opposite the town of Dhayra, was targeted, according to Lebanese TV station LBCI.

The Israeli strike on the outskirts of Damascus that reportedly targeted a Hezbollah weapons facility early Friday morning, killed two pro-Iranian fighters according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), AFP reported.

SOHR added that, in addition to the "two foreign fighters" who were killed, several others were injured in the strikes.

The strikes took place along the road to Damascus airport.

Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari announced that Israeli airplanes attacked a number of Hezbollah targets in Lebanese territory, including infrastructures, weapons storage and military structures.

He added that the Israeli army attacked a "terrorist cell" on Lebanese territory in the Arab al-Aramshe area.

Finally, Hagari said that a number of launches were detected towards the areas of Malkia and Manara and that Israel is attacking the sources of fire.

In three separate statements, Hezbollah announced that it targeted gatherings of Israeli soldiers at 10:30 a.m. near al-Taihat and near the site of al-Marj and the Ramim barracks "with appropriate weapons and caused direct hits."

Security sources told L'Orient Today's correspondent in southern Lebanon that a guided missile was launched at the Israeli site of al-Jardah, without specifying who fired the missile.

Meanwhile, Israeli shelling of southern Lebanon renewed.

A new Israeli airstrike was carried out in the Naqoura area (Sour district) according to a security source and another one on the outskirts of Majdal Zoun, according to residents.

The source added that more than 25 shells fell on the outskirts of the villages of Shihine, Jibbayn, Yarine, al-Dhayra (Tyre district), Aita al-Shaab, Aitaroun (Bint Jbeil district), and Mays al-Jabal (Marjeyoun district).

Security sources and residents added that the outskirts of Aalma al-Shaab (Tyre district) and Blida (Marjayoun district) were also targeted by Israeli shelling.

In addition, residents told L'Orient Today that artillery shelling targeted the outskirts of Rabb Thalathine and Markaba (Marjayoun district).

Finally, a security source told our correspondent that Israeli shells targeted the outskirts of Bani Haiyyan and Houla (Marjayoun district).

Ambulance drivers rest ahead of transporting wounded Palestinians into Egypt from the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing on Nov. 17, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (Credit: Mohammed Abed/AFP)

An Israeli warplane carried out an airstrike on the outskirts of Shihine (Sour district), a security source told L'Orient Today's correspondent in the South.

Residents told L'Orient Today that the outskirts of Shihine and Jibbayn (Sour district) are also being subjected to artillery shelling.

Palestinians mourn over bodies following Israeli bombardment in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Nov. 17, 2023, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (Credit: Said Khatib/AFP)

The Israeli army announced that it had killed at least "five terrorists" in Jenin, a stronghold of Palestinian armed groups in the occupied West Bank, while Hamas announced the death of three of its fighters "in the Battle of the Flood of al-Aqsa in Jenin,” reports AFP.

"Al-Aqsa Flood" is the name that the Islamist movement gave to its bloody attack of Oct. 7 which left 1,200 dead in Israel. Since then, the Israeli army has relentlessly bombed the Gaza Strip, held by Hamas, and multiplied its incursions into the West Bank, particularly in Jenin and its bustling refugee camp.

Israeli artillery shelled the outskirts of the towns of Yarin and Jibbayn (Sour district) at around 9:30 a.m., residents told L'Orient Today's correspondent in the South.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that Israel's attempts to minimize casualties were "not successful" despite "doing everything [it] can to get civilians out of harm's way", according to Reuters.

"Hamas is doing everything to keep [civilians] in harm's way," added Netanyahu in a televised interview with US broadcaster CBS News.

The Israeli army has announced that it has found the body of Noa Marciano, a 19-year-old soldier held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, whose death had been announced earlier this week.

"The body of soldier Noa Marciano...was extracted by the Israeli army troops from a building near al-Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip and transferred to Israeli territory," the army said in a statement. On Monday, the Palestinian Islamist movement circulated a photo of Noa Marciano's death, presenting her as "killed by Israeli bombardment." Israel confirmed her death the following day.

This is the second hostage found dead in less than 24 hours extracted by the army in the Gaza Strip.

Last night, Israel carried out an operation in Jenin in the northern part of the occupied West Bank, according to AFP.

The Israeli operation in Jenin targeted the Ibn Sina Hospital, the largest in the occupied West Bank, al-Jazeera reported.

According to the same source, the Israeli raid left three dead and nine injured. Al-Jazeera, citing the Palestinian news agency Wafa, reported dozens of Israeli armored vehicles engaged in this operation.

Israeli strike near Damascus against Hezbollah sites: The official Syrian press agency SANA announced Israeli air strikes that caused “material damage” near Damascus. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), based in the United Kingdom, the strikes targeted sites belonging to Hezbollah.

Four artillery shells fell on the outskirts of Labbouneh, located in the Naqoura area, between 4:40 and 5:00 a.m., security sources told L'Orient Today's correspondent in the South.

The bombing was also relayed by the state-run National News Agency.

Yesterday evening, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for targeting an Israeli Merkava tank near the Pranit barracks with guided missiles and added it was directly hit.

Make sure to take a look at today's edition of the Morning Brief before you get started following the live coverage to ensure that you are caught up on what has been happening.

White phosphorous fire damage, port officials sentenced for bribery, al-Ahli hospital under ‘violent attack’: Everything you need to know to start your Friday

White phosphorous fire damage, port officials sentenced for bribery, al-Ahli hospital under ‘violent attack’: Everything you need to know to start your Friday

Good morning!

Thank you for joining us once more for our live coverage of the war between Hamas and Israel in Gaza. Today marks 42 days since the start of the war.