5k killed or missing in north Gaza amid Israeli military campaign

Another 9,500 Palestinians were injured as a result of the Israeli military operation in the north that was launched in early October, a medical source told Al Jazeera on Sunday.

Gaza’s Government Media Office on Sunday described the Israeli siege as “the most horrific form of ethnic cleansing, displacement and destruction” that has affected hundreds of thousands in the war-ravaged area.

Kamal Adwan Hospital, the most prominent healthcare facility in the north, was torched and destroyed by Israeli soldiers in late December as part of the siege, and the fate of its arrested director Hussam Abu Safia remains unknown.

As Israeli politicians and settler groups openly discuss prospects of building settlements in north Gaza, the siege shows no signs of stopping.

US President Joe Biden spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, the White House announced, as US officials try to reach a Gaza captive and ceasefire deal before Biden leaves office on January 20.

Biden “stressed the immediate need for a ceasefire in Gaza and return of the hostages with a surge in humanitarian aid enabled by a stoppage in the fighting under the deal”, it added.

Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan also told CNN’s State of the Union programmde earlier on Sunday that the parties were “very, very close” to reaching a deal, but still had to get it across the finish line.

But Israeli leaders have emphasised that the war will not end even if an agreement is reached, and that they will maintain military control of the enclave, even as they continue to occupy the West Bank, large parts of Syria, and areas in southern Lebanon.

Despite another large-scale demonstration against the Israeli government and in favour of a deal in Tel Aviv on Saturday night, far-right ministers in the administration remain opposed.

Netanyahu was scrambling on Sunday to ensure Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir do not threaten the stability of his ruling coalition by abandoning it in case of a deal.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, meanwhile, as the Israeli military continues to block most aid from entering while creating an unsafe situation that has enabled the armed looting of aid convoys.

Thousands of families are forced to brave the open or hunker in dilapidated tents amid famine-like conditions across Gaza as Israeli forces keep attacking hospitals and ordering them to evacuate.

Israel has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians and injured over 109,500 in the besieged enclave so far.