23:00 At least 20 civilians, including children, were killed and others injured on Sunday night when an Israeli strike targeted a UNRWA-run school sheltering displaced families in western Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.
Local sources reported that the school, located near the Nasser Medical Complex, was bombarded in an attack that claimed the lives of at least 20 people, including members of the Tafesh family. Several others sustained injuries in the strike.
In northern Gaza, Israeli forces also destroyed multiple residential buildings in the Abu Qamar area of the Jabalia refugee camp, adding to the devastation across the enclave.
Since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza on 7 October 2023, at least 44,976 civilians—most of them women and children—have been killed, and 106,759 others injured, according to health officials.
The death toll continues to rise as thousands of victims remain trapped under rubble or stranded along roads inaccessible to rescue crews due to relentless Israeli bombardments and widespread destruction.
22:30 Qatar's embassy to Syria is to resume operations on Tuesday following the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad by Islamist-led rebels, the Gulf country announced on Sunday.
"Qatar announces the resumption of the work of its embassy in the sisterly Syrian Arab Republic starting the day after tomorrow, Tuesday," the foreign ministry said in a statement, adding the return after a 13-year hiatus was "an expression of the State of Qatar's principled stand with the Syrian people's revolution."
22:00 AlJazeera has obtained footage showing an Israeli drone striking the yard of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip. The attack injured several citizens and paramedics inside the hospital, which has been subjected to daily bombardment by Israeli forces.
21:40 The British government said it will release 50 million pounds ($63 million) of humanitarian aid for "the most vulnerable" Syrians in Syria, neighbouring Lebanon, and Jordan, the foreign ministry said Sunday.
"We're committed to supporting the Syrian people as they chart a new course," Foreign Minister David Lammy said in a statement.
The funds, which for the most part will be sent to UN agencies, "will enable an urgent scale-up of humanitarian assistance when needs are at their highest, and support delivery of essential public services in Syria."
Lammy said Britain will also work "diplomatically to help secure better governance in Syria's future", adding that "it is vital that the future Syrian government brings together all groups to establish the stability and respect the Syrian people deserve."
21:30 A Qatari delegation has arrived in Damascus to pave the way for the reopening of Qatar’s embassy in Syria, which has been shut since July 2011. In a statement, the country’s Foreign Ministry said that its delegation had reiterated its support of the Syrian people to achieve security in a meeting with Syria’s caretaker government.
22:45 Britain's foreign minister said Sunday that London had established diplomatic contact with the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) insurgent group in Syria, which led the offensive that ousted Bashar al-Assad.
They remain "a proscribed terrorist organisation, but we can have diplomatic contact and so we do have diplomatic contact, as you would expect", said Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
"We want to see a representative government, an inclusive government. We want to see chemical weapons stockpiles secured, and not used, and we want to ensure that there is not continuing violence," he added.
"So, for all of those reasons, using all the channels that we have available, and those are diplomatic and of course intelligence-led channels, we seek to deal with HTS where we have to."
20:00 The European Union will not ease sanctions on Syria until its leadership protects minorities upholds women’s rights, and establishes a unified government rejecting religious extremism, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday.
Speaking after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Kallas emphasized that adjusting the sanctions regime is not under consideration. “This may become a consideration in the future, but only if we see progress in the right direction,” she told Reuters.
Kallas highlighted the EU’s role as Syria’s most significant humanitarian donor but insisted any increased aid would come with strict conditions. “There will be no blank cheques. Accountability and progress are non-negotiable,” she said.
While Syria’s interim leadership has shown “positive signals,” Kallas noted these were insufficient to justify a major policy shift. She stressed that inclusivity and fundamental rights, particularly for women and minorities, remain key benchmarks for EU engagement.
Describing Syria’s future as “hopeful but uncertain,” Kallas reiterated the EU’s cautious stance as it monitors regional developments.
19:00 A Palestinian teenager was shot and injured on Sunday evening during an Israeli military incursion into the Balata refugee camp east of Nablus, according to local and security sources.
Sources told WAFA that an Israeli military force, accompanied by a bulldozer, stormed Nablus through the Beit Furik military checkpoint before raiding the Balata camp amid the heavy firing of live bullets. According to sources, loud explosions were heard during the raid.
During the raid, a 16-year-old boy was struck in the head with bullet shrapnel and was immediately rushed to the hospital for treatment.
18:00 Al Jazeera cameraman Ahmed al-Louh was killed on Sunday in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a Civil Defense site in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, the network and medical officials confirmed.
The strike, which hit a market area in the camp, also killed five Civil Defense personnel, according to Al Jazeera correspondent Ashraf Abu Amra, reporting from nearby Deir al-Balah.
Al-Awda Hospital issued a statement confirming that al-Louh was among the casualties, emphasizing that the attack directly targeted the Civil Defense site. The hospital added that several others were injured in the airstrike.
In its first response to the incident, Gaza’s government media office condemned the killing of al-Louh and called on the international community to act against the systematic crimes against Palestinian journalists. “The number of martyred journalists has now risen to 195 with the martyrdom of colleague Ahmed al-Louh,” the office stated.
Al Jazeera reiterated its condemnation of the attack, describing al-Louh’s death as part of a broader assault on press freedom in Gaza. “Ahmed al-Louh was dedicated to documenting the realities of the ongoing conflict under the most dangerous conditions,” the network said.
The Nuseirat camp has been the target of intense bombardment in recent days as Israeli forces escalate their assaults in Gaza. Health officials report mounting casualties among civilians and first responders as critical infrastructure continues to be hit.
The death of al-Louh has further intensified calls for international accountability for attacks on journalists and media workers in conflict zones.
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16:00 A French diplomatic mission will travel to the Syrian capital, Damascus, Tuesday to reestablish contact after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, acting Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said.
The four-strong team would "retake possession of our real estate" as well as "establishing initial contact" with the new authorities and "evaluating the urgent needs of the population," Barrot told France Inter radio on Sunday.
15:59 Hamas has sharply criticized the international community’s response to Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, calling it an “unprecedented display of impotence” and accusing the global system of nearing collapse alongside its founding principles and values.
In a statement, the resistance group urged nations and individuals to pressure complicit states to halt the ongoing war, reaffirming the Palestinian people's right to resist occupation and achieve self-determination and freedom.
The statement denounced “horrific Zionist crimes against humanity,” pointing to the storming of neighborhoods and shelters and the forced displacement of Palestinians under relentless bombardment. It further accused Israel of ethnic cleansing amidst a suffocating siege, accompanied by the systematic destruction of Gaza’s medical infrastructure and hospitals.
Highlighting the humanitarian crisis, Hamas condemned the deliberate targeting of hospitals, medical centres, ambulances, and healthcare workers. According to the statement, Israeli forces have killed and detained medical personnel and obstructed access to the wounded and the bodies of martyrs, many of which remain in the streets of Gaza City and northern areas due to continuous bombing.
The group called on the World Health Organization (WHO), international institutions, and UN committees to act immediately to deliver medical supplies, equipment, and personnel to Gaza, particularly to the hardest-hit northern regions. It also demanded an end to Israeli attacks on rescue and ambulance operations and called for the formation of investigation committees to document violations against Gaza’s medical system.
15:45 Israel’s government approved a plan to expand Israeli settlements on the Syrian Golan Heights it occupies, saying it had acted “in light of the war and the new front-facing Syria” and out of a desire to double the Israeli population on the Golan.
15:40 Israel's foreign ministry announced that it was closing its embassy in Ireland, citing what it claims as the Dublin government's "extreme anti-Israeli policies."
The ministry said in a statement that the decision follows a series of moves that included formally recognising a Palestinian state and backing an International Court of Justice case accusing Israel of "genocide" in the Gaza Strip.
Ireland’s prime minister, Simon Harris, has responded to Israel’s decision, calling it “deeply regrettable.”
"I utterly reject the assertion that Ireland is anti-Israel. Ireland is pro-peace, pro-human rights and pro-International law," Ireland's leader wrote on X.
"Ireland wants a two state solution and for Israel and Palestine to live in peace and security. Ireland will always speak up for human rights and international law. Nothing will distract from that," he added.
14:56 Israeli airstrikes have caused significant damage to the military airport in Homs.
The attack is part of a series of intensified Israeli operations, with approximately 800 strikes targeting Syria over the past week.
14:20: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) announced that it suspended its services in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank due to ongoing intense clashes between the Palestinian Authority security forces and militants from the Islamic Jihad group.
Clashes have flared up again on Sunday in Jenin, sources told Al Jazeera.
On Saturday, at least one person was killed as the PA's security branch said in a statement that its forces were undertaking a security operation to restore law and order to Jenin's historic refugee camp suburb, a stronghold of Palestinian fighters alienated from the PA.
Hamas, which has been fighting Israeli forces in Gaza for more than a year, condemned the PA for the Jenin operation, while Islamic Jihad accused the PA of seeking to claim control over the camp and called for a day of protests.
According to Al Jazeera, the PA operation has killed Jenin Brigade leader Yazeed Jaa'isa.
13:45 The Government Media Office in Gaza warned that the ongoing Israeli blockade has led to a catastrophic situation, with the continued closure of all crossings and the prevention of food and aid supplies from entering the Strip.
"The Gaza Strip has reached a catastrophic stage due to the occupation's deliberate starvation policy," the office said in a statement.
The statement called on the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to manage the severe food crisis in the Strip.
"We condemn the complex war crimes committed by the occupation against our people, including the systematic starvation policy," the office added.
It also urged Arab and Islamic countries to take a firm stance on the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people.
13:07 Uniformed children could be seen returning to school in Syria's Damascus on Sunday, attending class for the first time since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad a week ago, AFP reported.
"The school has asked us to send middle and upper pupils back to class," said Raghida Ghosn, 56, a mother of three.
"The younger ones will go back in two days," she told AFP.
An employee at one school said that "no more than 30 per cent" of schoolchildren were back in class on Sunday but that "these numbers will rise gradually".
According to AFP, universities also reopened, but only a few administrative staff were at work on Sunday.
Syrian schoolchildren attend class at a school in the capital Damascus' Dweilaa neighbourhood. AFP
13:04 The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed grave concern over Israel's recent surge in unilateral and unlawful actions in the occupied West Bank, which are aimed at deepening ethnic cleansing and expanding the gradual annexation of Palestinian territories.
In a statement, the Ministry highlighted that Israel is executing annexation measures through the seizure of tens of thousands of dunums of land, erecting surveillance and communication towers, and responding to calls from extremists for further checkpoints at key road intersections.
These measures, the Ministry stated, "paralyze the movement of Palestinian citizens, fragment the occupied West Bank and empower colonial gangs to commit further attacks against Palestinian citizens."
The Ministry also stressed that these developments are occurring amidst Israel’s ongoing genocide and displacement in Gaza, with Israeli officials openly boasting about annexing the West Bank to destroy any hope for a Palestinian state and eliminate the Palestinian cause altogether.
Furthermore, the Ministry noted that Israel is exploiting shifting regional dynamics to isolate Palestinians further, continuing to deny them their legitimate rights and intensify their oppression.
The statement sharply criticized the international community for its inaction, highlighting the failure to enforce UN resolutions, the reliance on vague condemnations, and the double standards that have enabled Israel to escalate its crimes of genocide, colonialism, and annexation with impunity.
13:00 The Israeli occupation forces killed at least 46 Palestinians during the past 24 hours and injured 135 others, according to medical reports.
Local health authorities confirmed that the Palestinian death toll from the Israeli onslaught since October 2023 has risen to 44,976 reported fatalities, with an additional 106,759 wounded. The majority of the victims are women and children.
A Palestinian man carries the body of a child killed in an Israeli strike during a funeral in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. AFP
12:45 During his visit to Damascus, the United Nations special envoy for Syria called for a quick end to Western sanctions.
“We can hopefully see a quick end to the sanctions so that we can see really a rallying around the building of Syria,” UN envoy Geir Pedersen told reporters.
“We need to get the political process underway that is inclusive of all Syrians,” Pedersen said. “That process obviously needs to be led by the Syrians themselves.”
He called for “justice and accountability for crimes” committed during the war and for the international community to step up humanitarian aid.
Pedersen came to the Syrian capital to meet with officials of the new interim government set up by the insurgents who toppled Assad.
12:06 More than 7,600 Syrian migrants crossed the Turkish border to return home in the five days after the fall of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, Turkey's interior minister said.
In a statement on X, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya listed the total number of Syrians "who returned voluntarily from Turkey" each day between 9 and 13 December, with the five-day figure totalling 7,621 migrants.
12:04 German ministers said supporters of fallen President Bashar Al-Assad's government would face justice in Germany if they fled to the country.
Germany is home to Europe's largest Syrian diaspora, having taken in nearly a million people from the war-ravaged country.
"We will hold all of the regime's henchmen to account for their terrible crimes with the full force of the law," Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told the weekly Bild am Sonntag.
"If henchmen of Assad's terror regime try to flee to Germany, they must know that hardly any other state pursues their crimes as harshly as Germany," Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told the same publication.
"No one who has taken part in atrocities is safe from prosecution here," Faeser added.
"It is now particularly important for international security authorities and intelligence services to work together as closely as possible," Baerbock said.
12:03 His spokesperson said the United Nations envoy for Syria has arrived in Damascus, the capital.
Special envoy Geir Pedersen "has just arrived" in Damascus and "should be speaking on arrival," the official told AFP, declining to give details of the agenda for the visit.
10:55 The new administration in Syria should be given a chance to govern following their constructive messages, and Turkey stands ready to provide military training if such help is requested, Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler said, as reported by Reuters.
Turkey reopened its embassy in Damascus on Saturday, two days after its intelligence chief visited the Syrian capital.
"In their first statement, the new administration that toppled Assad announced that it would respect all government institutions, the United Nations and other international organisations," Guler told reporters in Ankara.
"We think that we need to see what the new administration will do and to give them a chance."
When asked whether Turkey was considering military cooperation with the new Syrian government, Guler said Ankara already had military cooperation and training agreements with many countries.
10:37 The head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards said that foreign powers are aiming to divide Syria, with each seeking to occupy parts of its land.
“Our presence in Syria was to preserve the dignity of its people, not for our own benefits or to annex part of Syrian territories,” Major General Hossein Salami said.
He considered what has happened in Syria as a bitter and difficult lesson, and Iran must learn from it.
10:25 An international effort to remove millions of cluster munitions, landmines, and unexploded munitions is urgently needed to protect the lives of hundreds of thousands of returning Syrians and pave the way to sustainable peace, the global landmine clearance charity HALO Trust said.
HALO Trust is a humanitarian non-government organization which primarily works to clear landmines and other explosive devices left behind by conflicts.
Swathes of Syria are covered with cluster munitions, missiles, landmines, and other deadly explosive ordnance following 14 years of civil war. For the last four years, Syria has had more victims of landmines and explosive debris than any other country and is ranked as one of the most dangerous places in the world, according to the NGO.
“Returning Syrians simply don’t know where the landmines are lying in wait, so people are horribly vulnerable,” Damian O’Brien, HALO Syria Programme manager, warned.
“We urgently need emergency funding to help bring the Syrian people home to safety,” he added.
10:10 Russia is pulling back its military from the front lines in northern Syria and posts in the Alawite Mountains but is not leaving its two main bases in Latakia and Tartous, four Syrian officials told Reuters.
Satellite footage showed what appeared to be at least two Antonov AN-124s, among the world's largest cargo planes, at the Hmeimim base with their nose cones open, apparently preparing to load up.
At least one cargo plane flew out on Saturday for Libya, a Syrian security official stationed outside the facility said.
09:54 The Israeli security cabinet is to discuss the situation in the occupied West Bank, as Israeli assessments suggest it could turn the West Bank into a main battlefield, Israeli Channel 14 reported.
Additionally, the occupation army has recently begun acquiring technological systems to deploy in the West Bank, according to Israeli army radio.
These systems include surveillance towers and mechanisms enabling remote shooting.
This comes as the occupation troops raided several villages and towns in Hebron and Nablus in the West Bank in the morning, carrying out an arrest campaign targeting civilians, Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
09:45 The end of the war on the Gaza Strip is approaching. Still, it will not happen before the newly elected US President Donald Trump takes office, an Israeli government official told Israel Hayom.
The official also stated that Trump wants an end to the war in Gaza, hinting at the possibility of halting the war through a prisoner exchange deal.
He further noted progress in negotiations aimed at reaching the deal.
09:30 Israel launched more than 60 strikes on Syrian territory over the past few hours, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said late Saturday.
Israel fired 61 missiles at Syrian military sites in less than five hours Saturday evening, the war monitor reported.
An aerial view shows a bridge, destroyed in an Israeli airstrike, in the town of Qusayr in Syria's central Homs province. AFP
09:22 Israeli occupation forces have detained men at Khaleel Oweida School in Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza, and forcibly displaced women and children from the area, Quds News Network reported.
The evacuees were forced toward a military checkpoint set up on Salah Al-Din Street, where the Israeli forces detained several Palestinians.
Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation forces storm the village of Al-Tabaqa, south of the occupied West Bank.
09:00 At least 14 people have been killed and 30 others injured, including women and children, in a new wave of Israeli airstrikes across Gaza since the early hours of this morning, WAFA news agency reported.
One of the deadliest strikes hit a tent sheltering displaced civilians in the northern Gaza town of Izbat Beit Hanoun, leaving several people dead and others injured.
In Beit Hanoun, an Israeli artillery shell targeted a residential area on Sultan Abdul Hamid Street, killing a man, his wife, and their two daughters. Several other residents were injured in the attack.
Earlier in the night, Israeli warplanes struck a house in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, west of Gaza City. Several civilians were killed and wounded in this bombing, but the exact toll has yet to be confirmed.
Another airstrike hit a home on Nafaq Street in central Gaza City, killing four people and injuring several others.
Since the war erupted, Israel has killed at least 44,930 Palestinians, the vast majority of whom are women and children, in Gaza. Over 106,624 people have been injured as Israel’s relentless bombardment continues to devastate the strip.
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