Live coverage of the war between Israel and Hamas

The journalist Diaa al-Kahlout, who was seen yesterday in pictures and videos where undressed Palestinian men have their hands tied and are guarded by Israeli soldiers, is said to have been taken to an Israeli military base, according to al-Jazeera.

The Israeli military (IDF) said yesterday that the men are members of Hamas who have surrendered, but al-Kahlout’s employer, the London-based news agency al-Araby al-Jadeed, identified its reporter in the images. There are also reports of more civilians among the men.

Diaa al-Kahlout’s colleague, Lamis Andoni, tells al-Jazeera that he is very worried about his colleague.

He also calls the IDF’s accusations reprehensible.

– As a journalist, he has of course interviewed several Hamas members repeatedly, just as several correspondents have done. This is just an excuse to arrest and terrorize him and his family, because he is yet another witness who must be silenced, says Andoni.

The journalist organization International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) states that more journalists were killed around the world in 2023 than in both last year and the year before, reports the news agency AP.

The number of journalists killed during two months of war in Gaza is more than during any other conflict in over 30 years, according to the IFJ.

So far, 94 journalists have been killed in 2023, and nearly 400 have been jailed, according to the organization.

68 of them have been killed while covering the war between Israel and Hamas, and the majority of these are Palestinians who worked in Gaza.

In 2022, 67 journalists were killed, 12 of them in Ukraine, and in 2021, the number was 47.

Israel’s military (IDF) says it has destroyed large parts of al-Azhar University’s “terrorist infrastructure” in northern Gaza, where it claims Hamas has operated.

Spokesperson Daniel Hagari type in X that they found an underground route from the university to a school a kilometer away, as well as explosives, rockets and grenade launchers.

He also writes that during another operation near a hospital in northern Gaza, the IDF found grenades and military equipment.

The information has not been able to be verified via independent sources.

Smoke from Israeli bombardment of Gaza, as seen from southern Israel, on December 8. Photo: Maya Alleruzzo/AP

Several media outlets report that the US seems to be tightening its tone against its ally, Israel, regarding protecting civilians in Gaza.

In recent days, massive bombing has been going on in several parts of Gaza, after Israel launched a ground invasion also against the southern parts of the Palestinian territory.

At the same time, there have been statements from the leadership in the United States that civilians must be protected.

Last night US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said:

– As we stand here almost a week after the operation in the southern parts began, it is still imperative that Israel values ​​the protection of civilians highly.

– There is still a gap between the goal of protecting civilians and what we actually see on the ground.

The news agency Reuters calls the statement the strongest criticism from the US so far regarding Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.

Yesterday came the AFP news agency’s review which stated that journalists were attacked by Israel’s military on purpose while reporting from southern Lebanon on 13 October.

A Reuters photographer, 37-year-old Issam Abdallah, was killed, six others were injured.

Israel’s military responded on Friday that the journalists were in an active combat zone, which was dangerous to be in. It is also stated that the incident is being investigated.