Israel-Palestine conflict: What happened in the last 24 hours

Over the past 24 hours, the Israel-Palestine conflict has continued under extraordinarily difficult humanitarian conditions despite a fragile ceasefire in place since October. A combination of severe winter weather and sporadic military actions has exacerbated human suffering in the Gaza Strip and deepened diplomatic tensions across the region, News.az reports.

One of the most urgent developments in the last day has been the impact of a powerful winter storm, identified as Storm Byron, which has battered the Gaza Strip. Heavy rains and gale-force winds have flooded thousands of tents in makeshift displacement camps where people uprooted by years of war are living. Large accumulations of water have collapsed tents, saturated bedding, and isolated families from vital supplies.

Emergency services, already constrained by fuel shortages and diminished capacity after years of conflict, have struggled to respond to more than 2,500 distress calls as floodwaters engulf camps across Gaza. The storm has particularly impacted communities in and around Khan Younis, with hundreds of displaced Palestinians left stranded in mud and puddles without adequate shelter or warmth.

United Nations and aid officials warn that cold, wet conditions are sharply increasing the risk of illness and hypothermia among vulnerable populations, especially children and the elderly. Despite the ceasefire, sporadic violence continues alongside these humanitarian crises. Civil defense and medical sources report at least 10 deaths in Gaza over the past 24 hours linked to the storm, including an infant who succumbed to exposure, as well as multiple injuries from collapsing structures and flooding conditions. Winter shortages of tents, blankets, and warm clothing have compounded the deadly impact of the storm.

Aid groups emphasize that only a fraction of the estimated 300,000 additional tents needed for winter protection have reached Gaza, leaving many families exposed to the elements. The delivery and distribution of humanitarian supplies remain hampered by bureaucratic obstacles and security restrictions. Humanitarian officials and nongovernmental organizations have expressed deep concern that the storm and inadequate relief efforts are transforming an already severe displacement crisis into a more acute emergency for millions of civilians.

In addition to the weather-related crisis, the Gaza Health Ministry reported that Israeli military actions in the past 24 hours resulted in civilian casualties and injuries. According to health authorities in Gaza, four Palestinians were killed and at least ten others wounded after Israeli attacks, despite the ostensibly agreed ceasefire. These incidents included artillery or aerial strikes on populated areas and damaged structures, underscoring ongoing violations of the ceasefire. Local Palestinian sources state that Israeli forces conducted these operations in parts of the northern and central Gaza Strip, targeting what they described as suspected militant positions or infrastructure used by armed groups. Gaza medical personnel reported receiving multiple casualties at hospitals, and emergency teams worked to evacuate those trapped under rubble following explosions.

Palestinian health officials allege that the frequency of these ceasefire violations has increased since the truce took effect, and they have accused Israeli forces of systematically undermining the ceasefire’s terms by engaging in routine strikes that hit civilian neighborhoods.

Israeli officials, for their part, have attributed such actions to defensive responses against intermittent rocket launches or armed group activity inside Gaza that they characterize as breaches of the ceasefire agreement. Israeli military spokespeople say that they act to neutralize perceived threats to civilian communities in southern Israel in accordance with self-defense prerogatives, a stance that has been repeatedly contested by Palestinian authorities and international observers.

Another significant development in recent hours has been political and diplomatic movement aimed at easing the humanitarian situation and pressing forward with the stalled truce process. Israel reopened the Allenby Bridge crossing with Jordan, which has been shut for months, to allow the passage of commercial goods and humanitarian aid into the West Bank and potentially onward to Gaza.

The reopening of this key gateway is seen as a concession to mounting international pressure — particularly from the United States and European partners — to fully implement the ceasefire and allow unhindered delivery of food, medicine, shelter materials, and fuel. Humanitarian agencies have emphasized that consistent access through border crossings is critical to stabilizing the crisis, especially given the severe winter conditions. However, relief agencies warn that logistical bottlenecks and security screening procedures at the crossing continue to slow deliveries and limit the volume of aid that actually reaches vulnerable communities inside Gaza.

The resumption of limited commercial flows contrasts with the broader diplomatic stalemate over the next phases of the ceasefire agreement. The second phase, envisioned to include disarmament measures, phased Israeli troop withdrawals, and the deployment of an international monitoring or peacekeeping force, has made only incremental progress. Israeli and Hamas representatives have expressed cautious optimism about moving to the next stage, but both sides emphasize significant unresolved issues remain, particularly regarding security guarantees and disarmament timelines.

Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank remains another major flashpoint. In the past 24 hours, Israeli authorities approved the construction of nearly 800 new housing units in several West Bank settlements. Israeli political leaders described the approvals as part of long-term strategic planning, but Palestinian officials and international actors condemned the move as a violation of international law that undermines prospects for peace.

Settlement expansion has been a longstanding source of tension, provoking widespread criticism from the United Nations and numerous governments that regard such actions as destabilizing and detrimental to the peace process. Palestinian leaders in Ramallah and East Jerusalem denounced the approvals, stating they signal bad faith at a time when formal negotiations over truce implementation and humanitarian access continue behind closed doors.

Elsewhere, human rights and diplomatic sources reported renewed controversy over Israeli police operations related to United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) facilities in East Jerusalem. Security forces recently entered a UNRWA compound under circumstances described by international staff as coercive and potentially in violation of diplomatic norms. Israel framed the operation as a standard enforcement action, but the United Nations and partner organizations condemned it as undermining humanitarian operations and threatening the neutrality of relief efforts for Palestinian refugees.

International actors, including the United Nations and European Union representatives, reaffirmed calls for all parties to fully respect the ceasefire and allow unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance. U.N. officials reiterated that winter weather risks are deepening an already catastrophic situation for displaced Palestinians and urged immediate scaling up of shelter supplies, medical support, and infrastructure repair materials. Humanitarian agencies highlighted that without such deliveries, ongoing exposure to cold and wet conditions will lead to preventable deaths among children, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses.

In summary, the last 24 hours in the Israel-Palestine conflict have been dominated by:

• A deadly winter storm that has flooded displacement camps and worsened living conditions for displaced Palestinians across the Gaza Strip;

• Civilian casualties and injuries linked to ongoing Israeli military actions despite the ceasefire;

• Reopening of a key border crossing to facilitate humanitarian and commercial flows;

• Continued diplomatic stagnation over advancing the next phase of the truce;

• Approval of new Israeli settlement housing units in the West Bank, drawing international criticism;

• Tensions surrounding humanitarian operations and UN facilities in East Jerusalem.

The combination of harsh weather, logistical barriers to aid delivery, sporadic violence, and political disagreements underscores the fragile and complex nature of the situation. Civilians on both sides continue to pay a high price, and international efforts to solidify a sustainable ceasefire and alleviate humanitarian suffering remain critical.

News.Az