Death toll continues to climb on Christmas Day

By Nathan Morley

Palestinian sources say at least 22 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Christmas Day.

Israeli aircraft reportedly targeted tents housing displaced persons in the north of Gaza City.

Civil defense crews recovered at least seven bodies and 25 injured people from the school following the attacks. 

Meanwhile, the Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has stated that Israeli troops will remain stationed in Gaza to maintain security control, sparking concerns that the latest round of ceasefire talks may face further stalemate.

During a visit to a buffer zone, Katz said security control in Gaza would remain in the hands of the Israel Defense Forces.

Meanwhile, according to reports in the British press, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has assumed a prominent role in a new international initiative aimed at achieving lasting peace between Israel and Palestine.

Reports say he has drawn upon his experiences in Northern Ireland to support the revival of a program intended to establish a sustainable resolution in the Middle East.

Sir Keir has instructed Foreign Secretary David Lammy to assemble an international summit in London early next year to launch the International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace (IFP), which is endorsed by The Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP), a coalition of over 160 organizations dedicated to fostering civil society peacebuilding efforts between Israelis and Palestinians.