As tensions in West Asia escalate, a baby girl has frozen to death in Gaza, and at least 10 other people have been killed in airstrikes while Israel and Hamas continue to fight on the issue of reaching a ceasefire deal.
The baby was three weeks old, and it was the third such incident of death from the cold wave in Gaza in recent days, said doctors of the Hamas-run Gaza health authorities.
Moreover, five people were killed and 20 injured in an Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza City's Zeitoun neighbourhood on Thursday (Dec 26), medics with the Gaza health authorities reported.
They further warned that the death toll could rise as many people were stuck under the rubble.
Journalists killed
In a separate incident, five journalists were killed after their vehicle got struck in the vicinity of Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat in central Gaza, according to the health authorities.
Medics said the five were among at least 21 people who have been killed in Israeli air strikes.
The Palestinian Journalists Union said that one strike killed five journalists from the Al-Quds Today channel.
The union added that more than 190 Palestinian journalists have been killed by Israeli fire since the beginning of the war last year.
Meanwhile, Israel has always denied targeting journalists, adding that they always stay cautious to avoid harming civilians.
Earlier on Wednesday, Hamas and Israel traded blame over their failure to reach a ceasefire agreement, despite both sides having reported progress in the past few days.
Also read: Gaza: One child killed every hour, says UNRWA
Hamas has been saying that Israel has laid down further conditions, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that the Hamas group keeps on going back on the understanding that has already been reached.
Disclaimer: WION takes the utmost care to accurately and responsibly report conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, Syria, Iraq, and non-state actors like the Islamic State, among others. In this context, claims and counterclaims are being made online and offline. WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos, and videos.
(With inputs from agencies)