STORY: Death toll in Gaza over 20,000 with no ceasefire in sight
SHOOTING TIME: Dec. 23, 2023
DATELINE: Dec. 24, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:38
LOCATION: Gaza
CATEGORY: MILITARY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Palestinians evacuating from central Gaza
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic):TAYSEER KHALIL, Gaza resident
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic):GAD ABU-ALNADA, Gaza resident
4. various of Palestinians evacuating from central Gaza
5. SOUNDBITE 3 (English):MIR MOHAMMAD ALI KHAN, Pakistani political and economic expert
6. various of Security Council Chamber

STORYLINE:

A humanitarian catastrophe has been unfolding in Gaza since Israel began its military operation in response to a surprise attack launched by Hamas on Oct. 7.

The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has so far risen to 20,258, with 53,688 others injured, the Gaza-based Health Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

And 1.9 million Palestinian residents, or nearly 85 percent of the Gaza population, have been forcibly displaced, according to UN estimates.

Palestinians have been evacuating parts of central Gaza since the Israeli military on Friday warned residents to move farther south as it expands ground offensive.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic):TAYSEER KHALIL, Gaza resident
"Our living conditions were difficult even when we were in our homes. It will be worse when we live on the street."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic):GAD ABU-ALNADA, Gaza resident
"I was displaced from Al-Bureij camp a while ago and had to return here to get some blankets because the weather is cold now. The situation is very bad here. There is a large displacement from the area. There were many dead and wounded people."

Meanwhile, Gazans are suffering from severe shortages of electricity, food, medical supplies and shelters due to the Israeli blockade that limits the delivery of relief aid.

SOUNDBITE 3 (English):MIR MOHAMMAD ALI KHAN, Pakistani political and economic expert
"We need immediate humanitarian assistance, immediate. We need ceasefire. There are no two ways about it. There's only one solution, ceasefire. If there is no ceasefire, how can you provide humanitarian assistance? No trucks can enter if there are bombs falling. So we have to take step one, in order to take many hundreds of steps after that. Rehabilitation of these people, rebuilding of their places, schools, hospitals, these are basic needs of citizens."

The UN Security Council on Friday passed a key resolution, emphasizing the immediate acceleration of aid deliveries to the distressed civilians in Gaza, but without the original call for an "urgent suspension of hostilities" between Israel and Hamas.

The proposed resolution, presented by the United Arab Emirates, garnered support from 13 council members, while the United States and Russia opted to abstain from the vote within the 15-member council.

The vote followed a U.S. veto of a Russian amendment that would have restored the call for a "suspension of hostilities."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Gaza.
(XHTV)