Final update of 2023

Dear MEE readers, 

As 2023 comes to an end, Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip continues on. 

Since 7 October, Israeli attacks have resulted in 28,822 Palestinians killed and missing, including 9,100 children, according to the official government media office in Gaza. 

The office said Israel has committed at least 1,825 "massacres" during the past 85 days.

At least 56,451 people have been wounded and most of the population - 1.8 million people - have been displaced, according to the office. 

Reports were unclear on Sunday whether Tony Blair had met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz to go over the possibility of the former British leader taking charge of where Palestinian refugees from Gaza could be relocated. 

While Israel’s Channel 12 news reported the meeting, journalist Barak Ravid, in a post to X, said that Blair's office had denied the reports. 

Meanwhile, far right Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich told Israel's Army Radio that there will be an exodus of Palestinians and instead Israelis "will live in the Gaza Strip".

Other Sunday updates include: 

• Israel withdrew five army brigades from the Gaza Strip, amounting to thousands of soldiers, Israel's army radio reported. 

• A salvo of long-range missiles were fired towards Israeli cities just after midnight. More than 20 missiles were fired towards Tel Aviv, 10 of which were intercepted, according to Israeli news sites.

• A former Palestinian Authority minister was killed on Sunday in an Israeli strike on his home in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced.

• Civil Defence crews in Gaza held a funeral to mourn the killing of one of their team members.

• Israeli forces "neutralised" an alleged attacker that injured two Israeli security guards near the Mishor Adumim settlement in occupied East Jerusalem.