Gaza death toll tops 24,000 as Israel strikes targets in north and south

JERUSALEM: Israeli strikes hit Gaza City and soldiers battled militants in southern Gaza on Monday after the US, its top ally, said it was time to scale back operations. Palestinian authorities said the death toll in the enclave passed 24,000.

South Africa has accused Israel of genocide in the war against Hamas, an allegation Israel has rejected.

Although the full case is likely to take years to resolve, the United Nations' top court could rule within weeks on South Africa's request for an order of an immediate suspension of Israel's offensive. It's unclear if Israel would comply with any court order.

The October 7 Hamas attack from Gaza into southern Israel that triggered the war killed around 1,200 people and saw some 250 others taken hostage by militants.

TURKIYE CHARGES ISRAELI SOCCER PLAYER FOR SHOWING SUPPORT FOR HOSTAGES

Turkiye Turkish authorities charged Israeli soccer player Sagiv Jehezkel on Monday with inciting hatred after he expressed solidarity with people held hostage by Hamas militants during a game. He was released from custody pending trial.

The Antalyaspor player was detained for questioning late on Sunday after he displayed a bandage on his wrist with the words "100 Days 7.10" a reference to October 7, the day Hamas attacked Israel and the hostages were abducted next to a Star of David.

The 28-year-old Israeli international told police he was simply calling for an end to the war.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said late on Sunday that Jehezkel was under investigation for "openly inciting the public to hatred and hostility." Tunc maintained in a statement posted on X that Jehezkel had engaged in "an ugly gesture in support of the Israeli massacre in Gaza."

AUTHORITIES SAY DEATH TOLL IN GAZA PASSES 24,000

Gaza's Health Ministry said on Monday that the bodies of 132 people killed in Israeli bombardment have been brought to the enclave's hospitals in the past 24 hours.

According to Gaza's Civil Defense group, 33 of those were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City.

Hospitals also received 252 wounded, the ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory said in its daily briefing.

The fatalities brought the death toll in the strip to 24,100 dead since the war began on October 7, the ministry said, adding that over 60,834 others were wounded.

The ministry, which does not distinguish in its count between fighters and noncombatants, says two-thirds of those killed in the war were women and children.

Israel says it has killed roughly 8,000 militants in the war.

POPE SAYS WAR ITSELF IS A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY

VATICAN CITY Pope Francis equated war itself with crimes against humanity.

In remarks to the public gathered in St. Peter's Square on Sunday for his weekly window appearance, the pontiff said: "Let's not forget how many suffer the cruelty of war in so many parts of the world, especially in Ukraine, in Palestine and in Israel."

Francis lamented that "at the start of the year, we exchanged wishes for peace, but arms continue to kill and destroy."

He urged reflection on the fact that war "sows death among civilians and destroys cities and infrastructure. In other words, today, war itself is a crime against humanity."