Morning Briefing: Dec. 21, 2023

By Rabia Ali

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here is a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Thursday with, including investigation urged by UN into killing of unarmed Palestinians by Israeli forces, number of people killed in Gaza reaches 20,000, displacement of 90% of Palestinians in Gaza, and French President Emmanuel Macron's remarks about the Israeli operation in Gaza.

TOP STORIES

• UN agency urges Israel to investigate killing of unarmed Palestinians

A UN agency urged Israel to launch an investigation into allegations that its army killed at least 11 unarmed Palestinian men in front of their family members in the Al Remal neighborhood of Gaza City.

“The Israeli authorities must immediately institute an independent, thorough and effective investigation into these allegations….” said the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

The claims “raises alarm about the possible commission of a war crime,” said OHCHR.

• 26,700 Palestinians killed, missing in Israeli war on Gaza, authorities say

The Israeli war on the Gaza Strip has left 26,700 people dead and missing since Oct. 7, the government media office in the enclave said Wednesday.

“Around 20,000 dead people have been admitted to hospitals, including 8,000 children and 6,200 women,” the media office said in a statement.

The victims included 310 medics, 35 civil defense members and 97 journalists, the statement said.

The relentless Israeli attacks also destroyed and damaged around 308,000 housing units across the Gaza Strip, the office said.

• 90% of Gaza’s population displaced by Israeli onslaughts: UN agency

Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have displaced more than 90% of the territory’s population, the UN Palestinian refugee agency said Wednesday.

“Over 60% of the infrastructure in Gaza has been destroyed or damaged,” the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said in a statement.

“This is a staggering and unprecedented level of destruction and forced displacement, taking place in front of our eyes,” it added.

• Fight against terrorism should not mean 'razing Gaza to the ground': Emmanuel Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that the idea of a fight against terrorism should not be about "razing the Gaza Strip to the ground."

Macron noted that Paris' position was the same since the start of the conflict in the Middle East, despite what critics have said.

"We cannot allow to settle the idea that fighting efficiently against terrorism should be razing Gaza to the ground or attacking civilian populations without distinction and causing civilian casualties," Macron told French broadcaster France 5.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• The vote on a UN Security Council resolution calling for a suspension of hostilities in Gaza to deliver aid was postponed on Wednesday for the third day in a row.

• Voters in the Congo are heading to polling stations Thursday after the electoral body extended the general election by another day because of delays in the delivery of polling materials to various voting stations.

• It is crucial that Muslim nations continue their united efforts for a lasting cease-fire in Gaza, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in a phone call on Wednesday.

• Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Wednesday that “the time has come for Europeans to speak clearly and with one voice” on Israel’s brutal attacks on the Gaza Strip.

• European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and the deputies in charge of parliament’s position on the pact on asylum and migration held a news conference Wednesday in Brussels at the end of long negotiations.

• Washington released Alex Saab, a close ally of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, in exchange for the release of 10 Americans detained in Venezuela.

• Israeli media reported Wednesday that the army is holding hundreds of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, accused of being Hamas' armed wing elite forces members, in harsh conditions.

• French lawmaker Thomas Portes urged the government Wednesday to investigate more than 4,000 citizens fighting in the Israeli army for war crimes in Palestinian territories.

• Israel is preparing its public for possible tough decisions, including releasing "dangerous" Palestinian prisoners as part of a new prisoner exchange agreement with Hamas, Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (KAN) said Wednesday.

SPORTS

• English Premier League match to be played in full after footballer's cardiac arrest

The English Premier League (EPL) confirmed Wednesday that a week 17 match between Bournemouth and Luton Town will be replayed in full after Tom Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest during the match earlier this month.

"The game will be rescheduled for later in the season, with a date to be confirmed following consultation with relevant parties," EPL said in a statement.

• Fenerbahce Beko beat Zalgiris Kaunas 80-78 in EuroLeague Round 15

Fenerbahce Beko claimed an 80-78 win Wednesday against Zalgiris Kaunas in Round 15 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

Tyler Dorsey came off the bench to lead the Istanbul side to a home win with 19 points, while Scottie Wilbekin scored 17 at Ulker Sports And Event Hall.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• 'European financial institutions provided billions of dollars to support illegal Jewish settlements'

About 776 European financial institutions provided billions of dollars to support the construction of illegal Jewish settlements on the occupied Palestinian territories, according to a civil society organization, Don't Buy into Occupation (DBIO).

According to the report, between January 2020 and August 2023, the financial institutions, including BNP Paribas, HSBC, Deutsche Bank, and Barclays, provided $164.2 billion to the companies working for illegal Jewish settlements.

• Turkish e-commerce giant Trendyol becomes official partner of 2024 Olympic Games

Türkiye-based e-commerce giant Trendyol announced Wednesday that it became an official partner of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The deal makes the company the first Turkish partner of an Olympic Games as an “E-Commerce Services Partner."

It includes providing special merchandise made by Turkish manufacturers for the multi-sport event, ranging from t-shirts to accessories, readily available to be purchased on the company’s mobile app with shipping to select countries.