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Day 57 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Saturday, Dec. 2

Smoke rises from an explosion in Khan Yunis, Gaza, Dec. 2, 2023.
Smoke rises from an explosion on in Khan Younis, Gaza, as Israel steps up military operations on Dec 2. 2023. — Ahmad Hasaballah via Getty Images

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office released a statement Saturday saying talks to revive a truce had broken down as the Israeli military deepens its campaign in southern Gaza.

Rina Bassist, Ezgi Akin, Beatrice Farhat, Elizabeth Hagedorn, Adam Lucente, Jack Dutton, Jared Szuba and Al-Monitor’s contributors on the ground in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel contributed to this blog.


Click here for our most recent updates.


Live updates (all times EDT):

Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023

4:00 pm: US defense chief says Israel must shield civilians to win in Gaza

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday urged Israel to protect civilians as it battles Hamas in Gaza, saying that shielding noncombatants is necessary for victory in the urban fight against the Palestinian militant group.

3:45 pm: Turkey's Erdogan rejects US pressure to cut Hamas ties

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pushed back against mounting US pressure to cut Ankara's historic ties with Hamas in the wake of the militants' unprecedented attacks on Israel.

3:20 pm: US intercepts Iranian drone in Gulf waters 

CENTCOM announced on Saturday that it intercepted an Iranian drone in Gulf waters. An “aircraft from Dwight D Eisenhower Carrier Air Wing intercepts an Iranian UAV operating in an unsafe and unprofessional manner during aircraft carrier flight operations in the Arabian Gulf," CENTCOM posted on X with a photo appearing to show the Iranian drone. “The US Navy will continue to fly and sail where international law allows,” it read.

12:00 pm: Gaza death toll reaches 15,200

As Israel ramps up its military campaign in southern Gaza, the death toll has passed 15,200, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Saturday. The ministry said 240 people had been killed in the enclave since fighting resumed after a seven-day truce lapsed on Friday morning. 

11:00 am: Israel recalls Mossad negotiators from Qatar

A team of Mossad agents left Qatar on Saturday as efforts to revive a truce between Israel and Hamas and facilitate the release of more hostages in Gaza hit a roadblock. "Following the impasse in the negotiations and under the guidance of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mossad head David Barnea ordered his team in Doha to return to Israel," the prime minister's office said in a statement.

7:00 am: Israel conducts strikes on 400 targets inside Gaza

The Israeli military said it conducted strikes against 400 targets in Gaza overnight Friday and into Saturday, including 50 in the Khan Yunis area in southern Gaza. On a visit to the Gaza border on Saturday, Israel's defense chief Yoav Gallant said, "In the last two days, we have also operated in areas where we did not operate in the last month, and this will increase."


Click here for our most recent updates.


For our previous live coverage, see:

Day 56 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Friday, Dec. 1

Day 55 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Thursday, Nov. 30

Day 54 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Wednesday, Nov. 29

Day 53 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Tuesday, Nov. 28

Day 52 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Monday, Nov. 27

Day 51 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Sunday, Nov. 26

Day 50 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Saturday, Nov. 25

Day 49 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Friday, Nov. 24

Day 48 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Thursday, Nov. 23

Day 47 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Wednesday, Nov. 22

Day 46 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Tuesday, Nov. 21

Day 45 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Monday, Nov. 20

Day 44 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Sunday, Nov. 19

Day 43 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Saturday, Nov. 18

Day 42 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Friday, Nov. 17

Day 41 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Thursday, Nov. 16

Day 40 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Wednesday, Nov. 15

Day 39 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Tuesday, Nov. 14

Day 38 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Monday, Nov. 13

Day 37 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Sunday, Nov. 12

Day 36 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Saturday, Nov. 11

Day 35 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Friday, Nov. 10

Day 34 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Thursday, Nov. 9

Day 33 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Wednesday, Nov. 8

Day 32 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Tuesday, Nov. 7

Day 31 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Monday, Nov. 6

Day 30 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Sunday, Nov. 5

Day 29 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Saturday, Nov. 4

Day 28 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Friday, Nov. 3

Day 27 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Thursday, Nov. 2

Day 26 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Wednesday, Nov. 1

Day 25 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Tuesday, Oct. 31

Day 24 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Monday, Oct. 30

Day 23 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Sunday, Oct. 29

Day 22 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Saturday, Oct. 28

Day 21 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Friday, Oct. 27

Day 20 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Thursday, Oct. 26

Day 19 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Wednesday, Oct. 25

Day 18 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Tuesday, Oct. 24

Day 17 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Monday, Oct. 23

Day 16 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Sunday, Oct. 22

Day 15 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Saturday, Oct. 21

Day 14 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Friday, Oct. 20

Day 13 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Thursday, Oct. 19

Day 12 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Wednesday, Oct. 18

Day 11 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Tuesday, Oct. 17

Day 10 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Monday, Oct. 16

Day 9 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Sunday, Oct. 15

Day 8 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Saturday, Oct. 14

Day 7 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Friday, Oct. 13

Day 6 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Thursday, Oct. 12

Day 5 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Wednesday, Oct. 11

Day 4 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Tuesday, Oct. 10

Day 3 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Monday, Oct. 9

Day 2 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Sunday, Oct. 8

Day 1 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Saturday, Oct. 7

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