Day 93 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Sunday, Jan. 7

The son of Al Jazeera's bureau chief has been killed in an Israeli strike as the number of journalists killed in Gaza soars.

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.

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Live updates (all times EDT):

Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024

10:01 am: Gaza war rages into fourth month as Blinken tours Middle East

The Gaza war entered its fourth month on Sunday as the Israeli army pounded the Palestinian territory with strikes and top US diplomat Antony Blinken was back in the Middle East seeking to avoid a wider escalation.

8:12 am: Will South Africa win its Gaza genocide case against Israel?

Israel is preparing for a hearing at the International Court of Justice set for Jan. 11–12 to address a complaint submitted by South Africa accusing it of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. Rina Bassist reports.

7:00 am: Mother of Palestinian student shot in Vermont: 'Hateful rhetoric' prompted attack

The mother of Hisham Awartani, one of the Palestinian students shot in the US state of Vermont on Nov. 25, said that her son’s struggle to recover from his serious injuries is part of a wider effort by Palestinians to persist through the Gaza war. Adam Lucente reports.

5:34 am: Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza says two journalists killed in Israeli strike

The Health Ministry run by Hamas in the Gaza Strip said on Sunday that an Israeli air strike killed two journalists in the Palestinian territory.

Mustafa Thuria, a video stringer for AFP news agency, and Hamza Dahdouh, a journalist with the Al Jazeera television network, were killed while they were traveling in a car, the ministry and medics said.

3:31 am: Jordan king presses Blinken on Gaza cease-fire, aid

Jordan's king urged the top US diplomat on Sunday to push for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and an end to the humanitarian crisis brought by three months of war, the royal palace said.

King Abdullah II made the remarks to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is on a Middle East tour aiming to ensure the Israel-Hamas war does not spread.

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