Gaza:

The majority of Gaza's 2.3 million inhabitants have been forced from their houses, and residents claim it is impossible to get food or safety in the thickly populated coastal enclave. The UN World Food Programme has said half of the population is starving. "Hunger stalks everyone," UNRWA, the United Nations body responsible for Palestinian refugees, said on X. On Monday, Israel denied that it planned to drive Palestinians, who were fleeing its assault on Gaza into Egypt.

Israeli estimates indicate that on October 7, Hamas militants carried out a cross-border attack on Israel that resulted in 1,200 deaths and 240 hostages. As part of its efforts to eradicate the group, Israel has issued orders for citizens to relocate. Since then, some 100 hostages have been set free. Gazans described the looting of relief vehicles and exorbitant prices, adding that individuals who were forced to flee regularly were dying from cold and starvation in addition to the bombardment.

In just over two months of fighting, the Gaza health ministry said that 18,205 people had died and 49,645 had been wounded in Gaza; hundreds of these deaths have occurred after the US vetoed a ceasefire proposal at the UN Security Council on Friday.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern over the weekend about a mass displacement into Egypt. Jordan charged Israel with attempting to empty Gaza of its people. Right now, the only route out of Gaza is via the Egyptian border, but Cairo has issued a warning, stating that it will not permit Gazans to enter its territory out of concern that they won't be able to return. On Monday, the Israeli administration denied that this was their intention. Israeli spokesperson Eylon Levy described the charge as "outrageous and false.”

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Monday that his country was ready to discuss other options for governing the territory, provided that the entity in question was not an adversarial one toward Israel and that Israel had no plans to remain in the Gaza Strip indefinitely. "Israel will take any measures to destroy Hamas, but we have no intention to stay permanently in the Gaza Strip. We only take care of our security and the security of our citizens alongside the border with Gaza," Gallant said.

Meanwhile, Christians in Jordan will hold muted Christmas festivities as a gesture of solidarity with the Palestinian people.

The Jordanian Council of Churches asked its communities to limit their Christmas celebrations to prayers and donations supporting children in Gaza. They decided to cancel festivities, including bazaars, musical celebrations, and the distribution of gifts. In the strip, more than 10,000 children have been killed so far. Bethlehem will also be dark throughout the Christmas season. The site of Jesus' traditional birth will not have a Christmas tree. According to Father Francesco Patton of the Custody of the Holy Land, "We will celebrate in sobriety."

“We won't be celebrating this year since everyone is grieving for the victims of violence,” he concluded.