Ramallah, Jan 13: The Palestinian presidency has urged the international community to step up efforts to end the bloody conflict in Gaza, accusing Israel of massive “killings, destruction, and displacement”.

Under President Mahmoud Abbas’s leadership, the Palestinian Authority has been working since day one to end the conflict and spare Palestinians from the devastation, Presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh said in a statement to news agency.

The Israeli offensive has caused the death, injury, detention and disappearance of over 200,000 people, Abu Rudeineh said.

President Abbas is engaging in intensive talks with Arab and international parties to expedite a ceasefire and enforce UN Security Council Resolution 2735, the spokesperson said.

The Palestinian leadership believes it is time to compel the occupying state to accept an end to its comprehensive conflict against people in Gaza as well as to halt ongoing Israeli violations in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, he said.

The presidential spokesperson stressed that achieving security and stability in the region depends on respecting “Arab and international legitimacy,” urging major countries to act immediately to enforce compliance with UN resolutions and end what he called Israel’s “impunity.”

The new round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out on October 7, 2023 following an unprecedented escalation between the Israeli army and Hamas, leading to full-scale confrontations. The conflict has caused widespread destruction in the Gaza Strip and resulted in an unprecedented civilian death toll.

On Monday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said that “progress” has been achieved in the talks held in Qatar on a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that will secure the release of the hostages.

“There is progress in the negotiations to release the hostages,” Sa’ar said during joint remarks alongside Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, who is on a trip to the region.

“Israel very much wants to release the hostages and is working hard to reach a deal,” Sa’ar said.

Los Angeles, Jan 13: As firefighters continue to battle devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area, winds are expected to intensify in the coming days, potentially further complicating rescue efforts.

According to the local officials, gusty winds and persistently dry weather are increasing extreme fire threats in the region.

Northeast wind gusts surpassed 50 miles (about 80 km) per hour on Sunday, and the strong Santa Ana winds are also forecast to pick up in the coming days.

These winds, combined with low humidity and extremely dry vegetation, will keep the fire threat in Los Angeles County at a “very high” level, said Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone.

Three active wildfires are still ravaging Los Angeles County, scorching nearly 40,300 acres (about 163 square km), according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE).

The death toll from the fires has risen to 24 as of Sunday, with eight resulting from the Palisades fire and 16 from the Eaton fire.

The two largest fires have been 11 per cent and 27 per cent contained, respectively, according to CAL FIRE.

More than 12,300 structures have been destroyed, and over 100,000 people have been evacuated from multiple disaster zones.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has deployed an additional 1,000 members of the California National Guard to Los Angeles on Sunday, bringing the total number of CalGuard service members in the region to about 2,500, according to the governor’s office.

CalGuard personnel are supporting wildfire suppression efforts, stationed at traffic control points and providing protection in some burn zones.

At least 29 people have been arrested, many for looting, since the wildfires broke out in Los Angeles last week, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.

A night-time curfew between 6 pm and 6 am is in place across the disaster zones around Pacific Palisades and Altadena, areas worst hit by the fires.

Los Angeles, Jan 13: The death toll from the ravaging wildfires in Los Angeles has risen to 24, local media reported.

Wildfires continued to rage through Los Angeles County, marking a catastrophic ‘Black Swan’ event of unprecedented scale in the history of the US’ most populous county.

Among the active fires, the Palisades Fire has burned through 19,978 acres (80.85 square km) with just six per cent containment as of Thursday night. Meanwhile, the Eaton Fire has scorched 13,690 acres (55.4 square km) and remains completely uncontained.

For residents like Michael, an accountant in Altadena where the Eaton Fire erupted, the devastation has been life-altering. He was evacuated moments before his home was engulfed by flames.

“It’s like living through Armageddon,” he said, choking back tears. “We’ve lost everything.”

According to Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, the wildfires, which began Tuesday night, rank among the county’s most destructive natural disasters. Over 10,000 buildings have been destroyed so far, primarily due to the Palisades and Eaton fires.

In Malibu, officials reported the first fatality from the Palisades Fire on Thursday. The cause of death remains under investigation. Malibu Mayor Doug Stewart expressed profound sorrow, offering condolences to the victim’s loved ones.

“This tragedy weighs heavily on our hearts,” he said.

Currently, firefighters are battling four major wildfires: Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire, Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills and Hurst Fire in Sylmar.

While some progress has been made in controlling the Eaton Fire, strong winds reaching 100 km per hour have made containing the Palisades Fire particularly challenging. Officials hope calmer weather conditions will improve containment efforts, though the National Weather Service has warned of critical fire weather persisting through Friday night.

The fires have forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents, with at least 70,000 homes under threat and 10,000 destroyed. Looting has been reported in some evacuation zones, leading to multiple arrests.

Dorothy, a retired school administrator who had lived in Pacific Palisades for 40 years, lost her home and everything in it.