A picture taken from the southern city of Sterod shows smoke rising above destroyed buildings in the northern Gaza Strip during an Israeli army bombardment on January 5, 2025, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas militants. Gaza's civilian rescuers reported that Israel pounded the Palestinian territory on January 5, killing at least 23 people, even as indirect negotiations for a ceasefire and a hostage release (Photo by Menahem Kahana / AFP)