KEY POINTS
- Haniyeh will reportedly be accompanied to Cairo by a delegation of senior Hamas leaders
- Iranian asylum-seekers plotted to kill Israeli businessmen, Cypriot official said
- Hamas ally PIJ has released a video of two male hostages
It's the 75th day of the Israel-Hamas war. A new report revealed that there were actually 19 countries onboard the Washington-led maritime force in the Red Sea that seeks to deter Houthi attacks, but around half didn't want their move publicized. The U.S., including itself, only announced 10 joiners Tuesday.
The U.S. is reportedly discussing with its allies possible military actions to cripple the ability of Iran-backed Houthis to attack commercial ships in the Red Sea as more shipping companies announced re-routing or total cessation of movement in the area.
Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh will visit Egypt Wednesday to discuss a possible ceasefire in Gaza, marking a significant turnaround in events since the seven-day truce collapsed.
- 'Entire responsibility' of ceasefire issues on Sinwar: Israeli president
- Houthis accuse US-led maritime force of seeking to 'militarize' Red Sea
- Cyprus, Mossad foil alleged Iranian plot against Israelis: Report
- US State Department slams Houthis' 'reckless' attacks
- Israel informs Qatar ready for week-long truce in exchange for 40 hostages: Report
- Haniyeh meets Iran's foreign minister in Doha ahead of Cairo trip
- 'No place' for hate and violence against Jewish communities in Canada: Trudeau
- Yemen, 8 other countries, plus NATO and EU, condemn Houthis' Red Sea rampage
- Gaza Strip suffers another communications blackout
- Mother of 19-year-old hostage says world's response not loud enough
- Haniyeh lands in Egypt for Gaza talks
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it has taken control of the Jabalia camp after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that "dozens" of Hamas members from the area were surrendering to Israeli troops.
A vote on Gaza has been delayed for a third day by the United Nations Security Council amid reported "intense" discussions after the U.S. expressed opposition to some wording on the draft resolution.
Over in Israel's northern border with Lebanon, Iran-backed Hezbollah continues to fire toward communities near the border, raising fears of an all-out war to break out during a critical time in the Israeli military's ground operations in Gaza.
Netanyahu spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday to discuss escalating tensions initiated by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, particularly around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
When Hamas operatives raided Israel on Oct. 7 and killed more than 1,200 people, interest in the longstanding Israel-Palestine conflict history spiked as supporters of both parties staged protests worldwide.
Meanwhile, Qatar, for the first time since the first ceasefire deal fell apart, said Tuesday that talks for a new hostage deal with Israel were progressing. The Israeli government and the White House have both reiterated their commitment to freeing the remaining 129 hostages – mostly men and captive soldiers.
Israel considering 'extended' ceasefire: Report
Israeli officials are "considering an extended ceasefire, perhaps lasting two weeks, to allow Hamas to gather these hostages and deliver them to safety," journalist David Ignatius wrote in an op-ed for the Washington Post Wednesday.
He added that the Israeli government may also pledge to withdraw its forces and "conduct standoff operations" after the ceasefire.
The Israeli government has yet to confirm the report, but it has signaled readiness to engage in renewed negotiations regarding the release of hostages.
ZIM ships and all Israeli-flagged vessels banned from docking at Malaysian ports
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Wednesday announced that the Ministry of Transport will "take immediate action" to "block and disallow the Israeli-based shipping company ZIM from docking at any Malaysian port." Likewise, any Israeli-flagged vessel will also not be allowed to dock at the country.
Finally, Anwar said any ship headed to Israel will not be allowed to load cargo at any Malaysian port. "Malaysia is confident that the decision will not affect Malaysia's trade activities," he said.
Haniyeh arrives in Cairo
Hamas' leader has arrived in Egypt for talks regarding the latest developments in the war, the terror group said in a statement. Israel has said it was ready a new ceasefire agreement if the terror group drops its pre-requisite of a truce first before hostage-related negotiations begin.
Earlier reports noted that Haniyeh was due in Egypt for discussions on a possible new ceasefire deal.
Mother of abducted 19-year-old pleads for her daughter's release
Ayelet Levy Shachar, the mother of Naama Levy, 19, who was among more than 200 hostages taken by Hamas into Gaza during the Oct. 7 massacre, said "time is running out" for her daughter.
The 19-year-old's abduction is featured in a Hamas video where Levy can be seen with bloodied pants, blood on the right side of her face, cut ankles, and hands bleeding from the tight material that bound her wrists.
"For her, time is running out. Every day is harder because she is more vulnerable to whatever is happening there and what is inflicted on her."
— Bianna Golodryga (@biannagolodryga) December 19, 2023
The world has seen the video of 19 year old Naama Levy, bloodied and battered in Gaza. Her mother's desperate plea for her release. pic.twitter.com/UttyPqs7m2
"My voice may be soft when I speak right now, but the scream is inside me, and I don't hear the voices of the world loud enough responding to the scream," Shachar said.
Shachar has been traveling to raise awareness about the case of her daughter and others who recounted Hamas' sexual crimes during their raid in Israel. While she would rather stay home and wait for her daughter to come back home, Shachar said she wants to "influence whoever I can" so her daughter and other hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza can be freed as soon as possible.
Israeli strikes target Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) attacked several military sites and infrastructure in Lebanon that belonged to the Iran-backed paramilitary group Hezbollah, the IDF said Wednesday.
לפני זמן קצר, כלי טיס של חיל האוויר תקפו שורת מטרות של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה בשטח לבנון.
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) December 20, 2023
בין המטרות שנתקפו, מספר תשתיות טרור לצד אתרים צבאיים בהם פעלו מחבלי הארגון pic.twitter.com/fXlNPK5Aeb
As reported Tuesday, Netanyahu reportedly told the U.S. that Israel wants Hezbollah troops to be removed at least six miles from the border as part of efforts to ease tensions with Lebanon.
Gaza plunged into another communications blackout
The Gaza Strip's telecom service providers Paltel and Jawwal announced Wednesday morning local time that "all telecom services" in the enclave "have been lost."
Internet outage tracker NetBlocks said network data showed a "new collapse in connectivity" in the Gaza Strip, adding that some areas affected by the previous blackout last week are still offline.
⚠ Confirmed: Live network data show a new collapse in connectivity in the #Gaza Strip; the incident affects areas in the south where telecoms had been partially restored over the last few days, while other areas have remained offline since the previous blackout 📉 pic.twitter.com/OxAb9VDvor
— NetBlocks (@netblocks) December 20, 2023
EU, NATO, 8 countries join Yemen in condemning Hamas' Red Sea aggression
The European Union, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and nine countries, including Yemen, released a joint statement Wednesday condemning "Houthi interference with navigational rights and freedoms in the waters around the Arabian Peninsula, particularly the Red Sea.
The other countries that joined the condemnation of Yemen's Houthi rebels were Australia, the Bahamas, Japan, Liberia, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore and the U.S.
"There is no justification for these attacks, which affect many countries beyond the flags these ships sail under," the group said. They also called on the Houthis to release the hijacked Galaxy Leader and its captive 25-member crew, majority of them Filipinos.
Reinforcements deployed for ground troops in Khan Yunis
Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant said additional Israeli soldiers have been deployed to the battlefield in Khan Yunis as the Israeli army refocuses its efforts to eliminate Hamas in the Gaza Strip's second-largest city, local media reported Wednesday.
On day 75 of the #IsraelHamasWar, the IDF continues its ground operation throughout the #GazaStrip
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) December 20, 2023
i24NEWS correspondent @p_klochendler brings us the latest from the Israel-Gaza border pic.twitter.com/dvEeV0luez
Trudeau says anti-Semitism has 'no place in Canada'
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote on X Wednesday that "hatred and violence against Jewish communities have no place in Canada."
Hatred and violence against Jewish communities have no place in Canada. I spoke about that with @DeborahLyonsSE and about how, in light of the horrifying news that someone was allegedly plotting a terror attack against Jewish people, we must keep working to combat antisemitism.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) December 20, 2023
His remarks came following the arrest of a Canadian youth on Friday over alleged terrorism-related offenses that targeted Jewish people. The youth was charged Saturday of knowingly instructing someone to carry out a terror activity against "Jewish persons," among other charges.
Iranian FM meets Hamas leader
Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian held talks with Hamas' Haniyeh Tuesday night in Qatar, multiple outlets reported. The two leaders discussed developments in the Gaza Strip.
The meeting came a day after the U.S. announced a multinational maritime force in the Red Sea amid continuing attacks by Iran-backed Houthis targeting commercial ships that it says are either Israeli, linked to Israel, or headed toward the country.
Haniyeh is due in Egypt Wednesday to discuss a potential ceasefire deal with Egyptian mediators.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian met and talked with the head of the H@mas Politburo Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar. pic.twitter.com/lsJVDgsE4f
— S p r i n t e r (@Sprinter99800) December 19, 2023
PIJ releases video showing 2 male hostages
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), a Hamas ally, released a video featuring two male hostages, 79-year-old Gadi Mozes and 47-year-old Elad Katzir, who were both kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Oct. 7 massacre by Hamas.
In the video, Mozes says "we make every effort to be home soon," while Katzir says "we want to get back to our lives," as per a translation by Daily News Egypt. "We don't want to die in Gaza," Katzir added.
Mozes' wife, Efrat, and Katzir's father, Rami, were among more than 1,200 Israelis and foreigners murdered by Hamas on Oct. 7, while Katzir's mother, Hannah, was freed by the terror group last month, as per local media.
The psychological war continues. Palestinian Islamic Jihad has published a video of two Israeli hostages: Gadi Mozes, age 79, and Elad Katzir, age 47.
— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) December 19, 2023
Both men were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7. pic.twitter.com/D7Q7rLQC8M
19 countries actually joined Red Sea alliance: Report
A total of nineteen countries "actually signed on" to the U.S.-led naval protection force in the Red Sea, but "most of them don't want to put their names to the move," journalist Lara Seligman reported Tuesday, citing a senior Biden administration official.
NEW: Nineteen nations have actually signed on to the new maritime task force focused on countering Houthi attacks on commercial shipping — Operation Prosperity Guardian — but most of them don’t want to put their names to the move, a senior administration official told me today.
— Lara Seligman (@laraseligman) December 19, 2023
Aside from Bahrain, which was publicly announced as one of the 10 countries to have joined the coalition, "other Arab nations" have signed up but preferred not to go public about their decision due to the "complicated" situation for Arab countries, Seligman, who covers the Pentagon for Politico, wrote in a series of posts on X.
For Saudi Arabia, one of the issues is the possible derailment of ongoing peace talks with the Houthi rebel army.
Israel informed Qatar it's ready for truce in exchange of 40 hostages: Report
The Israeli government has informed mediator Qatar that it was prepared for another truce lasting at least a week in exchange for the release of about 40 hostages in Hamas captivity, local Walla reported, citing two Israeli officials and a foreign source.
The proposal reflects Israel's commitment to restart serious talks on freeing hostages even if Hamas has expressed no negotiations will begin unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire, senior Israeli officials said, as per a Google translation of the report.
As was the case in the previous ceasefire agreement, Israel is looking to bring home more women who remain captive in the Gaza Strip. However, they are also seeking the release of men aged 60 and beyond, as well as those who have life-threatening diseases or serious injuries that require urgent medical care, the officials said.
Finally, Israel also reportedly expressed its willingness to free Palestinian detainees who were convicted for more serious crimes.
"This is a test for the Qatari mediation. If they want to show that they can play a useful role, now is the time to do it," one Israeli official told the outlet.
State Department slams Houthis' 'flagrant' Red Sea attacks
U.S. Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a press briefing late Tuesday that the Houthi rebel army's "reckless attacks" against commercial vessels in the Red Sea was threatening the "free flow" of shipping in the region's waterways.
The attacks were a "flagrant affront to international law," he said. He also said the department calls for the "immediate and unconditional" release of the crew of the hijacked Galaxy Leader, which come from different countries, including the Philippines and Ukraine.
The Houthis’ reckless attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea threaten the free flow of commerce in the region’s vital water ways, endanger innocent ship workers, and are a flagrant affront to international law. Simply put, these attacks threaten global prosperity. pic.twitter.com/Of7gbadOYG
— Matthew Miller (@StateDeptSpox) December 20, 2023
Fierce street gun fights in Khan Yunis
Israeli troops are engaging in heavy street gunfire battles against Hamas combatants Wednesday in Khan Yunis, the known hometown of Hamas' most senior official in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar.
Fighting was fierce both at the central and eastern districts of southern Gaza's main city, residents said.
Cyprus thwarts alleged Iranian plot to kill Israeli businessmen: Report
Cyprus, in a joint operation with the Israeli Mossad, foiled an alleged plot by Iran to target a group of Israelis – mostly businessmen, the Associated Press reported early Wednesdayz, citing a Cypriot official who spoke on condition of anonymity as he wasn't allow to speak publicly about security-related matters.
As a result of the operation, two Iranian asylum-seekers were arrested, the official said, adding that the suspects were in communication with another Iranian linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The suspects were being observed by Cypriot security services for several weeks and were taken into custody before what authorities believed would have been the arrival of an assassination squad targeted at the Israelis.
1,500 tunnels shafts and underground passages located since Oct. 7: IDF
Israeli troops have uncovered 1,500 tunnel shafts and underground passages since the war started, the IDF said late Tuesday. Most of them were constructed underneath school buildings, mosques, hospitals, United Nations facilities, and other civilian infrastructure, the IDF added.
1,500 tunnel shafts and underground passages have been exposed in Gaza by our troops since the beginning of the war.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) December 19, 2023
Most of these have been found beneath schools, hospitals, mosques, @UN facilities and civilian institutions.
Our troops have located and destroyed hundreds of… pic.twitter.com/a82KbuWVVx
Gaza hospital director says Kamal Adwan used to hide Hamas officials: Interrogation video
Ahmad Mohammad Hassan al-Kahlout, the director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, called out Hamas leadership for abandoning its members in the battlefield. He said the terror group's leaders were "cowards," as per footage of his interrogation by Israeli authorities that was translated and published by the Israeli government.
Ahmad Kahalot, Director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza Strip, admits that Hamas has turned hospitals into military facilities under their control:
— Israel ישראל 🇮🇱 (@Israel) December 19, 2023
“I was recruited to Hamas in 2010 with the rank of Brigadier General. There are employees in the hospital who are… pic.twitter.com/U3pICpqaOe
Kahlout said in the interrogation interview that he joined the militant group in 2010 and is an "Amid" in the Hamas ranks, which the Israeli government said was "parallel to a Brigadier General."
He revealed that "senior political officials" in the terrorist organization had "rooms" within the hospital that they used to hide for about 10 days before leaving the medical facility. When asked why Hamas senior officials were hiding in the hospital, Kahlout said, "because for them, the hospital is a safe place." At one point, "close to a hundred" Hamas officials used the Kamal Adwan Hospital as shelter, he revealed.
He also said he knows 16 people, hospital personnel, whom he said were members of Hamas' military wing – some of them doctors.
US-led Red Sea coalition 'contradicts international law': Houthis
The Red Sea maritime protection force led by the U.S. and includes nine other countries, is not what Washington says it is, Yemen's Houthis said. "This coalition contradicts international law and does not protect maritime navigation," but instead "seeks to militarize the Red Sea" for Israel's benefit, the Yemeni rebel army said in a statement.
The Houthis' remarks came after the rebel forces carried out attacks against multiple commercial vessels sailing around the vicinity of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in recent weeks. The group also hijacked an Israeli-linked cargo ship bound for India last month and held the ship's crew hostage.
Israel ready for another humanitarian pause: President
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said during a conversation with the Atlantic Council Tuesday that Israel "is willing to enter another humanitarian pause and bring in additional humanitarian aid in order to bring back the hostages."
He noted that "the entire responsibility" on the issue of a ceasefire-hostage deal lies in the hands of Hamas' top leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, and the terror group's leadership.
LIVE NOW | Israeli President @Isaac_Herzog joins @NPRKelly for an #ACFrontPage conversation on the Israel-Hamas War, its humanitarian consequences, economic impact, and influence on Israel’s regional and global relations. https://t.co/cuW9etP2F2
— Atlantic Council (@AtlanticCouncil) December 19, 2023
US, allies considering possible military action against Houthis: Report
Washington and its allies are considering the possibility of responding to the Red Sea aggression of Yemen's Houthi rebel army by launching military strikes, Bloomberg reported Tuesday, citing four people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The U.S. and its allies are currently planning for potential actions that will cripple the Iran-backed Houthis' ability to target commercial vessels by specifically striking the source of the Houthi launches from Yemeni territory, the people said. Washington reportedly reiterated that it still prefers diplomatic efforts over a military response.
The report comes hours after the Iranian IRGC announced the establishment of a 55,000-personnel maritime militia. The IRGC made the announcement less than a day after U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin revealed the formation of a 10-nation naval task force in the Red Sea.
Qatar signals progress in talks with Israel over potential hostage deal
For the first time since a fragile weeklong hostage-ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas fell apart, Qatar has signaled progress in negotiations with the Israeli government after the heads of Israel's Mossad spy agency and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) met with the Qatari prime minister in Warsaw to discuss a possible hostage release deal.
"The talks were positive with negotiators exploring and discussing different proposals in an attempt to progress on negotiations," Reuters reported, citing a source briefed on the diplomatic discussions.
The source did note that an agreement wasn't expected "imminently." Still, the news marks the first time any progress was made since mediators scrambled to get the warring sides back to negotiations after the ceasefire deal's collapse earlier this month.
Modi notes navigation freedom amid Houthi attacks
The Indian prime minister said during his talk with his Israeli counterpart that "freedom of navigation is an essential global necessary that must be ensured," as per a statement from Netanyahu's office.
The two leaders discussed freedom of navigation in the Red Sea's tension-packed Bab el-Mandeb Strait due to attacks carried out by Yemeni Houthis against commercial ships in the area.
Netanyahu thanked Modi for India's support as Israel presses toward its goal of eliminating Hamas.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke today with Indian Prime Minister @NarendraModi.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) December 19, 2023
The two leaders discussed the importance of securing freedom of navigation in the Bab-el-Mandeb, which is threatened by the aggression of the Houthis, instigated by Iran
'Intense' discussions over Gaza delays UN Security Council vote again
For a third day, the UN Security Council delayed voting on Gaza amid an "intense day of diplomacy" for the council members. The council is scheduled to vote on a draft resolution Wednesday.
The vote was originally set for Monday, but the U.S. reportedly raised an issue regarding some of the language on the resolution, including calls for the "cessation" of hostilities in the enclave. The Israeli ally reportedly said it may support wording that calls for the "suspension" of fighting in Gaza.
Jabalia camp under Israeli army's control: IDF
The Jabalia camp in northern Gaza is now under the control of the Israeli military's 162nd Division, division commander Lt. Itzik Cohen, said in a statement late Tuesday.
Jabalia is "not the Jabalia it used to be," he said, adding that troops with the division can now operate in the heart of Gaza City "with operational freedom" as they have dismantled the military capacity of Hamas' northern brigade in Gaza.
מפקד אוגדה 162 : "לחימת אוגדה 162 הביאה לפירוק היכולת המבצעית של חטיבת צפון העיר עזה”;
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) December 19, 2023
כוחות אוגדה 162 בפעילות עצימה בלב ג׳באליא>>https://t.co/b34f8prUmU pic.twitter.com/JlIH5AZFM1
Haniyeh, other top Hamas leaders to visit Egypt: Reports
The chief of Hamas' political bureau will travel to Egypt Wednesday to hold talks with Egyptian mediators over a ceasefire in Gaza, AFP reported, citing a source close to the terror group.
Haniyeh is expected to meet with Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel and other mediators. In particular, the two sides will discuss a stoppage to the war in Gaza "to prepare an agreement for the release of prisoners (and) the end of the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip," the source said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to talk about the matter.
Aside from discussions about a truce, Haniyeh is also expected to discuss the Israeli army's "withdrawal" from Gaza and the return of displaced northern Gazans to their homes.
Haniyeh's Cairo trip marks the first time he is visiting Egypt since Hamas broke the seven-day truce on Dec. 1 when the militant group refused to free more women and children.
A delegation that includes other senior officials of the terror group will also be in Egypt Wednesday, Haaretz reported, citing Palestinian and Arab sources.
Read the full story here.
