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International Business Times
International Business Times
World
Marvie Basilan

Israel-Hamas Conflict: Hamas Warns Remaining Hostages Doomed Unless Israel Meets Its Demands

Hamas Israel Benjamin Netanyahu Gaza IDF

KEY POINTS

  • Dozens of Hamas members have surrendered to Israeli army, as per Netanyahu
  • A huge barrage of rockets was fired towards Israel from Gaza Monday morning
  • EU foreign ministers are reportedly considering crackdown on Hamas' finances
Live Updates
Posters in Tel Aviv show portraits of the remaining hostages in Gaza that were not freed under the collapsed seven-day ceasefire. (Credit: AFP)

It is the 66th day of the Israel-Hamas conflict, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that dozens of Hamas operatives have surrendered to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the past several days, adding in a message to the Palestinian terror group that "it's over."

Israeli warplanes launched air strikes near the Syrian capital of Damascus late Sunday, Syria's state news agency SANA said. The Israeli army reportedly declined to comment on the incident.

  • Hezbollah fired rockets from an area near UN compound in southern Lebanon: IDF
  • 34 Hamas commanders assassinated since Oct. 7: Israeli army
  • Netanyahu assembled post-war planning team: Report
  • UN General Assembly to vote Tuesday on new truce draft resolution: Diplomats
  • Israeli air defense system intercepts 6 launches from Lebanon
  • IDF to temporarily pause military operations Monday for Rafah refugee camp resupply
  • Israeli government confirms Kerem Shalom border crossing will open
  • IDF locates explosive inside UNRWA-labeled bag in Jabalia civilian residence
  • 3 European foreign ministers call for ad hoc sanctions against Hamas: Report
  • Israeli army airdrops tons of supplies for Khan Yunis soldiers
  • 'Nobody likes Sinwar': Former Hamas communications minister
  • Families of remaining hostages call for deal instead of rescue: Report

Fire exchanges in Israel's northern border with Lebanon have not let up even as the IDF continues to wage war against Hamas in various parts of the Gaza Strip.

In a stark warning regarding the remaining hostages in Gaza, Hamas said Sunday that no abductee will leave the enclave alive unless its demands are met. There are still around 138 hostages being held by Hamas and other Palestinian factions, the Israeli army previously said.

U.S. President Joe Biden will host a White House reception to mark Hanukkah, which will be attended by the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff, the first Jewish person to be the spouse of a nationally elected leader.

More than two months since Israeli-Palestine tensions erupted when Hamas operatives invaded Israel on Oct. 7 and killed more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals, Israeli tanks have reached the center of Gaza's second-largest city, Khan Yunis.

The Israeli army is focused on Khan Yunis, which is also the main city of southern Gaza, in operations targeting Hamas' most senior official in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar.

The live update has ended.

Families of remaining hostages prefer deal over rescue missions: Report

The families of hostages who are still being held by Hamas and other Palestinian factions in Gaza called for a deal during a hearing of the Interior Committee and the Finance Committee, Israel's national broadcaster Kan reported Monday.

"The children were returned to us in a deal – not in a heroic rescue operation," the families said as per the report.

Direct rocket hit in Tel Aviv injures 1 person: Local media

One person in Holon, a suburb in Tel Aviv, has been lightly wounded after a "direct rocket hit" Monday, local i24 News reported.

Vehicles were damaged due to the impact, as per local N12 News.

Hamas ex-communications minister slams Sinwar

Hamas' most senior leader in Gaza "has delusions of grandeur," said Hamas' former communications minister Yosef Almansi in interrogations by Israel's security services agency Shin Bet, as per a translation of a Shin Bet statement by the Jerusalem Post.

"I have not seen anybody in the Gaza Strip who supports Sinwar. Nobody likes Sinwar. There are people who, day and night, pray that God will free us from him," he told interrogators.

Speaking about the terror organization in general, Almansi said Hamas "is a group of lunatics that Sinwar leads," adding that they set back Gaza by 200 years due to the destruction they brought upon the enclave.

Hamas' leader in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar (C), has become the target of recent operations in Khan Yunis by Israeli ground forces. (Credit: AFP)

Large rocket barrage from Gaza: Local media

A "large rocket barrage" triggered rocket sirens across south and central Israel, including in Tel Aviv, local media reported Monday local time.

IDF airdrops supplies for Khan Yunis troops

A total of seven tons of logistical support were airdropped for hundreds of Israeli soldiers battling against Hamas in Khan Yunis over the past few days, the IDF said in a Google-translated statement Monday local time.

"We will act and do everything so that our forces have everything they need in order to defeat Hamas," said Lt. Col. Ami, logistics officer of the IDF's 98th Division. The airdrop operations were the first since the Second Lebanon War.

3 European FMs call on EU to impose ad hoc sanctions against Hamas

Italy, France and Germany's foreign ministers called on the European Union to impose ad hoc sanctions against Hamas and its backers, in a letter to the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell that was seen by Reuters.

"The swift adoption of this sanctions regime will enable us to send a strong political message about the European Union's commitment against Hamas and our solidarity with Israel," they wrote in the letter.

Explosive found inside UNRWA-labeled bag in Jabalia area

Israeli troops discovered a "big explosive device" inside a bag labeled with UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) within a civilian residence in the Jabalia area, the IDF revealed Monday.

Also located within the house were two RPGs, a bullet proof vest, and an AK-47. "All devices were connected to detonation systems with explosives inside," the IDF said.

Israel officially announces Kerem Shalom will open

Israel's Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) department on Monday confirmed that the "Kerem Shalom [border crossing] is to be opened" to double the amount of inspections being implemented per day on humanitarian aid deliveries.

The news comes after earlier reports that Tel Aviv has agreed to open the said border crossing upon Washington's request so humanitarian aid can flow faster into the Gaza Strip.

Israel to temporarily halt military activities around Rafah camp

The Israeli army will halt its military operations for four hours Monday "for the purpose of supply" in the Rafah refugee camp, IDF spokesperson for Arab media Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee announced on X in a Google-translated post.

He also renewed calls for northern Gaza residents to evacuate toward Deir al-Balah for their safety.

Sirens sound in Gaza border communities

Rocket sirens sounded in communities near Israel's southern border with Gaza, local media reported. Sirens also sounded in Sderot, which is located only less than a mile from the Gaza Strip.

Israel intercepts rockets from Lebanon

The Israeli air defense system successfully intercepted six launches from Lebanese territory Monday morning local time, the IDF said in a Google-translated post on X.

Israeli forces have since attacked the source of the launches as fire exchanges near the northern border with Lebanon ensue.

Israel's Iron Dome air defense system is seen in action in Sderot. (Credit: AFP)

Biden to host Hanukkah White House reception

The U.S. president will host a reception in the White House Monday to mark the Hanukkah holidays. Emhoff and first lady Jill Biden will attend the reception, as per the Associated Press.

The reception comes amid a spike in anti-Semitism in the United States since the war started on Oct. 7.

The National Menorah is illuminated after a lighting ceremony to mark the start of Chanukah on the Ellipse near the White House in a file photo. (Credit: Reuters / Yuri Gripas)

Harvard president under mounting pressure after Penn's leadership resignation

Pressure is building on Harvard president Claudine Gay to step down from her post after Penn's president Liz Magill resigned over the weekend amid backlash for her responses to a question by U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. during a congress hearing last week to address the rise of anti-Semitism in American universities.

Stefanik asked Gay, Magill, and the president of MIT whether "calling for the genocide of Jews" was in violation of the universities' code of conduct on bullying and harassment. Gay said, "it can be, depending on the context." When pressed further by a heated Stefanik, Gay insisted that "it depends on the context."

UN General Assembly 'likely' to vote on ceasefire draft resolution Tuesday

The UN General Assembly will "likely" vote on a new draft resolution seeking an immediate humanitarian ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, diplomats said Sunday.

Washington on Friday vetoed a UN Security Council demand for an immediate truce in Gaza amid the rising Palestinian death toll. American envoy Robert Wood said at the time that the resolution was "divorced from reality."

Read the full story here.

Pictured: smoke billows from the northern Gaza Strip after an Israeli air strike. (Credit: AFP)

Netanyahu assembles post-war planning team: Report

The Israeli leader has assembled a "secret" team of officials and representatives from the country's defense system to discuss "day after" plans for Gaza, local media and the Associated Press reported, citing Channel 13.

To be led by national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi and strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer, the post-war team will reportedly include representatives from the IDF, Israel's security services agency Shin Bet, and special operations and intelligence agency Mossad.

The Biden administration has been informed as it is important for Washington "that Jerusalem present a plan for the day after," the report noted, citing an unnamed senior official.

Netanyahu has repeatedly said Israel needs to be part of Gaza's future security, to ensure that his country can no longer be threatened by terrorism. (Credit: AFP)

Freed hostages plead for release of their friend

Siblings Itai and Mia Regev on Sunday called for the release of their friend, Omer, and all the other remaining hostages who couldn't come home during the seven-day ceasefire.

In captivity, "the days are difficult, and I mean, whether it's the hunger, the longing for family, the hard mentality, the difficult conditions," Itai said, as per a translation by Bring Them Home Now, the initiative launched by the loved ones of former and remaining hostages.

"Every day there is like hell," Mia said. The freed siblings were held captive for 54 days before the truce agreement between Israel and Hamas released them along with more than a hundred others on a staggered process.

4 Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza

The Israeli army lost four more soldiers in fierce battles in the Gaza Strip, the IDF announced Sunday on its tribute page for fallen Israeli soldiers.

  • Maj. Avitar Cohen, 42 – training officer in the 8111th Battalion of the 5th Brigade
  • Maj. Gideon Ilani, 35 – fighter in the 2855th Battalion of the 55th Paratroopers Brigade
  • Maj. Itai Perry, 36 – company liaison in the 8111th Battalion of the 5th Brigade
  • Lt. Nathaniel Menachem Eitan, 22 – cadet in the Geffen Regiment who server as a fighter in Unit 669 (died of serious wounds sustained Friday in northern Gaza)

Another soldier, Maj. Gal Becher, 34, was killed in a military car accident in southern Israel.

Hamas' Shuja'iyya Battalion commander killed

The Israeli army has assassinated the commander of Hamas's Shuja'iyya Battalion, Emad Krikae, the IDF announced Monday morning (local time).

Krikae was the battalion's previous deputy commander and previously led the militant group's anti-tank missile training for its Gaza Brigade. The previous commander of the Shuja'iyya Battalion, Wissam Farahat, was also killed by Israeli forces more than a week ago.

Israeli forces eliminate nearly 3 dozen Hamas commanders since Oct. 7

A total of 34 Hamas commanders, including battalion commanders, were eliminated by the Israeli army since the war started, the IDF said early Monday.

Most of the assassinated Hamas leaders were from the Gaza Brigade, which includes the Shuja'iyya Battalion. Shuja'iyya was "under active and intense IDF pressure" as of the weekend, according to data from non-profit research group the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Hezbollah fires rocket 20 meters away from UN compound: IDF

The Israeli army late on Sunday said Hezbollah launched several rockets toward Israel Saturday night "from a point 20 meters (approximately 65 feet) away from a UN compound in southern Lebanon."

Israeli forces have been exchanging fire with Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah over the past few weeks. The Lebanon-based paramilitary group intensified its strikes toward Israel after the seven-day truce fell apart.

EU foreign ministers to discuss potential Hamas financial crackdown: Report

Foreign ministers of the European Union on Monday will discuss possible steps to address the war, including a crackdown on Hamas' finances, Reuters reported. The bloc lists Hamas as a terrorist organization, giving the EU a right to freeze any funds or assets that Hamas has in the EU.

The news comes after France announced last week that Sinwar's assets have been frozen for six months, including assets controlled on his behalf.

Hamas warns no hostage will leave Gaza alive if its demands aren't met: Reports

Abu Obeida, a spokesman for Hamas' armed wing, issued a stark warning regarding the remaining hostages in Gaza that were not released during the seven-day truce, multiple outlets reported.

Neither Israel nor its allies "can take their prisoners alive without an exchange and negotiation and meeting the demands of the resistance," Obeida said in a televised broadcast Sunday, as per a translation by The Times of Israel.

There are still more than a hundred hostages being held in the Gaza Strip, and their families are demanding more action from the government and international community for the abductees' release. (Credit: AFP)

Israeli army reaches center of Khan Yunis: Report

Israeli tanks reached the center of Khan Yunis Sunday as residents deserted the streets of southern Gaza's main city, Reuters reported.

Gazans in the area said fighter jets pounded the west of an area where intense ground combat between Israeli forces and Hamas took place Saturday night. Machinegun fire was heard near a police station at the city's center.

One resident who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals told the outlet that Saturday night was "one of the most dreadful nights" amid explosions and hours-long gunfire.

A picture taken from Rafah shows smoke billowing during Israeli bombardment of Khan Yunis. (Credit: AFP)

Israel conducts airstrikes near Syria's Damascus: state news agency

Israeli fighter jets struck near Syria's capital Damascus late Sunday, multiple outlets reported, citing Syria's state news agency SANA.

The Syrian army said it intercepted some Israeli missiles fired around Damascus that were launched from Golan Heights Sunday night.

"Our anti-aircraft defenses shot down some missiles while others caused limited material damage," a security source was quoted by the agency. The IDF reportedly declined to comment on the report.

In photo: an Israeli soldier carries rounds from a stockpile towards a stationed self-propelled artillery Howitzer firing from a position near the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel on Nov. 6, 2023. (Credit: AFP)

'It's over,' Netanyahu tells Hamas

The Israeli prime minister on Sunday declared that "it is the beginning of the end of Hamas" after "dozens" of Hamas members surrendered to the Israeli army in the past several days.

"It's over. Don't die for [Yahya] Sinwar. Surrender – now!" Netanyahu said in a direct message to the Palestinian militant group.

His remarks came after Israeli troops completed the encirclement of Khan Yunis, the hometown of Sinwar, Hamas' top official in Gaza.

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