KEY POINTS
- Netanyahu, Macron discuss Red Sea, Gaza war amid differences
- Displaced northern Israel residents demand change, Hezbollah removal from near border
- Israeli army discovers tunnel shaft within Gaza's Rantisi Hospital compound
The Gaza war between Israel and Hamas has entered its 83rd day with Iran's Supreme Leader issuing a warning over the killing of a top Iranian military adviser earlier this week in an Israeli airstrike.
After previous denials, Iranian military officials have issued contradicting statements about the "Al Aqsa Flood" operation by Hamas and its supposed links to Iran.
A one-way drone launched toward the Golan Heights on Wednesday marked the first time a suicide drone fell in the Israel-annexed territory since the war started. Pro-Iranian militias in Iraq have since claimed responsibility for the attack.
- 2 IDF officers fall in central Gaza amid expanded operations
- Rantisi Hospital is 'just another' stronghold of Hamas: IDF
- Israel arrests 21 people suspected of involvement in funding Hamas
- Kerem Shalom crossing shuttered because of UN issues with aid distribution: Israel
- Egypt's proposed 3-stage truce plan includes freeing women Israeli soldiers
- Drone alarms sound in multiple Upper Galilee communites: Local media
- It is in Germany's interests to help protect Red Sea shipping: Israeli ambassador
- Recent photo of Hamas' military wing chief released
- Israeli troops faced Hamas ambushes in Khan Yunis: IDF
The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Wednesday told Israel to wait for its revenge over the assassination of a top IRGC adviser in an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) airstrike earlier this week.
Amid a surge in rocket and missile launches from Lebanese territory by Iran-backed Hezbollah, cabinet minister Benny Gantz warned that Israel will move to prevent the terror group from targeting Israelis further if Lebanon doesn't act at this point in the fighting.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has responded to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's criticism, saying that the latter was "committing genocide against the Kurds."
Meanwhile, in the Houthi-disrupted Red Sea, some shipping companies have started resuming shipments, albeit on a limited scale than before the Yemeni rebel army started attacking commercial ships in the area.
The war in Gaza that risks a regional spillover draws from the violent Israel-Palestine war that's been dragging civilians into the conflict for decades. Tensions erupted on Oct. 7, when Hamas combatants raided Israel, killing more than a thousand people and abducting over 200 Israelis and foreign nationals – around 129 of whom remain in Hamas captivity in Gaza.
The live update has ended.
Sirens sound in Gaza border communities
Rocket sirens sounded in communities near Israel's southern border with the Gaza Strip Wednesday afternoon local time, local media reported.
🚨Sirens sound in Gaza border communities alerting of incoming rockets
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) December 28, 2023
Ambassador visits families of 9 Thais murdered on Oct. 7
Israel's ambassador to Thailand, Orna Sagiv, visited the families of nine Thai victims who were among over a thousand people killed by Hamas during the Oct. 7 raid in Israel.
More than three dozen Thai nationals were murdered by the militant group during their carnage in Israel. Of over two dozen Thai hostages taken captive by Hamas, 23 were released during a seven-day ceasefire late last month.
Our Ambassador to Thailand @osagiv visited the families of the nine Thai victims who were murdered by Hamas terrorists in the #October7massacre.
— Israel ישראל 🇮🇱 (@Israel) December 28, 2023
All of us in Israel stand with the people of Thailand and the families of the victims and promise to keep their memory alive.
May… pic.twitter.com/xk260pQJUP
Ambushes by Hamas in Khan Yunis in the past two weeks: IDF
Israeli soldiers with the 7th Brigade combat team faced ambushes by Hamas during operations in Khan Yunis over the past two weeks, the IDF said Thursday local time.
The IDF has been operating in Khan Yunis in recent weeks as part of the efforts to hunt down Yahya Sinwar, Hamas' most senior leader in the Gaza Strip. Sinwar's house in Gaza's second-largest city was destroyed during the operations.
לוחמי צוות הקרב של חטיבה 7 פועלים בשבועיים האחרונים במרחב חאן יונס. הלוחמים איתרו מצבורי אמצעי לחימה, חיסלו מחבלים רבים בהיתקלויות ומארבים, והכווינו כלי טיס אשר ביצעו תקיפות אש מהאוויר>> pic.twitter.com/WzwvQyyf72
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) December 28, 2023
First photo of elusive Hamas senior official in 3 decades released
A photo of Muhammad al-Deif, the shady top figure in Hamas' military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, has been released decades after his first image became known to the public.
The image shows Deif without a right eye and his hair now gray, as opposed to a younger version of him in a photo believed to have been taken around 30 years ago.
Deif is known to have survived multiple assassination attempts by the IDF. There were earlier reports of the Hamas senior official having difficulties with walking. However, his cognitive abilities have not been affected by the many years he spent eluding the Israeli army and leading Hamas' military wing, as per local media.
Released: first photo of Hamas leader, Muhammad Al-Deif, in 30 years https://t.co/EfNR4JYgR2
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) December 28, 2023
Israeli ambassador says navigation freedom in Germany's interest
Israeli ambassador to Germany Ron Prosor said Thursday that the Houthis' disruption of Red Sea shipping operations not only directly affects Israel but also the entire global community.
"As an exporting nation, it is in Germany's interest that the sea routes are free," he said.
Prosor's remarks came as Germany mulls the possible deployment of German warships in the Red Sea amid the Yemeni rebel army's increasing aggression against commercial shipping.
Suspected drone infiltration triggers Upper Galilee alarms
Possible drone infiltration alarms sounded in several communities in Upper Galilee Thursday morning time, local media reported. The IDF is currently looking into the cause of the alarm triggers in Zarit, Shomera, Shtula and Even Menahem.
Khamenei says Iran will 'not settle for less than' the destruction of Israel
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said during the Thursday funeral of senior IRGC adviser Razi Moussavi that Tehran "will not settle for less than the removal" of Israel "in revenge for his death," as per Haaretz.
Khamenei's remarks came after the IRGC spokesperson admitted Iran's involvement in the Oct. 7 raid into Israel by Hamas militants. As earlier reported, the spokesman said the "Al Aqsa Flood" was an operation meant to avenge the 2020 assassination of a top IRGC commander in a U.S. airstrike.
IRGC commander in chief Hossein Salami on Thursday denied that the "Al Aqsa Flood" operation was a retaliatory move by Iran for Soleimani's killing, Sky News Arabia reported. He said the Oct. 7 attack in Israel was a Palestinian operation.
Documentary tells harrowing tale of Nova music fest massacre
Israeli production company Yes Studios has released a documentary titled #NOVA that presents a "minute by minute" account of how Hamas operatives raided the Nova music festival in the Negev desert in southern Israel on Oct. 7.
A trailer published by the company says the documentary features footage from the body cameras of the Hamas combatants, recordings from phone calls with festival attendees and their loved ones, as well as videos shot by survivors who lived to tell about the killings of hundreds of festival goers.
The most important trailer we will share. #NOVA chronicles the harrowing atrocities of October 7th, through survivors camera footage and through the body cameras of the terrorists. pic.twitter.com/dvqLSrxl3k
— YesStudios (@yesStudiosTV) December 27, 2023
Egypt's proposed ceasefire plan to include freeing female Israeli soldiers
Egypt's proposed three-stage ceasefire plan includes a proposition for the release of Israeli women soldiers, Reuters reported, citing Egyptian sources.
The release of female military captives will come around at the second stage of the truce, when Israel agrees to free more Palestinian detainees, as per the report. The second phase will also include the return of bodies withheld by Hamas since the Oct. 7 massacre, the report added.
While Hamas and ally Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) have reportedly rejected a provision that demands the terror group relinquish control of the Gaza Strip in exchange for a permanent ceasefire.
Israeli government explains Kerem Shalom crossing shutdown
The Kerem Shalom crossing, which was shut down "at the request of the United Nations" Tuesday, was closed because UN agencies were "struggling" to distribute humanitarian supplies at the pace that Israel was inspecting the trucks coming in, Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy said Wednesday night.
He said aid "simply isn't reaching the people who need it because Hamas hijacks it and UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) covers up for it."
Israeli government spokesman @EylonALevy calls out the @UN for failure to provide aid to Gazan civilians
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) December 28, 2023
'Aid simply isn't reaching the people who need it because Hamas hijacks it and UNWRA covers it up' pic.twitter.com/lOMxj6P4Cx
21 suspected of involvement in Hamas funding arrested
Joint operations of the IDF and the Israel Border Police (MGB), as guided by intelligence from Israel's security agency Shin Bet, resulted in the arrest of 21 persons "suspected of involvement in funding Hamas," the IDF said Thursday morning local time.
לאורך הלילה פעלו כוחות צה״ל, יחידת הסייבר בלהב 433 ומג"ב בפעילות מבצעית ממוקדת ומשותפת בהכוונת שב״כ ומודיעין פקמ"ז, ברחבי איו״ש ועצרו 21 מבוקשים בשלוש חטיבות מרכזיות - מנשה, בנימין ועציון החשודים במעורבות במימון חמאס>> pic.twitter.com/mdX0gdlzLr
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) December 28, 2023
Rantisi Hospital 'just another' Hamas stronghold: IDF
The Israeli army said late Wednesday that it discovered another Hamas tunnel shaft in Gaza, this time within the Rantisi Hospital compound.
Footage published by the IDF shows a tunnel network that has power lines and elevator buttons. The Israeli army said the hospital in Gaza City "is just another terrorist stronghold to connect and transfer terrorists and weapons throughout Gaza to be used against Israel."
IDF troops are uncovering Hamas’ tunnels inside and around multiple hospitals within Gaza.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) December 27, 2023
The Rantisi Hospital is just another terrorist stronghold used to connect and transfer terrorists and weapons throughout Gaza to be used against Israelis. pic.twitter.com/aYBkpgsfn9
Northern Israel residents demand Hezbollah be pushed back
Residents of northern Israel, many of whom have been evacuated from their homes, are demanding that Iran-backed Hezbollah – a much bigger paramilitary organization than Hamas – be removed from along the border with Lebanon amid its increased rocket and missile launches toward Israel.
One resident said that when they return to their homes after the fighting, they "want to be in a different situation than before" and feel "truly safe and not see Hezbollah along the border."
Another resident described the situation as a "mini-war." She added that there was "some truth" to reports regarding calls for an all-out war as they believe it was "the only way to completely remove the Hezbollah threat."
There have also been protests among residents who said the Israeli government has abandoned them and their concerns regarding Hezbollah's increasing attacks.
3 soldiers fall in Gaza, including deputy battalion commander
Three soldiers have been killed in clashes against Hamas across the Gaza Strip, the IDF announced Thursday on its tribute page for fallen soldiers.
- Maj. Dvir David Pima, 32 – deputy commander of the 198th Battalion (460th "Bnei Or" Armor Brigade)
- Capt. Naria Zisak, 24 – company commander in the 52nd Battalion (401st Armored Brigade)
- Sgt. Assaf Pinchas Tobul, 22 – fighter in the 77th Battalion (7th Brigade)
Tobul fell in southern Gaza, while officers Pima and Zisak were killed in central Gaza, a few days after the IDF said it has expanded operations not only in the northern and southern parts of the enclave but also in the central region.
Netanyahu and Macron talk Gaza war amid French concerns over IDF offensive
The Israeli prime minister spoke Wednesday with French President Emmanuel Macron regarding the developments of the war in Gaza after France expressed concerns over the IDF's expanded ground offensive in the enclave.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke this evening with French President Emmanuel Macron and thanked him for France's involvement in defending freedom of navigation and its willingness to help restore security along Israel's border with Lebanon.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) December 27, 2023
Netanyahu asked Macron to "continue working" for the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza and also thanked France for its efforts to help restore "security along Israel's border with Lebanon," as per a statement from Netanyahu's office.
He also thanked the French leader for "France's involvement in defending freedom of navigation" in the Red Sea. France was among the nine other countries to first join the U.S. in a Red Sea maritime task force that seeks to protect shipping operations in the area.
CMA CGM joins Maersk in gradually resuming Red Sea shipments
French shipping and logistics company CMA CGM said is joining shipping giant Maersk in taking careful steps to resume its operations in the troubled Red Sea following attacks by Yemen's Houthis targeting commercial vessels in the area.
Danish Maersk has said it was preparing to resume shipments via the Suez Canal, while German container shipping group Hapag-Lloyd said it believes the Red Sea was "still dangerous" based on its latest assessment of the situation.
Netanyahu slams Erdogan after Hitler comparison
The Turkish president earlier Wednesday said Netanyahu was no different from Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. He said the attacks on Gaza were no different from how the Nazis treated Jews.
Netanyahu minced no words either in his response to Erdogan, saying the latter was "committing genocide against the Kurds" and "holds the world record for imprisoning journalists who oppose his regime."
The Israeli prime minister went on to say that Erdogan is "the last person who can preach morality" to his country since the Turkiye leader has "praised" and even hosted Hamas.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Turkish President Erdogan's remarks:
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) December 27, 2023
"Erdogan, who is committing genocide against the Kurds and who holds the world record for imprisoning journalists who oppose his regime, is the last person who can preach morality to us.
Gantz warns IDF prepared to push Hezbollah away from Lebanon border
War cabinet member Benny Gantz on Wednesday said the tension-packed situation in Israel's northern border with Lebanon needs to change. "If the world and the government of Lebanon don't act to stop the fire toward northern communities and to push Hezbollah away from the border, the IDF will do that," Gantz warned.
His remarks came amid a significant increase in the Lebanese terror group's rocket launches toward Israeli territory. The Israeli army previously said over 80,000 residents in northern Israel have had to leave their homes due to the constant attacks.
IRGC spox tells Israel to wait for Iran's revenge over adviser's killing
Israel should wait for an appropriate response from Iran following the assassination of senior IRGC adviser Seyyed Razi Moussavi, IRGC spokesman Brig. Gen. Ramezan Sharif said during a press briefing Wednesday, according to the semi-official Iranian Mehr News Agency.
He also warned that Iran will continue revenge operations for the 2020 assassination of the IRGC Quds Force commander, Qasem Soleimani, who was killed by a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad under the Trump presidency. Among the revenge operations for Soleimani's death, Sharif said, was the Oct. 7 massacre by Hamas of more than 1,200 people -- mostly civilians.
Iran previously denied involvement in the Oct. 7 killings, which Hamas calls the "Al Aqsa Flood" operation. This is the first time Iran has admitted to its involvement in the massacre, Arab media noted.
Moussavi, on the other hand, was killed by an Israeli airstrike Monday, the IRGC previously said. He was "one of the most experienced advisers" of the Quds Force, the IRGC's foreign arm.
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Pro-Iran militias in Iraq launch kamikaze drone toward Israel
Pro-Iran militias in Iraq have claimed responsibility for the infiltration of a suicide drone toward the southern Golan Heights Wednesday night, multiple outlets reported.
The one-way drone fell in an open area and no injuries were reported in the incident that marked the first time an explosive drone fell on the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights since the Oct. 7 massacre. Local media reported that a building was damaged in the attack.
The latest development comes amid renewed fears of the Israel-Hamas war's regional spillover as more Iran-backed militias and Hamas allies attack Israel.
