KEY POINTS
- Netanyahu slams South Africa for genocide accusation
- Maersk suspends Red Sea shipping yet again following merchant ship attacks
- Iraq's al-Assad base has been targeted by a drone, Arab media reports
The war in Gaza has entered its 87th day with no end in sight to the fighting even as 2024 dawned. Hamas fired a salvo of rockets toward Israel on New Year's Eve as the Israeli army reportedly started withdrawing some reserve troops from the Gaza Strip.
In the Red Sea, Yemen's Houthi rebels continued their rampage, but the U.S. struck back Sunday, sinking three small Houthi boats. Iran is reportedly deploying a destroyer and another warship to a troubled area in the Red Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Back in Gaza, multiple local outlets reported that a former Palestinian Authority minister of religious affairs was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Al-Maghazi refugee camp.
- Palestinian ambassador seemingly confirms ex-PA minister's death
- Israel, Hamas positions on new truce deal 'very far apart': Report
- Israel looks to replace all Palestinian workers in 2024: Report
- 5 IDF brigades to withdraw from Gaza: Local media
- Israeli fighter jet intercepts 'suspicious' target 'from the east': IDF
- 29 IDF soldiers killed in 'accidents' since Gaza ground offensive started: Local media
- British army preparing to conduct airstrikes targeting Houthis: Report
- Commander of Hamas 'Nukhba' force in Deir al-Balah assassinated: IDF
- Kerem Shalom crossing reopens for inspection of humanitarian aid trucks
- Some IDF soldiers to be withdrawn from Gaza will prepare for potential northern front war: Report
As the families of around 129 remaining hostages wait for news regarding the fate of their loved ones in Hamas captivity, Israeli officials reportedly said their country has yet to receive a response from the Palestinian terror group if it will agree to a new truce.
Amid continuing pressure from the international community regarding the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) military campaign in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the IDF was "acting as morally as possible."
Netanyahu has reiterated in recent days that the war, which started on Oct. 7 when Hamas militants invaded Israel and killed more than 1,200 people, will go on until Hamas is eliminated.
The decades-long conflict between Israel and Palestine has drawn attacks toward Israel by Hamas allies and Iran-backed groups, including the Houthis and Lebanon-based Hezbollah.
The live update has ended.
Over a dozen Israeli northern border communities demand to be evacuated
A total of 14 communities in Israel's northern border with Lebanon filed a petition with the High Court, demanding that they be evacuated from the area or be compensated for the damages since the Oct. 7 massacre by Hamas militants, Haaretz reported Monday.
Of the said communities, seven are communities only within five kilometers (approximately 3.1 miles) from the Lebanese border.
Northern Israel residents have expressed frustration over the unrest near the border with Lebanon since the war started as Hezbollah attacks intensified in recent weeks.
Israeli forces arrest 10 individuals overnight
Joint forces of the IDF, Israel Border Police (MGB) and security agency Shin Bet arrested 10 wanted individuals Sunday night across Judea and Samaria, the IDF said Monday. Two of the detained were linked to Hamas, the IDF added.
Hamas reiterates ceasefire pre-requisite before hostage releases: Arab media
Hamas has once again reiterated that it will not release more hostages until Israel agrees to a ceasefire, Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya reported Monday, citing a Hamas source.
The source confirmed that there were talks with Egyptian mediators, but that Hamas' position regarding a permanent halt to the fighting before hostage releases will not change.
The news comes days after reports that Hamas and its ally, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), rejected Egypt's proposal that they relinquish authority in the Gaza Strip in exchange for a permanent ceasefire.
Some withdrawn troops will prepare for possible northern border war: Report
Some of the Israeli troops that will be pulled out of the Gaza Strip will prepare for a potential war against Hezbollah, Reuters reported Monday, citing an Israeli official.
The news comes amid increasing missile and rocket launches by Iran-backed Hezbollah from Lebanon, which Israel borders in the northern front. As earlier reported, the Israeli army has withdrawn a reserve unit and is preparing to reduce its Gaza forces by at least five brigades.
IDF loses 4 more soldiers in Gaza ground offensive
The Israeli army lost four more soldiers in ground battles across the Gaza Strip, the IDF announced Monday on its tribute page for fallen soldiers.
- Maj. Constantine Sushko, 30 – fighter in the 706th Engineering Battalion of the Golani Brigade
- Capt. Harel Itah, 22 – team commander in the Givati Brigade patrol
- Sgt. Liav Saada, 23 – fighter in the 7107th Engineering Battalion
- Sgt. Eliraz Gabbai, 37 – fighter in the 7810th Battalion of the Yiftah Brigade
Itah died Saturday from wounds sustained during a battle in the southern Gaza Strip on Dec. 22, the IDF said.
Kerem Shalom reopens for humanitarian aid inspection
A total of 170 trucks carrying humanitarian aid were inspected in the Nitzana and Kerem Shalom crossings Sunday, the Israeli government said. The trucks, which carried food, medical supplies, water, and shelter equipment have entered the Gaza Strip.
A total of 170 trucks carrying humanitarian aid, including food, water, medical supplies, and shelter equipment were inspected and transferred to the Gaza Strip today (Dec. 12).
— COGAT (@cogatonline) December 31, 2023
🚚90 trucks inspected at Nitzana
🚚80 trucks inspected at Kerem Shalom
👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/jXrMzuDu7e
The news comes after the Kerem Shalom crossing was shut down last week at the request of the United Nations amid difficulties in the Gazan side of the crossing, the Israeli government said at the time.
Sirens sound in northern Israel
Rocket sirens sounded in communities near Israel's northern border with Lebanon Monday morning, local media reported.
🚨Rocket alert sirens sound in northern Israel
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) January 1, 2024
Iranian destroyer heading to Red Sea: Iranian media
An Iranian destroyer and a warship are on their way to the Red Sea, Arab media reported Monday, citing the semi-official Iranian Mehr News Agency. The said Iranian military assets are expected to be positioned near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, where Yemen's Houthis have carried out multiple attacks against merchant vessels in the past few weeks.
Israeli warplane strike kills Hamas' elite 'Nukhba' company commander: IDF
An Israeli fighter jet attacked and killed Adel Msammah, the commander of Hamas' elite "Nukhba" force in Deir al-Balah, the IDF said Monday.
The Nukhba unit is the same troop that invaded Israel on Oct. 7, the IDF said. Msammah is accused of commanding the "field" on the raid in Kibbutz Kissufim during the Oct. 7 massacre of more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals.
מטוס קרב של חיל האוויר, בהכוונת חופת האש והמודיעין של אוגדת עזה חיסל את עאדל מסמח, מפקד פלוגת הנח׳בה של דיר אל בלאח. מסמח פיקד בשטח על כוחות מחבלי הנח'בה שפשטו לכיסופים במהלך ה7/10 ושלח כוחות של ארגון הטרור חמאס ליישובים נוספים בעוטף ובהם בארי ונירים >> pic.twitter.com/cLurCCaFpB
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) January 1, 2024
UK preparing to attack Houthis with airstrikes: Report
The British army is preparing to attack Houthis in Yemen amid the rebel group's aggression in the Red Sea, British newspaper The Times reported Sunday.
Under the plan, the United Kingdom may join another European nation to launch missiles against pre-determined targets either on the sea or Houthi posts within Yemen, the newspaper reported.
Also, the UK and U.S. are reportedly expected to release an "unprecedented statement" that should serve as a warning to Houthis to stop their hostilities in the Red Sea or face the allied countries' joint military arsenal.
The report came around the same time British defense secretary Grant Shapps said the Houthis should stop their "atrocious attacks" and "illegal campaign" against commercial shipping.
This morning’s atrocious attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis were an unacceptable and outrageous act designed to destabilise global trade.
— Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) December 31, 2023
The Houthis must end their illegal campaign against merchant shipping and stop all violent attacks immediately. https://t.co/cYqGnNJkmd
Israel hasn't seen 'worst' of Hezbollah: Former foreign policy advisor
Israel has not even seen the ugliest side of Hezbollah, even with intensified strikes from the Lebanon-based terror group targeting northern Israel communities, an analyst said Monday.
‘We haven't seen the worst with Hezbollah, unfortunately’@JerusalemCenter's analyst, Dr. Jacques Neriah explains the possible scenarios ahead of Nasrallah’s expected speech later this week which ‘will definitely be a turning point in the war’ pic.twitter.com/gU3BVSs4XU
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) January 1, 2024
"We haven't seen the worst with Hezbollah, unfortunately," said Dr. Jacques Neriah, an analyst with think tank Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and a former foreign policy adviser to Israel's fifth prime minister Yitzhak Rabin.
The Iran-backed militant group has been increasing missile and rocket attacks toward Israel in recent weeks, especially after the first seven-day truce between Israel and Hamas collapsed early in December.
29 Israeli soldiers killed in accidents since Gaza ground campaign: Local media
A total of 29 IDF soldiers were killed in "accidents" since the ground offensive in the Gaza Strip started, local Channel 13 reported Monday, as per a Google translation.
Of the deceased, 18 were killed "as a result of bilateral fire," the report added.
The news comes as the Israeli army's ground operations across the Gaza Strip continue. The IDF has lost at least 170 soldiers since ground operations started late in October.
Pentagon commanders pressing for more action over Iran proxies: Report
Some senior Pentagon commanders are pressing the Biden administration to take more aggressive steps in addressing recent attacks by "Iranian proxies" targeting American troops, the New York Times reported Sunday.
The report comes as Iran-backed groups continue to attack Israel and U.S. assets, including American forces in Iraq.
Israel intercepts aerial target launched from the 'east'
An Israeli warplane intercepted a "suspicious aerial target on its way to Israeli territory from the east," the IDF said late Sunday.
Israel borders Syria and Jordan on the east. The Israeli army has carried out several strikes in Syria since the war started. A senior adviser of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was killed in an Israeli airstrike last week. Iran has since vowed vengeance for the general's death.
5 brigades expected to withdraw from Gaza: Local media
A total of five IDF brigades are expected to leave the Gaza Strip as part of the Israeli government's efforts to boost the Israeli economy, local i24 News reported Monday morning local time.
‘As people all around the world were hugging their loved ones, watching fireworks go off in the sky, people in Israel were watching a different projectile fire through the sky’#i24NEWS’ @Nicole_Zedek brings the latest from the Israel-Gaza border pic.twitter.com/yWzKvLYhxp
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) January 1, 2024
As previously reported, one reserve unit has already exited the enclave. Another reserve unit is also withdrawing from the Strip.
Israel looks to replace all Palestinian workers in 2024: Report
Israel is planning to replace all Palestinian workers with foreigners and Israelis in 2024, national broadcaster Kan reported early Monday local time.
The plan, which proposes a permanent replacement of Palestinian employees to reduce Israel's dependence on Palestinian workers, is expected to be presented to the Israeli cabinet in about two weeks, as per the report.
Among the foreign nationals who will be hired for the said plan are Sri Lankans (25,500), Chinese (20,000), workers from India (17,000), Thais (13,000), and workers from Moldova (6,000).
IDF begins withdrawing some troops from Gaza: Report
The Israeli army has started reducing its troops in the Gaza Strip as part of the government's preparations for 2024, Haaretz reported Sunday.
The first reserve unit has returned to its base, with at least two more reserve brigades expected to be released, as per the report. Depending on the ground situation in Gaza, the IDF intends to withdraw more forces from the enclave.
Israeli warplanes attack Hezbollah 'terrorist center' in Lebanon
Israeli fighter jets on Saturday attacked several military buildings and infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah in the Ramiya village in southern Lebanon, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) said.
The Iran-backed terror group uses part of the village "as a terrorist center," the IAF said.
מטוסי קרב של חיל-האוויר תקפו הבוקר מספר תשתיות טרור ומבנים צבאיים של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה במרחב הכפר רמיה שבדרום לבנון.
— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) December 31, 2023
ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה פועל ממרחב הכפר המשמש כמוקד טרור של הארגון לביצוע תצפיות והוצאה לפועל של פעולות טרור. pic.twitter.com/MBJZd0iUVy
Netanyahu defends IDF Gaza campaign
The Israeli army is "acting as morally as possible" in its military campaign in the Gaza Strip, Netanyahu reiterated Sunday amid increasing criticism from the international community over thousands of civilian deaths in the enclave.
In contrast, the IDF is acting as morally as possible; it is doing everything to avoid harming civilians while Hamas is doing everything to harm them and is using them as human shields.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) December 31, 2023
He said the IDF was "doing everything to avoid harming civilians" while Hamas was using the Palestinian people as human shields.
The United Nations has consistently called for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire" in Gaza, which Israel has rejected, saying a ceasefire at this point in the fighting would give Hamas time to regroup.
Hamas kicks off 2024 with rocket barrage toward Israel: IDF
Hamas has "decided to start 2024 by launching a barrage of rockets at Israel," the Israeli army said late Sunday.
"New year, same Hamas terrorism," the IDF posted on X on New Year's Eve, along with a video that it said showed a salvo of rockets being fired toward Israel from the Gaza Strip.
New year, same Hamas terrorism.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) December 31, 2023
While 129 Israelis are still being held captive by Hamas in Gaza, Hamas also decided to start 2024 by launching a barrage of rockets at Israel.
There is no “happy” New Year until they are all home. pic.twitter.com/Szl23qcLqZ
Israel waiting for Hamas' decision regarding new truce
Israel is only waiting for Hamas' decision on whether it was willing to pursue a new ceasefire-hostage deal in the coming weeks, Haaretz reported.
It is expected that the Palestinian militant group will make a choice within the next day, before a Hamas delegation arrives in Cairo for talks with Egyptian mediators, the report added, citing an Israeli official.
Israeli officials believe that Hamas leaders have not yet ruled out the possibility of considering Egypt's proposal for a new truce agreement, as per the report. If talks on the new deal do progress, an Israeli official said discussions are expected to be "significantly more complicated" this time around.
"The very fact that talks are still ongoing is an achievement at this stage. Both sides' positions are very far apart, and no drafts have been exchanged. The move won't mature anytime soon," a source familiar with the discussions told the outlet.
Iraq air base that hosts US troops attacked: Arab media
The Ain Al-Assad air base in western Iraq was attacked by a drone early Monday local time, Sky News Arabia reported.
The said air base hosts American and other western troops and was also the second-largest U.S. military base in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom which lasted for roughly eight months.
Former PA minister killed in Israeli airstrike: Palestinian media
Youssef Salama, a former minister of religious affairs in the Palestinian Authority (PA), was killed in an Israeli airstrike in his home at the Al-Maghazi refugee camp Sunday, multiple local outlets reported, citing the Palestinian Wafa news agency.
Salama was also reportedly the former preacher of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem.
استشهاد وزير الأوقاف السابق يوسف سلامة في قصف على مخيم المغازي pic.twitter.com/oQSrgfTUFY
— هدى نعيم Huda Naim (@HuDa_NaIm92) December 31, 2023
The Al-Maghazi camp is located in central Gaza, which recently became the target of expanded IDF operations following the reported capture of several Hamas strongholds in the northern Gaza Strip by Israeli forces.
Palestine's ambassador to Pakistan, Ahmed Ameen, seemingly confirmed Salama's death in a post on X early Sunday.
The IDF has yet to comment on the reports.
Netanyahu calls out South Africa for genocide accusation
The Israeli Prime Minister minced no words in his criticism of the South African government after the latter on Friday lodged a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Israel of conducting "genocidal" acts in the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu criticized what he said was "South Africa's mendacious pontificating to the effect that Israel is 'perpetuating genocide.'" It was Hamas perpetrating genocide against Israelis, Netanyahu said in a series of posts on X late Sunday.
I would like to say a word about South Africa's mendacious pontificating to the effect that Israel 'is perpetrating genocide.' No, South Africa, it is not we who have come to perpetrate genocide, it is Hamas. It would murder all of us if it could.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) December 31, 2023
He went on to ask South Africa "and the rest of those who are preaching at us" where they were "when millions were murdered and uprooted from their homes in Syria, Yemen and other areas."
I ask: Where were you, South Africa, and the rest of those who are preaching at us, when millions were murdered and uprooted from their homes in Syria, Yemen and other areas.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) December 31, 2023
Since the war started, South Africa recalled all of its diplomats in Israel. The ruling African National Congress (ANC) party has been vocal of its support for the Palestinian cause.
Read the full story here.
Maersk suspends Red Sea operations yet again
Following Houthi attacks on one of its merchant vessels, shipping giant Maersk said it will once again suspend shipments in the Red Sea, this time for 48 hours.
Maersk will delay transits in the Red Sea for 48 hours after one of its container ships was attacked twice in a day https://t.co/lwR10ZBrkd
— Bloomberg (@business) December 31, 2023
The Danish shipping and logistics giant said its Maersk Hangzhou was attacked by missiles and Houthi small boats while sailing in the Red Sea Sunday. There was no indication of fire onboard the attacked vessel and the crew were safe.
Maersk halted Red Sea operations after Yemen's Houthi rebels first kicked off a series of attacks against commercial vessels in the area in November. The Danish company resumed Red Sea shipments late last week on a limited operation, only to be disrupted once more by the latest Houthi attacks.
US sinks 3 of 4 Houthi boats attacking Maersk ship
Two U.S. helicopters responded to a distress call from the Maersk Hangzhou vessel in the Red Sea Sunday morning, after the merchant ship reported that "four Iranian-backed Houthi small boats" were attacking the ship twice in a day and had come "within 20 meters of the vessel," the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
Iranian-backed Houthi small boats attack merchant vessel and U.S. Navy helicopters in Southern Red Sea
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 31, 2023
On Dec. 31 at 6:30am (Sanaa time) the container ship MAERSK HANGZHOU issued a second distress call in less than 24 hours reporting being under attack by four Iranian-backed… pic.twitter.com/pj8NAzjbVF
The attackers tried to board the vessel, the U.S. army said, adding that the crew of the small boats fired at the American aircraft. The U.S. helicopters fired back, "sinking three of the four small boats, and killing the crews."
The fourth boat "fled the area" following the fire exchange. There were no damages to the U.S. aircraft and no personnel injured in the incident.
