Live blog: Houthis target ship in Red Sea; US says downed drones, missiles

Tuesday, December 26, 2023

2053 GMT — Yemen's Houthi rebels have claimed a missile strike on a vessel in the Red Sea and a drone attack towards Israel in solidarity with besieged Palestinians of Gaza.

In a statement, the rebels said they "carried out a targeting operation against a commercial ship" they identified as MSC UNITED, and launched a number of "drones against military targets" in southern Israel.

The US, after the strike, claimed its military forces shot down more than a dozen attack drones and several missiles fired by Houthi rebels.

"There was no damage to ships in the area or reported injuries," the Pentagon's Central Command said in a social media post, describing a barrage of 12 drones, three anti-ship ballistic missiles and two land-attack missiles over a period of 10 hours.

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2029 GMT — France says 'gravely concerned' by intensified war on Gaza

France is "gravely concerned" by Israel's announcement that it will intensify and prolong its war on besieged Gaza, the Foreign Ministry said.

Paris "strongly reiterates its call for an immediate truce leading to a ceasefire", the ministry said, condemning "systematic bombing that has again left many civilian victims in recent days".

2028 GMT — Qatari emir receives phone call from Biden on Gaza

Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani received a phone call from US President Joe Biden to discuss the latest developments in besieged Gaza and current joint mediation efforts for calming the situation in the blockaded enclave to reach a permanent ceasefire, according to a report from the Qatari state news agency.

Qatar and Egypt were mediators between Israel and Hamas in the late November truce during which Hamas released 110 women, children and foreigners it was holding in exchange for 240 Palestinian women and teenagers freed from Israeli jails.

1852 GMT — Hamas claims it ambushed 8 Israeli soldiers in central Gaza

Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, has said that it ambushed eight Israeli soldiers in central Gaza.

The group’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said fighters detonated the outing of an underground tunnel southwest of the Bureij refugee camp, inflicting casualties that included injuries to soldiers.

There was no comment from the Israeli army on the claim.

1826 GMT — Israel's strategic affairs minister in US to meet senior Biden officials

Israel's Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer will meet senior Biden administration officials in the US capital to discuss the Gaza conflict.

Dermer "is meeting with Secretary of State Tony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan this afternoon for face-to-face consultations on a number of matters related to the conflict in Gaza and the return of hostages held by Hamas," National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.

1803 GMT — UN names outgoing Dutch minister humanitarian coordinator for Gaza

The United Nations has named an outgoing Dutch minister its humanitarian coordinator for Gaza following last week's watered-down Security Council resolution which called for aid to be delivered to the enclave "at scale."

"United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres today announced the appointment of Ms Sigrid Kaag of the Netherlands as Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza," the UN said in a statement.

1753 GMT — Three more Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza fighting: army

The Israeli army has said that three more soldiers had been killed in clashes in Gaza.

A military statement said two soldiers were killed in battles north of the Palestinian enclave, while a third lost his life in central Gaza. Five more soldiers were seriously injured, the statement added.

1623 GMT — Gaza must be demilitarised after war, Israel says

Israel has called for demilitarising Gaza and establishing a temporary security zone inside the territory after the end of the Israeli war.

"Gaza must be turned into a demilitarised zone, and Israel must ensure that the strip will never constitute a base for launching attacks against it," Ofir Gendelman, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told reporters.

"This will require the establishment of a temporary security zone along the Gaza border with Israel," he added.

1616 GMT — Israel's war on Gaza will last 'many more months': army chief

Israel's war with Palestinian resistance group Hamas in Gaza will last "for many more months," Israel's army chief Herzi Halevi has said.

The war "will continue for many more months, and we will work with different methods so that our achievements are preserved for a long time", Halevi said at a televised press conference.

1604 GMT — 40 Israeli soldiers injured in Gaza fighting in last 24 hours, military says

The Israeli army has said at least 40 soldiers were injured in clashes in Gaza in the past 24 hours.

A military statement said that five soldiers were in serious condition.

According to military figures, at least 874 soldiers have been injured since Israel expanded its ground operations in Gaza on Oct. 27. The Israeli army says 492 soldiers have been killed since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict on Oct. 7.

1600 GMT — Israel will no longer grant automatic visas to UN employees

Israel says it will no longer grant automatic visas to UN employees, accusing the United Nations of being “complicit partners” in Hamas’ tactics.

Government spokesperson Eylon Levy said that Israel would consider visa requests from UN employees on a case-by-case basis rather than automatically.

Levy accused the UN of covering up for Hamas, saying it failed to condemn Hamas for allegedly operating out of hospitals and purportedly stealing aid destined for civilians in Gaza. Hamas denies both charges.

1541 GMT — Nine Israeli soldiers wounded in Hezbollah strike: army

Israel's military has said an anti-tank missile fired by the Lebanese Hezbollah group wounded nine soldiers as they rescued a civilian who was injured in another cross-border strike.

One of the soldiers was in "serious condition", the army said, after the group was hit by an anti-tank missile fired from Lebanon amid the Gaza war.

The army accused Hezbollah of constant firing at Israeli "civilian and religious sites".

1503 GMT — Israel's Ben-Gvir wants to take security responsibility of Gaza envelope instead of army

Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has asked to shift the security responsibility of the towns near the border with Gaza from the army to the police.

Ben-Gvir also requested to transfer 3,500 soldiers from compulsory service to the National Guard under his ministry, Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported.

According to KAN, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to allow the National Security Ministry to conscript reserve police officers instead of the Defence Ministry.

1407 GMT — Euro-Med submits findings on Israeli army executions in Gaza to ICC, UN, calling them 'genocide'

An international rights organisation has submitted a report with the International Criminal Court (ICC) and UN rapporteurs, documenting human rights violations by the Israeli army in its attacks on Gaza, describing the Palestinian killings as genocide and demanding investigations into the ongoing onslaught.

"According to Euro-Med Monitor estimates, more than 28,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the Israeli genocide campaign in the Gaza Strip, a number that includes those who remain trapped under the rubble of destroyed buildings and are now presumed dead," the statement said.

"Women and children make up 70 percent of the recorded victims. Thus, Palestinian deaths constitute the highest rate of civilian casualties worldwide in the 21st century," it added.

1359 GMT — Internet, phone services cut again across Gaza: provider

Internet and telephone services were cut again across Gaza, the Palestinian telecommunications company Paltel has said.

"We regret to announce a complete breakdown of fixed telecommunications and internet services in Gaza due to the ongoing offensive," the company said, announcing the fourth such breakdown since the war began on October 7.

1330 GMT — UN 'gravely concerned' by Israeli strikes on central Gaza

The United Nations has said it was "gravely concerned" by Israel's continued bombardment of central Gaza and urged Israeli forces to take all available measures to protect civilians.

"We are gravely concerned about the continued bombardment of Middle Gaza by Israeli forces... all attacks must strictly adhere to the principles of international humanitarian law, including distinction, proportionality and precaution," UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango said in a statement.

1326 GMT — Palestine urges UN to declare famine in Gaza amid Israeli onslaught

Palestine has called on the United Nations to officially declare famine in Gaza, which has been under relentless Israeli attacks since Oct. 7.

"International reports show the spread of hunger among Palestinian families who spend entire days without food," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"More than a million people in Gaza are starving," it added.

1313 GMT — Iran's Raisi to visit Türkiye on Jan. 4 for talks focused on Gaza: Turkish official

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will visit Ankara on Jan. 4 to meet his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan for talks likely to focus on the situations in Gaza and Syria as well as bilateral ties, a Turkish official has said.

A planned visit by Raisi in late November was postponed due to the conflicting schedules of the two regional powers' foreign ministers, the official also said.

At the time, Türkiye's foreign minister was in New York as part of a "contact group" of Muslim countries in Gaza.

1256 GMT — Hezbollah attacks Israeli military sites near Lebanon’s border

The Lebanese Hezbollah group has said that it had attacked Israeli military positions near the border with southern Lebanon.

The group said in a statement that its militants struck gatherings of Israeli soldiers near the Ramia military site and Zebdine position with “appropriate weapons," resulting in "direct hits." Lebanon’s National News Agency reported several Israeli air strikes on Lebanese border towns, including Al Tarrash and Blida.

There were no reports yet of casualties.

1223 GMT — Israeli forces kill 2 Palestinians in occupied West Bank raid: ministry

Israeli forces killed two Palestinians in a raid on a refugee camp near the occupied West Bank city of Al Halil, the Palestinian Health Ministry has said.

The two - aged 17 and 31 - were shot dead in the Fawwar refugee camp, south of Al Halil, the ministry said.

1226 GMT — Gaza death toll soars as 241 killed in past 24 hours: ministry

At least 241 Palestinians have been killed and 382 wounded by Israeli attacks in Gaza in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 20,915 since October 7, the Health Ministry in besieged Gaza has said.

The ministry also added that 54,918 people have been wounded since the start of the Israeli war on the enclave.

1222 GMT — US rejects Israeli request for Apache attack helicopters amid Gaza war

The United States has rejected an Israeli request to acquire new Apache attack helicopters, according to Israeli media.

Tel Aviv made the request in recent weeks and raised it again during a visit by US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin to Israel last week, Yedioth Ahronoth reported.

"The IDF (Israeli army) has requested Apache attack helicopters from the United States but has been denied so far," the newspaper said, citing security sources.

1146 GMT — 'Moral cowardice': UN special rapporteur slams Israel's visa threat to staffers

The UN special rapporteur on Palestine has slammed Israel's decision to deny visa to UN staff, saying "baseless attacks" on the organisation prove "moral cowardice."

"Baseless attacks against the UN only prove moral cowardice. The UN has been weakened by decades of ISR impunity for breaches of Intl Law, incl colonisation of occup. territory & Pal. forced displacement. The UN must hold ISR to account if it is to salvage its reputation/purpose," Francesca Albanese said on X in response to Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen's post on visa refusal over "UN's hypocrisy."

1134 GMT — Israeli minister hints at retaliatory actions taken in Iraq, Yemen, Iran

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has hinted that the country had retaliated in Iraq, Yemen and Iran for attacks carried out against it as the war with in Gaza widens to other areas of the region.

"We are in a multi-front war and are coming under attack from seven theatres: Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Judea and West Bank, Iraq, Yemen and Iran. We have already responded and taken action in six of these theatres," he told lawmakers.

1110 GMT — Palestinian 'children dying of hunger' as aid delivery dries up

Vast areas of Gaza lie in ruins and its 2.4 million people are enduring dire shortages of water, food, fuel and medicine, alleviated only by the limited arrival of aid trucks.

"Now there is real hunger," said Nour Ismail, who was waiting for food to be distributed in the southern city of Rafah.

"My children are dying of hunger."

An estimated 1.9 million Palestinians from Gaza have been displaced, according to the UN, many fleeing south and crowded into shelters or makeshift tents in the winter cold, even as the fighting comes ever closer.

0927 GMT — Israeli army says mistakenly killed 2 soldiers in Gaza last month

The Israeli army has said it mistakenly killed two of its soldiers during the ground invasion in Gaza last month.

According to Army Radio, an Israeli tank spotted suspicious movements in a building and decided to shell its second floor, resulting in the death of the troops.

It was later determined that the building was being used as a base by an infantry commander in the besieged enclave.

0727 GMT — Israel detains senior Palestinian leader Khalida Jarrar

Israel has detained senior Palestinian politician Khalida Jarrar from her home in occupied West Bank.

Witnesses told Anadolu that Israeli forces raided the city of Al Bireh, and arrested Jarrar after searching her home.

Jarrar is a prominent figure in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the second largest faction in the Palestine Liberation Organization, and was elected a member of the legislative council in the last parliamentary elections held in 2006.

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0725 GMT — Israel to face 'tough countdown' : Iran

Iran has threatened Israel with a "tough countdown" following the killing of an Iranian top military adviser in Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), accusing Tel Aviv of being behind the Monday air strike outside the Syrian capital Damascus.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said in a statement posted on his X account that Sayyed Razi was an Iranian adviser in combating terrorism in Syria, and he expressed condolences to his family, Iran, and Syria.

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0632 GMT — Palestine condemns Netanyahu's plan to expel Palestinians from Gaza

Palestine has condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to encourage Palestinians to voluntarily leave Gaza, calling for an international stand against it.

"Netanyahu's confessions regarding the displacement of our people is a new blow to the countries supporting him in the genocidal war on Gaza," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Palestinian group Hamas also condemned Netanyahu's plan, saying it is an attempt to "prolong the aggression."

"The Palestinian people will not allow to pass any plan that aims to obliterate their cause or to get them out of their lands and sanctities," it said.

0239 GMT — US hits sites it says were used by Iran-backed forces in Iraq

The US military has carried out strikes on three sites used by Iran-backed forces in Iraq after an attack wounded American personnel earlier in the day, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said.

"US military forces conducted necessary and proportionate strikes on three facilities used by Kataeb Hezbollah and affiliated groups in Iraq," Austin said in a statement.

"These precision strikes are a response to a series of attacks against US personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-sponsored militias, including an attack by Iran-affiliated Kataeb Hezbollah and affiliated groups on Arbil Air Base earlier today," he said.

2342 GMT — Israeli president visits soldiers near Gaza

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has visited invading troops stationed in the buffer zone along the fence with Gaza.

Herzog published a photo on his X account showing him writing “We trust you" in Hebrew on an artillery shell in a show of support for their efforts.

"I would like to thank you. It is not easy at all, and it is not to be taken for granted that people have been here for over two months," he told the soldiers.

He added that the soldiers must receive full support while they are on the front lines and once they return from duty.

2234 GMT — Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem concerned over suffering in Palestine

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem has released a Christmas message expressing deep concern for the continuous suffering of Palestinians in the region.

The statement, titled "Homily For The Midnight Mass - Christmas 2023," conveyed the patriarchate's thoughts on the ongoing challenges and conflicts affecting the area.

It emphasized the plight of Palestinians, saying: "Their suffering ceaselessly cries out to the whole world. No place or home is safe for anyone. Thousands of people have been deprived of their basic needs; they are hungry, and they are even more exposed to incomprehensible violence."

2222 GMT — Netanyahu bars his defence minister from holding talks with Mossad chief on captives

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been preventing his defence minister from holding separate talks with the director of Israel’s Mossad spy agency on efforts to secure the release of captives in Gaza, local media have reported.

Israel's Channel 12 cited government sources which said that Yoav Gallant has been barred from meeting with David Barnea when Netanyahu is not part of the discussion.

Channel 12 also said that Gallant invited Barnea to attend meetings and received messages from Netanyahu’s office that the premier disapproved.

The offices of both Netanyahu and Gallant denied the report.

For our live updates from Monday, December 25, click here.