As of December 24, the Saudi channel Al Arabiya reports from its sources that Egypt is working to formulate a new agreement that includes a two-week ceasefire and in exchange the release of 40 hostages held by Hamas.
It has also been reported that the Egyptian proposal is to create a government of technocrats who will govern Gaza until elections are held. Furthermore, it was reported that arrangements have been made for the release of Israeli military personnel captured by Hamas following Israel’s complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
In the meantime, the fighting continues. According to an assessment by Israeli analysts, expectations for a quick victory over Hamas appear unclear, and the gap between reality on the ground and Netanyahu’s statements is widening. We expect the fighting in Gaza to continue for many years and are beginning to realize that eliminating Hamas in the short term is an unrealistic goal
Meanwhile, Egyptian sources have denied reports that IDF tanks have launched a ground operation between Kerem Shalom and the Philadelphia Axis on the Egyptian border.
The number of Israeli soldiers killed since the start of the attack on Hamas in Gaza rises to 498.
According to Former Israeli Chief of Staff Dan Halutz: “Hamas achieved a strategic objective when it declared to Israel: “I control the conflict.” Defense Secretary Gallant’s statements regarding Hamas leader Sinwar are meaningless military propaganda.
And again he declared that: “Despite the destruction in the Gaza Strip, we revealed ourselves as a weak state that could not defend itself except with American help. The Netanyahu government has ignored that any political solution with the Arabs must be linked to security.” “We lost the war against Hamas”
On December 26, a statement from IDF Chief of Staff General Herzi Halevi came out: “There are no magic solutions or shortcuts to the fundamental dismantling of a terrorist organization, except persistent and determined fighting, and we are very, very determined. We will also reach the Hamas leadership, whether it takes a week or months.”
According to Vala News, Israel has prepared large stocks of ammunition for the scenario of a direct conflict with Iran and the possibility of a long war against Hezbollah.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the war in Gaza states: “Israel’s claims that it will prolong the conflict in the Gaza Strip and intensify attacks are alarming. We reiterate our call for a ceasefire to act in accordance with international law and respect human rights.”
According to the spokesperson of the Gaza Ministry of Health, Ashraf Al-Qudra: “In the last 24 hours we have counted 195 dead and 325 injured. The death toll has risen to 21,110 and 55,243 injured since October 7th. The occupation increases attacks against the Nasser Medical Complex and we fear that the same scenario as the Shifa Medical Complex will be repeated against it. We call on the United Nations institutions to take effective and urgent measures to ensure the protection of the Nasser medical complex, its staff, the wounded and sick and the thousands of displaced people present.”
And now a look at the conflict between Israel and Hamas: 83 days of conflict.
Intense Israeli bombing has been reported throughout the Gaza Strip. Analysis of satellite images obtained by Al Jazeera shows 300 Israeli vehicles and tanks immobile as troops demolish new areas in Khan Younis to open traffic routes. In general, we are talking about an attempt by the Israeli army to gain a foothold in Khan Yunis. Area where battles between forces linked to Hamas and Israel were also recorded on December 27th. In the southern part of the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian telecommunications company reports that: “Communications services have begun to gradually restore in the central and southern areas of the Gaza Strip after services were disrupted due to the ongoing aggression.”
Central Gaza: Israeli bombing continues on the Bureij area and on the Nuseirat camp, in the center of the Gaza Strip. Clashes and violent artillery shelling by Israeli tanks in the central-eastern region of the Gaza Strip: on the areas of Maghazi and Bureij in the central Gaza Strip.
In the north of the Gaza Strip the destruction is almost total, the city of Beit Hanoun in the north-east of the Strip has been particularly affected. Clashes continue between Hamas allies and Israeli forces in Jabalia al-Balad. Clashes in the neighborhoods of Al-Nafaq, Al-Tuffah and Al-Daraj in Gaza City.
Since December 25, Israel has intensified its bombing of Hezbollah areas and headquarters. Bombed: Kafr Kila, Bint Jbeil, the city of Naqoura in southern Lebanon. More artillery fire in the outskirts of Shebaa and Rashaya Al-Fakhar in southern Lebanon.
There were 25 arrests carried out on December 27 by the Israeli army in the Nour Shams camp in Tulkarem in the West Bank. In this case too there were clashes between armed militias and the Israeli army. Hamas in a statement wrote: “We call on our people in the occupied West Bank to intensify the resistance and continue the battle until the aggression ends and our land and holy sites are protected, especially the blessed Al-Al Mosque. Aqsa”.
In Rafah, Israeli planes targeted the house of the Abu Adwan family, east of the city of Rafah. The Palestinian resistance continues to confront the Israeli military on the axes of the incursion into the Gaza Strip and clashes are recorded in the eastern part of Rafah. The coast of Rafah was bombed yesterday.
Hezbollah on December 27 claimed 5 attacks against the Israeli army: on a new Israeli army headquarters near the naval base at 10:00 am; with an ATGM to a tent housing special forces near Al-Duhayra at 12:00; at the Hadb Al-Bustan military site at 12.15pm; to Kherbet Ma’ar and its artillery batteries with a Burkan at 1pm; a joint drone, rocket and artillery attack on the Israeli army staging area behind the Shebaa farm at 1.15pm
The IDF reports the lighting of sirens at Kibbutz Rosh Hanikra, Kibbutz Rosh Hanikra, northern Israel and Kibbutz Kissufim, a community near the Gaza Strip.
We close with the news of attacks on the Red Sea. On December 26, a Yemeni source told the Al-Jazeera television channel: “The Houthis attacked a ship of the MSC shipping company in the Red Sea to prevent it from passing towards Israel.” A spokesperson for the Houthi military wing says it attacked the container ship MSC United with missiles and also claims there was a UAV attack on the city of Eilat. It was previously reported that an interception had been carried out nearby.
We will then learn that an Israeli Air Force fighter intercepted an aerial target in the Red Sea area. On the morning of the 26th, a US Air Force fighter plane successfully intercepted an air target headed towards Israeli territory in the Red Sea area.
Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesperson Yahya Saree said on December 27: “We targeted a commercial ship heading towards the occupation ports with naval missiles after it refused to respond to our warnings.” While Ali Al-Qahum, of the political office of the Ansar Allah movement declared: “The operations of the Yemeni armed forces surpass and penetrate all American and Israeli defense systems.”
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
