The United Nations says a health disaster looms in Gaza. A United Nations official reported on December 28 that “a public health catastrophe is brewing in Gaza,” amid military operations in the Strip.
According to the New York Times, since October 7, Hamas and the Islamic Resistance have launched approximately 12,000 rockets from Gaza against Israel.
The Israeli Channel Kan reports: “Netanyahu spoke with Macron in the office of the French president: Macron called on Netanyahu to work to promote a sustainable ceasefire with the help of all regional and international partners. Responding to Macron, Khaled Mashaal, Hamas, in an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro: “Due to the pressure exerted by the families of the kidnapped, Israel and the United States want a new ceasefire, but the Hamas leadership rejects it Our conditions are clear: a permanent end to the war to ensure the mutual release of Israeli abductees and Palestinian prisoners, as well as negotiations on other important issues under international auspices.”
Houthi sources report that Islamic Jihad issued the following statement regarding the ceasefire: “We are committed to a complete ceasefire and the withdrawal of enemy forces before anything else. The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine has confirmed that the intensification of massacres by Israeli enemy forces in the Gaza Strip will not compensate for the losses on the ground and will only increase the determination of the Mujahideen in responding to the aggression.”
According to the Israeli Channel 13 there is a “new Israeli proposal for a hostage agreement: Israel agrees to withdraw from populated areas. Civilians were transferred from the south of the Strip to the north.” Again according to the Israeli media: “A political official said that the political hourglass with Lebanon is about to expire: “The situation is worsening and we are on the verge of exhausting the possibility of an agreement.”
On December 28th, the funeral of Sayed Razi Moussawi took place in Iran, one of Qassem Soleimani’s loyalists, who was also killed by an air raid this time by the Americans in Iraq. At the side of his funeral, the Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Hossein Salami, reiterated: “The Al-Aqsa Flood operation was a completely Palestinian operation and was carried out by the Palestinians themselves, it was conducted without any external support and it is a response to 75 years of injustice; it is a response to what Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank are exposed to. Operation Al-Aqsa Flood was not revenge for Qassem Soleimani. We will avenge him.”
Hossein Salami, confirmed that “the Resistance front has many things in common, but each of its axis has its own independence in action” and Tehran does not interfere in its decisions, since it is it that decides its actions.” And also the resistance in Iraq it is autonomous.”n According to the commander, Hamas and Islamic Jihad produce weapons internally.
The former Iranian ambassador to Baghdad stated that: “There is no need for Iran to interfere in the war in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian resistance is enough to rival Israel.”
In Lebanon, according to the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar (linked to Hezbollah), 78 thousand inhabitants of the villages of southern Lebanon had to abandon their homes and headed north after the fighting. 97% of them rented an apartment and only 3% went to organized shelters.
Syrian sources say that Bashar al Assad received a message from Israel via the United Arab Emirates: “The Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad will be responsible for any attack from Syrian territory against Israel and damage to our citizens and forces.”
Houthi sources report that: “Crimes of American-Saudi aggression on this day, December 28. US, Saudi and Emirati attack aircraft launched raids on populated areas and service facilities, resulting in the martyrdom and injury of many citizens and the damage and destruction of public and private property.”
Despite the bombing, concerns continue for freighters transiting the Red Sea, the Greek-owned tanker Kristi State, which has left Russia, is now broadcasting via AIS that it has no connection to Israel and is trying not to be attacked by the Houthis . Muhammad Abdel Salam, spokesman for the Houthis said: “The confusion among some countries that America is asking to join the coalition is due to the belief that there is no legitimacy for this move. Yemeni naval forces communicate daily with all the ships and the United States is trying to get some countries to join this alliance to protect Israel. We have contact with countries that have confirmed that they are not present at sea, and some countries have informed us that their presence in the coalition is limited to sending officers to Bahrain.” The Houthis in their statements reiterated that ships in transit will not be hit, only those bound for Israel will be targeted.
According to the IDF, 44 soldiers have been injured in fighting in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours. The number of officially recognized deaths of IDF personnel reached 501 after the death of an officer, a major, was reported on December 28.
Israeli Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi visited the army’s Northern Command on December 27 to assess the current situation and approve some plans. The army statement said the level of preparedness is “very high”, in light of the ongoing situation on the Lebanese border.
Halevi added that, “Our first task is to bring the residents back safely, and that will take time. Today we approved a number of plans for the future and we must be ready for an offensive if necessary.” He concluded that the campaign Israeli campaign in Lebanon has so far been successful and that the settlers will return only when it is safe.
Hamas-linked Quds brigades reported that since ground fighting began in the Gaza Strip, 898 soldiers have been injured. While 129 Hezbollah have died.
And now a look at the Israel – Hamas conflict.
Israeli raids continue in the Gaza Strip in all sectors: north, center and south. In response, Hamas and its affiliated axis brigades report yet another attack against the Israeli intelligence site: the “third eye”.
In the southern area of Lebanon, Israeli artillery fired at the following villages: Haneen; Dibl; Ramia; Waraqa of Beit; Kiyam; Rashaya Al-Fukhar; Furdais; Kafarshouba; Yatar; Al-Jebayn; Sheheen; Majdal Zoo; Hula; Markaba; Aitarun.
In response, Hezbollah targeted the Israeli Al-Samaqa site in the occupied Lebanese farms of Shebaa. The Al-Quds Brigades say they bombed, with a concentrated missile barrage and mortar barrage, a gathering of Israeli soldiers and a command and control headquarters in Abu Oreiban land, southeast of the Al-Quds neighborhood -Zaytoun.
Over the the day, approximately 8 different rocket and UAV attacks occurred from Lebanon into Israel. In the recent attack on Qiryat Shmona, several rocket impacts occurred which caused material damage.
Clashes continue between Hamas men and the Israeli army in central and southern Gaza. In particular, social sources speak of clashes in Tallat al-Rayyis, north-east of the central region, with large-caliber mortar shells. East of Bureij, and new artillery shelling on the outskirts of Nuseirat camp and east of Al-Maghazi camp. In southern Gaza the Al-Qassam Brigades targeted 5 Merkava tanks with “Al-Yassin 105” shells east of the city of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip. And the Israelis returned fire.
In the West Bank, pro-Palestinian social media sources complain that Israel has targeted foreign exchange centers. In addition to carrying out the usual raids to arrest Hamas activists. On December 28, a massive campaign of incursions took place in numerous cities and camps in the West Bank. Assets have been seized from many exchange shops, amid widespread clashes and arrests.
According to analysts in the social sphere, a new economic war against businesses and people is underway, the IDF has raided many foreign exchange offices and transfer agencies, confiscating all their money. This money belongs to businesses, people and everyone present. A similar incident occurred in Gaza, but there, the Israeli army bombed the facilities. Israeli media confirms: “A raid last night on 5 currency exchange shops in Ramallah, Hebron, Jenin and Tulkarem was classified as terrorist by the Security Ministry and around 10 million shekels were confiscated.” Arrests and clashes in Hebron and Ramallah and Nablus, particularly affecting the old city.
The Iraqi resistance hits the “Eliad” settlement and an Israeli intelligence center in Erbil (Iraq) and furthermore the Islamic Resistance in Iraq announced on December 27th that it had hit a vital target in the “Iliad” settlement, in the south of Palestine.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
