by Davide Frattini, correspondent and online editorial team
The news from Wednesday, December 13th, on the conflict between Israel and Hamas, live. The UN General Assembly approves the resolution for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza
• 68th day of the war: According to Hamas, over 18,000 Palestinians have died, including 7,112 children. In Israel, 1,200 people died in the attack on October 7th
• Neither Israel nor the United States will ever succeed in eliminating Hamas. This was supported by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in his speech at a UN meeting in Geneva
• Hezbollah announced two more attacks against Israel
• Today Biden will meet with the families of the hostages
• The words and acronyms to understand the conflict: Here is the glossary
• The history of the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, explained here
9:06 a.m. – 2 more Israeli soldiers dead, now total 115
The army announced the deaths of two more soldiers during fighting in Gaza. This was announced by the military spokesman. The total since ground operations began in the Gaza Strip now stands at 115. The two new victims – from the Golani Brigade – were, like the eight announced last night, killed in an ambush in Shujaia, a suburb of Gaza City.
9:05 a.m. – Israel: The operation in Gaza continues, 250 targets were hit yesterday
The Israeli army has identified and destroyed a terrorist cell in the Shujaia area (district of Gaza City, editor's note) that was preparing to fire rockets at Israel. The military spokesman made the announcement, saying that land, air and sea forces continue to carry out targeted attacks on terrorist targets across the Gaza Strip. Yesterday alone, over 250 targets were hit across the Palestinian enclave.
8:21 a.m. – PNA Presidency: Majority of the world supports the cause of Palestine
The world overwhelmingly supports the Palestinian people and their just cause. The Palestinian Authority (PNA) chairmanship of Abu Mazen said this while welcoming the UN General Assembly resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza. The world – said Nabil Abu Rudeinah, spokesman for Abu Mazen, quoted by Wafa – reiterates its rejection of Israeli aggression against our people, their expulsion from their land and the creation of a new Nakba. The occupying government must take responsibility for the voting results and seriously address them.
8:12 a.m. – Media: Several Hamas leaders left Qatar, untraceable
Several Hamas leaders left Qatar for unknown destinations, turning off their phones and not answering calls. This was reported by the Arabic-language channel of the Israeli broadcaster Kan, citing sources in Doha. Saleh al-Arouri, a senior figure in the Islamic Movement and one of the founders of the Ezzedin al-Qassam Brigades, also left his usual residence in Beirut for Turkey, Kan added.
6:56 a.m. – Biden disavows Netanyahu
(Alessandro Trocino) an important rift in a relationship that has always been very strong. After long supporting Israel and agreeing to the Gaza invasion and vetoing a ceasefire at the United Nations, Joe Biden is toughening his tone toward Benjamin Netanyahu and warning Israel that it is losing international support. Even the Israeli prime minister admits differences with his American ally.
A divergence that was noticeable and of which only a few traces could be seen in the last few days, but which is now emerging in all its traces. Benjamin Netanyahu is not only slowing the offensive against Gaza, but is also warning against repeating the mistakes of the Oslo accords. That the pact signed between Rabin and Arafat in 1993 was the first germ of Palestinian self-rule and with which Israelis and Palestinians recognized each other as legitimate interlocutors for the first time. Netanyahu rejects these agreements without appeal: Do not allow those who educate, support and finance terrorism to be brought to Gaza after the enormous sacrifices of our citizens and fighters. Gaza will be neither Hamastan nor Fatahstan. Hence not only the destruction of Hamas, but also the reaffirmed veto of the other major Palestinian group that rules the West Bank. Although Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has been identified as the leader who could play a role in the post-Hamas era in Gaza.
Biden's answer was not long in coming. The president, who has been criticized in recent days as being too soft on Israel, is calling on Netanyahu to strengthen and change his most conservative government in Israel's history to find a solution to the conflict. Netanyahu doesn't want a two-state solution, Biden reminds us, while the White House opposes the Jewish state reoccupying Gaza. Davide Frattini reports: Biden recounts an old and well-known episode when he said to Bibi: “I don't agree with anything you say.” He adds: “And we are still here.” Then she whispered to him: “But I love you.” Not now.
But Biden's strongest statement is this: Israel is losing the world's support through indiscriminate bombings. A sentence that must be read in opposite terms, because Israel's isolation threatens to increase the isolation of the United States. However, those who vetoed a UN resolution on a ceasefire are increasingly coming under criticism at the international level. Biden also has to deal with growing discontent within the Democratic Party.
Meanwhile, last night the UN General Assembly passed by a large majority a resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. 153 countries expressed their support for the document. Ten opposed, including Israel and the United States, and 23 abstained. The text also calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Countries that abstained from voting on the resolution included the United Kingdom, Italy and Germany. Spain, France and Belgium support the ceasefire. China, Russia, Japan and Brazil voted with them.
According to Hamas sources, there are at least 18,400 victims in Gaza. The head of UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, spoke of endless tragedies and hell on earth during his visit to the Gaza Strip, where people live on the streets and need everything. Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, also described the events as a horror that could not be justified by the events of October 7 due to the Hamas terrorist attack.
This analysis was published in PrimaOra, one of the newsletters that the Corriere offers to its subscribers. To receive it you must subscribe to Il Punto: you can do this here.
5:31 a.m. – Israel begins flooding Hamas tunnels, Biden unsure about presence of hostages
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have begun flooding with seawater part of the tunnel network dug by the Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas in Gaza. This was reported by the television channel CNN, according to which Israel had informed the USA about the start of the operations. News of the flooding of the tunnels has raised concerns about the fate of over 100 hostages in the hands of Hamas, which the Palestinian organization appears to be hiding in the vast network of tunnels dug for years in the territory of the Palestinian enclave.
When asked by journalists, US President Joe Biden confirmed that he had received reports of flooding of sections of the tunnel network and admitted that he could not comment with certainty on the possible presence of hostages: As for the flooding of the tunnels, they are unable to… There are claims that they are pretty sure there are no hostages in any of these tunnels, but I don't know that for sure. I can't say, but in any case every civilian death is an absolute tragedy.
5:29 a.m. – Gaza, Israeli Defense: We are destroying all Hamas tunnels
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers are operating deep underground in the Gaza Strip, locating and destroying its infrastructure. The local media reported about it. Gallant believes that Hamas operations in Gaza City and the northern part of the Gaza Strip are on the verge of collapse. We are building on our successes and will soon destroy all of Hamas' infrastructure in Gaza.
4:26 a.m. – USA to Israel, keep Kerem Shalom border crossing open for help
The US government is urging Israel to keep its border with Gaza at Kerem Shalom open because the Rafah crossing is insufficient to meet the needs of displaced Palestinians. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said this last night. We need the capacity provided by Kerem Shalom to procure and distribute more food, water, medicine and basic necessities to the Palestinian civilian population.
An American official told NBC News that the Israeli government's response would be to strengthen the capacity of the Rafah border crossing. Biden will address the issue directly with Netanyahu in their final phone call, the source added.
The Kerem Shalom trade crossing connects Israel, Gaza and Egypt. reopened yesterday for the first time since the start of the war, but only to allow further security checks on aid moving through Rafah.
3:55 a.m. – Gaza, Blinken: Journalists must be protected
The United States will always insist on the need to protect journalists reporting from Gaza during the conflict between Israel and Hamas militants, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a letter to the French news agency AFP, shared with other international media He turned to Blinken at the end of October and asked him for help in protecting journalists on the ground in the Gaza Strip, after many have been killed since the war began. The United States has and will continue to emphasize to Israel and all countries that journalists must be protected – Blinken said –. We fully support the protection of journalists in armed conflicts and mourn those killed or injured.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), at least 63 journalists and media workers – 56 Palestinians, 4 Israelis and 3 Lebanese – have been killed since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began. The AFP and other media groups have also asked Blinken for help in evacuating their staff from Gaza as Israeli forces bomb the area in retaliation for the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that Israel said killed 1,200 people and took around 240 hostage became . Israel imposed a complete closure of the territory's borders on October 9. “The continued safe exit of U.S. citizens and foreign nationals from Gaza remains our top priority, and we are working with Egypt, the United Nations, and Israel to facilitate their safe exit from Gaza,” Blinken wrote.
2:27 a.m. – Hamas: Respect the UN call for a ceasefire and stop the genocide
Arab media reported that Hamas welcomed the United Nations General Assembly's call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Izzat Al-Rishq, a member of the Palestinian Islamist Movement's Politburo, called on the international community to continue to put pressure on what he said were Israeli occupying forces and called for respect for the UN decision. In a brief statement, Al-Rishq also condemned the war of genocide and ethnic cleansing against the people of Gaza.
2:24 a.m. – The UN Assembly passes a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza
The United Nations General Assembly has adopted by a large majority a resolution calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip in order to address the current very serious humanitarian crisis. The resolution was supported by 153 countries, which, unlike the United States, opposed a ceasefire until the complete military defeat of the Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas.
Ten countries voted against the resolution and 23 abstained. The assembly's vote is politically significant but, contrary to Security Council resolutions, not binding. Last week, the United States vetoed a resolution in the Security Council calling for a ceasefire in Gaza that had been approved by a majority of the assembly's 15 members. The short resolution adopted by the General Assembly yesterday calls for a ceasefire, respect for international law by all parties and humanitarian access to the Israeli hostages held by Hamas and their immediate and unconditional release. The document contains stricter language than the document adopted by the Assembly last October (approved with 121 votes in favour, 14 against and 44 abstentions), which instead calls for a permanent humanitarian ceasefire.
The vote was described as historic by Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour: The resolution does not “demand” or “urge,” but demands, and we will not stop until Israel fulfills this request, Mansour said. A ceasefire is necessary to deliver the enormous amount of humanitarian aid to the besieged civilian population in the Gaza Strip, the ambassador added.
The resolution's adoption comes as the conflict between Israel and Hamas enters its third month and health workers and aid groups raise alarm over the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, which has been devastated by months of bombing and the Israel Defense Forces' ground offensive. More than 18,000 people have been killed in Gaza since hostilities began, the Hamas-controlled health ministry said. In response to the October 7 attack on Israel, in which Israeli authorities said 1,200 people were killed and around 240 kidnapped, Israel has reiterated that it will not stop its military campaign until Hamas is destroyed.
December 13, 2023 (modified December 13, 2023 | 09:07)
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