• It is the 114th day of the war: over 26,400 people have been killed in Gaza. In Israel, 1,200 people died in the attack on October 7th.
• Three US soldiers killed in a drone strike between the Syrian-Jordanian border.
• Progress in the Paris hostage negotiations. Netanyahu: There are gaps.
• The UN agency in Gaza is accused of collaborating with Hamas.
8:17 a.m. – “UNRWA employee participated in the abduction of an Israeli woman”
According to a NYT report, of the 12 employees fired by UNRWA, 10 are from Hamas and one is from Islamic Jihad. The newspaper then reported in particular that one of the employees was involved in the kidnapping of an Israeli woman and a second in transporting the body of a dead soldier in Gaza. The details of the affair were revealed by the US newspaper as part of the dossier on the UN refugee agency, which led to some countries blocking funding. According to that report, one of the staff members – a counselor at a UNRWA school in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza – is accused of “working with his son to kidnap a woman in Israel.” The second, “from Nuseirat in the central part of the Gaza Strip, is accused of helping to transport the body of an Israeli soldier who died in the Gaza Strip, as well as distributing ammunition and coordinating vehicles on the day of the October 7 attack.”
8:10 a.m. – The Houthis fire a missile at an American warship
Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen fired a missile at the US warship Lewis B. Puller on Sunday as it sailed in the Gulf of Aden, the group's military spokesman said in a statement today, Al Arabiya writes on its website.
7:46 a.m. – Iran's foreign minister visits Islamabad after border tensions
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian arrived in Islamabad on Sunday evening and will hold talks with Pakistani officials, including interim Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, IRNA reported. During the visit, Amirabdollahian will discuss the recent tensions in the border areas of the two countries caused by Iranian attacks “on the bases of the separatist group Jaish ul-Adl (Army of Justice)” on Pakistani territory earlier this month. Islamabad responded with attacks in Iran's border areas, which Pakistan said were aimed “against a Pakistani terrorist group in Iran.” Islamabad also recalled the ambassador from Tehran. The two countries subsequently announced that they had resolved the issue and Pakistan sent a new ambassador to Iran.
7:23 a.m. – FIRST HOUR | Negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza
(by Luca Angelini) An agreement to suspend the fighting “could be reached in the next two weeks,” writes the New York Times: Israel would suspend the war in Gaza for about two months in return for the release of over a hundred more hostages in the hands of Hamas. At a meeting in Paris yesterday, CIA Director William Burns, Mossad chief David Barnea, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel discussed a written draft of the agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's office calls the meeting “constructive” but says there are significant differences. American negotiators are cautious but say they are hopeful. President Biden spoke by telephone on Friday with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar, Hamas' key facilitators. If there is progress in negotiations, Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk will return to the region to finalize the “One Month Plus One” ceasefire plan.
“The aim – writes Viviana Mazza – is to suspend the fighting for thirty days while women, the elderly and the wounded are released by Hamas. This month, the two sides were expected to negotiate the details of a new ceasefire that would result in the release of Israeli men (soldiers and civilians): in return, the Jewish state would release other Palestinian prisoners and guarantee humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip. Hamas demands permanent ceasefire in exchange for hostages; Israel wouldn't allow it. Some observers say that with a two-month break, fighting is unlikely to resume with the same intensity and hope the ceasefire will provide diplomatic opportunities for regional de-escalation and a long-term solution.”
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated on television on Saturday that the war would continue until “total victory” over Hamas (which many in Israel also believe is impossible, at least by military means alone) and blamed the protesting families for this The release of the hostages and their supporters' calls for a ceasefire reinforce Hamas' demands.
“The twelve UNRWA (the UN agency that deals with Palestinian refugees, editor's note) employees – two of whom are dead – who may have taken part in the Hamas attacks will answer to the charges, but the countries that have suspended funding are allowing the agency to continue. “We are working to alleviate the needs of a desperate people,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said yesterday. UNRWA Communications Director Tamara Alrifai also said this to Greta Privitera: “Let’s take the Italian police. Let's say it turns out that an official is involved in a terrible massacre. What are you doing? Cuts to the police to punish the mistakes of a few?” After Israel accused 12 refugee agency employees of playing an active role in the October 7 attacks, 10 Western states – including Italy – declared a funding freeze. “The suspension of funding worries us very much,” says Alrifai, “we are the largest humanitarian organization in Gaza.” We care for one million four hundred thousand people who have had to leave their homes. These poor people are now sleeping and eating in our schools, in refugee camps. We even host them in the offices, which can be converted into dormitories if necessary.” Alrifai explains that the tasks of UNRWA staff in the Gaza Strip are fundamental: they manage shelters and schools, distribute food, provide first aid, vaccinations and care for pregnant women and newborns. “If the ten countries do not change their minds, in a month we will no longer be able to work and the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza will become hell.”
While the exchange of accusations between the Democratic Party and the Brothers of Italy on the issue of anti-Semitism continues, some pro-Palestinian demonstrations took place in Italy yesterday, without any clashes or incidents, as was the case with some unauthorized marches on Saturday . However, there were hateful whistles in the stadium for Lazio-Napoli, which drove the writer Alessandro Piperno, a big Lazio fan, to an accusation and a drastic decision: “I don't know if this is the hypocritical stupidity of football.” Authorities, who thought it good to commemorate the memory of the Shoah in these open spaces, in these arenas that are the Italian stadiums; or the scum who indulged in their godless, racist and anti-Semitic nature last night during the Lazio – Naples game, taking the opportunity to desecrate with catcalls and ridicule a tragic event that deserves silence and reflection. What I do know is that after thirty years at the stadium, I will never set foot in it again. And I say that with pain, because it has always been one of the harmless joys of my life.”
7:22 a.m. – Iran carries out four death sentences: They are accused of spying for Israel
Last August, four death sentences were carried out in Iran by hanging of men arrested on charges of espionage against Israel. This was reported by the Iranian judiciary, according to the Mizan Online website. “The death sentence against four members of the Zionist spy organization who were arrested for planning to plant a bomb in Isfahan province in central Iran was carried out this morning,” we read on Mizan Online. According to the ISNA news agency, the four wanted to blow up a Defense Ministry facility for the production of missiles.
7:00 a.m. – Iran and the attack on the American base: This is how Tehran wants to trap the USA in a war of attrition
(by Guido Olimpio) An attack against a symbol. An operation that is part of the campaign by Iran-aligned militias against American facilities in the Middle East. A connection to what is happening in the Red Sea.
The Islamic Resistance of Iraq, the cartel that unites Shiite groups, has targeted a complex consisting of the Al-Tanf base in Syria and the portion known as Tower 22 on the Jordanian side. The Americans, along with the British and perhaps the French, arrived here in 2016 during the anti-ISIS offensive and indeed the first clashes with the supporters of the caliphate occurred. A presence with a strategic plan: to guard the artery between Baghdad and the Syrian capital.
A route that, in Washington's eyes, is being used by Tehran to support friendly movements, a logistical lifeline projected towards the Mediterranean. For this reason, after the dismantling – rather than defeat – of the Islamic State, US units remained busy containing the ayatollahs in the power duel while hunting down the terrorists, which was meticulously documented by Central Command. (…)
6:42 a.m. – Iran: “Cameron’s allegations are unfounded”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani has described as “baseless” allegations by British Foreign Secretary David Cameron that Tehran was involved in the killing of three American soldiers in Jordan. “Such unconstructive statements and actions by Western institutions threaten regional and international peace and stability,” Kanani warned. “Rebel groups in the region are responding to the Zionist regime's war crimes and genocide and are not taking orders from Iran. They decide according to their own principles and in the interests of their people,” he concluded.
6:17 a.m. – Iran: 4 men executed for collaborating with Israel
Four men have been hanged in Iran after being sentenced to death for collaborating with Israeli intelligence services in a plot to sabotage an Iranian defense facility. This was reported by the Judicial Authority's Mizan Online agency. The four defendants were arrested on July 23, 2022 while preparing an operation on behalf of the Mossad against a Defense Ministry facility in Isfahan, a major city in central Iran, according to the agency.
5:34 a.m. – Iran: “Unknown attack on US soldiers in Jordan”
Iran denies involvement in the drone strike that killed three US soldiers in Jordan yesterday. “These accusations – said Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani, quoted by the Irna agency – are made with a political aim aimed at turning the reality of the region upside down.”
3:53 a.m. – Pelosi invokes connections between pro-Palestine and Putin: “The FBI is investigating”
Authoritative Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, former historic Speaker of the House of Representatives, has asked the FBI to investigate pro-Palestinian protesters in the US calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, suggesting that some activists have ties to them without evidence Russia and Vladimir Putin could have. It is the first time a key U.S. lawmaker has accused the Russian leader of supporting American protesters demanding a ceasefire.
3:31 a.m. – Japan also stops funding UNRWA
Japan announced it was suspending funding to the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, along with other countries including Italy and Germany, after Israel said some UNRWA staff were involved in Hamas attacks on Oct. 7. The Japanese government said it was “extremely concerned about the alleged involvement of UNRWA personnel in the terrorist attack against Israel.” Therefore, in response, Japan has decided to “temporarily suspend funding to UNRWA while it investigates the matter and takes measures to address the allegations,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The agency fired several employees following the Israeli complaint and promised a thorough investigation, while Tel Aviv confirmed it would suspend the organization's operations in Gaza after the war ended. The Tokyo government added that it will “continue to make persistent and active diplomatic efforts to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and calm the situation as quickly as possible by supporting other organizations.”
3:18 a.m. – Biden: “We will respond to the attack against the US military”
“We had a bad day in the Middle East yesterday and we will respond”: US President Joe Biden said this on the sidelines of an election rally in South Carolina and answered a question about the attack in Jordan in which three American soldiers died. The president then asked the crowd gathered in the banquet hall of a Baptist church for a moment of silence.
03:08 – Trump: “With me the attack on US soldiers would not have happened”
“This brazen attack on the United States is another terrible and tragic consequence of the weakness and capitulation of Joe Biden”: Donald Trump writes on his social network Truth and declares that with him as president there would be no war in Ukraine Hamas attack on Israel and this attack warn that we are instead “on the brink of World War III.”
2:07 a.m. – Jordan: The attack on US soldiers took place in Syria, not Jordan
The attack, which killed three American soldiers, occurred not on Jordanian territory but in Syria. Jordanian government spokesman Muhannad al Mubaidin said this to the Jordanian public broadcaster. Mamlaka said the attack targeted the US Al-Tanf base in Syria.
American President Joe Biden spoke in a note of three deaths and several injuries in a drone attack on US forces stationed in northeastern Jordan near the border with Syria.
1:37 a.m. – CNN, 3 US soldiers killed in drone strike in Jordan
Three US soldiers were killed in a drone strike in Jordan: CNN reports. It is the first time that U.S. forces have suffered casualties in the Middle East since the war in Gaza began
12:57 a.m. – Netanyahu's office: Constructive meeting in Paris, but there are gaps
“The meeting was constructive, but there are still significant gaps between the parties, which will be discussed in further meetings this week.” This was announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office at the meeting in Paris to reach an agreement on the The Israeli hostages were released.
00.35 – “Some progress in the Paris hostage negotiations”
“Some progress” was made at the Paris meeting on a possible agreement on the hostages still in the Gaza Strip. This was told by a diplomatic source to the Israeli Kan TV program broadcast by the media. The meeting was attended by the head of Mossad David, Prime Minister of Qatar Mohammed bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Director of the CIA William Burns and Director of Egyptian Intelligence Abbas Kamel.
00:23 – Guterres: “12 from UNRWA will respond, but countries allow agency work”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres promises legal consequences after 12 UNRWA employees were accused of involvement in attacks against Israel on October 7. “Any staff member involved in terrorist attacks will be held accountable, including in criminal investigations,” he said in a UN statement. The United Nations Office of Internal Audit has launched an investigation. So far, nine of the 12 agency employees Israel accuses of involvement in the Hamas attacks have been identified and immediately fired. A tenth was declared dead and the identities of the remaining two are being examined by investigators. “The tens of thousands of men and women who work for UNRWA, many of them in one of the most difficult situations for humanitarian workers, must not be punished. “The essential needs of a desperate population that they are trying to alleviate must be taken into account,” he added, calling on countries that have suspended their contributions to the agency, including Italy, to ensure the continuity of their work.
12:13 a.m. – Nyt, conclusion of the agreement on the release of the hostages and the ceasefire
A draft agreement presented in black and white that provides for the gradual release of prisoners held by Hamas in return for an approximately two-month halt to the Israeli military offensive. According to the New York Times, the agreement is close to being finalized. The draft treaty will be the focus of talks that will take place in Paris. U.S.-led negotiators are close to reaching an agreement that would require Israel to suspend attacks on Gaza for about two months in return for the release of more than 100 hostages still in Gaza, the New York newspaper reports in the hands of Hamas. The deal could be signed in the next two weeks. As the New York Times reports, negotiators have prepared a written draft that includes a mediation between Israel and Hamas' proposals put forward over the past 10 days. Although there are still major points of contention, negotiators say they are “cautiously optimistic” that a final agreement is within reach, said U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity. Although the agreement did not provide for the permanent ceasefire demanded by Hamas in return for the release of all hostages, the same sources believe that if Israel accepted the ceasefire for two months, the ceasefire would provide a useful window for implementing further diplomatic efforts. The draft called for a first phase of a 30-day ceasefire in which Hamas would initially release women, the elderly and the wounded. In the meantime, the parties should agree on a second ceasefire, also lasting 30 days, to also enable the release of Israeli men and soldiers. In addition, the draft would also include an increase in humanitarian aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip, while the parties would still negotiate the number of released Palestinians currently held in Israeli prisons. According to NYT sources, a two-month ceasefire would allow for greater diplomatic efforts to finally end the conflict.