• It is the 93rd day of the war: According to Hamas, more than 22,800 Palestinians have been killed, including around 8,000 children. In Israel, 1,200 people died in the attack on October 7th.
• Attack in the West Bank, a 4-year-old girl was accidentally killed
• Three Palestinian journalists killed in Israeli raids. Blinken: “Unimaginable tragedy”. Al Jazeera: “Press freedom violated”
•Herzog: “The expulsion of the Palestinians is not Israel’s position.”
•Washington Post: US fears Netanyahu wants to expand war to Lebanon
7:19 a.m. – Interview with political scientist Ian Bremmer – Israel and Hamas, the balance of three months of war: “America is alone when it comes to stopping the fire, too many are stoking it.”
(by Massimo Gaggi) Three months of war in the Middle East. Hamas' violent attack on October 7 triggered a very sharp response from Israel. A brutal conflict apparently centered on Gaza subsequently unleashed seismic tremors from the West Bank to Lebanon, Syria, Baghdad and the Red Sea, where pro-Iranian Houthi rebels attack U.S. forces as well as commercial shipping. (…)
7:11 a.m. – Blinken will call on Netanyahu for “targeted” raids in Israel today
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be in Israel in the next few hours and will ask Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to announce the end of the “military phase” of the war in Gaza and move on to “targeted raids”. . This was announced by the Israeli television channel Channel 12. After visits to Turkey, Greece, Jordan and Qatar, Blinken will meet today with local authorities in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to persuade them to use their influence to prevent an escalation of the conflict. “This is a conflict that easily risks metastasizing with greater uncertainty and even greater impatience,” Blinken said at a meeting with reporters in Qatar.
6:58 a.m. – Israel, several Hezbollah targets attacked in Lebanon
Overnight, the Israeli army attacked several Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. Warplanes with the “Star of David” attacked, among other things, a military complex of the Shiite organization in the area of the village of Marhavin, as well as a rocket launcher and “terrorist infrastructure” in the area of the village of Ayita a-Shaab. The Israeli army itself announced this.
6:50 a.m. – Blinken warns Israel: “Gaza is on its last legs”
(Alessandro Trocino) Nothing seems to be stopping the Israeli offensive, which has been bombing and attacking Gaza for 92 days, following the fierce Hamas attack on October 7th. Nor the almost 23,000 Palestinian deaths, many of them civilians. The fate of the hostages is still in the hands of terrorists. Nor the complexity of the goal, which is to “destroy” an organization that has international support and ramifications and a breeding ground that feeds on bombs and desperation; neither the prayers of the Pope and the appeals of international leaders, nor the repeated warnings of the United States, which, although not missing Jerusalem, yesterday sent Secretary of State Antony Blinken for the umpteenth time, with one goal above all: to prevent an escalation of the conflict. This would mean not only adding one death after another, but also involving other countries, increasing the risk of a large-scale conflict. However, the Israeli position is expressed by the Chief of Staff of the Defense Forces (IDF), Herzl Halevi: “The army will fight in Gaza all year round, that's for sure.”
• Massacre of reporters
A car was hit by a rocket in Rafah. It seems to be one of the many small tragedies of a war that claimed almost 23,000 victims. And it actually is, if it weren't for the work of those who sat in that car: two journalists. One of the killed reporters, 29-year-old Hamza Al-Dahdouh, was the son of Al Jazeera's Gaza bureau chief Wael Al-Dahdouh, who recently lost his wife and two other children in a bomb attack. The freelancer Mustafa Tharaya died with him. Ali Salem Abu Ajwa, also a journalist and nephew of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, who founded Hamas in Gaza in 1987, also died. Al Jazeera “strongly condemned” Israel’s killing of journalists, which was aimed at “deterring” reporters. fulfill their mission and in doing so violate the principles of freedom of the press. In three months of war, 109 journalists have been killed, almost all Palestinians, because Western journalists are not present unless they are “embedded,” i.e. escorted by the military for a few hours.
• Little girl killed at a checkpoint
A four-year-old Palestinian girl died in an attack on a checkpoint in East Jerusalem, not far from the West Bank city of Biddu. According to Israeli police, she was “accidentally” hit by bullets fired by officers trying to neutralize the two people aboard the car that hit a border guard, slightly injuring him. The two passengers, a man and a woman, also died. According to Save The Children, more than 10 minors in the Strip lose a limb every day. Eight thousand children have been killed so far.
• Flashing in Jordan and Qatar
On his fourth diplomatic trip since the start of the war, Blinken arrived in Jordan, where he met with King Abdullah II before traveling to Qatar (eight stops are planned). The Jordanian leader warned the US official of the “catastrophic impact” of the war in Gaza. Blinken, who spoke of the risk of “metastasis,” responded to Amman's concerns about possible Israeli plans to relocate Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank, emphasizing the United States' “opposition to the forced relocation of Palestinians” from both areas. A firm position and in stark contrast to the rumors of the last few days. Israeli President Isaac Herzog also weighed in on the issue, claiming that the relocation was “absolutely not the position of the Israeli government, the Israeli parliament or Israeli public opinion.” Although several politicians have recently spoken about it and there have been talks with other states to take in the refugees and “liberate” Gaza.
• Seven Palestinians killed in West Bank
In Jenin in the West Bank, an airstrike carried out by Tel Aviv forces using drones killed at least seven people, while an Israeli border police officer, 18-year-old Sergeant Shay Germay, died in the explosion of a bomb that hit the vehicle in which he was on the way. • The hostages and the lie detector. Last night there was a new demonstration by the families of the hostages to protest against Bibi Netanyahu. He is increasingly nervous, says correspondent Francesco Battistini: “This is shown by his most recent appearance, a bill that wants to force the ministers who will from now on take part in the war cabinets to take a lie detector test.” Bibi was unable to read the leaked news from Thursday evening digest the dispute between the military and the extreme right over the establishment of a commission of inquiry into the mistakes of October 7th. “These leaks are a plague, we can’t continue like this…”.
• Bremmer and the risk of escalation
Eurasia founder and director Ian Bremmer says in an interview with Massimo Gaggi: “Neither Tehran nor the Emirates nor the Saudis have an interest in the region being devastated by a real war, but there are many other fuses that can catch fire .” . After three months of war in Gaza, there are fires in Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank, the Red Sea, not to mention the anti-Semitic and Islamophobic violence… There are too many actors in the region with an interest in resolving the conflict to make it ever bloodier, even at the price of losing control of the situation.”
(This analysis was published in PrimaOra, the newsletter that the Corriere offers to its subscribers. To receive it you must subscribe to Il Punto: you can do this free for 30 days here.)
6:14 a.m. – CNN: “Israel is far from destroying Hamas”
Despite three months of high-intensity military operations that caused extensive damage in Gaza and caused numerous civilian casualties, Israel is still a long way from destroying the Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas, which is responsible for the October 7 attack that killed nearly 1,200 people people were killed. Victims in Israel. This was written by the television channel “CNN”, which wonders whether Tel Aviv's goal is still what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in October, namely the complete destruction of the Islamist group.
“History does not support military campaigns aimed at eradicating entrenched political-military movements,” Bilal Y. Saab, associate fellow for the Middle East and North Africa at the think tank Chatham House, told CNN. “The leadership of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is well aware that the most they can do is significantly weaken Hamas's military capabilities,” the expert added. In this sense, Israel has had some successes: The IDF claims to have killed thousands of Hamas fighters, including some high-ranking members, and to have demolished some parts of the vast network of tunnels the group built underground in the Gaza Strip. However, the challenges still appear to be numerous and no goal is on the horizon as international and domestic pressure mounts on the Israeli government and Netanyahu.
5:47 a.m. – Media: “Eight dead in raid on Deir Balah refugee camp”
Arabic broadcaster Al Jazeera reports that at least eight Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Deir al-Balah refugee camp in the center of the Gaza Strip tonight.
5:26 a.m. – Blinken is expected in the Emirates and Riyadh today, and in Israel tomorrow
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia today before traveling to Israel, where he will meet authorities tomorrow. The US diplomatic chief's journey continues as he tries to prevent a regional expansion of the conflict between Israel and Hamas. He was in Jordan and Qatar on Sunday and will also visit the West Bank and Egypt in the coming days after meetings with Israeli authorities on Tuesday.
4:53 a.m. – Media: “Gaza, bombs on hospitals in Khan Yunis and Deir al-Balah”
Arab media reports that Israeli drones bombed two hospitals in the Gaza Strip last night, the European one in the southern city of Khan Yunis and the Shuhada al-Aqsa in the center of Deir al-Balah. Last night, two medical aid groups cited by CNN announced their withdrawal from Al-Aqsa Hospital after the Israeli army dropped leaflets ordering Palestinians to evacuate to “shelters” in the area.
03:51 – Prime Minister of Qatar: Joint efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in his meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, stressed “the need for concerted efforts at the regional and international levels to reach a ceasefire, to stop the bloodshed, to protect civilians, to provide assistance and to limit the bloodshed. “Spread of the conflict in the region.” This was reported by the Doha Foreign Ministry in a statement quoted by the Guardian.
3:30 a.m. – Hamas: Israel attacks Gaza's cultural heritage
Israeli forces reportedly destroyed over 200 historical sites in the Gaza Strip, including mosques, churches, museums and ancient houses. This was said by Hamas official Osama Hamdan. Al Jazeera reports on it. According to Hamdam, the attack on these buildings is a “failed attempt to obscure the presence and cultural heritage of Palestinians.”
03:09 – Israel thanks Germany for its support during the war
As part of the German head of state's fourth visit to the Jewish state, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz thanked his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock for the country's support during the three-month war against Hamas in Gaza. “As the son of Holocaust survivors, I think it is particularly important that Germany stands by our side and fully supports us in all our efforts,” Katz told Baerbock at a meeting at which the German minister also welcomed the relatives of over 100 hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza. Katz also criticized South Africa's “absurd lawsuit” at the International Court of Justice against Israel, which he accuses of committing genocide against the Palestinian population in Gaza, and asked Baerbock for Berlin's support for the Jewish state in this matter.
2:49 a.m. – West Bank, little girl killed by military bullets
A four-year-old Palestinian girl was killed by Israeli soldiers in Bidu in the second Palestinian attack of the day on West Bank streets. This was reported by the Palestinian news agency Maan, according to which the fire was directed by border guards towards the car of a Palestinian who had just hit two officers. The driver was “neutralized” and his condition is unknown. An Israeli agent was not seriously injured.
According to Israeli police, “a car carrying a man and a woman arrived in Ras Bidu, near Jerusalem, and carried out an attack that overwhelmed the border guards assigned to the border crossing.” The Militants fired at the vehicle and neutralized the terrorists.” “After these shots aimed at the terrorists – the police added – a Palestinian girl who was in another vehicle at the border crossing was hit.” The border guard was arrested in non-serious conditions admitted to a hospital in Jerusalem.
2:39 a.m. – According to Israel, “the war could last a year”: And fears of a regional war are growing
Israel Defense Forces officials and former senior intelligence officers have said they expect the war in Gaza to continue for at least another year.
Such a long time horizon – which, given events in these first three months of the conflict, could lead to thousands more civilian casualties and the deepening of a profound humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip – increases the risk that the war will grow, as stated by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken can “expand and produce metastases”.
The statement about the possible duration of the conflict came in a briefing by Commander Daniel Hagari, spokesman for the Israeli army. According to Hagari, the center and south of Gaza, where military efforts are now concentrated, are “infested with terrorists” and there is “an underground city with branching tunnels”; It will therefore take three months to liberate the area and the fighting will “continue all year round”. “It will take a year to dismantle Hamas,” said General Amos Yadlin, former head of Israeli military intelligence.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated last Sunday that the war will not end until three goals are achieved: “dismantle” Hamas, free the Israeli hostages and ensure that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel's security. “I say this to both our enemies and our friends. That is our responsibility and that is our obligation,” he said.
1:33 a.m. – Blinken: “The war could spread.” Palestinians must be allowed to return to their homeland and more must be done to reduce civilian casualties.”
“This is a moment of profound tension in the region. The conflict could easily spread and metastasize.” During a press conference in Doha, Qatar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken used these words to reiterate the urgency and importance of his mission in the region.
Blinken, who pledged on behalf of the United States that “we will continue to defend maritime security in the region following attacks by Houthi rebels on merchant ships in the Red Sea,” made clear that “obstacles to the delivery of aid remain. “The needs to reach the people of Gaza remain far too high,” and promised that in Israel in the coming days he will “reinforce the message of the need to do more to prevent civilian casualties.” “
The United Nations, he continued, “could play a role in assessing what needs to be done to enable the return of Palestinians who have been forced to leave their homes.” “Palestinian civilians,” he reiterated, “They must be allowed to return to their homeland and not be forced to leave the Gaza Strip.”
Commenting on the news of three reporters killed in an Israeli attack today, Blinken used the term “unimaginable tragedy” and said that “too many reporters are being killed in Gaza.”
01:00 – Middle East, three more journalists killed in Gaza by Israeli raid
(from Andrea Nicastro, our correspondent) Wael is 53 years old and has a face as round as his waist. He is Palestinian and lives in Gaza. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres often thinks of him when he speaks of the Gaza Strip as a “humanitarian nightmare,” a “children's cemetery,” “where no one is safe,” a “tragedy for which history will condemn us all.” Because Wael cannot be suspected of fighting for Hamas, transporting weapons or hiding terrorists. He is Dr. Wael Al-Dahdouh, head of Al Jazeera's Arabic bureau. In three months, millions of viewers have gotten to know him with the blue bulletproof vest he always wears and the word “Press” on his chest. In October, he lost his wife, a 15-year-old son, a seven-year-old daughter and a one-year-old grandson in the Israeli bombing of the Nuseirat refugee camp. They saw him cry when he received the news from his colleagues. Then in December they saw him on a stretcher.
00:43 – Herzog: Relocations from Gaza? This is not Israel's position
The resettlement of Palestinians outside the Gaza Strip is “not officially” Israel’s position. Israeli President Isaac Herzog told NBC News, commenting on statements made by some members of the government. Forced expulsion from Gaza is “absolutely not” Israel's position, but he added: “In a society where freedom of expression is the basis of our DNA, people can say whatever they want,” Herzog said, the officials “have spoken about the voluntary abandonment of the Gaza Strip, but I say openly, officially and unequivocally that this is not the Israeli position.”
00:26 – WP: The US fears that Netanyahu wants to expand the war against Lebanon
The US fears that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to expand the Middle East war into Lebanon to ensure his political survival, amid domestic criticism of his government's inability to prevent the October 7 Hamas attack. The Washington Post revealed it today. The newspaper cites “private conversations” in which the government allegedly warned Israel of a significant escalation in Lebanon. If this is the case, a new secret assessment by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has found that it will be difficult for the IDF to succeed in this initiative because its resources and military assets are too spread across the various fronts would be The Conflict.