Dozens of civilians have been killed in Israeli strikes in the southern Gaza Strip. This was reported by the Palestinian news agency Wafa. And the danger of escalation is growing throughout the Middle East. The massacre with almost 100 deaths in Iran – on the anniversary of the assassination of General Soleimani – triggers new revenge intentions. A senior adviser to President Raisi blames Israel and the United States: “Washington says the US and Israel played no role? Make no mistake, the responsibility lies with the United States and the Zionist regimes.” According to the Wall Street Journal, Israel has now told its allies that it was not involved in the attack in Kerman. But the murder of Hamas number two Arouri in Beirut also shook the area. And the leader of Hezbollah, Nasrallah, announces: The crime will not go unpunished. American concern is highlighted by the departure of Secretary Blinken and diplomatic envoy Hochman to the Middle East.
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3:12 p.m
The Pentagon: “Threats to the US from Iraq and Syria”
“The United States continues to take measures to protect its forces in Iraq and Syria and to address the threats posed by these two countries,” a Pentagon source told the American Arabic-language television channel al-Hurra after the Iraqi capital Baghdad News had arrived of a raid against pro-Iranian militias.
2:57 p.m
US source confirms: “US Army has targeted pro-Iranian militia in Baghdad”
A US government military source confirmed that “the US military has targeted a militia leader in Baghdad who is accused of being behind attacks on US military personnel.” he told Portal. The source, who spoke anonymously, said the attack hit a vehicle in Baghdad and targeted a Harakat al Nujaba leader, but did not give his name. Police sources and witnesses said a drone fired at least two rockets at a building used by the Iraqi militia group in eastern Baghdad.
2:21 p.m
Gaza, Ministry of Health: 22,438 deaths
The Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip announces a new death toll of 22,438.
1:56 p.m
US Army attack in Baghdad
The raid in Baghdad that killed the commander of a pro-Iranian militia was carried out by the US army, which blamed him for attacks on US bases in the region, Portal reports, citing a US official .
1:54 p.m
Iran, ISIS claimed responsibility for explosions in Kerman
ISIS reportedly claimed responsibility for two explosions yesterday in Kerman, Iran, which killed 84 people and injured 284 others. This was reported by X “Mizan”, the website of the Iranian judiciary, citing “some media reports”.
1:21 p.m
IDF, the head of military intelligence: We have the ability to cause damage from the Gaza Strip to Tehran
“The IDF's work is based on intelligence information. The high-quality and extensive intelligence information provided by military intelligence saves the lives of many soldiers and inflicts enormous damage on our enemies, from Gaza to Iran and in all areas where complex challenges must be overcome. “This stated, according to reports from the Israeli Media “The Times of Israel” and “Channel 12” the head of the IDF Intelligence Directorate, Major General Aharon Haliwa, at the graduation ceremony of the Israel Defense Forces IDF officer course. “Intelligence service.
“For almost 90 days, the State of Israel and the IDF have been engaged in a multi-front war. The IDF, including the Military Intelligence Directorate, operates on all fronts, in defense and offense,” he says. Haliwa. “This is not an easy campaign. It will take time. But we will achieve the goals. We have the strength, the power and the abilities. And we have you, military intelligence. They are the most valuable and important asset we have,” he adds.
12:58 p.m
China: “We reject attacks on civilian ships in the Red Sea”
“China rejects attacks on civilian ships. I believe that all parties should play a constructive and responsible role in ensuring the security of shipping lanes in the Red Sea.” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said this during a press conference, referring to recent attacks from Yemen on Israeli-affiliated merchant ships in response to events in the Gaza Strip. In his speech, Wang did not specifically mention the Houthis, the Yemeni group that claimed responsibility for the attacks.
(Portal) 12:38
UN: “Calls for Palestinians to leave Gaza are worrying”
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said today he was “very concerned” by comments from senior Israeli officials calling on Palestinians to leave Gaza. “I am “very disturbed by the statements made by senior Israeli officials about plans to transfer Gaza civilians to third countries,” Turk wrote upon returning to their homes. International law prohibits the forcible transfer of protected persons to or deportation from occupied territories.”
12:03 p.m
Iraq: Pro-Iran militias, brutal American aggression in Baghdad
The Popular Mobilization Force (PMF), a coalition of militias nominally under the control of the Iraqi army and linked to Iran, said in a statement that its deputy chief of operations in Baghdad, Mushtaq Taleb al-Saidi, known as “Abu Taqwa,” was killed “as a result of brutal American aggression.” One of the officials said al-Saidi was entering the garage of al-Nujaba militia headquarters along with another militia fighter, Abu Sajjad, one of the PMF members, when the car was hit and both died.
Military vehicles were stationed around the site of the attack, on Palestine Street in Baghdad, and Associated Press journalists were not allowed near the target building. Iraqi warplanes flew over the area.
(Portal) 11:37
Israel, house hit by rocket fired from Lebanon
A house in the northern Israeli city of Metula was hit by an anti-tank missile fired from Lebanese territory. This was reported by the chairman of the city's local council, quoted by Haaretz.
(afp) 11:00
Two pro-Iranian militia commanders were killed in a raid in Baghdad
Two militants were killed in an attack on an Iranian-backed militia base in the Iraqi capital Baghdad. This was reported by Abu Dhabi newspaper The National, citing news broadcast by a Telegram channel linked to the militias and after two explosions were heard in the eastern part of Baghdad. The militias, we read, blame the US and say those killed were “high-ranking commanders.”
10:33 a.m
Red Crescent, one dead in raid on our headquarters in Gaza
Israeli forces “targeted the headquarters of the Palestinian Red Crescent in Khan Yunis, killing one person and injuring six people.” The organization writes this on X and explains in another message that a raid took place on the fifth floor of the headquarters. The aid organization released several videos about the attack, in which it spoke of “panic and fear among the displaced.”
(afp) 10:01
Al Jazeera, 14 dead in raid near Gaza evacuation zone
The Al Jazeera network reports that tonight “there was constant shelling near the evacuation zone of al-Mawasi, where the Israeli army directed people to seek refuge” and “a house was destroyed near this area . The two families who sought refuge there were killed,” for a total of 14 people. The youngest victim was five years old and the majority were under 10 years old.”
In another incident reported by the Palestinian Wafa agency, six people died in an airstrike on farmland housing displaced people west of Khan Yunis.
(afp) 09:40
Raisi: “Israel is trying to destabilize the region”
Accusations by the Iranian President against Israel Ebrahim Raisi. “They are desperately trying to sow insecurity in other areas of the region because there is a global attack against them and the expected results have not been achieved,” Raisi argued in a telephone conversation with the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. The Iranian agency Tasnim reported this this morning.
Iran, Raisi said in his conversation with Al Thani last night after the Kerman massacre, “has shown that acts of terrorism cannot undermine its will, its national cohesion and its spirit of resilience.”
(afp) 08:57
Iran, 84 dead in explosions in Kerman
84 people died and at least 284 were injured after twin explosions yesterday in Kerman, Iran, during memorial services for former Revolutionary Guards Qods Force commander Qassem Soleimani on the fourth anniversary of the Pasdaran leader's assassination UNITED STATES. This was announced by the Interior Ministry, correcting the figures presented yesterday and citing forensic data, as reported on X'Mizan', the Iranian judiciary news site. The number of 103 deaths reported yesterday had already been corrected by the Ministry of Health, according to which the names of some victims had been recorded incorrectly twice.
08:00
NYT: Khamenei wants to avoid clash with US
Despite the rhetoric and accusations against “Zionists”, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is trying to prevent yesterday's attack in Kerman from leading to a military escalation with the United States and Israel. This is what the New York Times writes, citing two people “familiar with Iran’s internal discussions.”
According to the American newspaper, Khamenei ordered his military leaders to exercise “strategic patience” and avoid any serious escalation with the United States, for example by limiting proxy attacks by Shiite militias on US military bases in Syria and Iraq and minimizing responses to any alleged Israeli ones Operations within the Islamic Republic.
The NYT also states that although Iranian intelligence indicates no Israeli involvement in yesterday's massacre near General Qassem Soleimani's grave, Tehran's leadership has decided to publicly blame Israel for the attack, regardless of the evidence.
06:33
Nine Hezbollah guerrillas were killed in Israeli strikes
A local Hezbollah official, Hussein Yazbek, was killed in Israeli strikes yesterday along with eight other members of the group during clashes on the border with Lebanon: Al Jazeera reports. Yesterday the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallahgave a speech in which he called the killing of Hamas' number two politburo, Saleh Al-Arouri, “blatant Israeli aggression.”
(afp) 03:01
Gaza, Dozens of civilians killed in the central and southern parts of the Gaza Strip
Dozens of civilians were killed and others injured in Israeli attacks on civilian homes in the central-southern Gaza Strip, Palestinian news agency Wafa reports. Civilians were killed in an airstrike in the Khirbat al-Adas area of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. According to the agency, Israeli fighter jets also attacked residential areas in the central province of the Gaza Strip, killing and wounding dozens of people. The Palestinian Red Crescent (PRCS), meanwhile, said Israeli forces continued to bombard homes and locations with artillery in the area of Al-Amal Hospital and the PRCS headquarters in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, during the night.
(afp) 02:52
Mother and uncle of a US soldier rescued from Gaza
The mother and uncle of an American soldier were brought safely from fighting in Gaza in a secret operation coordinated by the United States, Israel, Egypt and other countries. An American official told the Associated Press. It is the only known operation of its kind to extract American citizens and their immediate families during months of devastating Israeli ground fighting and airstrikes in Gaza. The woman managed to leave Gaza on New Year's Eve with her brother-in-law, an American citizen. The rescue was kept secret for security reasons. The Israeli army and Israeli officials were involved in the exfiltration.
02:02
Blinken travels to the Middle East
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken Today we're heading to the Middle East with a stopover in Israel. Even the American diplomatic envoy Amos Hochstein will travel to Israel to try to ease tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.
(Portal) 00:54
Starts from Lebanon towards northern Israel
Israeli forces have identified “several launches from Lebanon toward Israeli territory that struck open areas of Goren, northern Israel,” says the IDF, the Israeli army. “A terrorist group identified in the Yaroun area of Lebanon has been attacked.”
(afp) 00:15
Media, Israel to allies: “We are not involved in the Kerman massacre”
Israel has told its allies that it was not involved in the double explosion in Kerman near the cemetery where General Qassem Soleimani is buried, which killed 95 people. This was revealed by the Wall Street Journal, emphasizing that the modus operandi of the massacre is not consistent with that of other attacks attributed to the Jewish state in Iran, as these are more precise and target specific people or military infrastructure.
00:01
Tehran: “USA and Israel responsible for Kerman attack”
“Washington says the United States and Israel played no role in the terrorist attack in Kerman, Iran. Really? just a tool. He writes it on X Mohammad JamshidiDeputy Chief of Staff for Political Affairs to the President of Iran Ebrahim Raisiabout the two explosions that occurred near the cemetery where General Qassem Soleimani is buried.
Washington says the US and Israel played no role in the terrorist attack in Kerman, Iran. Really? A fox first smells its own hiding place. Make no mistake. The responsibility for this crime lies with the USA and the Zionist regimes, and terrorism is only a tool.
— Mohammad Jamshidi (@MhmmdJamshidi) January 3, 2024