Following yesterday's wave of Russian attacks on Ukraine – the number of attacks rose to 32 fatalities today – 32 Ukrainian drones were shot down last night over the Moscow, Bryansk, Kursk and Oryol regions in a series of fatal attacks, according to local authorities at least one dead and four injured. A Russian Black Sea ship shot down a drone en route to Crimea. The Israeli government spokesman accused UNRWA of covering up the alleged kidnapping of aid supplies by Hamas.
Former Albanian Prime Minister Berisha is under house arrest
The Albanian Court Against Corruption and Organized Crime has approved the special prosecutor's request to place former center-right Prime Minister Sali Berisha, the main opposition figure, under house arrest and open an investigation into alleged corruption. In October, the special court had ordered Berisha to appear before the criminal investigation department twice a month and not to leave the country, but three times in a row the former prime minister ignored the judge's order, prompting prosecutors to demand stricter precautionary measures against him.
IDF searches Hamas intelligence headquarters in Khan Younis and seizes valuable material
The Israeli army raids a Hamas intelligence headquarters in Khan Younis. A spokesman for the IDF, the Israel Defense Forces, told The Times of Israel that troops from the 7th Armored Brigade pushed further into the southern Gaza Strip and raided Hamas sites in Khan Younis, including the headquarters of the Palestinian group's intelligence division. The headquarters is responsible for all Hamas intelligence activities in the Khan Younis area, the IDF said, adding that a Palestinian Islamic Jihad command center is also located in the same complex. According to the IDF, troops recovered “very valuable” intelligence material from the sites. Meanwhile, Givati Brigade troops raided several other Hamas sites in southern Gaza. Before troops maneuvered deeper into Khan Younis, the 98th Division and the Air Force carried out around 50 attacks on targets in the area, including tunnels and other infrastructure used by Hamas to attack troops, according to the IDF.
WSJ, 70% of homes in Gaza hit or destroyed
About half of Gaza's buildings have been damaged or destroyed by the war, with 70% of houses affected. The Wall Street Journal wrote about it, basing its report on satellite photos and other remote sensing methods. The target buildings include factories, houses of worship, schools, shopping centers and hotels, he says. Israeli forces have often said that many schools, mosques and other buildings were hit because they were used for military purposes and as bases of operations for terrorist groups in Gaza. Only eight of Gaza's 36 hospitals can accept patients, it said, and most of the basic infrastructure for water, electricity and communications has been demolished. “The word 'Gaza' will go down in history along with Dresden and other famous cities that were bombed,” Robert Pape, a political scientist at the University of Chicago who has studied the history of the airstrikes, told the newspaper. This is reported by the Times of Israel.
Israel announces a four-hour pause in fighting in Rafah
The Israeli military announced a four-hour tactical pause in fighting at a camp in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Military activities would be temporarily suspended for humanitarian reasons, an army spokesman said in Arabic on X. The pause is intended to allow the population to receive help. The Israeli army had previously called on residents of the besieged southern coastal town of Khan Younis to seek safety in Rafah, near the Egyptian border. The army has also designated a route for civilians to avoid fleeing via Khan Yunis, which the military says is “dangerous.” “Gaza Strip residents, the IDF is using force against Hamas and terrorist organizations. Here are some urgent instructions,” said the Arabic report by army spokesman Avichay Adraee: “For resupply purposes, there will be a local and temporary tactical cessation of military activities for humanitarian purposes in Rafah camp from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.” “The fighting and the military advance of the Defense Force in the Khan Yunis area,” he continues, “do not allow movement of civilians across the Salah al-Din axis in the sections north and east of the city of Khan Yunis.” The Salah al-Din axis is a battlefield, so it is dangerous to get there!” “The IDF will allow the humanitarian movement of civilians across the axis running west of Khan Yunis. Transportation in both directions from the areas of Rafah and Khan Yunis towards Deir al-Balah and the central fields will be possible through the following axes: Al-Rashid Road “Al-Bahr” – Al-Shuhadaa Road to Deir Al- Balah.”
Zelensky, the death toll from yesterday's Russian airstrikes has risen to 39
At least 39 people were killed in yesterday's Russian attacks, which were among the most violent since the start of the conflict in Ukraine. The new budget was announced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “Unfortunately, 39 people have died at the moment,” he wrote on social networks and expressed his “condolences” to the families.
In 2023, the number of migrants landed increased by 50%.
In 2023, the number of migrants landed increased by 50% compared to the previous year. This emerges from the Ministry of Interior's statistical dashboard, which presents the situation from January 1, 2023 to December 29, 2023 compared to the data for the same period in previous years. Specifically, the figures reported up to December 29, 2023 amounted to 155,754 migrants landing in one year (over 17,000 unaccompanied foreign minors), while in the same reference period in 2022 there were 103,846. The peak of landings occurred in August, when 25,673 migrants arrived during the month.
Türkiye, 189 arrests for terrorism in 37 provinces
Turkish authorities arrested 189 people in 37 provinces who were suspected of having ties to IS, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya wrote in X. The arrests for terrorism, the minister said, took place in several cities, including Ankara, Antalya, Bursa , Corum, Gaziantep and Izmir . “Our fight against terrorism will continue until the last terrorist is neutralized,” Yerlikay said. In recent weeks, Turkish authorities have intensified operations against ISIS and Kurdish militants.
According to the IDF, 80% of Hezbollah rockets fired yesterday fell in Lebanon
About 80% of Hezbollah rockets fired from Lebanon yesterday hit Lebanon. This was stated by the IDF spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Avichai Edrei, in a post on “X”. “Hezbollah violates Resolution 1701” of August 11, 2006, which called for a complete cessation of hostilities (both Hezbollah attacks and Israeli military operations), “and continues to use the Lebanese as hostages in its decisions to attack Hamas “We continue to attack Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon.”
During the night, 70 Ukrainian drones flew towards Russian military sites
Last night, Ukrainian forces fired over 70 drones against military facilities on Russian territory, causing “significant damage” to the country's military-industrial complex, Kiev security services sources told Ukrainian media. “On the night of December 29-30, Ukrainian security and defense forces launched a fierce attack on military facilities on Russian territory. In total, more than 70 drones of various types were involved in the attack,” the sources said.
Media, 100 Palestinian deaths in one day in Gaza
According to reports, around 100 Palestinians died and another 158 were injured in bombings by Israeli forces in the central Gaza Strip area on the last day of the war. Al Jazeera reports this, citing a medical source. Since the week-long ceasefire ended last month, Israel has expanded military operations in the enclave, previously concentrated mainly in the north.
Israel, fierce fighting is raging throughout the Gaza Strip
This morning there is fierce fighting in Gaza between the Israeli army and Hamas terrorists, reports the Israeli Air Force on X. The fighting, writes the Times of Israel, is taking place throughout the Gaza Strip. The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) announced that it destroyed two Hamas military buildings in the northern city of Beit Lahia yesterday. Several of the terrorist group's targets were attacked in the north and center of Gaza, Walla reported. Hours earlier, Israeli air force and ground forces attacked targets in the southern city of Khan Yunis.
According to British intelligence, Moscow is at risk of losing 500,000 men by 2025
If Russia continues to lose so many men in its war in Ukraine, there could be over 500,000 dead and wounded by 2025. This is what the British Ministry of Defense writes on X in the usual intelligence update. “In 2023 – we read – the average daily number of Russian casualties (between dead and injured) in Ukraine has increased by almost 300 units per day compared to 2022.” This growth, British Defense continues, “is fairly reflective Security reflects the deterioration of the Russian armed forces and their transition to a mass army of lower quality and quantity following the 'partial mobilization' of reservists in September 2022. “It will likely take Russia between five and ten years to rebuild a group of highly qualified and experienced military units.”
Putin's party politician died under mysterious circumstances
Vladimir Egorov, a politician from Russian President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party, was found dead in his backyard in Tobolsk, Siberia. “There are no external signs of violence” on the body, investigators told Kommersant. Russian media reported that police had not yet determined the cause of 46-year-old Yegorov's death, but the Tobolsk City Duma published an obituary on its social media page saying Yegorov died “as a result of an accident.” . The unofficial Telegram channel Baza – which has ties to Russian security services – said Yegorov's body was “discovered on Wednesday in the courtyard of his house on Kedrovaya Street.” Egorov's death adds to the list of deaths of prominent Russian figures in unclear circumstances, including several businessmen linked to Russia's two largest energy companies. They include Ravil Maganov, president of Lukoil, Russia's second-largest oil and gas company, who spoke out against Russia's war in Ukraine last year. According to the Tass news agency, Maganov died when he fell from the window of a Moscow hospital. Then Russian sausage magnate and former lawmaker Pavel Antov, another member of the United Russia party who topped Forbes' 2018 list of the country's 100 richest officials, died in India after falling from the third floor of his hotel. Months earlier, he had reiterated his support for Putin after denying that he had posted an anti-war message on WhatsApp, calling it an “unfortunate misunderstanding and technical error.” In May, Russian Deputy Minister of Science and Education Pyotr Kutscherenko died after falling ill on a plane with a Russian delegation returning from a business trip to Cuba. A journalist who said he had spoken to Kutscherenko months earlier reported that the man feared for his safety.
Ukraine: Major Russian attack, 13 casualties in Kiev, total 32
The number of victims of the major attack by Russian armed forces on the night of Thursday to Friday in Kiev has risen to 13: the capital's mayor, Vitaliy Klitschko, announced this morning on Telegram. “Two more bodies were recovered from the rubble. Currently 13 people have been killed,” the statement said. The total number of deaths in the attack rises to 32. There is no information yet on the number of injured, which was 160 until yesterday.
UNRWA, Israeli insinuations lead to disinformation
“In recent days, several statements by Israeli officials have blamed or directly blamed UNRWA for gaps in aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip. These statements were amplified by Israeli and other traditional and social media, leading to a stream of unfounded disinformation,” said Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner General of the United Nations Agency for the Relief and Employment of Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). .
“Given the severe restrictions on humanitarian access by the Israeli authorities, the humanitarian operation faces several challenges,” emphasizes Lazzarini. He also states: “This is not the time to exchange accusations and spread misinformation.” International humanitarian law is very clear: the State of Israel, as an occupying power, must ensure access and the provision of basic services to the population. Likewise, all parties to the conflict must facilitate humanitarian access to all those in need. Food, water, fuel and any humanitarian aid must never be used as a weapon of war. Aid must never be diverted or politicized.” He concluded, “once again calling on the media to review their reports and cross-check information, including statements from government officials, before publishing information.”
New: Israel had no plan to respond to the October 7 attack
The Israeli military had no plan to respond to a large-scale Hamas attack. This is the content of statements from officials interviewed by The New York Times on October 7 for a journalistic investigation and published today by the newspaper. “It may be months before we understand the reasons for the Army's slow response. The government has promised an investigation. But a New York Times investigation found that the Israeli army was undermanned, out of position and so poorly organized that soldiers communicated in makeshift WhatsApp groups,” the paper said. “There was no defensive plan for a surprise attack,” Amir Avivi, former deputy head of the Gaza division, told the newspaper. “The army does not prepare for things it considers impossible,” commented former national security adviser Yaakov Amidror. The report paints a picture of an army that failed to realize the scale of the attack for hours, responded slowly and inefficiently, and deployed undersized teams that were ill-equipped to deal with a mass attack. The Hamas attack on the IDF Gaza Division base in Re'im is also highlighted as key to the attack's success, as it led to the paralysis of the unit responsible for coordinating all military activities in the region. In the absence of clear instructions or orders, many units have resorted to apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram to gather information about targets and people in need of assistance.
Nine people are killed in a Russian attack in Zaporizhia
The death toll from yesterday's Russian missile attack on the city of Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine has risen to nine: interim mayor Anatolii Kurtiev announced this in Telegram, as Ukrinform reports. The Russians “brutally killed nine innocent civilians in our city,” Kurtiev wrote, announcing that a day of mourning had been declared in Zaporizhia. A total of twelve rockets were fired at the city: one of them hit a residential building and completely destroyed it. At least 30 people were killed and 160 injured in the massive Russian attack on Ukraine yesterday. The death toll in Zaporizhia is the highest recorded in a single affected location.
Israel: “Dozens of terrorists were killed in Gaza City yesterday”
Israeli ground forces, with the support of the air force, killed “dozens of terrorists” in Gaza City yesterday, including 15 hits by the air force: the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced this morning on Telegram. Ground forces also destroyed a terrorist cell in Gaza City's Shejaiya district and a “terrorist armed with a grenade launcher.” In addition, two Hamas military complexes were dismantled in the north of the Gaza Strip – in Beit Lahia – where Israeli troops found numerous weapons, explosive devices, military equipment and communication devices. Two more “terrorists” were also killed in the Beit Lahia area, the statement said.
Moscow, one dead and four injured in Kiev's attack on Belgorod
One person was killed and four injured, including a 10-year-old boy, in an attack by Ukrainian forces on the Russian city of Belgorod. This was stated by the governor of the region Vyacheslav Gladkov, quoted by Tass. Damage to ten private residential buildings was reported in the attack. Two cars were also damaged. In addition, damage to the water supply system was recorded in Belgorod.
The Biden administration approves the sale of $150 million in military equipment to Israel
The Biden administration bypassed Congress and approved a sale of nearly $150 million in military equipment to Israel for the second time since the beginning of the month. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Congress that he had made an emergency decision to immediately authorize the transfer of “155mm supplies, including detonators and primers that make the 155mm projectile operational,” a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Given the urgency of Israel's defense needs, the Secretary informed Congress that he has exercised his delegated authority to determine whether there is an emergency requiring immediate authorization of the transfer,” he added, recalling that this Articles added to the previous ones were “Increasing the total value of the sale to $147.5 million.” CNN reports.
Gaza, Hamas: “We do not want another temporary ceasefire”
There were no talks of a hostage deal in exchange for another temporary ceasefire. This was stated by Osama Hamdan, a representative of Hamas in Lebanon, in an interview with Al Jazeera, after which Hamas had told mediators that the group's priority was a permanent ceasefire and that there was currently no talk of releasing hostages before the war Fight stops. According to Hamdan, Israel leaked false information to stave off growing internal pressure on the government for a hostage deal. This is reported by the Times of Israel.
UN call for urgent increase in aid to Gaza, 'traumatized and exhausted population'
UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths is calling for an “urgent” increase in aid to the people of Gaza amid a new “mass exodus” towards the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the south of the Strip. UN humanitarian workers estimate the number of displaced people who have arrived in Rafah in recent days at around 100,000 and fear a further deterioration in the already “terrible conditions in the area”. “A traumatized and exhausted population” is being “crammed into an ever smaller part of the country,” denounced Griffiths. “Do you think it is easy to bring aid to Gaza? Think again,” the UN official wrote in a post on X on Friday, listing the obstacles facing humanitarian workers in the Gaza Strip.
“Three levels of inspection before trucks can enter,” inadequate access points, “constant shelling,” poor communications and damaged roads are some of the obstacles hampering the delivery of humanitarian aid in a region where “relief workers come to them as soon as they are “killed” and “the emergency shelters have long since exceeded their maximum capacity”. “It is an impossible situation for the people of Gaza and those trying to help them. The fighting must stop,” demanded Griffiths. According to the United Nations, some 1.9 million Gazans, or 85% of the enclave's population, have been displaced since the conflict between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) flared up on October 7.
Moscow, 30 drones were shot down at dawn over the Briansk, Oriol, Kursk and Moscow regions
Russian anti-aircraft defense shot down over thirty Ukrainian drones over various regions of the country at dawn today. This was announced by the Ministry of Defense in Moscow: “Yesterday evening we stopped an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack using drones against targets on the territory of the Russian Federation,” he writes on Telegram. The ministry said in the same statement that “deployed air defense units intercepted and destroyed 32 Ukrainian drones flying over Bryansk, Oryol, Kursk and Moscow regions.”
Kiev, 8 Russian warships in the Black Sea, including 3 rocket launchers
Eight Russian warships were on combat duty in the Black Sea this morning, including three rocket launchers with a salvo of up to 16 Kalibr cruise missiles, the Ukrainian Navy said on Facebook, Ukrinform reported. In addition, one Russian warship was spotted in the Sea of Azov and three in the Mediterranean, including two missile launchers with up to 16 Kalibr missiles on board.
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