Israel-Hamas Conflict: Iran Reportedly Sends Destroyer To Red Sea; US Sinks Houthi Boats

Over a dozen Israeli northern border communities demand to be evacuated

A total of 14 communities in Israel's northern border with Lebanon filed a petition with the High Court, demanding that they be evacuated from the area or be compensated for the damages since the Oct. 7 massacre by Hamas militants, Haaretz reported Monday.

Of the said communities, seven are communities only within five kilometers (approximately 3.1 miles) from the Lebanese border.

Northern Israel residents have expressed frustration over the unrest near the border with Lebanon since the war started as Hezbollah attacks intensified in recent weeks.

Israeli forces arrest 10 individuals overnight

Joint forces of the IDF, Israel Border Police (MGB) and security agency Shin Bet arrested 10 wanted individuals Sunday night across Judea and Samaria, the IDF said Monday. Two of the detained were linked to Hamas, the IDF added.

Hamas reiterates ceasefire pre-requisite before hostage releases: Arab media

Hamas has once again reiterated that it will not release more hostages until Israel agrees to a ceasefire, Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya reported Monday, citing a Hamas source.

The source confirmed that there were talks with Egyptian mediators, but that Hamas' position regarding a permanent halt to the fighting before hostage releases will not change.

The news comes days after reports that Hamas and its ally, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), rejected Egypt's proposal that they relinquish authority in the Gaza Strip in exchange for a permanent ceasefire.

Some withdrawn troops will prepare for possible northern border war: Report

Some of the Israeli troops that will be pulled out of the Gaza Strip will prepare for a potential war against Hezbollah, Reuters reported Monday, citing an Israeli official.

The news comes amid increasing missile and rocket launches by Iran-backed Hezbollah from Lebanon, which Israel borders in the northern front. As earlier reported, the Israeli army has withdrawn a reserve unit and is preparing to reduce its Gaza forces by at least five brigades.

IDF loses 4 more soldiers in Gaza ground offensive

The Israeli army lost four more soldiers in ground battles across the Gaza Strip, the IDF announced Monday on its tribute page for fallen soldiers.

• Maj. Constantine Sushko, 30 – fighter in the 706^th Engineering Battalion of the Golani Brigade
• Capt. Harel Itah, 22 – team commander in the Givati Brigade patrol
• Sgt. Liav Saada, 23 – fighter in the 7107^th Engineering Battalion
• Sgt. Eliraz Gabbai, 37 – fighter in the 7810^th Battalion of the Yiftah Brigade

Itah died Saturday from wounds sustained during a battle in the southern Gaza Strip on Dec. 22, the IDF said.

Kerem Shalom reopens for humanitarian aid inspection

A total of 170 trucks carrying humanitarian aid were inspected in the Nitzana and Kerem Shalom crossings Sunday, the Israeli government said. The trucks, which carried food, medical supplies, water, and shelter equipment have entered the Gaza Strip.

The news comes after the Kerem Shalom crossing was shut down last week at the request of the United Nations amid difficulties in the Gazan side of the crossing, the Israeli government said at the time.

Sirens sound in northern Israel

Rocket sirens sounded in communities near Israel's northern border with Lebanon Monday morning, local media reported.

Iranian destroyer heading to Red Sea: Iranian media

An Iranian destroyer and a warship are on their way to the Red Sea, Arab media reported Monday, citing the semi-official Iranian Mehr News Agency. The said Iranian military assets are expected to be positioned near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, where Yemen's Houthis have carried out multiple attacks against merchant vessels in the past few weeks.

Israeli warplane strike kills Hamas' elite 'Nukhba' company commander: IDF

An Israeli fighter jet attacked and killed Adel Msammah, the commander of Hamas' elite "Nukhba" force in Deir al-Balah, the IDF said Monday.

The Nukhba unit is the same troop that invaded Israel on Oct. 7, the IDF said. Msammah is accused of commanding the "field" on the raid in Kibbutz Kissufim during the Oct. 7 massacre of more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals.

UK preparing to attack Houthis with airstrikes: Report

The British army is preparing to attack Houthis in Yemen amid the rebel group's aggression in the Red Sea, British newspaper The Times reported Sunday.

Under the plan, the United Kingdom may join another European nation to launch missiles against pre-determined targets either on the sea or Houthi posts within Yemen, the newspaper reported.

Also, the UK and U.S. are reportedly expected to release an "unprecedented statement" that should serve as a warning to Houthis to stop their hostilities in the Red Sea or face the allied countries' joint military arsenal.

The report came around the same time British defense secretary Grant Shapps said the Houthis should stop their "atrocious attacks" and "illegal campaign" against commercial shipping.

Israel hasn't seen 'worst' of Hezbollah: Former foreign policy advisor

Israel has not even seen the ugliest side of Hezbollah, even with intensified strikes from the Lebanon-based terror group targeting northern Israel communities, an analyst said Monday.

"We haven't seen the worst with Hezbollah, unfortunately," said Dr. Jacques Neriah, an analyst with think tank Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and a former foreign policy adviser to Israel's fifth prime minister Yitzhak Rabin.

The Iran-backed militant group has been increasing missile and rocket attacks toward Israel in recent weeks, especially after the first seven-day truce between Israel and Hamas collapsed early in December.

29 Israeli soldiers killed in accidents since Gaza ground campaign: Local media

A total of 29 IDF soldiers were killed in "accidents" since the ground offensive in the Gaza Strip started, local Channel 13 reported Monday, as per a Google translation.

Of the deceased, 18 were killed "as a result of bilateral fire," the report added.

The news comes as the Israeli army's ground operations across the Gaza Strip continue. The IDF has lost at least 170 soldiers since ground operations started late in October.

Pentagon commanders pressing for more action over Iran proxies: Report

Some senior Pentagon commanders are pressing the Biden administration to take more aggressive steps in addressing recent attacks by "Iranian proxies" targeting American troops, the New York Times reported Sunday.

The report comes as Iran-backed groups continue to attack Israel and U.S. assets, including American forces in Iraq.

Israel intercepts aerial target launched from the 'east'

An Israeli warplane intercepted a "suspicious aerial target on its way to Israeli territory from the east," the IDF said late Sunday.

Israel borders Syria and Jordan on the east. The Israeli army has carried out several strikes in Syria since the war started. A senior adviser of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was killed in an Israeli airstrike last week. Iran has since vowed vengeance for the general's death.

5 brigades expected to withdraw from Gaza: Local media

A total of five IDF brigades are expected to leave the Gaza Strip as part of the Israeli government's efforts to boost the Israeli economy, local i24 News reported Monday morning local time.

As previously reported, one reserve unit has already exited the enclave. Another reserve unit is also withdrawing from the Strip.

Israel looks to replace all Palestinian workers in 2024: Report

Israel is planning to replace all Palestinian workers with foreigners and Israelis in 2024, national broadcaster Kan reported early Monday local time.

The plan, which proposes a permanent replacement of Palestinian employees to reduce Israel's dependence on Palestinian workers, is expected to be presented to the Israeli cabinet in about two weeks, as per the report.

Among the foreign nationals who will be hired for the said plan are Sri Lankans (25,500), Chinese (20,000), workers from India (17,000), Thais (13,000), and workers from Moldova (6,000).

IDF begins withdrawing some troops from Gaza: Report

The Israeli army has started reducing its troops in the Gaza Strip as part of the government's preparations for 2024, Haaretz reported Sunday.

The first reserve unit has returned to its base, with at least two more reserve brigades expected to be released, as per the report. Depending on the ground situation in Gaza, the IDF intends to withdraw more forces from the enclave.

Israeli warplanes attack Hezbollah 'terrorist center' in Lebanon

Israeli fighter jets on Saturday attacked several military buildings and infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah in the Ramiya village in southern Lebanon, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) said.

The Iran-backed terror group uses part of the village "as a terrorist center," the IAF said.

Netanyahu defends IDF Gaza campaign

The Israeli army is "acting as morally as possible" in its military campaign in the Gaza Strip, Netanyahu reiterated Sunday amid increasing criticism from the international community over thousands of civilian deaths in the enclave.

He said the IDF was "doing everything to avoid harming civilians" while Hamas was using the Palestinian people as human shields.

The United Nations has consistently called for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire" in Gaza, which Israel has rejected, saying a ceasefire at this point in the fighting would give Hamas time to regroup.

Hamas kicks off 2024 with rocket barrage toward Israel: IDF

Hamas has "decided to start 2024 by launching a barrage of rockets at Israel," the Israeli army said late Sunday.

"New year, same Hamas terrorism," the IDF posted on X on New Year's Eve, along with a video that it said showed a salvo of rockets being fired toward Israel from the Gaza Strip.

Israel waiting for Hamas' decision regarding new truce

Israel is only waiting for Hamas' decision on whether it was willing to pursue a new ceasefire-hostage deal in the coming weeks, Haaretz reported.

It is expected that the Palestinian militant group will make a choice within the next day, before a Hamas delegation arrives in Cairo for talks with Egyptian mediators, the report added, citing an Israeli official.

Israeli officials believe that Hamas leaders have not yet ruled out the possibility of considering Egypt's proposal for a new truce agreement, as per the report. If talks on the new deal do progress, an Israeli official said discussions are expected to be "significantly more complicated" this time around.

"The very fact that talks are still ongoing is an achievement at this stage. Both sides' positions are very far apart, and no drafts have been exchanged. The move won't mature anytime soon," a source familiar with the discussions told the outlet.

Iraq air base that hosts US troops attacked: Arab media

The Ain Al-Assad air base in western Iraq was attacked by a drone early Monday local time, Sky News Arabia reported.

The said air base hosts American and other western troops and was also the second-largest U.S. military base in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom which lasted for roughly eight months.

Former PA minister killed in Israeli airstrike: Palestinian media

Youssef Salama, a former minister of religious affairs in the Palestinian Authority (PA), was killed in an Israeli airstrike in his home at the Al-Maghazi refugee camp Sunday, multiple local outlets reported, citing the Palestinian Wafa news agency.

Salama was also reportedly the former preacher of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem.

The Al-Maghazi camp is located in central Gaza, which recently became the target of expanded IDF operations following the reported capture of several Hamas strongholds in the northern Gaza Strip by Israeli forces.

Palestine's ambassador to Pakistan, Ahmed Ameen, seemingly confirmed Salama's death in a post on X early Sunday.

The IDF has yet to comment on the reports.

Netanyahu calls out South Africa for genocide accusation

The Israeli Prime Minister minced no words in his criticism of the South African government after the latter on Friday lodged a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Israel of conducting "genocidal" acts in the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu criticized what he said was "South Africa's mendacious pontificating to the effect that Israel is 'perpetuating genocide.'" It was Hamas perpetrating genocide against Israelis, Netanyahu said in a series of posts on X late Sunday.

He went on to ask South Africa "and the rest of those who are preaching at us" where they were "when millions were murdered and uprooted from their homes in Syria, Yemen and other areas."

Since the war started, South Africa recalled all of its diplomats in Israel. The ruling African National Congress (ANC) party has been vocal of its support for the Palestinian cause.

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Maersk suspends Red Sea operations yet again

Following Houthi attacks on one of its merchant vessels, shipping giant Maersk said it will once again suspend shipments in the Red Sea, this time for 48 hours.

The Danish shipping and logistics giant said its Maersk Hangzhou was attacked by missiles and Houthi small boats while sailing in the Red Sea Sunday. There was no indication of fire onboard the attacked vessel and the crew were safe.

Maersk halted Red Sea operations after Yemen's Houthi rebels first kicked off a series of attacks against commercial vessels in the area in November. The Danish company resumed Red Sea shipments late last week on a limited operation, only to be disrupted once more by the latest Houthi attacks.

US sinks 3 of 4 Houthi boats attacking Maersk ship

Two U.S. helicopters responded to a distress call from the Maersk Hangzhou vessel in the Red Sea Sunday morning, after the merchant ship reported that "four Iranian-backed Houthi small boats" were attacking the ship twice in a day and had come "within 20 meters of the vessel," the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

The attackers tried to board the vessel, the U.S. army said, adding that the crew of the small boats fired at the American aircraft. The U.S. helicopters fired back, "sinking three of the four small boats, and killing the crews."

The fourth boat "fled the area" following the fire exchange. There were no damages to the U.S. aircraft and no personnel injured in the incident.