Dec. 16: Chief of Staff Halevi on IDF killing of 3 hostages in Gaza: We failed

Netanyahu says it’s ‘a fiction’ to claim he funded Hamas; reveals he’s wearing a hostages dog tag

In answer to a question, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pulls out from under his shirt a dog tag he is wearing urging the return of the hostages, during a press conference at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, December 16, 2023. (Screenshot)

Answering a final volley of questions at a Tel Aviv press conference, Prime Minister Netanyahu says “I don’t intend to get into politics” when it is put to him that Likud MK Yuli Edelstein has intimated he has no political future when the war is over.

Defense Minister Gallant, asked about when Israelis can return to their homes in the north and south, says people will start returning to areas near Gaza in January. The process will work “from north to south, far to near.”

He says areas close to northern Gaza are gradually becoming less endangered.

On the northern border, he says, “deterrence is strong.” But in order for people to be able to go home, there has to be an area with no Hezbollah presence on the other side of the Lebanese border — and this will be achieved either through negotiation or by force.

Netanyahu is asked about international support and opposition for his day-after vision of no Palestinian Authority role in Gaza.

He says lots of international players agree but won’t say so. They say they want him to give the Palestinians the start of a statehood process, and that he can then find a way to block it, he claims.

He says he recalls US President Biden, when he visited Israel as vice president, asking him what the solution to the Palestinian conflict will be: “I told him the Palestinians can have all the rights to run their lives but none of the sovereign rights to endanger our lives,” Netanyahu says. When Biden responded that this would not constitute sovereignty, “I said ‘true.'”

He again says many agree with his day-after plans: “I don’t even rule out that we can reach an agreement with the United States on this,” he adds.

Asked about fuel and humanitarian aid for Gaza, he says Israel pledged to the US, under the terms of the truce in late November, to allow the entry of “minimal fuel” to prevent the spread of disease and humanitarian collapse, and of 200 trucks carrying food and humanitarian aid daily.

The Rafah crossing only has capacity to properly check 100 trucks a day, so Israel has temporarily opened the Kerem Shalom crossing to check another 100 trucks. Rafah’s capacity is to be expanded, with US funding, he says, and when that happens Kerem Shalom will close.

He is asked why he kept enabling the entry of Qatari funds into Gaza, strengthening Hamas’s rule, and also why he is not critical of Qatar for its support for Hamas.

He says he has “heavy criticism” regarding Qatar and “you’ll hear more about this.” For now, he says, he is focused on the hostages.

On the issue of Qatar’s funding for Hamas, he says money went into Gaza “before my governments and after… not to strengthen Hamas but to prevent humanitarian disaster.”

He says he compared Hamas to Islamic State in 2014, and that Israel harmed Hamas’s capabilities in a series of conflicts, killing thousands of terrorists during his years in power.

“One thing we didn’t do: We didn’t go to invade Gaza or to do what we are doing now because there was no national consensus for it, and certainly no international legitimacy.”

Today, he says, “there is national consensus but look how hard we have to fight on the question of international legitimacy” even after the monstrous assault of October 7.

The notion that he funded Hamas, he says angrily, “is a fiction that they are always nurturing… The truth is what I’m telling you now.”

Finally, he is asked if he is wearing a “Bring them home” hostages dog tag and, without a word, unbuttons the top of his shirt to show that he is.

Hamas: No new hostage deal ‘unless the aggression against our people stops once and for all’

Hamas issues an official statement saying the terror group will not agree to another deal for the release of hostages it’s holding in Gaza “unless the agression against our people stops once and for all.”

The statement says Hamas has communicated this stance to mediators.

Advocating opposite approaches to freeing hostages, rival demonstrators face off outside Kirya

Some 100 people holding signs advocating for uncompromising warfare against Hamas rally in Tel Aviv, facing off with demonstrators chanting “ceasefire now.”

The demonstrations on Begin Road, opposite the Kirya military base, underline growing divides in Israeli society over the war with Hamas, which after erupting on October 7 prompted displays of unity following nine months of a wave of protests against the government’s judicial overhaul that rocked Israeli society.

Members from the two rallies trade insults, in scenes reminiscent of those protests. One woman shouts at the protesters: “What you’re doing is at the expense of the lives of the hostages.”

Another shouts: “Have you no shame, you swine!”

Police separate the two groups, but a woman from the demonstration supporting a deal with Hamas approaches the other and cries out, “Would you also say nothing if your daughter were held hostage?”

One of her ideological rivals, Eyal Lahiani from Beit Shemesh, tells her: “I support freeing the hostages but only through military action.”

The rally of people who oppose a deal with Hamas is taking place for the second consecutive week, Lahiani says, and is led by a hawkish group called the Mothers’ March.

PM: I’m proud I blocked a Palestinian state. Looking at Gaza, everyone sees what would have happened

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, December 16, 2023. (Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90)

At the Tel Aviv press conference, Netanyahu is asked by a reporter why he did not withdraw from the Oslo Accords, given that he keeps criticizing them.

“I inherited the Oslo Accords,” he says. “The decision to bring the PLO from Tunis, and plant it in the heart of Judea and Samaria [West Bank], and in Gaza, was a decision made and implemented before I became prime minister. I thought it was a terrible mistake and I still do.”

Turning on the reporter, he says: “You and your journalist friends have been blaming me for almost 30 years for putting the brakes on the Oslo Accords, and preventing the Palestinian state. That’s true,” he says.

“I’m proud that I prevented the establishment of a Palestinian state because today everybody understands what that Palestine state could have been, now that we’ve seen the little Palestinian state in Gaza. Everyone understands what would have happened if we had capitulated to international pressures and enabled a state like that in Judea and Samaria, surrounding Jerusalem and on the outskirts of Tel Aviv.”

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant describes his own role in the 1990s as a senior IDF officer in Jenin tackling terrorism, and reducing it to a low. Then came the Oslo Accords, “and after a short time, 500 armed Palestinian policemen landed” in the Jenin area, “another 5,000 elsewhere in Judea and Samaria and 7,000 in Gaza.” That started a process with dire consequences, including the vast proliferation of weapons. “The Oslo Accords started that process” and the accords were rife with errors, Gallant says.

Answering a question about the Houthi threat, Gallant says the Yemeni rebels started out attacking ostensibly Israel-affiliated ships and are now attacking all kinds of shipping. “It’s a world problem that also affects Israel,” he says.

He adds that the Houthis have fired “dozens of missiles” at Israel, most of which were destroyed. “We are ready to act. We know what to do. We will find the timing,” says Gallant.

“We are giving a chance” for the international community to deal with the threat to shipping.

Rocket warning alerts activated in evacuated kibbutz near Gaza

Rocket warning sirens sound in Kibbutz Mefalsim, which was evacuated together with neighboring communities shortly after the Hamas onslaught on October 7.

PM: Day after war, IDF will maintain responsibility for security in Gaza

This handout photo distributed by the Israel Defense Forces on December 16, 2023, shows Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip amid the war against Hamas. (Israel Defense Forces)

At the continuing Tel Aviv press conference, Netanyahu is asked whether US envoy Amos Hochstein is mediating efforts regarding Hezbollah and the northern border.

He doesn’t answer directly regarding Hochstein. But he says there is a series of imperatives Israel is dealing with.

First, there needs to be “crushing victory” over Hamas, with Hezbollah deterred in the north, he says. Once Hamas is destroyed, Israel will focus on the north, where almost 100,000 Israelis are currently displaced from their homes.

Either there will be a diplomatic situation on the northern border, “or there will be a different way” to solve the situation, he says.

War cabinet minister Benny Gantz, alongside Netanyahu, is asked whether he is prepared to state categorically that he opposes Palestinian statehood. Gantz says that first the war must be won, “and dealing with anything else is politics, and I don’t intend to get into that.”

Netanyahu is asked whether he passed up an opportunity to send the head of the Mossad to talks in Qatar on a new hostage deal a few days ago. He says he won’t make the mistake of telling Israel’s enemies about its considerations. He says Israel is also “negotiating” with the enemy via “blood, fire and pillars of smoke.”

He says the combination of military force and diplomatic efforts secured the release of 110 hostages last month.

Regarding Hamas’s conditions for a deal, he says “they have all kinds of demands” including that “the war end and [Israel’s] troops are booted out… The minute we capitulate to that, Hamas wins. And we are obligated to eliminate [Hamas] and to get all the hostages back.”

Asked what his vision is for Gaza on the day after the war, Netanyahu says: “I said there will be demilitarization. I said the IDF will be responsible for security in the Gaza Strip, because there is no other factor that will ensure the fight against terrorism. And I can tell you that there will be a civil governance that does not educate its children to destroy Israel… I’m very clear on this.”

He says much of Israel backs this, and that he has championed it for a long, long time.

Regarding a New York Times report on Mossad revelations regarding Hamas’s money machine, and Israel’s failure to tackle the issue, Netanyahu says he is not aware of the report. “After the war,” all these and other matters will be thoroughly investigated, he says.

‘One of the most tragic incidents I’ve ever known’: Gallant says he’s responsible for hostages’ deaths

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant speaks during a press conference on December 16, 2023. (YouTube screenshot; used in accordance with clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says he takes responsibility for the tragic, accidental killing of three hostages in Gaza by IDF troops on Friday.

“As defense minister, I take responsible for everything that happens in the security establishment, and everything that happens in this war, the achievements and the costs, and the severe mistakes. The same is true for the incident yesterday,” says Gallant during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and war cabinet minister Benny Gantz.

Gallant says he has spoken with all the families of the hostages who were killed, describing the calls as “charged, painful, and difficult, first of all for the families, but also for me personally.

The defense minister notes the complexity of fighting in the Shejaiya district where the incident took place, with Hamas fighters “in every house and every alleyway,” and notes the area is full of booby traps and potential ambushes.

“I have lost commanders and brothers in arms, I have seen a lot of difficult incidents, a lot that were close to me, including friends dying in battle. This is one of the most tragic incidents I have ever known,” says Gallant.

“The price of war is very high. We pay it every day, but when you know that you are on a path  that is just, then you are willing to pay a price until you achieve your entire goal, which here is destroying Hamas and returning all the hostages to their homes.”

Netanyahu: I won’t let ‘Hamastan’ turn into ‘Fatahstan’; Gaza will be demilitarized

Continuing to address the nation in a press conference from IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, Prime Minister Netanyahu argues that “only military pressure” secured the release of hostages in last month’s truce and only military pressure will secure the release of the rest of the hostages.

“Without it, we have nothing,” he says.

He reiterates that he will not allow “‘Hamastan’ to turn into ‘Fatahstan'” with the Palestinian Authority returning to govern Gaza, even if this is the wish of Israel’s staunchest ally.

He cites a survey last week that found 82% of Palestinians in the West Bank justify the October 7 slaughter, and notes that the PA has yet to condemn the onslaught. “They should control Gaza?” he asks, referring to the PA, and stresses that he won’t let that happen.

Rather, says, after Hamas is destroyed, “Gaza will be demilitarized” and pose no threat to Israel.

Netanyahu vows to ‘learn the lessons’ after 3 hostages killed by troops in Gaza

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference on December 16, 2023. (YouTube screenshot; used in accordance with clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

At a press conference, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the tragic killing of three hostages by the IDF on Friday “broke my heart, it broke the hearts of the nation.” But, he stresses, the IDF ground operation will continue, and the war will continue until Hamas is destroyed.

“We are fighting for our existence,” Netanyahu says, “and we have to continue until victory” — despite international pressure and the losses Israel is suffering.

He says he mourns the “tragic deaths of our three hostages” — Yotam Haim, Samar Talalka, Alon Shamriz — mistakenly shot dead Friday morning by IDF soldiers.

“They touched salvation, and then the disaster happened,” he says.

He says he has been asking himself, and doubtless all Israelis have been asking, “What if… ” and “If only something had been different…. We were so close to embracing them.”

“But we can’t turn back the clock,” he says, noting that all warriors know that “the distance between victory and disaster is a hair’s breadth.”

“We will learn the lessons,” he promises, and stresses that Israel will maintain “the military and diplomatic effort” to bring back all the hostages.

Army says it intercepted surface-to-air missile shot at IDF drone over Lebanon

The IDF says air defenses intercepted a surface-to-air missile fired at an IDF drone over Lebanon earlier this evening.

It says the drone was not hit, and the missile did not enter Israeli airspace.

Footage from the Sea of Galilee area captured the moment of the interception.

Footage of the interceptor missiles over the Sea of Galilee area. No immediate information from the IDF. pic.twitter.com/cMhl2QdJQo

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) December 16, 2023

Retired general: Hamas can’t be defeated unless everything is done to return the hostages

If Israeli hostages remain in Gaza, their presence will be “a burden of weakness for decades,” warns Maj. Gen. (res.) Amos Gilad during the weekly solidarity rally at Tel Aviv’s so-called Hostages Square.

Gilad, who now serves as the executive director of the Institute for Policy and Strategy and previously headed IDF Military Intelligence’s Research Division, says, “No victory is possible over Hamas if it later turns out that not everything possible was done to retrieve them.”

“An exchange is a matter of national security, and your presence here at the rally is paramount to achieving it,” says Gilad.

Hamas official says no new hostage deal until Israel halts offensive in Gaza

Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan speaks during a rally organized by Lebanon's Hezbollah terror group to express solidarity with the Palestinian people, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, May 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Hamas politburo member Osama Hamdan says the terror group will not agree to another deal for the release of hostages it’s holding in Gaza until Israel halts military operations and accepts Hamas’s conditions for an agreement.

Organizer of Tel Aviv rally for hostages asks members of crowd to stop chanting ‘shame’

Chants of “shame” spread spontaneously across Shaul Hamelech Boulevard, the traffic artery running along the Kirya military base.

The chants come from the thousands of participants in the weekly solidarity rally with Israeli hostages being held in Gaza. They follow speakers’ appeals for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make a deal with Hamas for the release of 129 people still presumed to be held in Gaza.

The chants echo those heard during the rallies against the government’s planned judicial overhaul held across Israel in the nine months that preceded the Hamas onslaught on October 7.

A spokesman for the Hostage and Missing Families Forum, which organizers the rallies, comes onto stage to ask the crowd to stop chanting “shame.”

“Save it for different roads and junctions at a different time,” he says. “There is no place for politics here. From now on shout ‘now’ instead of ‘shame,'” adds the man, who does not introduce himself to the crowd.

In Tel Aviv, Michael Rapaport slams Red Cross for not doing more on hostages: ‘F***ing disgrace’

Michael Rapaport addresses a rally at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv calling for the release of those kidnapped to Gaza by the Hamas terror group, on December 16, 2023. Yehuda Bergstein)

Reading figures about those still presumed to be held hostage in Gaza, actor Michael Rapaport interlaces the Hebrew-language word for “now” into an English-language speech at the Tel Aviv demonstration demanding the captives’ release.

Rapaport, a Jewish American who is an outspoken advocate of Israel in the war against Hamas, singles out the Red Cross for not doing enough to secure the hostages’ release.

“You’re a fucking disgrace,” Rapaport says in his New York accent, triggering applause.

“This is not a crisis of the State of Israel or the Jewish people, this concerns everyone so get your shit together,” Rapaport says at the Tel Aviv rally.

“I’ve been here for only five days but I know Israel will rise from this,” adds Rapaport, who during his visit participated in the filming of a sketch on campus antisemitism in the United States with the cast of Israel’s “Eretz Nehederet” satirical TV show.

IDF spokesman says there was no intel about hostages who escaped or were abandoned

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says the military will continue to investigate the killing of three Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip yesterday.

“The fighting is complex, with unprecedented characteristics that we have never faced before,” he says.

Responding to a question, Hagari says the IDF had no intelligence on hostages who managed to escape Hamas captivity or were abandoned by the terrorists who were holding them.

Commenting on US Navy forces downing 14 Houthi drones in the Red Sea, launched from Yemen at Israel, Hagari says it is “a reminder of our cooperation with our allies.”

He says the head of the US Central Command, Gen. Michael Kurilla, visited Israel over the weekend to hold an assessment with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi.

Hagari says the generals discussed “the defense challenges in the area, and threats in the areas,” including the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.

Addressing Tel Aviv rally remotely, NYC mayor calls for immediate release of hostages

In a filmed address, New York Mayor Eric Adams reiterates his call for the release of hostages held in Gaza, using rhetoric that echoes the demands of families seeking an agreement with Hamas.

“Not one more day, not one more night, we must not rest until all your hostages are freed and allowed to come home to families without delay. In the name of all that’s right and just,” Adams says in his address, which is being projected on a giant screen at Tel Aviv’s so-called Hostages Square.

The thousands of participants in tonight’s rally applaud passionately in response to the address by Adams, who also notes that he is mayor of the city with the largest Jewish population in the world.

As in previous weeks, the participants chant “All of them now.”

The Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum supports a new agreement with Hamas. But other families with relatives held in Gaza, including those represented by the Tikvah forum, are not pushing for a deal, arguing instead for military action or an agreement with terms better than those understood to be the minimum now acceptable to Hamas.

Families of hostages plan to camp outside Kirya base in Tel Aviv

Families of Israelis being held hostage plan to camp out opposite an entrance to the Kirya military base, a spokesman for the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum says during the weekly solidarity rally for those held hostage in Gaza.

“We want to remind the cabinet that we are not against them, we are with them. But they need to be with us too,” says a spokesman for the forum, which represents families that support another deal with Hamas for the release of hostages. A weeklong truce deal at the end of November saw the release of 105 hostages.

The announcement comes as war cabinet ministers Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot are slated to meet with the families, who have complained that decision-makers are not accessible enough.

The weekly rally at Tel Aviv’s so-called Hostages Square, which thousands are attending, begins with a moment of silence for the three hostages mistakenly killed by Israeli troops in Gaza yesterday and for Inbar Heiman, whose killing in Hamas captivity was confirmed earlier this evening after she was presumed to have been abducted to Gaza on October 7.

Major shipping firms MSC and CMA CGM suspend passage through Red Sea

Illustrative: The "CMA CGM Palais Royal," the world's largest container ship powered by natural gas, sails in the bay of Marseille, southern France, on December 14, 2023. (Christophe Simon/AFP)

PARIS — Two more major shipping firms, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and CMA CGM, say they’re suspending passage through a Red Sea strait vital for global trade, after Yemeni rebel attacks in the area.

The announcement by MSC and CMA CGM follows a similar decision yesterday by two of the world’s largest shipping companies, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, after Houthi rebels said they were targeting vessels passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to pressure Israel over its war with Palestinian Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip.

Stage at Tel Aviv rally for hostages moved to highlight organizers’ demands

The stage for the weekly rally urging the release of hostages is facing the Kirya army base, following a rearrangement to highlight the organizers’ demands of the government.

From the stage, Shir Segal, whose mother Aviva was released from captivity in Gaza last month and whose father Keith is still presumed to be held hostage, addresses the security officials inside the base — the nerve center of the defense establishment.

“Gantz, Gallant, Netanyahu, we elected you, now heed our calls and the tremendous suffering of the hostages and approve the framework for a deal right now,” says Shir Segal, as several thousand people gathered at Hostages Square chant “now.”

Yamit Ashkenazi, the sister of Doron Steinbrecher, who is also from Kfar Aza and is believed to be held hostage, notes the “immense pain” the kibbutz is feeling after Israeli troops mistakenly killed three hostages in Gaza, two of whom were from Kfar Aza.

“The war’s objective is to bring them back alive but three hostages, two from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, are returning in coffins,” she says, adding that this shows the need for a “deal right now.”

In previous rallies, the stage faced north, opposite the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, with its back to the Kirya.

Another new development is a protest march, which stopped near the rally and is audible in the square. The 100-odd marchers are chanting “deal now.”

IDF, Shin Bet say 90 terror operatives detained at northern Gaza hospital

The IDF and Shin Bet security agency say that over the last few days, Israeli forces detained some 90 terror operatives at the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, and seized numerous weapons.

The joint statement says some of those detained at the hospital, which allegedly served as a Hamas base, participated in the October 7 massacre in southern Israel.

Troops of the 460th Armored Brigade and Navy’s Shayetet 13 commando unit raided the hospital, locating weapons, including assault rifles, RPGs, explosive devices, and military equipment belonging to Hamas operatives, the IDF says.

The statement says Shin Bet agents and interrogators of the Military Intelligence Directorate’s Unit 504 questioned hospital employees, who admitted that weapons were hidden inside incubators in the maternity ward.

The IDF and Shin Bet security agency say that over the last few days, Israeli forces detained some 90 terror operatives at the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, and seized numerous weapons.

The joint statement says some of those detained at the hospital, which allegedly… pic.twitter.com/P7vK2X26SE

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) December 16, 2023

Gantz and Eisenkot to meet with families of hostages

The Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum says that at its request, war cabinet ministers Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot will meet with representatives of the families at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square at 8 p.m.

Gantz is then slated to take part in a joint press conference at 9 p.m. with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

IDF says reservist killed, 2 wounded in drone attack near northern town

Warrant Officer (res.) Yehezkel Azaria. (Israel Defense Forces)

The IDF says a soldier was killed and another two were wounded, including one seriously, in the drone attack earlier today near the northern community of Margaliot.

The slain soldier is named as Warrant Officer (res.) Yehezkel Azaria, 53, of the 8th Armored Brigade’s 129th Battalion, from Petah Tikva.

The wounded soldiers are from the Alexandroni Brigade’s 6609th Reconnaissance Battalion.

Halevi on troops’ killing of 3 hostages: ‘We failed… They did everything so we would understand’

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi issues a video statement from the Southern Command HQ in Beersheba, December 16, 2023. (Israel Defense Forces)

In his first remarks after IDF troops killed three Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip yesterday, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi says he bears responsibility, and “we will do everything to prevent the recurrence of such cases in the continuation of the fighting.”

“The incident in which IDF soldiers mistakenly killed Yotam Haim, Alon Shamriz and Samar Talalka, may their memory be blessed, is a difficult and painful event,” Halevi says in a video statement.

“The three hostages who survived seventy hellish days, moved towards the IDF soldiers, and were killed by our forces’ fire.”

“There is nothing that the IDF soldiers and their commanders in the Gaza Strip want more than to rescue hostages alive,” he says.

“We did not succeed in this case. We feel the deep sorrow of the families for the deaths of the hostages,” Halevi continues.

Halevi says that “the IDF, and I as its commander, are responsible for what happened, and we will do everything to prevent the recurrence of such cases in the continuation of the fighting.”

“I try to place myself in the head of the soldier in Shejaiya, after days of hard fighting, close encounters, encounters with terrorists dressed in civilian clothes, who arrive in various deceitful ways. He must be alert and ready for any threat,” he says.

“A split-second decision can [result in] life or death,” Halevi says.

He adds that “the three hostages did everything so that we would understand [that they did not pose a threat]: They moved without shirts so that we would not suspect them of carrying a bomb on their bodies, and held a white cloth so that we would understand.”

“The shooting at the hostages was carried out contrary to the open-fire regulations. It is forbidden to shoot at those who raise a white flag and ask to surrender. But this shooting was carried out during combat and under pressure,” Halevi says.

Halevi says the IDF has completed a preliminary investigation into the incident, and immediately sent new protocols to ground forces. ”

We informed the families of the difficult findings and published them transparently to the public,” he adds.

“There may be additional cases in which hostages escape or are abandoned during the fighting, and we have the duty and responsibility to rescue them alive,” Halevi says.

“It is the fighting that brings the opportunities for the return of the hostages,” he says, possibly also referring in part to a previous deal with Hamas.

“Our troops have been fighting for seventy days in Gaza and on the other fronts, with bravery and determination to defend [Israel]. In one moment, the complexity of our just war in Gaza was revealed,” he says.

“We went out to fight in order to dismantle the enemy across the border, and to return the hostages home. Without the determined fighting, we will not be able to return the hostages, and we will not be able to return the [Gaza border] communities to safety,” Halevi says.

“We must continue the fighting with might, without taking our eyes off its goals,” he adds.

Egyptian air force downs drone off Sinai

ISMAILIYA, Egypt — The Egyptian air force shot down a drone off the Sinai Peninsula down the coast from the Israeli border, state-linked media reports.

Witnesses say they saw a second flying object crash on land further up the coast.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they had fired multiple drones at southern Israel.

Egyptian television channel Al-Qahera reports “the crash of an unidentified flying object in Egyptian territorial waters near the city of Dahab.”

It quotes witnesses as saying “air defenses detected the flying object and dealt with it immediately.”

A source in the security services tells AFP that it was a drone of which “the origin is still unknown.”

IDF publishes video of troops battling Hamas operative hiding in Gaza tunnel shaft

The IDF releases footage showing troops of the 188th Armored Brigade battling a Hamas gunman hiding in a tunnel shaft in Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood.

The helmet camera video shows soldiers surrounding the tunnel entrance, close to a school in Shejaiya, before a gunman opens fire from within. The troops are seen returning fire, with one of the soldiers dropping grenades inside.

The commander of the 188th Brigade, Col. Or Vollozinsky, says in a video statement that his forces encountered more than 20 Hamas cells in Shejaiya over the past week, and have killed dozens of operatives.

The IDF says the soldiers of the brigade have also seized many weapons hidden in homes, schools and other civilian sites.

The IDF releases footage showing troops of the 188th Armored Brigade battling a Hamas gunman hiding in a tunnel shaft in Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood.

The helmet camera video shows soldiers surrounding the tunnel entrance, close to a school in Shejaiya, before a gunman… pic.twitter.com/vVExNsMLpp

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) December 16, 2023

Hostages forum announces Inbar Haiman was murdered in Hamas captivity

Inbar Haiman was taken captive by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023 from the Supernova desert rave. (Courtesy)

The Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum announces that Inbar Haiman, 27, has been murdered after being abducted by Palestinian terrorists during the Hamas-led October 7 onslaught.

Haiman, an art student from Haifa, is survived by her parents and a brother.

Families of hostages urge Israeli leaders to meet them: ‘Meeting Biden is easier than the war cabinet’

Ruby Chen, holding an hourglass, speaks at a press conference on Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, Israel on December 16, 2023. (Canaan Lidor/Times of Israel)

Holding an hourglass at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, Ruby Chen says if he could he would hug the soldiers who accidentally killed three hostages in the Gaza Strip.

Chen’s son, Itay, is being held hostage by Hamas. Ruby is a representative of four families speaking tonight to hundreds of people gathered at the square.

The mistaken killing of the hostages has prompted a new outpouring of emotion in Israel, including by many lobbying for a second hostage agreement with Hamas.

“We have no time, this is why I’m walking around with this hourglass, both here and in the United States,” says Chen, who is a dual citizen of Israel and the US.

He makes two demands: “That the Israeli cabinet meet us today, and that it tells us what offer is on the table.” He says the cabinet is avoiding meeting families of hostages. “We need to free terrorists with blood on their hands to get the hostages back. Or my son’s coming home in a bag,” he says.

“Meeting US President Joe Biden is easier than getting a meeting with the war cabinet,” Chen adds.

The soldiers who killed the hostages are not to blame for the incident but the people who sent them there are, says Dany Elgarat, whose brother Yitzhak is being held by Hamas.

Elgarat threatens to “set up an encampment” outside the nearby Kirya army base until there is “an Israeli plan [for a swap with Hamas].”

Families of hostages urge new deal for their return: ‘A military operation alone won’t save them’

Freed hostage Raz Ben Ami calls for the return of her husband Ohad, who is still held hostage in Gaza by the Hamas terror group, during a press conference in Tel Aviv on December 16, 2023. (X video screenshot: used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

The families of hostages and their supporters hold a press conference in Tel Aviv, calling on the government to initiate a new agreement for the release of their loved ones after three abductees were mistakenly killed by troops in Gaza.

“This is an emergency,” says Raz Ben Ami, who was released by Hamas over two weeks ago as part of a temporary truce deal.

Ben Ami’s husband, Ohad, is still a hostage.

“I won’t give up until he’s here,” she says.

Ben Ami adds that she warned members of the government that the ground offensive in Gaza was putting hostages at risk.

“Unfortunately we were right,” she says, “A military operation alone will not save the lives of the hostages.”

“You promised you’d return the hostages alive, what are you waiting for?” she adds

Brother of slain hostage: ‘There was light at the end, now only darkness’

Ido Shamriz, the brother of hostage Alon Lulu Shamriz who was mistakenly slain by IDF soldiers along with two other captives as they tried to escape, posts a heartbreaking message on social media.

“Here there was light at the end, now there’s only darkness,” he posts on X. “Alon, my brother, a brave hero.”

The post comes after the IDF reveals that the three escaped hostages were shirtless and waving a white flag as they approached troops in Gaza’s battle-scarred Shejaiya neighborhood, but they were shot and killed in contravention of military open fire protocols.

הנה האור בקצה
ופתאום זה חושך

אלון אח שלי הגיבור והאמיץ 💔 pic.twitter.com/OMmlTcHaRF

— Ido Shamriz (@Ido_Shamriz) December 16, 2023

US says warship downed wave of 14 drones fired by Houthis

The US military says one of its warships in the Red Sea downed 14 drones fired by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

A statement by The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) says that the USS Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer operating in the Red Sea, “successfully engaged 14 unmanned aerial systems launched as a drone wave from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.”

“The UAS were assessed to be one-way attack drones and were shot down with no damage to ships in the area or reported injuries,” the statement says, adding that, “Regional Red Sea partners were alerted to the threat.”

In the early morning hours of December 16 (Sanna time) the US Arliegh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS CARNEY (DDG 64), operating in the Red Sea, successfully engaged 14 unmanned aerial systems launched as a drone wave from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. The UAS were… pic.twitter.com/Rjkzng5LxW

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 16, 2023

Tragic slaying of 3 hostages by IDF prompts torrent of criticism of PM, government

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, speaks to war cabinet minister Benny Gantz during a discussion and vote on the updated state budget at the Knesset plenum in Jerusalem, December 14, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The slaying of three hostages in Gaza by Israeli troops unleashes a torrent of criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government.

Multiple critics note that Netanyahu did not announce the tragedy in person, as then-prime minister Yitzhak Rabin did in 1994 following the attempted rescue operation of Nachshon Wachsman, which ended with the death of that abducted soldier and one of the commandos trying to save him.

Einav Schiff, a journalist for Yedioth Ahronoth, writes on Ynet: “The IDF spokesperson was abandoned last night. He was not the one who was supposed to look the public in the eye and inform them about the tragedy, but the prime minister or at least the defense minister and chief-of-staff. It’s not surprising but disappointing.”

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari announces that, in a tragic mistake, IDF troops in northern Gaza shot dead three hostages who were trying to escape their terrorist captors, December 15, 2023. (Screenshot)

Many government critics had toned down their opposition in the wake of the war unleashed by the October 7 Hamas attack, but renewed criticism today.

Uri Heitner, a historian and prominent figure within the Kibbutz Movement, connects Friday’s incident — which according to initial army probes happened even though the escaped hostages were unarmed and waving a white flag — to the liberal firearm policies and open fire calls of far-right Public Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

“People like the gang leader, who was busy turning over the stalls of Arab market vendors in Hebron when others his age risked their lives to defend the homeland, are preaching trigger happiness,” writes Heitner on Facebook.

Previously a vocal critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government, Heitner had largely stopped criticizing them publicly since the war broke out on October 7.

Dan Halutz, a former IDF chief of Staff who has not abandoned his criticism, escalates it following Friday’s tragedy.

“Bibi, the only image of victory possible after the failure of 2023 is of you leaving us with a white flag,” writes Halutz.

3 rockets fired from Lebanon; IDF shells source of fire

A picture taken from a position in northern Israel along the border with Lebanon, shows smoke billowing and a fireball erupting following Israeli bombardment on hills close to the town of Marwahin in southern Lebanon on December 16, 2023. (Jalaa Marey/AFP)

The IDF says three rockets were fired from Lebanon at northern Israel, setting off sirens in Kiryat Shmona and nearby communities.

It adds that troops are responding with artillery shelling.

There are no reports of injuries or damage.

Earlier, the IDF said it struck a number of suspects in an area known to be used by Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon.

Netanyahu to hold press conference at 8.30 p.m.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers remarks on December 5, 2023. (Screen capture: PMO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will give an address and hold a press conference at 8.30 p.m., his office says.

The address comes amid mounting criticism that the prime minister did not announce the tragic killing of three hostages by the IDF last night and amid stepped-up pressure to reach a deal to free additional captives.

Rocket warning sirens on northern border

Rocket warning sirens sound in towns along the northern border.

Sirens sound in Tel Hai, Misgav Am, Kiryat Shmona, Kfar Giladi, Margaliot and Manara.

The sirens come after rockets and explosive-laden drones were fired into Israel earlier in the day.

There are no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

🚨 More Rocket Alerts in northern #Israel 🇮🇱.

• Confrontation Line — Tel Hai, Misgav Am, Kiryat Shmona, Kfar Giladi, Margaliot, Manara pic.twitter.com/3Vo13QpioZ

— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) December 16, 2023

War cabinet to meet amid reports of fresh hostage talks

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and war cabinet Minister Benny Gantz address a press conference at the Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv, November 22, 2023. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

The war cabinet is expected to meet later this evening to discuss renewed efforts to reach a deal to free additional hostages, Hebrew media report.

The meeting comes amid reports that Mossad chief David Barnea met with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani last night in an effort to kickstart talks.

NYT: Israel had blueprint of Hamas’s financial infrastructure in 2018, but didn’t shut it down

File: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh flashes the victory sign before he speaks to journalists after his meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, in Beirut, Lebanon, on June 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Israeli intelligence obtained comprehensive details of Hamas’s financial empire in 2018 but did nothing to shut it down and stem the flow of funds to the terror group, The New York Times reports.

According to the report, documents found on the computer of a senior Hamas official listed what amounted to a private equity fund worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

It included “Hamas-controlled mining, chicken farming and road building companies in Sudan, twin skyscrapers in the United Arab Emirates, a property developer in Algeria, and a real estate firm listed on the Turkish stock exchange.”

However, the report says that even though the documents were shared in Jerusalem and Washington, nothing was done to disrupt the operations.

“Everyone is talking about failures of intelligence on Oct. 7, but no one is talking about the failure to stop the money,” Udi Levy, a former chief of Mossad’s economic warfare division, tells the paper “It’s the money — the money — that allowed this.”

The report says that the funds totaled some $500 million.

Levy says he briefed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2015 about  Hamas’s finances.

“I can tell you for sure that I talked to him about this,” Levy says. “But he didn’t care that much about it.”

Netanyahu declined to respond to the allegations, the paper says.

Report: Meeting between Mossad chief, Qatari PM on hostages took place last night

Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani addresses the opening session of the Doha Forum in the Qatari capital on December 10, 2023. (Salim Matramkot/AFP)

Mossad chief David Barnea has already met with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on efforts to find a new hostage deal, the Walla news site reports.

The Wall Street Journal had reported earlier that the meeting would take place later today in Norway.

However, Walla says the two have already met.

Citing two sources, the report says the talks are “just a beginning” and the process would be “long, difficult and complicated.”

One of the sources adds that CIA director Bill Burns and Egypt’s Intelligence Minister General Abbas Kamel were briefed on the meeting and are helping in the renewed push for a deal.

IDF hits Hezbollah targets in Lebanon after rocket, drone attacks

The IDF says it struck several more Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon, including military compounds and a rocket launcher.

The strikes come after several rockets and missiles were fired from Lebanon at northern Israel in the last few hours. Earlier, Hezbollah carried out an explosive drone attack.

The IDF says it is responding with artillery shelling at the launch sites.

Additionally, the IDF says troops struck two suspects who were identified at a known Hezbollah rocket launch position in southern Lebanon.

מטוסי קרב של חיל האוויר תקפו לפני זמן קצר שורת מטרות של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה, ביניהן מבנים צבאיים, עמדות שיגור ותשתיות טרור.

כמו כן, בשעות האחרונות זוהו מספר שיגורים משטח לבנון לשטח ישראל. צה"ל תקף בארטילריה בשטח לבנון>> pic.twitter.com/s3uxw0KofI

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) December 16, 2023

Mossad chief to meet Qatar PM in Norway for renewed hostage talks — report

Mossad director David Barnea speaks at a conference at Reichman University, on September 10, 2023. (Avshalom Sassoni/ Flash90)

Mossad chief David Barnea is set to meet with Qatari PM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani later today in Norway for talks aimed at finding a new hostage deal, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The report comes after Barnea met with Israeli defense chiefs earlier in the day to discuss efforts to free the hostages in the wake of the accidental killing of three of the captives by the IDF in Gaza.

Qatar was a key mediator in the first hostage deal that saw 105 civilians released from Hamas captivity in Gaza: 81 Israelis, 23 Thai nationals and one Filipino. Israel released 240 Palestinian security prisoners, all women and minors.

It is believed that 129 hostages remain in Gaza — not all of them alive. Four hostages were released prior to the first truce, and one was rescued by troops. The bodies of eight hostages have also been recovered and three hostages were mistakenly killed by the military. The Israel Defense Forces has confirmed the deaths of 20 of those still held by Hamas, citing new intelligence and findings obtained by troops operating in Gaza.

UK destroyer downs suspected attack drone ‘targeting Red Sea shipping’

Illustrative: An Egyptian watches the British destroyer HMS Diamond pass through the Suez Canal as it sails from the Red sea towards the Mediterranean, on December 2, 2012. (AFP)

A UK destroyer has brought down a suspected attack drone in the Red Sea, British Defense Minister Grant Shapps says, amid rising maritime tensions in the region.

“Overnight, HMS Diamond shot down a suspected attack drone which was targeting merchant shipping in the Red Sea. One Sea Viper missile was fired and successfully destroyed the target,” Shapps says in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Gallant meets defense, intelligence chiefs on efforts to return hostages

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, left, meets with IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Mossad director David Barnea and Shin Bet chief Tomer Bar, December 16, 2023. (Defense Ministry)

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant holds a meeting with military and intelligence chiefs “focused on efforts to return the hostages held in Gaza,” his office says.

Gallant met with IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Mossad director David Barnea and Shin Bet chief Tomer Bar, along with other senior officers.

The meeting comes in the wake of the mistaken killing of three hostages by the IDF yesterday and the ongoing breakdown in talks over a fresh hostage deal.

Initial IDF probe: Hostages were shirtless, waving white flag when soldiers opened fire

(From L-R) Hostages Yotam Haim, Samar Talalka and Alon Lulu Shamriz, who were killed mistakenly by IDF troops in Gaza on December 15, 2023. (Courtesy)

The IDF provides new details of yesterday’s tragic incident in Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood, during which three Israeli hostages who managed to escape Hamas captivity were shot dead by troops.

According to a senior officer in the Southern Command, citing an initial probe, the incident began after one soldier stationed in a building identified three suspicious figures exiting a building several dozen meters away.

All three were shirtless, with one of the figures carrying a stick with a makeshift white flag, according to the investigation.

The soldier, who believed the men moving toward him was an attempt by Hamas to lure IDF soldiers into a trap, immediately opened fire and shouted “terrorists!” to the other forces.

According to the probe, that soldier killed two of the men, while the third, who was hit and wounded, fled back into the building from which he came.

At that stage, the commander of the battalion, who was also in the building where the soldier shot from, went outside and called on the forces to halt their fire.

Meanwhile, sounds of someone shouting “Help” in Hebrew were heard by the troops in the area.

Moments later, the third man came out of the building to which he fled, and another soldier opened fire at him, killing him.

The battalion commander then realized that the appearance of the third man was unusual, and it was revealed to be an Israeli hostage. All three bodies were collected and taken to Israel to be identified.

The soldier who immediately opened fire upon identifying the three men did so against protocols, as did the second soldier who killed the third man, according to the officer.

Still, the IDF said it understands what led the soldiers to do so.

In Shejaiya, the senior officer says the IDF has not identified any Palestinian civilians in recent days.

The officer says troops have killed at least 38 Palestinian terror operatives in Shejaiya in recent days.

The only people seen wearing civilian clothing have been Hamas operatives, often unarmed. The operatives collect weapons left behind in various buildings, open fire at troops, and then flee again unarmed to another building.

The IDF has also encountered several seemingly unarmed civilians in Shejaiya, who later turned out to be Hamas suicide bombers.

There have also been several attempts by Hamas in the area to lure soldiers into an ambush.

On Wednesday, in what was initially thought to be unrelated to yesterday’s deadly mistaken shooting, the officer says that several hundred meters away the troops found a building with spray paint on the wall reading “SOS” in English, and another spray-painted message reading, in Hebrew, “Help, three hostages.”

The soldiers at the time believed the building was booby-trapped, but now the military is investigating a possible connection to yesterday’s incident.

Immediately following the incident, the IDF sent new protocols to ground troops for the possibility of more hostages managing to flee captivity.

The scenario itself, of hostages walking around in a battle zone, was never taken into account by the IDF.

The initial probe was completed today by the head of the IDF Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, and also presented to the families of Yotam Haim, Samar Talalka and Alon Lulu Shamriz, who were killed by the troops.

Rockets fired at Gaza border communities

Rockets are fired at communities near the Gaza border.

Warning sirens sound in Ein HaShlosha and Nirim.

There are no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

Rocket Alerts [13:17:33] – 2 Alerts:

• Gaza Envelope — Ein HaShlosha, Nirim#Israel #RocketAlert #RedAlert pic.twitter.com/UroCdfHDtJ

— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) December 16, 2023

Hostage families meeting to consider stepped-up protests, demand new deal

Families and supporters of hostages held by terrorists since the October 7 assault hold a demonstration outside the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv on December 15, 2023. (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP)

Families of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza are meeting to discuss stepping up protests against the government in a bid to set up renewed talks that could lead to a further release of captives.

The meeting comes after the IDF said yesterday that three hostages were mistakenly killed by the army in Gaza and after soldiers retrieved the bodies of three other hostages.

“We are playing Russian roulette,” Ruby Chen, whose son Itay is being held hostage, tells reporters in Tel Aviv outside the Defense Ministry.

“We can’t go on like this any longer. Each day we don’t know when we will be the one to get a knock on the door,” he says.

Raz Matalon, whose two relatives Yossi and Eli Sahrabi are hostages, calls on the government to present fresh proposals for a deal with Hamas.

“They have to put forward an Israeli proposal. I’m looking at the leaders in the eyes, this is on you, stop it. Give us a proposal now.”

Man seriously hurt in car explosion in Ashkelon; motive likely criminal

A man in his 30s is seriously wounded when an explosion occurs in his car in the southern city of Ashkelon, police and medics say.

Police say they are investigating the incident and it is most likely a criminal incident, not terror.

The Magen David Adom rescue service says the man has been taken to the city’s Barzilai hospital in serious condition.

Kuwait’s ruling emir, Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, dies at age 86

Kuwait's then-Crown Prince Sheik Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah attends the closing session of the 25th Arab Summit in Bayan Palace in Kuwait City, Wednesday, March 26, 2014. Kuwait's ruling emir, the 86-year-old Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, has died, state television reported Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Nasser Waggi, File)

Kuwait’s ruling emir, the 86-year-old Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, has died, state television reports.

Kuwait TV broke into programming with Quranic verses just before making the announcement.

In late November, Sheikh Nawaf was rushed to hospital for an unspecified illness. In the time since, the tiny, oil-rich nation had been waiting for news about his health. State-run news previously reported that he traveled to the United States for unspecified medical checks in March 2021.

The health of Kuwait’s leaders remains a sensitive matter in the Middle Eastern nation bordering Iraq and Saudi Arabia, which has seen internal power struggles behind palace doors.

Sheikh Nawaf was sworn in as emir following the 2020 death of his predecessor, the late Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah.

Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Jaber, now 83, is believed to be the world’s oldest crown prince. He is in line to take over as Kuwait’s ruler.

Kuwait is a nation home to some 4.2 million people and has the world’s sixth-largest known oil reserves.

It has been a staunch US ally since the 1991 Gulf War expelled the occupying Iraqi forces of Saddam Hussein. Kuwait hosts some 13,500 American troops in the country, as well as the forward headquarters of the US Army in the Middle East.

IDF: Alerts in north triggered by two explosive-laden drones from Lebanon

A picture taken from from the southern Lebanese village of Tayr Harfa, near the border with Israel shows smoke billowing near an Israeli outpost from rockets fired by Hezbollah on December 15, 2023. (AFP)

Two apparently explosive-laden drones entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon, setting off sirens in the Galilee Panhandle.

One was intercepted by the Iron Dome, while the second hit an area near the northern community of Margaliot, according to the IDF.

The IDF does not immediately publish information on potential casualties in the drone attack.

It says troops are responding with artillery shelling in southern Lebanon.

Hostage families say no communication from war cabinet after mistaken killing

A man holds a portrait of 10-month-old Kfir Bibas, held by Palestinian terrorists together with others since the October 7 assault, as families and supporters hold a demonstration outside the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv on December 15, 2023. (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP)

A spokesperson for the families of the hostages says they have had no communication from members of the war cabinet following the accidental killing of three hostages by the IDF yesterday.

“Despite the heavy disaster, no one from the war cabinet has spoken to the families, no one has explained how to prevent the next disaster, no one,” says Haim Rubinstein, a spokesperson for the families.

“Why do the families have to plead for something that should be obvious?” he asks.

Drone infiltration alert sounds in Galilee Panhandle

A suspected drone infiltration alarm is sounding in the Galilee Panhandle, near the Lebanon border.

The alerts are activated in the communities of Kfar Blum, Kfar Szold, Neot Mordechai, Lehavot HaBashan, Iftach, Ramot Naftali, Gonen, Malkia, Sdeh Nechemia, Dishon, Shamir, and Amir.

The IDF is looking into the cause of the alarms.

The Hezbollah terror group has carried out several attacks on northern Israel using explosive-laden drones, though there have also been numerous false alarms.

🚨 Large Rocket Alerts [11:03:26] – 13 Alerts:

• Confrontation Line — Gonen, Dishon, Iftach, Sdeh Nechemia, Kfar Szold, Amir, Shamir, Kfar Blum, Neot Mordechai, Mevuot Hermon Regional Council, Lehavot HaBashan, Ramot Naftali, Malkia#Israel #RocketAlert #RedAlert pic.twitter.com/bh2AbXoMks

— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) December 16, 2023

Gaza internet, telephones down for third day

Smoke rises following an Israeli strike in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Dec. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

A prolonged communications blackout that severed telephone and internet connections in Gaza enters its third day.

Internet and telephone lines went down Thursday evening and were still inaccessible this morning, according to internet access advocacy group NetBlocks.org.

“The internet blackout is ongoing, and based on our records it is the longest such incident” in the over-two-month war, says Alp Toker, the group’s director.

The United Nations’ humanitarian affairs department said communications with Gaza were “severely disrupted” due to damage to telecommunications lines in the south.

IDF commando troops raid Gaza schools used as Hamas bases

Troops of the 401st Armored Brigade and Navy’s Shayetet 13 commando unit raided two schools in Gaza City’s Rimal neighborhood, where Hamas operatives were holed up, the IDF says.

The IDF says the troops battled and killed several Hamas gunmen in the area, and operatives inside the school surrendered to troops.

Meanwhile, troops of the Kiryati Brigade raided a number of apartments in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, used by Hamas. The IDF says the troops found “many” weapons and tunnels used by the operatives.

Separately, the IDF says the 551st Brigade identified suspicious movement on the roof of a building in the Jabaliya area, from which gunfire had previously been directed at troops.

The troops directed airstrike on the building, the IDF says, attaching footage of the strike.

הכוחות חיסלו מחבלים בקרבות שהתנהלו במרחב. בנוסף, מחבלים שהסתתרו בתוך בתי ספר נכנעו ונעצרו על ידי הכוחות.

כוחות צוות הקרב החטיבתי 4 פשטו אתמול על שורת דירות מבצעיות במרחב חאן יונס. הלוחמים מצאו בדירות אמצעי לחימה רבים ותשתיות תת-קרקעיות ששימשו את המחבלים >> pic.twitter.com/7IEqpy0VKH

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) December 16, 2023

Sirens in Sderot, Gaza border towns warn of incoming rocket fire

Rocket sirens are sounding in the southern towns Sderot, Ibim and Nir Am.

The communities are all located close to the border with the Gaza Strip.

Iran says it executed individual accused of spying for Israel

Iran says an individual who was spying for Israel has been executed in Sistan and Baluchestan Province.

According to the official IRNA news agency, the individual was charged with “collecting classified information and providing information to the Mossad spy service with the aim of disrupting order.”

The report says the suspect provided information to foreign spy services, chief among them, Mossad.

The unnamed individual was executed at Zahedan prison earlier this morning.

Tehran frequently claims to foil Mossad operations in the country, but the veracity of such claims is unclear.

Rocket sirens in Zar’it, close to northern border with Lebanon

Rocket sirens sound in Zar’it, close to the northern border with Lebanon.

The communities bordering both Gaza and Lebanon have been largely evacuated of civilians in recent weeks.

Rocket sirens in Netiv HaAsara, close to Gaza border

Sirens are sounding in the Gaza border community Netiv HaAsara, warning of incoming rocket fire.

The alert comes after a lull of some 14 hours.

Houthis vow to keep up attacks on Israel, warn response will have consequences

Houthi supporters chant slogans as they attend a rally on March 26, 2023, in Sanaa, Yemen. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

A senior Houthi official vows the Yemeni rebels will continue operations against Israel, as repeated attacks by the Iran-backed group disrupt international shipping through a key Red Sea waterway.

“The Houthis will not abandon the Palestinian cause, regardless of any US, Israeli, or Western threats,” Houthi politburo member Ali al-Qahoum tells Al-Mayadeen, according to Reuters, while warning any hostile move against Yemen will have dire consequences.

He also claims: “Yemen is concerned in protecting international maritime navigation in accordance with international laws and norms.”

UN praises Israel’s reopening of Gaza crossing for aid shipments

Illustrative: A fuel truck enters the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel, in Rafah in the southern Palestinian enclave, following a truce, on August 8, 2022. (SAID KHATIB / AFP)

UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations is welcoming Israel’s announcement that the border crossing at Kerem Shalom will be opened for the direct delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, saying the sooner the better.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric tells that “the fast implementation of this agreement will increase the flow of aid” and “a humanitarian ceasefire will increase the distribution of that aid across Gaza even more.”

Dujarric also says UN humanitarian officials reported Friday that the humanitarian suffering of Palestinians in Gaza has been compounded by flooding after heavy rains in the past few days in the territory.

IDF said to launch intensive overnight strikes across Gaza

Palestinian media linked to Hamas reports intensive Israeli bombardments across the Gaza Strip, including the southern city of Khan Younis and areas in the north of the enclave.

#عاجل | مراسل شهاب: منذ 3 ساعات…أحزمة نارية متتالية من الطيران الحربي الصهيوني، و قصف مدفعي بالتزامن مع إطلاق الاحتلال لعدد كبير من قنابل الفسفور على مناطق الشجاعية و التفاح و الدرج بمدينة غزة pic.twitter.com/v2pZMSrL3E

— وكالة شهاب للأنباء (@ShehabAgency) December 15, 2023