War on Gaza: Massacre in Khan Younis and Trump Confirms the Deal is Near
On the 466th day of the war on Gaza, medical sources reported to Al Jazeera that 28 Palestinians have been martyred in Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip since dawn today, 12 of whom were in Khan Younis. Meanwhile, the elected U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed in an interview with Newsmax that the deal is approaching.
Hamas Confirms the Ceasefire Agreement in Gaza is in Its Final Stages
- We have conducted a series of consultations and communications with leaders of Palestinian factions to update them on the progress of the Doha negotiations.
- Leaders of the factions confirmed their satisfaction with the course of negotiations and emphasized the necessity of preparing for the next stage.
- The movement's leadership and various factions confirmed the continuation of communication and consultation until the agreement, which has reached its final stages, is completed.
Qatari Foreign Ministry: We Have Reached the Final Stages of the Agreement
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid bin Mohammed Al-Ansari:
- We have reached the final stages of the agreement.
- The ongoing talks in Doha regarding Gaza are fruitful and positive, focusing on the final details.
- We hope to receive good news regarding the Gaza agreement.
- We have overcome the main obstacles in the disagreements between the two parties concerning the agreement.
- Meetings are ongoing in Doha among the parties to the agreement, and we are awaiting updates from them.
- When we announce the agreement, the start of the ceasefire implementation will also be announced.
- We urge both sides to reach an agreement and end the tragedy in Gaza.
- We anticipate that the announcement of the agreement will be soon.
- We have submitted drafts for the ceasefire agreement, and discussions are now ongoing concerning the final details.
- There are pending details between the two negotiating parties regarding the ceasefire in Gaza, the majority of which relate to implementation.
- The implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza will occur very shortly after it is reached.
- We appreciate the efforts of the Biden and Trump administrations, which have worked hard to reach an agreement.
- We reiterate our firm position on ending the occupation in Gaza and all Palestinian territories, and that the decision must be Palestinian.
- The mediators, Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, are committed to all that leads to the success of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
Jordanian Foreign Minister: The Aggression on Gaza Must Stop Immediately
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi stated that the aggression on Gaza must stop immediately, confirming that the success of the Doha talks is a key step in that direction.
Katz: A System to Monitor the Recruitment of Haredim Will Be Established
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz:
- A system to monitor the recruitment of Haredim will be established to achieve the goals set for their integration into the army.
- We will impose penalties on Haredim avoiding military service and on the institutions where they study.
- Our goal is to recruit 4,800 Haredim in the first year of recruitment and 5,700 in the following year.
Saraya al-Quds - Jenin Brigade: We Confronted an Israeli Force.
Saraya Al-Quds - Jenin Brigade stated that its fighters confronted an Israeli force attempting to besiege a house on the Um Al-Qasab mountain axis and fired heavy volleys of bullets at them.
Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister: 33 hostages will be released
Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister:
- The exchange deal is currently being discussed, and we hope to receive positive news later.
- 33 hostages will be released as part of the exchange deal.
- U.S. President-elect Donald Trump requested that a deal be reached before January 20.
- I cannot disclose the details of the deal, and we do not want statements that could affect the morale of the families of the detainees.
Channel 12 Israel: Smotrich is conducting intensive consultations with senior rabbis
Channel 12 Israel reported that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is conducting intensive consultations with senior rabbis regarding the prisoner exchange deal. For its part, the newspaper "Israel Hayom" quoted a member of Smotrich's office as saying, "We will decide within hours whether we are going to issue a resignation warning if the deal is approved."
Just a short while ago, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir urged Smotrich to resign from the government if a ceasefire agreement in Gaza is signed, describing the agreement being negotiated as a surrender deal.
The number of journalist martyrs in Gaza rises to 204
The government media office in Gaza reported that the number of journalist martyrs has risen to 204 after the martyrdom of journalist Muhammad Bashir Al-Talmas. Two days ago, the Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate accused Israel in a statement of "deliberately continuing to target journalists in the Gaza Strip to cover up the truth and conceal its crimes against the Palestinian people."
Injuries from Israeli shelling on Palestinians in Jabalia
Al Jazeera's correspondent reported injuries from Israeli shelling on Palestinians in the Jabalia town in northern Gaza Strip.
28 martyrs in airstrikes on the Strip since this morning
Medical sources informed Al Jazeera that 24 Palestinians were martyred in Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip since the dawn of today, 19 of whom were in the central and southern parts of the Strip. This comes while Al Jazeera's correspondent confirmed the death of 4 martyrs and several injuries in Israeli shelling on a house in the Al-Daraj neighborhood in eastern Gaza City.
Ben Gvir urges Smotrich to resign if the deal is made
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir told Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, "Let us notify Netanyahu that we will resign from the government together if a deal is reached." He added: "The deal being formulated is a surrender deal, and we do not have the ability to prevent it on our own."
Yesterday, Monday, the Israeli Finance Minister described the exchange deal currently being discussed as a disaster for Israel's national security, saying he would not be part of what he called a surrender deal that includes the release of senior terrorists, a ceasefire, and wasting the achievements that have been made, as he put it.
Jerusalem Post: The deal might be announced today.
The Jerusalem Post reported from sources confirming that if no last-minute changes occur, it is possible to announce the deal today. Earlier yesterday, Monday, Axios, an American news site, cited a source stating that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to concessions regarding the withdrawal from the Philadelphia and Netzarim Corridors in the Gaza Strip, and also agreed to new concessions regarding the Palestinian prisoners to be released.
Injuries in Israeli airstrike on a house in the Al-Daraj neighborhood
Al Jazeera's correspondent reported injuries from an Israeli airstrike on a house in the Al-Daraj neighborhood east of Gaza City. The neighborhood was one of the oldest cities in the world established by the Canaanites in the third millennium BC, and it forms a major part of the ancient hill that was part of Gaza, characterized by stairs and ladders that took its name from there. The neighborhood is distinguished by its historical monuments, but they are subject to a systematic series of Israeli targeting that erases its heritage features.
Israeli Prisoners' Authority calls for a comprehensive agreement
The Israeli Prisoners' Authority stated:
- "We affirm the necessity of reaching a comprehensive agreement that ensures the return of all detainees."
- "Any agreement being negotiated should set a date for the return of the last detainees."
Journalist Mohammed Al-Talmas martyred in Gaza
Al Jazeera's correspondent reported the martyrdom of journalist Mohammed Al-Talmas, who succumbed to his injuries from an Israeli bombardment on Gaza City yesterday, Monday. Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli war machine has inflicted unprecedented losses on the Palestinian press community in Gaza and the West Bank, with the Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate reporting the destruction of 88 media institutions and the arrest and injury of dozens of journalists, in addition to the killing of more than 170 others, some of whom died alongside their families.
Widespread destruction of a house targeted in Khan Younis
Scenes posted by activists on Instagram showed widespread destruction following an Israeli bombing early Tuesday on a house belonging to the "Masmuh" family near the Khalidiya clinic in the Al-Manara neighborhood in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip. Mahmoud Bissal, spokesperson for the Civil Defense in the Gaza Strip, announced the recovery of body parts of martyrs from the Abed family, who were among the displaced living in the targeted house.
20 martyrs in Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip since dawn
Medical sources reported to Al Jazeera that 20 Palestinians were martyred in Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip since dawn today, 12 of whom were in Khan Younis. This comes following a bloody day in which at least 50 Palestinians were martyred in new massacres committed by the Israeli occupation army in the Gaza Strip.
Trump: We are very close to finalizing the deal
President-elect Donald Trump, in an interview with Newsmax, stated:
- "We are very close to finalizing the deal, perhaps by the end of the week."
- "They have to do it, and if it doesn't happen, there will be many problems they may not have seen before."
"I understood that there was a verbal agreement and they were about to finalize the deal.
Israeli media: Severe damage to a home due to intercepting a Yemeni missile
Israeli media reported severe damage to a home due to shrapnel falling from an intercepted missile launched from Yemen early today.
A woman and her son martyred in bombing east of Khan Younis
Al Jazeera’s reporter stated that a woman and her son were martyred in an Israeli bombing of a house in the town of Absan al-Kabira east of Khan Younis city.
Israeli forces raid the town of Qabatiya south of Jenin
Sources told Al Jazeera that Israeli special forces raided the town of Qabatiya south of Jenin in the northern West Bank. This comes as the occupying army continues its escalation against Palestinians in the West Bank alongside its devastating war on Gaza, which has continued for the 16th consecutive month. Palestinian authorities documented the martyrdom of more than 840 people in the West Bank and the injury of more than 6,700 since October 2023.
11 Israelis injured during the rush for shelters
11 Israelis were injured early Tuesday due to the stampede of hundreds of thousands towards shelters when a missile was launched from Yemen, which the Israeli army claimed to have intercepted. The Israeli Broadcasting Authority stated that sirens sounded in central Israel and the southern coastal area in the past hours following the missile launch from Yemen. It also reported from Magen David Adom that 11 people were injured while trying to reach the shelters, in addition to 4 cases of panic.
Houthis: We targeted the Jaffa area with a ballistic missile
The military spokesperson for Ansar Allah (Houthis) stated that the group carried out its third military operation in 12 hours, targeting the Jaffa area with a ballistic missile. Since the outbreak of the Israeli war on Gaza in October 2023, the Houthis have been launching missiles and drones towards Israel. The Houthis affirm that their attacks are in support of the people of the Gaza Strip, and they are also targeting ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden that they claim are linked to Israel, the United States, or the United Kingdom. In response, Israel has bombed Houthi targets within Yemen, some of which are in Sana'a, while Washington and London have begun airstrikes and missile attacks on Houthi sites in Yemen since early 2024.
Significant difficulties faced by the Baptist Hospital in Gaza City
The Baptist Hospital, the only functioning hospital in Gaza City, is facing significant difficulties in providing treatment to the injured due to the large number of casualties resulting from the ongoing Israeli bombardment of Gaza City and its northern areas. The hospital suffers from a shortage of specialized medical staff and a severe shortage of medical supplies and medicines, as well as a significant lack of fuel, making it vulnerable to being out of service at any moment."
