The plan presented by the Egyptians to end the conflict between Israel and Hamas provides for renewable truces, staggered releases of Palestinian hostages and prisoners and, ultimately, a ceasefire putting an end to hostilities. A delegation from the Islamist group in power in the Gaza Strip is expected on Friday, December 29, in the Egyptian capital, to convey “the response of the Palestinian factions” to this Egyptian plan. This answer “includes several observations”, bearing in particular “on the modalities of the planned exchanges and the number of Palestinian prisoners who will be released”, as well as “on obtaining guarantees for a total Israeli military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip”, a leader of the Islamist movement told AFP, requesting anonymity.
“We are in contact as we speak.” with the mediators, Benjamin Netanyahu declared during a meeting on Thursday in Tel Aviv, without providing further details. “We are working to bring them all back”, continued the Israeli Prime Minister. Follow our live stream.
The Israeli army bombs the southern Gaza Strip. During the night from Thursday to Friday, Israeli forces increased strikes in the Gaza Strip, particularly on Rafah in the South. With the intensification of operations in recent days in Khan Younes (south) and in central Gaza, “at least 100,000 people” had been moved to Rafah, underlined OCHA, the UN humanitarian aid coordination office, citing the estimates of “humanitarian actors on the ground”.
Israeli strikes in Syria. The Syrian Defense Ministry cited Israeli strikes near Damascus and in southern Syria. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the strikes particularly targeted the area around Damascus airport, 24 hours after the resumption of flights, suspended since an Israeli attack at the end of November.
• A knife attack in Jerusalem. South of Jerusalem, a Palestinian injured two Israelis on Thursday in a stabbing attack before being shot dead, according to police and rescuers. Hamas welcomed a “heroic operation” carried out in “answer” to the situation in Gaza.
A drone shot down in the Red Sea. In Yemen, the Houthi rebels, allies of Tehran, are increasing their firing towards the Red Sea to slow down international maritime traffic in “support” in Gaza. The US Navy said it shot down a drone and an anti-ship missile fired by the Houthis in the Red Sea on Thursday evening, saying it was the “22nd attack attempt” of the kind by these Yemeni rebels since mid-October.