► A hundred “terrorist targets” struck by Israel in two days
The Israeli army said in a statement on Sunday January 5 that it had struck more than a hundred people over the last two days. “terrorist targets” in the Gaza Strip and “eliminated dozens of Hamas terrorists”. The army also said it had hit several sites used by Palestinian fighters to fire projectiles toward Israel in recent days.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened on Wednesday to intensify strikes on Palestinian territory if Hamas continued to fire rockets into his country. Israel says it has been targeted almost daily for more than a week, even if the shots are less frequent than at the start of the war.
► The Israeli army announces having intercepted a missile fired from Yemen
The Israeli army announced in a message published on the social network Telegram, Sunday morning, January 5, that it had intercepted a missile coming from Yemen, the firing of which had triggered warning sirens in northern Israel, in Talmei Elazar. On Friday, the army announced that it had intercepted a missile and a drone also coming from Yemen, two shots claimed by the Houthi rebels, supported by Iran.
The Houthis have launched several missile and drone attacks against Israel since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip, claiming to act in solidarity with the Palestinians. Last week, the insurgents said they had launched two missiles, one against Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, the second towards a power plant south of Jerusalem. Israel then declared that it had responded to “repeated attacks” rebels by carrying out several strikes on Yemen.
► Israel resumes discussions in Qatar for the release of hostages
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed on Saturday January 4 the resumption of indirect negotiations with Hamas in Qatar for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023. The minister informed the hostage’s parents Liri Albag, of whom a video of her alive was broadcast on Saturday by Hamas, “ongoing efforts to free the hostages, including the Israeli delegation that left yesterday (Friday) for talks in Qatar”his office said in a statement. He added that Benjamin Netanyahu had given “precise directives for the continuation of negotiations”.
Hamas announced on Friday that negotiations were resuming in Doha with a view to obtaining a truce in the Gaza Strip, specifying that they would relate in particular to a “complete cessation of hostilities” between Israel and Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
► Hamas releases video of hostage held in Gaza
The armed wing of Hamas published, on Saturday January 4, a new video of one of the hostages, kidnapped on October 7, 2023 during the attack by the Palestinian movement in Israel. The video, lasting 3.5 minutes and the date of recording cannot be verified, shows Liri Albag, a 19-year-old Israeli woman calling on the Israeli government to act to secure her release.
“We appeal to the Prime Minister, world leaders and all decision-makers: it is time to make decisions as if your own children were there”said the Albag family, who authorized the publication of screenshots of the video. The Families Forum, the main association of relatives of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, indicated in a statement that this sign of life was “hard and undeniable proof of the urgency of bringing the hostages home”. A total of 96 hostages are still being held in Gaza, 34 of them declared dead by the army.
