Most of the information on the war in the Middle East this Saturday, December 21.
Negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip: an agreement “closer than ever”, according to Hamas
Hamas and two other Palestinian groups, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), affirmed this Saturday that a ceasefire agreement with Israel in the Gaza Strip was “closer than ever”. In a rare joint statement issued after a meeting in Cairo, Egypt, on Friday evening, they stressed “the commitment of everyone to put an end to the war” in the enclave. Indirect negotiations last week in Qatar between Israel and Hamas, with Doha and Egypt as mediators, had revived hopes of an agreement on a truce and a release of hostages in Gaza. “Most of the points concerning the ceasefire and a prisoner exchange are the subject of agreement […]a Hamas official told AFP, on condition of anonymity. The deal could be finalized before the end of the year if [le Premier ministre israélien] Netanyahu does not impose new conditions”.
Pope Francis denounces “cruelty” of Israeli strike in Gaza Strip
“Yesterday, children were bombed. This is cruelty, this is not war. I want to say it because it touches my heart.” Pope Francis condemned on Saturday an Israeli strike which caused the death of ten people from the same family on Friday, including seven children and a woman, in Jabalia, in the north of the Gaza Strip, according to the Civil Defense of the Gaza Strip. enclave. The oldest child was six years old. Contacted by AFP, the Israeli army affirmed that the results communicated by Civil Defense “does not agree with the information in [sa] possession». More than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip in October 2023, according to data from the Health Ministry in the Hamas-controlled enclave. Figures deemed reliable by the UN.
Tel Aviv hit by missile fired by Houthi rebels
A missile from Yemen's Houthi rebels struck Tel Aviv overnight from Friday to Saturday, lightly injuring 16 people. “Following the sirens that sounded in central Israel, a projectile launched from Yemen was identified and interception attempts were made without success”indicated the Israeli army. The Houthis claimed responsibility for firing a “Palestine 2 hypersonic ballistic missile” on a “military target of the Israeli enemy” in the Jaffa region, in the center of the country. A few hours later, the Israeli army announced that it had intercepted a drone coming from the east above its territory. Since the start of the war in October 2023, Yemen's Houthis, supported by Iran, have launched numerous offensives against Israel, which has responded several times.
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