Report: Israeli Army allegedly killed people with a bulldozer
16.19 pm: Following allegations of a deadly operation with a bulldozer by the Israeli Army in Gaza, Palestinian Minister of Health Mai al-Kaila has called for an investigation. According to Al-Jazeera news channel on Sunday, citing doctors and eyewitnesses, Israel’s army destroyed the tents of displaced persons with a bulldozer in the courtyard of the Kamal-Adwan Hospital, killing people in the process. The report suggests that about 20 people, including the wounded, were killed.
Israel’s army did not comment on the allegations and they could not be independently verified.
Health Minister Al-Kaila called for international investigations and urged the international community not to ignore reports of war crimes in the Gaza Strip, as reported by the Palestinian news agency Wafa. According to eyewitnesses and medical teams, Palestinians have been “buried alive.”
On videos on the internet purported to show the area, a completely destroyed area and human body parts among the debris and dirt can be seen. One video shows a cat reportedly gnawing on a piece of human limb. The videos could not be independently verified at first.
Israel opens border crossing for aid deliveries to Gaza
13.53 pm: Israel has opened the Kerem Shalom border crossing for aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip. “Starting today, the UN aid convoys will undergo a security check and be taken directly to Gaza through Kerem Shalom to comply with our agreement with the USA,” the relevant Israeli Cogat authority announced on Sunday. The authority also shared a picture of lined up trucks. It was unclear whether the trucks had already crossed the crossing on Sunday.
The opening in the southeast of the Gaza Strip near the border with Egypt is intended to increase the daily amount of humanitarian assistance entering the region, according to the Israeli authority. In light of the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the blockaded coastal area, Israel has come under increasing international pressure, including from the USA.
Israeli Army reports the death of two more soldiers in Gaza
Sunday, December 17, 07.26 am: According to the army, two more Israeli soldiers were killed in the fighting in the Gaza Strip between Israel and the Islamist Hamas. The Israeli army announced on Sunday morning that one of the two soldiers was killed in battles in the north of the coastal strip sealed off by Israel. The other one fell in the south. This brings the total of soldiers killed since the beginning of the Israeli ground offensive at the end of October to 121.
US destroyer shoots down 14 drones in the Red Sea
19.22 pm: A US Navy destroyer has attacked several drones in the Red Sea, which the US military command in the region said had been launched from an area in Yemen controlled by Houthi rebels. The US military command in the region said on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday that it had shot down 14 drones over the Red Sea in the morning. There were no injuries or damage.
The Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen had previously claimed to have attacked areas in Israel. A large number of drones were fired at the area around Eilat in southern Israel, the rebels supported by Iran said on Saturday on their Telegram channel.
The Houthi rebels have been attacking Israel since the outbreak of theDuring the Gaza conflict, the fighters repeatedly used drones and missiles, and most recently, they have also targeted ships in the Red Sea. They declared that ships of any nationality heading to Israel would be considered a “legitimate target” for their forces until the Gaza Strip receives the necessary food and medicine.
Hostages Accidentally Killed by Israeli Soldiers Waving “White Flag”
13.33 hrs: The Israeli Army has released further details about the accidental killing of three hostages during the combat operation in the Gaza Strip: The hostages were waving a stick with white fabric attached as they emerged from a building. Additionally, the hostages were not wearing shirts. Such a white flag symbolizes surrender. However, the Israeli soldiers felt threatened and opened fire, according to a spokesperson for the armed forces. “I must clearly state that this contradicts our rules of engagement,” said the IDF spokesperson. The events were “tragic,” and a preliminary investigation has been initiated.
British Warship Shoots Down Drone over the Red Sea
12.39 hrs: According to Defense Minister Grant Shapps, a British warship shot down a suspected attack drone in the Red Sea. The aircraft had targeted commercial shipping, Shapps wrote on Saturday in the X (formerly Twitter) social media platform. The destroyer “HMS Diamond” fired a Sea Viper missile and destroyed the target. Shapps stated that Britain would continue to defend against attacks and protect free trade. Shapps did not initially provide further details about the origin of the drone.
Recently, several commercial ships in the Red Sea were targeted by Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen. They threatened to obstruct ships of any nationality on their way to Israel from passing through the Red Sea. As a result, the shipping companies Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd decided to temporarily halt further ships from passing through the Suez Canal.
The British Navy has the frigate “HMS Lancaster” as well as three minesweepers and an auxiliary ship deployed in the region. Their mission is to protect civilian shipping and prevent an escalation of the Gaza conflict.
Execution in Iran for Alleged Espionage – Also for Israel
09.21 hrs: An alleged agent of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad was executed on Saturday in the southeast of Iran. The individual was accused of having contact with foreign intelligence services, including Mossad, and of transmitting classified documents to them, as reported by Tasnim. The execution took place in Sahedan, the capital of Sistan and Baluchestan province.
In the province, there was an attack on a police headquarters on Friday night, where eleven policemen were killed and seven others were injured. Some of the attackers were also reported to have been killed. It is currently unclear whether the execution was related to the attacks.
Israeli Army: Increased Caution following Accidental Hostage Killing
08.19 hrs: Following the accidental killing of three hostages in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli armed forces have been instructed to exercise increased caution. “We have instructed our soldiers to exercise additional caution when encountering individuals in civilian clothing,” said Israeli Army spokesperson Jonathan Conricus to US television network CNN. The spokesperson emphasized that it is still unclear how the incident occurred. He also pointed out that many fighters of the Islamist Hamas were fighting against the Israeli Army in civilian clothing.
wird unsere Entschlossenheit nicht erschüttern und uns nicht von unserem klaren Ziel ablenken, die Hamas zu demontieren“, hob Conricus hervor. Die Armee hatte am Freitagabend die Bekanntmachung gemacht, dass die eigenen Streitkräfte während eines Einsatzes in der Hamas-Hochburg Schedschaija im Norden des abgeriegelten Küstenstreifens die drei männlichen Geiseln irrtümlich als Bedrohung erkannt und auf sie geschossen hätten. Es ist bisher unklar, wie sie in das Gebiet des Kampfgeschehens gelangen konnten.
Deshalb wird untersucht, ob sie ihren Entführern entkommen oder absichtlich zurückgelassen wurden. Die Kämpfe finden in einer zivilen und daher sehr herausfordernden Umgebung statt, sagte Conricus. Fast alle gegnerischen Einheiten, die die israelischen Truppen mit Panzerbüchsen angriffen, waren in Zivil gekleidet.
Völkerrechtler hält Israels Vorgehen in Gaza für angemessen
Samstag, 16. Dezember, 07.14 Uhr: Der Bonner Völkerrechtler Matthias Herdegen betrachtet das Vorgehen der israelischen Armee im Gazastreifen als angemessen und vom Völkerrecht gedeckt. „Grundsätzlich darf es keine Angriffe auf Krankenhäuser, Kirchen, Moscheen oder Schulen geben. Wenn darunter jedoch bewusst Kommandozentralen oder Waffenlager angelegt sind, sind das natürlich legitime Ziele“, sagte der Direktor am Institut für Völkerrecht der Universität Bonn der „Neuen Osnabrücker Zeitung“.
Herdegen ergänzte: „Israel eine gezielte Massenvertreibung oder gar ethnische Säuberung vorzuwerfen, halte ich für völlig aus der Luft gegriffen.“ Schließlich versuche die Armee, durch rechtzeitige Warnungen die mit ihrem Vorgehen verbundenen „unerwünschten Kollateralschäden für die Zivilbevölkerung zu reduzieren“.
Alle Entwicklungen zum Angriffskrieg in Israel finden Sie auf den nächsten Seiten.
