Israel expects war "in the course of this year"

War in the Middle East - Israel expects war "in the course of this year"

At the beginning of the year, Israel's army is preparing for a prolonged war in the Gaza Strip. "The objectives of the war require a prolonged battle and we are preparing accordingly," said army spokesman Daniel Hagari. The military must plan ahead, "knowing that we will have to carry out further tasks and continue fighting throughout this year". UN representatives recently described the situation in the Gaza Strip as a daily struggle for survival.

The deployment of troops is now being adjusted accordingly and some reservists will be allowed to temporarily return to their families and workplaces this week, Hagari said. This will ease the burden on Israel's economy and allow reserve soldiers to "gather strength for the upcoming activities" this year. The fighting would continue and the reservists would still be needed. In addition, the training of all officers will continue.

According to the latest figures from the UN Palestinian Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), 40 percent of people in Gaza are at risk of starvation. "Every day is a struggle to survive, to find food and water," said UNRWA Gaza Director Thomas White.

According to the UN Emergency Relief Agency, illnesses are on the rise in the temporary shelters with tens of thousands of displaced people living in cramped conditions. Health services are overwhelmed. Constantly new expulsions ordered by Israel make their task even more difficult.

The war in Gaza has now been going on for almost three months. It was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel's history, carried out by terrorists from the Islamist Hamas and other extremist Palestinian organizations in Israel on 7 October.

Israel responded with massive air strikes and began a ground offensive at the end of October. The aim is to completely destroy Hamas. In view of the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the sealed-off coastal area and the high number of civilian casualties, Israel has recently come under increasing international criticism. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, the number of Palestinians killed amounts to 21,978. The figures cannot be independently verified.

Report: Israel prepares Hamas massacre trial

Israeli investigators are currently reconstructing the massacre of October 7 on the basis of around 200,000 photos and videos as well as 2,000 witness statements with the intention of initiating legal proceedings against those responsible, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. It is likely to be the most important trial since the trial of Nazi criminal Adolf Eichmann in Israel in 1961. Eichmann had millions of Jews deported to extermination camps during the Nazi era. Eichmann was sentenced to death and hanged.

Forensic evidence provided to the newspaper by Israeli officials showed, among other things, that some victims had been burned alive. Photos showed mutilations on the bodies of the victims, including the genitals of men and women. The bodies of women and girls showed various signs of sexual violence. Hamas denies having killed children and raped women.

29 Israeli soldiers killed by accident or friendly fire

Every sixth Israeli soldier killed since the start of the ground offensive in the Gaza Strip has been killed accidentally or by friendly fire. The Israeli army confirmed corresponding media reports.

This concerns a total of 29 soldiers. 18 of them were killed by friendly fire. Two others were killed by an accidental shot and nine more by accidents, for example with ammunition.

Rocket alert in Israel at the start of the New Year

On New Year's Eve, there were once again rocket alerts in several cities in Israel. The army announced that sirens were wailing on the border with the Gaza Strip and in the interior of the country. The armed wing of the Islamist Hamas, the Kassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for rocket attacks on the greater Tel Aviv area.

According to Israeli media reports, more than 20 rockets were fired towards Israel. Most of them were intercepted. According to the emergency services, no injuries were initially reported.

The army reported that it had killed the commander of the Hamas unit "Nuchba" (German: Elite) in Dair al-Balah in the central section of the coastal strip in an airstrike. He had played a leading role in the terrorist attack on October 7. There was initially no reaction from Hamas. Mutual shelling on Israel's border with Lebanon also continued on Monday.

Former Palestinian minister killed

According to media reports, a former Palestinian Authority minister was also killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip. Sheikh Yussef Salama, former Minister for Religious Affairs and preacher at the Al-Aksa Mosque in Jerusalem, was killed on Sunday in an attack on his home in the refugee district of Al-Maghasi, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported. Relatives of the 68-year-old were also injured. According to Palestinian reports, the minister's wife later died of her injuries.

US military helicopters sink boats of Huthi rebels

Meanwhile, attacks by Yemeni Houthi rebels on merchant ships in the Red Sea led to a direct confrontation with the US military. The pro-Iranian group attacked a Danish container ship from four small boats with small arms and attempted to board the ship, according to the US regional command responsible. A security team on board returned fire. US forces then intervened.

"The US Navy helicopters returned fire in self-defense, sinking three of the four small boats and killing the crews," it said. "The fourth boat fled the area." There was no damage or casualties on the US side.

Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, the Houthis have repeatedly attacked ships with an alleged Israeli connection in the Red Sea. They also repeatedly attack Israel directly with drones and missiles.