European Union adds Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to terrorist list and imposes sanctions
The Council of the European Union has added Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to the E.U. terrorist list and imposed sanctions.
"This decision comes as part of European Union’s response to the threat posed by Hamas and its brutal and indiscriminate terrorist attacks in Israel on 7 October 2023," the council said in a statement today.
The E.U. has frozen Sinwar's funds "and other financial assets in EU member states" and prohibited E.U. operators from making funds available to him.
As Houthi attacks on ships continue, U.S. strikes Houthi missile site in Yemen
The U.S. military has conducted another strike against Houthi militants in Yemen.
The U.S. struck an anti-ship ballistic missile site after it determined that the missiles there posed an imminent threat to merchant commercial vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the Red Sea, two U.S. defense officials said.
U.S. Central Command said the Houthis were preparing to launch the four missiles.
Meanwhile, the Houthis said in a statement this morning that they had targeted a vessel that was headed toward Israel and achieved a direct hit. The ship was targeted "after the ship’s crew rejected warning calls," according to the statement, which was posted on Telegram.
Central Command confirmed the attack.
"M/V Zografia, a Maltese flagged bulk carrier reported they were struck but seaworthy and were continuing their Red Sea transit. No injuries were reported," it said in a statement.
Al Jazeera Gaza bureau chief Wael Al Dahdouh arrives in Egypt for medical treatment
Al Jazeera Gaza bureau chief Wael Al Dahdouh has arrived in Egypt for medical treatment, according to the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate.
"The Egyptian Journalists Syndicate extends its thanks to the Egyptian state and the competent authorities for responding to the Syndicate’s request to facilitate the entry of colleague Wael Al-Dahdouh into Egypt to receive treatment," said Khaled El Balshy, the head of the syndicate. "The Syndicate contacted Al-Dahdouh after his arrival on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing to check on him."
Al Jazeera confirmed that Al Dahdouh has left Gaza.
Al Dahdouh has lost his wife, his 15-year-old son, his 7-year-old daughter and a grandson in Israeli airstrikes since the war began. Last week, his 27-year-old son, Hamza Dahdouh — also a journalist and cameraman with Al Jazeera — was killed, as well.
"The pain was more than what I could bear," Al Dahdouh told NBC News’ Ayman Mohyeldin on Sunday. "But at the end of the day, I came back, carrying out my tasks and job."
Blinken on planned walkout of federal workers for Gaza: 'That's their choice'
In an interview with CNBC, Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressed a planned walkout of federal workers in support of Gaza, which is expected today.
"From my perspective, I want to make sure that people feel that they can say what they believe, express themselves," Blinken said, adding: "They ultimately have to be on the job and do their jobs."
"People feel the need to speak up and speak out. That’s a cherished part of our democracy. It’s a cherished part of my view of patriotism. But people also need to be beyond the job, do the job," Blinken said.
Blinken, who is in Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting, also spoke about the possibility of a two-state solution in the region. He said Arab leaders are prepared to support the reconstruction of Gaza — if there can be lasting security.
"Arab countries are saying this, they’re saying, 'Look, we’re not going to get into the business, for example, of rebuilding Gaza, only to have it leveled again in a year or five years,' and then be asked to rebuild it again," he said.
More than 150 people killed in Gaza in 24 hours, Ministry of Health says
A total of 158 people were killed in Gaza in a 24-hour period that ended this morning local time, according to the enclave's Ministry of Health.
"The Israeli occupation committed 15 massacres against families in the Gaza Strip," the ministry said in a statement on Telegram.
There are also people buried under rubble, according to the ministry.
This brings the total of those killed in Gaza by Israel since Oct. 7 to over 24,000, the ministry said. More than 61,000 people have been injured.
Iran launches missile attacks into Iraq and Syria near U.S. Consulate
Iran launched missile attacks into Iraq and Syria, with explosions reported near the American consulate. U.S. officials say there were no reports of Americans injured.
Netanyahu's office says it's 'absurd' to suggest that Amalekites reference incited genocide
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it is "absurd" to suggest that he incited genocide of Palestinians by referencing the Amalekites, seen as the biblical enemy of the Jews.
At the International Court of Justice in The Hague last week, South Africa presented its case accusing Israel of perpetrating genocide in Gaza. One of its arguments was that Netanyahu referenced the Amalekites in a speech to the Israeli army in late October and in a letter to his forces in early November, thereby invoking "the retaliatory destruction of an entire group of people known as the Amalekites."
In a statement today, Netanyahu's office called that a "false and preposterous charge."
"The comparison to Amalek has been used throughout the ages to designate those who seek to eradicate the Jewish people, most recently the Nazis," the statement said.
"That is why the words on a banner in a permanent exhibit at Yad Vashem, Israel’s famed Holocaust Museum, urge visitors to 'Remember what Amalek did to you.' This same phrase appears in The Hague at the memorial for Dutch Jews murdered during the Holocaust. Obviously neither reference is an incitement to genocide of the German people," the statement added.
Instead, it said, the prime minister's reference was "a description of the utterly evil actions perpetrated by the genocidal terrorists of Hamas on Oct. 7th and the need to confront them."
Israel has said it has done everything it can to protect civilians in Gaza and denies all genocide charges against it.
IDF tanks stationed at the Gaza border
Israeli soldiers work on a tank near the Gaza border in southern Israel today.
Gaza hits 96-hour telecom blackout, a new record
The Gaza Strip has gone without substantial internet or phone connection for four days, the Palestinian enclave's longest streak since the conflict began.
Two major internet traffic analysts, Kentik and NetBlocks, confirmed the ongoing outage.
Gaza has repeatedly suffered blackouts since Israeli bombardment commenced in October. The largest telecommunications provider in the region, Paltel, has blamed both “continuous aggression” and a lack of power for interrupting service.
On Sunday, Paltel said that two repair workers had been killed working to repair infrastructure. NBC News has not verified the claim.
Israel's security minister criticizes plan to scale back war, citing large barrage from Gaza
Israel's right-wing national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, called the decision to withdraw some troops from Gaza and scale back the military operation there an "acute and serious error" that will cost human lives.
In a post on X, Ben-Gvir cited a rocket barrage that was launched at the border community of Netivot earlier today, which he said was from an area in Gaza that IDF forces had left only yesterday. This proved that "the occupation of the Strip is necessary for the realization of the combat goals," he said.
Yesterday, Israel’s defense minister said the military offensive inside Gaza was moving toward a lower intensity stage after three months of fighting. The IDF also announced that it was pulling one of four divisions out of the Gaza Strip for "a period of refreshment and training."
Ben-Gvir has previously faced criticism for his comments calling for the displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.