Al Mayadeen – January 2, 2025
Yemeni missile targets Israeli site in central occupied Palestine
A missile was fired from Yemen early on Friday toward as Israeli target.
Sirens sounded across Israeli-occupied territories in central Palestine and the West Bank, early on Friday, as a result of a Yemeni missile attack. 
At approximately 4:35 AM (local time), the missile arrived over occupied Palestinian airspace, triggering sirens in major city settlements, occupied cities, and occupied areas.
This included Tel Aviv, occupied al-Quds, Ramat Gan, Rishon LeZion, Petach Tikva, and Beit Shemesh, among other areas.
Footage captured from the West Bank city of Qalqilya showed the missile descending rapidly toward its target before exploding at a distance. However, reports are yet to emerge of a direct impact site or of the fall of shrapnel.
The Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) has fired multiple long-range missiles and drones at Israeli targets in recent days, as a continuation of its support to the Palestinian people and in response to Israeli strikes against the country.
On the other hand, the Israeli regime has launched multiple assaults on Yemeni civilian infrastructure, focusing its aerial strikes on the Sanaa airport, the port of Hodeidah, and power and energy facilities. The YAF has also defended against American and British aggression, downing highly prized drones and engaging in naval battles that have thwarted or minimized the effects of multiple assaults.
This comes as the Yemeni people continue to reaffirm their commitment to the Palestinian cause, support for the YAF, and resolve to end the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip in weekly demonstrations.
Al-Houthi: US onslaught pushed us to develop our military capabilities
In his latest speech on Thursday, Sayyed Abdel Malek al-Houthi highlighted Yemen’s military advancements amid US aggression and reaffirmed unwavering support for Palestine, condemning Israeli and US actions. He also praised Resistance efforts in Gaza and called for accountability for the assassinations of Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
The leader of Yemen's Ansar Allah, Sayyed Abdul Malek al-Houthi, highlighted the numerous operations conducted by the Yemeni Armed Forces this week, including "missile strikes on occupied Yafa [Tel Aviv], Ben Gurion Airport, the Nevatim Airbase, and a power station south of al-Quds."
In a speech on Thursday, he stated, "This week, we carried out a significant and powerful operation, targeting the US aircraft carrier [USS Harry S.] Truman for the second time with 11 cruise missiles and a drone."
Sayyed al-Houthi explained that the operation coincided with "preparations for launching a large-scale aggressive operation against our country, targeting several provinces." As a result, "the U.S. plan to attack our country was thwarted, leading to the retreat of the carrier and its accompanying naval vessels to the far north of the Red Sea."
He added, "This week's operations included the downing of two MQ-9 drones in Al-Bayda and Ma'rib. These expensive drones are crucial for US reconnaissance and aggression."
'We will not waver in our principled stance'
Sayyed Abdel Malek noted, "The occupation describes Yemen as an extremely complex adversary, which is highly positive for us. It signifies that Yemen, both officially and popularly, is a resilient, strong, steadfast, and cohesive nation." He further mentioned that "the Israelis were surprised by the intensified supportive operations for the Palestinian people from Yemen, which have had significant impact and effectiveness."
He also revealed that during a year of U.S.-British aggression, 106 Yemenis were killed and 314 were injured, with 931 airstrikes and naval offensives recorded.
Sayyed al-Houthi stressed that "the US aggression against our country has indeed contributed to the development of our military capabilities, as we are engaged in a battle of this magnitude against advanced US technologies and resources."
Commenting on Israeli aggression, he stated, "We will not waver in our principled, faithful, moral stance against Israeli aggression, and this will not affect the level of our position." He emphasized, "We are advancing our stance to the highest levels and aspire for greater achievements."
Developments in the West Bank
Sayyed Abdel Malek expressed regret over the recent developments in the West Bank, describing the situation as "the Palestinian Authority becoming embroiled in Palestinian bloodshed, turning the battle in the West Bank into internal strife."
He remarked, "The Palestinian Authority's hopes of achieving peace with the Israeli occupation through negotiations are an illusion and a mirage," adding that "'Israel' will never permit the establishment of a Palestinian state, a fact explicitly declared in the Knesset and openly acknowledged by key criminals in the entity."
He urged against relying on the UN Security Council for the Palestinian cause, stating, "How many hundreds of meetings have been held without any results?" He added, "During the aggression on Gaza, the Security Council convened over 50 meetings with no outcome."
He concluded by asking, "Is the Palestinian Authority waiting for Trump, whom the Israelis rely on to finally annex the West Bank or more?"
Palestinian Resistance operations in Gaza
The leader of Ansar Allah remarked that "the rocket strikes from Gaza carry highly significant messages and are a clear testament to the failure of the Israeli occupation, representing a genuine achievement for the fighters in the Strip."
He praised the operations of the Al-Qassam Brigades this week, describing them as "strong, heroic, and sacrificial despite the suffering caused by the aggression and siege." He further noted, "The missile strikes by Saraya al-Quds on Yafa [Tel Aviv] and al-Quds, 15 months into the aggression and from the northern parts of the devastated Strip, send a powerful message of resilience and steadfastness."
On the fifth anniversary of Martyrs Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis
Regarding the commemoration of the fifth anniversary of the martyrdom of General Qassem Soleimani and Deputy Head of the PMF Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, Sayyed al-Houthi stated, "The martyr Hajj Qassem Soleimani played a highly distinguished role in supporting the Palestinian people and aiding the fighters in Palestine."
He added, "The two dear martyrs, Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, are credited with their remarkable and significant roles in confronting Israeli and US conspiracies."
He pointed out that "since the establishment of some Islamic Resistance movements in Gaza and Palestine, there has been substantial cooperation, with Iran playing an honorable role in supporting the Palestinian people."
Sayyed al-Houthi emphasized that "Iran is being targeted because of its significant contribution to the Palestinian cause and its support for fighters in Palestine, as well as its backing of support fronts."
He reminded the Iraqi government and people that "there remains a responsibility upon them to take a strong stance against the US crime of targeting martyrs Soleimani and al-Muhandis on Iraqi soil."
Day 454 of Israeli genocide in Gaza: 45,581 killed, 108,438 injured
The Israeli occupation committed five massacres across the Gaza Strip in 24 hours, killing 28 Palestinians and injuring 59 others.
The Israeli occupation forces have killed 45,581 Palestinians, while another 108,438 have been injured since October 7, 2023, the Ministry of Health in Gaza reported on the 454th day of the ongoing Israeli genocide.
The Israeli occupation committed five massacres across the Gaza Strip in 24 hours, killing 28 Palestinians and injuring 59 others.
According to the Ministry, there are still numerous victims trapped under the rubble and in the streets, unable to be reached by ambulance and civil defense teams.
Polluted drinking water in Gaza Strip reaches alarming levels: UN
A report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that the pollution of drinking water in the Gaza Strip has reached alarming levels that are alarming the health of the population.
In a post on X, the United Nations wrote on Wednesday that recent monitoring of water quality in the Gaza Strip reveals alarming rates of pollution.
It explained that there is a UN mission in the displacement sites in Gaza City, and it found very poor conditions in terms of drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene.
The United Nations indicated that Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, exhausted by over 15 months of ongoing aggression and repeated displacement, are facing a severe and persistent water shortage.
Israel is committing genocide: HRW
Earlier last month, Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused "Israel" on December 19 of committing "acts of genocide" in the Gaza Strip by targeting water infrastructure and cutting off supplies to civilians, urging the international community to impose targeted sanctions on the occupation regime.
In a newly released report focusing on water access, the New York-based organization outlined what it described as systematic actions by Israeli authorities aimed at depriving the people of Gaza of essential water resources.
These measures, according to HRW, have "likely caused thousands of deaths... and will likely continue to cause deaths."
"Since October 2023, Israeli authorities have deliberately obstructed Palestinians' access to the adequate amount of water required for survival in the Gaza Strip," the report stated.
The HRW report pointed to the deliberate destruction of water and sanitation infrastructure, including solar panels powering treatment plants, reservoirs, and warehouses, along with blocking fuel needed for generators. Additionally, "Israel" cut electricity supplies, attacked repair workers, and obstructed the import of essential materials for repairs, the report indicated.
Palestinian Information Center – January 2, 2025
71 Palestinian martyrs in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza in the past 24 hours
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) launched 34 airstrikes on Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours killing 71 Palestinians and injuring dozens others, the Government Media Office (GMO) in Gaza said on Thursday.
It said that the air raids targeted defenseless civilians, adding that the remaining functioning hospitals are currently overcrowded.
The GMO said that what made things worse was the inability of civil defense crews to evacuate martyrs who were still lying on roads.
Affirming that the Israeli brutal aggression would not break the steadfastness of the Palestinian people, the GMO called on the international community to live up to its legal and ethical obligations and intervene to stop the Israeli genocide and to bring Israeli war criminals to account.
https://english.palinfo.com/news/2025/01/02/331553/
Press TV Journalist of the Year:
Abubaker Abed, the young chronicler of Gaza’s tragedy
By Press TV Staff Writer
In the besieged Palestinian territory of Gaza, ravaged by the 14 months of genocidal war, Abubaker Abed—a 21-year-old journalist from Deir al-Balah—has become a powerful voice of truth.
The young journalist has been fearlessly documenting the daily horrors of genocide while embodying the indomitable spirit of his people. He has been chronicling his own story and that of his people
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In the 454 days of Israeli-American genocide in the coastal territory, at least 201 journalists have been killed with the overall death toll surpassing 45,600—70 percent of them children and women.
Abed's reportage shines a light on unimaginable suffering, indomitable courage, and the collective hope for peace and normalcy in the largest open-air concentration camp in the world.
In a report for Press TV last week, Abed recounted the colossal challenges journalists face in documenting the genocide. Despite high risks, the courage of these media warriors is astounding.
Born and raised in Deir al-Balah, Abed has witnessed numerous waves of Israeli aggression over the years—in 2008, 2012, 2014, and 2021. But the ongoing genocidal war that began 454 days ago has been the most devastating for him and his generation.
An avowed football enthusiast, Abed once envisioned the future of writing and commentating on the game massively popular in Gaza. He never imagined that he would one day report on the horrifying massacres of his people, about the genocidal war crimes of an apartheid regime.
In an interview with the Press TV website in late August, Abed passionately spoke of his love for football and his admiration for Chelsea FC before the Fulham-based Premier League club openly supported the Israeli regime’s genocidal campaign against Palestinians.
Fluent in English, Abed honed his language skills by watching Chelsea matches and following iconic players such as Frank Lampard and John Terry, and managers like Jose Mourinho and Roberto Di Matteo.
Iranians commemorate 5th martyrdom anniversary of anti-terror commander General Soleimani
Tens of thousands of Iranian people have flocked to the southeastern province of Kerman to pay homage to top anti-terror commander General Qassem Soleimani.
General Soleimani’s hometown and burial site hosted a deluge of the legendary commander’s lovers and followers from all walks of life and various social strata on Thursday in a cold snowy weather on his fifth martyrdom anniversary
.
Commemorations and special events to remember General Soleimani were also held in several other cities, including the capital Tehran.
“In an era when warfare relies on weapons, the mass of bombs, and the number of piles of dead, he became known as the ‘Commander of Hearts’ because great commanders are not the conquerors of geographically known lands; they are the conquerors of hearts, and that is why their conquests remain forever,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei wrote on X.
“On the anniversary of the martyrdom of the brave commander of Islam, the pride of the resistance, the soldier of the homeland, and the great hero in the fight against terrorism, Hajj Qasem Soleimani, we honor his memory and salute the souls of all the martyrs who defended the Iranian nation and resisted aggression, terrorism, and occupation," he added. 
General Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), and their companions were assassinated in a US drone strike authorized by then-US President Donald Trump near the Iraqi capital Baghdad’s International Airport on January 3, 2020.
Both commanders were highly revered across West Asia because of their key role in fighting the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in the region, particularly in Iraq and Syria.
In less than a week after the attack, Iraqi lawmakers approved a bill that required the government to expel all US-led foreign forces from the country.
The IRGC also targeted the US-run Ain al-Asad base in Iraq’s western province of Anbar with a wave of missile attacks in retaliation for the assassination of General Soleimani.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Wednesday praised as “unique” the sacrifices of Iran’s top anti-terror commander.
“Martyr Soleimani's constant strategy was to revive the Resistance Front. He always tried to revitalize the resistance,” the Leader said.
An Iranian court in December ruled that the United States government and a number of individuals and entities should pay nearly $50 billion in compensation for their roles in the assassination of General Soleimani.
