Yeni Safak – January 5, 2025
Gaza death toll tops 45,800 amid Israel's genocidal war
More than 109,000 Palestinians injured in Israeli onslaught since Oct. 7, 2023, Gaza's Health Ministry says
At least 88 more Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, bringing the overall death toll since October 2023 to 45,805, the Health Ministry in the enclave said on Sunday.
A ministry statement added that some 109,064 others were injured in the ongoing assault.
“Israeli forces killed 88 people and injured 208 others in five massacres of families in the last 24 hours,” the ministry said.
“Many people are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added.
Israel has continued a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip since a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
The second year of genocide in Gaza has drawn growing international condemnation, with officials and institutions labeling the attacks and blocking of aid deliveries as a deliberate attempt to destroy a population.
In November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.
https://www.yenisafak.com/en/news/gaza-death-toll-tops-45800-amid-israels-genocidal-war-3696734
Palestinian Information Center – January 5, 2025
Israeli genocidal war on Gaza enters day 457
In the midst of catastrophic humanitarian suffering for more than two million Palestinians — half of them children, the Israeli occupation army continued, for the 457th consecutive day, to pound and target different areas and massacre more civilians in the Gaza Strip, especially in the northern areas.
Reporters for the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) said on Sunday that the Israeli occupation army carried out attacks on several homes, civilian targets and shelter centers in different areas of Gaza during the past 24 hours, killing and injuring dozens of citizens.
The Israeli army’s large-scale genocidal campaign in northern Gaza, especially in Jabalia and Beit Lahia, has entered day 93, where its forces continue to intensively bomb homes and shelters and attack civilians while imposing a tight siege on the entire area.
Deliberate Israeli attacks on ambulance and civil defense workers already deprived northern Gaza of any rescue services.
Local sources said that a number of civilians suffered injuries when an Israeli quadcopters attacked them with live ammunition and bombs in as-Saftawi area and as-Saroukh junction in the west of Gaza City.
A citizen was martyred following an Israeli attack on Musbeh area in Rafah, south of Gaza.
Palestinian writer and journalist Mohamed Hijazi was also martyred in an Israeli strike in Beit Lahia, north of Gaza.
Two other people were injured in an Israeli airstrike on a house near the Sultan Mosque in ash-Shawa plaza in Gaza City.
More casualties were reported in other areas of Gaza following Israeli aerial, artillery and shooting attacks last night and today.
In a related context, the health ministry said on Sunday that the Israeli army committed five massacres in different areas of the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours, and killed and injured at least 296 civilians, while a large number of victims are still under the rubble of bombed buildings or lying on roads.
https://english.palinfo.com/news/2025/01/05/331703/
Hamas says handed list of 34 captives to 'Israel' for exchange
As Israeli settlers and captives alike plead for their lives to be saved, Hamas hands over the names of captives to be released as part of a prisoner swap with "Israel".
Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas has reportedly approved a list of 34 captives for a potential exchange deal as part of ongoing discussions about a ceasefire, a Hamas official told Reuters on Sunday.
The official, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the negotiations, emphasized that any agreement remains conditional upon an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire.
Despite this development, progress on these issues appears limited. The official stated, "There has been no progress from Israel on the matters of withdrawal from Gaza or a permanent ceasefire."
However, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disputed Hamas' statement, claiming that the group has not provided any names for the proposed exchange. In a statement issued Sunday evening, the office declared, "Up to this moment, Hamas has not delivered a list of hostage names."
The Israeli occupation and Hamas remained at odds on Sunday over the terms of a potential ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as intensified Israeli airstrikes killed over 100 Palestinians during the weekend.
Efforts to broker a ceasefire and secure the return of Israeli captives continue in Doha, with Qatari and Egyptian mediators playing a key role. The Biden administration has also urged Hamas to finalize an agreement before the US presidential transition on January 20.
While Hamas expressed its commitment to reaching a deal, the group reiterated that any agreement must include the Israeli occupation's withdrawal from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire. "The occupation continues to be obstinate over an agreement... and has made no step forward," a Hamas official told Reuters anonymously.
Netanyahu, however, has consistently maintained that the war will only conclude once Hamas is eliminated as a military and governing force.
Captive says life hinges on IOF withdrawal
The al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, released a video on Saturday featuring Israeli captive Liri Elbag, 19, expressing frustration over her continued detention since October 7, 2023.
In the footage, Elbag accused the Israeli government and military of "manipulating the fate of hostages."
In the video, she revealed that another captive had sustained severe injuries due to ongoing Israeli assaults, emphasizing that the captives’ release hinges on the withdrawal of Israeli forces. She lamented that the captives are "not a priority for the government or the army."
Addressing the Israeli government, she criticized the reliance on military operations to free captives, stating, "This will not work, and you know it. It’s insane to believe that this method will yield results."
Elbag described her experience as a "terrifying nightmare", adding, "After witnessing death firsthand and what happened to my friend, I realized that our lives don’t matter to you (Israeli leaders). I understood that we are just pawns in your hands. This chaotic pursuit we’re enduring is abnormal and inhumane."
She concluded her message by speaking directly to Israeli settlers, "If anything happens to me, let it be written on my grave that it was all because of the government and the army."
Israeli Army destroyed 815 mosques, 19 cemeteries, 3 churches in Gaza in 2024
The genocide in Gaza did not even spare religious heritage with mosques, cemeteries, and churches coming under Israeli attack.
Palestinian officials have reported severe damage and destruction affecting religious landmarks across the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank as a result of Israeli aggression. According to the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, nearly 1,000 mosques in Gaza suffered extensive damage in 2024, with 815 completely demolished and 151 sustaining partial damage.
The assault on religious heritage extended beyond mosques, as 19 cemeteries and three churches in Gaza were also devastated during the genocidal campaign. In the West Bank, 20 mosques were reportedly targeted, adding to the broader impact on Palestinian religious and cultural sites.
The ministry also detailed increased tensions at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied al-Quds, where 256 settler-led incursions were recorded throughout the year. During the Hanukkah holiday in late December, over 2,500 settlers stormed the mosque's grounds, further straining an already volatile situation.
The destruction comes amid "Israel's" genocidal campaign which has ravaged Gaza since October 2023, resulting in the deaths of more than 45,800 people, predominantly women and children. The scale of the violence has drawn international condemnation and legal scrutiny.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Security Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Additionally, "Israel" faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its actions in Gaza.
Latest developments
International observers are warning of an escalating humanitarian catastrophe amid "Israel's" impending ban on UNRWA operations.
UNRWA's senior emergency officer Louise Wateridge on Sunday warned that social order in Gaza is put at further risk if "Israel" proceeds with its plans to end the operations of the agency.
Meanwhile, on the global stage, Colombia has secured a seat for the first time on the United Nations Human Rights Council, a key body responsible for safeguarding human rights worldwide.
Following the announcement, Colombian President Gustavo Petro affirmed his administration’s commitment to confronting pressing human rights issues. In a statement on X, Petro emphasized that Colombia’s position on the systematic human rights violations in Palestine will remain "clear and resolute."
Yemen: Israeli power station in Hadera targeted with hypersonic missile
Yemeni armed forces have claimed responsibility for an operation against a power station located on the Mediterranean coast in the Israeli-occupied territories, in retaliation for the Tel Aviv regime’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
The spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced in a televised statement on Sunday that Yemeni missile units targeted the Orot Rabin power station in Hadera, with a Palestine-2 hypersonic ballistic missile.
Saree added that the retaliatory strike attained its desired objectives successfully.
He noted that the Yemeni nation, its leadership, and its armed forces will continue to fulfill their religious, moral, and humanitarian obligations towards oppressed Palestinians.
Saree underscored that Yemeni military operations in support of Palestinian resistance fighters in Gaza will continue unabated as long as the ongoing aggression on the impoverished coastal territory persists and the siege is not lifted.
A member of the Supreme Political Council of Yemen also issued a warning to Saudi Arabia whose forces targeted a border region on Thursday evening, killing a Yemeni civilian and an African refugee.
“Our people have the experience and readiness to confront any escalation of tensions that aim to distract people from the issue of Palestine,” Mohammed Ali al-Houthi said.
“We tell Saudi Arabia that the de-escalation was a golden opportunity to review the wrong assessments that previously got you into trouble,” he said, referring to years of war between the two sides.
“You thought that Yemen would fall in two weeks, and today every other mistake will fail and the Yemeni people will win,” he added.
In March 2015, Saudi Arabia launched a war on Yemen in collaboration with its Arab allies and the support of the US and some Western countries to reinstall a Riyadh-friendly regime and crush the Ansarullah resistance movement.
The Saudi-led coalition, however, achieved none of the objectives and remained bogged down in Yemen for years in the face of stiff resistance by its nation and armed forces.
Yemenis have been carrying out high-intensity and high-precision military operations against vessels linked to the Israeli regime in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean.
They also carried out long-range missile strikes deep inside the occupied Palestinian territories, including Tel Aviv.
Yemen’s arsenal includes long-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones capable of hitting targets up to 2,000 kilometers away, which has been on full display in recent months and weeks.
The domestically manufactured missiles have repeatedly penetrated Israel’s much-hyped military systems.
In recent weeks, Yemen has notably intensified its pro-Palestinian strikes on Israeli military targets within the occupied territories, employing advanced hypersonic ballistic missiles.
In an attempt to halt these pro-Palestinian operations and in support of the Israeli genocide, the US and UK have conducted indiscriminate aerial attacks on the Arab country.
However, despite months of heavy airstrikes, Yemeni forces have remained undeterred and continue to target Israeli-linked vessels in regional waters. These attacks have also prompted Yemen to retaliate by targeting West’s military assets stationed off its coastline.
The Yemeni armed forces have said they will not stop their attacks until Israel’s ground and aerial offensives in Gaza end.
Israel has killed at least 45,717 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured another 108,856 individuals in Gaza since the onset of the war.
Brazil court orders probe against vacationing Israeli soldier over Gaza war crimes
A Brazilian court has directed police to investigate an Israeli soldier, currently vacationing in Brazil, over war crimes in the Gaza Strip, where the regime’s genocide has killed a shocking number of Palestinians over the past 15 months.
The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) —named after the six-year-old Palestinian girl who was tragically killed last year along with half a dozen relatives and rescue workers by Israeli troops — announced in a statement on Saturday that the probe order followed a complaint by the Belgium-based advocacy group.
It said Brazil’s Federal District Court ordered the police to take action against Yuval Vagdani, who is currently in Brazil on vacation, saying he had participated in “massive demolitions of civilian homes in Gaza during a systematic campaign of destruction.”
In a follow-up statement, the HRF said it had received reports that the Tel Aviv regime was seeking to smuggle Vagdani out of Brazil.
“We call on Brazilian authorities to fulfill their responsibilities, protect their judicial process, and ensure justice prevails,” it added.
“This is a historic moment,” said Dyab Abou Jahjah, the group’s chair. “It sets a powerful precedent for holding war criminals accountable.”
Riad Abu Badwia, a professor of international law, explained that Brazil, as a signatory to the Rome Statute, has the legal authority to prosecute individuals involved in war crimes.
The Brazilian court’s decision could inspire other countries to follow suit and open the door for broader international accountability for Israeli military officials, Abu Badwia added.
On January 29, 2024, Hind had been traveling in a car with her uncle, his wife, and their four children, fleeing fighting in the neighborhood of Tel al-Hawa in Gaza City, when they came under Israeli fire.
Trapped in the bullet-ridden vehicle and surrounded by her dead relatives, the little girl phoned emergency services and, over more than three hours begged for help, saying that an Israeli tank appeared to be closing in.
First responders were deployed in a bid to save Hind, but the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) soon lost contact with them, along with Hind.
Twelve days later, the bodies of Hind and her relatives were found lying in the car. Just meters away, a burned-out ambulance was found with the remains of the two paramedics who tried to save the girl.
Israel launched its brutal Gaza onslaught on October 7, 2023, after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out a historic operation against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.
So far, the occupying regime has killed at least 45,717 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 108,856 others, in the besieged territory.
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/01/05/740339/Brazil-court-probe-Israeli-soldier-Gaza-war-crimes
Israeli soldier flees Brazil amid probe into Gaza war crimes
An Israeli soldier accused of committing war crimes during the regime's genocidal war against the besieged Gaza Strip has fled Brazil where authorities were pressing for an investigation.
Despite a court order, the soldier, a reservist who was vacationing in Brazil, managed to leave the Latin American country and is reportedly en route back to the occupied territories, Israeli broadcaster KAN said on Sunday. Details of how he evaded the arrest remain unclear.
A Brazilian court earlier directed police to investigate the soldier over war crimes in the Gaza Strip, where the regime’s genocide has killed at least 45,800 Palestinians over the past 15 months.
In a statement on Sunday, the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), a Belgium-based group advocating for justice for Palestinian victims, condemned the soldier’s escape, accusing Israel of orchestrating his departure to obstruct justice.
The organization said it has “verified information that Israel is imminently attempting to smuggle suspected Israeli war criminal Yuval Vagdani out of Brazil, because of a Brazilian court order for police to take investigative measures against him.”
“There are also indications that evidence is being destroyed,” it stressed. “This is not only a scandal but an affront to Brazil’s sovereignty and rule of law. Israel has employed similar tactics before.”
The organization, which has been named after the six-year-old Palestinian girl who was tragically killed last year along with half a dozen relatives and rescue workers in Gaza, called on Brazilian authorities “to fulfill their responsibilities, protect their judicial process, and ensure justice prevails.”
The HRF earlier submitted over 500 pages of evidence to the court, including video footage, geolocation data, and photographs that show the suspect planting explosives and participating in the destruction of entire neighborhoods across the besieged Palestinian region.
“This individual actively contributed to the destruction of homes and livelihoods, and his own statements and behavior align with the genocidal objectives in Gaza,” said Maira Pinheiro, the HRF's lawyer.
Palestinian families whose homes were destroyed by the Israeli army have joined the HRF case as plaintiffs.
The foundation has submitted similar complaints in other countries, including one against Israel's military attache in Brussels and another involving a soldier traveling in Sri Lanka.
Fears in the Israeli-occupied territories have been growing that decisions by the International Criminal Court (ICC) could lead to arrests and investigations into war crimes.
Last month, the Israeli military advised dozens of soldiers against traveling abroad after reportedly tracking around 30 war crimes complaints and legal actions targeting its personnel for their roles in offensives in Gaza.
Officers and soldiers have also been instructed to remove any photos or videos documenting their involvement in Gaza from social media platforms.
Additionally, they have been told to refrain from sharing their locations while abroad amid fears of retaliation from pro-Palestinian organizations, which have reportedly compiled blacklists of individuals involved in the war.
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics says Gaza has lost about 6 percent of its population due to Israel’s campaign of genocide.
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/01/05/740378/Brazil-Israel-Yuval-Vagdani-Palestine-Gaza-HRF-
While the maps are clashing... From September 11 to the East of the Euphrates. The project of Tyranny on Earth has collapsed. Their maps will be trash. The history of brave people has begun.
By İbrahim Karagül
On September 11, the largest terrorist attack in history opened all doors for the United States and Europe to establish a unilateral global dictatorship. And they did just that.
The initial plan was to seize the central geography of the world, redraw maps, re-establish states, erase some nations from history, and create new roles for others. This central geography began from the Atlantic Ocean and stretched to the Pacific Ocean. North and Central Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, the Middle East, and Anatolia were all part of this central geography and the primary target.
AND THEY BEGAN THEIR OCCUPATIONS.
TÜRKİYE WAS TO BE WEAKENED!
The invasion of Afghanistan started immediately. The excuse was the Taliban, but the goal was to control the Southern Gate of Central Asia.
The second invasion was Iraq. The justification was Saddam, but the aim was to seize Mesopotamia, the heart of the geography, control the exit to the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean, and make the first move for the invasion of Anatolia.
Then, the Syrian war was initiated. The goal was to control the Iraq-Syria-Lebanon corridor and establish hegemony between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean.
Two important moves remained:
To break up or occupy Saudi Arabia to connect the Persian Gulf with the Red Sea.
To drag Türkiye, the region's most dynamic power, into a civil war, or if that failed, to invade, fragment, and weaken it, rendering it incapable of rising again, as they had done a century ago.
THEY USED US AND THEN ATTACKED US.
THEY DIVIDED OUR COUNTRIES LIKE THIS.
With this final goal, the central geography of human civilization would be completely seized, Istanbul/Çanakkale and the Hormuz and Bab-el-Mandeb straits occupied, and the entire region from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean would be under their control.
Similarly, by cornering Pakistan, dividing Yemen, trying to fragment Sudan and Somalia, and initiating new occupations in Africa, they aimed to shatter the entire geography, weaken it, establish city-states, and build garrison structures.
While doing this, the United States and Europe took advantage of Israel's expansionism, Iran's ambitions, Arab governments' dependence on the US, and Türkiye's limitless trust in the US and Europe due to NATO membership.
In reality, they were exploiting all of them, setting traps for everyone.
THEY WERE GOING TO ESTABLISH "EARTHLY TYRANNY."
Their goals were so grand that they had already declared a "New American Century." After our geography, the plan was to fragment Russia, balance China, and re-colonize India.
The victors of the First and Second World Wars, having won the Cold War as well, had no forces left in their way. They were going to establish a single World State. In fact, they were going to establish Earthly Tyranny. They would turn all people into colonies, enslaving them to satisfy the insatiable consumption and appetite of the West.
THEY TOOK THE FIRST STEP IN "DIVIDING TÜRKİYE"
More specifically, they prepared a map for a corridor extending from the Iran border to the Mediterranean, spanning the entire southern strip of Türkiye, including the Iraq-Syria line.
This was the first step in Türkiye's division. Strengthening the structure on the eastern side of the Euphrates in Syria with extraordinary military support was an announcement that the "Türkiye Front" had been opened.
This project would culminate in the July 15 coup attempt, fragmenting Türkiye and making the biggest geographical change in the region.
THE MAPS WERE GOING AROUND THE TABLES!
They had been drawing and implementing maps for thirty years. We just watched. We always felt helpless. We tried to solve it through alliance relations. But it was our "allies" who struck us.
In fact, the entire region was under threat. New maps were circulating, wars were being sparked, organizations were being formed, mass massacres were happening, and states were rendered powerless.
THE FIRST INTERVENTION CAME FROM TÜRKİYE.
The first reaction to this great devastation came from Türkiye. The interventions that began with the Euphrates Shield operation were the first blow to the grand calculations of the US, Europe, and Israel for the 21st century.
In reality, these interventions were not just about terrorism and Syria; they were the first challenge to the great global storm.
We can say this clearly: Türkiye's interventions thwarted the new map plans that had been continuing for thirty-five years in our geography, and it changed the entire power dynamic of the region.
THE GREAT "MAP WARS" TURNED AROUND IN SYRIA..
The changes in Syria gave hope to us and the entire region. The map wars were turning around.
There was now a window of opportunity for peace, prosperity, national unity, and geographic integration to replace the vulnerabilities that had been used as excuses for wars, destruction, massacres, ethnic and sectarian conflicts, and occupations.
If the regional countries do not repeat their "historical mistakes," the genocide in Gaza will not be staged, the scenarios to fragment Iraq and Syria will be foiled, the theories to squeeze Türkiye from both the region and the Western countries will collapse, and the "separatist" political terrorism within will lose power.
THE OWNERS OF THE GREAT GEOGRAPHY HAVE RETURNED.
The Red Sea-Persian Gulf region, declared the homeland of wars, would unite as an area of prosperity. The region's resources would be directed to its own wealth, the era of Western plunder and exploitation would end, and the owners of the "Great Geography" would take control of their countries and resources, building an honorable future.
The great storm has calmed. As the West loses power, Türkiye's rise in power has begun to have a strong effect on maps, countries, and nations. A "Türkiye globalization" has awakened every country and nation in our geography. Now, opportunities to build a future based on partnerships, peace, and prosperity have been laid out before us.
THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY IN A HUNDRED YEARS..
We did not have a 20th century. This frozen history passed only with the slavery dreams the West built on our lands and in the minds of our people. But the 21st century will not be the same. It may open the doors to the greatest revolution in world history.
As the map wars turn around, it is time to put our own maps on the table in the great geography. It is time to build vast supra-national partnerships. For the first time in a hundred years, we have caught such an opportunity.
IF "EAST OF THE EUPHRATES" REMAINS,
THE WHOLE REGION WILL STUMBLE.
Now, let's get more specific. If we cannot overcome the obstacle in front of us, it is likely that we will stumble without achieving these great goals.
The Syrian regime has fallen, but nothing has changed for Türkiye in the north of Syria. The threat to Türkiye's national security remains where it was.
Recently, DAESH attacks have been escalating in Syria, Iraq, Europe, and the United States. The old theater is being played again.
The attack in New Orleans the other day was a typical Israeli intelligence/Pentagon setup. While this scenario may not find buyers in our region, it will be welcomed in the US administration. Even within Türkiye, there will be marketers.
WATCH OUT FOR THE DAESH THEATER!
OTHER ATTACKS ARE COMING.
We expect other terrorist/intelligence attacks from the US, Europe, and the region. What Trump will do is unknown, but Israel/Pentagon is setting another trap for Türkiye. The DAESH balloon will be inflated again, and Türkiye's maneuvering space will be restricted.
Türkiye will be locked from both the outside and inside. The East of the Euphrates should not become a "bargaining chip." The longer this is delayed, the worse it will get. They are still trying to adjust Türkiye and the region through terrorism.
There is also another possibility.
To relieve the PKK in the East of the Euphrates, Israel might be provoked to attack or even invade Damascus…
This is how serious the situation is. That’s why waiting could be fatal.
But the history of brave people has begun! This should be known.
https://www.yenisafak.com/en/columns/ibrahim-karagul/while-the-maps-are-clashingfrom-september-11-to-the-east-of-the-euphratesthe-project-of-tyranny-on-earth-has-collapsedtheir-maps-will-be-trashthe-history-of-brave-people-has-begun-3696711
