The Israel-Hamas war

The Israel-Hamas war|The ship attacks  

USA: Huthir rebels tried to board Danish ship  

 

American helicopters have sunk three small boats that tried to board the Danish ship Maersk Hongzhou in the Red Sea on Sunday, the US Central Military Command, Centcom, said on X.  

 

The boats must have belonged to the Huthi rebels, who are also believed to have been behind a robot attack against the same ship during the night of Sunday.  

 

According to Centcom, all crewmen on the sunken boats must have been killed. The helicopters opened fire after being fired upon with small arms fire. 

 

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Robot attack against Danish container ship 

 

The Danish-owned container ship Maersk Hangzhou was attacked with robots in the Red Sea last night, writes TT.  

 

No one should have been injured and the ship should remain seaworthy.  

 

Houthi rebels are believed to be behind the attack. According to the US military's Central Command, it is the 23rd attack on a merchant ship carried out by the Huthi rebels since the war between Israel and Palestine broke out on October 7. The Huthi movement themselves say that the attacks are a way of showing support for Palestine.  

 

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The Israel-Hamas War|The Victims  

No light in sight as the year draws to a close in Gaza  

 

A dark year for Israelis and Palestinians is coming to an end, while there is no sign that the war in Gaza is coming to an end.  

 

Mahmoud Abu Shahma is in a refugee camp in Rafah, and told the AFP news agency that he hopes to return home and live in peace within the next year.  

 

- We hoped that 2024 would begin under better circumstances and that we would be able to celebrate the new year at home with our families, he says.  

 

During yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated the message that the war will continue until Hamas no longer poses "a threat to Israel". 

 

The death toll in Gaza is approaching 22,000 people, according to the latest update from the Hamas-controlled health authority. 

 

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Netanyahu: It is Hamas that is trying to commit genocide  

 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected South Africa's accusations that it is committing "genocide" in Gaza in a new statement on Sunday.  

 

- No, South Africa, it is not us who are trying to commit genocide, it is Hamas, he says according to AFP.  

 

According to the prime minister, there are still no plans to limit or stop the military offensive in Gaza. 

 

- We will continue our defensive war, the righteousness and morality of which is unprecedented, says Netanyahu.  

 

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Israel changes foreign minister: "Doesn't make sense now"  

 

Israel is replacing current Energy Minister Israel Katz and Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, reports AFP.

 

Cohen thus becomes minister of energy and infrastructure, while Israel Katz takes over the job of minister of foreign affairs.The rotation is part of the agreement that Benjamin Netanyahu made with his supporting parties in order to take office last year.  

 

However, the rotation has received criticism because it risks undermining Israel's diplomatic legitimacy, writes the Times of Israel.  

 

- It didn't make diplomatic sense before the war in Gaza and it still doesn't make sense now, says Associate Professor Nimrod Goren at Mitvim, Israel's Institute for Regional Foreign Policy.  

 

During an interview on Sunday, Eli Cohen admitted that the government "bears responsibility" for Israel's failure to anticipate and prevent the October 7 Hamas attack.