Yoav Galant, the Israeli Defense Minister, unveiled Thursday evening a first plan for the “post-war” in the Gaza Strip, which must still be validated by the government. This plan provides for Palestinian management of the enclave and not “Israeli administration”. For his part, the head of American diplomacy begins a tour of the Middle East in order to avoid a regional conflagration, after the murder of a Hamas leader in Lebanese territory, and an attack in Iran, since claimed by the State Islamic.
Information to remember:
⇒ Israeli Defense Minister Unveils Post-War Plan for Gaza
⇒ The American Secretary of State on tour in the Middle East
⇒ The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack in Iran
Israel unveils first post-war plan for Gaza
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant began presenting a first post-war plan on Thursday evening, which does not include Hamas or an Israeli administration to manage this territory of around 2.3 million inhabitants. ravaged by incessant strikes. “There will be no Israeli civilian presence in the Gaza Strip after the objectives of the war have been achieved,” declared Yoav Gallant, specifying that the Israeli army would however retain “its freedom of action” in Gaza. to curb any possible “threat”.
After which a new phase will begin, that of the “day after” the war. However, this week, Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir called for a return of Jewish settlers to Gaza after the war, and to “encourage” the Palestinian population to emigrate. But, “the inhabitants of Gaza are Palestinians, said Yoav Gallant. Therefore Palestinian entities will be in charge (of management) on the condition that there is no hostile action or threat against the State of Israel “, underlines the plan without saying precisely who, among the Palestinians, should administer this territory.
For the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, Mohammed Shtayyeh, Israel will create its own civil administration which will operate under the authority of its occupying army. Therefore, the question of the day after is not clear (at the moment),” he said in an interview with the Financial Times.
1% of the territory’s population was killed
At the same time, during the night from Thursday to Friday, Israeli forces again increased strikes in the south and center of the Gaza Strip, where witnesses reported intense fighting. Israeli air raids and artillery fire hit Khan Younes on Thursday, a large town in the south of the Gaza Strip which has become the epicenter of operations.
Since the start of hostilities, 22,438 people, mostly women, adolescents and children, have been killed in the Gaza Strip, now almost 1% of the territory’s population, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health on Thursday. An assessment that no independent source is able to verify.
The number of hostages increased to 132
For its part, the Israeli army announced Thursday evening that three Israelis missing since October 7 are being held hostage in Gaza, bringing to 132 the number of people still in the hands of the movement, classified as a terrorist organization by the United States. Israel and the European Union. Around 250 people were kidnapped and taken to Gaza during the October 7 attacks, around 100 of whom were freed during a truce in late November.
Antony Blinken on tour of the Middle East
The head of American diplomacy Antony Blinken embarked Thursday evening on a tour of the Middle East which will last until January 10, where he intends to plead for increased aid for Gaza and means to avoid conflagration in a regional context upset.
First stop in Turkey, before traveling, in addition to Israel at the beginning of next week, to five Arab countries – Jordan, Qatar, Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt -, as well as to the West Bank, seat of the Palestinian Authority, indicated his spokesperson Matthew Miller to the press.
Leader of pro-Iranian faction in Iraq killed by US
The leader of a pro-Iranian armed group, involved according to Washington in attacks against its troops, was killed Thursday in Iraq by an American strike, an American defense official confirmed the same day. Hachd al-Chaabi, leader of one of the factions of the pro-Iranian armed group, was “actively involved in organizing and carrying out attacks against American troops”, added the official, confirming the death of another member of the group. Both were killed by a drone strike on a building of their organization in Baghdad.
Islamic State claims responsibility for attack that killed 84 people in Iran
The Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility on Thursday for the attack which left 84 dead in Iran the day before, near the tomb of General Qassem Soleimani, whose death the country commemorated in 2020. Via its Telegram channels, the jihadist group indicated that two of its members “activated their explosive belt” in the middle of “a large gathering of apostates”. The Sunni jihadist group included this operation as part of a campaign called “And kill them wherever you find them”, according to the press release.