Al Mayadeen – December 12, 2024
By day 433 of Israeli genocide in Gaza: 44,835 killed, 106,356 wounded
The Israeli occupation commits three massacres across the Gaza Strip in 24 hours, killing 30 Palestinians and injuring 99 others.
In the latest toll issued by the Ministry of Health in Gaza on day 433 of the ongoing genocide, the number of martyrs has reached 44,835, with 106,356 wounded since October 7, 2023.
The Israeli occupation committed three massacres across the Gaza Strip in 24 hours, killing 30 Palestinians and injuring 99 others, according to the Ministry.
While some of the victims were transported to the few partially functioning hospitals in the Strip, most of them remain trapped beneath the rubble, with almost impossible means to get out amid the continuous Israeli obstruction of rescue operations.
Israeli genocide ongoing
At least 40 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip since dawn today, with 30 casualties reported in the central and southern regions. Concurrently, Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza reported that 15 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a house west of the al-Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.
The death toll from another strike on a house on al-Jalaa Street in western Gaza City has risen to 10. Our correspondent also reported that the Israeli military carried out three major massacres overnight, the deadliest occurring in the al-Nuseirat camp, where an entire family was wiped off of the civil registry. In addition, there were injuries following an Israeli attack on the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City.
Furthermore, an Israeli airstrike also targeted an apartment in the Abdul Aal building near the Islamic complex in the al-Sabra neighborhood, south of Gaza City.
In yet another violation against medical staff in Gaza, Dr. Saeed Joudeh, an orthopedic surgeon from northern Gaza, was killed on December 12, 2024, while en route to Al-Awda Hospital.
The Ministry of Health announced Dr. Joudeh's death, detailing that he was heading from Kamal Adwan Hospital to Al-Awda Hospital to treat some cases in the hospital when he was directly targeted by an Israeli quadcopter that opened fire on him.
With his martyrdom, the total number of martyrs in the health sector rises to 1,057.
The Ministry added that despite his injury two weeks ago, Dr. Joudeh insisted on providing service and treating patients in the hospital.
In this context, it reiterated its appeal to all international and human rights institutions to provide protection for hospitals and health crews while they carry out their humanitarian duty.
The Ministry also called on all workers in the healthcare system across the world to stand in solidarity with the health crews in the Gaza Strip where a genocide is ongoing.
This is all happening as brutal bombings in Gaza City persist, forcing more residents to seek shelter in tents. According to reports from UNWateridge to BBC News, doctors have stated that the intensity of the strikes is so severe that bodies are being vaporized, with no remains found after the attacks.
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/by-day-433-of-israeli-genocide-in-gaza--44-835-killed--106-3
Al Mayadeen – December 12, 2024
Hamas welcomes UNGA's adoption of Gaza ceasefire resolution
Hamas affirms that it had engaged with all decisions or initiatives aimed at achieving a ceasefire throughout the stages of this aggression.
Hamas welcomed Thursday the United Nations General Assembly's adoption of a resolution supported by 158 countries calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and enabling civilians in the territory to immediately access essential services and humanitarian aid while rejecting any attempts to starve the Palestinian population.
In a statement, Hamas affirmed that it had engaged with all decisions or initiatives aimed at achieving a ceasefire throughout the stages of this aggression.
The movement pointed out that "war criminal Netanyahu and his fascist ministers" have blatantly disregarded all efforts and resolutions, continuing the genocide war against innocent civilians with full support and cover from the US administration.
Hamas urged the international community, including Arab and Islamic nations and influential states, to pressure the occupation government to implement this resolution, "which reflects the global conscience demanding an end to the savage genocide in Gaza."
It also called for steps to bring the Israeli war criminals of the occupation to the International Criminal Court, enforcing arrest warrants issued against them and holding them accountable for their crimes against humanity.
The UNGA endorsed resolutions Wednesday calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and supporting the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), which "Israel" has sought to abolish.
"Israel" and the US voted against the resolutions. While Security Council resolutions are legally binding, UNGA resolutions are not, despite representing global opinion.
The resolution urges "an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire" and also calls for "the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages."
Although non-binding, the resolution further demands "immediate access" to extensive humanitarian aid for Gaza's population, particularly in the heavily blockaded northern region.
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/hamas-welcomes-unga-s-adoption-of-gaza-ceasefire-resolution
Al Mayadeen – December 12, 2024
96% of Gaza children feel death is imminent, study reveals
More than 60% of the children surveyed reported experiencing traumatic events during the war, with many exposed to multiple traumatic incidents.
A recent study examining children enduring the war in Gaza has revealed that 96% feel their death is imminent, while nearly half express a desire to die due to the trauma they have endured, The Guardian reported.
A needs assessment, conducted by a Gaza-based NGO with support from the War Child Alliance charity, also found that 92% of surveyed children are “not accepting of reality,” 79% experience nightmares, and 73% display signs of aggression.
“This report lays bare that Gaza is one of the most horrifying places in the world to be a child,” said Helen Pattinson, chief executive of War Child UK.
“Alongside the levelling of hospitals, schools and homes, a trail of psychological destruction has caused wounds unseen but no less destructive on children who hold no responsibility for this war," she added.
Conducted in June this year, the survey included responses from parents or caregivers of 504 children from families where at least one child is disabled, injured, or unaccompanied. The sample was divided between northern and southern Gaza and supplemented with detailed interviews.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the Israeli war on Gaza has killed more than 44,000 people, with the UN Human Rights Office recently reporting that 44% of verified martyrs are children.
The psychological survey, released on Wednesday, was conducted by the Community Training Centre for Crisis Management, a Gaza-based organization, with support from the Dutch Relief Alliance and the War Child Alliance.
The report underscored that “the psychological toll on children was severe, with high levels of stress manifested in symptoms such as fear, anxiety, sleep disturbances, nightmares, nail-biting, difficulty concentrating and social withdrawal.”
It explained that “children have witnessed the bombing of their homes and schools, experienced the loss of loved ones, and have been displaced or separated from their families while fleeing for safety.”
Approximately 1.9 million Palestinians in Gaza—about 90% of the population—have been displaced, many multiple times. Half of this number are children who have lost their homes and been forced to flee their communities.
More than 60% of the children surveyed reported experiencing traumatic events during the war, with many exposed to multiple traumatic incidents.
An estimated 17,000 children in Gaza are unaccompanied, having been separated from their parents, though the report suggests the actual number may be much higher.
“Being separated from their families places these children at a heightened risk of exploitation, abuse and other serious violations of their rights,” the report cautioned.
It added that “as a result of such exposure, children develop responses that may persist long after the war has ceased, profoundly affecting their daily lives.”
“Traumatic responses can manifest in various ways, including ongoing emotional distress, anxiety, behavioural changes, difficulties in relationships, regression, nightmares, sleep disturbances, eating issues, and physical symptoms such as pain.”
Almost all (96%) feel their death is imminent, while 49% actively wish for death—a sentiment more common among boys (72%) than girls (26%).
War Child has reported that it and its partners have reached 17,000 children in Gaza with mental health support thus far, aiming to extend this aid to one million children in what the charity describes as the largest humanitarian effort in its 30-year history.
“The international community must act now before the child mental health catastrophe we are witnessing embeds itself into multigenerational trauma, the consequences of which the region will be dealing with for decades to come,” Pattinson underlined.
Israel’s exploitation of discord within Muslims root cause of regional events: Iran president
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says the events that have recently unfolded in the region reveal that the Israeli regime is exploiting discord within Muslim countries to press ahead with its acts of aggression.
Pezeshkian made the remarks in a meeting with Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat in Tehran on Wednesday, a few days after militant groups led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), originating from the northwestern Syrian city of Aleppo, made dramatic and stunning advances, ultimately forcing former president Bashar al-Assad to leave the country on December 8.
“What is happening in the region indicates that the Zionist regime has exploited discord within Muslim countries to attack Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, and kill Muslims,” he said.
He added, “If we put aside our differences, the Muslim world will become stronger than ever and the world will interact with us on the basis of mutual respect.”
He urged Muslims to settle their problems “in a brotherly manner” and strengthen the power of the Muslim world “in practice not in word.”
If Muslim countries share their capacities with each other – from trade markets to transportation routes and other potentials – it will “definitely benefit all the Muslim nations, and the Zionist regime and other powers will not dare carry out a criminal act and interfere in Muslims’ affairs.”
The Iranian president noted that in the talks with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he has always stressed the need to consolidate relations among Muslim countries.
“I strongly believe that Muslim countries should further expand their relations and interaction,” Pezeshkian said.
Elsewhere in his remarks, he expressed Iran’s readiness to improve cooperation with Turkey in all fields, adding that Tehran seeks to create a framework for financial interactions with Turkey aimed at de-dollarization in bilateral trade exchanges.
The president said Iran insists on implementing bilateral agreements and bolstering cooperation “so that the enemies who cast covetous eyes on relations among Muslim states will be disappointed.”
Pezeshkian lashed out at the United States and Europe for imposing “unfair” sanctions on Iran to force the country to yield to them, but all to no avail.
The Turkish minister, who is in Tehran to attend the 29th meeting of the Turkey-Iran Joint Economic Cooperation Commission, said the two countries are working hard to reach the target of $30 billion in bilateral trade.
Bolat added that his country wants to renew its 25-year trade agreement with Iran in the energy sector.
Iran and Turkey will modernize the border gates to facilitate the common customs trade between the two countries, Bolat said and noted that his country is trying to open two more border gates with Iran.
Both countries are also trying to strengthen border crossings and markets between the two countries, he added.
Bolat noted that his country is keen to revive the preferential trade agreement signed with Iran in 2015 and implement a comprehensive agreement on tourism.
US mulling delisting head of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham militant group
Once again, the United States is giving its support to far-right militants in order to topple an independent government, this time, in Syria. After waging 13 years of brutal war against the Syrian people, Washington has indicated its approval of the invasion of Syria by the al-Qaeda-linked group, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham and its notorious leader, Abu Mohammad al-Julani.
For nearly a decade, the United States has posted a $10 million bounty on al-Julani for crimes committed against civilians and other terrorist acts in Syria, however, they are reportedly discussing taking him off their wanted list already.
Both the Western mainstream media and Washington officials are being accused of trying to whitewash the brutal sectarian crimes of al-Julani, who appears to be allied with Israel.
Muhammad Sankari, US Palestine Community Network
Rarely discussed in the United States is how Syrian society has been gradually decimated by the notorious strangulation of the ‘Caesar Sanctions’ on Damascus, the theft of Syria's oil fields, aided by the US military, and billions of dollars in weapons consigned for anti-Syrian militant groups.
The country which has occupied 30% of Syria for a decade now and has stolen billions of dollars in Syrian resources, crippling the Syrian economy, making the Syrian people hungry, in a country which has plenty for all, unfortunately, I don't believe that the United States is going to suddenly have a change of will or a change of mind or a change of heart.
The US wants to cripple Syria.
Washington has refused to join the United Nations in condemning Israel's hundreds of air strikes that have destroyed much of the Syrian state's defenses and infrastructure, further aiding the success of the militants.
Al Mayadeen – December 12, 2024
Israel and US want to divide Middle East to expand control: Al-Houthi
Yemeni Ansar Allah leader Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi underlines that the Israeli occupation and the United States want to divide the region to serve their goals.
Yemeni Ansar Allah leader Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi underlined on Thursday Syria's critical role in resisting Israeli ambitions after the collapse of the Assad regime following the insurgency that took over the country.
Sayyed al-Houthi called for solidarity with Syria and its people, condemning ongoing Israeli aggression and its exploitation of the conflict to bolster its influence in the region.
He pointed to recent statements by Israeli officials, particularly Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who described the potential fall of the Syrian government as an opportunity for the occupation to redraw strategic boundaries. Sayyed al-Houthi warned that the Israeli occupation was working to dismantle agreements such as the disengagement accords and capitalize on the situation to expand its control.
"The Israeli enemy views developments in Syria as a real chance to impose new realities, not only within Syria but also throughout the region," he said, adding that the Zionist project seeks to destabilize the Middle East by fragmenting nations into smaller, more vulnerable entities.
Unwavering support for Syria
The Yemeni leader expressed his country's unwavering support for Syria against what he termed the "Israeli-Zionist aggression," emphasizing the interconnectedness of Resistance movements across the Arab and Islamic world. He also linked the occupation's actions in Syria to its broader strategy, describing it as part of a "new Middle East" plan designed to weaken nations and empower Israeli dominance.
As part of this two-phased plan, Sayyed al-Houthi explained, sectarian divisions were exploited to further US-Israeli interests, a tactic he denounced as detrimental to regional unity, urging solidarity among nations and calling for action to counter these schemes.
The first phase, according to Sayyed al-Houthi, involves normalizing relations with the Israeli occupation and eliminating obstacles to resolving the Palestinian issue in the Israeli regime’s favor. The second phase seeks to divide major nations into smaller states, thereby increasing Israeli influence. He warned that such a plan would expand the occupation's territorial control to include regions of the Levant, Egypt, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, reducing Arab nations into fragmented entities.
Yemen's support for Palestinian cause
The Ansar Allah leader's speech also touched on Yemen's active involvement in supporting the Palestinian cause, including joint operations between Yemeni and Iraqi Resistance forces targeting Israeli interests. He called for mass demonstrations in Yemen to express solidarity with Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon, urging continued resistance to Israeli and US aggression.
Sayyed Al-Houthi emphasized the extensive training provided to hundreds of thousands of Yemenis to enhance their combat skills and psychological readiness, declaring their preparedness to fight those who threaten Yemen's sovereignty.
"We have trained our people to acquire combat skills and stand prepared psychologically, culturally, and spiritually for the battle," he stated, affirming that their stance is "rooted in faith and trust in God."
Sayyed al-Houthi condemned Israeli attacks in Gaza, specifically the deliberate bombing of the oxygen plant at the Kamal Adwan Hospital, which he described as a crime against children and patients in intensive care. He also denounced the Israeli occupation's ongoing crimes, including house demolitions, land seizures, and the establishment of new settlements in the West Bank.
