Anadolu Agency – December 19, 2024
Gaza death toll tops 45,100 as Israel's genocidal war continues unabated
More than 107,300 Palestinians injured in Israeli onslaught since Oct. 7, 2023, Gaza's Health Ministry says
At least 32 more Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, bringing the overall death toll since last year to 45,129, the Health Ministry in the enclave said on Thursday.
A ministry statement added that some 107,338 others were also injured in the ongoing assault.
“Israeli forces killed 32 people and injured 94 others in four 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 last year 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.
Last month, 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.
Al Mayadeen – December 19, 2024
Yemen Air Force hit Tel Aviv in parallel with Israeli aggression on Yemen
A senior Yemeni source told Al Mayadeen that the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) latest operation had a devastating impact on "Israel".
The missile unit of the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) carried out a top-tier military operation, attacking two Israeli sensitive and strategic military targets in the occupied Yafa (Tel Aviv) region using two Palestine-2 hypersonic ballistic missiles.
YAF spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree confirmed that the operation successfully achieved its objectives, adding that the attack coincided with Israeli aggression targeting civilian facilities in the capital, Sanaa, and in Hodeidah Governorate, including power stations.
He indicated that the Yemeni response comes within the framework of a legitimate and natural reaction to Israeli aggression.
Saree also said the operation is "in solidarity with the oppressed Palestinian people and in response to the massacres against our brothers in Gaza, as part of the fifth phase of support in the Battle of the Promised Conquest and Sacred Jihad and within the framework of responding to Israeli aggression against our country."
The YAF spokesperson underlined that the Israeli aggression will not deter Yemen or the Yemeni people "from fulfilling their religious and moral duty to respond to the massacres in Gaza, as well as to this blatant aggression."
He affirmed that Yemen will continue to provide support and target all hostile targets with appropriate weaponry, reiterating that the operations of the Yemeni Armed Forces will not cease until the Israeli aggression against Gaza stops and the siege imposed on the Palestinian Strip is lifted.
YAF operation had devastating impact on 'Israel': Senior Yemeni source
In the same context, a senior Yemeni source told Al Mayadeen that "going after civilian targets will not stop Yemen from increasing support and breaking the arrogance of the haughty entity."
"The last operation had a devastating impact on the Israeli enemy, and they should read it carefully, being in a state of shock and awe from the results of the Yemeni military action," the source said.
"Israel" must comprehend the message and must approve of finding a quick and permanent solution, the source stressed, asserting that Yemen will continue its operations.
The senior Yemeni source also pointed out that the American [administration] "can never be innocent of any aggression against Yemen," adding that its latest attempt at evading responsibility for the recent aggression against civilian targets does not absolve it [from it].
Operation White City
Israeli media reported that dozens of Israeli Air Force warplanes attacked strategic targets in Yemen at dawn on Thursday, specifically in Hodeidah, and for the first time, in the suburbs of the capital, Sanaa.
Israel Hayom indicated that the operation, codenamed "White City", was planned in response to more than 200 missiles and more than 170 drones launched from Yemen thus far.
The Israeli newspaper highlighted that some of the targets attacked in Yemen are about 2,000 km away from "Israel".
It revealed that within the Israeli military, it is stated that the army has been preparing for an attack in Yemen for a long time and has consistently worked on improving intelligence and enhancing the precision of targets.
Israeli attacks on Yemen will not deter Sanaa: Al-Houthi
On his part, Mohammad Ali al-Houthi, a member of the Supreme Political Council in Yemen, considered that "the attacks of the Israeli-American enemy on civilian targets (in Yemen) are condemned terrorist war crimes."
In a post on X, al-Houthi labeled the crimes of the “temporary Israeli entity” and the US against Yemen “a continuation of the series of crimes in the region.”
Al-Houthi added that the ongoing attacks on Yemen will not deter Sanaa from carrying out its supportive duty for Gaza, vowing that military operations will continue no matter what.
Martyrs, injuries in Israeli aggression on Yemen's Sanaa, Hodeidah
A series of intense Israeli airstrikes targeted the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and the city of Hodeidah in western Yemen, Al Mayadeen’s correspondent reported in the early hours of Thursday.
According to our correspondent, approximately six Israeli airstrikes hit the Hodeidah port and the Ras Issa oil facility in western Yemen, resulting in the killing of nine people and injuries to several others among the facility’s staff.
The correspondent further noted that Israeli strikes targeted the central Dahban power station in northern Sanaa. Later, he indicated that civil defense teams successfully extinguished the fire at the Dahban station, while efforts continued to put out a blaze at another facility.
Local Yemeni sources confirmed that three airstrikes targeted the power station in the Hezyaz area south of Sanaa.
The sources added that the strikes caused widespread power outages across several areas due to the Israeli assault on the Hezyaz power station.
For its part, the Israeli military announced it had launched a series of airstrikes on Yemen’s western coast and the capital, Sanaa.
Early Thursday, sirens blared in Tel Aviv following the launch of a Yemeni surface-to-surface ballistic missile. The attack forced large numbers of settlers to seek refuge in shelters.
Fragments of the Yemeni missile landed in the Ramat Gan area in central occupied Palestine, causing material damage, according to Israeli media.
An Israeli media platform reported that “the missile launched from Yemen directly hit a building in central [Israel].”
Simultaneously, Israeli media outlets reported multiple explosions in al-Quds as air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv.
Journalist Firas Tannina told Al Mayadeen that Israeli air defenses failed to intercept a Yemeni hypersonic missile, adding that nearly a million settlers rushed to shelters after the missile struck Gush Dan.
Daily Sabah – December 19, 2024
9 killed in Yemen as Israel, Houthis engage in tit-for-tat attacks
At least nine people were killed in Yemen Thursday when Israel struck its ports and energy infrastructure after intercepting a missile fired from the country.
The Houthi media said the strikes hit power stations, oil facilities and a port in Hodaidah, killing nine and injuring others.
Iran, which backs the group, denounced the raids as a "flagrant violation of the principles and norms of international law and the U.N. Charter."
Israel's raids came after it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen, warning Houthi rebel leaders there it "will reach you too."
The Houthis have regularly targeted Israel over its genocidal war on Gaza.
Israel's military said it "conducted precise strikes on Houthi military targets in Yemen – including ports and energy infrastructure in Sanaa, which the Houthis have been using in ways that effectively contributed to their military actions."
"I warn the leaders of the Houthi ... organization: Israel's long arm will reach you too," Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said.
Al-Masira, a media channel belonging to the Houthis, said a series of "aggressive raids" were launched in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa and the port city of Hodeidah.
It reported raids that "targeted two central power plants" in and around Yemen's capital Sanaa, while in Hodeidah it said "the enemy launched four aggressive raids targeting the port ... and two raids targeting" an oil facility.
It said strikes on the al-Saleef port had killed seven people, while two more were killed and others injured in the strike on the oil facility.
The strikes came after Israel's military reportedly intercepted a missile from Yemen for the second time this week.
On Monday, the Houthis claimed a missile launch they said was aimed at "a military target of the Israeli enemy in the occupied area of Yaffa" – a reference to Israel's Tel Aviv area.
Also Monday, an Israeli navy missile boat intercepted a drone in the Mediterranean after it was launched from Yemen, the military said.
The Houthi rebels have said they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians and pledged Monday to continue operations "until the aggression on Gaza stops and the siege is lifted."
On Dec. 9, a drone claimed by Houthis exploded on the top floor of a residential building in the central Israel city of Yavne, causing no casualties.
In July, a Houthi drone attack in Tel Aviv killed an Israeli civilian, prompting retaliatory strikes on the Yemeni port of Hodeidah.
The Houthis have also regularly targeted shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, leading to retaliatory strikes on Houthi targets by United States and sometimes British forces.
Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said the group had become a "global threat," pointing to Iran's support for the rebels.
"We will continue to act against anyone, anyone in the Middle East, that threatens the state of Israel," he said.
President Pezeshkian urges Muslim unity to counter Israeli aggressions
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has highlighted the necessity of unity among Islamic nations, urging collective action to counter the aggressions of the Israeli regime.
“Islamic countries must unite and stand against the aggression of the Zionist regime,” Pezeshkian said while addressing the D-8 group of developing nations’ summit in Cairo on Thursday.
“It is our religious, legal, and humanitarian duty to take more immediate and practical measures to prevent further harm to our loved ones in crisis-hit areas,” he emphasized.
The president also expressed hope for strengthened relations among D-8 member states during Egypt’s presidency of the organization.
“I hope this period will witness deeper friendship and brotherhood between members and significant steps toward enhancing multilateral cooperation,” he said.
The D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, also known as Developing-8, is an organization for developing cooperation among Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey.
Leading a high-profile delegation, President Pezeshkian arrived in Cairo on Wednesday to take part in the D-8 summit. It is the first visit by an Iranian president to Egypt in 11 years.
Daily Sabah – December 19, 2024
Pakistan slams US decision to expand missile program sanctions
Pakistan has condemned a U.S. decision to impose more sanctions on state-owned and private companies over Islamabad's long-range ballistic program.
The government said Thursday that the decision was "biased" and had "dangerous implications" for regional stability.
The United States said on Wednesday it was imposing new sanctions related to nuclear-armed Pakistan's long-range ballistic missile program, including on the state-owned defense agency that oversees the program.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement that the measures slapped on the National Development Complex and three firms were imposed under an executive order that "targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery."
The sanctions freeze any U.S. property belonging to the targeted entities and bar Americans from doing business with them.
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the U.S. action was "unfortunate and biased" and would harm regional stability by "aiming to accentuate military asymmetries," an apparent reference to the country's rivalry with nuclear-armed India.
A State Department factsheet said the Islamabad-based NDC has sought to obtain components for the country's long-range ballistic missile program and missile-testing equipment.
It said the NDC "is responsible for the development of Pakistan's ballistic missiles," including the Shaheen family of missiles.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists research organization says the Shaheen series of missiles is nuclear-capable.
Pakistan conducted its first nuclear weapons test in 1998, becoming the seventh country to do so. The Bulletin estimates Pakistan's arsenal at about 170 warheads.
Islamabad has refused to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty, the cornerstone of the international system designed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.
The other entities slapped with sanctions were Affiliates International, Akhtar and Sons Private Limited and Rockside Enterprise, all located in Karachi, the factsheet said.
It said the companies worked with the NDC to acquire equipment.
"The United States will continue to act against proliferation and associated procurement activities of concern," Miller said.
https://www.dailysabah.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistan-slams-us-decision-to-expand-missile-program-sanctions
