Al Mayadeen – January 12, 2025
By day 464 of Israeli genocide in Gaza: 46,565 killed, 109,660 injured
Israeli occupation forces continue their genocidal campaign in the Gaza Strip, conducting numerous airstrikes and artillery bombardments that have resulted in further civilian casualties.
The Israeli occupation military committed two massacres against families in the Gaza Strip, of whom 28 martyrs and 89 injuries arrived at hospitals in 48 hours, the Health Ministry in Gaza announced on Saturday.
This brings the total number of Palestinians killed since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, to 46,565 in addition to 109,660 injuries, the ministry confirmed in its daily report on the 464th day of the aggression.
It noted that a number of victims remain under the rubble and on the roads, as ambulance and civil defense crews cannot reach them.
The Israeli genocide is ongoing
Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported that Israeli helicopter gunships opened fire east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday. The invading Israeli units also issued new evacuation orders for residential areas in the Nuseirat refugee camp, located in central Gaza.
In a separate incident, Israeli artillery shelled the northern parts of Nuseirat. Meanwhile, one martyr was recovered following an Israeli airstrike on the intelligence building in the northwest of Gaza City.
Israeli artillery and helicopter gunfire also targeted the Abu al-Ajeen area, east of Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza, while two were martyred and several others were injured in an airstrike on a group of citizens near the Layalina Hall in western Gaza City.
Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat received one martyr and six wounded individuals after Israeli artillery struck the entrance to al-Bureij in central Gaza. The bombardment continued, claiming two more martyrs and leaving several others injured near the Layalina Hall, as per our correspondent.
In the northern Gaza town of Jabalia, an Israeli airstrike targeted a group of citizens, resulting in one martyr and multiple injuries.
According to Al Mayadeen’s correspondent, the city of Gaza endured intense aerial and artillery bombardment, with al-Zaytun neighborhood suffering significant damage.
Meanwhile, Nuseirat Municipality announced the complete halt of its basic services within 48 hours due to the depletion of fuel supplies.
100 days of the Israeli invasion of northern Gaza
Gaza's Media Office issued a statement marking the 100th day of the Israeli relentless ground assault on northern Gaza, a campaign that has wrought catastrophic consequences on the area. The ongoing military aggression has resulted in a devastating toll, with 5,000 martyrs and missing persons, 9,500 injured, and 2,600 detained, according to the latest figures from the office.
The people of northern Gaza have endured unprecedented violence, including targeted killings, ethnic cleansing, widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure, and forced displacement on an unimaginable scale, as per the statement.
The widespread destruction of homes, hospitals, vital public services, and infrastructure, as per the statement, reveals the Israeli deliberate and calculated strategy to erase the basic conditions for life in Gaza.
Gaza’s Media Office reiterated that despite this unrelenting Israeli assault, the Palestinian people remain resilient. The occupation's efforts to forcibly displace them and strip them of their rights will not succeed, it added.
The office further condemned the ongoing brutal assault on northern Gaza and throughout the Strip, which has only targeted civilians and vital civilian infrastructure.
"The Israeli occupation bears full responsibility for the worsening humanitarian crisis in northern Gaza. We also hold the US administration and the governments of Britain, Germany, and France accountable for their support of and participation in these crimes against humanity. We demand that they immediately cease their support for this genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinian civilians," the statement read.
The office concluded by urgently calling on the international community, global institutions, and the United Nations to take swift and decisive action, pressuring the Israeli occupation to halt its genocidal actions and ethnic cleansing and to end the devastating consequences of this war on Gaza’s civilians.
Displaced Palestinians dig trenches to shelter from cold, airstrikes
As temperatures plunge and heavy rains batter war-torn central Gaza, displaced families are resorting to desperate measures to survive. In Deir el-Balah, Tayseer Obaid, a Palestinian father, has dug an underground shelter for his family, attempting to create a safer and more comfortable space amidst the chaos.
Speaking to AFP, Obaid described how he began digging into the clay soil to expand their limited living area. "I had an idea to dig into the ground to expand the space as it was very limited," he explained.
Over time, he dug nearly two meters deep, adding mattresses for comfort and using flour sacks filled with sand to pave the entry and prevent mud from accumulating. Despite these efforts, he acknowledges the risks, saying, "If an explosion happened around us and the soil collapsed, this shelter would become our grave."
The war, now in its 14th month, has displaced nearly all of Gaza's 2.4 million residents. According to UNOSAT, 66% of the territory's buildings have been damaged or destroyed by relentless airstrikes. With construction materials scarce due to the complete blockade, displaced families are forced to rely on improvised shelters in overcrowded camps.
Al Mayadeen – January 12, 2025
Gaza captive deal may be reached before Trump inauguration, US says
The White House reveals that a captive deal could take shape in Gaza by next weekend as the upcoming Trump administration looms on the horizon.
The sides involved in negotiations over the release of captives in the Gaza Strip are nearing an agreement, with the possibility of a breakthrough before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20, according to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
Speaking to CNN, Sullivan said the progress made but acknowledged that the agreement is not finalized. "We are very, very close," Sullivan stated while cautioning that "the finish line has not been crossed yet."
Sullivan claimed that Brett McGurk, the White House Coordinator for the Middle East, has been in Doha for a week working on the final details of the agreement. "We are still determined to use every day we have in office to get this done," he added.
President Joe Biden receives daily updates on the situation and is expected to hold discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu soon, Sullivan noted. "And we are not by any stretch of the imagination setting this aside. There is a possibility this comes together," he said.
Progress on talks
Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported Friday evening that Qatar had sent a highly positive message to the Israeli occupation regarding Hamas' intention to advance in negotiations.
According to the report, the message focused on the list of Israeli captives who have remained alive in Gaza. Following this communication, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an urgent phone meeting with a select group of ministers and negotiation team members.
US officials involved in the prisoner exchange negotiations told Kan, "The essence of the discussions revolves around transitioning from the first phase to the second phase, with an understanding of the need to link both phases to achieve the deal."
Meanwhile, Channel 12 cited sources expressing optimism within the Israeli security and military establishment about the possibility of reaching a prisoner exchange agreement.
A survey published Friday by the Israeli newspaper Maariv revealed that 88% of respondents support a deal to bring back captives held in Gaza. Of those, 52% favor a comprehensive exchange deal, while 36% back a partial deal.
Back in December, a Palestinian senior official informed Al Mayadeen that meetings in Doha, Qatar, including the United States, "Israel", and Egyptian and Qatari mediators, focus on resolving the deadlock impeding negotiations for a possible ceasefire in Gaza
According to the official, significant progress has been witnessed in the negotiations. He added that the Israeli occupation had concentrated its demands on the return of 34 captives still in Gaza while expressing its willingness to withdraw from densely populated areas across the strip.
Joe Biden’s legacy to be defined by Gaza genocide
By Maryam Qarehgozlou
The outgoing US president, Joe Biden, is expected to deliver a farewell address from the Oval Office on Wednesday – his fifth and last address – as he prepares to pass the baton to President-elect Donald Trump. 
Biden is likely to speak about his tumultuous tenure between 2021 and 2025 and reflect on his legacy.
The defining feature of Biden's legacy as the 46th American president has been his ironclad support for the Israeli regime amid the ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip, which was evident from billions of dollars worth of arms shipments to Tel Aviv despite massive outcry inside the US and across the world.
This support has only strengthened in the past 15 months despite rising Palestinian civilian casualties and widespread devastation resulting from the Israeli regime’s genocidal war on Gaza.
Since Israel launched its all-out war on Gaza 464 days ago on October 7, 2023, at least 46,500 Palestinians have been killed, with a significant number being women and children. At least 109,500 others have been wounded and many more remain trapped under the debris.
New research published by the Lancet medical journal - conducted by academics at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Yale University and other institutions - estimates that the death toll in Gaza in the first nine months of the war was about 40 percent higher than numbers recorded.
The ongoing genocidal war has also destroyed hospitals, schools and refugee camps in Gaza, while the blockade of food and other essential supplies has further exacerbated the situation for people.
Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly voiced concerns over the dire situation, as famine-related deaths rise and essential services, such as healthcare and education, have come to a grinding halt.
Israel has been ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to take steps to halt its genocidal actions and the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former military affairs minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes in Gaza.
What has emboldened the apartheid regime and provided it impunity is the Biden administration's unwavering support through public statements and various political and diplomatic measures, effectively disregarding the Zionist entity’s ethnic cleansing and genocidal war crimes in Gaza.
US military aid to Israel
Israel figures on the list of “major non-NATO allies” of the United States and has for years had privileged access to the most advanced US military platforms and technologies.
Since World War II, Israel has been the largest recipient of US foreign aid, including military assistance, and is also a leading buyer of US weapons systems via traditional arms sales.
According to the USAFacts, a non-profit initiative providing access to US government data, the successive regimes in Tel Aviv have received about $317 billion (adjusted for inflation) in total economic and military assistance from the US from 1951 to 2022.
The United States has provisionally agreed via a 10-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) to provide the Israeli regime with $3.8 billion per year through 2028.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the US accounted for 69 percent of Israel’s imports of major conventional arms between 2019 and 2023.
However, US aid and arms sales to Israel have come under heightened international scrutiny since the apartheid regime began its genocidal actions in Gaza 15 months ago, violating all international laws.
The Watson Institute for International & Public Affairs, affiliated with Brown University, in a recent report, revealed that in just one year (October 7, 2023-September 30, 2024), the Biden administration spent at least $22.76 billion on military aid to the Israeli regime and related US operations in the region.
The $22.76 billion figure comes from adding $17.9 billion in US military assistance to Israel ($14.1 billion in emergency military aid approved in April plus the usual annual military aid of $3.8 billion) and $4.86 billion in US military operations in the region, including against Yemeni resistance.
In March, The Wall Street Journal reported that there “are currently 600 active cases of potential military transfer or sales worth more than $23 billion between the US and Israel.”
Some of the cases cited in the report are due to deals made in past years, and without additional details, it is impossible to know how many of them will result in arms deliveries that might come soon enough to be used by the Israeli military in its Gaza war.
This means that the figure of $17.9 billion in US military assistance to the Israeli regime is a fraction of the full value of US support for this war, which will only be determined over time.
This lack of transparency was also revealed in a March article in The Washington Post, which noted that the Biden administration had made at least 100 arms deals with Israel since October 2023 that fell below the value that would have triggered the requirement to notify Congress of the details.
The deals included $14 million for major equipment and $50 million for other articles and services.
Moreover, in August the Biden administration approved another $20 billion in weapons transfers to Tel Aviv. The arms sale included Boeing-made F-15 fighter jets, Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles, or AMRAAMs, 120mm tank ammunition and high explosive mortars and tactical vehicles.
At the time the Israeli military had killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, leveled entire neighborhoods and blocked shipments of humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip.
In November, the Biden administration provisionally approved a $680m arms package to the Israeli regime, even as the regime was wreaking havoc on two fronts in Lebanon and Gaza.
The delivery was reported to include hundreds of small-diameter bombs and thousands of joint direct attack munition kits (JDAMs). JDAMs convert “dumb” bombs into precision-guided weapons.
Israel had at the time killed close to 44,300 Palestinians in Gaza since the war began and more than 3,800 people in Lebanon.
A report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in November revealed that Israel’s carpet bombing of the Gaza Strip had destroyed 87 percent (411,000) of housing units were destroyed leaving 1.34 million in need of emergency shelter and essential household items.
On Saturday, US media reports revealed that the Biden administration had notified US Congress of a planned $8bn arms sale to the Israeli regime, as a parting gift from the outgoing president.
The weapons will include 500-pound (226kg) warheads, precision-guided munitions, artillery shells, missiles for jets and attack helicopters, and bomb fuses, along with air-to-air missiles to intercept projectiles, the reports said.
The move came just over a fortnight before Biden leaves office. There have been tens of other press accounts of arms deliveries to the Israeli regime since October 7, 2023.
Since the Israeli regime began its genocide, Washington has proved to be reluctant to exert its most meaningful leverage – withholding some of the billions of dollars in arms it provides to Israel.
According to activists, Biden has spent his presidency going against the will of the majority of Americans, international law and even US law to fan the flames of genocide in Gaza.
In fact, the US Leahy laws, under the Foreign Assistance Act, prohibit military assistance to forces engaged in gross violations of human rights. These violations, according to the US Department of State, include extrajudicial killings, torture, rape as a weapon of war and enforced disappearances.
Despite verification of Israel’s gross human rights violations by international rights organizations, firsthand witness accounts, and verified footage, the law has never been applied to the regime.
There is a special Israel Leahy Vetting Forum that looks at reports of abuse by Israeli occupation forces, but Israel is always given special treatment when it comes to Leahy complaints.
In May last year, the US paused a single consignment of 2,000 and 500-pound bombs as Israel was going ahead with a major ground operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
However, Biden immediately faced a backlash from both Republicans in Washington and from Netanyahu and has since lifted the suspension and never repeated it.
US diplomatic support for Israel
Biden has often described US support for Israel as “iron-clad” and has fervently legitimized and encouraged Israeli aggression and international law violations.
On October 7, he expressed his solidarity with Israel and affirmed its need to fight fire with fire. He even flew to the occupied territories and took part in Netanyahu’s war cabinet as a show of support.
Biden arrived in Tel Aviv on October 17, 2023, just hours after the Israeli regime bombed the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City and killed nearly 500 Palestinians.
Speaking at a news conference with Netanyahu, Biden unquestionably backed Israel’s narrative on the deadly blast, saying: “I was deeply saddened and outraged by the explosion of the hospital in Gaza yesterday, and based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you.”
The Israeli military had falsely claimed that the blast was the result of a rocket launched by the Palestinian resistance group Islamic Jihad misfiring. The group rejected the claims.
The outgoing US president has also been slammed for repeating debunked narratives.
On October 11, four days after the Hamas-led operation, Biden addressed a group of Jewish community leaders in the Indian Treaty Room of the Executive Office Building in Washington, DC.
“I never really thought that I would see and have confirmed pictures of terrorists beheading children,” he lied, repeating claims by Nicole Zedeck, a journalist for Israel’s i24 News, who reported that 40 babies had been decapitated, citing Israeli soldiers at the scene of the attacks at Kfar Aza.
The Israeli war cabinet was later forced to admit “it had no evidence to support the claim.”
White House also asserted that Biden had seen no such pictures, nor received any such confirmation, but he never retracted the claims. He even repeated them at a November 16 press conference in Woodside, California, after meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“Hamas has already said publicly that they plan on attacking Israel again like they did before, to where they were cutting babies’ heads off to burn — burning women and children alive,” he said.
President Biden has frequently echoed unsubstantiated Israeli claims that Hamas uses civilian infrastructure, such as hospitals, as headquarters. By promoting this narrative, Biden has effectively permitted Israel to target facilities primarily serving displaced Palestinians as shelter.
Since October 7, the Biden administration has also vetoed three United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions that called for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to Israeli aggression.
Despite consequent polls demonstrating growing public support for a ceasefire, and the death toll in Gaza, the Biden administration stood firm in its position against a ceasefire.
Despite funneling billions of dollars into military support for Israel, the United States has slashed budgets for organizations responsible for aiding Palestinians.
The $1.2 trillion package of US spending bills which was passed in March eliminated US funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) – which provides vital services on the ground to Palestinians in Gaza and across West Asia – until March 2025.
The agency lost millions of dollars in international support, led by the US, following claims that some of its staff in the Gaza Strip were involved in the October 7 Hamas-led Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.
This comes while the Israeli dossier on UNRWA employees’ involvement in the October 7 was found to contain no concrete evidence when reviewed by the UK’s Channel 4 and other news organizations.
The bill further withheld funds from the UN Human Rights Council for what it called “anti-Israel” actions and eliminated funding to the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory which has a mandate to investigate war crimes.
In July, Netanyahu was warmly received by US lawmakers during his address to the US Congress. He was met with numerous standing ovations, showing bipartisan support for Israel in the US Congress.
In response to the ICC arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant, the US government has taken a hostile stance towards the World Court, threatening sanctions and condemning the warrants.
President Biden labeled the warrants “outrageous” and “anti-Semitic,” while the administration went as far as suggesting potential military action against the Hague and imposing sanctions on allies supporting the ICC.
In an act of open defiance, Gallant visited the White House in December for a meeting with a key Biden official—just weeks after the ICC issued a warrant for his arrest over crimes against humanity.
Analysts have characterized Biden as the most pro-Israel president in American history, pointing to his unwavering support for Israeli policies, even in the face of widespread international condemnation.
During his meeting with Netanyahu and his cabinet in Tel Aviv in October 2023, Biden said, “I don’t believe you have to be a Jew to be a Zionist, and I am a Zionist.”
Human rights advocates argue that Biden’s legacy will be defined by his support for Israeli actions, especially the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Pro-Palestine protesters have frequently referred to Biden as “Genocide Joe” for his deep complicity in the Gaza genocide, criticizing his continued military and diplomatic support for the Israeli regime.
Iran in possession of weapons unknown to enemies: Top commander
A top Iranian commander says the country has weapons that have not been unveiled so far and are unknown to the enemies.
Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani made the remarks on Sunday as he was speaking about the ongoing military exercises conducted by the Armed Forces to display their prowess in the face of threats.
“We have weapons that we have not spoken about so far and the enemy has no information about them. Some of these weapons may be tested during the drills,” he told reporters.
He added that the Iranian Armed Forces have constantly held drills to improve their combat power in various fields and ensure the country's defense readiness.
Just as Iran monitors the enemies’ moves, they also monitor the developments in the region and the Islamic Republic’s military drills, Ashtiani noted.
“We seek [to improve] peace, stability and tranquility in the region. Therefore, by conducting the exercises, we demonstrate our readiness,” he said.
He reiterated that all the developments in the region are under the surveillance and control of the Iranian Armed Forces.
“We will counter any excessive demands, deviations, and misconceptions that the enemies may have,” the senior commander said.
Ashtiani’s remarks came on the same day that the Iranian military launched new exercises in the country's western and northern air defense zones including Fordow and Khondab which host uranium enrichment and heavy water facilities.
The drills – dubbed Eqtedar in Farsi - began in completely real battlefield environments, with the air defense force of the Army playing a central role under the command of the country's integrated air defense network
The exercises aim to evaluate the operational effectiveness and combat readiness of Iran's air defense systems against potential enemy assaults.
Earlier in January, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Force also held a large-scale and specialized drill, codenamed Payambar-e-A’azam (Great Prophet) 19, in Iran’s western province of Kermanshah, as part of attempts to raise its combat preparedness and confront potential security threats against the country.
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/01/12/740786/Iran-weapons-enemies-commander
Al Mayadeen – January 12, 2025
Iran plans 2026 launch for 'Shaheed Soleimani' satellite constellation
Iran is advancing its space program with new satellite projects, university collaborations, and upcoming launches, including the 'Shaheed Soleimani' constellation aimed at enhancing IoT capabilities.
Hassan Salarieh, the head of the Iranian Space Organization, outlined the latest developments in the country's space initiatives during an interview with Tasnim News Agency. His remarks covered ongoing satellite projects, upcoming launches, and the role of academic institutions in advancing space technologies
.
Salarieh revealed that Iran is working on the 'Shaheed Soleimani' satellite constellation, a project consisting of 20 satellites aimed at improving the Internet of Things (IoT). The constellation is currently under construction, with plans for a test launch in early 2025, followed by the main launch in March 2026.
Additionally, he provided updates on other projects, noting that satellites in the 'Research' series—Research 1, 2, 3, and 4—are either in the tendering phase or have already entered production. The 'Pars 2' and 'Pars 3' satellites, along with two radar satellites, are also progressing. Upcoming launches include 'Nahid 2' and 'Nahid 3', both of which are ready for deployment.
Strengthening Iran's Operational Satellite Fleet
"Several test launches are conducted for new satellites to address any in-orbit issues," Salarieh explained, adding that an upgraded version of the 'Pars 1' satellite will be unveiled during the Fajr decade, held annually from February 1 to 11 in commemoration of the 1979 Revolution.
Discussing operational satellites, Salarieh acknowledged that some have reached the end of their service life. However, he highlighted the 'Mehda' satellite, launched in February 2023, as an active telecommunications platform currently functioning in orbit.
Salarieh also stressed the contributions of Iranian universities to the space sector. "Many satellites are directly built by universities, playing a crucial role in training specialists and developing core space technologies," he stated. Knowledge-based companies, often spun off from academic institutions, have also become key collaborators with the Space Organization.
Read more: Iran achieves milestone in space tech with Saman-1 and Fakhr-1 launch
In addition, Salarieh mentioned agreements with universities and the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology to drive innovation in space-related fields. He highlighted the importance of university-affiliated companies in developing technologies that will shape the future of Iran's space program.
These efforts, Salarieh suggested, reflect a strategic approach to strengthening Iran's capabilities in satellite production and advancing its presence in the global space industry.
