Our live coverage of Israel's war against Hamas has moved here.
December 25, 2023 Israel-Hamas war
By Tara Subramaniam, Christian Edwards and Aditi Sangal, CNN
Updated 1034 GMT (1834 HKT) December 26, 2023
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Netanyahu confidant expected to meet US officials for talks on war
From CNN's Oren Liebermann
A close confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet with Biden administration officials on Tuesday, according to a source familiar with the plans, after the Israeli leader vowed a “long fight” ahead in the war in Gaza.
Ron Dermer, considered one of Netanyahu’s closest allies, is expected to meet with officials from the White House and the State Department to discuss the next phase of the war in Gaza, the source told CNN.
Dermer is a member of Israel's war cabinet who previously served as ambassador to the United States.
He is expected to meet with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and members of Congress, according to Axios, which first reported the meetings.
The National Security Council told CNN they do not have any meetings to announce “at this time.”
The expected meetings come as the White House has looked for Israel to move away from the high intensity war it has waged for nearly three months in Gaza that has resulted in approximately 20,000 people killed, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Healthy in Ramallah, which draws its data from the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza.
Last week, the White House told reporters that Israel has assured the United States that it would transition to operations of lower intensity, though the administration would not put a specific timeline on the transition. US officials previously told CNN they expect Israel could shift its tactics to more localized operations by January.
Netanyahu vowed Monday that the war in Gaza was still a “long fight and it is not close to ending.” After his second visit to Gaza since the war began on October 7, Netanyahu said in a statement that Israel would “deepen the fighting.”
Iran accuses Israel of killing senior commander in Syria airstrike
From CNN’s Hamdi Alkhshali
Iran and several of its armed proxies on Monday vowed to retaliate against Israel following the alleged assassination of a senior Islamic Revolution Guards Corps commander in Syria.
IRGC commander Seyyed Razi Mousavi was killed Monday in an Israeli airstrike that targeted him a Damascus suburb, Iran's state-run IRNA reported, citing a statement from IRGC public relations.
The IDF declined to comment on the report when asked by CNN.
The IRGC vowed to avenge his killing, saying "the Israeli regime would undoubtedly pay the price for this crime."
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian also warned Israel of repercussions, saying: "Tel Aviv should expect a tough countdown.”
In a separate statement, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said Iran "reserves the right to take necessary measures and respond to his killing at the right time and in the right place.”
Israel has for years targeted what it calls Iran-linked positions in Syria, where the IRGC, an elite wing of the Iranian military, has a significant presence.
According to IRNA, Mousavi was serving as a military adviser in Syria. His alleged assassination comes at a time of heightened regional tensions over Israel's ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza, which has led to fears of a wider conflict.
Iran's warnings of retaliation were echoed Monday by Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and the Iran-linked al-Nujaba Resistance Movement in Iraq.
In a statement Monday, Palestinian Islamic Jihad condemned Mousavi's killing and said he “had a fundamental and pivotal role in supporting the resistance forces in the region, and supporting the Palestinian people, their resistance and their cause.”
Egypt proposes 3-phase plan to end war between Israel and Hamas, media sources say
From CNN's Elizabeth Joseph
Egypt on Sunday proposed a three-phase plan to end the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, according to various media reports, but it is unclear how the warring parties will receive it.
Israel’s war cabinet convened Monday, and among other topics, they were expected to discuss ongoing efforts to secure the release of hostages, an Israeli official told CNN. The source would not acknowledge the reported Egyptian proposal.
Egypt’s three-phase deal would “secure the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza,” CNN Political and Foreign Policy Analyst Barak Ravid reports, citing two Israeli sources. CNN has not independently obtained a copy of the plan.
- In the first phase of the plan, Israel would be expected to pause its military operations for one to two weeks for Hamas to release 40 hostages, including women and the elderly, according to Ravid.
- The second phase includes an agreement of the exchange of bodies of Hamas militants held by Israel for the bodies of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, he added.
- The third phase of the plan “includes an ‘all-for-all’ deal,” Ravid reports, meaning Israel would return 6,000 Palestinian prisoners in its jails for the remaining Israeli hostages — including soldiers — Hamas is holding in captivity.
Last week, Hamas said Palestinian factions would not agree to any talks about prisoner swaps until after Israel ends its military operation in Gaza.
The third phase also includes the end of the war, with Israel pulling out from Gaza and “the establishment of a technocratic government in Gaza that will not be affiliated with Hamas and will get the support of the U.S., Egypt and Qatar,” Ravid reports.
The three-phase plan is also outlined by Israeli and other international news outlets, citing various officials and diplomatic sources.
CNN has reached out to Egyptian officials for comment on the reported plan.
Tamar Michaelis contributed to this report.
Here's how you can help humanitarian efforts in Israel and Gaza
As deadly fighting between Israel and Hamas continues, so too does a dire humanitarian crisis in the area.
At least 1,200 people have been killed in Israel and, according to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza, more than 20,000 people have been killed in Gaza after Hamas launched unprecedented attacks on Israel October 7. Subsequent airstrikes have overwhelmed local hospitals and internally displaced an estimated one million people in Gaza, one of the most densely populated areas on Earth.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is calling for the protection of aid workers, civilians, and critical infrastructure. Calling the situation “horrific,” Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is urging restraint after medical facilities have been destroyed in the fighting.
Impact Your World has gathered a list of vetted organizations that are on the ground responding. You can support their work by clicking HERE.
Netanyahu vows a "long fight" in Israel-Hamas war after he visits Gaza. Here's what you need to know
From CNN staff
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Gaza for the second time since he declared war on Hamas following the group's attack in Israel on October 7.
“It will be a long fight and it is not close to ending,” Netanyahu said in a statement published by his Likud party.
Here's what you need to know:
- Hostages' families interrupt him during a special parliamentary session: Families of hostages interrupted Netanyahu as he spoke during a special session of the parliament Monday, vocalizing their dissent when he said the troops might need more time in Gaza. Signs the family members held up said, “We trust you to bring them home,” “80 days, each minute is like hell.” A sign questioned, “What if this were your daughter,” and rotated between “daughter,” “father,” and “brother.” The prime minister said, “We will shake every tree and turn every stone to bring back all the kidnapped. Each one of them is precious."
- Hundreds of casualties reported in central Gaza: At least 250 people were killed and 500 others were injured over the past 24 hours in the areas of Bureij, Nuseirat and Al-Maghazi in central Gaza, the Hamas-controlled health ministry said Monday, adding the death toll across the enclave since October 7 is now 20,674. CNN previously reported at least 70 people were killed in an attack on the Al-Maghazi refugee camp alone.
- Aid trucks cross into Gaza: The Israeli authorities say 218 humanitarian aid trucks crossed into Gaza on Monday: 76 trucks were inspected at the Kerem Shalom crossing and passed directly into Gaza and 142 trucks were inspected at the Nitzana crossing and transferred into Gaza via the Rafah crossing from Egypt.
- Pope's Christmas Day message: Pope Francis used his Christmas Day message to reiterate his call for a ceasefire and issue a plea for the end of the war between Israel and Hamas. “Let us pray for peace in Palestine and Israel,” said the 87-year-old pontiff, describing war as “an aimless voyage, a defeat without victors, an inexcusable folly” in his Christmas Day “Urbi et Orbi” message.
More than 200 humanitarian aid trucks inspected in Israel and transferred into Gaza
From CNN's Mitchell McCluskey
The Israeli authorities say 218 humanitarian aid trucks inspected at its crossing points crossed into Gaza on Monday.
Here's the breakdown, according to the government’s office for Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT):
- 76 trucks were inspected at the Kerem Shalom crossing and passed directly into Gaza
- 142 trucks were inspected at the Nitzana crossing and transferred into Gaza via the Rafah crossing from Egypt.
Here's a look at the crossings:
Netanyahu interrupted by hostages' family members during special session of parliament after his trip to Gaza
From CNN's Tamar Michaelis and Hagi Cohen-Boland
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was interrupted by shouts from family members of hostages as he spoke during a special session of the parliament Monday.
The family members of the hostages captive in Gaza held posters and signs with the photos and names of their loved ones.
Netanyahu, who had just returned from a trip to Gaza, said a brigade commander on the ground told the prime minister that troops needed more time on location to complete their operation.
At this time, hostage families began vocalizing their dissent, saying “there is no time.” As he resumed his comments, families can be heard chanting loudly, “Now! Now! Now!”
Citing previous interactions with families of fallen IDF soldiers, Netanyahu said he was told, “Our sons did not die in vain. We must not stop the war until we secure the complete victory over those who wish us dead.”
At this point, the family members in the gallery of the Knesset reiterated their chants, saying, “Everyone - now! Everyone – now!”
Signs the family members held up said, “we trust you to bring them home,” “80 days, each minute is like hell.” A sign questioned, “what if this were your daughter,” and rotated between “daughter,” “father,” and “brother.”
The prime minister said, “We spare no effort.”
“We will shake every tree and turn every stone to bring back all the kidnapped. Each one of them is precious. Since the beginning of the war, I have met with the families of the abductees, and I hear your personal stories. What is said here unites the people and unites us in a holy mission,” he added.
Key context: There are 129 hostages still in Gaza, according to the prime minister’s office. Of those, 22 are known to be dead, and their bodies remain in Gaza along with the 107 living hostages.
At least 250 killed over the past 24 hours in central Gaza, Hamas-controlled health ministry says
From CNN’s Abeer Salman
At least 250 people were killed and 500 others were injured over the past 24 hours in the areas of Bureij, Nuseirat and Al-Maghazi in central Gaza, the Hamas-controlled health ministry said Monday, adding the death toll across the enclave since October 7 is now 20,674.
CNN previously reported at least 70 people were killed in an attack on the Al-Maghazi refugee camp alone.
CNN reached out to the Israel Defense Forces for comment about the ministry’s latest statement. It said, “In response to Hamas' barbaric attacks, the IDF is operating to dismantle Hamas military and administrative capabilities.”
