6:45am AEDT, 11 December
What’s happening?
Six soldiers were injured by a Hezbollah drone attack in northern Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered his two cents to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a 50-minute phone call yesterday. Bibi reportedly told Putin that his relationship with Iran was dangerous, and expressed annoyance about the anti-Israel positions Russia has taken.
The Iranian-backed Houthis have vowed to target all shipping heading to Israel in the Red Sea.
Background
An update on the parts of Gaza that Israel controls, how many Hamas fighters have been killed, and what is required going forward. You can also read this thread on X, which is where this map comes from.
Israel’s 15-member ‘socioeconomic cabinet’ has voted to prevented the return of West Bank Palestinian workers into Israel.
You might have seen photos of Palestinian men in their underwear over the weekend. These are men of fighting age who were captured or surrendered in Israeli areas of control in Gaza. They were asked to strip at a distance from Israeli troops to ensure they weren’t wearing explosive vests. This was a tactic utilised by US troops in Iraq.
Another statement has been issued about the need for a ‘changed situation’ in Israel’s north by IDF top brass. Also this from Israel’s national security adviser.
Even Bernie Sanders recognises that Hamas wants permanent war with Israel, so the idea of a ‘permanent ceasefire’ with it is nonsensical. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority’s foreign minister has said that Hamas is an ‘integral part’ of Palestinian society.
More information is emerging about the treatment of hostages by Hamas. Some of the children who have emerged from the Hamas tunnels are still speaking in whispers.
