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Heavy bombardments are reported near Deir el-Balah, including at the Nuseirat, al-Maghazi and Bureij refugee camps as Israeli forces residents to evacuate south. At least 32 people killed in Khan Younis and five in Rafah as Israeli attacks continue across Gaza. Israeli Defence Minister says operations in southern Gaza, which have included the bombing of refugee camps and previously declared civilian ‘safe zones’, will continue. At least 22,600 people killed and 57,910 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The revised death toll from the October 7 attack on Israel stands at 1,139. Israeli forces withdraw from two neighbourhoods in Gaza City Al Jazeera’s Ismail al-Ghoul says that after more than 10 days, Israeli forces have withdrawn from the neighbourhoods of Daraj and al-Tuffah in Gaza City. “The Israeli army left behind them a trail of destruction,” al-Ghoul said, speaking in front of al-Shifa Hospital. “They bulldozed cemeteries and uprooted recently the buried bodies.” People tried to use the so-called humanitarian corridor on al-Rashid Road to go south, but were shot at directly by Israeli soldiers, he added. Click Palestinian government spurns Israel’s post-war Gaza vision The Palestinian government has indicated it is not open to a post-war plan for Gaza outlined by Israel’s defence minister that would turn governance of Gaza over to unnamed “Palestinian bodies” while granting Israel security control. In a statement cited by the Palestinian news agency Wafa, the presidency said it is committed to seeing an end to Israel’s occupation and to a future Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, under the framework of the Arab Peace Initiative. It “unequivocally [rejects] any plans that go beyond these parameters”, it said, according to the Wafa report. ‘Millions’ demonstrate in Yemen to support Palestinians Massive crowds are gathered right now in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, and other cities in a demonstration of solidarity with Palestinians. Al Masirah TV, the state television channel run by the Houthis, claimed that two million Yemenis participated in the “Blood of the Free People…on the Road to Victory” march. Live footage from the Al-Sabeen Square in Sanaa showed an endless sea of demonstrators, many carrying Palestinian flags. Houthi officials addressed the crowds. A rally statement said the Yemenis are ready to fight the US and commemorated their 10 fighters killed by the US last week, condemned al-Arouri’s assassination in Lebanon, and urged an Arab boycott of Israeli and US goods and products. The Yemenis participating in the rallies chanted for Palestinians and against the US and Israel [Khaled Abdullah/Reuters] Click Qassam Brigades target Israeli soldiers east of Khan Younis The Qassam Brigades said its fighters detonated a minefield targeting Israeli soldiers in Khuza’a, east of Khan Younis, that resulted in a number of casualties. Hamas’s armed wing also said it attacked an Israeli bulldozer in the same area. Earlier, a joint operation by the Qassam Brigades and al-Quds Brigades, the military arm of the Islamic Jihad movement, attacked three Israeli Merkava tanks in the Ma’an area in Khan Younis. Click ‘Humanitarian corridor’ attacked Hani Mahmoud Reporting from Rafah, Gaza In the past hour or so, a bridge that connects Gaza City with central Gaza has been bombed and destroyed. This is on the coastal road Israel ordered people to take to evacuate to southern Gaza. On the one hand, people are told to evacuate from areas under attack, but then the roads – the ‘humanitarian corridors’ – they are told to take are being attacked. Click here to share on social media Maersk says to avoid Red Sea for foreseeable future Shipping giant Maersk has said that it would divert all vessels around Africa instead of using the Red Sea and Suez Canal for the “foreseeable future” after Yemeni rebels attacked its merchant ships. The Danish company cited the highly volatile situation and noted that the security risk remains high. “We have therefore decided that all Maersk vessels due to transit the Red Sea/Gulf of Aden will be diverted south around the Cape of Good Hope for the foreseeable future,” it said in a statement. Containers of Danish shipping and logistics company Maersk are seen in Copenhagen, Denmark. [File: Sergei Gapon/AFP]  Click Photos: Pro-Palestinian demonstrations take place in Jordan’s capital People pray during a protest in support of Palestinians in Gaza, in Amman [Alaa Al-Sukhni/Reuters] A Palestinian boy holds a placard during a protest in support of Palestinians in Gaza in Amman, Jordan [Alaa Al-Sukhni/Reuters] [Alaa Al-Sukhni/Reuters] [Alaa Al-Sukhni/Reuters] Click Gradual escalation on Israel-Lebanon border Zeina Khodr The cycle of violence continues along the Lebanon-Israel border. Israel is carrying out a series of air strikes, targeting what it says are Hezbollah military infrastructure, fighters and launch sites. Lately, it has been stepping up its attacks. It’s still confined largely along the 120km (75 miles) border, but Israel is trying to pressure Hezbollah to pull back because it believes it is the only way that the tens of thousands of Israelis can return to their homes in northern Israel. Hezbollah, however, is refusing to do that, and says it will not discuss anything along the border until Israel’s attacks on Gaza stop. Source:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/1/5/israel-war-on-gaza-live-israel-attacks-bombard-khan-younis-rafah

In a scathing criticism of the approach to the issue of enforced disappearances, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa Wednesday called on the state to “change its mindset” on the prevalent issue. The CJP’s remarks came as he led the hearing conducted by a three-member Supreme Court bench comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarrat, in response to multiple petitions filed by Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan and others on the issue of enforced disappearances. Noting that the country has been “fractured” by its people, the chief justice stressed that court verdicts alone were not enough to end the practice of enforced disappearance. During the hearing, the top judge asked the federal government to give in writing that there would be no more enforced disappearances in the country. “We do not want a statement from any section officer. The Government of Pakistan should give us in writing that no one will be illegally disappeared anymore,” the CJP said during a hearing of the case. Aitzaz had prayed the court to declare that enforced disappearances are violative of Articles 4, 9, 10, 14, 19, and 25 of the Constitution besides declaring that the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances does not adequately comply with legal and international standards. Similarly, he asked the apex court to set up an effective and purposeful commission. He prayed the apex court that the commission should be headed by a judge of the Supreme Court while members of the commission should be the Supreme Court Bar Association president, Pakistan Bar Council vice chairman, Lahore, Sindh, Peshawar, Quetta Bar Association heads, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan chairman, National Commission on Status of Women chairperson, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General, Intelligence Bureau (IB) additional director general and Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists president. At the outset of the hearing, Ahsan’s counsel Shoaib Shaheen cited the Supreme Court’s verdict on the 2017 Faziabad sit-in. The CJP inquired how the Faizabad sit-in verdict is related to enforced disappearances. Advocate Shaheen maintained that the court has mentioned the role of intelligence agencies in the verdict. At this, the CJP asked Shaheen to explain the part of the Faizabad sit-in decision that applied to the participants of the Baloch protesters protesting against enforced disappearances. The counsel replied that the Faizabad verdict stated that peaceful protest is the right of every citizen and called for action against those who resorted to violence. “I am surprised that you are referring to the Faizabad dharna verdict,” the CJP remarked. Advocate Shaheen said he had been always referring to the Faizabad verdict. “If the Faizabad sit-in decision had been followed so such circumstances would not have happened today,” he added. Source:https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1144415-cjp-calls-for-change-in-states-mindset-on-enforced-disappearances

Dozens of people were killed Wednesday in the Iranian city of Kerman after twin blasts near the burial site of slain military commander Qasem Soleimani, in what officials called a terror attack. The blasts, at least one of which was caused by a bomb, state TV said, came on the fourth anniversary of Soleimani’s death in a US airstrike, and threaten to accelerate tensions in the region that have spiked since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. At least 84 people were killed and 284 others injured, according to state-run news agency IRNA, citing Jafar Miadfar, head’s of Iran’s national emergency agency. The toll was revised down due to the miscounting of body parts. No group has claimed responsibility for the blasts. Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi blamed Israel for the explosions, saying it will pay a “heavy price.” “I warn the Zionist regime, do not doubt that you will pay a heavy price for this crime and the crimes you have committed,” Raisi said in a televised speech from Tehran. Raisi, who is the head of the Iranian government, warned that Israel’s punishment will be “regrettable and severe.” The Israeli military told CNN it had “no comment” on the matter while the US State Department said it had no reason to believe Israel was involved. Analysts and a US official speculated that the blast had the hallmarks of a terrorist attack. “I think it’s just based on the MO it does look like a terrorist attack, the type of thing we’ve seen ISIS do in the past. And as far as we’re aware, that’s kind of I think our going assumption at the moment,” the official said. Iran has suffered major Islamist terror attacks before. In 2022, at least 15 people were killed and 40 others injured in the southern city of Shiraz. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack swiftly afterwards, saying it targeted groups of “Sunni infidels.” The two blasts took place around 20 minutes apart, Iran’s interior minister said. Mahdi Karbakhsh Ravari/AP The first explosion was 2,300 feet (700 meters) from Soleimani’s grave, and the second was 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) away as pilgrims visited the site, IRNA reported. IRINN, another state television channel, reported that the first explosion near the grave of Soleimani was caused by a bomb placed in a suitcase inside a Peugeot 405 car, and appeared to be detonated remotely. Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said the first explosion happened at 3:00 p.m. local time (6 a.m. ET) during an interview with Iran’s state news channel IRIB. Vahidi said the second, more deadly blast took place 20 minutes later, when other pilgrims came to help the injured. Videos posted on Iranian state media showed large crowds running in the area after the explosion. Footage also showed bloodied bodies being transported from the scene, and ambulances leaving the site through large crowds. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Iran will have a “harsh response.” Addressing those behind the explosions, he wrote: “They should know that the bright soldiers of the path of Soleimani will not tolerate their wickedness and crimes.” Iran declared Thursday a day of mourning following the blasts and Raisi canceled his upcoming trip to Turkey. Formerly one of Iran’s most powerful men, Soleimani was head of the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force, an elite unit that handles Iran’s overseas operations and was deemed to be a foreign terrorist organization by the US. Ambulances leave the site of the explosion. Iran Press via AFPTV The Pentagon says Soleimani and his troops were “responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members and the wounding of thousands more.” Known as Iran’s “shadow commander,” Soleimani – who had led the Quds Force since 1998 – was the mastermind of Iranian military operations in Iraq and Syria. Gen. Ismail Qaani, Soleimani’s longtime lieutenant and his successor as the leader of the Quds Force, said the perpetrators were “desperate,” warning that “the Islamic Republic will not change the method of eradicating the Zionist regime.” Blast comes at tense moment in region The blast occurred amid heightened tensions in the region as Israel fights a three-month war against Hamas in Gaza prompted by the militant group’s October 7 attack on Israel. That war has left more than 23,000 people dead in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in the enclave, and has led to skirmishes beyond Israel and Gaza, often involving Iran-backed militias. On Tuesday, a senior Hamas leader was killed in a suburb of Beirut in a blast that a US official told CNN was carried out by Israel. Israel hasn’t confirmed or denied involvement but Hamas and the militant group Hezbollah, which controls the suburb, blamed Israel and have vowed revenge. Last week, Iran and several of its armed proxies accused Israel of assassinating a senior Iranian commander in Syria, vowing retaliation. Israel didn’t comment on the matter. In an address marking the anniversary of Soleimani’s death, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said the killing of the Hamas official in Beirut “won’t go unpunished.” Israel accuses Tehran of funding and arming Hamas. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said last month that his country is in a “multi-arena war,” being attacked from seven arenas, including Iran. “We have already responded and acted in six of these decrees” he said. On Wednesday, Russian President Putin condemned “terrorism in all its forms” in a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Ebrahim Raisi after the blasts. Putin, who is the subject of an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, has been accused by Kyiv and international bodies of numerous acts of terror during his war in Ukraine. Both the European Union and the United Nations chief Antonio Guterres also condemned Wednesday’s blasts and called for the perpetrators to be held responsible. The US has also stepped up its military involvement in the Middle East recently. Last month, the military carried out airstrikes on Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah and “affiliated groups” in Iraq after an attack

At least 14 people killed and a number of people injured in an Israeli bombing of a house belonging to the Salah family west of Khan Younis. Nine Hezbollah members killed in Israeli strikes on Wednesday amid Lebanese border clashes. Hezbollah leader Nasrallah says his fighters are not afraid of war, but avoided any declaration that his forces would escalate attacks after killing of Saleh al-Arouri. At least 22,313 people have been killed and at least 57,296 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The revised death toll from the October 7 attack on Israel stands at 1,139. Saudi Arabia rejects Israeli ‘extremist remarks’ on displacing Gaza residents Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said in a statement that the country rejects “extremist remarks” by two Israeli ministers who called for the displacement of Gaza’s population, the reoccupation of the strip and the construction of settlements. It also stressed the importance of efforts to activate international accounting mechanisms towards persistence of the Israeli government in violating the international humanitarian law. Israel’s military detains hundreds for questioning in prolonged raid The raid on the Nur Shams refugee camp in the occupied West Bank lasted 30 hours, Israel’s military said in a post on its official X page. In addition to detaining hundreds of “suspects”, Israeli forces confiscated weapons and destroyed “terrorist infrastructure” during the incursion, the Israeli military said. Since October 7, Israel has arrested close to 5,000 Palestinians, holding many in their custody without charge. Click here to share on social media Saleh al-Arouri’s assassination in Lebanon opens ‘Pandora’s box’ Sultan Barakat, a professor of public policy at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar, has told Al Jazeera that US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby pointing out that military attacks cannot eradicate the Hamas ideology is a significant step. But “it was disappointing that Kirby did not go far enough talking to Israel about the way they carried out the assassination of a Hamas leader [Saleh al-Arouri] in Lebanon,” he said. “I think it would be much better to condemn the way that attack was conducted. This is way outside the war zone that Israel has declared with Gaza,” Barakat added. “It was done in a sovereign neighbouring country, and it is going to open the Pandora’s box as to what can happen if nations do not respect that type of sovereignty.” Click Likud minister dismisses talk of Palestinians leaving Gaza Miki Zohar, Israel’s culture and sports minister, has said it is “not realistic” for Palestinians to leave Gaza, even if some Israelis would like to see it happen. “It’s not realistic, and it’s clear that the international community will not accept it,” Zohar told Israeli news site Ynet, adding that this subject should not be discussed publicly. “With things like this, even if you have a belief or a goal like this, it can be discussed and debated behind closed doors.” Zohar’s remarks follow calls from Israel’s national security minister to “encourage the emigration” of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza to make way for Israeli settlers. Click Israeli army committing ‘massacres’ in ‘safe’ areas: Gaza media office “During the past three days, the occupation army has committed six massacres by forcing civilians to flee their homes to other areas it claimed were safe in the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, and then bombed them, resulting in the death of 31 people,” the government media office said in a statement. “The Israeli occupation army has repeated the crime of forcing civilians, under threat of weapons and death, to flee from their safe homes and residential neighbourhoods to other areas that it claimed were safe, but it bombed them.” Click here to share on social media China says Red Sea shipping must be protected “China opposes attacks against civilian vessels,” a spokesperson for the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says. “I believe all sides need to play a constructive and responsible role in safeguarding the security of shipping lanes in the Red Sea.” China is not a member of the US-led naval coalition patrolling the Red Sea. However, as one of the world’s largest shipping countries, it has a strong interest in seeing stability there after Houthi attacks on commercial vessels. Source:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/1/4/israel-hamas-war-live-bloody-day-for-hezbollah-tensions-with-israel-soar

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ordered local authorities and police to refrain from creating any hindrance or using force to remove the Baloch marchers staging a sit-in outside the National Press Club since December 20. Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani heard a petition filed by a Baloch activist Sammi Deen Baloch, who is also among the protesting families in Islamabad, against harassment and attempts to remove marchers by force. Taking notice of complaints, the high court ordered Islamabad’s deputy commissioner (DC) and senior superintendent police (SSP) Operations to ensure in-person in the next hearing. Sammi’s lawyer Ataullah Kundi Advocate apprised the court that the sit-in of the Baloch families was peacefully continued outside Islamabad’s press club since December 20. He added that the Capital authorities had made multiple attempts to forcedly remove the marchers from the venue. He continued that they attempted to vacate the sit-in venue by forcing women to sit in buses, adding Islamabad policemen were continuously harassing them by seizing speakers and sometimes by creating tense situations of relaunching crackdowns. The police had arrested several women and children after lodging cases before the court ordered their release, he added. The judge questioned whether the protestors were advancing to somewhere other than their venue. The lawyer replied that Baloch marchers were not advancing anywhere. The judge remarked that Shahra-e-Dastoor, in other words, Constitution Avenue has a history of hosting big demonstrations and sit-ins. Some people had used the same spot to stage months-long sit-ins on Shahrah-e-Dastoor and hurled abuses at the courts, he continued. While reprimanding the federal capital’s authorities, Justice Kayani observed that Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) was responsible for handling the situation but the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) apparently had no interest in holding local government (LG) polls despite court orders. He added an administration was now running Islamabad’s municipal authority and no one had an interest to accept the constitutional rights of the citizens. Later, the IHC judge issued orders, barring authorities from harassing and removing the Baloch marchers by force besides ordering DC Islamabad and SSP Operations to ensure their personal appearance in the next hearing. The hearing was adjourned till January 5. Police crackdown Last month, the long march participants led by Baloch women were detained by authorities during a demonstration in Islamabad against the enforced disappearances of Baloch missing persons. The march began from Turbat on December 6 and reached Islamabad’s press club on December 20 when the police intercepted them. An advance party of Baloch Yakjehti Council (BYC) reached Islamabad through the Motorway, but the police intercepted it at Chungi No. 26 and barricaded all the main and artery roads, including Kashmir Avenue, leading to the Red Zone. When they arrived in the capital, cops launched a crackdown against the protesters and dismantled their camps set up outside the National Press Club. Most of the protesters were arrested by the police, a move that sparked anguish across the country. On December 21, IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq warned the capital city’s top cop against any hindrance in the protest staged by the Baloch marchers, saying that they have the constitutional right to demonstration. Following the court directives, all protestors were released in phases after several rounds of talks with the caretaker government’s negotiation team Source:https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1144406-ihc-bars-islamabad-authorities-from-removing-baloch-protesters-by-force

Explosions have been reported at an event near the tomb of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps general Qassem Soleimani. At least 20 people have been reported killed at the event marking the fourth anniversary of Soleimani’s death. Videos show ambulances arriving at the scene and taking away the injured on stretchers. Blasts ‘were caused by terrorist attacks’ Iranian state media, quoting a local official in the Kerman province, said the blasts “were caused by terrorist attacks”. Earlier, the semi-official Nournews said that “several gas canisters exploded on the road leading to the cemetery”. Click here to share on social media At least 20 killed in twin explosions Explosions have been reported in the vicinity of the cemetery in the Iranian city of Kerman during a ceremony marking the fourth anniversary of the death of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed by a US drone strike. At least 20 people are reported to have been killed with many others wounded. Source:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/1/3/iran-blasts-live-deadly-explosions-target-soleimani-killing-anniversary

Israel’s military says it is on “high readiness for any scenario” after the assassination of Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri and six others in Lebanon. Al-Arouri was killed in a drone strike in southern Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold. Israeli has not claimed responsibility. Hezbollah says the attack “will not pass without punishment”. At least 22,313 people have been killed and at least 57,296 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The revised death toll from Hamas’ October 7 attack in Israel stands at 1,139. Yemen’s Houthis claim to target Israel-bound ship Houthi spokesperson Yahya Sarea said the group targeted the CMA CGM Tage container ship, claiming it was headed for Israel. Sarea also warned the US, which leads a naval coalition patrolling the waters, against interfering, saying any US attack “will not pass without a response or punishment”. The statement comes three days after US naval forces killed 10 Houthi fighters and sunk three Houthi boats while they said they were responding to the group’s attack on a separate container ship — the Maersk Hangzhou. Click Sisi tells US Congress delegation the priority is to secure a ceasefire in Gaza Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has told a delegation from US Congress that the current priority is to secure a ceasefire in Gaza. In a presidency statement, Sisi stressed the importance of “responsible action” to avoid widening the conflict in the region. Click here to share on social media Unclear if Hezbollah ‘willing to drag Lebanon into major conflict’ Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati says the killing of Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri “aims to draw Lebanon” deeper into the Gaza war. During the almost three-month-old war, Israel has traded almost daily cross-border fire with the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah – an Iranian-backed ally of Hamas – while so far avoiding a full-scale war. But after the assassination in Beirut, which Israel has not claimed, all eyes are on what happens next. Al-Arouri’s killing is “a significant escalation”, says Maha Yahya from the Carnegie Middle East Center. “[But] I don’t think Hezbollah will be willing to drag Lebanon into a major conflict at this particular moment and time, given the situation regionally,” Yahya added. Israel has also labelled Hamas’s Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar a “dead man walking” and promised to kill other commanders. Hezbollah fighters in Aaramta, bordering Israel [Anwar Amro/AFP] Click Israel’s government shows it will target Hamas leaders ‘no matter where’ Sara Khairat After Saleh al-Arouri’s killing, Israel’s government has made it clear that it will go after Hamas leaders no matter where they are. It wants to show that it is taking this war seriously at a time when the public still supports it. The government also aims to ensure Hamas never returns, either militarily or politically. Hezbollah has made it clear it will retaliate. The group has already been carrying out strikes on Israel’s northern border daily since the war started. We’ve seen some of the group’s mortar attacks this morning on the northern border. Hezbollah has stronger capabilities than Hamas and they have grown in recent years. They now have long-range missiles that can hit here in Tel Aviv as well as other areas in Haifa. We haven’t seen a major escalation yet and when that could happen is still unclear. Click here to share on social media Palestinian prisoners group: 11,000 arrested in 2023 The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) says that 11,000 Palestinians were arrested in 2023, including 1,085 children and 300 women. The numbers of those detained are similar to those detentions that took place in the early years of the second Intifada in 2001-2002, the PPS said. At least 5,500 Palestinians were arrested after October 7, including 355 children and 184 women. Currently, there are 8,800 Palestinians in Israeli jails, including 3,291 Palestinians detained without charges. Source:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/1/3/israel-hamas-war-live-hezbollah-vows-revenge-for-israeli-strike-on-beirut

Pakistani security forces on Sunday killed three terrorists trying to infiltrate the Pak-Af­ghan border in Bajaur district of Khyber-Pak­htunkhwa, said the me­dia wing of the military. The ISPR said that on 31 December 2023, movement of three ter­rorists, who were trying to infiltrate the Pak-Af­ghan border, was picked up by the security forces in general area Batwar of Bajaur District in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. “After fire exchange, all three terrorists were sent to hell,” said the ISPR and added that weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the killed terrorists. In another incident on night between 30/31 December, according to the ISPR, terrorists from inside Afghani­stan, opened fire on a Pakistani Border Post in general area Spin­wam, North Waziristan District. The Pakistani troops responded in a befitting manner caus­ing considerable loss to the terrorists. However, during the exchange of fire, Naik Abdul Rauf (31), resident of district Rahim Yar Khan, having fought gallantly, got mar­tyred. Pakistan has consis­tently been asking the in­terim Afghan government to ensure effective border management on their side of the border. The Afghan gov­ernment is expected to fulfil its obligations and deny the use of Afghan soil by terror­ists for perpetuating acts of terrorism against Pakistan, the ISPR concluded. Source:https://www.nation.com.pk/01-Jan-2024/pak-security-forces-kill-3-terrorists-at-afghan-border

Hundreds have been evacuated from a Japan Airlines plane after it burst into flames at Tokyo International Airport, also known as Haneda. The plane was reportedly involved in a collision with another aircraft after landing on Tuesday, according to local news reports. NHK TV reported that all passengers on board, believed to have been about 400 people, got out safely. end of list Japan Airlines (JAL) said it believed its plane was hit by another aircraft, possibly a Japan Coast Guard plane. A spokesperson for the airport said all runways were currently closed. Local TV video showed a large eruption of fire and smoke from the side of the Japan Airlines plane as it taxied on a runway. The area around the wing then caught fire. Passengers were then shown leaving the aircraft via an emergency chute. Later video showed fire crews working to put out the blaze with streams of water. The flames had spread to much of the plane. An explosive fireball could then be seen with the aircraft badly damaged. There was initially no information about possible casualties. A spokesperson at JAL said the aircraft originated from New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido. The airline later confirmed that 379 passengers and crew had safely evacuated. Advertisement AD Haneda is one of the busiest airports in Japan, and many people travel over the New Year holidays. Japan’s Coast Guard said it is checking reports about a collision between its aircraft and the JAL flight. It had no further details. Citing local news outlet Nippon TV, journalist Patrick Fok told Al Jazeera that the coast guard plane was in the middle of sending aid to Niigata, a city on the west coast, as part of rescue efforts following Monday’s earthquake. “This really has been a troubling two days and the start of the year for people in Japan,” he added. Alex Macheras, an aviation analyst, said it was still “very early” in terms of trying to grasp what exactly happened. “As is often the case with such incidents, what it appears [to be the case] in the first couple of minutes and hours, can be very different to what actually happened, and what we learn later in the investigation process,” he told Al Jazeera. SOurceL Hundreds have been evacuated from a Japan Airlines plane after it burst into flames at Tokyo International Airport, also known as Haneda. The plane was reportedly involved in a collision with another aircraft after landing on Tuesday, according to local news reports. NHK TV reported that all passengers on board, believed to have been about 400 people, got out safely. end of list Japan Airlines (JAL) said it believed its plane was hit by another aircraft, possibly a Japan Coast Guard plane. A spokesperson for the airport said all runways were currently closed. Local TV video showed a large eruption of fire and smoke from the side of the Japan Airlines plane as it taxied on a runway. The area around the wing then caught fire. Passengers were then shown leaving the aircraft via an emergency chute. Later video showed fire crews working to put out the blaze with streams of water. The flames had spread to much of the plane. An explosive fireball could then be seen with the aircraft badly damaged. There was initially no information about possible casualties. A spokesperson at JAL said the aircraft originated from New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido. The airline later confirmed that 379 passengers and crew had safely evacuated. Advertisement AD Haneda is one of the busiest airports in Japan, and many people travel over the New Year holidays. Japan’s Coast Guard said it is checking reports about a collision between its aircraft and the JAL flight. It had no further details. Citing local news outlet Nippon TV, journalist Patrick Fok told Al Jazeera that the coast guard plane was in the middle of sending aid to Niigata, a city on the west coast, as part of rescue efforts following Monday’s earthquake. “This really has been a troubling two days and the start of the year for people in Japan,” he added. Alex Macheras, an aviation analyst, said it was still “very early” in terms of trying to grasp what exactly happened. “As is often the case with such incidents, what it appears [to be the case] in the first couple of minutes and hours, can be very different to what actually happened, and what we learn later in the investigation process,” he told Al Jazeera. Source:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/2/plane-catches-fire-on-runway-at-japans-haneda-airport

Fifteen people were killed in an Israeli strike on a home in Deir el-Balah in central Gaza. At least five Palestinians killed as Israeli raids continue across occupied West Bank. A Palestinian prisoner becomes the seventh to die in an Israeli jail since October 7; Palestinian groups slam the death as an “assassination”. At least 22,185 people killed and at least 57,000 injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The revised death toll from the October 7 attack in Israel stands at 1,139. Israel loses ‘carte blanche’ on Gaza carnage With at least 22,000 Palestinians massacred in Gaza, Israel has lost its “carte blanche” from Western allies, according to Adel Abdel Ghafar, a senior fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs. “As scenes of carnage, displaced populations, dead children and starvation fill our screens, the tide is really shifting,” he told Al Jazeera, adding that massive pro-Palestinian rallies across Europe and the US have exerted pressure on politicians, with some European countries like Belgium changing their tone on Gaza and calling for a ceasefire, something Israel has firmly rejected. “It’s also very interesting to keep an eye on US politics given that this is an election year and Biden’s ratings are down. This will factor into his calculus in this new year.” Click here to share on social media Field executions of Palestinians ‘the act of gangs’: Ministry The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has condemned the Israeli field executions of Palestinians as “the act of gangs, not a state claiming democracy”. In a statement, it called on Israel to promptly reveal undisclosed detention facilities and give information on the identities and wellbeing of individuals captured from the Gaza Strip. “The behaviour of the [Israeli] occupation soldiers reflects the nature of instructions and facilities by the Israeli political and military levels to shoot at Palestinians, commit massacres and mass murder by bombing and starvation in the Gaza Strip for the 88th consecutive day,” the ministry said. Click here to share on social media Photos: Palestinian man loses wife, children and grandchildren in Israeli attack Palestinian man Hamada Abu Sleyma lost his wife, all his six children and two grandchildren in an Israeli attack that destroyed his house in Rafah, southern Gaza. [Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters] [Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters] [Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters] Click here to share on social media Hamas targets Israeli army in Bureij refugee camp The Qassam Brigades says its fighters clashed with an Israeli force on foot from a close distance, east of Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, and “eliminated” it. Earlier, the Qassam Brigades also said that it had targeted an Israeli Merkava tank with a Yassin 105 shell east of the Bureij camp. Click At least 200 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks in last 24 hours Israeli forces carried out 15 attacks and killed 207 Palestinians in the past 24 hours in Gaza, the Palestinian health ministry said while adding that 338 people were also wounded. The total number of Palestinians killed in Gaza since October 7 now stands at 22,185. At least 57,000 have been wounded. Additionally, more than 320 Palestinians have also been killed across the occupied West Bank by Israeli forces and settlers since October 7. A Palestinian child looks at the graves of people killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip and buried inside al-Shifa Hospital grounds in Gaza City [Mohammed Hajjar/AP Photo] Click Latest casualty figures Gaza Killed: 22,185 Wounded: 57,035 Occupied West Bank Killed: 324 Wounded: 3,800 Israel Killed on October 7: 1,139 (revised down from 1,400) Soldiers killed since the ground invasion: 173 Wounded: 965 Israeli army confirms strikes in Syria and Lebanon The Israeli military has confirmed that it has struck targets in Syria and Lebanon. In a post on X, it said it struck “military infrastructure belonging to the Syrian army” and used its jets to target infrastructure belonging to the Hezbollah in Lebanon. The army promised it “will continue to operate against any threat to Israel’s sovereignty”. Gaza can be divided into areas ruled by tribes or clans: Report A post-war scenario in Gaza has come to light, according to which the Israeli army could divide the coastal enclave into areas ruled by Palestinian tribes or clans rather than a single political entity, Israeli public broadcaster KAN 11 reported. According to the plan, the clans would be tasked with the civil administration of the Gaza Strip and would oversee the distribution of humanitarian aid for a temporary period. According to KAN 11, the plan was devised by the Israeli army and is expected to be presented to the war cabinet later today. Source:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/1/2/israel-hamas-war-live-almost-22000-palestinians-killed-by-israel-in-gaza