Israel steps up attacks in Gaza, US urges caution

Attacks across Gaza Strip

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on December 24 that they were stepping up their efforts to attack Hamas targets across southern Gaza, focusing on the city of Khan Younis. This city is the birthplace and stronghold of Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza who Israel believes was primarily responsible for the attack in Israel on October 7, according to AFP.

Israel đẩy mạnh tấn công ở Gaza, Mỹ kêu gọi thận trọng- Ảnh 1. — Israeli tanks in southern Gaza on December 23.

Israel is close to gaining full operational control of northern Gaza and is preparing to expand its ground offensive to other parts of the territory, with a focus on the south, IDF spokesman Jonathan Conricus told Reuters. Attacks continued in the north on Tuesday, including in the city of Jabalia, home to the largest Palestinian refugee camp, the IDF said.

Flashpoints: US accuses Iran of helping Houthis attack ships; Putin hints at ceasefire in Ukraine

Hamas said early on December 24 that Jabalia and Khan Younis had come under renewed attack. Although Israel has long urged residents to leave northern Gaza, its forces have bombed areas where refugees have sought refuge, leaving them with little safe haven. The fighting has so far displaced about 80 percent of Gaza’s 2.4 million residents, according to United Nations estimates.

Balakrishnan Rajagopal, the UN special rapporteur on the right to housing, said the current events in Gaza were rooted in “institutionalized impunity,” including responsibility for “war crimes,” “genocide” and “crimes against humanity.” “If the International Criminal Court does not act soon, we need a special court on Gaza and the actions of states,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

US "does not ask for ceasefire"

In that context, US President Joe Biden spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on December 24 (Vietnam time) to discuss the future of the war. The White House said the two leaders discussed the "objectives and phases" of Israel's military operations, the need to protect civilian lives and efforts to rescue hostages held by Hamas, according to Reuters.

President Biden speaks with Israeli Prime Minister , fighting rages in Gaza

The United States, Israel's biggest ally, has faced growing pressure to press Netanyahu's government to end the fighting in Gaza. But Biden, speaking to reporters after the call, said he had not asked the Israeli prime minister to reach a ceasefire. Netanyahu's office said the leader "made clear that Israel will pursue the war until all of its objectives are achieved."

Despite their continued support for Israel, U.S. officials have recently begun to openly expose the contradictions in the bilateral relationship. In a remarkable report on December 23, The Wall Street Journal revealed that Biden called Netanyahu shortly after the conflict broke out to urge Israel not to launch a preemptive strike on Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israeli military aircraft were on standby awaiting orders to launch, but ultimately did not launch as planned.

Iran denies US accusations of helping Houthi group attack ships in Red Sea

Risks spread in the Indian Ocean

The Pentagon said yesterday that an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) launched from Iran crashed into a chemical tanker in the Indian Ocean, located 200 nautical miles off the coast of India. This is the first time the US Department of Defense has publicly accused Iran of directly targeting ships since the Hamas-Israel conflict broke out, according to Reuters.

Iran has not responded to the US military’s accusations but has previously denied any role in the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. India confirmed that it had assisted the cargo ship in the incident. The development shows that the threat to regional trade has spread beyond the Red Sea.

Meanwhile, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) revealed that the destroyer USS Laboon shot down four attack UAVs "originating from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen" on December 23, when two cargo ships in the Red Sea called for help. In addition, CENTCOM also said that the Houthis launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles into the Red Sea on the same day but no ships were affected.

The Houthis are a force backed by Tehran and have been controlling part of Yemen since a civil war broke out in the country in 2014. In a related development, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said the Houthis and government forces - backed by Saudi Arabia - are both committed to a ceasefire in Yemen, according to Reuters.

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