Nadene Goldfoot
Hamas is reportedly willing to release only 22 of the 34 hostages on the list submitted by Israel during the phase of a potential deal. Instead of the other 12 hostages, Hamas wants to release 12 bodies. It was on October 7, 2023 that Israel was attacked by Hamas, an arm of Iran doing their dirty work. Now, today is New Year's Eve, shortly to become January 1, 2025.
Iran's population was 89.17 million in 2023. As of December 27, 2024, Iran's population is 91,982,642, almost 92 million.
Yemen's population was 34.45 million in 2023.
Israel turned this down and made it clear that it would only accept living hostages during the initial stage of a deal.
Coincidently, the census of population count occurred at this time. Israel's population grew by 1.1% over the past year to just over 10.027 million, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics. The rate of population growth fell from 1.6% in 2023 to 1.1%. 7.707 million (76.9%) of Israel's citizens are Jewish and 2.1 million (21%) Arabs.
At the same time, we keep hearing of the IDF losing a few soldiers in the battle every day, and we can't afford to do this. Sergeant Uriel Peretz, 23, from Beitar Illit, a soldier in the Netzah Yehuda Battalion in the Kfir Brigade, fell in battle in the northern Gaza Strip. Peretz was killed by an anti-tank missile fired by Hamas terrorists at a building in Beit Hanoun where the force was stationed. Seven other soldiers were wounded in the attack.
Every day, Israelis are facing missile attacks from Yemen. A missile fired by the Houthis from Yemen last night was intercepted before entering Israeli airspace. Sirens sounded throughout central Israel, sending millions to shelters. U.S. and British forces reportedly struck Houthi targets in Yemen.
Authorities have named 825 soldiers, 68 police officers, killed in this Gaza war. Six colonels among the dead, the most senior officers killed in combat in recent memory; 393 IDF troops killed in Gaza ground offensive.
"The IDF announced that 891 soldiers have been killed since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, including that day. The number includes 65 soldiers killed in operational accidents and several dozen in traffic accidents and by suicide." This was news on January 2, 2025.
The conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen has intensified, marked by missile and drone attacks on Israel and retaliatory airstrikes on Houthi-controlled infrastructure. The Houthis have launched hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones at Israel in recent months, with notable incidents including a December 18 missile strike that destroyed a school in Ramat Gan and a deadly July 19 drone attack on an apartment building in Tel Aviv. These attacks, often involving Iranian-made weapons, highlight Tehran's role in supporting the Houthis’ operations.
In response, Israel and the U.S. have conducted multiple airstrikes targeting Houthi assets. On December 21, U.S. forces struck a rocket storage facility and command sites following a missile attack on Tel Aviv, while the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have repeatedly targeted ports, power stations, and oil reserves to cripple the Houthis’ military capabilities. On December 26, the IDF launched another major airstrike, hitting Sana’a International Airport, key power stations, and western ports like Al-Hudaydah, aiming to disrupt the Houthis' ability to wage attacks and further destabilize the region.
Resource:
Update: 1/2/2025
https://www.ajc.org/news/meet-the-seven-american-hostages-still-held-by-hamas
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