Al Mayadeen English

Israeli media reported that all rockets launched by Hezbollah since this morning have hit their targets directly. This comes in the wake of a massive rocket barrage fired from Lebanon, described by Al Mayadeen's correspondent on Wednesday morning as the largest in terms of both type and number since the beginning of the confrontations. Simultaneously, Israeli media reported that Hezbollah fired a massive 160-rocket barrage at northern "Israel" and launched a direct attack on Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, a military research and development company. Following the attack, settlers within 10 kilometers of the Lebanese border were directed to take shelter and remain indoors, as per Israeli media.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law the free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Iran. The agreement reduces or lifts tariff and non-tariff barriers in trade and supports economic cooperation between both parties. The agreement was signed earlier on the sidelines of a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in the Russian city of St. Petersburg on December 25, 2023.

As "Israel's" war on Gaza enters its 250th day, the number of Palestinians killed by the occupation continues to rise to alarming levels. The number of martyrs has soared to 37,202, with an additional 84,932 Palestinians injured. In the past 24 hours, Israeli occupation forces committed three new massacres, murdering 28 Palestinians and injuring 100 others. These figures are likely underreported, as Gaza's health authorities struggle to accurately document the number of killed, wounded, and missing Palestinians amid barely functioning hospitals, emergency services, and communications.

The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon continues to defend its people and support Palestinians in Gaza against the ongoing Israeli war since October 7. In an unprecedented move today, the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon has launched more than 160 rockets on Israeli settlements and military bases since this morning only. In one operation, the Resistance directly hit Rafael Advanced Defense Systems (for military R&D), announcing that the operation was in response to the Israeli strike that killed one of its top leaders in Jwayya last night. On Tuesday night, "Israel" assassinated a prominent leader of the Resistance, Taleb Sami Abdallah, "Abu Taleb", born in Aadchit, South Lebanon, in 1969.

Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon, Ali Mortada, reported on the barrage of rockets fired from Lebanon on Israeli northern settlements; the largest in terms of rocket type and number since the beginning of the war, in response to the Israeli strike on the southern Lebanese town of Jwayya last night, which killed a number of people including Hez-bol-lah leader Taleb Sami Abdallah.

The fire broke out as the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon has conducted more than 10 operations since this morning in a retaliation operation, targeting Israeli settlements and military bases in northern occupied Palestine. On Tuesday night, "Israel" assassinated a prominent leader of the Resistance, Taleb Sami Abdallah, "Abu Taleb", in an aggression on Jwayya, South Lebanon.

Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon, Ali Mortada, reported on the barrage of rockets fired from Lebanon on Israeli northern settlements; the largest in terms of rocket type and number since the beginning of the war, in response to the Israeli strike on the southern Lebanese town of Jwayya last night, which killed a number of people including Hez-bol-lah leader Taleb Sami Abdallah.

In an interview with Israeli newspaper Haaretz, a former Israeli captive with the Palestinian Resistance, Louis Har, said that the feeling that it could be "our own bombs, our own planes" that would kill them is "very scary and very anxiety-inducing." When asked again about his greatest fear being from IOF strikes, Har said, "From the IDF. We decided for ourselves, the whole gang of us together, that we wouldn't resist [the hostage-takers] and wouldn't cause conflicts. We respected each other, and we were calm. We weren't worried that they'd do something to us all of a sudden. We didn't object to anything. So I wasn't afraid they'd kill me." The former captive, who remained in Gaza for 128 days said," The people who kept watch over us were really just keeping watch and wanted to make the exchange with their own people, and they made sure we were OK. And so did we."

During a press briefing at the White House, National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby addressed a question on the Palestinian Resistance's reply to the proposed ceasefire deal and "if the US is still sort of believing that the ceasefire deal is imminent." Kirby said, "... we’re in receipt of this reply that H-am-as delivered to Qatar and to Egypt. And we are evaluating it right now. And I think that’s really as far as I’m going to go today — just that we have this response, and we’re working our way through it and looking at it."

Israeli media are reporting that sirens went off in several settlements in the occupied North, with settlers living within 10 km of the Lebanese borders asked to stay in their shelters and not leave. It has also been reported that fires were ignited due to rockets from Lebanon, with power blackouts being reported in Safad due to the Lebanese Resistance's rocket fire.