Israel-Hamas War: What happened on day 80?

The IDF announced Monday night that it had found traces of two hostages on the grounds of the Indonesian Hospital near the Jabalia neighborhood in northern Gaza.

According to the IDF, a yellow Toyota Corolla found in the internal hospital areas belonged to Samar Talalka, who was killed by Hamas during the October 7 massacre.   

In addition, blood connected to an additional unidentified hostage was found inside that vehicle along with pieces of a rocket-propelled grenade.

The IDF did not provide information about what intelligence it might have regarding Hamas's handling of the second hostage but said that these findings, along with another vehicle found on the hospital grounds that was used in the October 7 attacks, tied the hospital directly to Hamas and the massacre.

Previously, the IDF disclosed videos showing two different hostages being taken into Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

Smoke rises following an Israeli strike near the Indonesian Hospital that ran out of fuel and electricity, in the northern Gaza Strip, November 12, 2023. (credit: REUTERS/Anas al-Shareef)

The IDF said that the Indonesian Hospital had been used by Hamas as a meeting and organization place for its terror and military activities.

It said that armed Hamas forces had been observed there during the current war.

Tunnels in hospital vicinity

Like with Shifa, the IDF found tunnels in the close vicinity of the hospital, allowing Hamas forces to come to and leave the hospital grounds without being tracked.

Further, the IDF added that the hospital's dealings with Hamas limited its ability to handle more patients.

Unlike the Shifa and Rantisi Hospitals, where the IDF found large volumes of diverse weapons, the IDF statements and videos did not display any weapons.

It was unclear when the IDF believed that Hamas forces fled the area, including cleaning out any weapons stores that might have been there.

An IDF commander in Golani's 51st Brigade was dismissed from his role after endangering Israeli forces fighting in Gaza City's Shejaia neighborhood, N12 reported on Monday evening.

According to the report, the company commander was dismissed and replaced by another commander after ordering soldiers to enter homes in the area despite fears over the houses being boobytrapped, in an incident that occurred some three weeks ago.

There were no casualties in the incident, as per N12.

On Monday, the Environmental Protection Ministry revealed its several hundred million shekel "Green South" plan to rebuild and rehabilitate the Negev region sustainably.

"We will grow new hope from the ruins for the residents, the people of Israel, who are connected to nature and the land," said Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman. "Together we will prevail."

The plan was formed by Silman's ministry professionals together with the heads of the local authorities and area residents over the nearly three months since the October 7 Hamas massacre.

As a result of the attack, in addition to the loss of life, various environmental damages occurred. These included rampant fires contributing to increased air pollution, widespread pillaging leading to extensive waste dumping, damage to asbestos roofs, ground destruction caused by the movement of heavy vehicles, and more.

The ministry's plan paves the way for a hazard-free environment. Its key components involve strategically reducing landfill waste, environmental planning and construction practices, and restoring and safeguarding open spaces. To kickstart this initiative, the ministry has allocated an initial budget of NIS 84 million and said it will work to secure additional funds via other ministries and funds.

Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman discusses plans to rebuild southern Israel. (credit: BOAZ OPPENHEIM/GPO)

Project to begin immediately

The ministry said the initial stages will begin immediately. The entire plan is expected to be completed in five years.

Silman emphasized during a briefing that this plan was a collaborative effort involving all relevant stakeholders. The vision behind the plan extends beyond the mere reconstruction of houses; it aims to shield the population and the environment from pollution and other environmental hazards.

Silman underscored the deep connection that the people of the Negev region already had with their environment. She said they deserve to return to their previous way of life and a better and more sustainable future.

Specifically, the plan will kick off with a NIS 1 million shekel survey of the area and the rehabilitation of severe hazards, such as remediation of asbestos, hazardous substances, and contaminated soil as a result of the attack. Asbestos roofs are expected to be replaced with solar roofs.

All schools and public buildings damaged or in ruins will be rebuilt according to green building standards. The budget should also allow for an environmental planning consultant to help upgrade and renovate privately owned buildings. Nature sites, community gardens, and edible forests will also be established in various communities.

Natural and open spaces, such as the recreation area in Shikma Park, Habsor Road, and the Darom Adom areas, are expected to be restored.

In Sderot specifically, the ministry will invest in sustainable urbanism, outfitting houses with new courtyards, solar roofs, roof insulation, and more efficient lighting. Mature trees will be planted on the city's main streets to increase shading, and a 300 dunam urban nature site will be developed.

The plan also includes removing agriculture waste sites in communities and along scenic roads. Budgets will be allocated for the local authorities for the recycling and removal of untreated hazards, and inspection and enforcement activities to prevent fires and dumping of waste will be enhanced.

Financial support will be provided for the establishment of end facilities for the treatment of agricultural waste. In addition, farmers will receive subsidies for a transitional period to adopt techniques for preserving clean pruning suitable for chipping and reclining. These subsidies should also support purchasing chippers, mulchers, and sifers for various areas or local authorities.

The plan likewise includes establishing sorting and treatment facilities and recycling centers in municipalities to encourage waste stream separation. This could consist of smart disposal containers, recycling centers, composters and biogas facilities for dining rooms.

It would also mean shuttering the "Daya" landfill until a new site can be established.

The ministry said some of these projects had already kicked off before the massacre and will, therefore, be easier to continue. Others will be new both for the South and Israel in general.

While the country is at the forefront of green technology, Israel has struggled to advance green policies and practices.

"Today, we are making a change," Silman said. The Green South plan "will lead this beautiful land to recovery and renewal."

Israel must re-conquer and re-settle the northern Gaza Strip, Likud MK Tally Gotliv claimed at the Knesset plenum on Monday evening.

"My enemy is so vicious, all it understands is the language of humiliation and cruelty," Gotliv explained at the Israeli parliament. "How can I embarrass it? I can conquer and settle the northern Strip.

"We can settle there, we can rebuild this country, bring it back to its former glory...occupation is not a dirty word," Gotliv added.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked China to help secure the release of hostage Noa Argamani, whose mother, Liora, is from China and is dying of cancer.

Netanyahu described how he had recently requested the intervention of Chinese President Xi Jinping through the country’s Ambassador Cai Run during a speech he delivered to the Knesset on Monday describing his efforts to free the hostages.

Netanyahu told Cai to send a message directly to Xi.

Ofir Tamir holds up a picture of his friend Noa Argamani, who was taken hostage on October 7 by Hamas, as he speaks during a press conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, October 30, 2023. (credit: REUTERS/Tom Little)

“There is a daughter of a Chinese mother and I am personally asking for your interference in the matter of Noa Argamani."

 Netanyahu explained to Cai that there is also the issue here of her mother who just wants to see her daughter one last time before she dies.

The ambassador “assured me,” Netanyahu said, that the message had been delivered.

Argamani's story strikes cord

Argamani is one of some 250 hostages kidnapped during Hamas’ infiltration of southern Israel on October 7, an attack during which 1,200 people were killed.

Some 110 of those hostages have been released through a limited deal. It’s presumed that some 129 captives are still in Gaza, while the bodies of some 11 captives have also been retrieved.

Netanyahu has been under pressure to find a way to secure the release of the remaining hostages.

The story of Argamani, 26, who is a student at Ben Gurion University, has struck a particular emotional cord because she was among those filmed on October 7, as she was taken into Gaza on a motorcycle, begging her captors not to kill her.

She had been at the Nova music festival together with her boyfriend Avinatan Or. She was also featured in a second video published soon after she was taken captive, in which she was seen drinking water.

NBC reported this month that it was possible that an armed group, which is not Hamas, had seized her and was holding her.

President Isaac Herzog and first lady Michal visited IDF reservists based along the Gaza border on Thursday, reaffirming that Israel is "taking upon itself the challenge of showing our appreciation for reservists.

"This appreciation will not only come only in the form of certificates but also with small business, in education, any help [the reservists need]," Herzog said.

Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, has communicated to the organization's international leaders his refusal to accept Israel's terms for ending the war, according to a report by Al Jazeera on Monday.

The refusal comes amidst discussions about an Egypt-mediated ceasefire proposal, which involves releasing some hostages, establishing an expert-led government in the Strip, and an Israeli withdrawal. Notably, Al Jazeera later removed this news article from their website after a few hours.

The report from the Qatari network, known for its connections with Hamas, indicates that Sinwar has sent messages asserting the readiness of Hamas' military wing to prolong the conflict with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). This statement comes nearly three months into the war.

Sinwar also mentioned figures regarding IDF losses in personnel and equipment, but these claims are reportedly exaggerated and inconsistent with the IDF's published data.

Sinwar in hiding

Sinwar, a primary target in this war, has been out of public sight and unheard of since the offensive began on October 7. It is speculated that he might be hiding in Khan Yunis, located in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

YAHYA SINWAR, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, has proven more than once he is pragmatic and is willing to deal with Israel. (credit: ABED RAHIM KHATIB/FLASH90)

In a public stance, the government rejects Hamas' conditions for a ceasefire and retreat from the Gaza Strip. These conditions are linked to the release of approximately 130 hostages currently held by terrorist groups in Gaza.

Israel has moved to annul the permanent residency given to senior Hamas commander Majed Rajab Assur Juaba, Interior Minister Moshe Arbel announced in a letter sent to the attorney-general on Monday evening.

The decision to void his residency was made following a ministry committee's recommendations on the grounds of a "breach of trust" due to Juaba's public affiliation with the Hamas terrorist group.

A "prominent" commander in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) was killed on Monday in an alleged Israeli airstrike in the vicinity of the Syrian capital of Damascus, Lebanese media out Al-Mayadeen and Reuters reported, citing two unnamed security sources.

Explosions were heard in the area of Set Zaynab, in the Damascus countryside, local media outlets reported.

Footage shared on social media showed a cloud of smoke near the Damascus International Airport, a site targeted frequently due to its use by Iranian proxies in the region.

#عاجل | قصـ ـف "إسرائيلي" استهدف منطقة الأهداف في محيط #دمشق على طريق مطار دمشق في #سوريا pic.twitter.com/DZ3ve1Qonx

— قناة القدس (@livequds) December 25, 2023

This is a developing story.

An International Committee of the Red Cross representative refused to bring a box of life-saving medicine to Israelis taken hostage in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed in a Monday address to the Knesset plenum.

"I met with the Red Cross; I handed them a box of medicine for some of the hostages shown here. Some of them really need it...I told a representative to take this box to Rafah; she said no. It was a difficult conversation," he told a special Knesset session attended by families of hostages, who were heard shouting "Now!" at the prime minister as he explained the return of all hostages would take time.

"We are sparing no effort, both seen and hidden, to bring all of the hostages home," Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu: IDF fighters in Gaza told me to keep going

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Gaza Strip on Monday, he told fellow Likud members in a faction meeting at the Knesset.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets IDF reservists in the Gaza Strip on December 25, 2023 (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

"I just returned from Gaza; I met a division of reservists on the field," he told his faction. "All of them asked me for one thing only: We must not stop; we must keep going until the end," he said, in reference to the IDF's war on Hamas in Gaza.

"The papers and television studios said we are stopping; They also said we would stop after the first hostage deal - and we kept going," Netanyahu continued. "We do not stop; we keep fighting, and we will be deepening the fighting over the coming days; this will be a long battle, and it is not close to being over."