Palestinians feel ‘no joy’ as Israel bombs Gaza on Christmas

Palestinian scouts hold signs in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip calling to end the Israel-Hamas war, near the Church of the Nativity, traditionally believed to be the birthplace of Jesus, on Christmas Eve in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023. (AP)

Palestinians said they felt “no joy” this Christmas as Israel bombed Gaza on Monday, with no end in sight to the war that Hamas says has claimed more than 20,000 lives.

Festivities were effectively scrapped in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, revered as the birthplace of Jesus Christ, with few worshippers or tourists on the usually packed streets.

In the besieged Gaza Strip, the ministry of health said early Monday Israeli strikes had killed at least 18 people in the southern city of Khan Yunis, the center of recent fighting.

At a hospital in the city, Fadi Sayegh — whose family has previously received permits to travel to Bethlehem for celebrations — said he would not be celebrating Christmas this year.

“There is no joy. No Christmas tree, no decorations, no family dinner, no celebrations,” he said while undergoing dialysis. “I pray for this war to be over soon.”

Sister Nabila Salah from the Catholic Holy Church in Gaza — where two Christian women were killed by an Israeli sniper earlier this month according to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem — struck a somber tone.

“All Christmas celebrations have been canceled,” she told AFP. “How do we celebrate when we are... hearing the sound of tanks and bombardment instead of the ringing of bells?“

The war broke out when Hamas fighters attacked southern Israel on October 7 and killed about 1,140 people, mostly civilians, and seized 250 hostages, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas in response and its military campaign, which has included massive aerial bombardment. The campaign has killed 20,424 people, mostly women and children.

Vast areas of Gaza lie in ruins and its 2.4 million people have endured dire shortages of water, food, fuel and medicine due to an Israeli siege, alleviated only by the limited arrival of aid trucks.

Eighty percent of Gazans have been displaced, according to the UN, many fleeing south and now shielding against the winter cold in makeshift tents.

The head of the UN refugee agency, Filippo Grandi, called for an end to the suffering.

“A humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza is the only way forward,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “War defies logic and humanity, and prepares a future of more hatred and less peace.”

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also renewed calls for a cease-fire, saying: “The decimation of the Gaza health system is a tragedy.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday the war was exacting a “very heavy price,” as the death toll of soldiers killed in the conflict continued to mount.

“But we have no choice but to keep fighting,” he said, adding: “This will be a long war.”

The army said Monday two more soldiers had been killed, taking to 17 the number of troops killed since Friday and 156 since Israel’s ground assault began on October 27.

Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus indicated that forces were close to gaining control in northern Gaza and that now “we focus our efforts against Hamas in southern Gaza.”

Two freed detainees and a medic said Sunday that Palestinians held by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip had suffered torture, a charged denied by the military.

The two men were among hundreds detained by Israeli forces over alleged links with Hamas during Israel’s ground offensive.

About 20 men released from Israeli custody “have bruises and marks of blows on their bodies,” Marwan Al-Hams, hospital director in the southern city of Rafah, told AFP.

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Russia ready to strike any foreign military base that may appear in Ukraine — Medvedev

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev
©Yekaterina Shtukina/POOL/TASS

Moscow will without fail carry out a strike against foreign military bases in Ukraine should any be established in the country, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said on Telegram.

Referring to the declaration on security guarantees for Ukraine drawn up by the EU, he stated that the document was "a useless scrap of paper" with no added value.

However, it provided Kiev with the opportunity to make separate agreements with individual countries on weapons supplies, troop training, funding for military programs and many other things, up to and including the establishment of military bases on Ukrainian soil.

"This is the game plan: We won’t let you join NATO as we don’t want a war with Russia, but there are no holds barred when it comes to relations with individual (NATO member countries). In fact, the question now is how they will interpret Article 5 of the Washington Treaty. In other words, when Russia (eventually) carries out a strike on such a base (which is inevitable given that troops stationed at such a base will have been deployed there specifically to fight against us), will the allies (acting together) then be prepared to give a collective response to our country for the destruction of a base set up by (an individual) NATO member state?" the politician asked rhetorically.

Medvedev pointed out that an attack on a military base would certainly provide grounds for activating Article 6 of NATO’s founding treaty, which mentions "an armed attack... on the forces, vessels, or aircraft of any of the Parties." "This is where things get more interesting: Article 5 says that the response does not have to be a military or a collective one," he noted. The Russian Security Council deputy chairman emphasized that a response to such actions included the use of "the right of individual or collective self-defense" by the allies to "assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary." "That said, it’s possible either to respond together or leave the owner of Ukraine-sited bases to its own devices. A response may or may not include the use of military means. So there should be no illusions; it’s a loose loophole, and the mongrel Banderite regime should bear that in mind," Medvedev concluded.

The 14-article North Atlantic Treaty, commonly known as the Washington Treaty, was signed in 1949, thus laying the foundations for the establishment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The principle of collective defense, enshrined in Article 5 of the Treaty, obligates the NATO allies to come to each other’s defense in case of attack.

Medvedev, who now serves as deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, called Kiev’s plan to convince the EU to provide it with security guarantees a new push “to create an anti-Russian consensus.”

At the same time, he suggested that the declaration “has no added value whatsoever.” “This is just a public statement, which means it is a useless scrap of paper,” he said.

According to Medvedev, however, the document paves the way for the signing of bilateral security agreements between Kiev and its Western backers. Those deals could lead to arms production cooperation, military training, and other programs beneficial to the “neo-Nazis” in Kiev, he said.

Such a deal could even entice some “crazy” Western country to set up a military base in Ukraine, he added. “Here’s the drill: we won’t take you into NATO, we don’t want war with Russia, but on an individual basis, do whatever you like.”

This could open the way to a large-scale conflict involving a NATO country and Moscow, Medvedev believes. “When Russia strikes such a base – and this will inevitably happen because the military personnel of the base came specifically to fight us – will the alliance countries be ready for a collective response?” he asked.

The ex-president suggested that in this particular case Article 5 of the NATO Treaty – which stipulates that an attack on one member of the bloc is an attack on the entire alliance – leaves “a lot of wiggle room.” NATO could “respond together, or could leave the country that owns the base in Ukraine to go at it alone,” while the retaliation itself could be by military or other means.

The ex-president’s comments come after Andrey Sibiga, the deputy head of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s office, said that six EU members – Austria, Croatia, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Malta – have yet to support security guarantees for Kiev, adding that he was sure that they would eventually get on board.

Houthis Say US Warship 'Firing Hysterically' Nearly Hit Tanker in Red Sea

©Photo : seaforces.org

Earlier, US Central Command alleged that a Houthi drone nearly hit a Gabonese oil tanker with 25 Indian crew members onboard traveling through the Red Sea from the Russian Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga, and said that a US warship was deployed to respond to the ship’s distress call.

A Houthi spokesman has sought to set the record straight regarding the US’s claim that the Yemeni militia had targeted a Gabonese oil tanker.

“An American warship fired hysterically during a reconnaissance mission by Yemeni forces in the Red Sea,” Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam said in a statement Sunday. One of the missiles nearly hit a Gabon-flagged oil tanker traveling from Russia, the spokesman added.

“The Red Sea will be a burning arena if the US and its allies continue their bullying. Countries bordering the Red Sea must realize the reality of the dangers that threaten their national security,” Abdul-Salam warned. “The threat to international maritime navigation” is the result of “the militarization of the Red Sea by America and its partners, who have come to the region without any legitimate reason other than providing security services for enemy Israeli ships,” the spokesman said.

The Houthi statement contradicts an after action report put out by United States Central Command early Sunday morning alleging that the Houthis had launched two anti-ship missiles into the Red Sea’s shipping lanes on December 23.

“Between 3 and 8 pm (Sanaa time), the USS Laboon (DDG 58) was patrolling in the Southern Red Sea as part of Operation Prosperity Guardian and shot down four unmanned aerial drones originating from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen that were inbound to the USS Laboon. There were no injuries or damage in this incident. At approximately 8 pm (Sanaa time) US Naval Forces Central Command received reports from two ships in the Southern Red Sea that they were under attack. The M/V Blaamanen, a Norwegian-flagged, owned and operated chemical/oil tanker, reported a near miss of a Houthi one-way drone attack drone with no injuries or damage reported. A second vessel, the M/V Saibaba, a Gabon-owned, Indian-flagged crude oil tanker, reported that it was hit by a one-way attack drone with no injuries reported. The USS Laboon responded to the distress calls from these attacks,” CENTCOM said.

According to MarineTraffic, the Saibaba sails under the flag of Gabon, not India. The Houthis have said that they will intentionally target only commercial cargoes that are Israeli-owned or linked, or traveling to or from Israel. The Yemeni militia began their month-long campaign of hijackings, missile and drone attacks in the Red Sea on November 19 with the seizure of the Galaxy Leader, an Israeli billionaire-owned ro-ro car carrier.

On December 18, the United States announced the formation of a maritime coalition to clamp down on Houthi attacks. Amid reports that US operations may include strikes inside Yemen, the Houthis have threatened to turn the Red Sea into the coalition’s “graveyard.” The nascent US-led coalition has reportedly run into some difficulties, with major American allies France, Italy and Spain apparently declining to join a Red Sea mission under US command. Other allies, including Norway, the Netherlands and Denmark, have limited their participation to a handful of seamen.

Air mancur Tirta Cerita memesona pengunjung TMII di malam libur Natal

Pengunjung menyaksikan air mancur pertunjukan air mancur Tirta Cerita tentang dongeng dan legenda Nusantar di Danau Archipelago, Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) saat puncak libur Natal 2023, hari Minggu 24/12/2023. ANTARA/Harianto/aa.

Pertunjukan air mancur Tirta Cerita tentang dongeng dan legenda Nusantara di Danau Archipelago, memesona pengunjung Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) pada puncak libur Natal 2023, Minggu malam.

Sekitar seribu pengunjung sangat antusiasme berkumpul di Danau Archipelago, TMII, Jakarta, untuk menyaksikan pertunjukan air mancur yang spektakuler. Mereka mulai berkumpul sejak pukul 17.30 WIB, menanti "momen magis" air mancur yang akan meluncur di danau.

@tmiiofficial Hai #TemanJelajah🥰 Yuk, saksikan Tirta Cerita yang menampilkan harmonisasi aransemen musik dan video mapping spektakuler karya anak bangsa. Berpadu dengan air mancur, pencahayaan, dan animasi dongeng nusantara, seperti Kisah Kancil dan Buaya, Roro Jongrang, Malin Kundang, dan beberapa penggalan legenda lainnya yang dikemas kembali dan akan membawamu berkelana menelusuri kekayaan cerita legenda Indonesia. Pertunjukan Tirta Cerita dengan menampilkan atraksi 300 drone hadir setiap hari mulai tanggal 20 Desember 2023 - 2 Januari 2024. Catat jadwalnya! ⏰️Tirta Menari: 10.00 WIB 13.00 WIB 16.00 WIB ⏰️ Tirta Cerita dengan drone show: 18.30 WIB 20.30 WIB Khusus tanggal 31 Des 2023 - 2 Jan 2024 akan ada tambahan show pada pukul 22.30 WIB loh~ 📍 Plaza Promenade (Depan Anjungan Yogyakarta) 🎟️ GRATIS! Cukup membeli tiket masuk TMII saja🥰 Saksikan hanya di TMII! #TMII #WajahBaruTMII #JelajahCeritaIndonesia #TMIISeruGaAdaHabisnya #NATARUdiTMII ♬ original sound - Taman Mini Indonesia Indah

Hingga pukul 18.22 WIB, air mancur Tirta Cerita belum menyembur, namun pengunjung tetap dengan penuh kesabaran menanti. Segala kalangan, dari dewasa hingga anak kecil, hadir untuk menyaksikan keindahan pertunjukan air mancur yang telah menjadi daya tarik utama.

Pengunjung sudah mempersiapkan telepon genggam mereka untuk mengabadikan momen indah ini. Sejumlah pengunjung terlihat terus mengarahkan kamera ponsel mereka ke danau, siap merekam keunikan dan kecantikan air mancur Tirta Cerita.

Sementara air mancur Tirta Cerita menampilkan cerita dongeng dan legenda Nusantara seperti Petualangan Si Kacil, Yuyu Kangkang dari cerita Ande-Ande Lumut, Roro Jongrong, Bang Putih dan Bawang Merah, Buto Ijo dan Timun Emas, Malin Kundang, hingga Keong Mas menjadi bagian dari daya tarik pertunjukan tersebut.

Pertunjukan air mancur Tirta Cerita di TMII berhasil menciptakan memesona pengunjung ketika menyembur tepat sekitar pukul 18.30 WIB. Para pengunjung langsung mengabadikan momen tersebut.

Petugas TMII yang berjaga di lokasi juga selalu mengingatkan kepada para pengunjung agar tetap hening selama pertunjukan dan dilarang merokok. Penampilan air mancur Tirta Cerita berakhir pukul 18.50 WIB.

Direktur Utama TMII, Claudia Ingkiriwang mengatakan pertunjukan Dancing Fountain Tirta Cerita, sebuah harmonisasi perpaduan multimedia show dengan water screen dan air mancur serta pencahayaan 300 drone, yang sebelumnya rutin ditampilkan setiap hari mulai pukul 18.30.

“Selama pekan Natal dan Tahun Baru ini pertunjukan Tirta Cerita akan ada penambahan jam tayang. Dancing Fountain Tirta Cerita ini merupakan the biggest fountain show in Jakarta dan the biggest fountain show with drone in South East Asia,” kata Claudia.

Dia mengebut pertunjukan Dancing Fountain telah dimulai sejak 20 Desember 2023 dan akan berlangsung hingga 2 Januari 2024.

Pengunjung menunggu pertunjukan air mancur Tirta Cerita tentang dongeng dan legenda Nusantar di Danau Archipelago, Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) saat puncak libur Natal 2023, hari Minggu, 24/12/2023. ANTARA/Harianto/aa.

Tirta Cerita, kata Claudia, tayang malam hari pukul 18.30 wib dan 20.30 WIB. Khusus malam tahun baru ditambah pada pukul 22.30 WIB.

“Show tambahan di siang hari Tirta Menari tanpa drone dan water screen, ditayangkan pada pukul 10.00 WIB, 13.00 WIB, dan 16.00 WIB dengan durasi masing-masing 15 menit,” kata Claudia.

Dia menambahkan, pengunjung juga dapat menikmati berbagai kegiatan rekreasi lainnya di TMII, di antaranya ke taman burung, taman reptil, menaiki kereta gantung, atau piknik santai bersama keluarga dengan tersedianya banyak area terbuka hijau.

Christmas Eve ‘massacre’ at al-Maghazi kills 70

One of the Palestinians wounded in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip is brought to a hospital in Deir el-Balah on Sunday [Adel Hana/AP]

An Israeli air strike that hit central Gaza's Maghazi refugee camp has killed 70 people, Palestinian health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said on Sunday, and he said the death toll was likely to climb.

"What is happening at the Maghazi camp is a massacre that is being committed on a crowded residential square," al-Qidra said.

The Israeli military said it was reviewing the incident.

"Despite the challenges posed by Hamas terrorists operating within civilian areas in Gaza, the IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) is committed to international law including taking feasible steps to minimize harm to civilians," an Israeli army spokesperson said in a statement.

The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which runs Gaza, issued a statement calling the air strike "a horrific massacre" and said it was "a new war crime."

“We were all targeted,” said Ahmad Turokmani, who lost several family members including his daughter and grandson. “There is no safe place in Gaza anyway,” he told the Associated Press.

The Palestinian Red Crescent published footage of the wounded from the latest strike being transported to hospitals. It said Israeli warplanes were bombing main roads in central Gaza, hindering the passage of ambulances and emergency vehicles.

Medics said a separate Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis in southern Gaza killed eight Palestinians.

Clergy cancelled celebrations in Bethlehem, the Israeli-occupied Palestinian West Bank city where tradition has it that Jesus was born in a stable 2,000 years ago.

“Tonight, our hearts are in Bethlehem, where the Prince of Peace is once more rejected by the futile logic of war, by the clash of arms that even today prevents him from finding room in the world,” Pope Francis said, presiding at Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Palestinian Christians earlier held a Christmas vigil in Bethlehem with candle-lit hymns and prayers for peace in Gaza instead of the usual celebrations.

There was no large tree, the usual centrepiece of Bethlehem’s Christmas celebrations. Nativity figurines in churches were placed amid rubble and barbed wire in solidarity with the people of Gaza.

In Jenin, there are sounds of explosions and heavy exchanges of fire between Palestinian resistance fighters and the Israeli occupation forces.

This is just an intensification of the raids that have been ongoing for nearly two years across the occupied West Bank, but they have intensified since October 7. There have been several thousand arrests and at least 303 Palestinians killed in the occupied West Bank by either the Israeli military or armed Israeli settlers.

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Bundaran HI mendadak jadi tempat 'nongkrong' di malam libur Natal

Suasana malam Natal di pinggir Bundaran HI, Jakarta Pusat, hari Minggu, 24/12/2023. ANTARA/Lifia Mawaddah Putri

Sejumlah warga DKI Jakarta tak hanya menghabiskan malam Natal di tempat-tempat wisata atau mal, namun ada juga yang sekadar menikmati malam dengan duduk santai bersama keluarga dan teman di tepian Bundaran HI, Jakarta Pusat.

Sejak pukul 19.00 WIB, warga terpantau mulai memadati area di luar Mall Plaza Indonesia atau tepatnya di pedestrian Bundaran HI. Semakin malam, warga pun tampak semakin ramai duduk santai sambil menikmati aneka camilan.

“Mumpung malam Natal, iseng saja jalan-jalan sama teman nongkrong di sini,” ujar salah satu warga asal Jakarta Timur bernama Tiara.

Tak hanya para muda-mudi, tampak pula para orang tua membawa keluarganya berjalan-jalan dan berfoto di sekitaran Bundaran HI. Misalnya saja seperti Bagus yang merupakan warga asal Jambi.

“Lagi liburan di sini sama keluarga. Ya Bundaran HI ini kan salah satu ikon Jakarta ya. Jadi walau cuma dipinggir jalan juga senang saja gitu. Tadi juga ngajak naik MRT karena belum pernah,” kata Bagus.

Banyaknya warga yang menghabiskan malam Natal juga mendatangkan rezeki bagi para pedagang di pinggiran Bundaran HI. Hal tersebut pun dirasakan Hafiz yang merupakan salah satu pedagang minuman kopi keliling atau "starling".

“Alhamdulillah ini lagi ramai jadi banyak yang beli. Lumayan lah pendapatan juga jadi nambah. Kalau makin malam lagi makin ramai mungkin bisa sampai Rp500.000 ini,” jelas Hafiz.

Sementara itu, pantauan lalu lintas di sekitar Bundaran HI terlihat ramai lancar. Kemudian beberapa petugas juga tampak berjaga untuk memastikan keamanan dan kelancaran lalu lintas di daerah tersebut.

Ribuan warga padati Kota Tua Jakarta di malam Natal

Ribuan warga dari berbagai daerah, seperti DKI Jakarta, Bogor dan Cirebon (Jawa Barat) memadati kawasan wisata Kota Tua, Jakarta, di malam Natal 2023 pada Minggu malam.

Warga dari berbagai daerah, seperti DKI Jakarta, Bogor dan Cirebon (Jawa Barat) memadati kawasan wisata Kota Tua, Jakarta, di malam Natal 2023 pada hari Minggu, 24/12/2023. ANTARA/Tri Meilani Ameliya

"Belum ada jumlah pasti sampai (pengunjung) disterilkan pukul 21.00 WIB, tapi perkiraan sudah ada ribuan pengunjung," ujar petugas di Pusat Informasi Kota Tua Nono saat ditemui di lokasi tersebut.

Pada pukul 19.50 WIB, dari berbagai sudut yang ada di Kota Tua, sebagian besar pengunjung memadati Lapangan Fatahillah. Hal tersebut karena adanya konser musik yang menghadirkan penyanyi Fabio Asher mulai pukul 20.00 WIB.

Konser musik gratis tersebut digelar oleh jenama produk riasan wajah Oh My Glam atau OMG yang membuka parade kecantikan The First Beauty Color Parade in Town bertajuk “OMG Lip Parade”.

Anisa, salah satu pengunjung asal Bogor mengaku tujuan utamanya datang ke Kota Tua adalah untuk menikmati masa libur Natal 2023 dan Tahun Baru 2024. Dia langsung memadati Lapangan Fatahillah untuk menyaksikan penampilan Fabio.

"Sangat senang ada konser gratis begini, sebelumnya saya tidak tahu bakal ada konser," kata dia.

Hal senada juga disampaikan oleh pengunjung lainnya bernama Sabrina dari Cirebon. Ia mengaku senang bisa menikmati konser musik gratis sekaligus menghabiskan waktu berlibur bersama keluarga di malam Natal 2023.

"Tentunya senang, tapi agak terlalu ramai saja, jadi kurang bisa menikmati jalan-jalannya," ujar dia.

Selain menyaksikan konser musik, pengunjung juga menikmati waktu berlibur di kawasan Kota Tua dengan menyantap berbagai makanan ringan, seperti telur gulung, bakso bakar, hingga aneka minuman segar.

Ada pula pengunjung yang berfoto bersama manusia-manusia patung.

Six EU states resisting Ukraine ‘security guarantees’ – Kiev

The Ukrainian flag flutters along side the European Union flag outside the European Parliament headquarters. © François WALSCHAERTS / AFP

Six EU member states have yet to support a declaration on security guarantees for Ukraine, a senior official in Kiev has said, signaling that the embattled country will continue to court the holdouts.

The declaration, which was first adopted by members of the G7 group in July, outlines long-term security commitments to Ukraine. It promises Kiev continued military assistance, support in weapons manufacturing, intelligence sharing, and other measures meant to enhance the country’s pro-Western, pro-EU tilt.

Speaking on Ukrainian national TV on Saturday, Andrey Sibiga, the deputy head of President Vladimir Zelensky’s office, revealed that Austria, Croatia, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Malta had not endorsed security guarantees, but said Kiev is working to bring them on board. According to Sibiga, there is no reason to persuade them that they need to join in because they all know it will happen sooner or later.

“We’re just talking about specifics, about what this or that state is good at and is willing to take on commitments in one of the frameworks of the declaration. I think that all these countries have the political will to become part of the declaration,” he said.

In September, senior Zelensky aide Mikhail Podoliak said that a total of 28 nations supported the security guarantees, with hopes of increasing the number to 51.

Sibiga added that the issue was discussed during a recent visit by Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski to Kiev, where he met with Zelensky. Kiev and Warsaw have recently been at odds over protests organized by Polish haulers at the border, who oppose EU rules that they say give their Ukrainian competitors an unfair advantage.

Meanwhile, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, commenting on the security guarantees, said in June that EU countries which remain neutral cannot support the declaration, although he promised to discuss the issue in the future.

Hungary and Slovakia have opposed sending military assistance to Kiev. Budapest has also been skeptical about Ukraine’s aspirations to join the EU, while Bratislava has warned that the country’s accession is “terribly far away.”