Hamas fires 30 rockets, ends hostage talks * ToI in Gaza City, where terror elite hid * Not your fault: Mother’s love for soldiers who killed hostage son * Celeb visitors

[Times of Israel]( [The daily edition]( Thursday, December 21, 2023 Presented by [The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs]( Live updates [LIVE: Large rocket salvo fired at Tel Aviv, south as Hamas claims to cut off hostage talks]( By Joshua Davidovich, Jacob Magid and ToI Staff Some 30 projectiles fired in barrage, marking most significant attack in days * 2 hurt in north * Top aide to Netanyahu says reformed PA can run Strip * 3 soldiers killed in Gaza ToI in Gaza City Emanuel Fabian [Under the heart of Gaza City, IDF digs up a vast hive of lairs where Hamas’s elite hid]( Beneath once-busy Palestine Square, troops show ToI a tunnel network that includes living quarters and personal shafts — one with an elevator — used by terror chiefs on Oct. 7 [ToI podcast / Daily Briefing Dec. 21: Day 76 – A visit to Gaza’s ‘underground terror city’]( By ToI Staff [‘Not your fault’: Mother sends love, support to troops who killed son in tragic error]( By ToI Staff Iris Haim records message for battalion involved in killing of 3 escaped hostages, insisting her family doesn’t blame them for what happened and that they want to meet them [IDF dog recorded escaped hostage calling for help days before mistaken slayings]( By Emanuel Fabian from our sponsor [On Dec 7th, Jews around the world came together to banish the darkness]( Tens of thousands of people came together to light the first Hanukkah candle in an online event organized by the Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism. [Hamas said to reject Israeli offer for 7-day truce in Gaza, release of 40 hostages]( By ToI Staff Egyptian officials tell Wall Street Journal that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad are demanding Israel end military operations in Strip before they’ll discuss a potential deal [Taking flak from right, Netanyahu vows war will Hamas will continue ‘until the end’]( By ToI Staff [Two wounded in Hezbollah missile attack, as northern border heats up]( By Emanuel Fabian Civilians hurt in Dovev; missile causes damage in Avivim; drone alarm sounds in border towns as interceptor missile explodes over Safed; IDF strikes Hezbollah sites in response [Hezbollah fires overnight rocket salvo at northern towns after IDF strikes in Lebanon]( By ToI Staff and Emanuel Fabian Interview [How an unprecedented medical committee determines when a hostage held in Gaza is dead]( By Renee Ghert-Zand Prof. Ofer Merin explains how he and two colleagues have devised unique protocols for using visual and other intelligence information to decide whether a person is no longer alive [Israel may ease opposition to PA ruling post-war Gaza, Hanegbi implies in Arabic op-ed]( By ToI Staff In column on Saudi news site, national security adviser says Israel not interested in administering Strip; far-right lawmakers react angrily, say he doesn’t represent Israel Top Ops Michael Hilkowitz [Did you know that Hamas has held 2 hostages captive for thousands of days?]( If we don’t bring them all home now, the hostages are at real risk of being stuck in Gaza for years and years, like Avera Mengistu and Hisham Al-Sayed Zion Evrony [Principles for ending the war and a roadmap to peace]( A Camp David Summit #3 will entail Israel’s full withdrawal from a demilitarized Gaza, and (almost) ridding the Strip of Hamas [Those We Have Lost]( [Those We Have Lost]( [Civilians and soldiers who have fallen since Oct. 7]( [Read Here]( [IDF says it’s fighting in new areas as it nears end of ground offensive in north Gaza]( By Emanuel Fabian Spokesman says army now operating in Gaza City neighborhoods of Daraj and Tuffah, where one of Hamas’s last battalions stands; in south Gaza, top general says troops advancing [IDF says it is probing deaths of several Gazans at its detention centers]( By AFP and ToI Staff [France’s Macron: Fighting terror does not mean ‘flattening Gaza’]( By AFP and ToI Staff [Yair Netanyahu likes online post accusing IDF chief of October 7 ‘military coup’]( By ToI Staff Post on X, approved of by PM’s son, claims Halevi knew of the onslaught ahead of time and failed to inform the premier [Those We Are Missing]( [The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown]( [Read Here]( [Blinken: Ending Israel-Hamas war ‘as quickly as possible’ top priority for US in 2024]( By Jacob Magid US expects to see smaller troop numbers in Gaza to deal with Hamas leadership, tunnel network, secretary says, taking issue with international silence on Hamas’s role in conflict [UN Security Council vote on Gaza ceasefire call postponed again]( By AFP and ToI Staff Reporter's notebook Sam Sokol [Devastation of Gaza border towns a ‘gut punch,’ says Huckabee during evangelical tour]( Touring Kfar Aza, where Hamas killed dozens on October 7, prominent evangelicals call to eradicate terror group, say American Christians need to be better informed on war [IDF again denies killing mother and daughter at Gaza church, cites Hamas fire in area]( By ToI Staff and AFP [Seinfeld, Montana Tucker among stars in Israel to ‘bear witness’ to Hamas atrocities]( By Jackie Hajdenberg Scooter Braun, Debra Messing also visit to see the devastation after the October 7 massacres, meet survivors, and talk with relatives of those held hostage in Gaza [Tel Aviv exhibit simulates aftermath of rave where Hamas killed 360 on Oct. 7]( By Jessica Steinberg Recreation of the festival space produced by the Tribe of Nova gives a sense of the horror [At war: Psychologist details signs children are in distress — and how to help]( By Sue Surkes [Trump, accused of echoing Hitler anti-immigrant rhetoric, denies reading ‘Mein Kampf’]( By AFP At Iowa rally, Republican frontrunner declares immigrants are ‘destroying the blood of our country,’ says Nazi leader used such language ‘in a much different way’ [Day 76 – A visit to Gaza’s ‘underground terror city’]( [listen to the podcast]( More Headlines [Police question 19 guards in connection with fatal beating of Palestinian prisoner]( By ToI Staff [US indictment accuses senior Hezbollah figure of helping plan 1994 AMIA bombing]( By Larry Neumeister [Greece to join naval coalition protecting Red Sea shipping against Houthi attacks]( By Agencies and ToI Staff [Explainer / Car prices set to rise due to higher purchase tax, Houthi attacks, strong dollar]( By Sue Surkes [Malaysia bans Israeli-flagged ships from using its ports in response to Gaza war]( By AFP and ToI Staff [Israel’s StemRad inks $4.5m contract to shield US troops from gamma radiation]( By Sharon Wrobel [New study shows Israel experiencing unprecedented outbreak of ‘fifth disease’]( By Renee Ghert-Zand [In Cyprus, Foreign Minister Cohen backs plan to ‘fast track’ aid to Gaza via island]( By AFP and ToI Staff [Tech initiative, backed by Google, to create 400 jobs in the Negev]( By Sharon Wrobel [White supremacist jailed for threatening jury in Pittsburgh synagogue shooter trial]( By AP [The daily edition]( [facebook]( [twitter]( [instagram]( [View in browser]( [Contact support](mailto:support@timesofisrael.com) [Advertise with us](mailto:advertise@timesofisrael.com) Were you forwarded this email? 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