December 28, 2024

* Israeli attack on Kamal Adwan Hospital put 'last major health facility' in northern Gaza out of service: WHO The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that the Israeli attack on the Kamal Adwan Hospital put "the last major health facility" in northern besieged Gaza out of service, calling an end to "this horror." Initial reports indicate that some key departments were severely burned and destroyed during the attack. At the same time, 60 health workers and 25 patients are in critical condition, including those on ventilators. * Hamas denies Israeli claims it was present in Gaza hospital Meanwhile, the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, has denied Israeli claims about the presence of its members inside the hospital that was attacked by the Israeli army in the northern besieged Gaza. The group said the Israeli claims aim to justify the heinous crime committed by the occupation army by evacuating and burning all sections of the hospital as part of its plan of genocide and forced displacement. * Israel reportedly contacted Assad through WhatsApp in recent years Israel has reportedly engaged in secret communications with the ousted Bashar al Assad's regime in recent years using the messaging app WhatsApp, according to a report. The report said that Israel conducted covert operations to establish contact with al Assad and his inner circle, sending messages through Israeli intelligence agents posing as "Musa" on WhatsApp. The messages allegedly reached high-ranking Syrian regime officials in Damascus. One operation reportedly sought to negotiate a secret deal where Assad would halt the transfer of weapons to Lebanon in exchange for lifting international sanctions against his regime. * UN Security Council green-lights mandate for new Somalia mission The UN Security Council has adopted a draft resolution to establish the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM). The 15-member Council adopted the UK-led draft resolution with 14 votes in favour, and the US abstaining. The AUSSOM will replace the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), whose mandate ends on December 31. * Trump urges Supreme Court to pause TikTok ban US President-elect Donald Trump has urged the US Supreme Court to pause a federal TikTok law that would ban the popular social media app or force its sale. The Republican incoming president argued that he should have time after taking office to pursue a "political resolution" to the issue. Trump said that this case presents an unprecedented, novel, and difficult tension between free-speech rights on one side and foreign policy and national security concerns on the other.