Day 74 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Tuesday, Dec. 19

The US secretary of defense’s announcement of a new naval task force in the Red Sea comes amid an uptick in Houthi attacks since the war began.

Rina Bassist, Ezgi Akin, Beatrice Farhat, Elizabeth Hagedorn, Adam Lucente, Jack Dutton, Jared Szuba and Al-Monitor’s contributors on the ground in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel contributed to this blog.

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Live updates (all times EDT):

Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023

5:00 pm: UN Security Council moves vote on Gaza resolution to Wednesday 

The United Nations Security Council is now expected to vote on a Gaza resolution to allow more humanitarian aid into the territory on Wednesday. The vote, originally scheduled for Monday, was delayed a day as delegations deliberated the resolution's language.

4:03 pm: US, EU, NATO release joint statement condemning Houthi attacks in Red Sea

The United States and a number of other countries along with the European Union and NATO issued a joint statement Tuesday evening condemning “Houthi interference with navigational rights and freedoms” in the Red Sea.

“The numerous attacks originating from Houthi-controlled territories in Yemen, including the Dec. 3 attacks against three commercial vessels in the southern Red Sea connected to 14 nations, threaten international commerce and maritime security,” the statement read. 

The statement came shortly after the Pentagon announced a new US-led operation focused on “security challenges in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden,” following an uptick in attacks since the Israel-Hamas war began Oct. 7.

2:12 pm: Israel kills Hamas financier Subhi Ferwana

The Israeli military said on Tuesday that it had killed a financier of Hamas as the war in Gaza rages on.

The Israel Defense Forces said Subhi Ferwana was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Rafah, in southern Gaza. The IDF described Ferwana as a “prominent financier” who, along with his unnamed brother, was involved in the transfer of tens of millions of dollars to Hamas via their money exchange company, Hamsat. Ferwana is said to have transferred money to Hamas during the current war that was used for military activities, including payments to Hamas fighters, the IDF said in a press release. Adam Lucente reports.

10:15 am: Austin sends messages to Israel

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin delivered tough messages to Israel on his trip while reiterating Washington’s support. Ben Caspit reports on the inside details of Austin’s meetings with Israeli officials.

4:30 am: Israel kills Hamas financier

Prominent Hamas financier Subhi Ferwana was killed Tuesday in an Israeli military airstrike on Rafah, said IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari, who claimed that over the years Ferwana and his brother transferred millions of dollars to Hamas, especially to its military branch. The funds were used to purchase weaponry and to pay the salaries of Hamas members.

"Hamas uses financiers in order to receive funds transferred from Iran and from various recruitment sources abroad. The exchangers carry out the money transfers using methods of offsetting and money laundering, while avoiding the use of the international financial system," Hagari said.

2:26 am: Israeli army announces 4-hour pause in Rafah neighborhood

The Israeli army observed a brief “tactical pause” in fighting in the Janina neighborhood of Rafah, in southern Gaza, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time for humanitarian purposes, the Arabic-language spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, said. In a post on the X platform, Adraee urged Gaza residents not to move toward the Salah al-Din axis in the north and east of Khan Younis due to heavy fighting and Israeli military advancements. Instead, the army will allow civilians to move along another road west of Khan Younis, he said. Israel has widened its air and ground campaign into southern Gaza since the resumption of fighting in early December after the collapse of a weeklong cease-fire.

2:00 am: Israeli missiles leave dozens dead in Gaza's Rafah

At least 20 Palestinians were killed in Israeli missile attacks and airstrikes that hit three residential buildings in Gaza's southern city of Rafah, according to local health officials. Nearly 19,000 people, most of them women and children, have been killed since the war erupted Oct. 7. The Israeli army has intensified its air and ground operations in the south, where the majority of Gaza's population is crammed, according to UN estimates.

1:40 am: Palestinian journalist killed in Rafah amid Israeli airstrikes

Palestinian journalist Adel Zoroub was killed following an Israeli airstrike that hit his family's home in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, the Hamas-run government media office said on its Telegram channel. His death brings the total number of journalists killed in Gaza to 97 since Oct. 7. The Committee to Protect Journalists says the Israel-Hamas war has been the deadliest conflict for journalists and media workers since it began gathering data in 1992. As of Dec. 17, the CPJ has recorded the deaths of 64 journalists and media workers: 57 Palestinians, four Israelis and three Lebanese.

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