December 26, 2022 - Daily Digest

Hamas continues to reject ceasefire proposals put forward

Today is December 26, 2023 and here are the critical stories you missed from the past several days. To all those who celebrated this past weekend, I hope you had a great Christmas holiday. If you enjoy these short digests and want access to more, exclusive content or to support my work, consider becoming a monthly subscriber by clicking the link below:

1) Hamas Rejects Ceasefire Proposals

In the past week, Hamas, the de facto government of Gaza, has rejected multiple ceasefire proposals designed to either end the war or temporary end hostilities. The first ceasefire proposal was put forth by Israel and called for Hamas to release 40 additional hostages in exchange for a temporary, seven day ceasefire of hostilities. This first proposal was designed to allow for more aid to enter the Gaza Strip, while allowing for the release of some of the remaining hostages currently in captivity. 

As it currently stands, Hamas still has 129 Israeli hostages in custody. These include American citizens. Although the current condition of the hostages remains unknown, it is expected that they are still alive. The proposal also called for the release of 120 Palestinian prisoners currently serving time in Israeli prisons. This would have tracked the agreement in place during the first temporary ceasefire which led to the release of over 80 innocent civilians from Hamas captivity. According to reports, the reason behind Hamas' denial was that the terrorist group wanted a more permanent solution to end the hostilities. 

This brings us to the second agreement, which was put forth by Egypt earlier this week. This proposal was more comprehensive and called for the permanent cessation of hostilities on the Gaza Strip. Egyptian negotiators proposed a vision whereby Hamas would give up complete control of the Gaza Strip in exchange for the permanent cessation of hostilities. In this deal, Hamas would be required to hand over all hostages currently in its possession and give up control of the enclave.

In addition, Egyptian negotiators proposed that some Hamas leaders not face prosecution for their actions leading up to and on October 7th. Once Hamas gave up control of the enclave, under this proposal, the Gaza Strip would be under the control of Palestinian civilians and the makeshift government would be backed by Qatari and Saudi interests. Despite the fact that this proposal would end the war, Hamas leaders rejected the deal. As a result, the hostilities continue in the Gaza Strip today. 

2) United States Strikes Iranian-Backed Groups

Overnight, the United States military carried out targeted airstrikes against three targets held by Iranian-backed militia groups in Iraq. According to a preliminary assessment released by the military, these strikes killed several members of the Iranian-backed militia. The group, Kataib Hezbollah, is a Shia militant groups that “poses a high threat” according to the U.S. Director of National Intelligence. According to the United States military, there are no reports of any civilian casualties as a result of the strikes. These latest strikes come amid heightened tensions in the Middle East with United States forces experiencing a significant uptick in attacks launched by Iranian-backed militia groups in the region. With the war in Israel continuing at a strong pace, expect these attacks only to continue.

3) Iran Accuses Israel Of Killing Senior Commander

The Iranian Government has accused Israel of killing a senior Islamic Revolution Guards Corps commander in Syria. The commander, Seyyed Razi Mousavi, was killed on Monday in an Israeli airstrike targeting him in Damascus, Syria, according to Iran’s state run media. While the Israeli military has refused to comment on these claims from Iran, the Iranian Foreign Minister warned Israel of possible repercussions, stating that “Tel Aviv should expect a tough countdown.” The Iranian official, at the time of his death, was serving as a military advisor in Syria. In a separate statement made by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, the spokesperson stated that Iran "reserves the right to take necessary measures and respond to his killing at the right time and in the right place.”

4) Supreme Court Sides With Trump (For Now)

The Supreme Court has denied Special Counsel Jack Smith's request to expedite review of Donald Trump's appeal of Judge Chutkan's denial of Trump's motion to dismiss based on immunity. 

Trump previously argued that he was absolutely immune from criminal prosecution as the actions charged in the Special Counsel's indictment occurred while Trump was President of the United States. Judge Chutkan rejected this argument, forcing Trump to appeal to the D.C. Circuit. Special Counsel Jack Smith, citing the national urgency for a swift review of the case, appealed directly to the United States Supreme Court asking the Court to sidestep the D.C. Circuit and decide Trump's immunity appeal.