Dec. 30: Netanyahu and Trump reportedly agree to 2-month deadline for Hamas to disarm
IDF punishes troops who vandalized vehicles during unauthorized raid in Palestinian village * Supreme court president says Smotrich’s threats against him ‘cross a red line’
The Times of Israel liveblogged Tuesday’s events as they happened.
Red Crescent says 3 wounded by gunfire when IDF thwarted alleged ramming attack
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society says three people are hospitalized in serious condition after the IDF opened fire at their car between the villages of Urif and Einabus south of Nablus.
The fourth passenger, who was killed, is identified by the Palestinian Authority as Qays Allan, 20. Allan’s body is still being held by Israeli forces, according to the PA’s General Authority of Civil Affairs.
The IDF said earlier that forces killed a Palestinian who tried to carry out a ramming attack against troops.
The IDF statement did not mention other people being in the vehicle with the suspected assailant. No troops were injured, according to the military.
Palestinian media reports that the vehicle rolled over and caught fire as a result of the IDF gunfire. Footage from the scene shows the flames.
اللحظات الأولى بعد انقلاب مركبة واشتعال النار بها إثر إطلاق قوات الاحتلال النار عليها بكثافة بين قريتي عينابوس وعوريف جنوب نابلس
التفاصيل: https://t.co/vCLwmxvXbJ pic.twitter.com/WbVi2ebplS
— موقع عرب 48 (@arab48website) December 30, 2025
Video of protester defying police in Tehran goes viral
A video of a protester sitting in the street and facing down police on motorbikes during demonstrations that erupted in Tehran in recent days has gone viral on social media, with some observers calling it Iran’s “Tiananmen moment.”
Protesters, including shopkeepers and university students, have been rallying against economic hardship in Iran since Sunday.
The viral footage shows a person sitting cross-legged on the road with their head bowed before more than 20 police officers on motorbikes, wearing helmets and dressed all in black. Behind the protester, a crowd runs to escape clouds of tear gas, the footage shows.
A video shared with Iran International showed one protester sitting in the middle of a street in Tehran and refusing to move as motorbike-riding security forces moved in on demonstrators. pic.twitter.com/uic3kBOoPv
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) December 29, 2025
Some internet users compare the person to the man who faced a column of tanks in Beijing during the deadly Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989, following demonstrations demanding greater political freedoms.
An AFP investigation found that the Iranian video was posted on social media at around 1330 GMT yesterday, day two of the protests that began at Tehran’s largest mobile phone market before spreading. AFP was able to confirm that the video was shot on Jomhouri Avenue in central Tehran, near the mobile phone shopping center.
The video and screenshots of the scene have since garnered thousands of likes on Instagram and other social media networks.
At his alternative film awards, Miki Zohar calls to ‘free cinema from politics’
The controversial alternative film awards ceremony was held tonight at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem, hosted by Culture Minister Miki Zohar as his response to the Ophir Awards that gave prizes to films he said were pro-Palestinian and cast the IDF in a negative light.
Hundreds of protesters stood outside the event hall, protesting the ceremony, while another protest was held earlier in the day outside Zohar’s home.
During his opening speech, Zohar says: “It is time to free cinema from politics and creators from the need to please anyone who does not care about the well-being of Israel and its soldiers.”
Zohar says he regretted the “storm” of controversy surrounding the alternative ceremony, and that there is room for more than one awards show.
“The State of Israel is a country with a diversity of opinions — there are different and varied views, and space needs to be given to everyone,” says Zohar.
On Sunday, several leading film professionals who had withdrawn their films from Zohar’s alternative awards ceremony agreed to reverse their decision and take part in today’s event, following an intervention by producer Moshe Edery.
The prize for Best Feature went to “Burning Man,” a film about an anxious father awaiting his son’s army draft, which was nominated for an Ophir Award as well.
The Lifetime Achievement Award at the ceremony was awarded to producer Shula Spiegel, who had told Hebrew media outlets that she decided to accept the award despite heavy pressure from fellow filmmakers urging her to decline it.
In her speech on stage, Spiegel says: “Mr. Minister, good art depends on freedom of creation, and creators need a safety net that cannot coexist with fear that their freedom to think, to speak, to express, and yes — to criticize — will be taken away. The role of writers, poets, theater people and filmmakers is to speak reality as they understand it and to do so with honesty, passion and faith.”
Report claims growing expulsions of Palestinians from West Bank’s Area B; IDF denies involvement
The Haaretz newspaper reports that there is a growing pattern of expulsions of Palestinians from their homes by Israel that has extended to Area B of the West Bank, which is supposed to be under civilian control of the Palestinian Authority, and where Israel shouldn’t have authority to carry out such actions.
Several Palestinian families tell the left-wing daily that they have endured vandalism attacks by settlers in addition to physical violence and threats of violence aimed at encouraging them to leave their homes, often while IDF soldiers watch, but don’t intervene.
While such a phenomenon used to be constrained to Area C, which is under Israeli security and civilian control, it has reportedly expanded to Area B as well, where Israel isn’t supposed to have a civilian presence.
Haaretz reports on three instances of Area B expulsions — in Tarqumiyah near Hebron in the southern West Bank, the village of Atara near Ramallah and hamlets in the Jordan Valley where IDF soldiers declared areas closed military zones or allowed settlers to carry out attacks without acting to stop them.
In a statement to Haaretz, the IDF denies taking part in a policy of expulsion and says illicit actions by settlers are investigated when they occur.
Harassment, violence and vandalism – once confined to Area C of the West Bank – are now driving Palestinians from homes under PA civil control. Multiple cases show soldiers increasingly enabling or even executing the expulsions pic.twitter.com/lyDWXExkUR
— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) December 30, 2025
Netanyahu’s circle reportedly seeking to restart plea deal talks headed by Herzog
Figures close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have reportedly reached out to President Isaac Herzog to explore holding talks aimed at reaching some sort of plea deal to end his ongoing corruption trial.
According to a report in the Kan public broadcaster, coalition figures are considering restarting talks headed by Herzog rather than waiting for the president to make a decision on Netanyahu’s request for a presidential pardon.
During his meeting with Netanyahu yesterday, US President Donald Trump asserted that Herzog had assured him a pardon was “on its way,” prompting an immediate denial from the Israeli president’s office.
Netanyahu’s attorneys formally submitted a request to Herzog’s office for a full pardon a month ago, without any admission of guilt.
In 2022, Netanyahu turned to former Supreme Court justice Aharon Barak to attempt to mediate plea deal negotiations with the attorney general, which reportedly fell apart over the sticking point of whether a punishment would include a suspension from political life.
Herzog presided over months of negotiations in 2023 aimed at reaching a compromise in the government’s judicial overhaul plans.
IDF punishes troops who vandalized vehicles during unauthorized raid in Palestinian village
Several IDF soldiers have received punishments after entering a Palestinian village in the central West Bank without authorization and vandalizing vehicles, the military says.
According to the IDF, a force from the Paratroopers Brigade entered the village of Deir Dibwan on Saturday in violation of procedures. During the incident, soldiers damaged Palestinian vehicles “in a manner that deviated from regulations, orders, and what is expected of IDF soldiers and service members.”
The incident was investigated after coming to the attention of commanders, with the probe uncovering additional “irregularities.” All soldiers involved have been tried and punished, the military says. Squad commanders were sentenced to military detention, along with another soldier who initiated the vandalism.
The IDF says all commanders involved in the incident will not return to command or combat roles.
The initial findings were presented to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, who determined that the incident was serious and ordered an expanded investigation at the company and battalion levels. Further findings are expected to be presented in the coming days.
The military stresses that its forces continue to operate in the area to ensure security while maintaining law and order, claiming that any deviation from regulations is examined and addressed.
Report: Netanyahu and Trump agree to 2-month deadline for Hamas to disarm
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump agreed yesterday in their meeting that Hamas would be given a two-month deadline to disarm, Israel Hayom reports.
They also agreed on practical criteria for what disarmament means, according to the report. One of the criteria is the destruction of its extensive tunnel network underneath the Strip.
Trump threatened Hamas with “hell to pay” if it does not disarm within a “very short period,” in remarks delivered alongside Netanyahu following their meeting yesterday.
Hamas “will be given a very short period of time to disarm,” the US president said. “If they don’t disarm, as they agreed to do… then there will be hell to pay for them.”
IDF says assailant killed after attempted ramming of troops in West Bank
A Palestinian was shot dead after attempting to ram IDF troops operating in the West Bank village of Einabus, near Nablus, a short while ago, the military says.
According to the IDF, the force opened fire after the assailant tried to carry out the attack, killing him at the scene. No soldiers were injured in the incident.
Syrian man arrested in Netherlands on suspicion of planning ISIS attack in Europe
Dutch police have arrested a 29-year-old Syrian man they suspect of being a member of Islamic State and planning an attack somewhere in Europe, prosecutors say, based on the man’s social media posts.
The prosecutors say the intelligence agency AIVD had found social media posts in which the man threatened to commit an attack at an unspecified place in Europe around Christmas.
They did not elaborate on the suspected planned attack or on their suspicions that the man was a member of Islamic State.
The man was arrested on December 18 in his house in Vlissingen in the southwest of the Netherlands, and a court rules today that his detention will be extended by at least 30 days as an investigation continues.
Herzog says political October 7 probe could ‘significantly harm’ quest for truth
President Isaac Herzog criticizes the government’s establishment of a politically controlled October 7 probe, reiterating his call for a state commission of inquiry into the failures surrounding the Hamas attack.
“If we truly wish to continue rebuilding, again and again, Jerusalem, the western Negev, the north, ourselves — our entire country — then we must remember that what matters is not ignoring the past, but learning from it and continually improving,” says Herzog at a Bible studies event at his residence marking the fast of the 10th of Tevet.
“To that end, first and foremost, we must conduct a full, thorough and statesmanlike investigation, in accordance with existing law — the Law of Commissions of Inquiry — into the horrific disaster of October 7 and the failure and collapse of judgment that led to it. I have repeated this time and again over the past year, and I reiterate this call now,” the president adds.
Last week the coalition voted in favor in a preliminary reading to establish a politically appointed probe into the October 7, 2023, failures instead of a state commission of inquiry, drawing heated protests and condemnations from opposition lawmakers and bereaved families. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies have repeatedly rejected establishing an independent probe into the worst terror attack in the country’s history, arguing that it would be biased against his government.
Herzog says that the “pain of citizens, families and communities in Israel is immense. They want answers, and they deserve answers. Including political actors as members of the commission — especially in the midst of an election year — could significantly harm this vital process and the public trust in it.”
Police interrogate three insurance executives suspected in Histadrut corruption probe
Police detectives interrogated three senior insurance executives on suspicion of involvement in a corruption scandal tied to the Histadrut labor federation, police announce.
They were detained for questioning by investigators in the police’s Lahav 433 major crimes unit during a morning raid on the offices of Menora Mivtachim, a large insurance firm based in Ramat Gan.
The three are suspected of committing offenses in the sphere of public corruption, police say.
It is the latest development in a far-reaching investigation into union officials, specifically Histadrut chairman Arnon Bar-David and his insurance agent, Ezra Gabay.
Police believe Gabay exploited his close connections to Bar-David to fix jobs for his associates within the Histadrut, on the condition that the recipients secure insurance contracts with his agency.
The insurance executives detained earlier today for questioning will be released under restrictive conditions after interrogation, police say.
Price of gasoline to drop to NIS 6.85 per liter on January 1 — a 2-year low
On January 1, the price of gasoline in Israel will fall below NIS 7 per liter for the first time in two years, the Energy Ministry announces.
As of Thursday, Israelis will pay NIS 6.85 ($2.16) per liter of gasoline at the self-service pump, down 3.66 percent, or 26 agorot (about 7 cents) from the price in December.
The Energy Ministry attributes the decline to a 11% drop in global gasoline prices in the Mediterranean region, a decrease in demand for gasoline, and a slide in the geopolitical risk premium, as well as changes in the shekel-dollar exchange rate.
The price of gasoline is determined by the exchange rate between the US dollar and the Israeli shekel as well as the price of a barrel of oil.
Syrian authorities arrest 21 people linked to ‘former regime’ in Latakia
Authorities in Syria’s Latakia province arrest 21 people allegedly linked to ousted leader Bashar al-Assad’s rule, state media reports, after sectarian attacks rocked predominantly Alawite neighborhoods of the provincial capital last night.
State television says security forces in the coastal province arrested 21 “former regime remnants who are involved in criminal acts, sectarian incitement and targeting internal security forces.”
Syrian authorities imposed an overnight curfew on Latakia city after yesterday’s attacks.
Lebanon says it received new shipment of arms surrendered from Palestinian refugee camp
The Lebanese military says the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh has surrendered some weapons and ammunition.
The handover was coordinated with Palestinian authorities and is part of Beirut’s plan to remove weapons from the 12 Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, the military says.
The Palestinian Authority’s National Security Forces say the arms handed over in Ain al-Hilweh today represent “the fifth batch of heavy weapons” that the Palestine Liberation Organization has surrendered to the Lebanese military in accordance with a May 21 joint statement by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and PA President Mahmoud Abbas.
Aoun, who took office in January, has sought to enforce a government monopoly on arms — usually seen as a veiled threat against Hezbollah, by far the largest armed group in Lebanon.
The PLO — which Abbas also leads as the head of its largest faction, Fatah — started surrendering arms to the Lebanese government in August, and last did so in September, according to Arabic media.
The Hamas-affiliated Quds News Network cites a PLO leader in Lebanon as saying Fatah is the only faction that is handing over its arms to the Lebanese military, while other factions, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, have refused to do so due to Beirut’s long-standing restrictions on Palestinian refugees’ ability to work and own real estate in Lebanon.
Supreme court president says Smotrich’s threats against him ‘cross a red line’
Supreme Court President Isaac Amit says that comments by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich that the government will “trample” on Amit are part of an effort to undermine the judiciary in Israel, but insists that they will not weaken the country’s judges and courts.
Writing to the judges and court officials of the entire judiciary, Amit thanks them for what he says are the numerous messages of support he received following what he describes as Smotrich’s “contemptuous words,” which he says “crossed a red line” but which would not make him change direction.
“Although the words were directed at me personally, their meaning is much broader – they are intended to harm each and every one of us, and especially the institution in which we serve. The message implied by the words seeks to undermine the status and role of the courts in a democratic state,” writes Amit.
“In times when the public discourse is fierce, the importance of strictly maintaining the boundaries of discourse within the courts is increased. We have the task of maintaining neutral conduct and ensuring that the courts will be, and remain, a place of respectful, inclusive and professional discourse,” continues the Supreme Court president.
Smotrich, in response, claims it is Amit who has “crossed red lines” by “kidnapping the job of Supreme Court president” — in reference to the High Court’s ruling, which Amit was not involved with, ordering Justice Minister Yariv Levin to hold a vote on appointing a new president after refusing to do so for 16 months.
“Trampling is what Amit is doing daily to the law, the people, democracy, the Knesset and the government,” continues Smotrich, refusing to use Amit’s title as Supreme Court president, or even judge.
IDF’s 2025 casualty data shows sharp drop in soldier deaths, suicide figures remain steady
The IDF releases its data on soldier deaths in 2025, showing a sharp drop in overall fatalities compared to the previous year, largely reflecting a decline in combat deaths as the intensity of the fighting in Gaza eased.
According to the military, a total of 151 soldiers died in 2025. Of those, 88 were killed during operational activity and three in terror attacks. Another 15 soldiers died of illness, while 21 deaths were ruled, or are still being investigated, as suicides.
The data also shows 18 soldiers were killed in car accidents, one died in an accidental discharge of a weapon, and five were killed in other accidents.
By comparison, in 2024 the IDF recorded 363 fatalities, including 295 killed in operational activity and 11 in terror attacks, amid the first full year of fighting following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught. That year also saw at least 21 suspected suicides, alongside 23 accidental deaths and 13 deaths from illness.
While the overall toll in 2025 was significantly lower than in 2024, the number of deaths classified as suicides remained roughly the same as the previous year, as the military grapples with the long-term psychological impact of the war on its personnel.
Earlier today, IDF chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir instructed the IDF to implement recommendations made by a committee tasked with examining the military’s response to suicides linked to psychological trauma from military service.
Israel says 37 NGOs to be barred from Gaza and West Bank after failing to register under new guidelines
The licenses of 37 international NGOs operating in Gaza and the West Bank will expire on January 1 since they did not comply with stringent new requirements to register with the government, as required under a government resolution from March 1 this year, the Diaspora Affairs Ministry announces.
That resolution required such NGOs to submit a raft of documentation about their organization and operations, including a list of all foreign and Palestinian employees involved in their operations, including their passport and personal identification numbers.
The resolution enables the inter-ministerial team designated to review applications to deny registration to NGOs for a wide range of reasons, including if the organization denies the existence of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state; “promotes delegitimization campaigns” against Israel; or if it, or any officeholder, has called for a boycott of Israel, among numerous other conditions.
The Diaspora Affairs Ministry, which was designated by the government resolution to lead the registration process, insists that the new regulations are necessary due to what it says are findings by the security services that some NGO workers have been involved in terrorist activities, citing two such workers who were employed by the Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) organization. MSF said at the time that it would never knowingly employ people engaged in military activity.
The ministry says the organizations in question, including MSF, have had 10 months to submit their registration application based on the new requirements, and that the original deadline they were given for September was extended to the end of December to enable them to meet the demands of the registration process.
The COGAT agency of the Defense Ministry, which coordinates the supply of humanitarian aid to Gaza, insists that the provision of aid to the territory will not be affected by the revocation of NGO licenses, since the 37 organizations in question did not provide aid to Gaza since the beginning of the current ceasefire beginning on October 10, and says their combined contribution before the ceasefire “amounted to only about 1% of the total aid volume.”
COGAT asserts that the registration process is designed “to prevent the exploitation of aid by Hamas,” which it says has worked under the cover of international aid organizations for “the diversion of aid, the use of local employees for terrorist purposes, and the transfer of funds from terror-linked sources.”
International organizations have said that Israel’s rules are arbitrary and could endanger staff.
Although the organizations could technically continue operations in Gaza without an Israeli license, they would need to enter and exit through Egypt, which is not currently possible. The operational need to coordinate activities in Gaza with Israeli authorities would also make such operations practically impossible.
“The message is clear: Humanitarian assistance is welcome – the exploitation of humanitarian frameworks for terrorist purposes is unacceptable. Israel will continue to protect its sovereignty, its citizens, and the integrity of humanitarian action,” says Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli.
Erdogan calls Israeli recognition of Somaliland ‘illegitimate and unacceptable’
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan says Israel’s decision to formally recognize the self-declared Republic of Somaliland is an illegal and unacceptable step, adding that it is trying to drag the Horn of Africa into destabilization.
“Preserving the unity and integrity of Somalia in all circumstances holds special importance in our view. Israel’s decision to recognize Somaliland is illegitimate and unacceptable,” Erdogan says at a press conference in Istanbul alongside visiting Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
Erdogan also says Turkey is planning on starting offshore energy drilling off the coast of Somalia in 2026 as per a bilateral agreement, adding that it is adding two new drilling vessels to its fleet.
UK, Canada, France, others express ‘serious concerns’ about Gaza humanitarian situation
A deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza is of serious concern, Britain, Canada, France and others say in a joint statement, which also calls on Israel to take urgent action.
“[We] express serious concerns about the renewed deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Gaza, which remains catastrophic,” reads the statement from the foreign ministers of Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
UN slams new Israeli legislation against UNRWA as ‘outrageous’
The United Nations warns that recent actions by Israel against the UN agency for Palestinian refugees risk depriving millions of people of basic services such as education and healthcare.
The Knesset passed new legislation yesterday, formally stripping the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) of diplomatic immunity and barring Israeli companies from providing water or electricity to the agency’s institutions.
The legislation also grants the Israeli government the authority to expropriate the agency’s properties in East Jerusalem, including its headquarters and main vocational training center.
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini condemns the legislation as “outrageous,” decrying it on social media as “part of an ongoing, systematic campaign to discredit UNRWA and thereby obstruct the core role that the agency plays providing human-development assistance and services to Palestine refugees.”
Filippo Grandi, the outgoing head of the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, and a former UNRWA chief, also criticizes the move as “very unfortunate.”
In an interview with AFP, he highlights that UNRWA, unlike other UN agencies, provides basic public services such as education and healthcare to the millions of registered Palestinian refugees it serves across Gaza and the West Bank, as well as in Lebanon, Jordan and Syria.
“If you deprive those people of those services… then you had better find a substitute,” he says, warning: “I think it would be very difficult.”
Israel has alleged that more than 10% of UNRWA’s staff in Gaza have ties to terror groups, and that educational facilities under the organization’s auspices consistently incite hatred of Israel and glorify terror. In February 2024, the IDF revealed the existence of a subterranean Hamas data center directly beneath UNRWA’s Gaza Strip headquarters. The IDF has also repeatedly targeted Hamas command centers and gunmen hiding out in UNRWA schools.
UAE says it is voluntarily withdrawing forces from Yemen after Saudi strikes
The United Arab Emirates’ defense ministry says it has voluntarily ended the mission of its counterterrorism units in Yemen, the only remaining forces it has in the country after ending its military presence in 2019.
It says the decision came after a comprehensive assessment following recent developments, state news agency WAM reports, citing a statement from the ministry.
The move comes after a Saudi-led coalition carried out an airstrike on the southern Yemeni port of Mukalla today in what Riyadh said was an attack on a UAE-linked weapons shipment.
Bennett: Qatargate suspects deserve life in prison for ‘serving the enemy’
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett says the suspects in the Qatargate scandal deserve a life sentence for smearing Egypt while promoting Qatar, which Bennett brands an “enemy.”
The comments, made in a social media video, are Bennett’s latest volley of harsh rhetoric about the scandal, in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s senior aide Jonathan Urich and his former spokesperson Eli Feldstein are accused of working as paid lobbyists for Doha while in the premier’s employ.
“Now all of the people of Israel know: From the materials that have been uncovered, it has clearly emerged that Netanyahu’s people not only received a salary from Qatar in order to whitewash Qatar/Hamas, but they also took advantage of their special position in the [Prime Minister’s] Office to tar Egypt,” he says. “All this was done to serve the enemy, Qatar/Hamas, at a time of war.”
He then cites a clause of Israel’s criminal code that, he says, indicates the punishment for such conduct is life in prison.
“A person who intentionally sabotages Israel’s relations with another state is liable for life imprisonment,” Bennett says in the video. “This is exactly what Netanyahu’s people did when they maliciously sabotaged our relations with Egypt.”
Thousands rally in Somalia against Israeli recognition of Somaliland
Large protests break out in several towns and cities across Somalia in opposition to Israel’s recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland.
Israel announced on Friday that it viewed Somaliland — which declared independence in 1991 but has never been recognized by any other country — as an “independent and sovereign state.”
Thousands of protesters march through the streets of Somali capital Mogadishu and gather at a stadium, waving placards with anti-Israeli slogans alongside Somali and Palestinian flags.
“We will never allow anyone to violate our sovereignty,” one attendee, Adan Muhidin, tells AFP, adding that Israel’s move is “a blatant violation of international law.”
Demonstrations also take place in Lascanod in the northeast, Guriceel in central Somalia, and Baidoa in the southwest.
“There is nothing we have in common with Israel. We say to the people of Somaliland, don’t bring them close to you,” says Sheikh Ahmed Moalim, a local religious leader, in Guriceel.
Somaliland has long been a haven of stability and democracy in the conflict-scarred country, with its own money, passport, and army. It also has a strategic position on the Gulf of Aden that makes it an attractive trade and military partner for regional and international allies.
Lapid vs. Goldknopf: Ensuring every child in Israel is educated is not ‘hatred of Haredim’
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid slams United Torah Judaism chairman Yitzhak Goldknopf after the senior Haredi politician accuses him of filing a lawsuit against the transfer of some NIS 1 billion ($314 million) to ultra-Orthodox schools out of “hatred of the ultra-Orthodox.”
“Rabbi Goldknopf, enlistment in the IDF is not ‘hatred of Haredim.’ Studying mathematics and English is not ‘hatred of Haredim.’ Thinking that people should work to earn a living is not ‘hatred of Haredim.’ And certainly ensuring that every child in Israel — including Haredi children — receives what they deserve, namely a proper education that includes core curriculum studies, is not ‘hatred of Haredim,'” declares Lapid in a statement.
“It won’t help you to shout ‘hatred of Haredim’ every time basic civic duties are demanded of you — duties that every Israeli citizen is required to fulfill,” he adds.
Lapid’s Yesh Atid party petitioned the High Court of Justice today for an “urgent interim injunction” against the transfer of funds out of what is left of the 2025 state budget, prompting Goldknopf to accuse him of seeking to turn the Haredim “into second-class citizens.”
Turkey arrests 357 people in crackdown on Islamic State group
Turkish security forces arrest 357 people during operations across the country against the Islamic State terror group, says Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.
“During simultaneous operations carried out this morning by our police forces in 21 provinces, we apprehended 357 suspects linked to ISIS. We have never given the slightest chance to those who try to bring this country to its knees through terrorism,” the minister writes on X.
Spain grants Airbus exemption from its ban on using Israeli tech
Spain has granted Airbus exceptional permission to produce aircraft and drones using Israeli technology at its Spanish plants even though it banned military and dual-use products from Israel two months ago, due to its war in Gaza.
Approved last week by the cabinet and defended by several ministers this week, the exemption reflects the pressure from companies and domestic interests that some of Europe’s toughest critics of Israel’s recent war have faced, as they attempt to impose trade sanctions.
Neither Airbus nor the Spanish defense ministry was immediately available for comment.
Spain in September passed a law to take “urgent measures to stop the genocide in Gaza,” banning trade in defense material and dual-use products from Israel, as well as imports and advertising of products originating from Israeli settlements.
Its consumer ministry on Tuesday ordered seven tourist accommodation websites to remove 138 advertisements for holiday homes in “occupied Palestinian territories” or face the threat of sanctions in Spain.
Spain has already blocked 200 attempts to buy material linked to Israel, its digital transformation minister Oscar Lopez tells national broadcaster TVE.
Airbus, which employs about 14,000 people in Spain and accounts for 60 percent of its air and defense exports, was granted the first exception in a cabinet meeting last week, written minutes show, citing the “great industrial and export potential” of its aircraft “considered essential… for preserving thousands of highly skilled jobs in Spain.”
US, partners have killed or captured 25 ISIS operatives in Syria this month, says CENTCOM
The United States and its partner forces killed or captured nearly 25 Islamic State operatives since it launched retaliatory strikes in Syria earlier this month, the US military says.
The US carried out large-scale strikes against dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria on Dec. 19 in retaliation for an attack on American personnel.
“US Central Command (CENTCOM) and partners across Syria killed at least seven ISIS members and captured the remainder during 11 missions conducted Dec. 20-29,” CENTCOM says in a statement. The missions also eliminated four ISIS weapons caches, it adds.
High Court: State must respond by tomorrow to petition against transfer of NIS 1 billion to Haredi schools
The High Court of Justice orders the state to respond by 8 a.m. tomorrow to a petition by Opposition Leader Yair Lapid against the transfer of some NIS 1 billion ($314 million) to ultra-Orthodox schools out of what is left of the 2025 state budget.
Lapid’s Yesh Atid party requested a preliminary injunction blocking the transfer of the funds, which were approved by the Knesset Finance Committee last week.
The decision would see school networks affiliated with the ultra-Orthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism parties receive NIS 786 million ($247 million) while NIS 136 million ($43 million) would go to to so-called “recognized but unofficial” schools, which commit to teaching 75 percent of the core curriculum but in practice often do not. Talmud Torahs, which do not teach the core curriculum, would receive an additional NIS 151 million ($47 million).
Responding to the suit earlier today, United Torah Judaism chairman Yitzhak Goldknopf declared in a statement that Lapid had proved “that the only fuel driving him is hatred of the ultra-Orthodox.”
Netanyahu spoke with JD Vance after meeting Trump, says Prime Minister’s Office
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with US Vice President JD Vance by phone last night after his meeting with President Donald Trump, says Netanyahu’s office.
The “warm” conversation dealt with “regional issues,” according to the PMO.
Iranian students protest in Tehran and Isfahan as government offers dialogue
Student protests erupt at universities in the capital Tehran and the central city of Isfahan, decrying declining living standards following demonstrations by shopkeepers, local media report.
“Demonstrations took place in Tehran at the universities of Beheshti, Khajeh Nasir, Sharif, Amir Kabir, Science and Culture, and Science and Technology, as well as the Isfahan University of Technology,” reports Ilna, a news agency affiliated with the labour movement.
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Students are now marching and chanting "Freedom, Freedom, Freedom" pic.twitter.com/zXuQQtZdzZ
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Iran’s government said earlier it would seek dialogue with protest leaders after demonstrations in Tehran and other cities over a plunge in the currency’s value that has accelerated inflation, with the central bank chief resigning.
Protests, which included shopkeepers in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, were held on Sunday and Monday according to Iranian state media, the latest demonstrations in the Islamic Republic, where bouts of unrest have repeatedly erupted in recent years.
President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a social media post late on Monday that he had asked the interior minister to listen to “legitimate demands” of protesters. Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said a dialogue mechanism would be set up and include talks with protest leaders.
“We officially recognize the protests… We hear their voices and we know that this originates from natural pressure arising from the pressure on people’s livelihoods,” she says today in comments carried by state media.
The Iranian rial has been falling as the economy has suffered from the impact of Western sanctions, sinking to a record low on Monday at around 1,390,000 to the US dollar, according to websites monitoring open market rates.
“We have fundamental measures on the agenda to reform the monetary and banking system and maintain the purchasing power of the people,” Pezeshkian posted on X.
IDF intercepts arms-smuggling drone from Egypt carrying 20 rifles
The IDF says troops intercepted an arms-smuggling drone that crossed into Israeli territory overnight.
According to the IDF, the drone was detected by the air force’s aerial control center after entering Israel from Egypt.
Forces on the ground then intercepted the aircraft, which was found to be carrying 20 M-16 rifles, along with accessories for additional weapons.
The seized weapons were transferred to security forces for further investigation and handling, the military says.
The interception is part of a broader effort in recent weeks by the IDF’s 80th “Edom” Division, in cooperation with the air force, to counter a surge in drone-based smuggling attempts along the Egyptian border. Over the past two weeks, more than 20 such attempts have been thwarted.
The interception marks the second time the IDF has employed its newly established aerial control centers. The first occurred last week, when two drones were intercepted by an IAF helicopter after being detected using intelligence from the centers — an incident that a senior air force official said underscored a broader shift in Israel’s border-defense approach amid a growing use of drones to smuggle weapons across the border.
The IDF’s Southern Command continues to adapt and expand its operational response in the sector, including by deploying attack helicopters, alongside other capabilities, while Paran Regional Brigade forces carry out extensive ground operations to strengthen defenses along the western border.
Partner, Hot Mobile customers experience internet outages
Nationwide internet outages were reported over the past hour for many Israelis due to a problem with the Partner network. The problem also affected customers of Hot Mobile, which uses Partner’s infrastructure.
Services appear to be resuming.
The cause of the malfunction is not immediately known.
Syria imposes night curfew on port city after sectarian violence
Syrian authorities have imposed an overnight curfew in the port city of Latakia after attacks in predominantly Alawite neighborhoods yesterday.
The interior ministry announces a “curfew in Latakia city, effective from 5 p.m. (1400 GMT) on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, until 6 a.m. (0300 GMT) on Wednesday, December 31, 2025.”
Individuals attacked Alawite-majority neighborhoods on Monday, damaging cars and vandalizing shops. The attacks came a day after three people were killed during mass protests by the minority community that followed a bombing in Homs.
One of them was a member of Syria’s security forces, according to a security source.
Syrian authorities said on Monday forces “reinforced their deployment in a number of neighborhoods in the city of Latakia, as part of measures taken to monitor the situation on the ground, enhance security and stability, and ensure the safety of citizens and property.”
Latakia, a mixed city in Syria’s Alawite coastal heartland, also has several Sunni-majority neighborhoods.
Iran threatens ‘harsh’ response to any aggression
Iran’s response to any aggression will be harsh, President Masoud Pezeshkian writes on X, a day after US President Donald Trump warned of a possible strike.
He adds that it “will make the aggressor regret it.”
Trump said yesterday the United States could support another major strike if Tehran rebuilds its ballistic missile or nuclear weapons programs.
Iran designates Royal Canadian Navy a terrorist organization
The Iranian foreign ministry designates the Royal Canadian Navy a terrorist organization in what it says is retaliation for Canada’s 2024 blacklisting of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
In a statement, the ministry says that the move is in reaction to Ottawa declaring the Guards, the ideological arm of Iran’s military, a terror group “contrary to the fundamental principles of international law.”
Iran, “within the framework of reciprocity, identifies and declares the Royal Canadian Navy as a terrorist organization,” the statement adds, without specifying what ramifications, if any, the force will face.
On June 19, 2024, Canada declared the IRGC a terror group. This bars its members from entering the country and Canadians from having any dealings with individual members or the group.
Additionally, any assets the Guards or its members hold in Canada could be seized.
Canada accused the Guards of “having consistently displayed disregard for human rights both inside and outside of Iran, as well as a willingness to destabilize the international rules-based order.”
Shas, Degel HaTorah fight for control of Jerusalem’s religious council
A feud between the ultra-Orthodox Shas and Degel HaTorah parties over control of Jerusalem’s religious council spills over into public view, with senior lawmakers from both parties accusing each other of harming religion in Israel.
Degel HaTorah is one of two factions comprising the larger United Torah Judaism party.
According to the Behadrei Haredim news site, during Shas’s weekly faction meeting in the Knesset yesterday, former religious affairs minister Michael Malkieli accused Degel HaTorah chairman Moshe Gafni of joining “forces with the religion-haters from the opposition” to prevent the approval of NIS 30 million ($9.4 million) for the renovation of ritual baths “just because of a certain role that they thought they deserved.”
This calls into question Gafni’s “decision-making in all matters” relating to religion in Israel, Malkieli is reported to have added.
Last week, Degel HaTorah abstained from voting for additional funding for the Religious Services Ministry, a key Shas interest, as part of the fight over the appointment of the Jerusalem religious council’s new chairman.
The ultra-Orthodox Kikar Hashabbat news site reports that Gafni opposes the appointment of Shas chairman Aryeh Deri’s associate Hananel Shem Tov to the position, insisting that it belongs to his party. Shas, meanwhile, argues that its coalition agreement gives it the authority to choose the council chairman.
During its own faction meeting yesterday, United Torah Judaism decided to boycott votes on coalition legislation this week in order to gain leverage in the dispute. This boycott marks an escalation from the partial legislation boycott the party has maintained for months, in which it has declined to vote on preliminary readings of private bills advanced by coalition lawmakers.
Responding to Malkieli’s comments, a spokesman for Gafni releases a statement attributed to associates of the lawmaker decrying “attempts at cheap smears” motivated by “fear of losing control, power, and authority.”
“MK Rabbi Gafni acts in accordance with the guidance of our masters and rabbis, the great Torah sages at every step,” the spokesman says, accusing Shas of mismanagement of religious affairs.
“We have all witnessed the damage and destruction they have left behind in recent years regarding kashrut, mikvahs, and all religious services, including in Jerusalem. The era in which Degel HaTorah’s community lacks representation on these issues throughout the country — from Metula to Eilat, including Jerusalem, where Degel HaTorah is the largest faction in the city — has come to an end,” the spokesman says.
“If anyone in Shas has not yet understood the new reality, they should internalize it. The public has already spoken. The change is already underway.”
Shas has long made control of local rabbinates a top policy priority.
Haredi leader: Lapid proves he is driven by hate for ultra-Orthodox
United Torah Judaism chairman Yitzhak Goldknopf denounces Opposition Leader Yair Lapid as a hater of Haredim after Lapid’s Yesh Atid party petitions the High Court of Justice for an “urgent interim injunction” against the transfer of some NIS 1 billion ($314 million) to ultra-Orthodox schools out of what is left of the 2025 state budget.
“Yair Lapid once again proves that the only fuel driving him is hatred of the ultra-Orthodox. The petition to the High Court is yet another attempt to harm the fundamental rights of hundreds of thousands of parents and children whose only sin is their desire to preserve their way of life and the traditions of their forefathers,” says Goldknopf.
“The funds in question have passed all the required professional and legal approvals, and their goal is to correct historical discrimination in the budgeting of exempt institutions and ‘recognized but unofficial’ education.”
Such schools commit to teaching 75 percent of the core curriculum but in practice often do not.
Goldknopf says that his party is “confident that the court will reject this political attempt to interfere in the government’s legitimate budgetary decisions” and says that United Torah Judaism “will continue to stand guard to ensure that every child in Israel receives what they are entitled to, without distinction between sectors.”
“We will not allow Israel’s ultra-Orthodox children to be turned into second-class citizens,” he declares.
Russia urges restraint after Trump warns Iran of possible strike
The Kremlin urges all parties to refrain from escalation over Iran after US President Donald Trump said Washington could support another strike on the Islamic Republic if it continues to advance its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Flanked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump suggested yesterday that Tehran may be working to restore its weapons programs after a US strike in June.
“I’ve been reading that they’re building up weapons and other things, and if they are, they’re not using the sites we obliterated, but possibly different sites,” Trump told reporters during a news conference.
Moscow, which has cultivated closer ties with Tehran since the start of its war in Ukraine, urges de-escalation.
“We believe that it is necessary to refrain from any steps that could escalate tensions in the region, and we believe that, first and foremost, dialogue with Iran is necessary,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov tells reporters. He says Russia would continue to cultivate close ties with Iran.
US forces struck Iran’s three main nuclear sites after joining Israel’s 12-day military campaign against Tehran in June. Trump said at the time that the strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s facilities, although assessments on the matter have varied.
Russia and Iran signed a strategic partnership treaty this year. The West has accused Tehran of providing missiles and drones for Russian attacks on Ukraine, something the Islamic Republic denies.
IDF to enact new guidelines for recognizing suicides linked to service
A committee tasked with examining the IDF’s response to suicides linked to psychological trauma from military service has proposed new guidelines to improve support for affected families, the IDF says. The committee’s report was presented to Defense Minister Israel Katz and Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, who thanked the committee members for their work and instructed the IDF to implement the recommendations promptly.
The committee, established in August following the suicide of reservist Roi Wasserstein, includes mental health professionals, legal advisers and casualty officers.
Led by former Personnel Directorate head Maj. Gen. (res.) Moti Almoz, the committee focused on addressing the challenges veterans face when dealing with delayed psychological effects from their service.
The committee found that 15 civilians have died by suicide linked to their military service since the onset of the war triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught. These cases will be evaluated by the Defense Ministry, using an established set of criteria, to determine if they should be recognized as fallen soldiers. The IDF notes that the committee did not speak with all 15 families during the investigation, as the issue requires more specific oversight.
According to the IDF, the committee acknowledged that the trauma soldiers experience on the battlefield can lead to long-term psychological issues, sometimes resulting in suicide. However, the committee pointed out that current law only recognizes those who die during active duty. It raised the question of how to address suicides directly caused by military service when the individuals involved are no longer considered active soldiers.
Among the committee’s key recommendations is the establishment of a two-year window after completing military service for a family to seek recognition of suicide cases linked to service, allowing for an appropriate period of investigation and assessment.
The committee also proposed that soldiers’ funerals be marked with military symbols if the death is linked to service-related psychological trauma. This would include military presence, a eulogy by a commander and the laying of an IDF wreath.
The committee also recommends that an IDF representative accompany each bereaved family throughout the funeral and mourning period, providing support and assistance with the process of submitting a recognition request to the Defense Ministry.
Haredi rabbis said weighing halt to draft exemption bill over court concerns
Several senior rabbis affiliated with the ultra-Orthodox Agudat Yisrael faction of the United Torah Judaism party are reportedly weighing calling for a halt to the advancement of the coalition’s bill exempting yeshiva students from military conscription over concerns that it will be struck down by the High Court of Justice.
The Haredi parties have been pushing for such a law, both to regulate the status of yeshiva students and to restore yeshiva funding frozen last year after the court ruled that there was no legal basis for the students’ longstanding draft exemptions.
According to Kan, the rabbis are concerned that an adverse court ruling against the bill would lead to an order permanently freezing funding, implying that they are trying to find an alternative solution that does not involve passing a law unlikely to pass judicial review.
Agudat Yisrael is said to currently be split on the bill, with faction leader Yitzhak Goldknopf opposed to any measure containing sanctions against draft evaders.
The bill has been criticized by the Attorney General’s Office, the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee legal adviser, and the IDF as falling short of solving the military’s manpower shortage.
Yesh Atid seeks High Court action against transfer of some NIS 1 billion to Haredi schools
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party petitions the High Court of Justice for an “urgent interim injunction” against the transfer of some NIS 1 billion ($314 million) to ultra-Orthodox schools out of what is left of the 2025 state budget.
Last week, the Knesset Finance Committee last week approved the transfer of NIS 786 million ($247 million) to school networks affiliated with the ultra-Orthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism parties and NIS 136 million ($43 million) to so-called “recognized but unofficial” schools, which commit to teaching 75 percent of the core curriculum but in practice often do not. Talmud Torahs which are exempt from teaching the core curriculum will receive NIS 151 million ($47 million).
“The Finance Committee took advantage of and circumvented all existing restrictions that prevent the transfer of budgets to institutions that are not supervised and do not teach core subjects. The petition joins a long-standing struggle against a rotten, corrupt and wasteful government that does not count the citizens of Israel and sees our money as a bargaining chip and as political bribery to solve coalition problems,” Yesh Atid says in a statement, arguing that the transfers “were made illegally and are null and void.”
Smotrich doubles down on attack on Supreme Court president
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich doubles down on incendiary comments he made yesterday when he vowed to “trample” Supreme Court President Isaac Amit, whom he called a “violent megalomaniac,” prompting widespread criticism from the Judicial Authority and opposition lawmakers who accused him of incitement.
“I have no more delicate words to choose from to describe the injustice that Isaac Amit and his colleagues are inflicting on Israeli democracy,” the minister says today in an interview with Army Radio.
He accuses the Supreme Court of “violently trampling upon and silencing the voice of the majority” and “stealing the will and freedom of the people of Israel.”
“We’re speaking on Army Radio — a station that all the [military] chiefs of staff thought should be shut down. The government decided to close it, and now there is an interim injunction [issued by the court],” he says. “This is not democracy.”
The court on Sunday evening froze the government decision to shutter Army Radio, after the cabinet had unanimously approved Defense Minister Israel Katz’s controversial proposal.
Smotrich further accuses Army Radio of attempting to “delegitimize” and “silence” him while hosting him for an interview.
Man found dead in south after being caught by floodwaters
A 20-year-old man who went missing yesterday during flooding in southern Israel has been found dead, authorities say.
The man was attempting to extricate a vehicle during a flood at Meitar Stream when he was swept away by the waters, leading to widespread search efforts.
Yemen declares state of emergency after separatists seize territory
The leader of Yemen’s presidential council declares a state of emergency and cancels a security pact with the United Arab Emirates after Abu Dhabi-backed separatists seize swaths of territory.
“The Joint Defence Agreement with the United Arab Emirates is hereby canceled,” a statement says, while a separate decree announces a 90-day state of emergency including a 72-hour air, sea and land blockade.
The announcements by Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Leadership Council, come after the Saudi-led coalition fighting in divided Yemen said it struck a UAE weapons shipment destined for the separatists.
The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (SCT) forces have swept through the south of Yemen this month, taking most of resource-rich Hadramawt province and swaths of neighboring Mahrah.
Alimi orders the SCT to hand over the territory to Saudi-backed forces, calling the separatists’ advance an “unacceptable rebellion” in a televised address.
The confrontation risks tearing apart the already fractured Yemeni government, which has different factions backed by oil-rich Gulf powers Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
It also threatens slow-moving peace negotiations with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who ousted the government from the capital Sanaa in 2014, triggering a military intervention by the Saudi-led coalition.
Iranian president calls on government to listen to ‘legitimate demands’ of protesters
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian calls on his government to listen to protesters’ “legitimate demands,” state media reports, after two days of demonstrations by shopkeepers in Tehran against economic hardships.
“I have asked the Interior Minister to listen to the legitimate demands of the protesters by engaging in dialogue with their representatives so that the government can do everything in its power to resolve the problems and act responsibly,” Pezeshkian says, according to the official IRNA news agency.
Trump extends duty-free access for Israeli agricultural products through end of 2026
US President Trump on Monday signed a proclamation extending duty-free access for certain Israeli agricultural products through the end of 2026, ensuring continuity in trade while a new US–Israel agricultural agreement is finalized.
The move follows a December 1 agreement between Israel and the US in which the two countries agreed on permanent updates to replace a long-standing 2004 agricultural trade framework.
The latest proclamation will keep existing benefits in place until the December 1 agreement is fully implemented.
Trump, top aides expressed concern over Israel’s West Bank policies in meeting with PM
US President Donald Trump and his top aides expressed concern over several Israeli policies in the West Bank during their meetings with visiting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in West Palm Beach, a US official tells The Times of Israel.
Trump and his senior advisers took particular issue with unchecked settler violence, settlement expansion and Israel’s withholding of several billion dollars in Palestinian Authority tax revenues, which has brought the Ramallah-based government to the brink of collapse, the US official says, confirming a report on the Axios news site.
The official clarifies that the conversations on those issues were cordial, even as Washington expressed its fear that instability in the West Bank risks harming efforts to stabilize the Gaza Strip and expand the Abraham Accords.
Asked whether he raised concern about Israeli settler violence during his meeting with Netanyahu, Trump told reporters afterward that the pair had a lengthy discussion on the West Bank and that while they don’t agree on everything, he trusts that the premier will “do the right thing.”
Netanyahu faces significant pressure from far-right coalition partners who back further expansion of settlements, annexation of the West Bank and the collapse of the Palestinian Authority.
The White House does not respond to a request for comment on the matter.
Saudi Arabia bombs port in Yemen, says strikes targeted arms shipment for separatists from UAE
Saudi Arabia bombs the port city of Mukalla in Yemen over what it describes as a shipment of weapons for a separatist force there that arrived from the United Arab Emirates.
The attack signals a new escalation in tensions between the kingdom and the Southern Transitional Council, which is backed by the Emirates. It also further strains ties between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, which had been backing competing sides in Yemen’s decadelong war against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
A military statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency announces the strikes, which it says came after ships arrived there from Fujairah, a port city on the UAE’s eastern coast.
“Given the danger and escalation posed by these weapons, which threaten security and stability, the Coalition Air Forces conducted a limited military operation this morning targeting weapons and combat vehicles unloaded from the two ships at the port of al-Mukalla,” it says.
There is no immediate comment from the UAE.
Netanyahu-Trump meeting was ‘the best’ of US president’s 2nd term — Israeli official
Monday’s meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump was “the best” of the six they have held since the latter returned to office, a senior Israeli official who was present at the meeting tells The Times of Israel.
“Excellent meeting,” the official says, echoing the impression given by Trump and Netanyahu during a press briefing after the lunchtime summit at the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort.
Trump said that the two sides reached “a lot of conclusions” during the meeting, which addressed how to handle the Iranian threat, Hamas and Hezbollah disarmament, and other key regional issues.
Bondi Beach terrorists ‘acted alone’ in attack on Hanukkah event — Australian police
A father and son who carried out a mass shooting targeting a Hanukkah event at Australia’s Bondi Beach were not part of a broader terrorist cell, police say.
“These individuals are alleged to have acted alone,” Australian Federal Police commissioner Krissy Barrett tells reporters.
Deni Avdija ranks 7th among Western Conference players in initial NBA all-star voting, ahead of LeBron
Portland Trailblazers forward Deni Avdija has received the seventh most votes among Western Conference players for the upcoming NBA All-Star Game, according to the initial voting results among fans, putting him ahead of LeBron James and numerous other perennial all stars.
Avdija, who earlier this month passed Omri Casspi to become Israel’s all-time leading NBA scorer, would be the basketball league’s first Israeli player to ever make an all-star team.
Luka Dončić and Giannis Antetokounmpo lead their conferences in the first fan returns in NBA All-Star Voting 2026.
Fans (50% of the vote) join NBA players (25%) and a media panel (25%) in selecting five players in each conference honored as starters.
Next fan update: 1/6. pic.twitter.com/pHykl9yhTE
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) December 29, 2025
US defends Israel’s recognition of Somaliland at UN Security Council emergency session
Deputy US Ambassador to the UN Tammy Bruce defends Israel’s recognition of Somaliland at the UN Security Council’s emergency meeting on the matter.
“Israel has the same right to conduct diplomatic relations as any other sovereign state,” Bruce says.
“Earlier this year, several countries, including members of this Council, made the unilateral decision to recognize a nonexistent Palestinian state. And yet, no emergency meeting was called to express this Council’s outrage,” she says.
“This Council’s persistent double standards and misdirection of focus distract from its mission of maintaining international peace and security.
“On the matter of Somaliland, we have no announcement to make regarding US recognition of Somaliland. And there has been no change in American policy,” she adds.
Israel announced the move days before Somalia was slated to take over the presidency of the Security Council.
Pentagon announces $8.6 billion Boeing contract for Israeli F-15s
WASHINGTON — Boeing was given an $8.6 billion contract for the F-15 Israel Program, the Pentagon says, after US President Donald Trump met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida.
“This contract provides for the design, integration, instrumentation, test, production, and delivery of 25 new F-15IA aircraft for the Israeli Air Force with an option for an additional 25 F-15IA aircraft,” the Pentagon says.
Syria reveals post-Assad era banknotes set to enter circulation on Jan. 1
DAMASCUS, Syria — Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa unveils new banknotes replacing those showing ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad and his family, hoping the Syrian pound can regain some of the value lost over a decade of war.
Improving the standing of the Syrian pound is among the greatest challenges for Syria’s new authorities, who will remove two zeros in a process known as redenomination.
The new bills, which range from 10 to 500 Syrian pounds, will enter circulation on January 1. They show images of roses, wheat, olives, oranges, and other agricultural symbols for which Syria is famous.
After unveiling the banknotes, Sharaa says the new currency marks “the end of a previous, unlamented phase and the beginning of a new phase that the Syrian people… aspire to.”
“The new currency design is an expression of the new national identity and a move away from the veneration of individuals.”
UK says it won’t recognize Somaliland, backs Somalia’s territorial integrity
The UK government says that it does not recognize the independence of Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, and reaffirmed its support for Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Last week, Israel became the first country to formally recognize the self-declared Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state.
Other countries have declined to do the same, including China on Monday.