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The Times of Israel is liveblogging Tuesday’s events as they unfold.
UNRWA chief claims at least 745 Palestinians been killed in its Gaza shelters
The head of the UN agency helping Palestinian refugees claims that since the war in Gaza began, at least 745 people were killed and more than 2,200 injured in its shelters where they had sought United Nations protection.
Philippe Lazzarini says in a post on X that nearly 650 incidents were recorded against buildings and facilities belonging to the agency, known as UNRWA, and over two-thirds of its buildings and schools have been damaged or destroyed.
Lazzarini says 258 UNRWA staff members have been killed and at least 20 are in Israeli detention centers since the outbreak of the Gaza war sparked by Hamas’s October 7 massacre and mass abduction in southern Israel. Israel says it doesn’t target civilians, while Hamas hides and fights among them.
He says the agency continues to receive reports that Hamas and other Palestinian terror groups have used UNRWA facilities, and it has verified the takeover of its premises by the IDF on several occasions.
Israel has accused UNRWA of being infiltrated by Hamas supporters and it passed legislation on October 28 — which takes effect in 90 days — banning the UN agency from operating in the country.
— with Times of Israel staff
World Central Kitchen complies with Israeli security checks of its employees
NICOSIA, Cyprus — World Central Kitchen says an Israeli security check of its employees in Gaza has prompted the charity to make changes so that it can continue feeding people in the Strip.
The charity says it “felt this step was necessary to protect our team and operations” following a Nov. 30 Israeli airstrike on a car in Gaza that killed five people, including a WCK worker. Israeli authorities said the WCK worker took part in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the Israel-Hamas war.
After the airstrike, Israel publicly demanded an investigation into WCK’s hiring practices in Gaza, including security checks through COGAT, the Israeli department in charge of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
WCK says it made “changes in Gaza” after Israeli authorities handed over the results of their security check. WCK didn’t explicitly say if it has terminated any employee who Israeli authorities had flagged.
The charity says that prior to receiving the COGAT results, “we had no reason for concern regarding any of these individuals and, because Israel does not share intelligence with aid organizations, we do not know the basis for Israel’s decision to flag these individuals.”
Ministers to discuss last-ditch bill granting government control over election of Supreme Court president
MK Tally Gotliv arrives to the courtroom at the District court in Tel Aviv, before the start of the testimony of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his corruption trial, December 10, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
In what appears to be a Hail Mary effort to circumvent the High Court of Justice, the Ministerial Committee for Legislation will on Sunday evaluate a bill proposed by Likud MK Tally Gotliv that would switch the system for electing the Supreme Court president from a vote in the Judicial Selection Committee to a vote in the Knesset.
The High Court ordered Justice Minister Yariv Levin on December 12 to hold a vote in the Judicial Selection Committee to appoint a new Supreme Court justice by January 16, following his refusal to do so for the last 15 months.
Even were the Ministerial Committee for Legislation — which determines which private members bills the government will support in Knesset — to back Gotliv’s bill, it would be impossible to pass it into law by January 16.
The submission of Gotliv’s bill to the committee was said not to have been coordinated with Levin, nor does the justice minister believe it can be passed at this time.
A bill that would grant the government a majority in the Judicial Selection Committee and give it control over virtually all judicial appointments, including the president of the Supreme Court, was advanced to the cusp of being passed into law back in March 2023 at the height of Levin’s push for a judicial overhaul, but was frozen at the last minute due to mass protests and strike action.
That bill can, however, be very swiftly brought for its final votes in Knesset, and Levin intends to push for such a move if no compromise can be found between him and the representatives of the judiciary on the Judicial Selection Committee over the identity of the new president and appointments to fill empty seats on the Supreme Court.
Gotliv’s bill would amend Basic Law: The Judiciary, one of Israel’s quasi-constitutional Basic Laws, by simply transferring the vote from the Judicial Selection Committee to the Knesset.
1,000 families directly impacted by Oct. 7 sign letter demanding state commission of inquiry
Nearly 1,000 families with loved ones who were victims of Hamas’s October 7 onslaught have signed onto a public letter demanding that the government establish a state commission of inquiry into the government’s conduct ahead of the attack.
The open letter will be published in several major newspapers tomorrow and will take up four pages in each of them, due to the large number of signatories.
Signatories include more than 20 survivors of captivity, hundreds of bereaved families, the families of hostages still held in Gaza, survivors of the onslaught and wounded IDF soldiers.
The open letter is spearheaded by the October Council of families directly impacted by the October 7 attack.
“We, the families who were affected by the October 7th massacre… demand that the government establish a state commission of inquiry. We will stand together like a wall against any attempt to establish a political cover-up commission. We will not accept a committee in which the interrogated appoint the investigators.
“Only a state commission of inquiry will have the tools and the mandate to investigate everything and everyone to arrive at the truth, to bring justice to the fallen, the murdered, the wounded and their families, strengthening national security and preventing the next disaster,” the letter states.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others in the coalition have resisted the idea of launching a state commission of inquiry, arguing that such a probe should only take place after the war is over, and also saying that they don’t trust the former Supreme Court justices who are tasked with heading such panels. They have instead proposed establishing a lower-level panel headed by individuals appointed by the government.
Netanyahu’s opponents have argued that the premier and those in power are trying to evade responsibility for what unfolded on October 7 in order to remain in power.
הערב דיווחנו – 1,000 משפחות שכולות, משפחות חטופים ושורדי 7.10 חתמו על עצומת מועצת אוקטובר בדרישה להקים ועדה חקירה ממלכתית. עוד שני סבבי החתמה צפויים בקרוב. המטרה – להראות שמאסה קריטית של נפגעי ה-7.10 רוצים ועדת חקירה ממלכתית עכשיו. pic.twitter.com/jdAFKj9Y2O
— דפנה ליאל (@DaphnaLiel) December 31, 2024
Syria’s foreign minister receives phone call from his Egyptian counterpart
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shiban, appointed by the new rulers, says on X that he had received a phone call from his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty, where they discussed the importance of both countries in bringing peace to the region.
Asserting it can’t produce list of hostages while war ongoing, Hamas said to propose 7-day pause so it can account for captives
Against the backdrop of its assertion that it cannot produce a list of the living Israeli hostages in its control amid the ongoing Gaza war, Hamas has reportedly proposed that Israel agree to a seven-day ceasefire that would allow the terror group to put together the names of hostages that it can release in a potential deal with Israel.
During the week-long ceasefire, no hostages would be released, but Israeli troops would be allowed to remain in Gaza and those displaced would remain barred from returning to the northern part of the Strip, the Kan public broadcaster reports, acknowledging that Israel is unlikely to accept the proposal.
World Bowls Tour reverses decision to bar Israeli team from competition in UK tourney
The World Bowls Tour has reversed its decision barring the Israeli national team from participating in the Bowls World Championships in England next month, Channel 12 reveals.
In a letter to the team published by the network, WBT apologizes for the earlier decision.
“We would firstly wish to extend our sincere apologies to both you and to PBA Israel, for any upset or offense that we have caused by the withdrawal of the invitation to the three members of PBA Israel in advance of the January 2025 championships. This was absolutely not our intention. However, as we made clear, we had found ourselves in a very difficult position in relation to the security of the venue and to the competitors and other attendees,” WBT says.
“However, over the past 48 hours, we have been exploring practical ways in which our concerns could be overcome, so as to enable the invitation to PBA Israel to be reinstated. We are pleased to say that following discussions with various partner agencies, we have been able to confirm today an increase in the security presence at the event. The WBT Board is accordingly satisfied that this increased level of security which will be in place is sufficient to be able to welcome the PBA Israel Team to the event starting on 10 January 2025,” the letter continues.
“The sole consideration behind this [initial] difficult decision had been the safety and security of all participants, staff and attendees involved in the tournament. Following significant feedback and credible concerns regarding the potential risks posed to,” the WBT chief claims.
“We fully understand how upsetting our earlier decision would have been to the competitors from Israel, which is why we have sought to try and find a solution that would enable the invitation to be reinstated.”
The Norfolk Palestine Solidarity Campaign had said the earlier move to bar the Israeli team from participating was the result of joint action with Scottish Sports for Palestine and Show Israeli Genocide the Red Card.
IDF says it killed elite Hamas commander who led Oct. 7 attack on Nir Oz
Hamas Nukhba commander Abd al-Hadi Sabah during the October 7, 2023, onslaught, in an image released by the IDF on December 31, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
A commander in Hamas’s elite Nukhba force, who led the attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 7, 2023 terror onslaught, was killed in a recent drone strike, the military and Shin Bet say.
According to the IDF, the terrorist Abd al-Hadi Sabah, commander of the Nukhba platoon in Hamas’s West Khan Younis Battalion, was killed in a strike in the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza.
The IDF says Sabah was among those who led the invasion into Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023, during which terrorists kidnapped and murdered dozens.
During the war, Sabah was involved in numerous attacks against IDF troops in Gaza, the army adds.
In the strike on the humanitarian zone, the IDF says it took steps to mitigate civilian harm.
The elimination of Sabah is part of an effort led by the Shin Bet to track down and kill all of the terrorists who took part in the October 7 onslaught.
After casting decisive vote on budget bill, PM returns to hospital for post-op recovery
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is returning to Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem following this evening’s vote on a key budget-related law in the Knesset, a spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office confirms.
Less than two days after undergoing prostate surgery, Netanyahu left the hospital this afternoon to cast a vital vote on the so-called Trapped Profits Law, which passed 59-58.
Syria leader meets senior Christian clerics
Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa meets with high-level Christian clergymen, amid calls on the Islamist chief to guarantee minority rights after seizing power earlier this month.
“The leader of the new Syrian administration, Ahmed al-Sharaa, meets a delegation from the Christian community in Damascus,” Syria’s General Command says in a statement on Telegram, which included pictures of the meeting with Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican clerics.
Girlfriend of hostage Matan Zangauker pleads with PM to end war in exchange for captives
Hostage Matan Zangauker's girlfriend Ilana Gritzewsky (c) lights Hanukkah candles with Jewish Agency chief Doron Almog on December 31, 2024. (Screen capture/Channel 12)
Speaking to Channel 12, hostage Matan Zangauker’s girlfriend Ilana Gritzewsky pleads with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to end the war in Gaza in exchange for the release of the remaining 100 hostages.
Netanyahu has rejected the trade-off to date, pushing for a more limited deal that would see the release of only some of the hostages while allowing Israel to resume fighting afterward. Hamas has rejected this exchange until now.
Gritzewsky is interviewed alongside Jewish Agency chief Doron Almog who also expresses his support for ending the war and releasing Palestinian security prisoners in exchange for the hostages.
Grounded Air Force helicopter damaged after flipping due to harsh winds, IDF says
A grounded Israeli Air Force CH-53 “Yasur” helicopter flipped on its side due to harsh winds a short while ago, the military says.
The chopper was damaged in the incident and will undergo repairs before returning to service.
There were no injuries in the incident, as the helicopter was not in operation at the time.
An investigation has been launched into the incident, the findings of which will be presented to IAF chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar.
Global social media campaign demands release of Gaza hospital director held by Israel
A social media campaign has picked up around the globe over the past day calling for Israel to release Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza.
Israel detained Abu Safiya along with nearly 240 others during a raid on the hospital last week, alleging that Hamas was using the medical facility as a shelter from Israeli strikes.
The military said it suspects Abu Safiya of being a Hamas terrorist. When asked if he had been transferred to Israeli territory for further questioning, the military did not offer an immediate comment. He was detained by the IDF earlier in the war before being released, ostensibly due to a lack of evidence against him.
Doctors around the world have been posting photos of themselves holding signs calling for the Kamal Adwan director’s release, using the hashtag #FreeDrHussamAbuSafiya.
My name is Dr. Kavita Algu. I am a palliative care physician.
I call for the immediate release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya and his colleagues. He was abducted by Israeli forces.
I am calling for protection of hospitals and medical workers in Gaza, and an end to the genocide.… https://t.co/YeA5rWTwFB pic.twitter.com/NpwZVmDbti
— Kavita Algu (@KavitaAlguMD) December 31, 2024
Netanyahu hails passage of key budget law, blasts Ben Gvir for nearly defeating it
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (center), Justice Minister Yariv Levin (left), and Shas pary leader Aryeh Deri seen during a Knesset vote on a budget-related law, December 31, 2024. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who opposed the legislation, is at bottom right with back to camera. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hails the passage of today’s key budget-related law while tearing into National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir for leading a failed revolt against it.
“Today is an important day and a great victory for the coalition,” Netanyahu says in a statement, asserting that the legislation passed by the thinnest of margins is critical for Israel’s economy and security. The prime minister left his hospital recovery room against doctors’ orders and hurried to the Knesset to cast what turned out to be the decisive vote in favor of the legislation, which passed by 59 votes to 58.
“Over the past two years, we have been running the country together and achieving tremendous accomplishments in various arenas, including against Iran. We have great opportunities ahead of us in cooperation with our American friends,” Netanyahu says, apparently referring to incoming US president Donald Trump.
He then turns his sights on Ben Gvir.
“There is no greater irresponsible folly than to shake up the coalition at this time or risk toppling a right-wing government,” Netanyahu says.
The premier says he has been working closely with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to “steer Israel’s” economy. “I support [Smotrich] and demand that all partners in the coalition pass this budget as one.
Ben Gvir has been in the midst of an aggressive public campaign against Smotrich, arguing that he is blocking necessary raises for underpaid police officers. The finance minister has argued that the police have already received an expanded budget and that further increasing those funds would be fiscally irresponsible.
Despite Ben Gvir’s claims to the contrary, which led him and members of his Otzma Yehudit coalition party to oppose the law, “the Israel Police received large increases in the last two years — and rightly so,” Netanyahu says in his statement. “The budget for the national security minister also increased significantly in the 2025 budget.”
Adds Netanyahu: “I expect all members of the coalition, including Minister Ben Gvir, to stop… jeopardizing the existence of a right-wing government at a crucial moment in Israel’s history. It is possible and necessary to bridge the gaps in the coalition without shaking it, and that is what we will do.”
Itamar Ben Gvir (left) in the Knesset on December 31, 2024 (Noam Moscowitz / Knesset spokesperson’s office)
For his part, Smotrich welcomes the law’s passage, while attacking Ben Gvir for voting against it.
“We passed a responsible and important law for the benefit of the Israeli economy and the war budget. Unfortunately, Minister Ben Gvir chose to harm the prime minister and drag him from his hospital bed and to jeopardize the existence of the government and the economy for political spin,” Smotrich declares in a statement. He thanks Netanyahu for his “support, leadership, determination and responsibility.”
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, meanwhile, accuses the government of putting on a “horror show” to usher in the new year. “The public will pay,” he tweets.
Israel pushing international coalition as solution to Houthi threat, official says
Israel’s solution to the Houthi threat from Yemen is based on working with an international coalition, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.
“The Houthis should not be under-rated,” says the official. “They are more technologically advanced than perceived by many. They are ideologically toxic, and they have displayed the will to fight against the Saudis and others.”
“The Houthis pose a threat to international security and global trade,” the official continues. “Therefore, an international coalition should confront and eliminate this threat.”
The official adds that Israel has “exposed Iran’s vulnerabilities” and that there is an opportunity now for Israel to work with an international coalition “to put the Houthis in their box.”
Attempts to reach a hostage deal with Hamas remain stuck, the Israeli official adds, reiterating that a major obstacle is still Hamas’s refusal to provide Israel with a list of living hostages.
Given Hamas’s positions in negotiations, there is growing skepticism by some that a deal can be reached at all, let alone before Donald Trump returns to the White House, according to the official.
PM leaves hospital bed to push key budget law across finish line, defeat revolt by Ben Gvir
Likud MK Boaz Bismuth, center, greets other lawmakers after arriving at the Knesset from sitting shiva following the death of his mother, on December 31, 2024. His shirt is torn in line with Jewish mourning customs. (Knesset spokesperson)
A critical budget-related bill passes its third reading in the Knesset plenum by the thinnest of margins after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leaves his hospital bed post-surgery to ensure that the legislation is approved. It passes despite National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and some members of his far-right Otzma Yehudit party voting with the opposition, and one member of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism voting with the opposition while two others stayed away.
Passing 59-58 — with Netanyahu’s presence therefore essential — the law allows the government to tax so-called “trapped profits,” which are gains earned by corporations and multinationals that are not distributed as dividends to shareholders, but invested in business development, infrastructure, and research and development centers.
With every vote critical, Netanyahu and his associates managed to convince Otzma Yehudit MK Almog Cohen to defy his party’s chairman, Ben Gvir, and vote with the coalition. In addition, Likud officials managed head off opposition by two members of the United Torah Judaism’s Agudat Yisrael faction: MKs Yisrael Eichler and Moshe Roth stay away, rather than voting against the coalition, robbing the opposition of what would have been a rare victory. UTJ’s Yaakov Tessler voted with the opposition.
Also contributing to the coalition’s tally was Likud MK Boaz Bismuth, who left his mother’s shiva — seven-day mourning period — to attend the vote.
Ben Gvir has been boycotting coalition votes due to his demand for a larger budget for the police force that he oversees as national security minister. Agudat Yisrael has engaged in a similar boycott over frustration with the coalition’s refusal to pass legislation granting Haredi yeshiva students blanket exemptions from military service.
US imposes sanctions on entities in Iran, Russia over election interference
The United States has imposed sanctions on entities in Iran and Russia, accusing them of attempting to interfere in the US election this year.
The US Treasury Department in a statement said the entities – a subsidiary of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps and an organization affiliated with Russia’s military intelligence agency – aimed to “stoke socio-political tensions and influence the U.S. electorate during the 2024 U.S. election.”
The Cognitive Design Production Center planned influence operations since at least 2023, the Treasury said, while the Moscow-based Center for Geopolitical Expertise (CGE) circulated disinformation about candidates in the election and directed and subsidized the creation of deepfakes.
The Treasury says CGE also manipulated a video to produce “baseless accusations concerning a 2024 vice presidential candidate.” It did not specify which candidate was targeted.
Republican Donald Trump was elected president in November, beating Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and capping a remarkable comeback four years after he was voted out of the White House.
“The Governments of Iran and Russia have targeted our election processes and institutions and sought to divide the American people through targeted disinformation campaigns,” Treasury’s Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Bradley Smith, says in the statement.
“The United States will remain vigilant against adversaries who would undermine our democracy.”
Israelis barred from World Indoor Bowls Championships
Israeli players have been barred from next month’s World Indoor Bowls Championships in England after a campaign by pro-Palestinian groups.
The decision has been condemned by a local parliamentarian and Jewish representatives.
The World Bowls Tour says in a statement the involvement of Israeli bowlers at the Scottish International Open in August had produced “a significant escalation in related political concerns.
“As a result of the intensity of the situation, the WBT Board, in consultation with our event partners and other relevant stakeholders, has made the difficult decision to withdraw the invitation for Israel to participate in the forthcoming World Indoor Championships,” it adds.
“Bowls is, and always has been, a sport that unites people and this choice reflects our commitment to protecting the championships and ensuring they run smoothly for everyone involved.”
The decision removes Daniel Alomin from the singles draw and pairs players Amnon Amar and Itai Rigbi.
The Norfolk Palestine Solidarity Campaign says the move was the result of joint action with Scottish Sports for Palestine and Show Israeli Genocide the Red Card.
Rupert Lowe, member of parliament for the populist Reform party in the Great Yarmouth constituency that hosts the championships in Hopton-on-Sea, says on X he was “genuinely disgusted” and would fight it.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews said there was no justification for an “overt act of discrimination against Israeli participants, who are excluded solely on the basis of their nationality.”
World Bowls, the Melbourne-based recognized international federation that organizes the rival World Bowls Indoor Championships, emphasizes that the WBT was not affiliated with them and had made the decision alone.
“World Bowls has 60 member countries from across the world including Israel and all of our members continue to be welcome and eligible to participate in all World Bowls-staged events,” it adds.
Religious Zionism MK: The time has come to say goodbye to Ben Gvir
Religious Zionism MK Ohad Tal says “it’s time to say goodbye” to Itamar Ben Gvir after the far-right minister’s threats at the Knesset forced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to leave his hospital bed in order to ensure that key budget items pass.
“This arrogant provocateur dragged the prime minister out of his bed and [fellow Likud MK Boaz] Bismuth out of his shiva and joined Hadash Ta’al MKs Ayman Odeh and Ahmed Tibi in acting against the government,” Tal says, accusing Ben Gvir of cooperating with Arab MKs — a common charge made by far-right lawmakers.
Ford Motor Company apologizes after X account posts ‘Israel is a terrorist state’
JTA — For a period of time on Monday, anyone tuning into the X account of Ford Motor Company could see three pro-Palestinian tweets that had nothing to do with the car company’s business.
“Free Palestine,” said the first message. Another followed a minute later: “Israel is a terrorist state.” Moments later, a third: “ALL EYES ON GAZA.”
The messages were soon deleted and Ford says in a statement that they had not been permitted.
“Our X account was briefly compromised and the previous three posts were not authorized or posted by Ford,” the company says. “We are investigating the issue, and apologize for any confusion caused.”
The incident comes nearly 15 months into the Israel-Hamas war, which has ignited fierce criticism of Israel’s operations in Gaza. It carried particular resonance because of Ford’s headquarters in Detroit, an area with a large Arab-American population where pro-Palestinian advocacy has been strong, and because of the company’s history of antisemitism emanating from its founder, Henry Ford.
Ford’s record of antisemitism included using a newspaper he owned to spread antisemitism, including the notorious forgery “Protocols of the Elders of Zion.” (A Jewish production company is currently trying to turn a 2012 book about the Dearborn Independent into a feature-length film.)
Some who saw the posts as screenshots of them circulated on social media applauded them. Others denounced the posts, with some speculating on the cause. “Ford Motor Company must have been hacked by the Free Palestine movement,” tweeted Rep. Ritchie Torres, a pro-Israel Democrat from New York. Many in his hundreds of comments said they suspected that a Ford employee had forgotten which account was active before tweeting.
Ben Gvir claims it was Smotrich — not him — who forced PM to leave hospital for Knesset votes
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) speaks with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant shortly before the vote on the so-called reasonableness bill at the Knesset, July 24, 2023. At left is Itamar Ben Gvir. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
After his far-right party’s threat to vote against critical budget legislation and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left his hospital bed to ensure that the coalition had enough votes to pass it, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir says the real culprit is Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
In a lengthy statement explaining his party’s opposition to the legislation, Ben Gvir claims that the budget will harm law enforcement and “will directly result in a reduction in the number of police officers, the closure of police stations [and] the halting of critical security procurement.”
Smotrich has rejected Ben Gvir’s demands for a further budget increase for the police, which the latter oversees as national security minister, leading Otzma Yehudit to boycott today’s votes.
“It pained me greatly to see how Finance Minister Smotrich dragged the prime minister that we all love from his hospital bed, only because of his ego and his refusal to conduct any negotiations with me, despite pleas from the prime minister’s associates,” Ben Gvir declares.
Asked about Ben Gvir’s opposition to the measure, a coalition official tells The Times of Israel that the far-right politician “appears to want to topple the government because each week he changes his argument as to why he’s voting against the coalition.”
State asks High Court for 16th extension, as it avoids justifying ban on Red Cross visits to Palestinian prisoners
This undated photo taken in the winter 2023 and provided by Breaking the Silence, a whistleblower group of former Israeli soldiers, shows blindfolded Palestinians captured in the Gaza Strip in a detention facility on the Sde Teiman military base in southern Israel. (Breaking The Silence via AP)
The state requests for the 16th time that the High Court of Justice grant it a delay in submitting its response to a petition demanding the Red Cross be given access to Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. At the same time, the state requests for the sixth time that the court postpone a scheduled hearing on the petition.
Following the October 7, 2023, Hamas invasion and atrocities, the government halted visits by Red Cross officials to Palestinian prisoners and detainees held by Israel, leading the Association for Civil Rights in Israel and several other human rights organizations to petition the High Court for their reinstatement.
The court in July ordered the state to justify its blanket ban on Red Cross visits, with ACRI arguing that it was a violation of international law relating to the rights of prisoners.
After the state’s latest request to postpone the proceedings, ACRI and the other petitioners request that the court issue a final decision on the petition without the state’s response or a hearing.
Failing that, ACRI asks the court to issue an interim injunction prohibiting the ban on Red Cross visits and ordering the state to provide the Red Cross with details of all Palestinian prisoners held by the IDF and in Israeli prisons.
In June, the government told the court it was devising a new mechanism to provide visitation rights for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel as an alternative to Red Cross visits, although it has not explained why it halted such visits in the first place.
ACRI rejects the idea, saying that the services of the services of the Red Cross cannot be replaced by an Israeli framework.
Hamas has refused to grant the Red Cross access to the hostages it abducted from Israel on October 7. Of the 251 it abducted that day, it continues to hold 96 in Gaza, of them 34 deemed dead by the Israeli army.
Following US strikes, Houthis pledge to continue attacks
Yemen’s Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam says that the country would continue to “defend itself” after several US strikes targeted facilities in the capital Sanaa.
The Iran-backed rebel group in Yemen has been attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea for more than a year to try to enforce a naval blockade on Israel, claiming they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Israel’s yearlong war against Hamas in Gaza, which was sparked by the terror group’s October 7, 2023, massacre in Israel.
— with Times of Israel staff
US says it hit Houthi sites throughout Yemen in strikes today and yesterday
The US Central Command says its forces conducted multiple strikes against Houthi targets earlier today and yesterday in Sana’a and coastal locations within territory controlled by the rebels in Yemen.
US Navy ships and aircraft targeted a Houthi command and control facility and advanced conventional weapon (ACW) production and storage facilities that included missiles and uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAV), CENTCOM says.
These facilities were used in Houthi operations, such as attacks against US Navy warships and merchant vessels in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, according to CENTCOM.
In addition, US Navy and US Air Force aircraft destroyed a Houthi coastal radar site and seven cruise missiles and one-way attack UAVs over the Red Sea, CENTCOM says, adding that there were no injuries or damage to US personnel or equipment.
CENTCOM Forces Strike Multiple Houthi Targets in Yemen
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted multiple precision strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets in Sana’a and coastal locations within Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen, Dec. 30 and 31.
On Dec. 30 and 31,… pic.twitter.com/XUKtsZM1U7
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 31, 2024
Coalition votes down multiple amendments submitted by opposition on key budget bill
In a series of back-to-back votes in the Knesset plenum, the coalition defeats multiple opposition amendments to the Trapped Profits Law, a critical budget bill.
Itamar Ben Gvir is among those voting with the opposition.
Ben Gvir and his far-right Otzma Yehudit party, and the ultra-Orthodox Agudat Yisrael faction of the United Torah Judaism party, have threatened since yesterday to oppose the Trapped Profits Law, insisting their demands be met first.
In a statement before the votes, Otzma Yehudit said that while it would still oppose the bill itself in its second and third readings, its lawmakers would refrain from helping the opposition pass its amendments to the bill.
According to reports, associates of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who left the hospital following prostate surgery to attend the vote, have been in contact with members of Agudat Yisrael and leading ultra-Orthodox rabbis in an attempt to bring the UTJ faction around.
Netanyahu briefly leaves Knesset plenum between votes, returns
Shortly after arriving in the Knesset for crucial budget-related votes, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leaves the plenum with his personal doctor.
He leaves after the first round of voting, returns a few minutes later, and continues to come in and out during the protracted process of voting on various reservations to budget-related legislation.
Netanyahu had come to the Knesset from the hospital where he was recovering from prostate removal surgery.
France condemns IDF raid on Gaza hospital
Ambulances transport wounded Palestinians from the Kamal Adwan Hospital to the al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, on December 28, 2024. (Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
France condemns the IDF operations in northern Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, which wrapped up on Saturday.
“France reminds Israel of its obligation to abide by international humanitarian law, which specifically provides for the protection of hospital infrastructure,” says the Quai d’Orsay in a statement.
Hospitals and staff are protected by International Humanitarian Law, but not if they are used to commit acts harmful to an adversary.
“Given the humanitarian emergency in Gaza, where civilians have been in an unacceptable situation for far too long, France calls on the parties to negotiate an immediate ceasefire without delay,” says the statement.
“This is the only thing that will make it possible to bring in a massive influx of humanitarian aid through all Gaza crossing points, as well as the release of all hostages and the protection of all civilians,” it says.
Troops in Lebanon discover, destroy large cache of Hezbollah weapons
A cache of Hezbollah weapons found by troops in the Wadi Saluki area of southern Lebanon, in a handout photo issued on December 31, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
IDF troops with the 769th “Hiram” Regional Brigade located a large cache of Hezbollah weapons in the Wadi Saluki area of southern Lebanon, the military says.
The IDF says the forces found rocket launchers, missiles, explosives, and other weapons at the depot hidden in the Wadi Saluki area.
During another raid on nearby buildings, the soldiers found numerous other weapons, including assault rifles, grenades, missiles, mines, explosive devices, and other military gear, the military says.
A cache of Hezbollah weapons found by troops in the Wadi Saluki area of southern Lebanon, in a handout photo issued on December 31, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
The weapons were confiscated and the sites were demolished, the IDF adds.
The IDF is still deployed to southern Lebanon under a ceasefire agreement, and it has until late January to withdraw, in accordance with the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces to the area.
Netanyahu leaves hospital against medical advice, arrives in Knesset for critical vote
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (l) sits next to Defense Minister Israel Katz after leaving hospital for a budget vote in the Knesset in Jerusalem on December 31, 2024 (Screencapture/Knesset TV)
Less than two days after undergoing prostate removal surgery, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has left the hospital to attend a critical budget vote in the Knesset.
A source familiar with the matter tells The Times of Israel that Netanyahu left Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital against the advice of his doctors and is expected to return.
Netanyahu is seen taking his seat in the plenum, looking drawn and tired.
According to the Walla news site, Netanyahu is attending today’s plenum session despite his doctors’ objections due to what one senior coalition official termed “National Security Minister Itamar] Ben Gvir’s reckless opposition.”
Earlier today, the hospital said Netanyahu’s recovery was proceeding without any major issues.
The far-right Otzma Yehudit party and ultra-Orthodox Agudat Yisrael faction of the United Torah Judaism party have threatened since yesterday to oppose the Trapped Profits Law, insisting their demands be met first.
Lawmakers are slated to vote on the final readings of the law this afternoon as well as a bill increasing health insurance premiums. Today’s is the final Knesset session of the year, and the last opportunity to pass these bills.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu takes his seat in the Knesset for a budget-related vote on December 31, 2024, having rushed to the plenum from the hospital less than two days after undergoing prostate removal surgery. (Knesset channel screenshot)
Members of the coalition have been filibustering to delay a vote on the two budget bills while they scramble to muster enough support for the measures, which must be passed by midnight in order to prevent a budget deficit of approximately NIS 15 billion ($4 billion).
MK Yitzhak Pindrus, who represents the Degel Hatorah faction of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, spoke for three hours in the Knesset plenum before deferring to Regional Cooperation Minister David Amsalem who speaks at length — lecturing, laughing and even singing from the podium.
The Haredi station Radio Kol Hai reports that Netanyahu reached out to the powerful rebbe of Gur to try and bring Agudat Yisrael — the other UTJ faction –back on board with the budget.
Likud MK Boaz Bismuth was asked to leave the shiva (the seven-day mourning period) for his mother to come to the Knesset to vote on the Trapped Profits Law, and he has done so.
Earlier on Tuesday, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called on Netanyahu to “take responsibility” for making sure the budget passes.
Heavy rains and cold weather cause more misery in Gaza
A young girl walks barefoot, carrying empty jerrycans to collect water, after overnight rainfall at the refugee tent camp for displaced Palestinians in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinians are bailing muddy water out of their frigid tents after heavy rains in war-ravaged Gaza.
Hundreds of thousands of people are living in sprawling tent camps along the coast, where winter brings frequent rainstorms and temperatures drop below 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) at night. At least four babies have died of hypothermia in recent weeks, according to local health officials.
“I’m drowning,” Manal Lubbad sobbs as she wads in ankle-deep water inside her tent today, trying to salvage blankets and other belongings. “I’m taking everything out into the street.”
“We are dead, we are not alive! Why is this happening?” she says.
The Civil Defense, first responders affiliated with Hamas, says it received hundreds of emergency calls to evacuate people from flooded shelters.
Associated Press footage showed barefoot children wading through muddy water between rows of tightly packed tents.
Palestinian children carry buckets of water after overnight rainfall at the refugee tent camp for displaced Palestinians in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Muhammad Diab places an empty cooking pot on the dirt floor of his tent to catch rainwater leaking through the roof.
“For God’s sake, find a solution for us. We’ve had enough,” he says. “In the summer there was intense heat and we could bear it, but in the winter we are drowning.”
Israeli population topped 10 million in 2024, even as 82,700 left the country
Illustrative: Passengers at Ben Gurion International airport near Tel Aviv on October 31, 2024. (Nati Shohat/Flash90)
Israel’s population topped 10 million in 2024, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics, but the year also saw an unusually large number of Israelis moving abroad — 82,700.
Israel’s population stands at 10.027 million at the end of 2024, including 7.7 million Jews, 2.1 million Arab Israelis and 216,000 foreigners.
Population growth declined to 1.1% from 1.6 percent in 2023, largely due to the increased numbers of Israelis who left, the CBS says.
Amid the war 23,8000 Israelis returned home and 32,800 new immigrants arrived.
The number of new immigrants was down some 15,000 from 2023.
The year saw the birth of 181,000 children, while 51,400 people died.
US officials warned Bush thought he ‘was on a mission from God’ in Iraq, UK documents reveal
The US president George W. Bush labels North Korea, Iran and Iraq an 'axis of evil' during his State of the Union address on Capitol Hill, Jan. 29. 2002. (Doug Mills/AP)
Newly released UK government files reveal that a senior US official warned his British counterparts that US president George W. Bush thought he was “on a mission from God” during the second Iraq war.
The declassified documents reported by The Telegraph involve a conversation between then US deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage and UK ambassador to Washington David Manning in April 2004 regarding the ongoing battle in Fallujah.
Armitage said that Bush initially “wanted to kick ass” with US Marines taking the entire city.
But after being warned that such a move could bring down the Iraqi government, ‘Bush backed off,” Manning wrote.
“Rich [Armitage] summed it all up by saying that Bush still thought he was on some sort of a mission from God, but that recent events had made him ‘rather more sober,’” the report says.
Armitage reportedly asked Manning to have UK prime minister Tony Blair exert a moderating influence on Bush.
New Zealand’s Auckland is the first major city to welcome 2025 with fireworks and light show
Two boys play football in front of a billboard welcoming the New Year 2025 in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Hau Dinh)
Auckland has become the first major city to welcome 2025, with thousands of revelers counting down to the new year and cheering at colorful fireworks launched from New Zealand’s tallest structure, Sky Tower, and a spectacular downtown light show.
Thousands also thronged to downtown or climbed the city’s ring of volcanic peaks for a fireworks vantage point, and a light display recognizing Auckland’s Indigenous tribes. It follows a year marked by protests over Māori rights in the nation of 5 million.
Happy New Year from New Zealand #HappyNewYear #NewZealand #NewYear pic.twitter.com/qsphWleSTv
— ItsWayneyK (@wayney_k) December 31, 2024
Countries in the South Pacific Ocean are the first to ring in the New Year, with midnight in New Zealand striking 18 hours before the ball drop in Times Square in New York. Other cities around the world are readying with celebrations highlighting local cultures and traditions, after a year roiled by ongoing conflict and political instability.
In Australia, more than 1 million people are now expected at Sydney Harbor for the traditional fireworks. British pop star Robbie Williams will lead a singalong and Indigenous ceremonies and performances will acknowledge the land’s first people.
UN report says Gaza healthcare nearing ‘total collapse’ due to Israeli strikes
Palestinians evacuate from northern Gaza's Kamal Adwan Hospital, in a handout photo issued by the military on December 29, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
A United Nations report published today alleges that Israeli strikes on and near hospitals in the Gaza Strip had left healthcare in the Palestinian territory on the verge of collapse.
“Israel’s pattern of deadly attacks on and near hospitals in Gaza, and associated combat, pushed the healthcare system to the brink of total collapse, with catastrophic effect on Palestinians’ access to health and medical care,” the UN human rights office says in a statement.
Its 23-page report, entitled “Attacks on hospitals during the escalation of hostilities in Gaza,” looked at the period from October 7, 2023, to June 30, 2024.
It said that during this time, there were at least 136 strikes on 27 hospitals and 12 other medical facilities, claiming significant casualties among doctors, nurses, medics and other civilians and causing significant damage to, if not the complete destruction of, civilian infrastructure.
The report noted that medical personnel and hospitals are specifically protected under international humanitarian law, provided they do not commit, or are not used to commit, acts harmful to the enemy outside their humanitarian function.
Israel says that hospitals have been extensively used by terror groups who operate in and around the facilities, sometimes launching attacks from within.
Israel notes that hospitals lose their protected status under international law when used by armed operatives as military sites and to plan and launch attacks. It also says that it acts extensively to protect civilians in the hospitals and ensure their safe evacuation.
An infographic released by the IDF on December 30, 2024, shows where Hamas operatives planted roadside bombs near the Indonesian Hospital in Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip. (Israel Defense Forces)
Israel has repeatedly published documentation of terrorists in hospitals and even shown hostages being hidden in medical facilities.
However, the UN report says it found that Israel’s repeated claims that Gaza hospitals were being improperly used for military purposes by Palestinian groups “vague.”
“Insufficient information has so far been made publicly available to substantiate these allegations, which have remained vague and broad, and in some cases appear contradicted by publicly available information,” the report says.
Finance Committee approves last-minute transfer of NIS 4.5 billion to Education Ministry
Members of the opposition react during a Finance Committee meeting, in the Knesset in Jerusalem on December 31, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
The Knesset Finance Committee approves an additional transfer of some NIS 4.5 billion ($1.2 billion) to the Education Ministry for the 2025 budget, the last day such changes can be approved, the committee spokesperson says in a statement.
The measure, which could still be subject to revisions, was approved after a lengthy and heated discussion and despite protests from the opposition, who say that not enough time was given to examine the proposal, which was only introduced yesterday at 5 p.m.
The transfer includes an additional NIS 2.67 billion ($731 million) for elementary and middle school teachers’ salaries and NIS 2.33 billion ($638 million) for salaries related to special education services, due to “a significant increase in the amount of eligible students,” the statement says.
Included in these numbers is some NIS 819 million ($224 million) necessary to implement wage increases for high school teachers, per the agreement with the Teachers’ Union signed after the strike at the beginning of the school year, the statements says.
The increase also includes additional funding for the ultra-Orthodox education track. In announcing the transfer in a separate statement, MK Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism), chair of the Finance Committee, said the move “closed the gaps in the budget for the Haredi education sector.”
Shin Bet says it foiled 1,040 major terror attacks in West Bank and Jerusalem in 2024
Shin Bet agents are seen speaking to a Palestinian suspect in the Gaza Strip, in an undated photo issued by the agency on December 31, 2024. (Shin Bet)
The Shin Bet publishes an annual report of its activity in the past year, during which the security agency says it foiled 1,040 major terror attacks in the West Bank and Jerusalem, questioned over 650 suspects from the Gaza Strip, and foiled 20 terror cells among Arab Israelis and 13 Iranian espionage plots.
The agency also releases for the first time an audio recording of a conversation between an agent and Cpl. Ori Megidish, who was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, during her rescue from Gaza by the military.
In the Gaza Strip, the Shin Bet says that in 2024, its agents assisted in the detention of 1,350 Palestinians passing through army checkpoints, including 40 senior commanders, 165 suspects considered close to top officials, 45 involved in the October 7 onslaught, and 100 who are suspected to have information regarding the Hamas-held hostages.
In all, the Shin Bet says it “handled” some 2,500 suspects who were taken from the Gaza Strip in the past year, of which over 650 were later interrogated by the agency. The Shin Bet says the interrogations led to “life-saving information” for ground troops in Gaza, and the targeting of hundreds of sites belonging to terror groups.
In Lebanon, the Shin Bet says it was involved in the elimination of 25 senior commanders in Palestinian terror groups, including Hamas, al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
In the West Bank and Jerusalem, the Shin Bet says it foiled 1,040 “significant” terror attacks, including 689 planned shootings, 326 involving explosive devices, 13 stabbings, nine car-rammings, two suicide bombings, and one kidnapping.
The agency says there was a drop of 40% in terror attacks in the West Bank and Jerusalem in 2024 compared to the previous year.
The Shin Bet says it was involved in dozens of special operations in the West Bank in the past year with the IDF and police, including 10 to detain a suspect or eliminate a threat. Among the special operations include raids against terror operatives at hospitals in Jenin and Nablus.
Inside Israel proper, the Shin Bet says it carried out hundreds of operations that uncovered 20 terror cells made up of Arab Israelis. Five of the cells planned to carry out terror attacks with explosive devices or car bombs, the agency says.
In the past year, the Shin Bet says that on 32 occasions it dispatched an elite counterterror force, known as a Tequila team — made up of Shin Bet fighters and members of the police’s elite Yamam unit — to foil imminent terror attacks.
A Shin Bet agent is seen at Olympic Games in Paris, France, in the summer of 2024. (Shin Bet)
The Shin Bet was also involved in three hostage rescue missions in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the war, as well as several missions to recover the bodies of captives.
The agency releases an audio recording from the first hostage rescue operation of Cpl. Ori Megidish on October 30, 2023.
“Ori, Ori my dear, you are in good hands, the guys rescued you, they are bringing you home. You are amazing and brave, well done. Are you ok?” a Shin Bet agent can be heard saying to Megidish over the radio during her rescue.
“Yes, yes, I’m ok,” Megidish can be heard saying in the clip.
Regarding the Iranian threat, the Shin Bet says it recorded a record in the number of detainees in espionage-related affairs, with an increase of 400% compared to 2023.
In the past year, 13 incidents of Israelis allegedly spying or carrying out other tasks for Iranian elements were foiled, the Shin Bet says, with a total of 27 indictments filed.
The Shin Bet says it also carried out hundreds of “complex security operations in high-risk areas” this past year, including providing security for Israeli officials visiting the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and Syria. The Shin Bet says it also conducted dozens of security operations abroad, including two special missions — for the Israeli delegation to the Olympics in Paris, France, and the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden.
A Shin Bet agent is seen at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, during the competition in May 2024. (Shin Bet)
Lastly, the Shin Bet notes in its report that during the war there were five times more cyberattacks on Israel than in previous years. It says that alongside the IDF and National Cyber Directorate, the agency assisted in foiling some 700 cyberattacks, out of thousands of attempts by various adversaries.
Further debris from Houthi missile found in Beit Shemesh
Israeli security forces remove a fragment of a Houthi ballistic missile launched from Yemen at Israel that crashed in the central Israeli town of Bet Shemesh, near Jerusalem, on December 31, 2024. (Photo by Ahmad GHARABLI / AFP)
Additional debris was last night’s Houthi missile launched at central Israel is found on the balcony of a home on Nahal Hayarkon Street in the city of Beit Shemesh.
Local news service Beit Shemesh Hadashot publishes what it describes as an image of the shrapnel being dealt with by a police sapper.
Parts of the missile landed in at least three places in the majority ultra-Orthodox city near Jerusalem.
The largest piece of the missile found so far landed in the middle of the city’s Nahal Hakishon Street last night, drawing a large crowd.
The public is advised to stay away from missile debris if found and to contact law enforcement.
Gantz says survival of government is more important to Netanyahu than bringing hostages home
Leader of the National Unity Party MK Benny Gantz leads a faction meeting of the party at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, on December 16, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/ Flash90)
For Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “the survival of his government is more important… than the return of the abducted here and now,” National Unity chairman Benny Gantz declares at a conference organized by the Calcalist financial daily.
“Of the three goals of the war that concern the Gaza Strip, two have not yet been achieved – the collapse of Hamas’s rule and the return of our hostages,” Gantz notes, arguing that “it is more important for the prime minister to survive politically than to allow another civilian government in the Gaza Strip, and therefore the IDF will continue to wallow there for a long time.”
Turning to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir whom he calls the “minister of chaos” — both of whom have been outspoken in their opposition to an agreement with Hamas — Gantz says that “the truth is that both of you will not resign from the government even if there is a full and painful deal.”
Rocket warning sirens sound in Gaza border communities
Rocket warning sirens are sounding in several Gaza border communities.
There is no immediate comment from the IDF.
???? Rocket Alert [12:20:58] – 1 Alert:
• Gaza Envelope — Mivtahim, Ami'oz, Yesha
Population: <500 pic.twitter.com/UBywMYXdCZ
— ILRedAlert (@ILRedAlert) December 31, 2024
Coalition scrambling ahead of key vote; MK leaves shiva for mother, Netanyahu could come from hospital
MK Boaz Bismuth attends a debate, in the Knesset on May 27, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
The coalition is scrambling to muster enough votes to pass a key vote in the Knesset later today.
Hebrew media reports say that Likud MK Boaz Bismuth was asked to leave the shiva (the seven-day mourning period) for his mother to come to the Knesset to vote on the Trapped Profits Law, and he has done so.
The Walla news site also reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could leave the hospital where he is recovering from prostate removal surgery to cast a vote.
The scramble comes as the opposition says it will not offer the customary offset for absent government lawmakers. Meanwhile, some coalition MKs are threatening to also vote against the bill.
The far-right Otzma Yehudit party and ultra-Orthodox Agudat Yisrael faction of the United Torah Judaism party threatened yesterday to oppose the Trapped Profits Law, insisting their demands be met first.
France says it carried out missile strikes against Islamic State in Syria
France carried out missile strikes in Syria, targeting Islamic State sites in the country, French Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu says.
“On Sunday, French air forces carried out targeted strikes against Islamic State sites based on Syrian territory,” Lecornu writes on social media platform X.
The French airstrike followed a similar military strike by the United States in Syria, which the US said had killed two Islamic State operatives.
Communications minister again calls for attorney general to be fired
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi in Jerusalem, July 17, 2023 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90) and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem on October 1, 2024. (Oren Ben Hakoon/POOL)
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi calls on Justice Minister Yariv Levin to dismiss the attorney general “immediately,” accusing her of acting out of “entirely political” rather than professional considerations.
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara’s opposition to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s appointment of Roi Kahlon as acting civil service commissioner “is another clear attempt to interfere with the powers of the elected government,” Karhi declares.
Baharav-Miara’s office told Netanyahu yesterday that Kahlon did not meet the criteria for the position. In a position paper, Deputy Attorney General Gil Limon wrote that Kahlon claimed in his resumé to have far greater management experience than he actually has.
“This is the same attorney general whose appointment itself was riddled with difficult questions and inaccuracies, including the ‘recommendation’ from Judge Anat Baron which in retrospect turned out not to exist,” Karhi states.
In 2022, Globes reported that despite being listed as a reference by Baharav-Miara, a spokesperson for the Courts Administration had stated that Baron had informed her that “in the absence of professional interaction with her, she would not be able to give a recommendation on the professional angle.”
However, if contacted regarding Baharav-Miara, the judge could discuss her in a nonprofessional capacity “in light of her personal acquaintance with her.”
Lapid warns Israel must choose between democracy and theocracy
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid leads a faction meeting of his Yesh Atid party at the Knesset in Jerusalem, December 23 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
Israel is now facing “an era of opportunity” but to take advantage of it, citizens must choose between democracy and theocracy, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid declares at a conference organized by the Calcalist financial daily.
“We are in an era of opportunity. Trump’s second term, MBS’s regional ambitions in Saudi Arabia, the weakening of the Iranian regime, the crushing of Hamas and Hezbollah — all of these could lead us to a new and wonderful world,” Lapid states.
“But Israel must choose. Both at the ballot box, but also in a much deeper sense. Will there be an extremist halachic state here, or a democratic Jewish state? A messianic government with a prime minister who feeds on our internal division, or a sane government that will unite us around common values? The decision we make will determine not only our future, but also the future of our children.”
Smotrich urges Netanyahu to make sure the budget passes
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attend a vote on the state budget at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, March 13, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Following two coalition parties’ threats to vote against a key budget bill, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich calls on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “take responsibility” for making sure it passes.
Speaking during a Hanukkah toast in his Religious Zionism party’s faction room in the Knesset, Smotrich declares that he is “determined to continue to steer the Israeli economy responsibly in this year of war and not get dragged into petty squabbles.”
“The budget is not the finance minister’s, it is the State of Israel’s. The prime minister must take responsibility… and the coalition must rise to the occasion and pass the budget,” Smotrich says.
Netanyahu is currently hospitalized after having his prostate removed.
The far-right Otzma Yehudit party and ultra-Orthodox Agudat Yisrael faction of the United Torah Judaism party threatened yesterday to oppose the Trapped Profits Law, insisting their demands be met first.
Iran security chief says ‘new resistance’ against Israel to emerge in Syria
In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Ali Akbar Ahmadian, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, attends a meeting with Russia's President in Saint Petersburg on September 12, 2024. (Photo by Kristina Kormilitsyna / POOL / AFP)
Iran’s security chief Ali Akbar Ahmadian says a new group would emerge in Syria to fight Israel following the fall of president Bashar al-Assad, state media reports.
“With the occupation of Syrian territories by the Zionist regime, a new resistance has been born that will manifest itself in the years to come,” says Ahmadian, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, IRNA news agency reports.
In a meeting with Oman’s foreign minister, Ahmadian insists that Iran’s anti-Israel axis of resistance was “not weakened” after the December 8 fall of Assad, a longtime Tehran ally.
Assad fled Syria after rebel forces led by the Sunni Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) seized the capital Damascus after a lightning offensive.
Since his fall, Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes on Syrian military facilities, saying it aimed to prevent them from falling into hostile hands. It has also moved forces into a buffer zone on the border.
Top West Bank cop accused of faking probes of settler violence to please Ben Gvir, gain promotion
Itamar Ben Gvir speaks during a National Security Committee meeting at the Knesset on November 27, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
The Department for Internal Police Investigations (DIPI) lifts a gag order on the name of one of the senior police officers suspected of severe misconduct involving a systematic refusal to investigate incidents of suspected Jewish nationalism attacks, in order to earn advancement on the police force.
The officer named in the scandal is head of the Judea and Samaria District investigations and intelligence department Commander Avishai Muallem. Alongside Muallem, another senior police officer from the same district whose name has not yet been disclosed is being investigated, while Israel Prison Service Chief Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi is also a suspect in the affair.
DIPI states that Muallem, together with the other senior office from his district, is suspected of having “carried out irregular activities in the framework of their positions with the goal of influencing their advancement in the Israel Police, while deviating from the path for dealing with cases of nationalistic crime.”
Yaakobi is suspected of having informed Muallem that he was the subject of an undercover DIPI investigation, before the investigation was made public.
According to Ynet, DIPI suspects Muallem of conducting sham investigations into acts of Jewish nationalistic crimes in the West Bank merely to give the appearance that an investigation had been conducted without bringing the perpetrators to account.
The scandal was broken open earlier this month when DIPI officers raided Muallem’s home earlier this month, arrested him, and detained Yaakobi for questioning.
Muallem’s lawyer Ephraim Dimri claimed that the investigation was politically motivated and said Muallem was implementing orders by more senior officials and “the policies of the minister responsible for him,” in reference to ultranationalist National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
Yaakobi claims that he did not violate any laws in informing Muallem about the investigation.
Ben Gvir’s office said in response to the publication of Muallem’s name that “what DIPI is investigating is fulfilling the minister’s policies, which is adherence to equal policies: the law for a hilltop youth is the same as for a left-wing youth.”
The statement added that when Ben Gvir became minister he “made clear that there will not be selective persecution of right-wing people,” and that the days of “unlawfully harming the hilltop youth” had ended.
“Hilltop youth” refers to radical settler activists who establish illegal settlement outposts in the West Bank. Many of these activists have also been involved in violence against Palestinians, as well as theft, destruction and arson of Palestinian property.
Few of these crimes are prosecuted, with the High Court of Justice recently acknowledging this reality as well.
IDF says senior Islamic Jihad rocket commander killed in recent Gaza drone strike
Illustrative - Smoke trails are seen after rockets are launched from the Gaza Strip to Israel, seen from the Israeli side of the border, April 7, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
A senior commander in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group was killed in a drone strike earlier this month in the Gaza Strip, the IDF and Shin Bet say.
The target of the strike, Anas Muhammad Saadi Masri, served as the commander of the northern Gaza sector in Islamic Jihad’s rocket division, according to the military.
Masri was considered by the military to be a prominent commander in Islamic Jihad, responsible for numerous attacks on Israel and IDF troops.
On the October 7, 2023, onslaught and during the war, Masri was responsible for Islamic Jihad’s rocket fire from the northern Gaza Strip at Israeli border communities and for commanding the operatives who carried out the attacks, the army says.
The IDF says it took steps to mitigate civilian harm in the strike at the beginning of December.
45 sick Gazans, 100 family members cross into Israel en route to UAE for medical treatment
Sick and injured Palestinians being transferred from the Gaza Strip to Egypt, at Kerem Shalom border crossing, June 27, 2024. (COGAT)
Palestinian health authorities say 45 patients and wounded people have been evacuated for treatment outside the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.
They left the European Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis early this morning and traveled through the Kerem Shalom Crossing into Israel. They will receive treatment in the United Arab Emirates.
The patients are accompanied by over 100 of their relatives, according to the hospital.
Among them was a 10-year-old boy, Abdullah Abu Yousef, suffering from kidney failure. The child was accompanied by his sister after the Israeli authorities reportedly rejected his mother’s application to join him. Israel says it screens escorts for security.
“The boy is sick,” says his mother, Abeer Abu Yousef. “He requires hemodialysis three to four days a week.”
Six injured in Bnei Brak apartment fire; toddler in serious condition
Medics at the scene of an apartment fire in Bnei Brak on December 31, 2024 (Magen David Adom)
Six people people are wounded in an apartment fire in the central city of Bnei Brak including a toddler in serious condition with burns, the Magen David Adom Rescue service says.
The other five people are in good condition after suffering from smoke inhalation, MDA says.
All six are being taken to the nearby Sheba Medical Center.
Houthis claim overnight missile attacks on Israel, US aircraft carrier
People take cover as sirens warn of an incoming missile fired from Yemen, near Rehovot, December 30, 2024. (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels say that they had fired two missiles at Israel, hours after the Israeli military said it had intercepted a projectile launched from the country.
“The first (attack) targeted Ben Gurion Airport” in Tel Aviv, and the second was fired at a power station south of Jerusalem, a Houthi military statement says.
The rebels also said they had attacked the American aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman. There is no immediate comment from the US military.
Late last night, the Israeli military said it had shot down a missile launched from Yemen before it crossed into Israeli territory. There were no injuries.
IDF: Sirens that sounded near Gaza border were false alarm
The IDF says that sirens that sounded in the Gaza border community of Nir Am were caused by a false alarm.
Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway partially closed by flooding near airport
Police say that the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem Route 1 highway is partially closed near the Ben Gurion Airport off-ramp due to flooding caused by heavy rains.
Police say two of the three eastbound lanes are closed and officers are at the scene directing traffic.
They call on motorists to take alternate routes if possible.
Hamas said refusing release of 12 out of 34 hostages Israel wants freed in first stage of deal
The Hamas terror group has partially rejected a list of hostages that Israel insists must be released during the first phase of any ceasefire deal, the Kan public broadcaster reports.
According to the report, which cites an unnamed Palestinian source, Hamas is willing to release 22 of the 34 hostages on the list but is refusing to agree to the release of the other 12.
Instead, the report states, the Gaza terror group offered to release 22 living hostages and 12 bodies during the first phase of a deal.
Israel turned down the idea and made it clear that it will only accept living hostages during the initial stage of a hostage release and ceasefire deal, the report adds.
The report did not provide further details on the hostages Hamas is reportedly refusing to release, although earlier this month, Egypt’s Al-Ghad outlet reported that Israel requested the inclusion of 11 men considered by Hamas to be soldiers on its list of hostages to be released in the first phase of a potential deal.
The terror group classifies all Israeli men of fighting age to be soldiers.
Report: Alarming hostage negotiators, PM says Israel should be upfront about plan to resume war after deal
Protesters gather for a rally calling for action to secure the release of Israeli hostages held captive since the October 7 attacks by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, outside the Defence Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv on December 28, 2024. (Jack GUEZ / AFP)
During a high-level meeting last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told those present that Israel will resume fighting after a hostage deal, if one comes about, Channel 12 reports.
“If there is a deal — and I hope there will be — Israel will return to fighting afterward. There is no point in pretending otherwise because returning to fighting is needed in order to complete the goals of the war. Saying this does not thwart a deal, it encourages a deal,” Channel 12 quotes Netanyahu as having said.
The remarks sparked further concern among members of the hostage negotiating team present, who feel that such assertions — especially when made public — have made it more difficult for them to secure a deal, given that Hamas has insisted on a permanent ceasefire in exchange for the hostages, the network says.
Netanyahu has pushed for a temporary ceasefire deal that only sees around one-third of the remaining 100 hostages released. Hamas has indicated some flexibility in recent weeks but is seeking assurances from mediators that the first phase of the agreement will lead to the second and third phases.
The quote attributed to Netanyahu by Channel 12 was very similar to one attributed to an unnamed senior Israeli official who told the Ynet news site earlier Monday, “Even if Israel agrees to a deal, it will resume fighting afterward in order to complete the goals of the war.”
The senior official was responding to an earlier report in the Ynet news site that cited senior members of the security establishment warning that Netanyahu’s refusal to plan for the post-war management of Gaza will lead to a scenario where Hamas will fully regain control over Gaza as it had before the outbreak of the ongoing war sparked by the terror group’s October 7 onslaught.
The security establishment has long urged Netanyahu to advance a viable alternative to Hamas and has argued in favor of allowing the Palestinian Authority to gain a foothold in Gaza.
Netanyahu has rejected the proposal outright, likening the PA — which backs a two-state solution — to Hamas.
For the past several months, he has stressed how he has directed the security establishment to come up with a plan to strip Hamas of its control over the humanitarian aid, which has served as one of its final lifelines of control over governing affairs in the Strip. But the premier-directed effort has gone nowhere, given the refusal to work with the PA, a security official told Ynet, adding that initiatives to have foreign security contractors be tasked with guarding aid convoys have also fallen flat since there is no one to fund them.
Israeli officials backing the idea had hoped countries like the United Arab Emirates would bankroll the security contractors, but Abu Dhabi has made clear repeatedly that it won’t assist in the post-war management of Gaza absent the involvement of a reformed PA and an Israeli-approved pathway to a two-state solution.
The Israeli security official speaking to Ynet said that the political echelon’s failure to advance a viable alternative to Hamas is leading to the gradual roll-back of military gains made by the IDF in Gaza.
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