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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
The U.N. Humanitarian Office has warned Gaza is facing a public health disaster due to the lack of healthcare facilities and the spread of infectious disease. Reuters reports.
Heavy rain in Gaza raises concerns over the worsening health situation in the Strip, with the U.N. humanitarian affairs coordination office saying that the flooding is “worsening the struggle of displaced Palestinians,” according to U.N. News.
At least 11 Palestinians were killed during a days-long raid in Jenin, located in the occupied West Bank, the Hamas-run health ministry said today. Meanwhile the director of the Palestinian Red Crescent in Jenin, Mahmoud Al-Saadi, said Israel was not allowing ambulances to enter the Jenin refugee camp to transport patients. When asked about the deaths and reports of the military blocking ambulances, the Israeli military said there was “ongoing counterterrorism activity” in the city. Ali Sawafta reports for Reuters.
The U.N. Palestinian Refugee Agency said in a post on X that at least 288 people have been killed in its Gaza shelters since the Oct. 7 attacks, marking the “deadliest year for Palestinians killed in the West Bank.”
A post-war Gaza without Hamas is a “delusion,” said Ismail Haniyeh, who is widely viewed as a Hamas’ group leader. Haniyeh said “We are open to discuss any ideas or initiatives that could end the [Israeli] aggression and open the door for putting the Palestinian house in order both in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip,” speaking in a televised address. BBC News reports.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message posted to X that “international pressures” will not stop Israel from continuing the war against Hamas. Netanyahu said “Nothing will stop us, we will go to the end, to victory, no less than that.” BBC News reports.
Israel has canceled a trip to Qatar which would have seen the head of Israel’s foreign intelligence service restart discussions on a possible second hostage release deal, according to familiar sources. Alex Marquardt reports for CNN.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
The UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron has announced a ban on “those responsible for settler violence from entering the UK to make sure our country cannot be a home for people who commit these intimidating acts.” Cameron accused these individuals of “undermining security and stability for both Israelis and Palestinians” and accused them of “targeting and killing Palestinian civilians.” He added that “Israel must take stronger action to stop settler violence and hold the perpetrators accountable.”
Israel’s ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely, rejected ideas of a two-state solution and said Israel would not accept it as a prospect. When asked about how there could be peace without a two-state solution, Hotovley said “the world should know now that the Palestinians never wanted to have a state next to Israel.” BBC News reports.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak endorsed support for a two-state solution and said the “longstanding position remains the two-state solution is the right outcome here.” BBC News reports.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
Nearly half of the Israeli munitions used in Gaza have been unguided, imprecise, “dumb bombs,” according to a new U.S. intelligence assessment compiled by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The report follows President Biden’s criticism on Tuesday of Israel’s “indiscriminate bombing” in Gaza. According to people familiar with the report, the assessment findings say that around 40-45% of the 29,000 air-to-ground munitions used by Israel have not been guided, while the rest have been guided munitions. Natasha Bertrand and Katie Bo Lillis report for CNN.
The U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan discussed “a number of bilateral and regional matters, including ongoing efforts to create new conditions for an enduring and sustainable peace” and the “humanitarian response in Gaza” at a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia yesterday, the White House has confirmed. Sullivan is scheduled to meet with Israeli officials today following rising tensions between the U.S. and Israel over Israel’s strategies in Gaza. Mary Mallonee reports for CNN.
Jake Sullivan will hold “extremely serious conversations” with Israeli officials today including discussions of the “next phase of the military campaign,” said John Kirby, the National Security Council spokesperson. Kirby said Sullivan will discuss with the Israelis “efforts to be more surgical and more precise and to reduce harm to civilians. That is an aim of ours. And the Israelis say it is an aim of theirs … But it’s the results that count.” Kevin Liptak reports for CNN.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will travel to the Middle East next week in his second visit to the region since the Oct. 7 attacks, the Pentagon announced. Lara Seligman reports for POLITICO.
The Biden administration is delaying the licenses for selling more than 20,000 U.S.-made air rifles to Israel following concerns over the weaponry being possibly distributed to extremist settlers in the West Bank who would use the arms against Palestinian civilians, according to U.S. officials. An official said, “This deal isn’t moving anywhere at the moment. We need more assurances from Israel about the steps it is going to take to curb attacks by violent settlers and to make sure no new U.S. weapons will reach settlers in the West Bank.” Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
The Jewish protester group If Not Now blocked traffic on a Los Angeles highway during yesterday’s rush hour, holding up placards demanding a cease-fire in Gaza. The California Highway patrol said around 75 protesters were detained when officers began clearing the highway. Reuters reports.
Several Biden administration staff members held a vigil outside the White House yesterday calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, an NBC senior White House correspondent said in a post on X. The vigil saw over three dozen people, with one including Josh Paul, the former State Department official who resigned in October. Paul said at the vigil, “The U.S. government’s decision to double down on fueling the violence has put our objectives … around the globe in jeopardy for us to achieve any movement on some of the most intractable issues we face today.” Camila DeChalus reports for CNN.
The United States announced yesterday new sanctions in coordination with Britain against Hamas targeting eight officials who oversee the groups’ financial network. The sanctions block access to U.S. bank accounts and property, and will preclude those designated from doing business with Americans. The Treasury’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence said Hamas uses “seemingly permissive jurisdictions to direct fundraising campaigns for the group’s benefit and funneling those illicit proceeds to support its military activities in Gaza.” He added that the two countries are focused on “leveraging our collective tools and authorities to degrade Hamas’s ability to fund additional attacks and further destabilize the region.” Fatima Hussein reports for AP News.
IRAN-BACKED MILITANTS
The United States shot down an aerial vehicle launched from a Houthi-controlled area, the U.S. Central Command confirmed in a post on X today. The post said the U.S. Navy destroyer was responding to a call from a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker in the southern Red Sea yesterday. No injuries or damage to the ship were reported. Urvi Dugar reports for Reuters.
The U.K.’s most senior military officer, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, said that Iran “does not want a direct war” but Tehran is “comfortable with how events have unfolded.” Referencing the possibility of a wider regional conflict, Radakin said, “There are multiple scenarios in which this crisis could escalate,” and added that the US “had shown commendable restraint” following targeting of U.S. forces by militant groups in Iraq and Syria. Radakin asserted the U.K.’s support of Israel’s right to defend itself, but also said the British government has “urged restraint” against fighting in densely-packed areas due to the risk of “causing immense harm to civilians,” Jonathan Beale reports for BBC News.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Poland’s new Prime Minister Donald Tusk took office yesterday along with his Cabinet members, marking the end of eight years of rule by the Law and Justice national conservative party. Tusk previously served as Prime Minister from 2007-2014. Leaders from around the world congratulated Tusk, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg saying they look forward to working with his team. German Chancellor Olaf Sholz said, “I am happy that together, arm in arm with Poland, we can develop the EU and the Polish-German relations.” Monika Scislowska reports for AP News.
Japan, the U.K., and Italy have established a joint organization to develop a new advanced fighter jet which is “indispensable to securing air superiority and enabling effective deterrence,” Japan’s Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said at a joint news conference with his Italian and British counterparts. British Defense Minister Grant Schapps said the project will create “a new era of prosperity” and “strengthen our collective security … the risks and problems from Europe to [the] Indo-Pacific are clear for all to see.” The organization will be headquartered in Britain and run by a Japanese official. Mari Yamaguchi reports for AP News.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said today in a summit, “There is no reason to negotiate membership of Ukraine now. Preconditions were not met. We have to come back to it later on,” hinting at the European Parliament elections next June. So far, all of the EU’s 27 leaders – except Orban – have supported the start of Ukraine’s accession talks, but such a decision requires unanimous approval of all member states. Orban is also blocking $54 billion in financial aid for Ukraine in a four-year package. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said before the summit that “Ukraine fulfilled its part and proved that it can achieve tremendous results despite unprecedented challenges.” Meanwhile Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said yesterday that “Ukraine is a country that wants to respect democratic values … Maybe a lesson for Orban himself.” Andrew Gray and Jan Strupczewski report for Reuters.
Four Japanese cabinet ministers including the Chief Cabinet Secretary and top government spokesperson quit today over a fundraising scandal of $3.4 million. Prosecutors in Tokyo have begun a corruption probe into the scandal, and replacement ministers are due to be announced by the end of the day. The same day, five senior vice ministers and a parliamentary vice minister from the same faction also quit. The mass resignations now leave the ruling LIberal Democratic Party having no representatives from its most powerful faction within the cabinet. Kelly Ng reports for BBC News.
Slovakia has unblocked the road crossing with Ukraine which will allow the movement of trucks across its border, Ukraine’s border service said today. Slovakian truck drivers blocked traffic from Ukraine on Monday and called for transport permits to be introduced for Ukrainian vehicles. Twenty eight trucks were cleared to leave Ukraine at the Uzhhorod crossing this morning, the border service confirmed. Pavel Polityuk reports for Reuters.
CHINA-PHILIPPINES DEVELOPMENTS
China said Canada has “emboldened the Philippines’ violation of China’s sovereignty, violated the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter, and jeopardized regional peace and stability,” over its support of the Philippines amid the ongoing tensions in the South China Sea. Over the past few months, confrontations have occurred around the Second Thomas Shoal. The Philippines has accused Chinese vessels of ramming and firing water cannons at resupply boats in the area. Reuters reports.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE DEVELOPMENTS
The Ukrainian military said on Sunday that its air defenses destroyed 41 out of 42 drones launched by Russia in southern Ukraine, although Moscow’s six missiles killed one civilian. The downed drones damaged more than a dozen buildings in Odesa, and injured 11 civilians, including three children. Pavel Polityuk reports for Reuters.
President Putin said today that peace in Ukraine will come when Russia achieves its objectives including the demilitarization and “deNazification” of Ukraine.Yuliya Talmazan reports for NBC News.
Putin said Russia has a total of 617,000 troops fighting in Ukraine and that a further 486,000 have signed up to voluntary serve in addition to the 300,000 people called up for service last year. “The stream of our men who are ready to defend the interests of the homeland with weapons in their hands is not diminishing,” he said. Putin did not give figures of military losses but confirmed that a number of people “close” to him have died, and that children of people within his “close” circle have also been killed. BBC News reports.
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
The House authorized an impeachment inquiry into President Biden yesterday on a 221-212 party-line vote. Biden responded in a rare statement saying, “Instead of doing anything to help make Americans’ lives better, they are focused on attacking me with lies.” Farnoush Amiri reports for AP News.
The Senate passed a $886 billion defense bill yesterday in a bipartisan 87-13 vote. The bill includes $844.3 billion for the Department of Defense and $32.4 billion for the Department of Energy’s security initiatives. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said in post on X that the bill “will create a new fleet of nuclear-powered submarines to counter the Chinese government’s threat and influence in the Pacific.” Sareen Habeshian reports for Axios.
Hunter Biden made a public statement yesterday outside the Capitol complex saying, “Let me state as clearly as I can: My father was not financially involved in my business — Not as a practicing lawyer. Not as a board member of Burisma, not in my partnership with a Chinese private businessman, not my investment at all nor abroad, and certainly not as an artist,” referencing multiple aspects of the probes. Hunter said he would testify in a public setting, contrary to the investigators’ request for a closed-door deposition. Defying the subpoena risks Republicans holding him in contempt of Congress. “We’re going to move forward with contempt proceedings … there’s a process we have to follow but we plan to do that,” House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said. Emily Brooks and Rebecca Beitsch report for The Hill.
TRUMP-LEGAL MATTERS
Former President Trump’s 11-week New York civil fraud trial concluded yesterday, as presiding Judge Justice Engoron is expected to issue a written verdict after closing arguments on Jan. 11. Jack Queen reports for Reuters.
A federal judge agreed yesterday to pause proceedings in Trump’s election interference case while he appeals a decision which ruled against his efforts to dismiss the case. The decision by Judge Tanya Chutkan “automatically stays any further proceedings that would move this case towards trial or impose additional burdens of litigation on Defendant.” Rebecca Beitsch reports for The Hill.