Important Takeaways:
- Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah forces agreed to a ceasefire Tuesday in a deal brokered by the U.S. and France that could bring to an end more than a year’s worth of heavy fighting along the border between Israel and Lebanon.
- Under the deal, all fighting between Israel and the powerful Lebanese Shiite movement was to cease early Wednesday, President Biden said in remarks from the White House. He spoke just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorsed the agreement in a nationally televised address. Over the next 60 days, Israel will start to withdraw its troops from the region as Lebanon’s army moves in to assume control.
- Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials said punishing strikes in recent months had effectively decapitated Hezbollah and significantly weakened its force as a military threat to Israel.
- “This is not the same Hezbollah. Hezbollah chose to attack us from there on Oct. 8. We set it back decades,” Mr. Netanyahu said in his address. “We eliminated [Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah. We eliminated all the senior officials of the organization and thousands of terrorists.”
- Biden said he hoped the 60-day accord would turn into a permanent halt to the war: “What is left of Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations will not be allowed, I emphasize, will not be allowed, to threaten the security of Israel again.
- One sticking point was uncertain: Israel’s demand that it be allowed to resume the military campaign if the ceasefire does not hold. The length of the ceasefire depends entirely on what happens in Lebanon, and Israel maintains complete freedom of military action, the prime minister said.
- The deal between Hezbollah and Israel does not affect the fight in the Gaza Strip with Palestinian Hamas militants. Months of U.S. efforts to negotiate a ceasefire with the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas have failed to achieve a breakthrough.
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Important Takeaways:
- Israel’s high-level Security Cabinet is expected to meet Tuesday night to discuss a ceasefire with the terror group Hezbollah. Some analysts believe the White House pressured Israel to accept the deal.
- Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon announced some of the ceasefire terms.
- He stated, “So, first, I expect that it will have stages. You know, it’s not going to happen overnight. There will be a few stages, (a) few requirements. You know, the most important condition for us is the withdrawal of Hezbollah, North of the Litani (River). We said it from the beginning, that that will be our goal in this war.”
- Other terms of the deal include: Israeli forces to pull out of southern Lebanon within 60 days; Hezbollah forces to retreat north of Litani River; the Lebanese Army and the U.N. force known as UNIFIL will ensure Hezbollah withdraws and does not reestablish its presence; a U.S. led enforcement committee will oversee the ceasefire.
- Israeli leaders suggest there may be a cessation of hostilities with Hezbollah but not the end of the war.
- According to the agreement, a U.S. letter will guarantee Israel has the freedom to act in Lebanon if Hezbollah attempts to rebuild its military.
- “But we’re not done yet. Nothing is final until everything is final,” said State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller. “We continue to work to try and get an agreement over the line and we’re hopeful we can get one. But we need both of the parties to get to yes.”
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Important Takeaways:
- [Here’s how the war began]
- On Oct. 7, one day after the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, thousands of Hamas gunmen invaded southern Israel, kidnapping, raping, torturing, and killing hundreds of Israelis.
- On Oct. 8, the Israel Security Cabinet voted to officially declare war for the first time since the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
- On Oct. 27, the IDF began its Ground Operation in Northern Gaza
- On Nov. 24, in accordance with a ceasefire agreement for the release of hostages by Hamas, the IDF paused their operations.
- On Dec. 1, after Hamas violated the terms of the ceasefire agreement, the pause in fighting ended. Israel resumed their operations in the north of Gaza.
- On Dec. 3, the IDF’s ground operation moved into southern Gaza after Israel dropped leaflets to inform civilians to evacuate key areas.
- On April 1, Israel allegedly carried out an airstrike in Damascus, killing 7 IRGC members, including the top Iranian commander in Syria.
- On April 8, the IDF withdrew ground troops from southern Gaza, maintaining that a operation in Rafah, the last Hamas stronghold, remains imminent
- On April 13, Iran launched 200+ missiles and drones toward Israel from Iranian soil.
- On July 30-31, an Israeli strike killed a Hezbollah Commander and Hamas’ top leader was assassinated in Tehran.
- On Aug. 25, the IDF launched a large-scale preemptive strike targeting thousands of Hezbollah rocket launchers, thwarting a significant attack the terror group planned to immediately launch.
- On Sept. 17-18, Hezbollah Pagers and other devices implanted with explosives simultaneously detonated in two waves, leaving 3000+ wounded and dozens of terrorists dead, in a highly sophisticated attack widely attributed to the Mossad.
- Since Oct. 7, Over 1,600 Israelis (800 soldiers) have been killed, and over 13,000 have been injured.
- 5,381 IDF soldiers wounded since the start of the war.
- Still today Hamas holds 101 hostages
- US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) responded on Monday to Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly’s comments to a news publication regarding Senator Graham’s proposal to sanction any nation or group that aids and abets the International Criminal Court (ICC) after the court issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
- In an interview with Politico, Joly was asked what is her response to Graham’s proposal, after Canada vowed to comply with the ICC order, and replied, “Canada will take its decision. Then the US will take its decision.”
- On the possibility that Canada could face sanctions from the United States for complying with the ICC order, she replied, “We abide by international norms, including the fact that we’re a founding member of the ICC.”
- Responding to the comments, Graham said, “I consider Canada to be one of America’s greatest allies and friends. We are not only neighbors – we also share many common values.”
- “However, the idea that the International Criminal Court seeking arrest warrants against Israel’s Prime Minister and former Defense Minister is an act of international rules-based order is beyond the pale,” he added.
- “To my friends in Canada and throughout the world, America rejects – in the strongest possible terms – the Court’s efforts to issue warrants for duly elected political leaders of Israel for defending their nation against barbaric terrorism. We reject the jurisdiction claims of the Court. We will make it loud and clear that those countries who assist in enforcing the arrest warrants – even if they are close allies – will hit a wall of resistance in America,” Graham clarified.
- “America must act decisively to reject this action by the ICC because we could be next. The court threatened to go after American soldiers for their conduct in Afghanistan but wisely chose not to.”
- “Again, we are a mature democracy just like Israel, with an independent judiciary. To Canada and all others – we do not view this action as furthering international norms. We view this as a direct threat by an unelected, unaccountable body in The Hague against American sovereignty and as an existential threat to our allies in Israel who are fighting for their very existence.”
- “President Biden objected to the ICC ruling, and I will be discussing with President Trump and his team how to respond forcefully,” concluded Graham.
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Important Takeaways:
- The supreme leader of Iran, which backs the Hamas and Hezbollah militants fighting Israel in Gaza and Lebanon, said Monday that death sentences should be issued for Israeli leaders, not arrest warrants.
- Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was commenting on a decision last week by the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense chief and a Hamas leader, Ibrahim Al-Masri.
- “They issued an arrest warrant. That’s not enough. … Death sentence must be issued for these criminal leaders,” Khamenei said, referring to Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Secretary Yoav Gallant.
- In their decision, the ICC judges said there were reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and Gallant were criminally responsible for acts including murder, persecution and starvation as a weapon of war as part of a “widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population of Gaza.”
- The decision was met with outrage in Israel, which called it shameful and absurd.
- Israel has rejected the jurisdiction of the Hague-based court and denies committing war crimes in Gaza.
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Important Takeaways:
- The Israel Defense Forces eliminated another top leader as they continue to destroy Hezbollah’s military infrastructure in Lebanon. It comes as Israel is also closely evaluating President-elect Trump’s choices for his foreign policy team.
- In waves of attacks, the IDF is systematically taking apart Hezbollah sites in Beirut and other Lebanese cities. The military says that for years, underneath the targeted buildings, Hezbollah built weapons manufacturing facilities within civilian neighborhoods.
- Before the attacks in such places, the IDF sends evacuation orders to prevent civilian casualties.
- However, a warning was not issued for one strike during the weekend, a rare attack in central Beirut, where Hezbollah Spokesman Mohammed Afif was eliminated. Afif served as a key leader in the terror group’s operations and propaganda machine.
- While the fighting goes on, observers note President Trump’s election could have a profound impact on Israel’s wars and the entire Middle East. Many consider the first Trump administration the most pro-Israel in American history.
- He moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and acknowledged the city as Israel’s capital.
- He agreed Israel should possess the strategic Golan Heights.
- His White House pushed for the Abraham Accords, forging alliances between the Jewish nation and former Muslim foes.
- Regardless of Donald Trump’s views on Judea and Samaria, his choices for foreign policy positions come with strong pro-Israel backgrounds, including Marco Rubio as secretary of state, Elise Stefanik for U.N. ambassador, and a choice many are praising – former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee for U.S. ambassador to Israel.
- Huckabee, who first came to Israel more than 40 years ago, says he is passionate about his calling. He believes the U.S. president should decide weighty matters such as annexing Judea and Samaria.
- Huckabee has said he doesn’t consider a two-state solution to be practical and he has called Judea and Samaria the “Promised Land.”
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Important Takeaways:
- Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that his country has officially severed diplomatic relations with Israel. The Turkish leader made the announcement to journalists on his plane after visiting Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan.
- “The government of the Republic of Turkey, under the leadership of Tayyip Erdogan, will not continue or develop relations with Israel,” the Turkish president said. “[Our ruling coalition] is resolute in its decision to cut ties with Israel, and we will maintain this stance in the future as well.”
- Erdogan’s decision signifies Turkey’s intention to assert a stronger presence in Middle Eastern geopolitics. The NATO leader’s diplomatic realignment may also impact his ongoing role in the Syrian conflict and other regional hostilities.
- Despite Erdogan’s announcement, the Turkish embassy appears to be continuing to operate in Tel Aviv for the time being.
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Important Takeaways:
- CIA official Asif William Rahman was arrested by the FBI in Cambodia on Tuesday and charged with disclosing classified documents allegedly showing Israel’s retaliation plans against Iran, the New York Times reported on Wednesday. He was brought to a federal court in Guam to face charges.
- Rahman was indicted by a US federal court in Virginia with charges of willful retention and transmission of national defense information, the report said.
- According to the New York Times, the documents were prepared by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which analyzes US spy satellite information and photos.
- While both the US Department of Defense and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment on the leaked documents, they did not deny their authenticity.
- The leak occurred on Friday when the Middle East Spectator Telegram channel claimed it had received documents about Israel’s strike preparations from a source within the US intelligence community. This Telegram channel is known for publishing pro-Iranian propaganda, and its associated Twitter account states that its operators are based in Iran.
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Important Takeaways:
- Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is President-elect Trump’s pick to be the ambassador to Israel
- “I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected former Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, has been nominated to be The United States Ambassador to Israel,” Trump said in a statement.
- “Mike has been a great public servant, Governor, and Leader in Faith for many years. He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East!”
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Important Takeaways:
- President-elect Donald Trump has named Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik as his pick for UN ambassador.
- “I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter,” Trump said in a statement, confirming CNN’s reporting Sunday that Stefanik was offered the role.
- The New York congresswoman, the fourth-ranking House Republican, has been a strong ally of the president-elect and a major fundraiser for the GOP.
- The choice of Stefanik signals a more combative US posture toward the UN. Stefanik has frequently criticized the international organization, particularly over its criticism of Israel, and last month said the Biden administration should consider a “complete reassessment” of US funding for the UN if the Palestinian Authority continues to pursue a push to revoke Israel’s UN membership.
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Important Takeaways:
- Amsterdam police on Friday said ten people were in custody after Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans were attacked by what Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema described as “anti-semitic hit-and-run squads”.
- “This is a very dark moment for the city, for which I am deeply ashamed,” Halsema said at a news conference.
- “Anti-semitic criminals attacked and assaulted visitors to our city, in hit-and-run actions,” Halsema said, adding perpetrators had managed to escape a large police presence.
- The Dutch Organization for Central Jewish Consultation issued an urgent call on Friday for immediate, tough measures following apparent antisemitic attacks after an Ajax-Maccabi Tel Aviv football match.
- “The terrible scenes we witnessed last night show that there is no time to wait before taking tough measures”, the CJO said in a statement.
- Authorities say that the situation has calmed down over the last hour, and Israelis have been instructed to shelter in place. A Dutch police spokeswoman said 57 have been arrested so far.
- Footage circulating on social media has shown fans being beaten, chased with knives, and narrowly avoiding being hit by vehicles. Dutch riot police were sent in to respond to the attackers.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been informed of the incident and has sent two rescue planes to assist Israeli citizens. The IDF is coordinating the rescue mission, and are sending cargo aircraft and two planes from the Hercules squadron with medical and rescue teams.
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