WND News Center

Gaza hostage, ceasefire deal on brink of finalization

David Brummer

Video released by Hamas shows young Israeli women captured by the Islamic terrorists on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. (Video screenshot)

Video released by Hamas shows young Israeli women captured by the Islamic terrorists on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. (Video screenshot)
Video released by Hamas shows young Israeli women captured by the Islamic terrorists on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023.

JERUSALEM – Middle East/Israel Morning Brief

Gaza hostage, ceasefire deal on brink of finalization

Talks for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage exchange deal between Israel and Hamas continued in earnest with officials from both sides and from mediating countries estimating that a landmark agreement to end the 15-month war was near-finalized, with multiple outlets reporting details of its content.

Key mediator Qatar said Tuesday that a day earlier it had presented both parties with a “final” draft of the agreement. Israel’s Channel 12 news reported Monday, Jerusalem considered it broadly acceptable, and senior Israeli officials said they were waiting for Hamas’s reaction.

The Associated Press reported Tuesday that Hamas accepted the deal as well, citing two officials involved in the talks. However, CNN later cited an Egyptian official as saying the mediating countries – Qatar, Egypt, and the United States – had not yet received a response from the Palestinian terror group.

Pro-Hezbollah imam to deliver prayer at Trump inauguration

A Muslim cleric who refused to call Hezbollah a terrorist organization and has a “significant history of extremism” has been tapped to deliver a benediction at President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration next week, the New York Post reported.

Husham Al-Husainy, the imam of the Karbalaa Islamic Educational Center in Dearborn, Mich., is among four religious leaders listed in an Inauguration Day program, obtained by the Washington Reporter on Monday, who are scheduled to speak immediately after Trump’s Jan. 20 address.

The Middle East Forum, a conservative nonprofit focused on Islamic issues, has described Al-Husainy as “a radical anti-Semitic, pro-Hezbollah Shia imam” with “a significant history of extremism.”

ICJ judge who pushed back against South Africa’s claims of Israeli ‘genocide’ poised to take over court’s presidency

In a significant shift at the International Court of Justice, or ICJ, Judge Julia Sebutinde is poised to assume the presidency, marking another milestone in her groundbreaking career, Israel Hayom reported.

The Ugandan jurist, who recently made headlines for her robust defense of Israel against South Africa’s genocide allegations in the Gaza war, will take the helm following current President Nawaf Salam’s departure to form Lebanon’s next government.

Sebutinde’s journey to The Hague reflects a remarkable career in international justice. Her ascent began with her 1996 appointment to Uganda’s Supreme Court, where she distinguished herself by leading three pivotal anti-corruption investigations in her homeland.

The judge’s international prominence grew with her 2005 appointment to the Special Court for Sierra Leone war crimes tribunal, where she played a crucial role in the landmark trial of Liberian President Charles Taylor. Her appointment to the ICJ in February 2012 broke new ground as she became the first woman from Africa to serve on the court.

Israeli official: Hostage deal won’t include return of Sinwar’s body

As reports of an imminent hostage deal multiply, one source told Al Arabiya news that Hamas is requesting that Israel return the body of Yahya Sinwar.

An anonymous Israeli official, however, has responded by saying that the State of Israel will not accept such a condition.

“Israel will not hand over the body of arch-terrorist Sinwar to Hamas as part of the deal,” the source said according to a report from the Jerusalem Post. “It won’t happen, period.”

Yahya Sinwar, the chief architect behind Hamas’ Oct. 7 Al-Aqsa Flood attack, was elected as the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip in 2017. He was killed by Israeli forces on Oct. 16, 2024.

Argentina’s President Milei awarded ‘Jewish Nobel Prize’

Argentinian President Javier Milei was awarded the 2025 Genesis Prize, known as the “Jewish Nobel Prize,” on Tuesday in recognition of his support for Jewish causes.

“President Milei is a true hero of the Jewish people,” stated Stan Polovets, co-founder and chairman of the Genesis Prize Foundation, according to the Jewish News Syndicate.

“Unlike leaders of many other countries around the world who either remained quiet, pressured and – in some cases– sanctioned Israel, President Milei has unequivocally supported the Jewish people and their state,” he added. “This award reflects Israel’s heartfelt appreciation for the president and the people of Argentina. A friend in need is a friend indeed.”

According to the foundation, Milei is the first head of state to win the $1 million prize, which every honoree has donated.

“I am deeply honored to receive the Genesis Prize,” Milei stated. “Of course, I will not keep the monetary prize. I will donate it to causes that support freedom and the fight against antisemitism, both in Argentina and around the world.”

Biden extends sanctions against settlers in Judea and Samaria, claims ‘extreme violence’ has reached ‘intolerable levels’

Just days before the end of his term and two weeks before the expiration of the previous order, US President Joe Biden extended by one year the order declaring a state of emergency in the West Bank and authorizing the imposition of sanctions on Israeli residents of the region, reported i24 News.

“The situation in the West Bank [sic] – in particular high levels of extremist settler violence, forced displacement of people and villages, and property destruction – has reached intolerable levels and constitutes a serious threat to the peace, security, and stability of the West Bank and Gaza, Israel, and the broader Middle East region,” an official statement released by the White House said.

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken gave a speech on the war in the Gaza Strip and the situation in the Middle East, accusing the Israeli government of systematically undermining the only alternative to Hamas, namely the Palestinian Authority.

Israel faces AI crisis after Biden announces restrictions on chip exports

U.S. President Joe Biden published a new set of restrictions on the export of artificial intelligence chips, which will affect almost all the countries of the world, including Israel. These restrictions will limit the extent of AI computing power that countries can possess. This move, say sources in the local market, may completely eliminate Israel’s ability to compete in the field of artificial intelligence and severely damage the willingness of international technology companies to establish large computing centers and carry out significant AI projects in Israel. The good news: President-elect Donald Trump will have the opportunity to repeal the regulation before it takes effect.

In the past two years, the Biden administration has led a series of moves designed to limit the export of artificial intelligence capabilities to China. However, today the government published a new set of restrictions, which are broader and more severe. These limitations address the export of AI processors to various countries and regulate the AI computing power each country is allowed to possess.

Former Biden aides blast outgoing President in ’60-Minutes’ interview

In a series of revelations aired recently on CBS’s “60 Minutes,” senior U.S. administration officials disclosed their resignations in protest of President Joe Biden’s Israel policy, highlighting an unprecedented wave of internal dissent.

Thirteen senior officials from the State Department, White House, and military branches resigned in response to what they characterized as the administration’s “blind support” for Israel, reported Israel Hayom.

Joshua Paul, who served as director in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs at the State Department for 11 years overseeing critical arms agreements with US allies, emphasized the direct U.S. role in the conflict. “There’s a direct connection between every bomb dropped on Gaza and the United States, since every bomb is dropped from an American plane,” Paul stated. According to the source, U.S. military assistance to Israel since the outbreak of hostilities has reached 18 billion shekels ($5.1 billion), primarily in weaponry funded by American taxpayers. The U.S. State Department recently authorized an additional arms package worth 8 billion shekels ($2.3 billion) at the beginning of this month.

IRGC takes delivery of 1,000 new drones

A thousand new drones were delivered to Iran’s army on Monday, the state-run Tasnim news agency reported, as the country braces for more friction with arch-enemy Israel and the United States under incoming US president Donald Trump.

The drones were delivered to various locations throughout Iran and are said to have high stealth and anti-fortification abilities, according to the Jerusalem Post.

“The drones’ unique features, including a range of over 2,000 km., high destructive power, the ability to pass through defense layers with a low radar cross-section, and autonomous flight, not only increase the depth of reconnaissance and border monitoring but also boost the combat capability of the army’s drone fleet in confronting distant targets,” the news agency added.

Russia, Iran to sign strategic pact on Jan. 17

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will travel to Russia on Jan. 17 to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and sign a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement” between the two nations. The pair will additionally discuss trade and logistics cooperation during Friday’s meeting.

The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies reported Iran hopes to acquire advanced Russian air defense systems to reinforce their existing array, which was heavily damaged by the Israeli Air Force during airstrikes on Oct. 26. Tehran is also seeking to add Russian-made Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets to its fleet of outdated military aircraft, a move with precedent after Russia provided the Islamic Republic with trainer jets in 2023.

Russia and Iran have maintained frequent military ties throughout Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and Iran’s proxy war against Israel following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas atrocities. U.S. intelligence reported in 2023 that Tehran was supplying explosive drones to Moscow, and reports emerged in September 2024 that Iranian ballistic missiles were also being transferred to Russia. Inversely, the Wall Street Journal reported in October 2024 that Russia was providing targeting data to the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen for their ongoing attacks on global shipping.

Senior Iranian official claims Israel rigged centrifuge technology with explosives

Israel planted explosives in centrifuge technology Iran bought for its nuclear program, veteran diplomat and vice president Mohammad Javad Zarif said, alleging an apparently unknown attempted attack by the Islamic Republic’s arch-enemy.

Providing few details, Iran’s vice president for strategic affairs said in a preview of an online interview that sanctions on Iran and its allies deepened security challenges and made them vulnerable to Israeli booby traps, according to Iran International.

“Our colleagues had purchased a centrifuge platform for the Atomic Energy Organization, and it was discovered that explosives had been embedded inside it, which they managed to detect.”

It was not clear when the alleged incident occurred.

A power failure at Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment site in April 2021 apparently caused by an explosion was decried by Iran as an act of “nuclear terrorism.”

IDF eliminates 6 terrorist in Jenin

The IAF carried out an airstrike in the Jenin area on Tuesday evening in an operation, the details of which have not yet been cleared for publication.

A joint statement from the IDF and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) stated that “in a joint operation by the IDF and Shin Bet, an IAF aircraft struck a short time ago in the Jenin area in the area of the Menashe Brigade, additional details to follow.”

This is the first IDF attack in the area in about a month and a half. The security establishment has refrained from operating in the Jenin sector where Palestinian Authority security forces were operating against terrorist elements in Jenin.

The PA health ministry reported that six people were killed and several wounded in the Israeli airstrike.

ADL poll: Nearly half the world’s adults hold negative opinions of Jews

A new survey released by the Anti-Defamation League shows nearly half of the global population holds elevated levels of antisemitic attitudes.

The Global 100 poll found that an estimated 2.2 billion people, representing 46% of the world’s adults, “harbor deeply entrenched anti-Semitic attitudes,” the ADL stated. That figure is double the level from a decade ago and the highest on record since the group monitoring Jew-hatred began examining worldwide trends, the Jewish News Syndicate reported.

Through its polling partners, including Ipsos, the ADL surveyed more than 58,000 adults from 103 countries, covering some 94% of the world’s adult population, with responses solicited between July 23 and Nov. 13, 2024.

Alarmingly, the survey revealed that one-fifth of respondents have not heard about the Holocaust with only 48% recognizing the historical accuracy of the mass-murder operation to eradicate European Jewry. That figure of recognizing the accuracy of the Holocaust fell to just 16% among respondents in the Middle East.

IDF seizes more than 3,000 pieces of weaponry from Syrian border

The IDF has confiscated over 3,300 weapons along the Syrian border, including Syrian tanks, anti-tank missiles, RPGs, shells, mortars, surveillance equipment and other arms, the military reported on Wednesday.

Since the start of the war, more than 170,000 weapons have been seized across all fronts, including Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, the IDF added, Ynet reported.

* * *

Content created by the WND News Center is available for re-publication without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].

This article was originally published by the WND News Center.

Related Posts

WND News Center

Pentagon: U.S. reducing troops stationed in Germany by 5,000

Bob Unruh
WND News Center

Light plane crashes in Texas Hill Country, 4 pickleball competitors and pilot dead

Bob Unruh