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Israel was “closer to a ceasefire deal than we have ever been,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said during a closed-door parliamentary committee hearing Monday. Hamas would also see a large number of Palestinian prisoners released by Israel as part of the deal, the sources said. Hamas has not confirmed to NBC News or others’ reporting that it has agreed to Israeli troops in Gaza. "After the military and governmental power of Hamas in Gaza is defeated, Israel will securely control Gaza with full freedom of action" he posted on X, likening this outcome to Israel’s current control over the occupied West Bank. Katz did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for details on what “full freedom of action” would mean.

Persons: Israel, Israel Katz, Jack Guez, ”, Israel “, Katz, Yossi Mekelberg, Hamza Z, Gershon Baskin, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Omar Al, Jake Sullivan, Bashar al, Assad Organizations: ” Defense, NBC News, Hamas, Getty, Street Journal, West Bank, NBC, Bank, Israel, Chatham House’s, WhatsApp, Ahli Arab Hospital, Biden Locations: Gaza, Israel, Tel Aviv, AFP, Doha, Qatar, East, North Africa, Gaza City, Anadolu, Al, Ahli, Iran

CNN —Hamas has become the latest party to the Gaza hostage and ceasefire negotiations to voice optimism about the prospects of reaching a deal, amid a flurry of diplomatic activity in the region. While officials caution that a deal is neither sealed nor guaranteed, the upbeat language and recent diplomatic activity point to significant momentum toward reaching a deal. An Israeli source familiar with the matter told CNN that a deal was still potentially weeks away. Hamas also cautioned that hurdles remain, suggesting that Israel was “imposing new conditions” in the negotiations. “What is brewing now, perhaps, is a major Egyptian-Qatari effort to reach a deal in stages.”“Public anger against Hamas is erupting throughout Gaza,” he said.

Persons: ”, Israel, Joe Biden, –, Jake Sullivan, “, ” Sullivan, Benjamin Netanyahu, Brett McGurk, Biden, McGurk, Sullivan, Yahya Sinwar, Donald Trump, nudging Netanyahu, Einav, Matan Zangauker, Mahmoud Illean, Gershon Baskin, Baskin Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Gaza, Qatari, Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas, Shin, Biden, Doha, US National, Israeli, Israel Locations: Israeli, Doha, Gaza, Egypt, Israel, Qatar, Tel Aviv, Egyptian

Footage of the blast emerged as Israel announced plans to double its population in the occupied Golan Heights, citing threats from Syria. Israel occupied the Golan Heights during the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed the roughly 460-square-mile area in 1981 in a unilateral decision that was not recognized by the international community. An Israeli soldier rolls up a portrait of ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad near the village of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights on Saturday. “Israel will not permit jihadi groups to fill that vacuum and threaten Israeli communities on the Golan Heights with October 7th style attacks,” it said. The Syrian town of Quneitra, seen from the Golan Heights in Majdal Shams on Dec. 11.

Persons: Assad regime's, Abu Mohammad al, Benjamin Netanyahu, Bashar al, Assad, Majdal Shams, Jalaa Marey, Donald Trump, Biden, “, Mount Hermon —, Jolani, Israel, Hayat, Bashar Al, Kobi Wolf, António Guterres Organizations: Syrian Observatory, Human Rights, NBC, NASA, Israel Defense Forces, Getty, Forces, Mount, Reuters, Bloomberg, United Nations Locations: Tartus, Syria, Israel, Golan, London, Syrian, Latakia, Israeli, Gaza, Majdal, AFP, Mount Hermon, “ Israel, Hayat Tahrir, United States, Quneitra

☆ Israel appeals ICC arrest warrants; Gaza death toll nears 45,000
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-15 | by ( Freddie Clayton | Freddie Clayton Is A Freelance Journalist Based In London. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Israel has appealed the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as the official death toll in Gaza nears 45,000, according to Palestinian health authorites. Oren Marmorstein, a spokesperson for Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed to NBC News on Sunday that Israel had filed the appeal against the ICC arrest warrants. In Gaza, Israel bombed clusters of houses and set some ablaze in three towns, also attacking Khalil Aweida, a school-turned-shelter, before storming it and ordering displaced families to head towards Gaza City, according to Reuters, citing medics and residents. A Palestinian man carries a child killed by an Israeli airstrike through a cemetery in Deir el-Balah on Sunday. Since then, nearly 45,000 people have been killed in Gaza, most of them women and children, while over 105,000 people have been injured, and many victims remain buried under rubble.

Persons: Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Oren Marmorstein, ”, OMAR AL, Marmorstein, “, ” Netanyahu’s, Omer Dostri, Donald Trump, Khalil Aweida, Mohammed Abu Afash, EYAD BABA, Philippe Lazzarini, ” Lazzarini Organizations: International, Court, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NBC News, ICC, Getty, Palestinian Medical Relief, World Health Organization, West Bank, Palestinian Authority, UNRWA Locations: Gaza, AFP, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Gaza City, Deir el, Palestinian, Jenin, Western, Jenin Camp

CNN —Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that he had a “very warm” phone call with US President-elect Donald Trump, during which they spoke about the need for Israel’s victory in its war on Hamas in Gaza and its stance on Syria. The leaders also spoke of the need to bring home the remaining hostages in Gaza, Netanyahu said. “I discussed all of this again last night with my friend, US President-elect Donald Trump,” Netanyahu said. Netanyahu said that Israel continues to “work tirelessly to bring our hostages home, both the living and the dead. “Strengthening the Golan Heights is strengthening the state of Israel, and it is especially important at this time.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump, Netanyahu, “, ” Netanyahu, Israel, ”, ’, Bashar al, Assad, Mount Hermon, Katzrin, Trump Organizations: CNN, Israeli, US, Trump, Hamas, ” CNN, Golan Regional Locations: Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, rearming, Israel, ’ Syria, Iran, Golan, Mount, Katzrin, United States, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar

☆ Israel name-checked a notorious WWII attack to justify sinking Syria's navy
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-15 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

During WWII, the Royal Navy attacked the fleet of its former ally to keep it from Nazi control. Though Netanyahu's history was faulty — it was the Royal Navy rather than the RAF that struck the French fleet — his analogy was revealing. The Kriegsmarine — the German Navy — was a fraction of the size of the Royal Navy, and thus too small to escort vulnerable troop transports. Vichy France would be allowed a meager army, and the French Navy would be confined to its home ports. This was no repeat of the Battle of Trafalgar, when the Royal Navy smashed a Franco-Spanish fleet off Spain in 1805.

Persons: Israel, Assad, Benjamin Netanyahu, Adolf Hitler's, Sealion, —, German Navy —, Winston Churchill, Philippe Pétain, Vichy, Churchill, Trafalgar, Vichy didn't, United States —, Netanyahu, Netanyahu didn't, Michael Peck Organizations: Royal Navy, British Air Force, RAF, Islamic, British Army, Nazi, Kriegsmarine, German Navy, Britain's, French Navy, —, Third, Britain, Getty, Ark Royal, French, Dunkerque, Royal, British, Vichy, Lease, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Syria, Latakia, Vichy, Mers, el, Kebir, Britain, Israel, British, Syrian, France, Western Europe, Dunkirk, German, French, Germany, Vichy France, French Algeria, Oran, Strasbourg, Caribbean, Bretagne, Franco, Spanish, Spain, Toulon, Albion, United States, America, Forbes

☆ Why Israel captured Syria’s tallest mountain just hours after Assad fell
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-14 | by ( Mick Krever | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

But it is Israel’s capture of Syria’s highest peak, the Mount Hermon summit, that may prove among the most lasting prizes – though officials have insisted that its occupation is temporary. “This is the highest place in the region, looking upon Lebanon, upon Syria, Israel,” said Efraim Inbar, director of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS). An Israeli military spokesperson this week denied that forces were “advancing toward” Damascus. Alain Dejean/Sygma/Getty ImagesIsrael captured the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau in southwestern Syria that abuts Mount Hermon, in the 1967 war and has occupied it since. In an academic paper published in 2011, he wrote of the many advantages presented by Mount Hermon.

Persons: Israel, Bashar al, Mount, ”, Efraim Inbar, “, Matias Delacroix, Israel Katz, Alain Dejean, Getty Images Israel, Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, ” Inbar, Mount Hermon, –, General Israel Ziv, ” Netanyahu, ” Mike Schwartz, Tim Lister Organizations: CNN, Syrian, Jerusalem Institute for Strategy, Security, UN, Israel Defense Forces, Mount Hermon, Getty Images, ”, . Social Locations: Mount Hermon, Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Golan, Syrian, Israeli, Damascus, Mount, United States, Hermon’s, “

☆ US has had direct contact with Syrian rebel group, Blinken says
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-14 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Aqaba, Jordan CNN —The United States has had direct contact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Syrian rebel group now in de-facto control of the country, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday. “Yes, we’ve been in contact with HTS and the other parties,” Blinken said at a news conference in Aqaba, Jordan. Blinken did not give details on when the contact was made or at what level. “This is a moment of vulnerability in which ISIS will seek to regroup, taking the advantage of transition in Syria,” Blinken said Saturday, reemphasizing the importance of the SDF. The US, however, has not condemned the move, with Blinken saying that they are talking with the Israeli government.

Persons: Tahrir, Antony Blinken, Bashar al, we’ve, ” Blinken, Blinken, Austin Tice, Assad, “, ”, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Hakan Fidan, Mohammed Shia, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, that’s, —, …, Israel, Trump Organizations: Jordan CNN, US, Syrian Democratic Forces, ISIS, Iraqi, United Nations Locations: Aqaba, Jordan, United States, Syria, Saturday, Turkey, Iraq, America, Turkish, Manbij, Ankara, Baghdad, Iran, —, Golan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Israel, ”

Israel has ordered troops to prepare to remain throughout winter on Mount Hermon — a strategic peak inside a buffer zone that has existed for decades with Syria but which Israeli forces have seized in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse. Israel has said its deployment to the buffer zone was temporary, but concerns have grown over what United Nations chief António Guterres on Thursday called “extensive violations of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity" as he urged Israeli forces to withdraw from the buffer zone. On Friday, Katz shared a photo on X that he said showed him with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu overlooking the Syrian peak of Mount Hermon with binoculars, saying the site had "returned to Israeli control after 51 years." "An exciting historical moment," he wrote. In his warning, Guterres called for urgent de-escalation "on all fronts, throughout Syria" as he expressed particular concern over hundreds of Israeli strikes on locations across Syria in recent days following the toppling of the Assad regime, which crowds gathered in Damascus to celebrate Friday.

Persons: Israel, Mount Hermon —, Assad, Hermon, Israel Katz, António Guterres, Katz, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: Israeli Defense, AFP, United Nations, Israeli Locations: Mount, Syria, Israel, Mount Hermon, Damascus

Antony Blinken speaks to reporters at King Hussein International Airport in Jordan's southern Red Sea coastal city of Aqaba on December 12. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/ReutersIsrael has “been clear” about the reasons for its military actions in Syria following the fall of the Assad regime, the top US diplomat said on Thursday. Israel has sent troops into the “buffer zone” between Israel and Syria and launched hundreds of strikes on Syrian air bases, ports and weapons stockpiles across the country this week. It is “really important… that we all try to make sure that we’re not sparking any additional conflicts,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters before departing Jordan for Turkey. “The stated purpose of those actions from the Israelis is to try to make sure that equipment that’s been abandoned — military equipment that’s been abandoned by the Syrian army — doesn’t fall into the wrong hands, terrorists, extremists, etc.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Andrew Caballero, Reynolds, Assad, Israel, “, that’s, —, Benjamin Netanyahu, Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, ” Organizations: King Hussein International Airport, Reuters, White House Locations: Jordan's, Red, Aqaba, Reuters Israel, Syria, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Jerusalem

☆ Israel accuses an ‘unprecedented’ number of Israelis of spying for Iran
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-13 | by ( Jeremy Diamond | Zeena Saifi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

The Israel Police arrested the suspects in October, a group of seven Israelis living in Haifa, northern Israel, representing one alleged cell. Like most of the other Israelis arrested on charges of spying for Iran, Nisanov had immigrated to Israel. While the GPS coordinates of the bases are known to Iran, Israeli authorities say the zoomed-in images Iran received from these Israelis provided additional targeting intelligence. Israel’s intelligence capabilities inside Iran are understood to be vast and Israeli intelligence has carried out multiple successful assassinations inside Iran. An exterior view of the building where Azis Nisanov, alleged ringleader of the Haifa cell, was living at the time of his arrest.

Persons: Israel CNN —, Maor Goren, ” Goren, –, ”, Leonid Gorbachovsky, ” Gorbachovsky, Nisanov, Gorbachovsky, Israel –, Maher Talhami, ” Talhami, “, Moti Maman, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Shin, Maman, “ Eddy ”, Ismail Haniyeh, Eyal Beserglick, Goren, CNN Oded Ailam, ” Ailam, Israel’s Shin Bet, Shin Bet, Vyacheslav, Slava, Gushchin, Moshe, Riki Yazdi, Ailam, Israel ”, Vyacheslav “ Slava ” Gushchin, ” Moshe Yazdi Organizations: Israel CNN, Nevatim Airbase, Israel Police, Nevatim Air Base, Haifa Seven, Iron, CNN, ” CNN, Revolutionary Guard Corps, Mossad, Haifa Locations: Haifa, Israel, Nevatim, Iran, Belarus, Lebanon, Lod, Ashkelon, Turkey, Iranian, Turkish, Samandag

☆ Israel says it has carried out hundreds of strikes on Syria, targeting 'strategic weapons stockpiles'
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-11 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Israel's defense minister said it intended to create a "defense zone free of weapons and terrorist threats in southern Syria." Israel says it has launched hundreds of airstrikes on Syria in the days since Bashar Assad's regime collapsed. AdvertisementOn Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces said it had "struck most of the strategic weapons stockpiles in Syria" in 48 hours as part of a push to stop the weapons "falling into the hands of terrorist elements." Per Tuesday's IDF statement, the Israeli military had conducted strikes on targets including antiaircraft batteries, Syrian Air Force airfields, and weapons production sites. AdvertisementA still from a video shared by Israel Defense Forces.

Persons: Bashar Assad's, Benjamin Netanyahu, Assad, Hayat, Per, Israel Katz, Katz, Israel, Joe Biden, Jonathan Lord, Netanyahu, embeds, Matias Delacroix, Stéphane, Dujarric Organizations: Israel Defense Forces, Sunday, Israel, Syrian Air Force, Human Rights, IDF, Israeli Defense, CNN, Business, Washington, Pentagon, Syrian Democratic Force, Troops, Reuters, AP, Egypt Independent, Arab League, UN, United Nations, Observer Force Locations: Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Al, Latakia, US, Turkey, Ankara, Kurdish, Damascus, Golan, Egypt

☆ Syria maps: How rebels toppled the Assad regime, in 7 visuals
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Lou Robinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN mapped how the rebel groups captured several key cities, cutting off pro-regime forces and successfully toppling Assad’s regime after 11 days of fighting. In the first week, rebel forces made gains in northern Syria. HTS-affiliated rebels seized territory and took control of Aleppo, the country’s second-biggest city, on Dec. 3, before moving south toward Hama. By Dec. 7, Assad’s regime was beginning to collapse, with Assad’s forces retreating from rebel-controlled areas across the country. By Dec. 8, the rebels had claimed control of Damascus, Syria’s capital.

Persons: Bashar al, Hayat Tahrir, Assad, Assad’s, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mohammad Al, Bashir Organizations: CNN, Institute for, Sunday Locations: Qaeda, Syria, Aleppo, Hama, Homs, Daraa, Damascus, Syria’s, Russia, Moscow, Israel, Golan

Russia is providing sanctuary to Bashar al-Assad, having transported the former Syrian leader there “in the most secure way possible” after the swift collapse of his regime, Russia’s deputy foreign minister told NBC News in an exclusive interview Tuesday. “Russia is not a party to the convention that established the International Criminal Court,” Ryabkov said when asked if the Kremlin would hand over Assad for trial. Separately, in March 2023, the court issued an arrest warrant for Putin for “war crimes” in overseeing the unlawful abduction and deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia. And last month, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza. Israel, Ryabkov said, should observe that agreement and it should “not infringe” on Syria’s territorial integrity.

Persons: Bashar al, Assad, ” Sergei Ryabkov, ” Ryabkov, Vladimir Putin, Omar Haj Kadour, Ryabkov, Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Assad “, “, Russia “, Israel “, Netanyahu, Evan Gershkovich, ” Organizations: NBC News, Russian, Getty, Criminal, ICC, U.S, Islamic State, ISIS, Wall Street Locations: Russia, Syria, Hama, AFP, Hague, Netherlands, China, United States, Israel, Ukraine, Gaza, U.S, Iraq, Libya, Tahrir, Golan, ”, Germany, Slovenia, Turkey

☆ Israel strikes and advances into Syrian territory after Assad's overthrow, fueling alarm
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Freddie Clayton | Freddie Clayton Is A Freelance Journalist Based In London. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The exact location of Israeli forces was unclear. And U.S. NATO ally Turkey said Israel was "once against displaying its occupying mentality," condemning its actions while Syria strives for "peace and stability." But Israel’s ground offensive carries “significant risks,” especially if they are going beyond the buffer zone as Netanyahu hinted, warned Michael A. Horowitz, a geopolitical and security analyst. The roughly 155-square-mile buffer zone between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights was created after the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. Netanyahu said Sunday that the agreement that established the zone had “collapsed” after Syrian soldiers abandoned their positions amid the overthrow of Assad.

Persons: Nadav Shoshani, Avichay Adraee, Israel’s “, Israel's, Israel, Netanyahu, Michael A, Horowitz, ” Horowitz, Assad Organizations: Syrian Observatory, Human Rights, IDF, Gaza, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, United Nations Charter, . Security, NATO, United, ISIS, NBC, Sunday, Syrian Scientific Studies, Research, Reuters, News Locations: U.K, Damascus, Israel, ”, Lebanon, Qatar’s, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Russia, United States, Golan, Barzeh

☆ Netanyahu assails media as he testifies for first time in his corruption trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Reuters —Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the witness stand for the first time on Tuesday in his long-running corruption trial, saying he was being hounded for his hawkish security policies. Netanyahu, 75, is Israel’s first sitting prime minister to be charged with a crime. “I have been waiting for eight years for this moment to tell the truth,” Netanyahu told the three-judge court. In the runup to his court date, Netanyahu revived familiar pre-war rhetoric against law enforcement, describing investigations against him as a witch hunt. The shock Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the ensuing Gaza war swept Netanyahu’s trial off the public agenda as Israelis came together in grief and trauma.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, ” Netanyahu, …, Sara, “, ”, Amit Hadad, Prosecutors, Hadad, Yoav Gallant Organizations: Reuters, Israeli, Israel’s Defense Ministry, Likud, ”, Bezeq Telecom Israel, Tel, Court, Palestinian, Criminal Court, ICC Locations: Israel, Gaza, Syria, Palestinian, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Lebanese

☆ Israel bombs Syria and seizes territory as Netanyahu pledges to change ‘the face’ of the Middle East
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Mick Krever | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

But they also fear what could come from radical Islamists governing Syria, which borders Israel in the occupied Golan Heights. Images taken by an AFP journalist at Mezzeh Air Base southwest of Damascus also showed destroyed Syrian military helicopters. CNN could not independently confirm that claim, but the village lies in the Syrian foothills of Mount Hermon, which Israeli forces captured on Sunday. That zone was established in 1974, after Israeli forces – responding to a Syrian attack – captured the Golan Heights in 1967. Israeli officials have refused to give details on how far Israeli forces will advance, or how long they will stay there.

Persons: Assad, Benjamin Netanyahu, Bashar al, ”, Gideon Sa’ar, I’m, Omar Haj Kadour, Israel Katz, Ali Haj Suleiman, Israel, ” Katz, Mount Hermon, Netanyahu, –, Danny Dannon, ” Eyad Kourdi, Dana Karni Organizations: CNN, Getty, Israeli Defense, Mezzeh, Base, Arab League, ”, Capital, Hermon, Sunday, United Nations, Security Locations: Israel, Syria, Iran, Lebanon, Golan Heights, Syrian, Damascus, AFP, Latakia, ”, Egypt, “, Mount, Golan

Five sources familiar with the conversations said there has been close coordination, with Trump’s team being kept apprised of the sensitive and painstaking work by Joe Biden’s administration. Their counterpart in the Trump camp is Steve Witkoff, Trump’s recently named Middle East envoy. “He’s still going to want to take the credit, he’s still going to take the win,” said a source familiar with Trump’s thinking. The flurry of contact and travel by Biden and Trump officials will soon include a trip by Sullivan to Israel this week for talks on a range of issues, including Gaza. Trump officials engaging with IsraelisKey members of Trump’s national security team – and the president-elect himself – have also been engaged with members of the Israeli government, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Persons: CNN —, Donald Trump, Joe Biden’s, Bill Burns, Brett McGurk, Trump, Steve Witkoff, Trump’s, Witkoff, they’re, Antony Blinken, ”, ” Biden, Biden, Jake Sullivan, Mike Waltz, “ He’s, he’s, ” Witkoff, “ I’m, Jon, “, Massad Boulos, ” Boulos, Sullivan, James Rubin, Blinken, –, Benjamin Netanyahu, Waltz, Ron Dermer, decamped, Netanyahu, Yahya Sinwar, Gideon Sa’ar, Adam Boehler, Jared Kushner, Ruby Chen, Itay Chen, SPEHA Adam, Boehler, CNN’s Eugenia Yosef, Dana Karni Organizations: CNN, Biden, Hamas, Biden’s, CIA, Middle, Reuters, ”, CBS, Trump, Incoming Locations: Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, United States, Syria, Jerusalem, Washington, Egypt, Turkey, Doha

☆ The Omnicom-IPG megamerger signals a new era for the ad industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Hallam Bullock | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Related Video How tech layoffs could affect the economyIn today's newsletter, the $13 billion Omnicom-IPG megamerger reflects a new era as Big Tech and AI upend the ad industry. OmnicomIt's already been a big week for the ad industry. For ad industry insiders, the proposed takeover reflects an ad sector under threat from Big Tech and AI , writes Business Insider's Lara O'Reilly. AdvertisementPrivate equity has been circling the ad industry, too. Industry insiders have speculated for months that WPP could be taken private — or at least some parts of it could be.

Persons: Luigi Mangione, Brian Thompson, Mangione, John Wren, IPG Philippe Krakowsky, Wren, Omnicom It's, Publicis, Snoop Dogg, it's, Insider's Lara O'Reilly, creatives, Simon Francis, Lara, William Ritchie, Blackstone, Chelsea Jia Feng, Jane Fraser, Aaron Neyer, Sylvia Duran, Camila Ferraz, Jenny Chang, Rodriguez, —, Jimmy Donaldson, Rupert Murdoch Getty, Rupert Murdoch, Rupert, Lachlan, Murdoch, they've, Elon Musk, Sundar Pichai, Benjamin Netanyahu, Janet Yellen, Hallam Bullock, Grace Lett, Ella Hopkins, Amanda Yen, Lisa Ryan, New York Milan Sehmbi Organizations: Business, Ivy League, Big Tech, Monday, Omnicom, Interpublic, Groupe, WPP, Flock Associates, WY Partners, Apollo, KKR, Industry, Getty, Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, Citi, Google, PowerPoint, Elon, Wall Street, Summit Locations: Pennsylvania, Paris, China, bitcoin, MrBeast City, California, Jerusalem, Stockholm, Sweden, London, Chicago, New York

☆ Melbourne, Australia: Adass Israel Synagogue attack to be investigated as a terrorist incident
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-09 | by ( Edward Szekeres | Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —An arson attack on a synagogue in Melbourne last week is being investigated as terrorist incident, Australian officials said Monday, as the government announced it was establishing a new task force to combat antisemitism. The Adass Israel Synagogue in the city’s south – one of Australia’s most significant Jewish centers – burst into flames early on Friday sending worshippers fleeing during overnight prayers. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Friday’s fire at the Melbourne synagogue was the third antisemitic attack in recent months. “Unfortunately, in Australia today those of Jewish ethnicity and religion are being targeted because of who they are,” he said. “The AFP will not tolerate crimes that undermine Australia’s security or our way of life.”A policewoman stands guard at the scene of a fire at the Adass Israel Synagogue in Ripponlea, Melbourne, Australia, on December 6, 2024.

Persons: Shane Patton, Monday, Patton, Anthony Albanese, Reece Kershaw, ”, “, Con Chronis, Albanese, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel ‘, Ayelet Shaked, Shaked, – Organizations: CNN, Victoria Police, Australian Federal Police, AFP, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, Australian, Reuters, United, Labor, Israel, UN, “ Locations: Melbourne, Israel, Sydney, Australia, Adass, Ripponlea, Gaza, Israeli, United Nations, “, Palestinian, “ Australia

☆ Read the full transcript: President-elect Donald Trump interviewed by "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-08 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +111 min

PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP:No, no —KRISTEN WELKER:And there’s no —PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP:He can’t deny it. KRISTEN WELKER:We’re going to —PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP:For what they did —KRISTEN WELKER:Yeah —PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP:– honestly, they should go to jail. PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP:For what they did —KRISTEN WELKER:Everyone on the committee you think —PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP:I think everybody —KRISTEN WELKER:– should go to jail? PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP:We’re talking about --KRISTEN WELKER:You won’t touch Medicare --PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP:– theft --KRISTEN WELKER:– Social Security? KRISTEN WELKER:But you --PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP:I want to stop--KRISTEN WELKER:– have talked about --PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP:Let me tell you what --KRISTEN WELKER:– the other world leaders.

Persons: KRISTEN WELKER, Donald Trump, DONALD TRUMP, Grover Cleveland, we’re, we’ll, We’re, Pete, He’s, Pete Hegseth, “, you’re, ”, “ I’m, there’s, ” KRISTEN WELKER, Decker, AutoZone, it’s, Covid, Jim Jordan, they’re, would’ve, I’ll, Justin Trudeau, Xi, Biden, I’ve, Will, Jerome Powell, –, You’ve, who’s, we’ve, — KRISTEN WELKER, they’ve, should’ve, Tom Homan —, Tom Homan, you’ve, —, David Muir, David, Kristen, Obama, We’ll, They’re, I’m, John McCain, Collins, — it’s, “ That’s, could’ve, Obamacare, Kate Britt, Roe, Wade, Joe Biden, Kash Patel, Hillary Clinton, Bill Barr, Christopher Wray, Pam, Pam Bondi, Kash, that’s, Trey Gowdy, he’s, Joe Biden —, Jack Smith, Don’t, You’re, Trump, Russ Vought, Brendan Carr, Peter Navarro, John Ratcliffe, Pete Hoekstra, Monica Crowley, let’s, Let’s, Hunter, “ Sir, Everything’s, Fani Willis, Fani, It’s, Alvin Bragg, Letitia James, Liz Cheney, Adam Schiff, Anthony Fauci, Biden doesn’t, Cheney, Kamala, Thompson, Nancy Pelosi, Sir, Bennie Thompson, Ray Epps, “ You’re, who’ve, Tulsi Gabbard, Bashar al, Assad, Putin, Xi of, Kim Jong, Oz, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mary Barra, Mark Zuckerberg, Vivek Ramaswamy, “ You’ve, Israel wouldn’t, Ukraine would’ve, Russia’s, Ukraine’s, Biden should’ve, aren’t, Netanyahu, Jack, don’t, couldn’t, Joe, she’s, Ivanka, She’s, she’d, “ Don’t, “ don’t, Lara, Michael, George Stephanopoulos, MAGA, There’s, McLaughlin, Fabrizio, “ George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, hasn’t, It’s — KRISTEN WELKER, Russia wouldn’t Organizations: Press, Republicans, Trump, Harvard, Fox, America, United, United States ’, Walmart, Black, Biden, Whirlpool, Canada, Mar, White, Federal Reserve, Democrats, FBI, ”, Capitol, Department, “, Republican Party, Truth, Justice Department, DOJ, NBC, National Guard —, D.C, CNN, —, Defense Department, National Intelligence, RFK Jr, Autism, Elon, Electoral, Electoral College, Government, Social Security, Medicaid, Security, NATO, U.S ., Service, Exxon, Republican National Committee, Republican, ISIS Locations: America, they’re, Princeton, Fox, United States, China, Canada, Mexico, Ohio, South Korea, Canadian, California, Mississippi, Alabama, New York, Liberty, Venezuela, Colorado, San Diego , California, United States of America, Russia, Hague, Florida, Mar, —, Manhattan, Antifa, Portland, Portland . Seattle, Seattle . Seattle, . Minneapolis, Minneapolis, ”, Xi of China, Hunter, Ukraine, Europe, East, Gaza, Taiwan, U.S, TikTok, UN, It’s, Syria, Afghanistan

☆ Israel watches Syria with trepidation as 50 years of detente is upended
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-08 | by ( Mick Krever | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Since 1974, the buffer zone has been patrolled by United Nations peacekeepers. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967 and annexed it in 1981. Israeli leaders are watching events across the border in Syria with a mix of trepidation and glee, as 50 years of detente were upended in a matter of hours. Though Israel occasionally offered treatment to casualties of Syria’s civil war, it maintained official neutrality in the conflict. Mordechai Kedar, who specialized in Syria affairs during a 25-year career in Israeli military intelligence, said that the events in Syria were a domino effect from Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Bashar al, ”, Israel, Netanyahu, Boaz Shapira, “, Assad, –, ” Bashar al, Hassan Nasrallah, Mordechai Kedar, “ It’s, Israel –, Stoyan Nenov, Amos Yadlin, Qasem, Soleimani, Nasrallah, Hayat Tahrir, Abu Mohammad al, Ahmed al, Kedar, ” Jolani, ” Yadlin, Jolani, ” “, Amichai Chiklisaid, ” Shapira, Golan, Yair Lapid, ” CNN’s Abeer Salman, Mike Schwartz Organizations: CNN, Israeli, Sunday, Defense, United Nations, Alma Foundation, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Military Intelligence Directorate, “, al, US Government, Syria, Diaspora, IDF, Abraham Accords, West Bank Locations: Syria, Iran, Lebanon, Damascus, Golan, Israel, Iranian, –, Gaza, Assad, Russia, al Qaeda, Iraq, The State, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, Morocco, Sudan, Jerusalem

☆ As Syrian rebels topple President Assad, difficult times lie ahead
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

People walk near razor wire at Masnaa Border Crossing, after Syrian rebels announced that they have ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, Lebanon, on Dec. 8, 2024. "We celebrate with the Syrian people the news of freeing our prisoners and releasing their chains," the rebels said. Underscoring the lightning changes, Iran's embassy was stormed by Syrian rebels, Iran's English-language Press TV reported. The Syrian rebel coalition said it was continuing work to complete the transfer of power in the country to a transitional governing body with full executive powers. Russia, a staunch Assad ally, intervened decisively in 2015 to help Assad during Syria's civil war.

Persons: Syria's Bashar al, Amr Abdallah Dalsh, Bashar al, Assad, Abu Mohammed al, Golani, Benjamin Netanyahu, Assad's, Emmanuel Macron, Asma, —, Mohammad Ghazi al, Jalali Organizations: Syrian, Reuters, Islamic, Press, Revolutionary Guards, Sunday, Russian Foreign Ministry, Golani, Hezbollah Locations: Assad, Lebanon, Damascus, Russia, Iran, Syria, Israel, Turkey, United States, Islamic State, Iraq, Syrian, Ukraine

☆ Matan Zangauker: Mother of Israeli hostage in Hamas video calls on Netanyahu to do a deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-07 | by ( Tamar Michaelis | Jennifer Hauser | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The mother of a hostage who appears in the latest “proof of life” video released by Hamas has doubled down on her criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, making an emotional appeal for him to do a deal for the captives’ return. In the video, Zangauker describes living with spiders and rats. Know that we’re not stopping for a moment … stay strong.”Israeli hostage Matan Zangauker appears in a video released by Hamas on December 7, 2024. I heard his voice crying out for help.”Former hostages Yocheved Lifshitz and Illana Gritzewsky stand by Natalie Zangauker, sister of hostage Matan Zangauker at a Tel Aviv rally on December 7, 2024. In the video released Saturday, Zangauker appears to acknowledge his mother’s efforts.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Zangauker –, –, Zangauker, Zangauker’s, ”, Einav –, Netanyahu’s, Einav Zangauker, “ Netanyahu, Matan Zangauker, Yair Lapid, Matan, Einav, Illana Gritzewsky, Nir Oz Kibbutz –, Nir Oz, Gritzewsky, Natalie, Yocheved Lifshitz, Natalie Zangauker, Paulina Patimer, Edan Alexander, Donald Trump, ’, Netanyahu Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Israel Defense Forces Locations: Gaza, Israel, Tel Aviv, ”, Zangauker, Jerusalem

CNN —Israeli President Isaac Herzog called Elon Musk “in the last few days” to discuss a revival of talks to secure the release of hostages currently held in Gaza, according to a source close to President Herzog. The source told CNN Herzog had made the call at the request of hostage family members who hope Musk will be able to apply pressure on all parties to secure a deal. A source close to the hostage families, who spoke with President Herzog and who is familiar with the conversation, told CNN: “There was a chat between the President and a few hostage families, where one of the subjects discussed was influence on Trump, and Elon Musk’s name came up as someone of influence on Trump. Therefore, keeping an open channel with him is important.”It is believed there are 100 hostages, both dead and alive, currently being held in Gaza, 96 of whom were taken during Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel last year. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under intense pressure from the families of those captured to secure their release, but repeated efforts to strike a ceasefire-for-hostages agreement have fallen short.

Persons: Isaac Herzog, Elon, Herzog, CNN Herzog, Donald Trump, Musk, Gaza aren’t, Elon Musk’s, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: CNN, Trump, Whites Locations: Gaza, Israel

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