West Bank Israeli settlements
Reuters Reporting by Ali Saftawi and Nuha Sharaf; Writing by Howard Goller; Editing by Timothy Heritage 20 December 2024

Extracts:

• West Bank Israeli settlements

The United Nations says more than 700,000 Israelis live among 3 million Palestinians, in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, lands Israel captured in 1967

Most countries deem Israeli settlements built on the captured land to be illegal
Israel disputes this and cites historical and biblical ties to the land

Violence has surged across the West Bank since the October 7, 2023 attack led by Hamas militants on southern Israel, which triggered Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza and a wider conflict on several fronts

Syria Could Become a Turkish Protectorate
Haaretz by Zvi Bar'el 15 December 2024

Extracts:

• Syria Could Become a Turkish Protectorate, Limiting Israel's Freedom of Action

With a strategic interest in turning Syria into an anti-Kurdish bulwark, Turkey is seeking to take the place of Russia and Iran – including control of Syria's airspace

• HTS letters to UNSC

One day after Israel took control of "Syrian Mount Hermon" and areas around Quneitra, Syria's new government under Abu Mohammed al-Golani swiftly dispatched two letters to the United Nations Security Council and secretary-general, demanding,
1. Israel withdraw its forces from Syrian territory
2. and cease its attacks

Israel At War - Day 442 Houthis Still Standing Still Firing
Missile from Yemen explodes in south Tel Aviv park
The Times of Israel 21 December 2024

Extracts:

• Missile from Yemen explodes in south Tel Aviv park, lightly injuring 16

IDF says interception attempts failed:
sirens send millions rushing to shelters throughout central Israel, in second Houthi attack in as many days

Long war - Bitter lessons
Haaretz by David Rosenberg 19 December 2024

Extracts:

• The Bitter Lesson Israel Can Learn From Russia About Fighting Long Wars

Prolonged fighting is straining the Russian economy
Israel faces the same problem if Netanyahu insists on keeping it on a war footing

Economically speaking (and for that matter, virtually everything-else speaking) Israel and Russia couldn't be more different

Israel was asleep at the wheel...

• Terrorists unleashed surprise terror of savagery and sadism, on Israel 07 October 2023
• This “belligerent warring” been going on far too long.... Israeli soldiers far too high a toll
• Israel has not seen this scale of military activity in terms of duration, intensity and cost in recent times
• Israel is burning and bleeding, on all fronts including its economy

Hamas must have known what would happen – that Israel would react with force and that many Gazan people would suffer as a result Then again,
1. “We make the headlines only with blood”
2. “No blood, no news”
3. willingness to sacrifice Palestinian civilian lives for their own advantage
4. calling their own people's deaths “necessary sacrifice”

• Gaza

Palestinian civilian death toll and horrific humanitarian situation in the Gaza strip

• common denominator: Russia

The two wars currently dominating the agenda: Ukraine war and Israel-Middle East war -- have / had one common denominator: Russia

Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, has called on Mr Scholz to “immediately resign” in the wake of the terror attack, and called the Chancellor an “incompetent fool”.

All Israel News December 20, 2024

What is he on

Russian President Putin expresses concern over Israeli military presence in Syria:
"Russia condemns the seizure of any Syrian territories. This is obvious," Putin said

"I have the impression that not only are they not going to leave, but they are going to reinforce there," Putin claimed, adding that Israel has reached Soviet-built fortifications located some 25 km (16 miles) inside Syria.

"We all understand this. There will be many problems. But we are on the side of international law and for the sovereignty of all countries, while respecting their territorial integrity, meaning Syria," Putin stated

No wonder Zelensky called him dumbass

denies Moscow's weakening after Assad's fall:
He denied that Moscow’s backing of the former Assad regime was a failure.

Russia’s main interest in Syria is to secure its two main military bases, which offer Russia direct access to the Mediterranean Sea.

Putin claimed that Russia is currently engaged in dialogue with Syrian rebels, who, according to him, support the preservation of Russia’s military assets in Syria.

whatever he was on, double dosage

Turning to Russia’s tense relations with the United States due to the war in Ukraine, Putin said Russia is ready to embrace compromises and hopes that relations will improve under President-elect Donald Trump.

"We have always said that we are ready for negotiations and compromises," Putin stated

"Soon, those Ukrainians who want to fight will run out, in my opinion, soon there will be no one left who wants to fight.
We are ready, but the other side needs to be ready for both negotiations and compromises," he added.

While initially rivals in Syria, Russia and Iran have formed a close military alliance since the Ukraine war began in 2022 amid international boycotts against both countries.

The Iranian regime has provided Russia with drones that have been used against Ukraine.

In return, Moscow has provided Tehran with advanced military equipment, including Russia's aerial defense systems.

The Times of Israel December 21, 2024
After missile strike in Tel Aviv, Houthi official says ‘heart of enemy no longer secure’

Medics say 16 lightly injured, mostly by shattered glass
IDF confirms ‘attempted interceptions did not succeed’

From: The Times of Israel December 22, 2024
Yemen airstrikes reportedly carried out by US-led coalition

CENTCOM confirms strikes on Houthi missile storage facility and command center in Sana’a

US Central Command confirms having conducted airstrikes in Sana’a, Yemen earlier this evening, saying it targeted a missile storage facility and a command-and-control site operated by Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

CENTCOM says the attack will degrade Houthi capabilities to conduct attacks such as ones that have targeted US warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden.

It makes no mention of last night’s Houthi missile attack in Tel Aviv.

During the operation, CENTCOM forces also shot down multiple Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea, CENTCOM says.

“The strike reflects CENTCOM’s ongoing commitment to protect U.S. and coalition personnel, regional partners and international shipping,” the statement adds.

Yemen’s Al-Masirah outlet, linked to the Iran-backed Houthis, says the blasts in Sana’a a short while ago were the result of airstrikes.

The strikes were carried out by the US-led coalition, and not Israel, Israeli sources say.

From: The Times of Israel December 22, 2024

German Christmas market attacker is Saudi anti-Islamist who shared pro-Israel content
Attacker reportedly tried 'to hit as many people as possible'

Regional premier says suspect is doctor, 50, who lived in Germany since 2006 showed support for far-right AfD;
Washington Post says man believed to have been under influence of drugs

The suspect in the deadly ramming at a Christmas market in Germany on Friday was an anti-Islam activist who shared pro-Israel content on social media in the wake of the October 7 attacks, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Five people were killed and some 200 injured when an SUV plowed through the festive crowd in Magdeburg.
One of the victims was a young child.

Regional premier Reiner Haselhoff said that the suspect is a 50-year-old doctor and was seemingly a lone attacker.
He was detained in the wake of the deadly ramming.

German media added that he was a doctor of psychiatry, and partially named him as Taleb A.

According to the Journal report, the suspect, a Saudi national who had moved to Germany in 2006 ran a website and social media channels warning against Islam and discussing women’s rights, as well as posting content in support of Israel.

He also showed support for Germany’s far-right anti-immigration AfD party, the report said.

A German security official familiar with the investigation told the Journal that the suspect had arrived in Germany as an asylum seeker who said he had fled Saudi Arabia due to strict Islamic laws.

He was granted refugee status before obtaining permanent residence in the country.

According to the report, the suspect had posted on social media in recent days accusing the German government of,
1. allowing the proliferation of Islamization in the country
2. and of persecuting female Saudi asylum seekers

Police said the vehicle drove “at least 400 meters across the Christmas market” leaving a trail of bloodied casualties, debris and broken glass at the city’s central town hall square.

The local Volksstimme newspaper said reports from the scene indicated the attacker clearly tried “to hit as many people as possible.”

From: The Jerusalem Post December 20, 2024
Saudi Arabia warned Germany ahead of Christmas market ramming, source claims

A Saudi source told Reuters that Saudi Arabia had warned German authorities about the suspect after he posted extremist views on his X account that threatened peace and security.

A German security source said Saudi authorities had sent several tips in 2023 and 2024 and that these had been passed on to the relevant security authorities.

A risk assessment conducted last year by German state and federal criminal investigators came to the conclusion that the man posed "no specific danger," the Welt newspaper reported, citing security sources.

Germany's domestic and foreign intelligence agencies both declined to comment on the investigation.

The state and federal criminal investigation offices did not respond to Reuters' request for comment.