The New York Times: C.I.A. Director Discusses Resuming Hostage And Prisoner Exchanges Between Israel And Hamas

“The C.I.A. director, William J. Burns, met in Warsaw on Monday with Israeli and Qatari officials for talks aimed at restarting hostage and prisoner exchanges, according to U.S. officials. Under a weeklong truce between Israel and Hamas last month, 105 hostages were freed in exchange for the release of 240 Palestinians from Israeli jails before negotiations broke down and the war resumed on Dec. 1. Since then, American officials have pushed various proposals aimed at continued humanitarian releases or other exchanges. Pressure for another agreement has mounted in recent days, after the Israeli military said on Friday that its soldiers had fatally shot three unarmed men who turned out to have been hostages. Hamas had not released any videos of its hostages since before the exchanges began. But on Monday it posted one on social media showing three older men, one of whom pleaded for their release. Resuming talks has been complicated, with deeper differences over the terms of further exchanges. After the deal fell apart, a U.S. official said publicly that Hamas “reneged” on an agreement to release all female hostages. A Hamas official said it considered some of the remaining female hostages to be soldiers.”

Associated Press: UN Security Council Delays Vote On Resolution Urging Cessation Of Hostilities In Gaza To Deliver Aid

“The U.N. Security Council delayed until Tuesday morning a vote on an Arab-sponsored resolution calling for a halt to hostilities in Gaza to allow for urgently needed aid deliveries to a massive number of civilians as members intensified negotiations to try to avoid another veto by the United States. The council said Monday’s 5 p.m. EST vote would not take place, and diplomats said negotiations were taking place to get the United States, Israel’s closest ally, to abstain or vote “yes” on the resolution. A key issue is how to implement and sustain a desperately needed aid operation. Human Rights Watch accused Israel earlier Monday of deliberately starving Gaza’s population by blocking the delivery of water, food and fuel, a method of warfare that it described as a war crime. The United Nations’ food agency reported on Dec. 14 that 56% of Gaza’s households were experiencing “severe levels of hunger,” up from 38% two weeks earlier. The draft on the table Monday morning called for an “urgent and sustainable cessation of hostilities” for humanitarian access to deliver aid. But this language is expected to be watered down to a “suspension” of hostilities or something possibly weaker to satisfy the Americans, the diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because discussions have been private.”

CEP Mentions

The Jewish News Syndicate: The Pro-Hamas Doha Forum

“The Doha Forum, which was held on Dec. 10-11, markets itself as a “global platform for dialogue” at which policymakers discuss global challenges like “energy transition” and “vaccine innovation.” But a sizeable chunk of this year’s two-day conference, held in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre, concentrated on Qatar’s real passions: defending Hamas and defaming Israel. On day one of the forum, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said, “Hamas is an integral part of the Palestinian mosaic.” This was restated in a later panel by Al Sharq Forum president Wadah Khanfar, who declared that the Palestinians should not “try to please anyone” because Hamas has popularity, legitimacy and “has to be part of [a Palestinian future].” Moderator and former Al Jazeera anchor Mehdi Hasan agreed that this “was clearly true sitting here in the Middle East.” The remainder of the discussion was spent regurgitating buzzwords demonizing Israel as an “apartheid,” “racist,” “settler-colonialist project” that needed “decolonizing. Even before the weekend’s main event, the Doha Youth Forum featured Norman Finkelstein, who in the past has accused Jews of exploiting the memory of the Holocaust. He chose not to label Hamas “despicable murderers” because, to him, “this is a more complex moral question.””

Stern: Terror Expert: “The Risk Of Attacks In Europe Is Higher Than Before October 7th”

“Will there soon be Hamas attacks in Germany? How networked is the terrorist group in the country? How high is the risk at Christmas markets? Expert Hans-Jakob Schindler on the current threat from Islamists in Europe. It would have been the first attack by the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas in Europe: four men have been in custody in Germany and the Netherlands since Thursday; the federal prosecutor's office in Karlsruhe accuses them of looking for weapons that were ready for possible attacks on Jewish institutions in Europe should be. Does Germany have to expect further attack plans in the future? The extremism expert Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler from the transatlantic think tank “Counter Extremism Project” has long been warning about possible risks.”

United States

Bloomberg: Gulf Splits Hinder US Efforts To End Houthi Ship Attacks

“US efforts to counter Yemen’s Houthi rebels as they attack ships in one of the world’s most important waterways are hitting a major roadblock because of disagreements among Washington’s Arab allies, according to people familiar with the matter. Two of the most crucial actors involved in Yemen’s long-running civil war, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, support competing factions against the Houthis and favor differing ways of dealing with them. Their diverging stances are complicating the US-led attempt to forge a coherent response to the Iran-backed group, the people said. The militias have targeted several fuel tankers and cargo ships in support of Hamas in its war against Israel. They have stepped up the attacks in the past week, roiling shipping markets and helping push up oil prices. Over the weekend, the US and UK navies shot down 15 drones launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. The US is mulling military action against the Houthis, perhaps including strikes against the group’s targets, though it still prefers diplomacy, Bloomberg has reported. Washington is also working with Western and Arab allies to bolster a maritime protection force that’s meant to secure ships navigating the Red Sea, through which nearly 12% of global trade passes.”

Voice Of America: US Airstrike Targets 'High-Ranking' Al-Shabab Commander

“The Somali government has reported that a high-ranking al-Shabab commander in the south of the country was targeted in collaboration with the United Sates military. Somali Information Minister Daud Aweis said in a post that the operation “aimed to neutralize the terrorist leader in charge for orchestrating terror attacks.” The Somali government said the strike occurred in the Middle Jubba region on December 17. The militant commander has not been identified. The United States military command in Africa, known as AFRICOM, confirmed to VOA the accuracy of the report of the Somali government. The last time a U.S. airstrike targeted a senior al-Shabab commander was in May when the head of the radical militant group’s external operations, Moallim Osman, was injured in the strike. Osman is accused of overseeing the recruitment of foreign fighters to Somalia to help with al-Shabab's ongoing battle against the Somali government. The United States trains an elite Somali unit, donates weapons to the Somali forces and conducts airstrikes against al-Shabab — which has been fighting the Somali government and African Union peacekeeping forces for more than one-and-a-half decades.”

Yemen

Washington Post: BP Suspends Red Sea Shipping Amid Attacks By Yemen’s Houthi Militants

“Amid attacks on cargo vessels by anti-Israel militants in Yemen, oil giant BP has paused all shipments through the Red Sea, a move that pushed up oil prices Monday and unsettled energy markets. Iran-aligned Houthi militants began targeting ships along the key route in response to Israel’s war on Hamas, after the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7. BP’s move — along with similar decisions by at least seven shipping companies, including the Taiwanese container shipping line Evergreen and the Belgium-owned tanker fleet Euronav — came as the United States announced it would build a coalition to address Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. “This is an international problem and deserves an international response,” U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at news conference during a visit to Israel Monday. The initiative, known as Operation Prosperity Guardian, is to include Britain, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain. Austin is set to visit Bahrain after Israel. “The recent escalation in reckless Houthi attacks originating from Yemen threatens the free flow of commerce, endangers innocent mariners, and violates international law,” Austin said in a statement.”

Time: How—And Why—Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Are Poised To Seriously Disrupt The Global Economy

“After two months, the crisis in the Middle East is poised to seriously disrupt the global economy as well as regional stability—thanks to the Houthis, a rebel Shi’a group in Yemen, and their successful effort to disrupt shipping through the Red Sea. While attacks by the Houthis on commercial shipping began on November 19, they escalated last week, with the Yemeni rebels firing anti-ship ballistic missiles at several passing ships and hitting one (the first time such a weapon has ever been used successfully). As none of the ships were bound for Israel or owned by Israeli companies, the attacks signaled the Houthis were stepping up their efforts to pressure local commerce as a way to force Israel to suspend its campaign in Gaza. Shipping companies got the message. Five of the largest shipping firms announced they would redirect their container ships away from the Bab al Mandab strait, the strategic waterway through which ships must pass on their way to the Suez Canal and which handles over 10% of global commerce.”

Middle East

Associated Press: Israel Strikes South Gaza And Raids A Hospital In The North As War Grinds On With Renewed US Support

“Israeli forces raided one of the last functioning hospitals in Gaza’s north and bombarded the south with airstrikes that killed at least 28 Palestinians, pressing ahead with their offensive Tuesday with renewed backing from the United States, despite rising international alarm. The air and ground war, launched in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack into Israel, has killed nearly 20,000 Palestinians, displaced some 1.9 million, demolished much of northern Gaza and sparked attacks on U.S. and Israeli targets across the region. Assaults on ships in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have led major shipping companies — as well as the oil and gas giant BP — to suspend trade through the vital waterway, prompting the U.S. and its allies to launch a new mission to counter the threat. But after meeting with Israeli officials Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he was “not here to dictate timelines or terms.” His remarks signaled that the U.S. would continue shielding Israel from growing international calls for a cease-fire as the United Nations Security Council was set to hold another vote Tuesday, and would keep providing vital military aid for one of the 21st century’s deadliest military campaigns.”

Bloomberg: Hamas's Cheap, Makeshift Drones Are Outsmarting Israel's High-Tech Military

“It wasn’t the eruption of rocket fire from Gaza that rattled soldiers at Israel’s southern frontier on Oct. 7. It was the unusual hum overhead that they hadn't heard before. A fleet of drones that are available online for as little as $6,500 filled the skies above Israel’s $1 billion border fence. They were rigged to carry explosives and knock out cameras, communications systems and remote-controlled guns, setting the stage for the unprecedented massacre. Militaries have been using drones in conflicts for more than two decades. Israel itself boasts one of the largest armies of unmanned aerial vehicles in the Middle East. Today, a new generation of cheap, commercially available systems — like the ones Hamas used in the Oct. 7 attack — is emerging, challenging some of the world’s most technologically advanced forces. The war with Hamas is a wakeup call for top-tier militaries about their deadly potential, according to Heven Drones Chief Executive Officer Bentzion Levinson, whose company supplies the Israeli army with heavy lifter and hydrogen-powered drones. “We have these huge drones, these UAVs, we have planes, our technology is much more advanced,” Levinson said. “What this war did is that we realized that this is happening in our backyard, both on the defense and the offensive side.””

Reuters: Jordan Strikes Iran-Linked Drugs Smugglers In Southern Syria - Sources

“Jordan on Monday launched several aerial raids into its northern neighbour Syria against hideouts of Iranian-backed drug smugglers in retaliation against a large-scale smuggling operation, regional intelligence sources said. The army said it foiled a plot on Monday by dozens of infiltrators from Syria linked to pro-Iranian militias, who crossed its border with rocket launchers, anti-personnel mines and explosives. Two regional intelligence and a Western diplomatic source who track the situation in southern Syria confirmed that Jordanian war planes had hit the drug-related targets in rare raids inside Syria since the over a decade-old conflict began. They said the jets bombed the suspected home of a leading drug dealer in the town of Salkhad in Sweida province while other strikes hit hideouts in the Deraa province. The two provinces are in southern Syria along the Jordanian-Syrian border. Ryan Marouf, editor of the local Suwayda 24 news website, said it was not clear if there were any casualties from the raids that hit hideouts of leading drug dealers and several farms. War-torn Syria has become the region's main site for a multi-billion-dollar drug trade, with Jordan being a key transit route to the oil-rich Gulf states for a Syrian-made amphetamine known as captagon, Western anti-narcotics officials and Washington say.”

Australia

Associated Press: Australia Releases A Man Convicted On Terrorism Charges From Prison Under Strict Conditions

“A man convicted on terrorism charges whom Australia had wanted to strip of his citizenship and deport was released into the community on Tuesday under strict conditions. Algeria-born Muslim cleric Abdul Benbrika was released from maximum security Barwon Prison outside Melbourne on a supervision order for 12 months following a ruling by Victoria state Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth. Police had argued for the order to last for three years. Benbrika must wear an electronic ankle bracelet to track his movements and abide by a nightly curfew. The 63-year-old was convicted in 2008 of three terrorism charges related to a plot to cause mass casualties at a public event in Melbourne. No attack took place. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison and would have been released in 2020. But his sentence was extended by three years under a recent law that allows for the continued detention of prisoners convicted of terrorism offenses if a judge rules that they pose an unacceptable risk to the community if released. In 2021, Benbrika lost a High Court challenge to his continued detention in a 5-2 split decision. But he won a High Court challenge in October to a law that enabled a government minister to strip him of his Australian citizenship in 2020 over his terrorism convictions.”

Europe

Associated Press: Greek Anti-Terror Squad Investigates After A Bomb Was Defused Near Riot Police Headquarters

“Greece’s antiterrorism squad is investigating after the national riot police headquarters was targeted Monday with a bomb that was defused before it could explode, as police union members protested increasing violence against officers in the force. Authorities had been alerted after an anonymous caller warned a newspaper that the bomb would explode in 45 minutes and described where it had been planted. That gave bomb disposal experts time to find and defuse the device. The bomb had been left in a copse near the riot police headquarters outside the city center and close to a university campus, police said. There was no claim of responsibility. Such bomb attacks have long been associated with domestic far-left militants. Many in Greece accuse riot police of brutality against demonstrators during the myriad protests held by leftwing groups or students who often attack police, sparking widespread clashes. Violence is also common during sports events, where fans attack police when not fighting each other. On Dec. 7, a riot policeman was critically injured by a flare when fans attacked police outside an Athens arena where a volleyball match was being played. An 18-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of firing the flare, which hit the policeman in the leg, severing an artery.”

Technology

Associated Press: European Union Investigating Musk’s X Over Possible Breaches Of Social Media Law

“The European Union on Monday made Elon Musk’s online platform X the first tech company to face an investigation under Europe’s tough new regulations designed to clean up social media and protect people from toxic online content. “Today we open formal infringement proceedings against @X” under the Digital Services Act, European Commissioner Thierry Breton said in a post on the platform formerly known as Twitter. Musk, in response, questioned whether the EU would also scrutinize other social media sites. The 27-nation bloc is ratcheting up the pressure on X after asking the company in October for information on its handling of hate speech, misinformation and violent terrorist content related to the Israel-Hamas war. The case presents the first test for the Digital Services Act, part of a set of pioneering regulations that the EU has drawn up to rein in the power of tech companies. The European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, “will now investigate X’s systems and policies related to certain suspected infringements” of the DSA, spokesman Johannes Bahrke told a press briefing in Brussels. “It does not prejudge the outcome of the investigation.”