International
Netanyahu reiterates to Blinken his intention to invade Rafah to defeat Hamas
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted at his meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on his intention to expand his military offensive to Rafah, at the southern end of the Gaza Strip, as the “only way to defeat Hamas.”
“Today I met with the US Secretary of State. I told him that I greatly appreciate that for more than five months we have been together in the war against Hamas and that we recognize the need to evacuate the civilian population from the war zones and, of course, attend to humanitarian needs. We are working on it,” Netanyahu said in a video message.
Blinken arrived this morning in Tel Aviv on his sixth tour of the Middle East since the war began in the Strip to promote a truce agreement and exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners, in addition to allowing the entry of more humanitarian aid to the enclave, where half of the population is at risk of imminent famine.
I also told him that we have no way to defeat Hamas without going to Rafah and eliminating the rest of the battalions that are there. I told him that I hope to have the support of the United States, but if necessary we will do it alone,” said Netanyahu, who does not seem willing to give in in his objective of invading Rafah even if the United States considers it a “red line.”
More than 1.4 million people displaced by violence currently live in Rafah, more than half of the population of the enclave, although Israel claims to have an unrevealed plan to evacuate the civilian population.
After visiting Saudi Arabia and Egypt, Blinken landed in Israel, where as soon as he landed he met with Netanyahu; then with the Minister of the Cabinet of War – and member of the opposition – Benny Gantz; and he plans to meet later with the entire War Cabinet and with representatives of the families of the kidnapped.
Meanwhile, in Gaza, the Israeli Army claimed to have “eliminated” about 150 alleged fighters in its military operation in the Shifa hospital in Gaza City, the largest in the Strip, whose siege began on Monday with the argument that hundreds of militiamen were hiding in it.
“So far, the forces have eliminated more than 150 terrorists in the hospital area, arrested hundreds of suspects and located weapons and terrorist infrastructure,” a military statement reported.
“This is an operation with the largest number of terrorists arrested since the beginning of the war,” Army spokesman Daniel Hagari said last night.
Among the detainees – more than 500 according to the Army – are three senior officials of Hamas in the occupied West Bank and several members of the “chain of command” of Islamic Jihad.
About its military activities in the rest of the Strip, the Army confirmed the attack on a tunnel and a military complex in the center of the Strip, from where on Thursday projectiles were launched towards the Beeri kibutz, in southern Israel.
The Nahal Brigade, which operates in central Gaza, also killed “dozens of terrorists” in recent days, with fire from snipers, tanks and airplanes, according to the military.
In addition, Israeli troops have continued their operations in Jan Yunis, the main city in the south of the enclave, for three and a half months.
International
Trump Orders Construction of New ‘Golden Fleet’ to Revitalize U.S. Naval Superiority
President Donald Trump issued an executive order this Monday for the immediate construction of two new warships that will bear his name. These vessels will be the pioneers of what he described as the “Golden Fleet,” a future generation of “Trump-class” battleships that he claimed would be “100 times more powerful” than those currently in service.
The announcement took place at his private residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. The President indicated that following the initial two ships, the administration aims to commission up to 25 additional vessels. He is scheduled to meet with Florida-based contractors next week to expedite production, criticizing existing defense firms for failing to deliver results efficiently.
This naval expansion is a cornerstone of Trump’s goal to revitalized the American shipbuilding industry and address the strategic gap between the U.S. and competitors like China.
The move comes amid heightened geopolitical tension. Just last week, Trump ordered the seizure of all sanctioned tankers involved with Venezuela’s “ghost fleet” to cripple the country’s crude oil industry. Since December 10, the U.S. military—deployed in the Caribbean under the guise of counter-narcotics operations—has already detained two tankers linked to Venezuelan oil transport.
International
U.S. Judge Blocks ICE from Re-detaining Salvadoran Erroneously Deported Under Trump Administration
A U.S. federal judge ruled this Monday, December 22, that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is prohibited from re-detaining Salvadoran national Kilmar Ábrego García, who was erroneously deported to El Salvador earlier this year during the administration of President Donald Trump.
During a hearing in Maryland, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ruled that Ábrego García must remain free on bail through the Christmas holidays, concluding that his initial detention lacked a legal basis. The ruling follows a request from his legal team for a temporary restraining order to prevent ICE from carrying out a new arrest.
Earlier this month, on December 11, Judge Xinis ordered his release from a Pennsylvania migrant detention center after determining that the government had detained him without a formal deportation order. In 2019, an immigration judge had already ruled that Ábrego could not be returned to El Salvador because his life was in danger.
Despite that protection, Ábrego García was deported in March 2025 following a raid by the Trump administration. Officials argued at the time that he was a gang member, and he was sent directly to the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT) in El Salvador. In June, he was returned to the United States to face a new trial for alleged human smuggling—a charge he denies.
On Monday, Judge Xinis also temporarily invalidated a new deportation order issued by an immigration judge following Ábrego’s recent release, granting him legal protection through the coming weeks. His trial is scheduled to begin in Tennessee in January 2026.
International
Fire at substation triggers major blackout in San Francisco
The U.S. city of San Francisco was plunged into darkness Saturday night after a power outage left about 130,000 customers without electricity, although the utility company said service was restored to most users within hours.
Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) said in a statement posted on X that nearly 90,000 homes had their power restored by 9:00 p.m. local time (05:00 GMT on Sunday), while the remaining 40,000 customers were expected to have service restored overnight.
Large areas of the city, a major technology hub with a population of around 800,000, were affected by the blackout, which disrupted public transportation and left traffic lights out of service during the busy weekend before Christmas, a crucial period for retail businesses.
“I know it’s been a difficult day,” San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a video posted on social media from the city’s emergency operations center. “There has been progress, but for those still without power, we want to make sure they are safe and checking in on their neighbors,” he added.
Lurie said police officers and firefighters advised residents to stay home as much as possible. He also noted that officers and traffic inspectors were deployed to manage intersections where traffic lights were not functioning.
The mayor confirmed that the outage was caused by a fire at an electrical substation. Parts of the city were also covered in fog, further complicating conditions during the incident.
As a result of the blackout, many businesses were forced to close despite it being the weekend before Christmas. The sudden drop in shopper traffic ahead of the holiday is “devastating” for retailers, the manager of home goods store Black & Gold told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Trump Orders Construction of New ‘Golden Fleet’ to Revitalize U.S. Naval Superiority
U.S. Judge Blocks ICE from Re-detaining Salvadoran Erroneously Deported Under Trump Administration
Fire at substation triggers major blackout in San Francisco
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