International
Netanyahu says that the attack on Iran affected its ability to develop missiles
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the attack launched against Iran in the early hours of Saturday affected its defensive capabilities and its ability to develop missiles.
The attack was “precise and powerful, fulfilling all its objectives,” said the president in what are his first public statements about the event, during a ceremony by the Israeli soldiers killed in the war in Gaza and collected by the Israeli press.
Saturday’s attack, in response to the launch of some 180 missiles by Iran in early October, caused the death of four soldiers and damage to some radars.
First time Israel recognizes an attack on Iran
It is the first time that Israel publicly admits to having attacked Iran, although there was already a reprisal, never officially recognized, after the first Iranian attack on the country in April.
“The regime must understand something very simple. Whoever hurts us, we will hurt him,” the president said, using one of his most repeated phrases in his messages to Iran.
Before his statements, Israeli President Isaac Herzog (who already congratulated the air force last night for the attack), said that the “critical” task has not yet been achieved: rescue the Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip.
“The elimination of the arch-terrorist (Yahya) Sinwar (leader of Hamas) and other enemies, and the impressive battle of the Army and security forces have created an opportunity that we cannot miss,” he said.
Netanyahu also spoke about the hostages in Gaza, assuring that bringing them back is a “sacred” mission, while Defense Minister Yoav Gallant made it clear that to achieve it will have to make “painful concessions.”
The minister, who has had some public encounters with Netanyahu about the management of the war, said that Hamas “has stopped operating” as a militia, while the Shiihite group Hezbula does not stop receiving blows, after the elimination of its leadership in a series of Israeli bombings against Lebanon in recent weeks.
The groups “are no longer an effective tool in the hands of Iran,” he said, adding that not all objectives can be achieved on the basis of military force, and that rescuing the kidnapped is Israel’s “responsibility”.
Later, during a similar ceremony in honor of the civilians killed in the October 7 Hamas attacks and in the following war year, a group of protesters interrupted Netanyahu’s speech shouting “shame” and remembering his murdered loved ones.
Israel negotiates in Qatar the release of Hamas hostages
The head of the Mossad, David Barnea, arrived in Qatar this Sunday to participate in new negotiations on the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners imprisoned in Israel and the possibilities of achieving a ceasefire in Gaza, sources close to the talks informed EFE.
Barnea “is in Qatar with the aim of holding new talks on the agreement of prisoners and hostages with Hamas” after the murder of the top leader of the Palestinian Islamist group, Yahya Sinwar, more than a week ago in southern Gaza, sources said on condition of anonymity.
They also pointed out that the head of the Mossad will meet in Doha with the heads of intelligence of the United States, William Burns, and Egypt, Hassan Rashad, as well as with the Prime Minister of Qatar, Mohamed bin Abderrahmán.
International
Meta Says Russia Seeks to Ban WhatsApp for Defending Secure Communication
U.S. tech giant Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, said that Russia is seeking to ban the messaging app because it “challenges government attempts to violate people’s right to secure communication.”
Russian authorities have encouraged citizens to switch to state-backed applications, and in August they already blocked WhatsApp’s calling feature.
On Friday, the communications regulator Roskomnadzor claimed that the platform was being used to “organize and carry out terrorist acts in the country, recruit perpetrators, and facilitate fraud and other crimes.”
“If the messaging service does not comply with Russian law, it will be completely blocked,” the regulator warned.
WhatsApp remains one of Russia’s most widely used messaging services, alongside Telegram.
Moscow is pressuring both platforms to grant authorities access to user data upon request for investigations into fraud and activities the government labels as “terrorist.”
Human rights advocates fear the demand could be used to target critics of the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin, or the war in Ukraine.
International
Archbishop Wenski criticizes Trump’s deportation policies, calls for stronger push for reform
The Archbishop of Miami, Thomas Wenski, has called for increased pressure on the U.S. Congress to advance comprehensive immigration reform and criticized President Donald Trump’s mass deportation policies, arguing that they “do nothing to help.”
“We need to apply more pressure on Congress so lawmakers can make the necessary changes. It is also important for the Administration to listen to our voice. We do not want to be anyone’s enemy—we are Americans,” Wenski said in an interview with EFE.
The religious leader, who heads one of the dioceses with the largest Latino and Haitian populations in the United States, issued a call to defend the rights of migrants. He also emphasized that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has maintained a strong and public stance in favor of migrants for decades.
International
Trump relaunches diplomatic push to finalize U.S.-Backed peace plan for Ukraine War
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his diplomatic team will resume meetings with delegations from Russia and Ukraine in an effort to pressure both sides to accept the peace plan proposed by Washington to end the war in Ukraine.
As part of this new round of talks, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will hold discussions with Ukrainian representatives to narrow differences on the remaining points of the agreement.
Trump also confirmed his intention to meet personally with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and with Putin, though he emphasized that such meetings will only take place “when the agreement is fully finalized or in its final stage.”
The president claimed that his administration has made “tremendous progress” toward resolving the conflict and reiterated that the war “never would have started” if he had been in the White House at the onset of the crisis.
The U.S.-backed peace plan consists of 28 points and has been revised following feedback from both sides. According to Trump, only “a few points of disagreement” remain under active discussion.
One of the most controversial aspects of the proposal is the suggestion that Ukraine cede parts of the Donbas region to Russia and limit the size of its armed forces. Kyiv is working closely with Washington to soften these clauses in search of an arrangement that does not compromise its sovereignty or security.
With this diplomatic push, Trump aims to solidify his role as the main mediator in the conflict and steer the war toward a political resolution after years of devastation, humanitarian crisis, and rising global geopolitical tensions.
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