International
Israel shifts the spotlight to the West Bank with a large-scale raid and kills 9 Palestinians
After Gaza and Lebanon, today we begin, with God’s help, to change the security situation in Judea and Samaria (the biblical name for the West Bank),” Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on Tuesday.
Shortly before, the Army began a large-scale raid in Yenin, in the north of the occupied territory, which so far has claimed the lives of nine Palestinians and injured 35 others.
Just two days after the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip came into force, the attention of the armed forces has been diverted to the West Bank: dozens of excavators have accessed Yenin and its refugee camp with Israeli troops, and drone attacks and shots from Army helicopters have been recorded.
In an unusual move, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly announced the start of the operation, dumbled “Iron Wall”: “We are acting systematically and decisively against the Iranian axis wherever it sends its weapons, in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Judea and Samaria.”
Interviewed by the official Palestinian news agency, Wafa, the director of the Government Hospital of Yenin, Wissam Bakr, regretted that the speed with which the morning rounding was unfolding did not correctly count the number of injured, which was constantly evolving.
Videos recorded in the city and its refugee camp show how Israeli excavators advance through the streets, razing the roads.
In one of them, an old man crosses the street carrying a bag while the shots hit near his feet. In another, a nurse who walks with another man down the street has to run away when someone opens fire on them.
In the channels of the Palestinian Red Crescent emergency service, the announcements of the transfer of the shot wounds from different areas of the city to the hospitals became a constant as the afternoon progressed.
“The occupation forces (Israel) prevent our teams from reaching the wounded inside the refugee camp when we receive the reports,” the group said this morning.
Following the announcement of the offensive, the Islamist group Hamas today urged both Palestinian civilians and their militiamen to respond to the Israeli army and counterattack.
“We call on the masses of our people in the West Bank and their revolutionary youth to mobilize and intensify the clashes against the occupying Army at all points, and to work to thwart the extensive Zionist aggression against the city of Yenin,” the group said in a statement.
Hamas also accused the forces of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), in the hands of the secular Fatah party, of having abandoned Yenin to allow the operation of Israeli troops instead of defending the Palestinians.
The security forces of the ANP (which governs in small parts of the West Bank) concluded on Friday a 42-day operation in Yenin that ended in the death of police, militiamen and civilians, and which from the Palestinian factions was seen as a demonstration of power of the ANP to demonstrate to Israel its ability to manage security in Gaza after the ceasefire.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad, one of the predominant movements in the Yenin camp, also assured that Netanyahu is trying to “save his shaken government coalition” with the operation in the West Bank, after having “failed” in Gaza.
On Saturday, when there were still hours left for the ceasefire to take effect, the Israeli Army warned that it was preparing to increase its presence in the West Bank with up to seven companies, on the occasion of the release of Palestinian prisoners contemplated by the agreement, in exchange for the hostages.
Among Netanyahu’s radical partners (such as the former Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, or the head of Finance, Smotrich) the release of Palestinian prisoners earned the agreement qualifications as “disastrous” or “dangerous”.
The support of at least one of them is essential for Netanyahu to maintain the current government coalition, so, in view of Ben Gvir’s resignation, the prime minister met with Smotrich up to five times to prevent him from leaving the Executive.
Numerous Israeli media reported that Netanyahu put on the table to increase the Israeli presence in the West Bank as a condition for Smotrich not to leave the coalition. When the Executive voted this Friday for the agreement, Smotrich voted against it, but did not leave the Government.
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
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