Netanyahu, Trump discuss Gaza as winter weather drenches enclave

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Yemen's Saudi-led coalition will execute a 'military operation' and has called for civilians to immediately evacuate the port of Mukalla, the Saudi state news agency reported Tuesday.

"The evacuation is to protect civilians during the execution of a military operation," the SPA said.

The coalition had warned separatist forces that it would back Yemen's government in any military confrontation.

The United States defended Israel's right to recognise the breakaway territory of Somaliland at the United Nations on Monday, comparing it to the recognition of a Palestinian state by numerous countries.

"Israel has the same right to conduct diplomatic relations as any other sovereign state," Tammy Bruce, deputy US ambassador to the UN, said during an emergency UN Security Council meeting.

"Earlier this year, several countries, including members of this council, made the unilateral decision to recognize a nonexistent Palestinian state, and yet no emergency meeting was called to express this Council's outrage," she added, accusing colleagues of "double standards."

The comments addressed growing global discord over Israel's announcement on Friday that it would recognize Somaliland as a nation - a first that drew criticism from the African Union, Egypt, and the European Union, which insist on war-torn Somalia's sovereignty.

US President Donald Trump has said he opposes recognition of Somaliland, and Bruce said Monday that "there has been no change in American policy".

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not agree fully on the issue of the Israeli-occupied West Bank but the Republican leader did not lay out what the disagreement was.

In a briefing after a meeting with Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Trump was asked if he had a message for Netanyahu about the West Bank and if he was concerned that settler violence in the West Bank could undermine peace.

"We have had a discussion, big discussion for a long time on the West Bank. And I wouldn't say we agree on the West Bank 100%, but we'll come to a conclusion on the West Bank," Trump said.

"I don't want to do that, it will be announced at an appropriate time," Trump said when asked what the disagreement between them was. Netanyahu "will do the right thing," Trump added.

US President Donald Trump on Monday vowed to eradicate any build-up of Iranian weapons, months after US and Israeli airstrikes on the Islamic Republic.

"I hope they're not trying to build up again because if they are, we're going have no choice but very quickly to eradicate that buildup," Trump told a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida.

US President Donald Trump warned Monday that Hamas would have "hell to pay" if it does not disarm quickly as part of a Gaza deal.

"If they don't disarm as, as they agreed to do, they agreed to it, and then there will be hell to pay for them," Trump told a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida.

"They have to disarm in a fairly short period of time," Trump said.

Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa unveiled on Monday new banknotes replacing those showing ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad and his family, hoping the Syrian pound can regain some of the value lost to over a decade of war.

Improving the standing of the Syrian pound is among the greatest challenges for Syria's new authorities, who will remove two zeros, in a process known as redenomination.

The new bills, which range from 10 to 500 Syrian pounds, will enter circulation on January 1. They show images of roses, wheat, olives, oranges and other agricultural symbols for which Syria is famous.

After unveiling the banknotes, Sharaa said the new currency marks "the end of a previous, unlamented phase and the beginning of a new phase that the Syrian people... aspire to".

"The new currency design is an expression of the new national identity and a move away from the veneration of individuals."

Since the start of Syria's civil war in 2011, the pound has plunged from 50 to around 11,000 against the greenback, and Syrians are forced to carry huge wads of banknotes even for basic needs like grocery shopping.

The removal of the zeros, which does not impact the currency's value, was done to make transactions easier and restore trust in the Syrian pound.

"If someone wants to buy something simple, they need to carry bags in order to trade, so people go for dollars," Sharaa said, adding that the currency revamp will boost "the national currency within the country and strengthen trust".

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has not had any conversations with US President Donald Trump since a pardon request for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was submitted several weeks ago, Herzog's office said on Monday.

The statement came shortly after Trump said Herzog had told him that a pardon for Netanyahu was "on its way."

US President Donald Trump called again on Hamas to disarm as he began a meeting on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Nethanyahu, after the Palestinian group's armed wing vowed to keep its weapons.

"There has to be a disarming of Hamas," Trump said as he stood outside his Florida estate with the Israeli premier for a meeting on the second phase of the Gaza peace deal.

US President Donald Trump on Monday said he hopes to reach phase two of the Gaza plan "very quickly".

Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday in Florida.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives for talks with US President Donald Trump in Florida, who says he ha five topics to discuss with the Israeli premier.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is en route to meet US President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort, according to The Times of Israel.

China opposes any attempt to split territories in Somalia, the foreign ministry in Beijing said on Monday, three days after Israel became the first country to formally recognise the self-declared Republic of Somaliland as an independent state.

"No country should encourage or support other countries' internal separatist forces for its own selfish interests," ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters at a regular press conference.

He urged authorities in Somaliland to stop "separatist activities and collusion with external forces".

Hamas's armed wing reiterated on Monday that it would not surrender its weapons, a key issue expected to feature in talks later in the day between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"Our people are defending themselves and will not give up their weapons as long as the occupation remains," the new spokesman for the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, who has adopted the name of his late predecessor Abu Obeida, said in a video statement.

The Israeli army is set to get fewer reservists than requested, with the government agreeing for the military to draft 40,000 people instead of 60,000, according to Haaretz. 

The military has said that as a result, current service members will have to serve 60-70 days of reserve duty with reduced leave.

The extremist Israeli party Jewish Power said Monday it is advancing legislation to restrict the Athan, the Islamic call to prayer, from being broadcast by loudspeakers in mosques.

The move is being widely condemned as a direct attack on religious freedom and part of a broader campaign to erase Palestinian presence.

The proposal is backed by national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right figure known for anti-Palestinian incitement and repeated assaults on Islamic holy sites.

Under the bill, Israeli police would be given sweeping authority to storm mosques, shut off loudspeakers and force worshippers to stop the Athan on demand.

The legislation would also allow police to seize audio equipment and impose fines of up to 50,000 shekels (around $15,700) on anyone installing or operating mosque loudspeakers without state approval.

Hamas's armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, announced on Monday the death of its military spokesperson Abu Obeida, confirming for the first time that he was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza nearly four months ago.

Abu Obeida, whose real name is Huthaifa Samir al-Kahlout, was targeted in late August when an Israeli strike hit a residential apartment in Gaza City.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had claimed responsibility at the time, declaring on X that the army had "eliminated" Abu Obeida and vowing to hunt down remaining Hamas leaders.

The statement was later echoed by the Israeli military and Shin Bet, who said the strike was based on intelligence about his location.

Hamas and the Al-Qassam Brigades remained silent for months, neither confirming nor denying the Israeli claims as speculation built.

Israel's far-right extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was pelted with stones and rushed out of the Bedouin village of Tarabin al-Sana in the occupied Negev (Naqab) on Sunday, fleeing under heavy police protection, after a raid by Israeli forces sparked confrontations with residents.

Ben-Gvir, who has called for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza, had entered the village with senior police officials to oversee ongoing operations following an overnight raid of Palestinian homes and a series of arrests.

Video footage shared online showed him being struck by stones and hustled away by armed officers as police fired tear gas at Palestinians to cover his exit.

Israeli media reported that dozens of villagers confronted the minister's entourage, clashing with police during his visit.

Police also told The Times of Israel that two residents were arrested during the unrest and confirmed the use of tear gas.

Israeli forces carried out a series of raids on several towns across the occupied West Bank on Sunday evening, deploying troops and military vehicles, Wafa ​​​​​​reports. No detentions or injuries were reported.

Israeli forces stormed the Aboud village, northwest of Ramallah, and deployed several soldiers in several areas across the town. At the same time, Israeli troops obstructed Palestinian movement with military vehicles in al-Yamoun, west of Jenin.

Whole Israeli forces stormed Beita, south of Nablus, and fired live rounds and tear gas canisters.

Approximately 235,000 Palestinians have been affected by Storm Byron, as heavy rainfall damaged tents and collapsed buildings.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) reported that at least 17 buildings collapsed and that over 42,000 tents or temporary shelters were completely or partially damaged, according to the Gaza Shelter Cluster, which includes UN agencies and NGOs.

Japan has announced a support package to Palestine, including supporting the Palestinian Authority's fiscal budget, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Japan will provide a support package of $167 million, with $10 million going towards the budget and $30 million to fund development projects and capacity building programs, the agency said.

Gaza's Ministry of Health has said that in the last 48 hours, Israeli forces killed one person and wounded three in the enclave, and that there are victims under rubble that civil defence crews are unable to get to yet.

The ministry said that 414 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire began, and that 71,266 have been killed since the beginning of the war.

The military wing of Hamas, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, has announced it will broadcast a speech at 4 pm Jerusalem time (2 pm GMT), according to The New Arab's sister site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

Israel's Supreme Court has issued an interim order suspending a government decision to shut down Galei Tsahal, the country's decades-old and widely listened-to military radio station.

In a ruling issued late Sunday, Supreme Court President Isaac Amit said the suspension was partly because the government "did not provide a clear commitment not to take irreversible steps before the court reaches a final decision".

He added that Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara supported the suspension.

The cabinet last week approved the closure of Galei Tsahal, with the shutdown scheduled to take effect before 1 March 2026.

But Baharav-Miara, who also serves as the government's legal adviser and is facing dismissal proceedings initiated by the premier, has warned that closing the station raised "concerns about possible political interference in public broadcasting".

An explosion was heard near the Mezzah area in Damascus in Syria, state owned Ekhbariya TV reported on Monday, without giving further details.

Israeli public broadcaster Kan says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived in Florida on Sunday evening ahead of a planned meeting with US President Donald Trump on Monday. 

The broadcaster reports the visit comes amid notable political and security developments, centred on the future of the Gaza "peace plan", Hezbollah and Iran.

The meeting is scheduled for 22:30 Jerusalem time (20:30 GMT) on Monday at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. 

Talks are expected to focus on moving to the second phase of Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza, along with discussions on post-war arrangements for the territory, amid internal disagreements within Israeli institutions on these issues.

Netanyahu also plans to raise the Iran issue in depth, presenting data on Iran's success in rehabilitating its ballistic missile programme, in an attempt to obtain an American green light for a possible future attack.

During Netanyahu's several-day stay in the US, Justice Minister Yariv Levin will serve as acting prime minister, while Security Minister Israel Katz has been authorised to convene emergency cabinet meetings if needed. Netanyahu's schedule includes a Monday meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, followed by the Trump meeting.

No details were released for Tuesday's agenda, though Yedioth Ahronoth reports a possible meeting with US Vice President JD Vance. 

On Wednesday, Netanyahu will meet evangelical officials and later attend an event at the Shul synagogue in Miami with members of Congress and Jewish community leaders. 

He is expected to leave for Tel Aviv on Thursday, arriving Friday afternoon.

Flight data shows that the plane carrying Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the United States to meet US President Donald Trump passed through the airspace of three states that are signatories to the Rome Statute, despite an International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued against him.

According to data from FlightRadar, the Zion Wing aircraft transporting Netanyahu, who is subject to an ICC arrest warrant, left Israel in the morning and crossed the Atlantic Ocean.

The plane took a different route from the one Netanyahu used last September when he travelled to New York for the UN General Assembly. 

Despite the ICC arrest warrant, the plane flew over Greece, Italy and France, all parties to the Rome Statute, before reaching the Atlantic.

On previous trips, Netanyahu avoided the airspace of some European countries for fear of arrest, but on his way to New York last September he used Greek and Italian airspace without entering French territory. 

On 21 November 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza.