One-third of Japanese companies keep workers employed until 70

Posted December. 23, 2024 

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It has been found that Japan, a country faced with a declining and aging population, currently sees around one-third of all businesses giving employment opportunities to workers of up to 70 by promoting re-hiring programs during their post-retirement years. Japanese workers are, by law, entitled to work by 65 at almost all companies.

As reported by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare in its status report on the employment of senior workers issued on Friday, as of June 1st this year, approximately 75,600 out of 237,052 businesses with 21 or more employees on the payroll provided job opportunities to those aged up to 70, up by 2.3 percent points from the previous year, making these companies account for 31.9 percent of the total corporate world. It was also found this year, consistent with last year’s results, that 99.9 percent of Japanese companies allow workers to stay on the payroll until the age of 65.

The ministry has confirmed that nearly all Japanese companies today re-employee their workers after they surpass the retirement age of 60; or remove or raise the retirement age system. Even with the legal retirement age still set at 60, businesses are required by law to choose one of these three options to keep their workers on the job until the age of 65 if they intend to continue to work.

What’s more, Japanese law stipulated back in 2020 that companies should fulfill their obligation to “try their best” to secure job opportunities for workers up to 70. Apart from abolishing or extensioning the pre-existing retirement age program, businesses have adopted various measures such as consignment contract programs or community service projects to provide continued employment for workers. The Nikkei Newspaper quoted an official from the health ministry saying that the government promises to support senior workers who are willing to remain in the workforce, considering the shrinking labor pool due to low birthrates and an aging population.

Meanwhile, some critics say that further action is needed, arguing that the legal retirement age should be raised from 65 to 70 to create a more conducive environment for older workers. As per data issued in September by the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 36.25 million of the total population were 65 and above, making up 29.3 percent, higher than its Korean counterpart’s share of 19. 3 percent.


이청아 기자 clearlee@donga.com

Romanian liberals orchestrated Georgescu campaign funding, investigation reveals 

Russian interference saw far right and pro-Russian outsider Calin Georgescu storm to a shock first round victory in Romania’s presidential election. Except it wasn’t Russia. It was Romania’s incumbent liberal party PNL that was trying to do its main rival in, in a election ruse that badly bac / bne IntelliNews

By Denis Cenusa in Berlin December 22, 2024

Russia was accused of interfering in Romania’s November 24 presidential election that saw far-right and pro-Russian outsider Calin Georgescu storm to a shock first round victory. But an investigation by the tax authorities has exonerated the Kremlin and revealed the highly effective TikTok campaign was funded by the liberal, pro-EU National Liberal Party (PNL) in an effort to knock out a rival in a plan that badly backfired.

Evidence revealed by the National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF), Romania’s tax agency, called into question claims that Russian-induced algorithmic manipulations on the TikTok platform would have brought far-right candidate Georgescu to first place in the second round.

Russia has been accused of hijacking the electoral process, although no concrete evidence has been produced, and that was enough for the Romanian Constitutional Court to take the unprecedented step of annulling the presidential election. The first annulment of elections in Romania in modern history has set a serious political precedent and sent shockwaves through the EU as it potentially undermines Romania’s democratic credentials.

On the one hand, the 9.4mn first round votes, of which almost 805,000 were from people in the diaspora, were annulled. The argument that accompanied this decision was that Georgescu's victory in the first round, with 2.1mn votes, was not authentic due to Russian interference through the TikTok campaign. To some extent, the constant reference to the Russian hybrid war in neighbouring Moldova led to a resumption of the argument that Russia could actually be behind Georgescu's "meteoric" rise. Moreover, Georgescu was an open supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin's governing style and he had called repeatedly for an end to support for Ukraine. These comments were used by various NGOs and media outlets in Romania and abroad to label him as a "Russian asset".

However, the more obvious explanation for Georgescu's unexpected electoral success, given the lack of evidence of Russian interference, is his support was a protest vote against the establishment parties.

The ANAF investigation revealed that Georgescu’s TikTok campaign was carried out by another actor: the PNL via the offices of a Romanian PR firm, Kensington Communication.

The cancellation of the elections has put Romania in a delicate position vis-à-vis the EU and Nato. Both organisations had to react to information provided by Bucharest about Russian interference involving TikTok's algorithms. The platform is increasingly seen as harmful for the West. The European Commission has already launched an investigation against TikTok on suspicions of malign electoral influence. The two main risks attributed to TikTok are the "recommender system", which can be manipulated by creating inauthentic behaviour among users, and political campaigns that can go unnoticed by the platform's "advertising policy". According to the "retention order" under the Digital Services Act of the EU, issued by Brussels in early December, TikTok is obliged to collect valuable data on electoral processes and civic discourses related to elections in EU states held until March 2025.

“Russian” or “non-Russian” manipulation

The ANAF discovered that the campaign promoting Georgescu was actually funded by the PNL and carried out by Kensington Communication.

Initially, the PR company’s message was dedicated to promoting European values ​​and against extremist candidates under the hashtag #echilibrusiseriozitate. The company was funded by the PNL but presented itself as a civic public awareness activity. In fact, before the presidential elections the company targeted far-right presidential candidates, including George Simion of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), because they promoted the pro-EU vote. The hashtag #echilibrusiseriozitate, used for political purposes to create an unfavourable environment for non-liberal presidential candidates on TikTok, was replaced by #echilibrusiverticalitate on the FameUP platform. The new hashtag was eventually used by users who were supporters of Georgescu, as noted by the Romanian intelligence services (CSAT). 130 influencers involved by PNL and Kensington Communication to indirectly promote voting for pro-Western candidates ended up spreading the message that benefited Georgescu, reaching 2.4mn views.

The ANAF revelations revealed that TikTok has been used by liberal forces with the aim of mobilising voters to vote for a pro-EU candidate. Despite this, with PNL money, the campaign catapulted Georgescu into the political stratosphere of Romanian politics. According to Kensington Communication's claims, someone manipulated the hashtag and used it to Georgescu's advantage. The new situation fuels the argument of far-right political forces who accuse establishment parties, including the PNL, of using institutional leverage on courts and electoral bodies to prevent the change of political power through elections. Georgescu called on the Romanian General Prosecutor to take action and accuses the PNL of alleged election manipulation on TikTok.

The implications of the Romanian precedent

The Romanian precedent has raised serious concerns in the West about the possibility that TikTok could pervert the election result. However, the twist that the ANAF uncovered the involvement of the PNL party, which had manipulated Romania’s electoral behaviour on TikTok, completely changed the conversation. The fact that Romanian security institutions have failed to prove Russian involvement, but instead showed that a domestic player, the PNL, was actually behind the attempt to manipulate votes, jeopardises Romania’s political stability. The credibility of the Constitutional Court, reputedly a neutral actor, has also been shredded after it cancelled the elections on little more than hearsay.

Romanian far-right parties, including their symbolic representative in the anti-establishment Georgescu, have received a major boost and intend to take the case to court and retaliate against state institutions on the basis of the ANAF revelations. They are hoping to take advantage of the fiasco to win political advantage and more votes in the inevitable rerun of the presidential elections, which could also be followed by early legislative elections, if the newly elected parliament does not form a new stable government.

Support for Georgescu is likely to surge, as he was already riding on the back of a protest vote against the incumbents before the current scandal broke. The attempt to manipulate the vote by the PNL will only undermine the incumbent's position further and mobilise more protest votes in Romania and in the diaspora. At the same time, the argument that Russia interfered has been seriously damaged and partially neutralised. This represents a small victory for Russia in its information war inside and outside Romania. Finally, this case also has the potential to discredit legitimate concerns about Russia’s hybrid interference in the EU and Nato member states.

Albanian prime minister says TikTok ban was not a ‘rushed reaction to a single incident’

A view of the TikTok app logo, in Tokyo, Japan

 (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, 

By Llazar Semini - Associated Press - Sunday, December 22, 2024

TIRANA, Albania — Albania’s prime minister said Sunday the ban on TikTok his government announced a day earlier was “not a rushed reaction to a single incident.”

Prime Minister Edi Rama said Saturday the government will shut down TikTok for one year, accusing the popular video service of inciting violence and bullying, especially among children.

Authorities have held 1,300 meetings with teachers and parents since the November stabbing death of a teenager by another teen after a quarrel that started on social media apps. Ninety percent of them approve of the ban on TikTok.

“The ban on TikTok for one year in Albania is not a rushed reaction to a single incident, but a carefully considered decision made in consultation with parent communities in schools across the country,” said Rama.

Following Tirana’s decision, TikTok asked for “urgent clarity from the Albanian government” in the case of the stabbed teenager. The company said it had “found no evidence that the perpetrator or victim had TikTok accounts, and multiple reports have in fact confirmed videos leading up to this incident were being posted on another platform, not TikTok.”


“To claim that the killing of the teenage boy has no connection to TikTok because the conflict didn’t originate on the platform demonstrates a failure to grasp both the seriousness of the threat TikTok poses to children and youth today and the rationale behind our decision to take responsibility for addressing this threat,” said Rama.

“Albania may be too small to demand that TikTok protect children and youth from the frightening pitfalls of its algorithm,” he said, blaming TikTok for “the reproduction of the unending hell of the language of hatred, violence, bullying and so on.”

Albanian children comprise the largest group of TikTok users in the country, according to domestic researchers.

Many youngsters in Albania did not approve of the ban.

“We disclose our daily life and entertain ourselves, that is, we exploit it during our free time,” said Samuel Sulmani, an 18-year-old in the town of Rreshen, 75 kilometers (47 miles) north of the capital Tirana, on Sunday. “We do not agree with that because that’s a deprivation for us.”

But Albanian parents have been increasingly concerned following reports of children taking knives and other objects to school to use in quarrels or cases of bullying promoted by stories they see on TikTok.

“Our decision couldn’t be clearer: Either TikTok protects the children of Albania, or Albania will protect its children from TikTok,” said Rama.

 

Germany ignored multiple warnings by Saudi Arabia before Magdeburg attack

German authorities ignored multiple warnings before Magdeburg attack by ex-Muslim Saudi-born citizen. / bne IntelliNews

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By bnm Gulf bureau December 22, 2024

German authorities dismissed multiple warnings about the suspect in the December 20 deadly Christmas market attack in Magdeburg, including formal alerts from Saudi Arabia and reports of explicit threats.

The suspect, identified as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, had been the subject of three separate Saudi security warnings and an Interpol arrest request that German officials rejected as politically motivated, Der Spiegel reported.

Al-Abdulmohsen, who worked as a psychiatrist at a German state hospital, drove his vehicle into crowds at the market, killing five people and injuring more than 200, authorities said.

The Saudi national had been granted asylum in Germany in 2016 after claiming persecution in his home country, despite subsequent warnings about his activities, according to police sources familiar with the matter.

German security services received specific alerts in 2023 through the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees about threats allegedly made by the suspect on social media, the sources said.

"The warnings were dismissed as expressions of free speech," one senior security official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the investigation.

Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with Germany whilst noting that it had previously sought the suspect's extradition.

Social media reports also note that several Saudi citizens contacted German authorities beforehand; however, several calls went unanswered. 

The incident has raised questions about Germany's handling of security intelligence regarding asylum seekers. Opposition politicians have called for an urgent review of protocols for assessing threats.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz faced jeers from onlookers during a visit to the attack site on Saturday, as public anger mounted over the authorities' failure to act on the warnings.

German media outlets have been criticised for initially providing limited information about the suspect's background and for missing security alerts.

Germany faces criticism for failing to prevent Christmas market attack while suspect is held in pre-trial detention

Yevheniia Khoroshun | V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National U. School of Law, UA

DECEMBER 22, 2024 

German police revealed Saturday that the suspect in Friday’s Christmas market attack in the city of Magdeburg is currently in pre-trial custody on charges of murder, attempted murder, and grievous bodily harm — as German politicians from opposing political camps condemned the coalition government for “ignoring warnings” about the attack.

On Friday evening, a man drove a car into a crowd of visitors at the Christmas market, killing five people and injuring more than 200. Among the dead are four women and a nine-year-old boy. The suspect is identified as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a 50-year-old man from Saudi Arabia, who lived in Germany for more than 10 years and worked as a doctor in Bernburg. He is said to have acted alone for reasons that are still under investigation.

Holger Münch, head of Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), told news outlet ZDF on Saturday evening that the department had previously received a warning from Saudi Arabia about the man in 2023, but “the case was ambiguous.” Bernd Baumann, the parliamentary head of the far-right political party Alternative for Germany (AfD), demanded an urgent special parliamentary session be called to discuss internal security issues

Amid tensions over the attack, more than 2,100 far-right protesters took to the streets of Magdeburg on Saturday night, some of whom voiced calls for the mass deportation of immigrants. Occasional minor disturbances involving physical contact occurred during protests, according to the police report.

Additionally, the AfD is going to hold a funeral procession and public memorial service on Monday for the victims.

Israeli women mobilise against ultra-Orthodox military exemptions


By AFP
December 23, 2024


Israeli security personnel in Jerusalem disperse ultra-Orthodox Jewish protesters opposed to conscription, on October 31, 2024 - Copyright AFP/File Ted ALJIBE

Delphine MATTHIEUSSENT

Exhausted by more than 14 months of war, the wives and mothers of Israeli soldiers are uniting in protest against exemptions from conscription for ultra-Orthodox men.

For several Saturday evenings, the bridge over a key highway that runs between Bnei Brak, an ultra-Orthodox suburb of Tel Aviv, and Givat Shmuel, a bastion of religious Zionists whose sons and husbands proudly serve in the army, has been the scene of a tense standoff.

Ultra-Orthodox residents passed by, some running, as protesters holding Israeli flags and banners shouted through megaphones demanding “conscription for all”.

The military has asked for extra manpower in light of the war in Gaza and connected conflicts, while the Supreme Court ruled in June that the state must draft ultra-Orthodox Jewish men into military service.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition government includes members of two ultra-Orthodox parties, and he has feared that ending the exemption could break up his coalition.

The coalition is moving ahead with legislation that would protect the exemption for the vast majority of Haredim (the Hebrew name for ultra-Orthodox Jews, meaning “God-fearing”) from military service.

Political and religious ultra-Orthodox leaders, whose decisions are often binding on their followers, continue to strongly oppose service in the military. They say that prayer and religious study protects the country as much as combat.

– ‘Help from our brothers’ –

Military service is mandatory in Israel, but under agreements forged at Israel’s creation, when the Haredim were only a very small community, those who devote themselves to the study of sacred Jewish texts can avoid conscription.

The ultra-Orthodox account for 14 percent of Israel’s Jewish population, according to the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI), representing about 1.3 million people. About 66,000 of those of conscription age are exempted, according to the army.

Michal Vilian, a 60-year-old resident of Givat Shmuel, has been participating in weekly demonstrations organised since last month by “Partners for Bearing the Burden”, a religious women’s collective.

All four of her sons and her son-in-law have been called up as reservists, almost without leave since the war began, and been deployed to Gaza, Lebanon and, more recently, Syria.

“We are here to ask for help from our brothers who live just across the bridge, to tell them to lend a hand, a shoulder, and to share the burden”, said the doctor, sporting the turban worn by religious Zionist women.

Religious Zionist Jews are allied with the ultra-Orthodox factions in Netanyahu’s coalition, and their political leaders have been willing to compromise on the issue of Haredim exemptions.

Even for them, though, the burden of the war has become too heavy.

Since October 7, 2023, 818 soldiers have been killed, including during the Hamas attack on Israel as well as in the Gaza ground operation, the Israeli offensive in southern Lebanon and operations in the occupied West Bank.

With a disproportionately high number of combat deaths due to their above average participation in the military, they share the anger of the majority of Israelis on this issue, said Amotz Asa-El, a researcher at the Shalom Hartman Institute.

That anger was now “overflowing,” he said.

– ‘Not the Torah’ –

The exemption is “perceived by the vast majority of the rest of the population as being at their expense in the most physical, existential sense of the term,” he added.

At its peak, just days after Hamas’s attack, up to 300,000 reservists were mobilised in the ranks of the army. This number has now dropped to 100,000, or around one percent of the total Israeli population, according to figures from the Reservists’ Wives Forum.

One of the founders of the Forum, Rotem Avidar Tzalik, a 34-year-old lawyer, said she has been living in a “parallel reality” for more than a year, with her husband, a member of a special unit, called up for more than 200 days.

A mother of three young children, she said the weight of mobilisation had become unbearable for families because of the economic and psychological difficulties it caused.

In the Israeli parliament, where she advocates for the rights of reservists’ families, her approach to the issue of ultra-Orthodox conscription is pragmatic, emphasizing that it is only one aspect of broader changes needed.

She points out, however, that any increase in their conscription, “even by just a thousand,” beyond the few thousand who already serve, would have a “huge impact” for reservists by allowing them to reduce the burden.

Shvut Raanan, a 31-year-old lawyer, also an active member of the Forum, said the Haredim’s arguments did not stand up to scrutiny.

“It has never worked that way in religious history… it is clear that this is not the Torah,” said the mother of four young children, citing various Jewish religious figures who called for Jewish people to fight.

‘Jews hate freedom’: One suspect named after neo-Nazis rally at Melbourne parliament

Police working to ID and arrest additional suspects who chanted Nazi-era slogans outside Victoria’s Parliament House, in protest of proposed laws clamping down on antisemitism

By ToI Staff

22 December 2024

A group of neo-Nazis protest against a proposed law clamping down on demonstrations outside houses of worship, on the steps of Victoria's Parliament House in Melbourne, Australia, on December 20, 2024. (Social media/X; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Australian police have been working to identify a group of men who took part in a neo-Nazi protest on the front steps of Victoria’s Parliament House in Melbourne over the weekend, local media outlets reported on Sunday.

On Friday evening, a group of around 20 men, all of them dressed in black, unfurled a large banner proclaiming that “Jews hate freedom” on the steps of the government building.

The group of far-right protesters, according to local outlet 7News Melbourne, were demonstrating against plans to place new restrictions on protesters, including a ban on protests outside places of worship, due to rising antisemitism across the state of Victoria.
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Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan proposed the new laws after arsonists gutted a Melbourne synagogue this month and protesters kept fearful worshipers trapped inside a Sydney synagogue for three hours a week earlier.

The law would also prevent protesters from flying flags and displaying symbols of groups listed as terror organizations by Australia. Face masks used by protesters to conceal their identities and protect against capsicum spray would also be banned.

Footage posted online of Friday’s protest showed the group of men chanting “Freedom for the white man” and “The Jews must go.”

Standing in front of the large black and white banner, one of the protesters declared that “the Jews have demanded that the Victoria government change laws to take away our freedom to protest politically, and to expand so-called ‘hate speech anti-vilification laws’ to take away our rights to speak freely and criticize them.”


“Why should 0.4 percent of the Australian population — the Jews — get to dictate to the Victorian government what our freedoms should and should not be?” he shouted, declaring that the supposed reason for this was the “money and power that the Jews have.”

“This country should not belong to the Jews, it should belong to the white Australian people who built it.” he declared.

“Hail Victory!” the neo-Nazi proclaimed, invoking a direct translation of the German Nazi Party’s “Sieg Heil.”

“Blood and honor!” he shouted, again borrowing a Nazi-era motto, this time from the Hitler Youth.

In additional footage from the demonstration, the masked men could be seen leaving the area following a request from police officers

‘Never bow to the jackboots of hate’

Speaking to the Herald Sun on Saturday, Victoria Police Acting Superintendent Kelly Walker confirmed that one of the participants in the protest had been identified and that police were “making all inquiries to apprehend him and look at the range of offenses.”

“Looking to ID these men is our priority,” she said, branding their behavior as “disgusting.”

A Victoria Police spokesman confirmed to the local outlet that the investigation was still ongoing, and reiterated that the police department “vehemently condemns antisemitic or racially motivated behavior in our society and will not tolerate this kind of activity.”

There was no official comment from the Australian government on the matter.

Australian Jewish groups were quick to condemn the protest and express outrage over the incidents, the Australian Jewish News reported, citing Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dvir Abramovich, who said that Melbourne “stands firm against this wave of neo-Nazi barbarity.”

“Melbourne will never bow to the jackboots of hate, and we will never allow the echoes of Hitler’s hate to dictate the future of our multicultural, democratic community,” he added.

NO WAR ON IRAN!

Israel's Mossad chief calls for direct Iran strike after missile hits Tel Aviv

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By bnm Gulf bureau December 22, 2024

Mossad Director David Barnea has recommended Israel launch direct strikes against Iran in response to a Houthi missile attack that hit Tel Aviv, senior security sources told Channel 13 on December 22.

The recommendation came during high-level security consultations following a Yemeni ballistic missile strike that penetrated Israeli air defences and exploded in central Tel Aviv, injuring 16 people including a three-year-old girl.

"We need to target the head; striking only the Houthis won't be enough," Barnea said during the meetings, according to the sources, suggesting that Iran, as the primary backer of Yemen's Houthi militia, should face direct consequences.

The missile strike occurred despite attempted interceptions, with dramatic footage showing two Israeli interceptor missiles failing to stop the incoming projectile.

The victims suffered minor injuries from shattered glass when the missile impacted, security officials said.

The incident marked a significant escalation in the Houthis' capability to strike deep inside Israel and has prompted intense discussions within Israel's security establishment about appropriate responses.

Senior Israeli defence officials have held several emergency meetings over the past 24 hours to discuss response options, with Barnea's recommendation representing one of the most aggressive proposals from Israel's security leadership.

The Mossad chief's position comes hours after a cryptic comment by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei who said that Iran’s “partners” are not controlled by Tehran.

"They (the enemies) consistently say that the Islamic Republic has lost its regional proxies—this is yet another mistake! The Islamic Republic does not have any proxy forces," Khamenei said during the gathering, marking a holiday celebrating women.

The Supreme Leader said that groups such as Yemen's Ansurallah Houthis, Lebanon's Hezbollah, and Palestinian organisations Hamas and Islamic Jihad operate based on their own beliefs rather than Iranian direction.

"They are driven by their beliefs; they fight because of their convictions, not on our behalf," he stated on December 22.

Israel PM vows escalated fight against Houthis; officials said urging direct attack on Iran

Netanyahu: Same force employed against Iran’s other terrorist arms will be used against Yemeni rebels; Mossad chief said to warn striking Houthis not enough; Tehran said to fear direct attack

By Lazar Berman,
ToI Staff and Agencies

22 December 2024,

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes a video statement announcing a stepped-up campaign against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, December 22, 2024

 (Screenshot/GPO, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Sunday that Israel would act against the Houthi rebels in Yemen with the same force it used against Iran’s other “terrorist arms,” appearing to indicate the start of a stepped-up campaign against the Islamic Republic’s proxy group, after a ballistic missile crashed into a Tel Aviv playground over the weekend.

At the same time, Israeli reports said that senior defense officials, including the head of the Mossad spy agency, believe the correct move is to attack Iran directly, rather than go for its proxy group in Yemen.

In a video statement issued after a meeting of his security cabinet in the northern Israel town of Safed, Netanyahu stressed that Israel was not alone in operating against the Houthis, pointing to repeated strikes carried out by American and British forces against Houthi targets over the past year.

“The US, and also other countries, like us, see the Houthis as a threat, not only to world shipping, but also to world order.”

“Just as we acted forcefully against the terrorist arms of Iran’s evil axis, so we will act against the Houthis…with force, determination and sophistication,” the premier said.

Netanyahu’s comments came a day after a ballistic missile launched by the Iran-backed group exploded in a playground in south Tel Aviv on Saturday, wounding 16 and causing extensive damage after attempts to intercept it failed.

Israeli emergency responders inspect a crater at the site where a projectile fired from Yemen struck, in Tel Aviv early on December 21, 2024. (Jack GUEZ / AFP)

It was the second time in as many days that a Houthi missile sparked sirens in the country’s center in the middle of the night, after a warhead launched on Thursday was partially intercepted outside Israeli airspace and crashed into an empty school building in the city of Ramat Gan, again causing severe damage but no injuries.

Shortly after the strike in Ramat Gan, the IDF carried out a wave of intense airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. The timing of the operation was coincidental, as it had been planned for weeks and the planes were already in the air when the missile was launched.

Dozens of planes struck Houthi targets along Yemen’s western coast and, for the first time, in the rebel-held capital Sana’a.

Israeli military sources said the strikes were aimed at paralyzing all three ports used by the Iran back group. The targets included fuel and oil depots, two power stations, and eight tugboats used at the Houthi-controlled ports.

An IAF F-16 takes off for an attack on Houthi sites in Yemen on December 19, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

Indicating that similar strikes could be in store for the Houthis at a future date, Netanyahu on Sunday promised that even though the operation against the rebel group may take time, the results will be the same as those seen in Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.

Seemingly confirming future strikes in Yemen, an Israeli official told the Times of Israel that “Houthis are now the focus” of Israel’s defense establishment.

“There are going to be more attacks,” the official said.

The strikes on Houthi targets over the last year appear to have had a financial impact on the group, as the Turkish state-owned Anadolu news agency recently reported that the Houthi-run Yemeni Transport Ministry and Red Sea Ports Corporation announced that strikes on the port city of Hodeida in Western Yemen since July have caused $313 million in losses.


A large fire and plume of smoke is visible in the port city of Hodeida, Yemen, September 29, 2024, after Israeli strikes on the Houthi-controlled city. (AP Photo)

The Houthis began their attacks on Israel and against global shipping routes in the Red Sea last November, in the the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas terror onslaught in southern Israel that sparked the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

The group has launched more than 200 missiles and 170 drones at Israel in the past year, although the IDF has said that the vast majority did not reach the country or were intercepted by the military and its allies in the region.

The Iran-backed rebels have also carried out repeated missile and drone attacks on some 100 merchant vessels attempting to traverse the Red Sea, forcing many carriers to avoid the key waterway and hamstringing global shipping.

Tehran said fearful of Israeli attack

Even as Israel appears poised to ramp up its attacks on the Houthis, Israel’s Channel 12 reported on Sunday evening that almost all of the top brass of Israel’s defense establishment think that Israel should attack “inside Iranian territory.”

The rival Channel 13 news reported that among these senior officials is Mossad chief David Barnea, who reportedly told government officials in recent meetings: “We need to go for the head [of the snake], for Iran — if we only hit the Houthis, it’s not certain we’ll manage to stop them.”

According to Channel 12, the question of tackling Iran — a possible reference both to efforts to deter the Houthis and to target Iran’s nuclear facilities — has come up repeatedly in security cabinet meetings, even as the focus has been on finding ways to counter the upsurge in Houthi missile attacks.

Israeli Air Force fighter jets prepare to head out for strikes in Iran, early October 26, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)

Israel has assessed that the Houthis took a decision to escalate missile and other attacks, the network stated, and that the group’s actions are not always coordinated with Iran, or even appreciated by Iran.

Quoting unnamed Israeli political and military leaders, Channel 12 reported that Tehran’s leadership believes Israel may soon attack it, and is holding frenzied consultations to decide what to do in the event that it does.

The report, which the outlet stressed was approved by the military censor, said that at recent meetings of Israel’s political and military leadership, officials have said Iran believes Israel chose to accept a ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon in order to free up resources to deal directly with Iran and exact a price from the regime.

It stated that Israeli sources believe Tehran is concerned for three key reasons: because Israel has destroyed Iran’s air defenses in a way that enables access for the Israeli Air Force; because it accepted the ceasefire in Lebanon; and because of US President-elect Donald Trump’s electoral victory.

The report also stated that Israel’s leadership has discussed doing everything in its power to ensure Iran is not able to regain its grip on Lebanon after the severe blows dealt to Hezbollah by Israel, or on Syria following the ousting of deposed president Bashar al-Assad earlier this month.

Despite the reported support by senior defense officials for direct strikes on Iran, Channel 12 also cited unnamed sources as saying Israel should avoid a protracted confrontation with Tehran right now since it would not serve Israel’s interests — though it must still nurture and advance its operational capabilities regarding Iran.

US fears Iran may focus on nukes

While the setbacks to Tehran’s regional influence are reportedly seen as an opportunity by Israel, the US is concerned that, in its weakened state, Iran could turn its attention to building a nuclear weapon.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during an onstage interview Tuesday evening at the 92nd Street Y, New York, on December 18, 2024. (Rod Morata/Michael Priest Photography)

Speaking to CNN on Sunday, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said he was briefing Trump’s team on the risk that the Biden administration believes to be credible.

Israeli strikes on Iranian facilities, including missile factories and air defenses, have reduced Tehran’s conventional military capabilities, Sullivan told CNN.

“It’s no wonder there are voices (in Iran) saying, ‘Hey, maybe we need to go for a nuclear weapon right now… Maybe we have to revisit our nuclear doctrine,’” Sullivan said.

He added that he has told the Trump team to be “vigilant,” adding: “It’s a risk that I’m personally briefing the incoming team on about the threat of nuclear escalation.”

Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful, but it has expanded uranium enrichment since Trump, in his 2017-2021 presidential term, pulled out of a deal between Tehran and world powers that put restrictions on Iran’s nuclear activity in exchange for sanctions relief.

Jerusalem Rally Demands Swift Agreement on Hostage Crisis

Hundreds of people gathered to demonstrate for a cease-fire and a prisoner swap deal between Israel and Hamas, on Dec. 21, 2024 in Jerusalem. (Saeed Qaq/Anadolu via Getty Images)

STEVEN GANOT
12/23/2024

Thousands of religious Zionists gathered to urge political leaders in Israel to finalize a deal that would secure the hostages’ return from Gaza

Thousands of religiously observant residents of Jerusalem gathered Sunday at the city’s First Station entertainment complex to call for an agreement that would bring home Israeli hostages held in Gaza, as officials indicated that discussions for a proposed cease-fire and prisoner exchange are near completion. The event was held after a week of negotiations brokered by Egypt and Qatar.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas-led fighters launched a deadly assault in southern Israel, abducting 251 people from their homes, a music festival, and army bases. Of those, 96 are believed to remain in Gaza. Israeli authorities report that 34 of the captives still held in the coastal enclave have been confirmed dead. Negotiators now say that a signed agreement could free a significant number of hostages, including women, children, and older or ill individuals.

Calls for Unity and Urgent Action

We need an agreement that will bring everyone home

During the rally in Jerusalem, speaker after speaker implored political leaders to move forward with a deal. Most of them identified as religious Zionists who wanted to distinguish themselves from voices in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition opposing any negotiation with Hamas. Rabbi Mordechai Vardi of Kibbutz Rosh Tzurim in the West Bank’s Etzion settlement bloc told the crowd, “We are in a historic time, a time of national trauma that must be turned to healing, but first, the hostages have to be returned home. We need an agreement that will bring everyone home.”


Go to the Knesset, and tell the politicians that we want a deal

Several bereaved parents also spoke, including those who had lost children in earlier conflicts, and families with loved ones currently in Gaza. Jon Polin, whose son Hersh Goldberg-Polin was executed in a tunnel in late August along with other prisoners, implored the public, “Go to the Knesset, and tell the politicians that we want a deal.” Another speaker, Rabbanit Racheli Fraenkel, lost her teenage son Naftali in 2014 when he was kidnapped and killed with two other boys, igniting that year’s fighting between Israel and Gaza. “We’re here to strengthen and add our voices to our brothers deep in the tunnels,” she said. “Now is the time to free our brothers.”


I feel we’re getting closer and this unity will push closed the gates of hell that opened on October 7

Among the crowd, many attendees wore kipot and head coverings, singing prayers and songs of lament as they waited to hear any sign that a formal accord might be reached. One mother, Leshem Gonen, whose daughter Romi Gonen has been held in Gaza since October 7, shared her perspective as a secular Israeli, describing a journey of unity forged through shared grief. “I feel we’re getting closer and this unity will push closed the gates of hell that opened on October 7,” she said.

Negotiations: 90% Complete?

Multiple sources, including a Palestinian official speaking to the BBC, have said that a hostage release and cease-fire arrangement could be 90% finalized. Reports from Egyptian and Israeli media indicate that one of the key sticking points is a list identifying which hostages are still alive. Israel is waiting for Hamas to produce detailed information so the process can proceed.

Some discrepancies revolve around the status of male hostages that Hamas classifies as soldiers. The terrorist organization has reportedly demanded extra concessions for these captives. According to unnamed sources, Israel wants 11 men included in the first wave of releases, but Hamas seeks “special consideration” for their freedom. The initial round of prisoner exchanges may involve 250 Palestinian detainees in return for children, older individuals, five female soldiers, and potentially other women who were kidnapped.

Discussions are occurring in Doha, Qatar, and Cairo, Egypt, with each side sending working groups. However, the Israeli team in Qatar is not considered a senior delegation. The Security Cabinet in Jerusalem has reportedly received only limited updates, reflecting Prime Minister Netanyahu’s strategy of restricting information to avoid leaks. Defense Minister Israel Katz told legislators, “The less we speak, the better. In my opinion, we are closer to a deal than we’ve been since the last hostage exchange, and it will receive a majority in government if it is brought to a vote.”

Possible Cease-Fire and Military Presence

Jerusalem officials have confirmed that they received “signs of life” from some hostages, but few details have been shared publicly. A senior Israeli official reportedly said the government was prepared for a “prolonged cease-fire,” but not a complete end to military operations in Gaza. Earlier, Hamas demanded the withdrawal of all Israeli troops from the territory, but sources now suggest that the group may accept a partial presence in the Netzarim and Philadelphi Corridors. Both areas have strategic importance: The Netzarim Corridor effectively divides north Gaza from the south, while the Philadelphi Corridor borders Egypt and has been a passage for smuggling.

Egypt’s involvement is driven by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s longstanding role in mediating regional disputes. Negotiations reportedly include provisions for reopening the Rafah Border Crossing under international oversight, and allowing up to 500 trucks of humanitarian supplies to enter Gaza daily. Another aspect under review concerns letting Gaza residents return to the north of the Strip, where large-scale displacement occurred after October 7. Vehicle inspections would likely accompany this process to prevent arms trafficking.

Family Concerns and Partial Releases

Families of those still detained have expressed deep anxiety over the possibility that only a portion of the hostages might be freed in the first phase. Some have argued that splitting the releases could condemn those remaining to further jeopardy. One group described a partial release plan as a “death sentence” for relatives who would stay behind, reinforcing the push for a comprehensive package to free everyone at once.

For its part, Hamas, along with other armed factions such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, issued a joint statement indicating that an accord could be finalized “provided the enemy stops imposing new conditions.” A Hamas leader told AFP that “most points related to the cease-fire and prisoner exchange issues have been agreed upon. Some unresolved points remain, but they do not hinder the process. The agreement could be finalized before the end of this year, provided it is not disrupted by Netanyahu’s new conditions.”

High-Profile Prisoners and Next Steps

Speculation about whether figures like Marwan Barghouti could be included in the deal has circulated in local media. Barghouti is a prominent Palestinian leader serving five life sentences for orchestrating terrorist attacks during the Second Intifada. He has strong support among younger Palestinians who view him as relatively untainted by corruption. Yet Netanyahu’s office insisted, “The terrorist Marwan Barghouti will not be released if and when a deal is made to release the hostages.”

At the same time, Netanyahu has emphasized caution. During a conversation with US President-elect Donald Trump, he said, “We discussed the need to complete Israel’s victory and spoke extensively about the efforts we are making to bring our hostages home. We are working tirelessly to bring back our hostages, both the living and the fallen. I’ll add that the less we talk about this, the better our chances of success, and with God’s help, we will succeed.”

For many who attended the gathering in Jerusalem, the emotional toll of uncertainty is coupled with a sense of urgency. They see religious teachings, national solidarity, and personal suffering converging into a single demand: End the ordeal of families torn apart by the events of October 7. Whether the negotiations in Doha and Cairo will meet that hope hinges on both sides resolving the final 10% of unresolved issues. Observers say the coming days and weeks may shape the course of a conflict that has already cost countless lives.

Doctors Without Borders condemns 'apocalyptic' conditions in Gaza


A group of displaced Palestinian children sits near their tents in a makeshift camp at sunset in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Dec. 22, 2024. According to the UN, at least 1.9 million people across Gaza are internally displaced, including people who have been repeatedly displaced. Since October 2023, only about 11% of Gaza has not been placed under Israeli-issued evacuation orders. Photo by Haitham Imad/EPA-EFE

Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Médecins Sans Frontières, also known as Doctors Without Borders, has released a report condemning the "apocalyptic" conditions in Gaza caused by Israel's war on the Palestinian enclave.

In releasing its report, titled "Gaza: Life in a Death Trap," MSF joins human rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch in providing attestations of the devastation faced by Israel's alleged genocide of Palestinian civilians.

"MSF has witnessed 14 months of repeated attacks on civilians, the dismantling of essential civilian infrastructure including healthcare facilities, and a systematic denial of humanitarian assistance, seemingly underpinning Israel's campaign to unravel the very fabric of society in Gaza," the humanitarian aid group said in the report.

The humanitarian aid group said eight of its staffers have been killed as its teams have endured a documented 41 attacks and violent incidents on them, including air strikes and direct fire on health facilities in Gaza where they were working. Some have even been arrested by Israeli forces.

"Israeli forces have blocked essential items such as food, water and medical supplies from entering the Strip," MSF said in its report. "They have either denied, delayed or instrumentalized humanitarian assistance, allowing insignificant quantities of aid into Gaza with a complete disregard for the actual needs and the level of suffering."

MSF doctors have had to conduct surgery without sufficient anesthesia as civilians die from skin diseases, upper respiratory infections and diarrhea from the lack of hygiene conditions as well as the lack of vaccines, food and water.

"Even if the offensive ended today, its long-term impact would be unprecedented, given the scale of the destruction and the unique challenges of organizing healthcare in Gaza," MSF said. "A whole society needs rebuilding."

MSF said it could take years to treat and rehabilitate those left with amputations and permanent disabilities from the war, on top of the generations of future mental trauma caused by Israel's violence and the loss of their family members and homes.

The humanitarian aid group noted that Israel's long blockade of Gaza, even before Hamas attacked Israel, caused "chronic shortages" in medical supplies and equipment, a situation similarly faced by Palestinians in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

MSF said Israel's attacks on their staff began as early as October 10, 2023, when Israel hit an MSF clinic in Gaza in an airstrike, followed by shots fired at an MSF shelter on November 14, 2023. An attack on an MSF staff evacuation convoy that month led to the death of two people before what was likely an Israeli tank caused damage and fire to the MSF clinic.

On November 20, 2023, five cars belonging to MSF were destroyed and, the next day, two MSF staff members were killed in a strike on Al-Awda Hospital. An MSF convoy was again targeted a few days later.

Then in December, an MSF surgeon was injured by an Israeli sniper outside of the Al-Awda Hospital, which Israeli forces ultimately took over on December 17, 2023. Hospital workers, including MSF staff members, were stripped and interrogated.

An MSF shelter housing 100 staff members and their families was then shelled in January 2024, causing the death of a member of one staffer's family and the injuries of three other people. In February, an MSF staff member was arrested followed by the shelling of an MSF shelter a few days later, causing the deaths of two family members, among other incidents.

"Every day in July has been one shock after another," Dr. Javid Abdelmoneim said. "[On July 24] I walked in behind a curtain, and there was a little girl alone, dying by herself. And that's the outcome of a collapsed health system: a little 8-year-old girl, dying alone on a trolley in the emergency room. In a functioning health system, she would have been saved."

MSF staffers recounted seeing the dead and wounded "lying everywhere" with the "unbearable" smell of blood filling the air as pregnant women deliver premature babies, some 50,000 of which have not received vaccinations.

Only 12 trucks delivered food, water in North Gaza Governorate since October: Oxfam

By AFP
December 22, 2024


Israel's government has faced accusations that it systematically hinders aid reaching Gaza - Copyright AFP/File Omar AL-QATTAA

Just 12 trucks distributed food and water in northern Gaza in two-and-a-half months, aid group Oxfam said on Sunday, raising the alarm over the worsening humanitarian situation in the besieged territory.

“Of the meager 34 trucks of food and water given permission to enter the North Gaza Governorate over the last 2.5 months, deliberate delays and systematic obstructions by the Israeli military meant that just twelve managed to distribute aid to starving Palestinian civilians,” Oxfam said in a statement, in a count that included deliveries through Saturday.

“For three of these, once the food and water had been delivered to the school where people were sheltering, it was then cleared and shelled within hours,” Oxfam added.

Israel, which has tightly controlled aid entering the Hamas-ruled territory since the outbreak of the war, often blames what it says is the inability of relief organizations to handle and distribute large quantities of aid.

In a report focused on water, New York-based Human Rights Watch on Thursday detailed what it called deliberate efforts by Israeli authorities “of a systematic nature” to deprive Gazans of water, which had “likely caused thousands of deaths… and will likely continue to cause deaths.”

They were the latest in a series of accusations leveled against Israel — and denied by the country — during its 14-month war against Palestinian Hamas militants.

The Gaza war was sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that claimed the lives of 1,208 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

– ‘Access blocked’ –

Since then, Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 45,000 people in Gaza, a majority of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry that the United Nations considers reliable.

Oxfam said that it and other international aid groups have been “continually prevented from delivering life-saving aid” in northern Gaza since October 6 this year, when Israel intensified its bombardment of the territory.

“Thousands of people are estimated to still be cut off, but with humanitarian access blocked it’s impossible to know exact numbers,” Oxfam said.

“At the beginning of December, humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza were receiving calls from vulnerable people trapped in homes and shelters that had completely run out of food and water.”

Oxfam highlighted one instance of an aid delivery in November being disrupted by Israeli authorities.

“A convoy of 11 trucks last month was initially held up at the holding point by the Israeli military at Jabalia, where some food was taken by starving civilians,” it said.

“After the green light to proceed to the destination was received, the trucks were then stopped further on at a military checkpoint. Soldiers forced the drivers to offload the aid in a militarized zone, which desperate civilians had no access to.”

The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a resolution on Thursday asking the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to assess Israel’s obligations to assist Palestinians.

Palestinians struggle to protect themselves from cold as winter hits Gaza

Shortage of blankets, warm clothing, wood for fire and tents raises fears that people living in makeshift shelters might not survive the winter in Gaza amid Israel's carnage.


The United Nations warns of people living in precarious makeshift shelters that might not survive the winter. / Photo: AP


Many of the nearly 2 million Palestinians displaced by Israel are struggling to protect themselves from wind, cold and rain as winter hits besieged Gaza.

There is a shortage of blankets and warm clothing, little wood for fires, and the tents and patched-together tarps families are living in have grown increasingly threadbare after months of heavy use, according to aid workers and residents.

Shadia Aiyada, who was displaced from the southern city of Rafah to the coastal area of Muwasi, has only one blanket and a hot water bottle to keep her eight children from shivering inside their fragile tent.

"We get scared every time we learn from the weather forecast that rainy and windy days are coming up because our tents are lifted with the wind. We fear that strong windy weather would knock out our tents one day while we're inside," she said.

With nighttime temperatures that can drop into the mid-to-high single digits Celsius, Aiyada fears that her kids will get sick without warm clothing.

When they fled their home, her children only had their summer clothes, she said. They have been forced to borrow some from relatives and friends to keep warm.

The United Nations warns of people living in precarious makeshift shelters that might not survive the winter.

At least 945,000 people need winterisation supplies, which have become prohibitively expensive in Gaza, the UN said in an update Tuesday. The UN also fears infectious disease, which spiked last winter, will climb again amid rising malnutrition.

Winter aid blocked

The UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees, known as UNRWA, has been planning all year for winter in Gaza, but the aid it was able to get into the territory is "not even close to being enough for people," said Louise Wateridge, an agency spokesperson.

UNRWA distributed 6,000 tents over the past four weeks in northern Gaza but was unable to get them to other parts of the enclave, including areas where there has been Israeli bombardment.

About 22,000 tents have been stuck in Jordan, and 600,000 blankets and 33 truckloads of mattresses have been sitting in Egypt since the summer because the agency doesn't have Israeli approval or a safe route to bring them into Gaza and because it had to prioritise desperately needed food aid, Wateridge said.

Many of the mattresses and blankets have since been looted or destroyed by the weather and rodents, she said.

The International Rescue Committee is struggling to bring in children's winter clothing because there "are a lot of approvals to get from relevant authorities," said Dionne Wong, the organisation's deputy director of programs for the occupied Palestinian territories.

"The ability of Palestinians to prepare for winter is essentially very limited," Wong said.

For now, the winter clothing for sale i

n Gaza's markets is far too expensive for most people to afford, residents and aid workers said.



Deadly cold

Reda Abu Zarada, 50, who was displaced from northern Gaza with her family, said the adults sleep with the children in their arms to keep them warm inside their tent.

"Rats walk on us at night because we don't have doors and tents are torn. The blankets don't keep us warm. We feel frost coming out from the ground. We wake up freezing in the morning," she said. "I'm scared of waking up one day to find one of the children frozen to death."

On Thursday night, she fought through knee pain exacerbated by cold weather to fry zucchini over a fire made of paper and cardboard scraps outside their tent. She hoped the small meal would warm the children before bed.

Omar Shabet, who is displaced from Gaza City and staying with his three children, feared that lighting a fire outside his tent would make his family a target for Israeli warplanes.

"We go inside our tents after sunset and don't go out because it is very cold, and it gets colder by midnight," he said. "My 7-year-old daughter almost cries at night because of how cold she is."

Israel has killed over 45,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, so far in the blockaded enclave.

In its carnage, Tel Aviv has caused a massive shortage of basic necessities, including food, water, electricity and medicine, while displacing almost the entire population.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last month for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on Gaza.