More security concerns for Israeli politicians’ data. Israeli media reported: “Over the past 24 hours, the Iranian hacker group known as Handala has released a series of personal messages, images, screenshots, and other content, allegedly obtained from a device belonging to former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
Among the leaked information is a list of approximately 5,000 contacts associated with Bennett, including high-ranking diplomats such as the President of the United Arab Emirates and the President of France, as well as numerous current and former officials of security agencies. The leaked content includes sensitive personal communications and images. Cybersecurity experts suggest this may not be the last of the revelations. Additional significant information related to Naftali Bennett has already emerged, indicating that the attackers may not have yet concluded their operations.
The US administration – a US media source – is concerned about Israeli attempts to hinder the implementation of the next stages of the Gaza agreement. Whitaker will meet with Qatari, Egyptian, and Turkish mediators in Miami. Next phase in Gaza.
Hamas has strongly criticized Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich’s approval of a plan to create a new settlement town east of occupied Jerusalem, “which includes thousands of housing units, represents a serious escalation in the settlement and annexation project and a new crime to add to the toll of colonial occupation, rife with violations of international law.”
Israeli National Security Council Deputy Chairman Yossi Dreznin attended a meeting in Naqoura with former Lebanese Ambassador Simon Karam. Morgan Ortagus, the US special envoy to Lebanon, was also present. This marks an increase in Israeli representation at meetings defined as “progressive issues.”
The US Embassy statement on the Naqoura meeting noted that the US is seeking to create the right atmosphere to move the ceasefire committee, to ensure that neither Israel nor Hezbollah violates it, toward normalization and a Military cooperation between Lebanon and Israel.
The final statement reads: “Military participants provided operational updates and focused on deepening military-to-military cooperation, finding ways to increase coordination. All agreed that strengthening the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), the security provider in the southern Litani sector, is crucial to success. Civilian participants focused on creating conditions for residents to safely return to their homes, promoting reconstruction, and addressing economic priorities. They emphasized that sustained political and economic progress is essential to reinforce security gains and sustain a lasting peace.”
LF party official Charles Jabbour on the importance of Israel’s war objectives: “War is not an exaggeration; The military option is a natural course of action because Israel wants to end all conflict by 2026.
The Prime Minister’s Office wrote in a statement: “During the meeting, some progress was made toward adopting ‘initial steps’ regarding pilot economic projects between Israel and Lebanon. Another meeting is expected to be held in the first half of January.”
Greek Defense Minister Vassilis Palmas denied reports that a joint rapid response force with Israel and Greece against Turkey had been created, but he implied that even if such a proposal were put forward, it would not be publicly discussed. “As the political leader of the Ministry of Defense, I declare that this issue has not been discussed and is not on the agenda. Even if such negotiations with different content had taken place, it would be wrong to disclose certain confidential matters,” he said.
The suspect and assassin of the MIT professor/nuclear scientist in the Brown University shooting—for which Israel suspects Iran—is Portuguese citizen Claudio Manuel Neves-Valente, 48. The attacker took his own life in a warehouse. “The attacker acted alone—NO anti-Semitism”—Police. The police have not yet explained the motive or why two shootings occurred in different states.
And now a look at the front line updated at 5:00 PM on December 19. While a million people marched for Palestinian rights in Sanaa, Saudi warplanes flew over eastern Yemen for the second consecutive day. According to local news source Abna-Hadramawt, these intensive flights are part of the “pressure tools” Saudi Arabia is using to force the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) to withdraw from eastern Yemen.
General Talib Barjash, commander of the deposed government’s forces in the Second Military Region (which covers al-Mahra and Yemen’s southeastern coast), has seceded from the deposed government and aligned himself with the STC. He ordered the removal of portraits of Rashad al-Alimi, head of the deposed government’s Presidential Leadership Council, and the Yemeni national flag from all bases under his command, replacing them with portraits of Aidarus al-Zoubaidi, head of the Southern Transitional Council, and the flag of South Yemen. During the Hadhramaut conflict, Talib Barjash remained neutral and occasionally supported the Hadhramaut tribes. However, with recent developments in eastern and southern Yemen, his position has changed, and he has now joined the Southern Transitional Council.
A similar incident occurred in Abyan, where the Rapid Response Forces stationed in the Jayshan district broke away from the Islah Party and the deposed government, joining the Southern Transitional Council. Southern forces’ movements on the outskirts of the al-Khasha area were targeted by drone strikes from unidentified aircraft. The Saudi military has not released any reports regarding these attacks, suggesting they were likely carried out by armed elements of the Islah Party. Some Islah sheikhs, due to their close ties to Turkey, have received limited support, including small amounts of weapons such as Turkish-made quadcopters.
On December 17, a convoy carrying Jordanian military aid entered the al-Wadi’ah border crossing. A convoy carrying Jordanian military aid entered Yemen through Saudi territory at the al-Wadi’ah border crossing. In addition to these supplies, a large number of Jordanian advisers arrived in the al-Wadi’ah and al-‘Abr areas to train al-Dera’ al-Watan forces in the use of Canadian armored vehicles and other supplied weapons. These developments indicate Saudi Arabia’s preparations for a new operation against the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Yemen’s eastern and southern provinces. Contrary to the initial agreement with Riyadh, the STC has seized control of the Hadhramaut and northern Shabwah oil fields. Despite Saudi Arabia’s repeated calls for withdrawal, the National Security Council (STC) is moving toward declaring independence and partitioning Yemen.
In Lebanon, an Israeli drone strike on Sari Hill, located in the highlands between Kfar Kila, Taibeh, and Deir Mimas, killed one Lebanese man. The highlands between Kfar Kila, Taibeh, and Deir Mimas were among the areas where the Israeli army made significant efforts during its ground assault in southern Lebanon to capture and clear Hezbollah installations. However, due to Hezbollah’s targeted attacks on Israeli positions, the Israeli army has been unable to advance on these heights. The renewed drone attack on Sari Hill indicates that Lebanese movements in these areas remain under close surveillance by the Israelis.
An Israeli drone struck a Lebanese Electricity Company truck on December 18 on the Deir Seryan-Taybeh road in southern Lebanon. The attack occurred while several electricity company employees were on duty. Following this attack, two vehicles caught fire, resulting in one death and several injuries.
On December 18, the Israelis dropped dozens of bombs, after which the Lebanese army went digging to assist Israel. On December 19, the Lebanese army found the facility in Kafra, containing tunnels, weapons, and equipment. The facility is intact. They will begin confiscating and demolishing it. UNIFIL also participated in the inspection at the request of the UNIFIL Joint Investigative Commission with the Mechanism, which Israel claims was a facility targeted during the war.
Wounded transferred following IDF artillery shelling of a shelter school near Al-Durra Hospital, east of the Al-Tuffah neighborhood, east of Gaza City.
Heavy clashes erupted inside al-Arroub camp north of Hebron, and IDF fire was fired at the site Live ammunition and arrest a boy from Sarah.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
Follow our updates on Geopolitical Gleanings - Spigolature geopolitiche: https://t.me/agc_NW and on our blog The Gleanings of AGCNEWS - Le Spigolature di AGCNEWS: https://spigolatureagcnews.blogspot.com/
