Israel and Germany have signed a new security cooperation agreement, according to a statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released on Sunday. The deal was signed in Jerusalem by Netanyahu and German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt. The statement described Iran and its allies, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis, as threats to both regional stability and international security.

The agreement reflects Germany’s deep commitment to Israel’s security, the statement said. It establishes a broad security partnership between the two countries’ agencies in areas such as cyber defense, advanced technology, law enforcement, counterterrorism, and civil protection.

The development follows Germany’s suspension of military equipment exports to Israel in August of the previous year due to concerns that its weapons could be used in the Gaza war. Germany is Israel’s second-largest arms supplier after the United States.

A Palestinian detainee from Gaza, identified as Hamza Abdullah Abdulhadi Adwan, has died in an Israeli prison, according to a joint statement by the Prisoners’ Affairs Commission and the Palestinian Prisoners Society. The statement said Adwan had long suffered from heart disease and required medical treatment. He was arrested on November 12, 2024, at a military checkpoint in northern Gaza. Adwan was married and the father of nine children, two of whom were killed in Israeli attacks in October 2023.

Rights groups have accused Israel of systematic abuse of Palestinian prisoners, including starvation, medical neglect, sexual assault, humiliation, and detention under degrading conditions. The statement noted that since the start of the Gaza war, more than 100 Palestinian prisoners have died in Israeli custody, though Israeli authorities have officially confirmed the identities of only 87.

The continuing deaths in custody have drawn attention to the conditions of Palestinian detainees and the lack of transparency surrounding their treatment and deaths.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has called on the European Union to classify Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. In a post on social media platform X, Sa’ar said he discussed the matter with German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, during which the issue of declaring the IRGC a terrorist group was raised.

Sa’ar noted that Germany has long maintained this position and that the importance of the issue has become increasingly clear. The report adds that several countries, including the United States and Canada, have already listed Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization.

The IRGC, formed shortly after Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, is described as a powerful armed force closely linked to the country’s supreme leadership. It plays a central role in preserving the revolution’s ideals and maintaining Iran’s Islamic governance, with its own ground, naval, and air forces, as well as a large volunteer militia known as the Basij Resistance Force.

Israeli police have detained Zachi Braverman, chief of staff to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on allegations of obstructing an investigation. The arrest, confirmed on Sunday, follows reports that Braverman was linked to the leak of sensitive military information during the Gaza war. Braverman had been nominated as Israel’s next ambassador to the United Kingdom, but opposition figures are now calling for his appointment to be suspended.

Former Netanyahu aide Eli Feldstein recently claimed that Braverman tried to interfere with a probe into the leak of classified military documents to foreign media during the conflict with Hamas. Feldstein himself had been arrested in 2024 for leaking a secret Israeli military document to a German tabloid, which aimed to support Netanyahu’s stance that military pressure could secure the release of Israeli hostages. Israeli media reported that police searched Braverman’s home and expect Feldstein to provide further testimony.

Braverman and Feldstein have also been linked to the so-called “Qatargate” scandal, involving alleged efforts to promote Qatar’s image in Israel. Opposition leader Yair Lapid urged the government to suspend Braverman’s ambassadorial nomination in light of these developments.

Israel has placed its security forces on the highest alert amid concerns over a possible United States strike on Iran, according to Israeli sources cited by Reuters. The heightened alert follows widespread anti-government protests in Iran, which have intensified since late December due to the sharp devaluation of the Iranian rial and worsening economic conditions. US President Donald Trump warned Iran against suppressing protesters, stating on his social media platform that the United States is ready to help.

Sources present at Israel’s weekend security meeting did not specify what the heightened alert measures entail. In June, Israel carried out an attack on Iran, with the United States joining in the final days of a 12-day conflict. On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the possibility of US intervention in Iran during a phone call, though US officials declined to confirm the details of their conversation.

The protests, which began near Tehran’s Grand Bazaar on December 28, have since spread to multiple cities across Iran, reflecting deepening public frustration over the country’s economic decline.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced the nomination of former UN Middle East envoy Nikolay Mladenov to supervise the Gaza ceasefire as part of a peace board proposed by US President Donald Trump. The appointment was reported by Turkey-based Hurriyet Daily, following a meeting between Netanyahu and Mladenov in Jerusalem. The board has been formed to oversee the implementation of the second and more complex phase of the ceasefire in Gaza.

A senior US official confirmed that the Trump administration assigned Mladenov to manage the board’s daily administrative operations, while Trump himself will serve as its head. Additional appointments are expected in the coming week. According to Trump’s plan, the board will oversee the formation of a new technocratic Palestinian government, the disarmament of Hamas, deployment of an international security force, withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and reconstruction efforts.

Mladenov previously served as Bulgaria’s defense and foreign minister and worked as the UN’s Middle East peace envoy from 2015 to 2020, during which he played an active role in easing tensions between Israel and Hamas.

Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu has claimed that Israeli agents are currently active inside Iran during the country’s ongoing protests over the falling value of the rial and a deepening economic crisis. Speaking to Israel’s Army Radio on Thursday, Eliyahu said that Israel had used ground agents during a 12-day war with Iran last June and that similar operations continue now. He asserted that some Israeli operatives remain active on Iranian soil.

According to Eliyahu, these agents are not directly working to overthrow the Iranian government but are focused on weakening Iran’s military and strategic capabilities to prevent it from posing a threat to Israel. Tehran had previously acknowledged Israeli intelligence activity during the 12-day conflict and has since arrested and executed several people accused of spying for Mossad.

Eliyahu’s remarks have intensified Iranian accusations of foreign interference by Israel and the United States. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded sharply, accusing former U.S. President Donald Trump of having blood on his hands and warning that arrogant powers would face the same fate as the pre-1979 monarchy.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly praised U.S. President Donald Trump after the removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. In a statement posted on his Facebook account on Sunday, Netanyahu congratulated Trump for what he described as courageous and historic leadership in defense of freedom and justice. He also commended the determination of the U.S. president and the actions of American troops involved in the operation.

The statement came amid heightened international attention following the reported removal of Maduro from power. Netanyahu’s remarks framed Trump’s decision as a bold stand for democratic values and justice. The Israeli leader’s message of support highlighted close political alignment between the two leaders on global security and governance issues.

The development has sparked questions in other reports about the legality of Trump’s actions and the broader implications for Venezuela’s political situation, though Netanyahu’s statement focused solely on praise for the U.S. president’s leadership.

Israel has decided to revoke the licenses of 37 aid organizations operating in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). The decision, announced to take effect from January 1, will also suspend the licenses of well-known international groups such as ActionAid, the International Rescue Committee, and the Norwegian Refugee Council, with their operations required to cease within 60 days.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned Israel’s move, saying it would obstruct and weaken UNRWA’s operational capacity in Gaza. He stated that the decision is inconsistent with international legal frameworks and should be immediately withdrawn. Guterres emphasized that UNRWA is an integral part of the United Nations and reminded Israel of its obligations under the UN Charter and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations.

The Israeli authorities said the action was taken because the organizations failed to meet new registration policy requirements.

Israel has approved the construction of 126 illegal housing units in Sa-Nur, located in the occupied West Bank. The plan was sanctioned by the Higher Planning Council under the Civil Administration, allowing settlers to return to the Sa-Nur outpost. The area had been unilaterally separated from Palestinian territory by Tel Aviv in 2005.

According to Israeli media reports, the approval follows the repeal of the 2005 Disengagement Law by the Israeli parliament in March 2024. The law had previously restricted settlement activity in certain evacuated areas. On December 23, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich convened a meeting of the Higher Planning Council to consider the 126-unit proposal. Channel 7 reported that the plan is expected to take effect within two months.

The Palestinian Authority has repeatedly urged the international community to pressure Israel to halt settlement construction in the occupied West Bank, which the United Nations and international law consider illegal.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced a boycott of the influential daily newspaper Haaretz, accusing it of supporting Israel’s enemies during the Gaza war. According to a report by Middle East Monitor, the decision includes cutting all advertising and editorial ties with the paper. A government directive instructs all ministries, state-funded companies, and public advertising agencies to avoid any relationship with Haaretz. The boycott was implemented based on a government decision made in November 2024.

The Israeli government claims that Haaretz published editorials during the Gaza conflict that undermined Israel’s legitimacy and right to self-defense. Officials stated that they would not tolerate a domestic newspaper supporting enemies or calling for international sanctions against Israel.

Israel’s Attorney General has warned that the new restrictions could negatively affect press freedom, increasing the risk of commercial and political interference in media operations.

Israel has decided to revoke the licenses of 37 organizations providing humanitarian assistance in Palestine, citing their failure to meet new registration requirements. According to Israeli authorities, the groups did not submit complete personal data of their staff as required under the updated regulations. The suspension, affecting well-known international NGOs such as ActionAid, the International Rescue Committee, and the Norwegian Refugee Council, will take effect on January 1, with operations to cease within 60 days.

The move has drawn sharp criticism from ten countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Canada, and Japan, which described the new rules as excessively strict and unacceptable. In a joint statement, their foreign ministers warned that forced closures of international NGOs would severely disrupt access to essential services such as healthcare in Gaza, where humanitarian conditions remain catastrophic. They urged Israel to allow NGOs to continue sustainable operations.

The UN-supported Humanitarian Country Team previously warned that Israel’s new registration policy poses fundamental risks to NGO activities in Gaza and the West Bank, calling the system arbitrary and politically driven, with conditions that could undermine humanitarian principles.

Israel has warned that it will suspend the operations of several donor and humanitarian organizations working in the war-torn Gaza Strip, accusing them of failing to comply with new regulations. According to the report, the restrictions are set to take effect from Thursday and will affect more than 30 groups, including Doctors Without Borders, the Norwegian Refugee Council, CARE International, the International Rescue Committee, Oxfam, and Caritas. Israel claims these organizations did not meet requirements to share information about their staff, funding, and activities.

Tel Aviv further alleged that some staff members of Doctors Without Borders were cooperating with Hamas and that the organization failed to clarify their roles. Doctors Without Borders denied the accusations and warned that Israel’s decision would have a devastating impact on its medical work in Gaza. International organizations described Israel’s new rules as arbitrary, while Israeli authorities stated that permits for 37 groups had not been renewed.

The dispute underscores growing tensions between Israel and international aid agencies over operational transparency and humanitarian access in Gaza.

Israel has released 10 Palestinians detained in Gaza under a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with Hamas, according to Anadolu Agency on Sunday. The released individuals were taken by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah for medical examinations and necessary treatment.

Human rights organizations from both Palestine and Israel reported that more than 9,300 Palestinians remain imprisoned in Israel, including women and children. The report cited allegations of torture, starvation, and medical neglect among detainees, leading to several deaths. Rights groups also stated that mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners has intensified during Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza.

Since the conflict began in October 2023, over 70,900 people have been killed—mostly women and children—and about 171,200 injured, while large parts of Gaza have been reduced to rubble.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir came under attack from angry Palestinians during a visit to the Bedouin village of Tarabin in the occupied Negev region of southern Palestine. The incident occurred on Sunday after Israeli forces had raided the village and arrested several Palestinians. As Ben-Gvir arrived to oversee a police operation, villagers reportedly threw stones at him, forcing him to flee the area under heavy police protection.

According to Channel 14, the confrontation escalated when residents clashed with police during the minister’s visit. Social media videos showed Palestinians throwing stones at Ben-Gvir as he left the area surrounded by security forces. Israeli police responded by firing tear gas to disperse the crowd.

The report, citing Middle East Eye, highlights ongoing tensions in the occupied Negev region, where Israeli security operations and Palestinian resistance frequently lead to violent confrontations.