Israel’s death toll topped 3,000 on Monday as the number of new daily coronavirus cases continues to rise and the specter of a third lockdown by the end of the month becomes increasingly likely. The Health Ministry confirmed 1,710 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, with tests showing a positivity rate of 3.4%. The number of daily cases has averaged about 1,750 in the past week, up from about 750 just several weeks ago. According to a report by the Coronavirus National Information and Knowledge Center on Monday, the number of daily cases is expected to increase even further to about 2,500 by the end of the month based on the current reproduction number of 1.15 to 1.2.

U.S. government agencies were ordered to scour their networks for malware and disconnect potentially compromised servers after authorities learned that the Treasury and Commerce departments were hacked in a monthslong global cyberespionage campaign discovered when a prominent cybersecurity firm learned it had been breached. In a rare emergency directive issued late Sunday, the Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity arm warned of an “unacceptable risk” to the executive branch from a feared large-scale penetration of U.S. government agencies that could date back to mid-year or earlier. “This can turn into one of the most impactful espionage campaigns on record,” said cybersecurity expert Dmitri Alperovitch.

Italy on Sunday eclipsed Britain to become the nation with the worst official coronavirus death toll in Europe. Italy, where the continent’s pandemic began, registered 484 COVID-19 deaths in one day, one of its lowest one-day death counts in about a month. Still, those latest deaths pushed Italy’s official toll up to 64,520, while Britain’s stood at 64,267, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Both numbers understate the true toll of the pandemic. Counting criteria differ in the two countries, and many coronavirus deaths, especially early in the pandemic, are believed to have gone undetected, including those of elderly people in nursing homes who were not tested for COVID-19.

Algeria’s prime minister lashed out Saturday at the decision by neighboring Morocco to normalize relations with Israel, decrying it as an effort to destabilize his country. Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad said: “When we tell citizens there are operations overseas targeting the stability of the country, here is the proof.” He also complained of “a desire to bring the Israeli and Zionist entity to our borders.” The normalization of relations between Israel and Morocco was announced Thursday by U.S. President Donald Trump. In a related major policy shift, Washington agreed to recognize Morocco’s claim over the long-disputed Western Sahara region as part of the deal. (AP)

Saudi Arabia played an important role in the normalization agreement between Israel and Morocco brokered by the US, Israel’s Channel 12 News reported. The report did not provide details of the Saudi role in the agreement but Middle East analysts say that due to Saudi Arabia’s strong influence among Sunni states, none of the recent peace deals with Israel would have proceeded without the consent of Saudi Arabia. The report added that a Saudi newspaper affiliated with the Saudi royal family reported on the Israel-Morocco agreement on its front page.

Jewish-Moroccan entrepreneur Yariv Elbaz, who has business ties both in Israel and the US, was one of the key mediators of the Israel-Morocco peace agreement, The New York Times reported. Discussions on a peace deal have been ongoing since 2017 but the Moroccan king was extremely hesitant due to his fear of risking his position in the Arab world. Elbaz’s close ties with the Moroccan royal family paved the way for the historic deal, the report said, with Elbaz acting as a go-between for Washington and Rabat. At one point during the mediation, Elbaz informed Rabat that the Trump administration was willing to invest up to $3 billion in the kingdom, with most of the funds slated for banking, hotels, and a renewable energy company owned by the king.

Outgoing US Vice President Mike Pence will visit Israel on January 13, a week before Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20, Israel’s Army Radio reported on Sunday. Regional Cooperation Minister Ofir Akunis (Likud) told Army Radio that it’s likely that a normalization deal will be announced during Pence’s trip. Meanwhile, National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien is visiting Israel on Sunday. He is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday afternoon for discussions on Iran as well as on additional normalization deals. According to Israeli media reports, additional countries will be added to the list of those normalizing ties with Israel prior to Trump leaving office.

Yedidya, z’l, 5, and Elyashiv Jungreis, z’l, 7, residents of Beit El, were killed in a tragic car accident on Friday afternoon on Route 1 between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, near the Latrun intersection. The brothers were being driven by their uncle to spend Shabbos by relatives since their mother recently gave birth. For reasons that are not yet clear, the car crashed into a truck that was parked on the side of the highway due to engine trouble.  Some reports indicate that the truck was not parked safely on the shoulder. The victims’ brother, Yair Jungreis, 10, was seriously injured in the accident but is now conscious and in stable condition in Hadassah Medical Center.

A woman who plowed her car into protesters Friday in New York City, injuring six of them, has been arrested and charged with reckless endangerment, police said. Kathleen Casillo, 52, was released from custody after being given a notice to appear in court at a later date, police said. A message seeking comment was left at a number listed for Casillo. Online records did not list a lawyer who could speak on her behalf. Bystander video showed a black BMW sedan suddenly accelerating as protesters gathered around the vehicle around 4 p.m. Friday near 39th Street and 3rd Avenue in Manhattan. One person appeared to be leaning over the front of the car. Tom Ella, who shot the video, said he heard the engine roar and saw the car accelerating.

The nation’s first COVID-19 vaccine will begin arriving in states Monday morning, U.S. officials said Saturday, after the government gave the final go-ahead to the shots needed to end an outbreak that has killed nearly 300,000 Americans. Trucks will roll out Sunday morning as shipping companies UPS and FedEx begin delivering Pfizer’s vaccine to nearly 150 distribution centers across the states, said Army Gen. Gustave Perna of Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s vaccine development program. An additional 425 sites will get shipments Tuesday, and the remaining 66 on Wednesday. Initially, about 3 million doses were expected to be shipped nationwide.