The United States is demanding additional information from the Israeli military regarding the death of a Save the Children staffer in Khan Younis in southern Gaza on Shabbos, State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said on Tuesday.
“Our view is and has been that humanitarian workers must be protected so they can safely deliver aid, whether it be in Gaza or whether it be truly anywhere in the world,” Patel remarked during a press briefing, adding that Washington was “outraged” by the incident.
While he refrained from blaming Israel for the aid worker’s death, he urged Jerusalem to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the incident and hold accountable anyone found to have violated the law.

President-elect Donald Trump nearly granted a pardon in 2021 to Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor responsible for the largest leak of top-secret information about U.S. surveillance programs in the nation’s history.
“I decided to let that one ride, let the courts work it out,” Trump said 10 months after leaving office, when asked about pardons for Snowden and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. “I was very close to going the other way.”
But advocates for clemency for Snowden, including several of Trump’s picks for top Cabinet posts, are hopeful that Trump is now closer to pardoning the former spy, who has been living in Moscow for more than a decade to avoid a 2013 Justice Department indictment.

Hamas terrorists likely executed the six Israeli hostages whose bodies were recovered from southern Gaza on Aug. 20, the Israel Defense Forces said on Wednesday following a comprehensive probe.
While the military said it was not possible to determine with absolute certainty how Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Yoram Metzger, Avraham Munder, Haim Peri and Nadav Popplewell were killed, their bodies were found with gunshot wounds, unlike their six guards, who are believed to have died in an Israeli Air Force strike in the area.

A group of European parliamentarians on Wednesday began a renewed push for the E.U. to designate Iran’s to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps a terrorist organization, in a move that is gaining traction following elections that have seen a rightward shift across the continent.
The initiative comes three days after the European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas took office amid mounting concern in Europe over Iranian support of Russia in its war with Ukraine, and after years when her predecessor Josep Borrell worked to scuttle such a designation.

The Israel Defense Forces has established its first Charedi underground aircraft maintenance facility, for the “Scorpion” Squadron located at the Ramat David Airbase in the Jezreel Valley.
A graduation ceremony was held for 26 Charedi soldiers who completed a Level A Technician Course for F-16 maintenance on Tuesday at the technical base in Haifa, the IDF announced on Wednesday.
This initiative, supported by the IDF Manpower Directorate and the Tzurim organization, includes accommodations to maintain a religious lifestyle, such as separate housing, strict kosher standards and a Shul. According to the military, it marks a significant step in integrating Charedi men into the military while respecting their religious needs.

On Tuesday, the Yerushalayim District Court announced that Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s testimony in the corruption cases against him will commence next Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. at the Tel Aviv District Court.
The decision to shift the location from Yerushalayim to Tel Aviv was made following advice from security personnel.
At the same time, the panel of judges denied Netanyahu’s request for a hearing to discuss the scheduling of the proceedings, asserting that if he has any concerns, he must submit them in writing by Wednesday. The timeline for the testimony has not yet been decided.
Last week, Netanyahu’s legal team filed a petition with the court, asking for a hearing to determine the number of days per week he would be required to testify during his trial.

On Tuesday, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling for the organization of a high-level conference dedicated to implementing existing resolutions and advancing a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Arab conflict.
The resolution, introduced by Senegal and supported by several nations, was approved with 157 votes in favor, eight votes against, and seven abstentions.
The countries that voted against the measure, in addition to Israel, included Argentina, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, and the United States.
Cameroon, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, Georgia, Paraguay, Ukraine, and Uruguay chose to abstain.

Hebrew news outlets are reporting that U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump is sending a clear warning to the Hamas terror group ahead of his swearing-in on January 20.
Neria Kraus, the Middle East correspondent for Channel 13 News, shared an interesting update on X, citing a senior Trump administration official. According to Kraus, Trump’s message to Hamas is straightforward: “Beware – because here I come. Don’t cross my line. My goal is to make Hamas enter the sandbox of the peace talks.”
Kraus also mentioned that Trump’s message is aimed at Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, stating, “Trump’s message is also to Netanyahu – I want a deal. Trump does not believe that it is Netanyahu who is preventing a deal.”

The remains of two Jordanian terrorists involved in a deadly attack near the Dead Sea two months ago were handed over to Jordan late Tuesday evening.
The assault took place close to the Neot Hakikar area, located south of the Dead Sea, when two terrorists opened fire at Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers after crossing into Israel dressed in military uniforms.
During the incident, one IDF reservist was injured moderately, while another soldier sustained lighter injuries during the gunfire exchange.
According to a military official, the attackers were armed with cutting tools to breach the border fence, along with Glock handguns, binoculars, a map, and an Arabic-Hebrew dictionary.

Commit a crime, face deportation before serving time.
On Tuesday, Mayor Eric Adams signaled a shift in policy, expressing his openness to deport migrants who have been charged with crimes, without waiting for a conviction. This marks a departure from his earlier stance, where he advocated for waiting until after a conviction before deporting immigrant criminals.
Adams announced his intention to meet soon with President-elect Donald Trump’s new “border czar,” Tom Homan, to discuss the incoming administration’s approach to potentially deporting migrants accused of criminal activity.