The father of an Israeli hostage held in Gaza said on Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is "committing war crimes", as he expressed his support for the international arrest warrant issued against the Israeli leader.

Yehuda Cohen, the father of 19-year-old soldier Nimrod Cohen, criticised Netanyahu for prolonging the war on Gaza for his own "private interests" during a discussion with families of captives in the Knesset on Monday, sparking anger amongst members of parliament.

Cohen said the prime minister was "not only committing war crimes against the residents of Gaza, but also against IDF soldiers".

MK Eliyahu Revivo, a member of Netanyahu's Likud party, threatened the hostage's father:

"If you continue your blatant words, you will put your son in the Hamas dungeons for many more years."

China tests two 6th-gen fighter prototypes, U.S. still stuck in budget debates

The U.S. Air Force’s NGAD program, which aims to develop a 6th-generation stealth fighter jet, encounters significant cost and strategic considerations.

The NGAD program requires an additional $20 billion to complete development.

Each NGAD jet may cost $300 million, triple the price of an F-35.

China has made significant advancements in military aviation with the recent unveiling of its 6th-generation fighter jets.

On December 26, 2024, two prototypes were flown: the Chengdu J-36 and the Shenyang J-XX/J-50.

Source: TWZ

NEW: Tobias Lindner, Germany's Syria Coordinator and Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office, emphasises the importance of preventing Syria from becoming a base for the terrorist group PKK.

"Syria must not serve as an area of operation for the PKK.

Germany has finally recognised that the YPG/SDF terrorist organisation in Syria and the PKK are the same organisation.

NEW: Syria's foreign, defence and intelligence chiefs are expected to visit Ankara tomorrow, according to Turkish state broadcaster TRT Haber.

Discussions during the visit are expected to focus on Turkish-Syrian diplomatic relations and regional cooperation.

The U.S. takes first steps toward annexing Greenland.

Republicans propose the “Make Greenland Great Again Act,” allowing Trump to negotiate its purchase from Denmark.

The bill, backed by 10 Congressmen, could enable Trump to pursue his plan if passed.

Trump:

The devastation in California is worse than a nuclear strike.

I just saw some photos of this. And it's worse than what you see on TV.

I think the devastation there is worse than a nuclear strike.

The Gaza deal could be announced today If no last-minute changes are made.

Source: Jerusalem Post

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Kyiv on an unnanounced visit.

The purpose of the visit is to discuss further support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia.

#BREAKING Chairman of Turkish Nationalist Movement Party Devlet Bahceli:

The 12 Islands were unjustly seized from their rightful owner, the Turkish nation.

Even if Türkiye can live without the 12 Islands, the 12 Islands cannot survive without Türkiye. Türkiye will never abandon its rights in the Blue Homeland.

We warn Greece not to repeat past mistakes by acting under Western influence, as in the 1920s, and advise Athens to tread carefully.

While I believe peace benefits everyone, if achieving peace requires fighting, for us, that’s a celebration.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani:

Tomorrow we will make our first official visit to the Republic of Türkiye, the country that has never abandoned the Syrian people for fourteen years, to represent the new Syria.

The delegation led by the Foreign Minister of the new Syrian government will visit Türkiye and will hold coordination and cooperation talks with several institutions.

The delegation will hold talks in the political, military, security and economic fields and is expected to take concrete steps to address the terrorist problem in Syria.

Sudanese volunteer rescuers said shelling of an area of Omdurman, the capital Khartoum’s twin city just across the Nile River, killed more than 120 people.

The random shelling on Monday in western Omdurman resulted in the deaths of 120 civilians, said the Ombada Emergency Response Room, part of a network of volunteer rescuers across the war-torn country.

Random shelling is a method frequently used by RSF in civilian areas.

The U.S. aims to disable the Turkish Stream, says Russian FM Lavrov.

Lavrov accuses the U.S. of encouraging acts of sabotage to undermine Europe’s energy stability, claiming they are pushing Ukraine to target the “Turkish Stream” after the “Nord Streams”.

NEW: Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet in Washington today to sign a document enhancing the "strategic partnership" between Armenia and the U.S.

Trump’s Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff held a tense meeting with Israel's Netanyahu on Saturday, urging him to accept compromises for a hostage deal by Jan 20, according to two officials cited by Times of Israel.

The pressure seemed effective, as key gaps in the talks were reportedly bridged over the weekend.

Qatari Foreign Ministry:

Today we are at a point that is closest to reaching an agreement on Gaza. We expect the agreement to be announced soon.

The Slovak opposition will submit a motion of no confidence in the Fico government to parliament in the coming days.

Hamas:

The agreement has reached its final stages.

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov:

Russia is not leaving the Middle East.

Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam:

The Lebanese state's authority must be extended over all its territories with its own forces.

Nawaf Salam:

Israel must withdraw from all our lands.