US mediator Amos Hochstein in Israel: On Thursday, he will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to whom he will present a US draft for a ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia. Hezbollah sees the draft as a basis for negotiations. In Beirut, Hochstein had reported progress after talks with the Lebanese parliamentary president, Nabih Berri. Berri is an ally of the pro-Iranian Hezbollah and an important interlocutor in the struggle for a ceasefire. According to Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem, the militia has examined the US proposal for a ceasefire in the fight against Israel and given feedback; the end of hostilities is now in Israel’s hands. rnd.de , handelsblatt.com

• Israel reported attacks on „more than 100 terrorist targets“ in Lebanon, including „launch pads, weapons depots, command centers and military installations.“ In addition, two commanders of the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia were killed over the weekend. The army announced that it would continue its „limited, localized, targeted attacks“ in southern Lebanon. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, at least nine people were killed and 65 others injured in Israeli air strikes on targets near the coastal city of Tyre. handelsblatt.com
• Syria reports dead and injured after Israel attacks historic city of Palmyra. Among the victims are fighters for pro-Iranian militias, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Israel’s air force attacked three targets in the industrial area of the oasis city, including a weapons warehouse. Families of pro-Iranian fighters were also said to have been in the building. So far, Israel has not commented on the incident. handelsblatt.com
• Palestinian sources report deaths in Israel’s attack in the Gaza Strip. The areas of Jabalia, Al-Mawassi, Khan Yunis and targets in the Remal district of Gaza City were attacked. The Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahija reported that it had been bombed on Tuesday.
• After aid supplies were looted, food prices in the Gaza Strip rose dramatically. The price of a bag of flour has now risen from 40 shekels before the war began to 375 shekels, which is almost 100 euros. The price of milk powder has increased tenfold.
• USA vetoed the Security Council’s adoption of a legally binding UN resolution for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip; all other members of the 15-member council voted in favor. The text had been submitted by all ten non-permanent members of the UN body.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomes US commitment to anti-personnel mines: The mines are very important to stop the advance of the Russian army in eastern Ukraine. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had emphasized the importance of the landmines and also pointed out that the mines were battery-powered and therefore did not pose a long-term threat to civilians after the end of a conflict. tagesschau.de, spiegel.de, tagesschau.de

• Ukraine has used British cruise missiles to target Russia for the first time. Debris from a Storm Shadow missile was found in the Russian region of Kursk. The British Ministry of Defense did not want to comment on the reports. echo-online.de, n-tv.de
• Germany sent Ukraine further military aid in the form of armored vehicles, artillery and drones; this includes four more Panzerhaubitzen 2000 as well as seven M109 howitzers and 41,000 rounds of 155-millimeter artillery ammunition. There were also more than 300 reconnaissance drones of various types, as well as medical supplies. n-tv.de
• USA says new military package for Ukraine. The package has a volume of around 261 million euros, according to the US Department of Defense. It includes, among other things, HIMARS ammunition, drones, artillery ammunition in 155 and 105 millimeter calibers, and anti-tank weapons. handelsblatt.com
• According to Ukraine’s secret service, Russia has staged a „massive information-psychological attack“ against Ukraine. A false message has been spread via messenger services and social networks, warning of imminent rocket and bomb attacks on Ukrainian cities.
• Ukraine continues evacuation from Donetsk. stern.de
• Ukrainian authorities have made public new cases of possible executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian soldiers. According to the public prosecutor, two Ukrainian soldiers were shot dead by Russians just over a week and a half ago near the village of Novodmytrivka in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk.
• According to surveys, war fatigue is increasingly spreading in Ukraine. On average, 52 percent would like to see their country negotiate to end the war as quickly as possible, according to opinion pollster Gallup. 38 percent want to continue fighting until victory. In 2022, 73 percent were in favor of fighting and only 22 percent in favor of negotiations.
• For Russia, freezing the war is out of the question, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in Moscow. However, Russia is open to negotiations. A ceasefire in Ukraine could be discussed with the future US president, Donald Trump. mannheimer-morgen.de
• In light of the latest developments in the war in Ukraine, China is calling for calm and restraint. „Under the circumstances, all parties should remain calm and exercise restraint, and work together through dialogue and consultations to avoid tensions and strategic risks,“ said Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian.
• In Belarus, at least 200 supporters of Ukraine have been sentenced to prison since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression, according to human rights activists. The human rights organization Vyasna reports that prison sentences of one to 25 years have been handed down on charges of extremism and conspiracy against the state.
• The German Foreign Office has confirmed the arrest of a German citizen in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. The Consulate General in St. Petersburg has been informed of the case and is in contact with the Russian authorities. The arrest took place in October. Russian state media, citing the domestic intelligence service FSB, reported that the man was involved in an attack on a gas distribution station in Kaliningrad in March. faz.net

China and Russia reject accusations of sabotaging undersea cables: China’s foreign ministry said that it was unaware of any such situation. It also said that China attached great importance to protecting undersea infrastructure. The Danish Navy claims to have shadowed a Chinese ship that had been near one of the damaged cables. Swedish and Finnish media had reported suspicious movements of the freighter, which coincided with the occurrence of the damage in terms of time and location. The Kremlin has also rejected accusations that it was involved in the damage to two cables running through the Baltic Sea. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the allegations „ridiculous“. rnd.de, spiegel.de

Finance Minister Jörg Kukies plans for provisional budget management: He does not expect a budget for 2025 to be passed this year, Kukies explains in the monthly report of the Ministry of Finance, which is to be published on Thursday. From Kukies‘ point of view, provisional budget management is nothing to worry about. The federal government will make all necessary expenditures and fulfill all obligations it has entered into. He said that funds that have been withheld are usually quickly made up for after the regular budget has been passed. Kukies therefore does not expect any significant negative effects on growth over the year as a whole.

More Politics:

• Federal CIO Markus Richter wants to put pressure on authorities with „right to once only“. heise.de
• Introduction of electronic patient files delayed. spiegel.de
• Holiday providers believe the traffic light strategy has failed. handelsblatt.com
• Vouchers for money: refugees bypass payment card. n-tv.de
• Protestant Church bars AfD members from office. t-online.de
• Appeal ruling against former family court judge: BGH confirms conviction for perversion of justice during the Corona pandemic. lto.de