Israel launches new air strikes on Beirut after Hizbollah attack: According to the Israeli army, twelve Hizbollah command centers were the target of the bombing. According to Israel, the militant Islamic group Hizbollah had previously fired around 240 rockets into Israel. An Israeli naval base in southern Israel and „military targets“ in Tel Aviv were attacked, Hezbollah said. According to the Israeli army, around 55 missiles were fired at northern Israel. At least six people were injured. n-tv.de

• Lebanon reports death of a soldier in Israeli attack. 18 people were injured, the Lebanese military said. There has been heavy fighting between Israel and the Hezbollah militia, which is supported by Iran, in the area between Tyre and Nakura.
• EU foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell has called on the international community to exert more pressure on Israel and the Hezbollah terrorist militia. Borrell met with Lebanese Prime Minister Nadschib Mikati and Parliament President Nabih Berri in Beirut. de.euronews.com
• In Lebanon, four Italian soldiers were injured on Friday when a UNIFIL UN peacekeeping force base was shelled. Missiles fired, presumably by the militant Islamist group Hezbollah, hit a bunker, among other things. This is the third attack in violation of international law in a week, the UN said, calling on Hezbollah and Israel to avoid fighting near the mission’s positions.
• US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has called on Israel’s government to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. In a phone call with his counterpart Israel Katz, Austin spoke of „devastating humanitarian conditions“ in the Palestinian territory. According to US reports, Katz thanked the government in Washington for its efforts to de-escalate the situation.
• Hamas reports the death of another Israeli hostage. The woman was killed in an area in the north of the Palestinian territory that was attacked by Israeli forces. The terrorist organization did not provide any details about the circumstances or the identity of the hostage. The Israeli army said it was checking the claim. n-tv.de
• A new wave of refugees has begun in the north of the Gaza Strip after the Israeli military ordered the evacuation of the Shejaiya suburb of Gaza City. The reason given was that rockets had been fired at Israel from the densely built-up area. Hamas claimed responsibility for the rocket attack, which was aimed at an Israeli army base.
• According to its own information, the Israeli army has killed two high-ranking commanders of the radical Islamic Hamas in the north of the Gaza Strip. The two terrorists were instrumental in the major attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Moreover, the killed were among the leaders of the fighting in the northern Gaza Strip against the Israeli army.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sharply criticized Jewish settlers after attacks on high-ranking military officers in the occupied West Bank. According to the army, a group of settlers followed Major General Avi Bluth and other officers in Hebron on Friday and blocked their way. Bluth was called a traitor.
• Israel will only maintain controversial detention practices for Palestinians. So-called administrative detention for six months or more for so-called security reasons without charge will no longer be applied to Jewish settlers. In view of increasing Palestinian terrorist threats and international sanctions, the measure is no longer appropriate for settlers.
• Iran is once again seeking retaliation for Israeli attacks, said senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Ali Larijani in an interview with the Iranian news agency Tasnim.
• Germany will carefully examine arrest warrants against Benjamin Netanyahu and Joaw Galant. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told RTL/ntv that Germany would, of course, abide by the law. However, she said that they would now examine how to proceed if Netanyahu were to enter the country. Government spokesman Hebestreit said it was hard to imagine that Germany would carry out arrests.
• Emirates report arrests in the murder of a rabbi. According to the United Arab Emirates Ministry of the Interior, there are three suspects. The murdered man, who was also a citizen of Moldova, belonged to the ultra-Orthodox Chabad movement. He ran a kosher supermarket in Dubai. Israel’s foreign ministry called the act an anti-Semitic terrorist attack. spiegel.de, n-tv.de

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky wants to significantly strengthen his country’s air defense again: This week, air alarms were triggered almost daily, he wrote on Telegam over the weekend. Russia has attacked Ukraine with more than 800 guided bombs, 460 drones and a good 20 missiles of various types. His country is not a weapons testing ground, but a sovereign and independent state. tagesschau.de

• Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin threatened on Friday to use further newly developed medium-range missiles against Ukraine. The so-called Oreschnik missiles will continue to be tested in combat situations, Putin said on TV at a meeting with military representatives. He had also ordered the series production of this type.
• Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has again warned of a permanent threat to Europe from Russia. The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has long since become more than a regional war. Russia has switched to a war economy and is now producing as many weapons and ammunition in three months as the entire EU does in a year.
• EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola called on the German government to supply Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles as quickly as possible. In an interview with the Funke newspapers, she referred to the release of US missiles for use against targets in Russia. EU member states should follow this example. tagesschau.de
• France signals approval of launching missiles at Russia. In a BBC interview, Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot called this „the logic of self-defense“; however, Barrot did not speak of formal permission. tagesspiegel.de
• On Friday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz described the deployment of a new Russian medium-range missile against Ukraine as a „terrible escalation“. He said that care must be taken to ensure that the war does not become a war between Russia and NATO.
• Minister for Economic Affairs Robert Habeck sees mistakes in Germany’s support for Ukraine. It will remain a mistake that Germany „was always late“ when it came to arms deliveries, Habeck told Caren Miosga. Habeck advocates delivering the cruise missiles to the Ukrainian army. At the same time, he emphasized that prudence and a cool head were needed. zeit.de
• Donald Trump’s designated security adviser Mike Waltz calls for an end to the escalation in the Ukraine war and for both countries to return to the negotiating table. The 50-year-old former officer of the US elite Green Berets and former adviser to the White House and the Pentagon is critical of Russia, but, like Trump, rejects further aid for Ukraine. n-tv.de
• Ukrainian soldiers believe that Russia is on the verge of a major attack on the city of Zaporizhzhia, reports The Economist. Kremlin troops are said to be approximately 30 kilometers from the city limits.
• North Korean troops have already taken part in battles against Ukraine, reports „RBC-Ukraine“, citing the Ukrainian Armed Forces Chief of Staff, Anatolij Barhylewytsch. These are general military units. They are disguised as locals.
• Russia is recruiting hundreds of Yemeni men to fight in Ukraine, reports the Financial Times, citing those affected. They are said to have been promised high-paying jobs and even Russian citizenship. Upon their arrival, they were then forcibly conscripted into the Russian army and sent to Ukraine. n-tv.de
• Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for more intensive trade with Russia. In a telephone conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Erdogan signaled a willingness to strengthen cooperation and, in particular, to increase the volume of trade. The presidential office did not provide details on the scope. n-tv.de

Finnish ship arrived at damaged data cable: It is specialized in underwater investigations, the Finnish Coast Guard announced. The German Federal Police also sent a ship. Investigators believe that the two communication cables between Finland and Germany and Lithuania and Sweden were intentionally damaged. The focus of the investigation is a Chinese freighter that is said to have been near the affected areas. heise.de, tagesschau.de

FDP leader Christian Lindner wants to vote in favor of the traffic light law to reduce the cold progression despite breaking the coalition: If the SPD and the Greens could bring themselves to put it on the agenda, the FDP would vote in favor, Lindner told the Handelsblatt. Lindner accused the SPD of seeking to destroy his party. A strong FDP would reduce the SPD’s chances of participating in the next government. SPD parliamentary secretary Katja Mast rejected the accusations and accused Lindner of irresponsibility in leaving the coalition; he had betrayed the whole country. He was concerned with clientele politics and political games. zeit.de (Mast)

Hospital reform can come into force on January 1, 2025: The Bundesrat has allowed the law passed by the Bundestag to pass and has not called on the mediation committee. The reform is intended to reduce the number of current 1900 hospital locations and, in turn, improve the quality of treatment. The remuneration system introduced 20 years ago, with flat rates per treatment case, will be fundamentally changed. It had led to some medically unnecessary procedures being carried out. A transformation fund of 50 billion euros is planned to finance the reform. tagesschau.de

SPD considers postponing uniform procurement: In view of the overall budgetary situation, there are certainly procurements that have a much higher priority, said SPD budget politician Andreas Schwarz. He cited ammunition and vehicles as examples. The political signals pointed to a postponement of the decision. Overall, more than 800 million euros are at stake, including new uniforms, sportswear and equipment. The Ministry of Defense confirmed that the renewal of the service clothing was decided as early as 2018, but was then postponed. The ministry explained that the main focus is now on the uniforms worn every day. spiegel.de, welt.de

Federal Office for Civil Protection draws up bunker protection plan: According to Bild, the authority is currently examining which public buildings could be converted into shelters if necessary. These include, among other things, government buildings, but also subway stations. In addition, the authority wants to encourage the population to also set up shelters in their own homes. The background to this is an intensifying international threat situation. welt.de

More Politics:

• Finance Minister Jörg Kukies sees „positive signals“ for taxes and child benefits. tagesschau.de
• SPD appeals to CDU: still enable law against violence against women. rnd.de
• Finance Minister Jörg Kukies expects Unicredit to end its takeover bid for Commerzbank. zeit.de
• Energy sector warns of a standstill in the energy transition. handelsblatt.com
• FDP leader Christian Lindner: „There is a significant efficiency reserve in our welfare state.“ handelsblatt.com
• Federal Motor Transport Authority expects robo-buses by 2027. zdf.de
• SPD leader Saskia Esken sees the SPD’s potential at 47 percent. zdf.de
• Green Party lead candidate Robert Habeck starts his pre-election campaign at kitchen tables. faz.net
• Ex-FDP treasurer Harald Christ considers leaving the party.