Today In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
The Must-Reads
Israel says Gaza deal reached, putting cease-fire back on track National Review Institute’s Douglas Murray: A real cease-fire deal must ensure the destruction of Hamas Iranian president arrives in Moscow for treaty signing with Putin, TASS says U.K.’s Starmer visits Ukraine to pledge support amid Russian air raid Syria's de facto leader says country ready to welcome UN forces in buffer zone with Israel Hoover Institution’s Niall Ferguson and AEI’s Chris Miller: Trump can make Russia pay to rebuild Ukraine Yemen's Houthis to continue attacks if Gaza ceasefire breached North Korea denounces US for sending aircraft over Korean peninsula, KCNA reports Azerbaijan’s leader, emboldened, picks a rare fight with Putin Bloomberg’s Karishma Vaswani: Taiwan doesn’t need lots of friends, just the right ones U.S. hits Sudan's leader with sanctions over brutal civil war Trump team readies oil sanctions plan for Russia deal, Iran squeezeIn The News
Israel
The prime minister, who had accused Hamas of reneging on parts of an agreement originally announced Wednesday, said the country’s security cabinet would meet to approve the deal Friday and that his full cabinet would be convened later to sign off. The deal is likely to go into effect on Monday, a person familiar with the matter said. – Wall Street Journal
The ceasefire deal announced this week between Israel and Hamas brings hope for northern Gaza, where the desperate conditions have caused one of the most rancorous disputes among President Joe Biden’s humanitarian officials since the start of the 15-month war. – Washington Post
Israel’s hardline National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on Thursday he would resign from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government if it ratifies the ceasefire deal in Gaza, which he has strongly opposed. – Reuters
International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan has defended his decision to bring war crimes allegations against Israel’s prime minister, saying Israel had made “no real effort” to investigate the allegations itself. – Reuters
Outgoing Democratic U.S. President Joe Biden said on Thursday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “has to find a way to accommodate the legitimate concerns” of Palestinians for the long term sustainability of Israel. – Reuters
The Gaza Strip ceasefire should begin on Sunday as planned, despite the need for negotiators to tie up a “loose end” at the last minute, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday. – Reuters
The World Health Organization called for the international community to step up and fund a scaled-up aid response in Gaza after Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire deal to end 15 months of war in the region earlier this week. – Reuters
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced pressure for months from political allies and the families of hostages and soldiers to end the Gaza war, but analysts say he now hopes the ceasefire will help him stay in power. – Agence France Presse
The Israel Air Force and Shin Bet (National Security Agency) killed over ten terrorists over the past week during two airstrikes that took place in Jenin, located in the West Bank, Israel’s military announced on Thursday. – Jerusalem Post
Protesters opposing a deal with Hamas blocked traffic on the Chords Bridge on Thursday, causing severe traffic jams. Major exit routes, including Rabin Boulevard, Herzl Boulevard, and the Romema area, were heavily congested. – Jerusalem Post
Editorial: For our nation, because those people held in Gaza for 468 days are our nation. They are mirrors to everyone, whether they be children, men, women, Jewish, Bedouin, tall, short, brown-haired, or green-eyed; they are Israelis, and they are coming home. Let us save the fighting for tomorrow. We are so good at it, anyway. Right now, it is time to feel the spark of hope that must be coursing through the hostage families at being reunited with their loved ones once more and prepare to welcome our people home again. – Jerusalem Post
Douglas Murray writes: As will the way in which Qatar has been allowed not just to fund America´s enemies, but to subvert American institutions (not least American universities) through their money spigots. Unfortunately Iran, Qatar and Turkey have spent years out-maneuvering America and the West. If this deal is going to hold it will need all of America´s might to lean on the powers in the region which backed Hamas and undermined Israel. Trump´s policy of “peace through strength” will stand or fall on that junction. We must hope it holds. – New York Post
Zvika Kein writes: This team represents the best of what America can offer Israel—principled, decisive leadership that prioritizes action over appeasement. With their expertise and your vision, this is your chance not just to support Israel but to cement its place as a secure and thriving nation in the region. As you’ve said before, Mr. President, “We don’t just talk about making things better. We do it.” Now is the time to show the world what that means. Help make Israel great, once again. – Jerusalem Post
Iran
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian may discuss the situation in Syria, the Middle East, and Iran’s nuclear programme on Friday, during Pezeshkian’s visit to Russia, the Kremlin said on Thursday. – Reuters
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Moscow on Friday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the signing of a strategic partnership treaty between the two countries, Russia’s TASS state news agency reported. – Reuters
Mark D. Wallace and Jason M. Brodsky write: With Iran’s economy on the ropes, its deterrence eroded and its own territory increasingly exposed, now is not the time for the incoming administration to rush into another endless negotiating process with Tehran, which will use it to once again buy time, thwart pressure and prop up its irredeemable regime. Rather, the United States should take the time to build out an enhanced maximum pressure campaign that is internationalized and integrated. – Haaretz
Assaf Zoran writes: When the Iranian regime eventually faces change, there is a possibility that its longstanding ambition to possess nuclear weapons may be relinquished. Until such a transformation occurs, the focus remains unwavering: The regime should be prevented from advancing any closer to acquiring a nuclear weapon. This is crucial to avert a radical destabilization of the Middle Eastern order and to stop acceleration of regional nuclear proliferation. – War on the Rocks
Russia & Ukraine
The arrival of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Kyiv on Thursday morning to sign a “100 year” security and trade agreement was accompanied by the sound of explosions as air defenses fended off an apparent Russian attack. – Washington Post
Russia welcomes any settlement that leads to security in Gaza after a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas was announced, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. – Reuters
The boxy, machine gun-equipped vehicle lumbered across the snow-covered battlefield, with no crew aboard and marking what its remote Ukrainian operators described as a major milestone as Russian artillery fire rained around it. – Reuters
The Kremlin said on Thursday that an allegation by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk that Russia had planned “acts of terrorism” in the air against Poland and other countries was completely unsubstantiated. – Reuters
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday declined to comment on a report by Bloomberg about limited talks between Russia and Ukraine in Qatar on protecting nuclear facilities from attacks. – Reuters
Russia on Thursday accused NATO and the West of making “evidence-free” allegations against Moscow over ships purportedly involved in sabotaging undersea cables in an effort to curb sea-borne Russian oil exports. – Reuters
Russia claimed it damaged ground infrastructure of one of the largest natural gas storage sites in Ukraine’s Lviv region during a series of attacks with drones and missiles on the country’s energy sector. Ukraine said gas flows weren’t interrupted. – Bloomberg
Niall Ferguson and Chris Miller write: Mr. Merz has yet to take a stand on the foreign-assets question, but mobilizing Russia’s reserves would fit with his vision—and his need to address Mr. Trump’s insistence that Europe contribute more to its own security. The Trump administration has a unique opportunity to strike a better deal. Both sides of the Atlantic would benefit from transferring Mr. Putin’s cash to the victims of his aggression—the sooner, the better. – Wall Street Journal
David Kirichenko writes: With the incoming administration holding all the cards, Trump might conclude that Russia’s current weakness and vulnerability present the perfect opportunity to ramp up pressure, compelling Russia to come to the table and begin negotiations. Ukrainian-occupied Kursk would then become a key bargaining chip in negotiations with Putin. – The Hill
Syria
An official with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) said on Thursday the militant group would agree to leave northeastern Syria if the U.S.-allied Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) maintains a significant joint leadership role there. – Reuters
Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa said on Thursday his country is ready to welcome UN forces into the UN established buffer zone with Israel. – Reuters
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Thursday arrived at Damascus’ International Airport, footage run by Al Jazeera Live showed. – Reuters
Officials in Syria’s new de facto government hardened their tone Thursday against Israel’s incursions into Syrian territory after an Israeli strike killed three people and wounded five others in the south of the country. – Associated Press
Spain raised its flag at Madrid’s Damascus embassy Thursday, in the presence of its top diplomat more than a decade after suspending activity and as Western countries resume ties following Syrian president Bashar Assad’s ouster. – Agence France Presse
Ammar Abdulhamid writes: The U.S. has a pivotal role here. Sanctions and international aid are powerful tools to encourage all sides to reach an agreement. By leveraging these, America can guide Syria’s transition and secure a legacy of promoting stability and rebuilding in the region. President-elect Trump could oversee this entire transition successfully by the end of his second term, marking a significant element of his foreign policy legacy. – The Hill
Turkey
Turkey has already said it will not hesitate to intervene in Syria if the country starts to break up — but is that kind of language a precursor to designs on the territory of, in Greece, a fellow member of the North Atlantic Treaty? Judging by the latest diplomatic kerfuffle between Ankara and Athens, which risks escalating into a full-blown feud or worse, this could already be happening. – New York Sun
The Turkish navy is wrapping up the weeklong Mavi Vatan 2025 exercise this week, a large-scale operation meant to showcase Ankara’s strategic maritime ambitions in the region and beyond. – Defense News
Ariel Harkham writes: Leadership is fundamentally about solving problems and without this foundational change, broader reforms to Israel’s democratic and economic systems will be stymied, delayed, and more often than not, falter. The Knesset must act swiftly to equip Israel’s leaders with the tools to set policy to meet the challenges posed by a resurgent Turkey and other emerging threats endemic to the ever-shifting sands of the Middle East. The time to sharpen the axe is now. – Jerusalem Post
Lebanon
France President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Lebanon on Friday for the first time since 2020 to help speed up the formation of a government that can quickly implement reforms and open the door to reconstruction. – Reuters
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Lebanon Thursday on a “visit of solidarity,” he said, after a long-stalled presidential election and a devastating war between armed group Hezbollah and Israel. – Agence France Presse
Senior Israeli officials have indicated their intention to remain in southern Lebanon beyond the 60-day ceasefire, due to the slow deployment of the Lebanese army, raising concerns in Washington, The Jerusalem Post learned on Thursday. – Jerusalem Post
David Schenker writes: To help Aoun and Salam overcome political resistance, the Trump administration should also be prepared to quickly sanction Lebanese actors who obstruct the reform process. Any irrational exuberance about this opportunity should be tempered, of course. Yet the current moment also calls for Washington to be bold and pursue an incremental “support and verify” process, helping Aoun and Salam as they set forth on this ambitious agenda of change. – Washington Institute
Middle East & North Africa
The leader of Yemen’s Houthis said on Thursday that the Iran-aligned group would monitor the implementation of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas aimed at ending the war in Gaza and continue its attacks on vessels or Israel if it is breached. – Reuters
Iraq is trying to convince powerful armed factions in the country that have fought U.S. forces and fired rockets and drones at Israel to lay down their weapons or join official security forces, Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said. – Reuters
The head Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC), Farhat Bengdara, has resigned due to “health issues,” and Masoud Sulaiman has been appointed as acting chief, the state oil company said on Thursday. – Reuters
Egypt’s chief diplomat on Thursday called on Israel and Hamas to implement a Gaza ceasefire plan “without any delay,” raising pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept the deal. – Associated Press
Dennis Ross writes: Trump should keep in mind that the issue of Iran is sufficiently important to both Netanyahu and Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman that each side will concede many other things — on Gaza or Palestinian politics on one hand, and on Saudi recognition of Israel on the other. If Trump can show he has essentially removed the Iranian threat, much will be possible. – Washington Post
Korean Peninsula
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol woke up Thursday morning in a solitary cell at the Seoul Detention Center. He was served a breakfast of cereal, boiled eggs, nuts and milk — a far cry from the rice, fish and warm broths that professional chefs make at the president’s official residence. – Washington Post
South Korea’s anti-corruption agency said on Friday it would ask a Seoul court to extend the detention of arrested President Yoon Suk Yeol as the leader again refused to be questioned by investigators. – Reuters
Investigators found bird feathers and blood in both engines of the Jeju Air (089590.KS), jet that crashed in South Korea last month, killing 179 people, a person familiar with the probe told Reuters on Friday. – Reuters
North Korea denounced the United States for sending military aircraft over the Korean peninsula several times this month, as well as the U.S., Japan and South Korea for holding an air military exercise, state media KCNA reported on Friday. – Reuters
China
China said on Thursday it would apply provisional duties on imports of industrial plastics from the United States, European Union, Japan and Taiwan after a months-long anti-dumping investigation. – Reuters
Chinese and Thai police have jointly arrested 12 domestic and foreign criminal suspects in scam operations that led to Chinese nationals going missing and getting trapped, the Asian giant said on Friday. – Reuters
China’s Vice President Han Zheng will attend U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, Chinese state news agencies said on Friday, with Beijing ready to enhance dialogue with the new U.S. administration. – Reuters
Taipei’s top China affairs official warned that Taiwan’s government “will not tolerate” Beijing’s active engagement solely with opposition politicians while it refuses dialogue with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te’s democratically elected administration, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Friday. – Reuters
The European Commission said on Thursday it will impose anti-dumping duties on imports of sweetener erythritol from China after finding it was being sold in the European Union at unfairly low prices, threatening the EU’s own industry. – Reuters
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on Southeast Asian countries on Thursday to take strong measures to crack down on online gambling and telecom fraud, urging the “relevant” nations to shoulder their responsibilities. – Reuters
South Asia
The death of an Indian man working for the Russian army in Ukraine has brought renewed focus to the Kremlin’s use of foreign nationals on the front lines — from North Koreans to Cubans — and revived a thorny issue in the otherwise thriving relationship between New Delhi and Moscow. – Washington Post
Pakistan’s central bank said on Thursday that the United Arab Emirates has confirmed rollover of its two deposits of $1 billion each placed with state bank of Pakistan for another year. The deposits were maturing this month. – Reuters
The party of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, on Thursday held formal reconciliatory talks with the government, aimed at cooling political instability in the 241-million South Asian nation, both sides said. – Reuters
Asia
President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia was offering explanations for the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash that had killed 38 people days earlier. Perhaps it was a flock of birds, Mr. Putin said, or an exploding gas canister. Maybe a Ukrainian drone. – New York Times
Japan’s foreign minister said on Friday he would highlight the economic and national security value that the United States’ key Asian ally offers during his visit to Washington for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday. – Reuters
Taiwan carried out its first execution in five years late on Thursday, upsetting both rights groups and the European Union which called on the government to maintain its de facto moratorium on the death penalty. – Reuters
A home in Sydney previously owned by a senior Jewish community leader was vandalised on Friday morning and two cars were set on fire, with one spray painted with an antisemitic slur, Australian authorities said. – Reuters
The Philippines and China agreed to seek common ground and find ways to cooperate despite their disagreements in the South China Sea, their foreign ministries said on Thursday, as heated rows persist over vessels deployed around disputed features. – Reuters
Kyrgyz lender Keremet Bank on Thursday said it would challenge a decision by the U.S. Treasury to impose sanctions on it for allegedly creating a hub for trade payments and helping Russia to evade restrictions. – Reuters
Karishma Vaswani writes: This island has a lot to be proud of. Each visit, I’m struck by how much citizens care about their democracy. It shouldn’t shy away from proudly declaring how it has given rise to a powerful, technologically driven economy and a stable prosperous society. It’s the polar opposite to Beijing’s authoritarian model. China is doing everything in its power to make experiment fail. Taiwan’s friends should ensure it doesn’t. – Bloomberg
Europe
France plans to hold a conference on Syria in Paris on Feb. 13, the French presidency said in a statement on Thursday. – Reuters
Planned Russian military reforms that would increase Moscow’s troop numbers by 30% are a threat to NATO and should be met with vigilance, the chief of Finland’s military intelligence service Pekka Turunen said on Thursday. – Reuters
French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou passed the first test of his new minority government on Thursday as he survived a vote of no-confidence called by the hard left after the centre-left Socialist Party did not back the motion. – Reuters
Romania’s coalition government approved on Thursday a re-run of a two-round presidential election on May 4 and May 18 as previously agreed, and tightened campaign rules for big social media platforms including TikTok. – Reuters
Romania’s three opposition far-right parties started the process to remove outgoing centrist President Klaus Iohannis from office after a cancelled presidential election, but their chances of succeeding were unlikely. – Reuters
The British foreign and interior ministers have indicated they will support China’s contested plans to build a large new embassy in London if minor adjustments are made to the planning application. – Reuters
Bulgaria’s parliament approved on Thursday a cabinet led by Rosen Zhelyazkov, a former parliament speaker, ending months of negotiations on the formation of a coalition government. – Reuters
Hungary has not yet decided whether to support the rollover of European Union sanctions on Russia due at the end of this month and believes the EU should decide on the matter only after consulting with the incoming Trump administration, Hungary’s EU minister said on Thursday. – Reuters
Polish prosecutors have filed a request to strip former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki of his parliamentary immunity as part of an investigation into alleged irregularities during preparations for the 2020 presidential election. – Bloomberg
Africa
The U.S. imposed sanctions on Sudan’s de facto president, Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, as punishment for the brutal military campaign he has led in the country’s devastating civil war. – Wall Street Journal
Nigerian troops have killed 76 Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants in the country’s northeastern Borno state in recent weeks, a spokesperson said on Thursday. – Reuters
Tanzania’s government said no-one in the country had tested positive for the Marburg virus after the World Health Organization (WHO) said at least eight people in the northwest were believed to have died from it. – Reuters
Saudi Arabia’s Manara Minerals is looking for critical minerals projects in Zambia to invest in, the southern African country’s mines minister Paul Kabuswe told Reuters on Thursday. – Reuters
Sudan’s army-aligned foreign ministry rejected as “immoral” US sanctions declared on Thursday against army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, saying that they “lack the most basic foundations of justice and transparency.” – Agence France Presse
The Americas
Mark Carney, the former Canadian and U.K. central banker, formally declared his interest in succeeding Justin Trudeau as leader of Canada’s Liberal Party and the country’s prime minister, promising an economic agenda focused on lifting it from a period of stagnant growth. – Wall Street Journal
Cuban dissident and human rights activist Jose Daniel Ferrer told Reuters on Thursday he had been released from jail and was at home, part of a broader plan negotiated with the Vatican to gradually free upwards of 500 prisoners. – Reuters
Former President Jair Bolsonaro’s defense filed a request late on Thursday with Brazil’s highest court to urgently reconsider the decision to bar him from traveling to the United States to attend the U.S. Inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. – Reuters
Venezuelan NGO Espacio Publico said on X on Thursday that its director, Carlos Correa, has been released from detention. – Reuters
Editorial: Helms-Burton specifies conditions for a presidential waiver of sanctions. Those include legalizing “all political activity,” releasing “all political prisoners,” and “organizing free and fair elections.” President Obama tried to evade these hurdles under the theory that ending American sanctions would lead Cuba to open up. It didn’t. Mr. Biden’s gambit is unlikely to do better. Good luck to Mr. Rubio and President-elect Trump in reversing Biden on this head. – New York Sun
Keith Naughton writes: Venezuela and Nicaragua may be stronger, but neither has any hope of projecting sufficient force to prop up the Cuban dictatorship. There will be opportunities for trade, repatriation of illegal migrants and the removal of a center for espionage against the U.S. If Trump truly wants to put America first, his priority should be for the greatest advantage and long-term gain, not for a quick buck. – The Hill
United States
Several journalists who are outspoken critics of U.S. support for Israel loudly lambasted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken over the war in Gaza on Thursday, repeatedly interrupting his final press conference as he sought to defend his handling of the 15-month-old conflict. – Reuters
Donald Trump’s nominee to be the top US diplomat signaled that the president-elect is likely to reverse President Joe Biden’s decision Tuesday to remove Cuba from a list of state sponsors of terrorism after he takes office next week. – Bloomberg
Advisers to President-elect Donald Trump are crafting a wide-ranging sanctions strategy to facilitate a Russia-Ukraine diplomatic accord in the coming months while at the same time squeezing Iran and Venezuela, people familiar with the matter said. – Bloomberg
Outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday he regretted his inability to end the brutal war in Sudan and voiced hope that President-elect Donald Trump’s administration will keep trying. – Agence France Presse
Editorial: The Chinese and Hong Kong governments would do well to put aside their irritation that he did so. Donald Trump will be sworn in Monday as U.S. President, he’s pledged to free Jimmy Lai, and a bipartisan U.S. consensus is forming against China and Hong Kong. Mr. Pence’s remarks are a warning about what’s to come if they don’t fix the mess they created. – Wall Street Journal
Cybersecurity
The cat-and-mouse game between state-sponsored Russian hackers and one of the world’s biggest technology companies has continued into 2025. – CyberScoop
A sweeping executive order on cybersecurity released Thursday won largely positive reviews, with the main question being its timing — and what will come of it with the executive branch set to be handed over from president to president. – CyberScoop
The federal government and multiple cybersecurity firms warned of a zero-day vulnerability in FortiGate firewalls that hackers are actively exploiting. – The Record
The U.S. sanctioned two North Korean nationals and several companies based in Laos and China on Thursday for helping facilitate a wide-ranging scheme that duped American firms into hiring North Korean IT workers who funneled their earnings back home. – The Record
Defense
U.S. defense contractor Anduril Industries is preparing to build a massive advanced manufacturing facility in central Ohio, adding a planned 4,000 jobs to the area’s burgeoning high-tech sector, state officials announced Thursday. – Associated Press
After spending a year working on pilot programs for a future battlefield command-and-control capability, the U.S. Army is on the brink of starting an effort to competitively prototype a next-generation system, according to the service’s program office in charge of the activity. – Defense News
President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday he’s tapping Troy Meink, second in command at the National Reconnaissance Office, to be secretary of the Air Force. – Defense News
The Air Force is further delaying the production contract for its newest trainer aircraft, the T-7 Red Hawk, and will expand its testing in a major reorganization of the program’s acquisition strategy. – Defense News