International
Israel rescues two hostages in operation in Rafah, south of Gaza: Those released in good health
In a successful operation carried out this morning in Rafah, at the southern end of the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces have rescued two hostages, Fernando Simón Marman, 60, and Norberto Louis Har, 70, both kidnapped in the Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak on October 7.
According to a joint statement issued by the Army, Police and Shin Bet intelligence services, the hostages were transferred to the Sheba Tel Hashomer hospital to undergo a medical examination, where it was determined that they are in good health.
This rescue represents Israel’s second success in freeing hostages, after the capture alive of soldier Ori Megidish at the end of October, during the beginning of the ground operation in the Gaza Strip.
The operation in Rafah, a region where more than a million Gazans displaced by violence reside, left more than 50 people dead, identified as “terrorists” by Israel, while Hamas has denounced these actions as a “massacre.” .
With these two rescued, there are a total of three releases in this operation, while Hamas has freed 110 captives, 105 of whom were part of a truce agreement reached in November.
There are still 130 hostages kidnapped on October 7 inside the Strip, of which it is estimated that around thirty could be dead, in addition to four captives held by Hamas for years, including two deceased soldiers.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant expressed his gratitude to the Israel Defense Forces, the Shin Bet and the Police Counter-Terrorism Unit for the success of the operation, which he followed from the war room together with senior commanders. .
Army spokesman Daniel Hagari highlighted the complexity of the operation in Rafah, which required meticulous preparation and precise execution. The clandestine raid on the building where the hostages were being held took place around 1am, and troops exchanged gunfire with the kidnappers before securing the release of the captives.
Although one Israeli soldier was slightly injured in the operation, the release of the hostages represents a major achievement for Israel’s security forces, as noted by Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, who called the operation “impressive, heroic and complex”.
International
Trump criticizes Panama Canal fees and demands U.S. control over strategic waterway
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump criticized what he described as unfair fees imposed on American ships passing through the Panama Canal and threatened to demand that Washington take back control of the strategic waterway.
“Our Navy and commerce have been threatened in a very unjust and reckless way. The rates that Panama charges are ridiculous,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
The president-elect also denounced the growing influence of China in the canal, a situation he called concerning as U.S. businesses depend on the waterway to transport goods between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
“This complete scam against our country will end immediately,” he stated.
The Panama Canal, completed by the United States in 1914, was handed over to Panama under the 1977 treaty signed by Democratic President Jimmy Carter. Panama took full control of the commercial passage in 1999.
“It was exclusively for Panama to manage, not China or anyone else,” Trump said. “We would never allow it to fall into the wrong hands!”
“If Panama cannot guarantee a ‘safe, efficient, and reliable’ operation of the canal, we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us in its entirety, without a doubt,” the Republican added.
Panamanian authorities did not immediately respond to Trump’s statements. While he will assume office on January 20, Trump has been exerting his political influence in the final days of President Joe Biden’s administration.
Five percent of global maritime trade passes through the Panama Canal, which allows vessels traveling from Asia to the U.S. East Coast to avoid the long and dangerous route around the southern tip of South America.
The countries that use the Panama Canal the most are the United States, China, Japan, and South Korea.
In October, the Panama Canal Authority reported earnings of nearly $5 billion in the last fiscal year.
International
Putin vows retaliation following drone attack on luxury building in Kazan
Russian President Vladimir Putin promised more “destruction” in Ukraine on Sunday, in response to a drone strike that hit a residential building in the city of Kazan, located in central Russia, on Saturday.
Russia accused Ukraine of launching a “massive” drone attack, which struck a luxury apartment block in Kazan, about 1,000 kilometers from the border.
Videos shared on Russian social media show drones hitting a high-rise glass building. No casualties have been reported as a result of the attack.
In his statements, Putin addressed the local leader of Tatarstan, the region where Kazan is located, during a virtual ceremony marking the opening of a road.
The attack in Kazan is the latest in a series of increasingly frequent bombings in this nearly three-year-old conflict. Ukraine has not commented on the attack.
Putin had previously threatened to strike the center of Kyiv with a hypersonic ballistic missile in response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the recent Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities were retaliation for Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied missiles to target Russian territory.
International
Small plane crashes in Gramado, Brazil, killing nine people
At least nine people were killed on Sunday after a small aircraft crashed in a commercial area of the tourist city of Gramado, in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, authorities confirmed.
“There are nine confirmed deaths according to Civil Defense services, and there are no survivors from the plane,” said Cléber dos Santos Lima, director of the Interior Police Department of the Civil Police of the state, in a statement to AFP.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the exact number of passengers and crew aboard the aircraft, a turbo-prop Piper Cheyenne 400. However, Civil Defense had previously stated that “preliminarily, the plane was carrying ten people.”
The plane crashed on Sunday morning “into the chimney of a building, then onto the second floor of a house, and finally fell onto a furniture store,” according to a statement from the Rio Grande do Sul Public Security Secretariat.
Trump criticizes Panama Canal fees and demands U.S. control over strategic waterway
Putin vows retaliation following drone attack on luxury building in Kazan
Small plane crashes in Gramado, Brazil, killing nine people
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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