Qatar accuses Israel of 'taking advantage of situation in Syria' | IDF eliminates terrorists behind Jabaliya attack that killed 3 soldiers | SOHR: 310 Israeli airstrikes since fall of Assad

18:18 - Possible vehicular attack in Bnei Brak

The police arrested a driver suspected of running over a pedestrian in Bnei Brak. The police said that they are investigating the background of the incident amid concern that it was a terror attack. Magen David Adom reported that the 21-year-old young man's condition is mild. An EMS team evacuated him to Maayanei HaYeshua Hospital in the city.

16:42 - First day of Netanyahu testimony ends after five hours

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his testimony in the Case 1000 corruption trial in a fortified Tel Aviv courtroom today, which ended around 3:40 p.m. after roughly five hours.

He is set to continue testifying tomorrow from 2:30 p.m. until the evening.

14:23 - Syria's new HTS-affiliated interim prime minister set to serve until March 2025

Syria's new Prime Minister of the Transitional Government, Muhammad al-Bashir, said he was officially assigned to serve until the beginning of March 2025.

Al-Bashir until now had served as head of the government in the areas controlled by the Islamist rebel group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), in the Idlib region in northern Syria. HTS led the assault that succeeded in ending the Assad regime on Sunday.

Al-Bashir's comments were part of his first official speech after a meeting held with Muhammad al-Jalali, the premier of Assad's last government.

13:11 - Qatari foreign ministry says Israel 'taking advantage of situation in Syria'

Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid Al-Ansari, discussing the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, said that it is "unacceptable that Israel is taking advantage of the current situation in Syria and violating its sovereignty." He also stated that "there should be no foreign interference in Syria." 

13:05 - Iran has brought back 4,000 citizens from Syria after fall of Assad regime

Fatemeh Mohajerani, spokesman for Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, announced that after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, 4,000 Iranian citizens have been brought back to Iran over the past three days. Mohajerani said that the evacuation of Iranians from Syria is a priority for the Islamic Republic's Foreign Ministry.

12:28 - Stabbing attack in Carmiel, criminal background suspected

A policeman and a security guard were injured in a stabbing attack at the Carmiel police station minutes ago.

Police said the suspect arrived at the entrance to the city's police station and confronted a security guard as well as a policeman who came to help. According to an initial report, the suspect pulled out a sharp object, hit the policeman and then fled the scene. Police conducted a manhunt to arrest the suspect, eventually finding him during searches in the city. The background to the incident is believed to be criminal, rather than terror-related.

12:25 - Syrian chemical scientist murdered in his Damascus home, according to Syrian report

Syrian chemical scientist Dr. Hamdi Ismail Nada was killed in his home in Damascus, according to Syrian media reports. Nada was an expert in the field of medicine, the reports added.

Local sources warned that this could be the "beginning of a phase of chaos and assassinations by international intelligence organizations", after the fall of the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

The sources told Syrian media that the assassination shocked the academic and scientific community in Syria. Dr. Nada is said to have been among the most prominent scientists in his field and contributed greatly to the development of chemical research.

10:58 - IDF Arabic spokesman denies reports of Israeli troops beyond the buffer zone

IDF Arabic Spokesman Avichay Adraee disputed reports from Lebanese media and Reuters that Israeli forces were operating in the Damascus area.

"Reports circulating in some media outlets claiming that IDF forces are advancing or approaching Damascus are completely incorrect. IDF forces are present inside the buffer zone and at defensive points close to the border in order to protect the Israeli border," Adraee posted to his 𝕏 channel.

10:10 - Israeli navy reportedly destroys Syrian naval assets in Latakia

According to military sources, the Israeli navy carried out a large-scale operation to destroy the Syrian army's fleet in the Minet el-Beida Bay and Latakia port on the Syrian coast in the northwest of the country. The attack was carried out using missile boats, destroying many Syrian navy vessels armed with sea-to-sea missiles. The strike was carried out to prevent advanced Syrian navy capabilities and weapons from falling into the hands of groups hostile to Israel.

10:05 - Netanyahu has entered the courtroom ahead of his testimony

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu entered the courthouse in Tel Aviv where he will begin his testimony in Case 1000, on charges of bribery. Netanyahu did not make any statements to the media upon entering, choosing instead to shake hands with Knesset members who had arrived to show support for him.

The court has denied a request by the national broadcaster to publicly broadcast the prime minister's testimony, and the use of cameras has been forbidden inside the courtroom.

09:30 - Demonstrators gather outside of courthouse ahead of Netanyahu testimony

Demonstrators gathered outside the Tel Aviv District Court, ahead of the first day of testimony by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Case 1000. Among the protesters were family members of hostages as well as anti-Netanyahu activists, who chanted slogans, such as, "It's been a year of abandonment, we will not forget and we will not forgive" and "Bribery, fraud, breach of trust." Groups of demonstrators supporting the prime minister were also present.

09:15 - Reuters also reports IDF activity near Qatana, in the Damascus region

According to a report in Reuters, several security sources said that "the IDF's invasion of Syria reached a distance of 25 kilometers from Damascus." According to a Syrian source, "the Israeli soldiers reached the city of Qatana, about 10 kilometers into Syrian territory, east of the buffer zone."

A military official denied the reports of IDF soldiers near Damascus on Army Radio Tuesday morning.

09:00 - IDF eliminated terrorists responsible for attack that killed 3 soldiers in Jabaliya yesterday

In a joint operation of the IDF aerial and ground forces, the IDF eliminated ten terrorists who took part in the terror attack yesterday (Monday), in which Staff Sergeant Ido Zano, Staff Sergeant Barak Daniel Halpern, and Sergeant Omri Cohen were killed.

The IDF continues to operate in the area, eliminating terrorists and dismantling terrorist infrastructure sites.

07:05 - Syrian sources report several IAF airstrikes overnight

According to reports in Syria, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) attacked several sites in Syria overnight. Strikes were reported in the city of Raqqa, at defense and scientific research facilities in the Aleppo area, in the suburbs of Damascus, as well as a scientific research center in Jamraya on the outskirts of the capital. On Monday, Israeli leaders acknowledged striking several sites in Syria to prevent critical weapons, which might be used to threaten Israel, from falling into the hands of jihadist rebel groups.

🚨 Breaking: In over 300 targeted strikes during the past 24 hours, Israel 🇮🇱 destroyed the entire air force of Syria 🇸🇾, including all aircrafts (MiG and Sukhoi), all helicopters, and all anti-aircraft systems. pic.twitter.com/G12q8SIjwD

— Dr. Eli David (@DrEliDavid) December 9, 2024

06:58 - Clashes reported between terror groups and Palestinian security forces

Clashes were reported overnight between armed gunmen and the Palestinian security forces in both Tulkarm and Nablus. The clashes broke out following an arrest operation by Palestinian Authority security forces in the Jenin refugee camp on Monday. The clashes started with reports of gunfire at the headquarters of the security forces in Tulkarm.

06:27 - Loud explosions reported in Damascus

After loud explosions were heard in Damascus, the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR) reported that the Israel Air Force (IAF) has carried out around 310 airstrikes since the fall of the Assad regime.

03:25 - Lebanese media report IDF troops on the outskirts of Damascus

Hezbollah-affiliated news site al-Mayadeen reported that Israeli "forces penetrated the southern countryside of Damascus adjacent to the Lebanese border."

The site said that Israeli soldiers had "occupied the village of Hena and advanced to the outskirts of Khan al-Sheikh in the Qatana area and opposite the Lebanese district of Rashaya."