Israeli shot, wounded after pilgrims illegally enter Palestinian city | Britain, France & Germany blast Iran for enriching uranium to 'unprecedented levels'

11:11 - Netanyahu resumes court testimony after break for visit to Syrian Hermon

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to the stand at the Tel Aviv District Court for the fourth day of testimony in his corruption trial, after yesterday's testimony was canceled due to his visit to the Syrian side of Mt. Hermon.

After the reasons for his request to cancel the court date on Tuesday remained undisclosed and caused widespread speculation, the Jerusalem District Court confirmed that Netanyahu's visit was the cause of the cancelation.

Without providing further detail, the judges said there were “diplomatic and security considerations,” while weather predictions for the summit were also considered.

09:45 - Finance Minister Smotrich against ceasefire with Hamas: "This is the time to crush it"

"This is not the time to give Hamas a lifeline, this is the time to continue crushing and pressuring it so that it returns the hostages but in a surrender deal for it, and not for us," Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich told Radio Kol Barama.

"Deals in which we release hundreds of murderous terrorists who return to murdering Jews, in which we leave the northern Gaza Strip and let a million Gazans return there and dissolve achievements bought with much blood - this is a grave mistake," he added.

09:00 – CIA chief and Israeli team set to visit Qatar to continue hostage deal talks

CIA director Bill Burns and an Israeli working-level delegation were set to arrive in Qatar today to continue negotiations over a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, Reuters reported.

08:10 – Palestinians open fire at Israeli pilgrim bus illegally entering Nablus overnight

Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a bus carrying Israeli ultra-orthodox pilgrims who entered the Joseph's Tomb compound in the city of Nablus in Samaria overnight, without prior coordination with the army, the IDF said.

The bus driver was lightly wounded, and Israeli troops arrived at the compound to escort the pilgrims out. The around 20 citizens were interrogated by the Israel Police afterward, as the compound lies within Area A that is controlled by the Palestinian Authority.

“We emphasize that the entry of Israeli citizens into Area A is dangerous and prohibited by law,” the IDF reiterated.

The army routinely allows and escorts pre-planned pilgrimages to the Jewish holy site.

22 חסידי ברלנד נכנסו באוטובוס לקבר יוסף בשכם, לבדם וללא תיאום עם הצבא. נהג האוטובוס הוריד אותם במקום ובדרכו החוצה מהעיר, מחבלים ירו לעברו ופצעו אותו באורח קל. צה"ל נכנס לקבר יוסף והוציא את החסידים, שהועברו יחד עם הנהג לטיפול המשטרה@carmeldangor pic.twitter.com/Ay9kv6iXN9

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) December 18, 2024

07:00 - Britain, France & Germany blast Iran for enriching uranium to “unprecedented levels”

Britain, France and Germany slammed the Iranian regime for increasing its stockpile of high enriched uranium, calling it to “reverse its nuclear escalation” and stressing it “must change course, de-escalate, and choose diplomacy.”

“Iran has ramped up its installation of advanced centrifuges, which is yet another damaging step in Iran’s efforts to undermine the nuclear deal that they claim to support.”

“Iran’s stockpile of High Enriched Uranium has also reached unprecedented levels, again without any credible civilian justification. It gives Iran the capability to rapidly produce sufficient fissile material for multiple nuclear weapons,” the countries wrote in a joint statement.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the regime is the only state without nuclear weapons to possess uranium enriched to 60 percent.

“The E3 have always sought a diplomatic solution to ensure Iran will never develop a nuclear weapon. We recognise the urgency of the situation, given the state of play and the nearing expiry of this resolution. We call on Iran to cease and reverse its nuclear escalation to pave the way towards a diplomatic solution,” the statement concluded.