War latest news. Lebanon, Iran studies air corridor for Hezbollah rearmament. Zelensky: "3,000 North Koreans dead or wounded in Kursk".

Military collaboration between North Korea and Russia is intensifying, with Pyongyang increasing its arms supply to Moscow for the war in Ukraine in exchange for money and oil. This was reported by the Wall Street Journal, according to which recent satellite images showed that North Korea is shipping more ammunition to Russia. North Korean assistance is allowing Russia to gain ground and could also help it resist pressure from President-elect Donald Trump.

"Today we received a report from Armed Forces Chief Syrskyi on the front line and areas of Operation Kursk. There are risks of North Korea sending additional troops and military equipment to the Russian army, and we will have tangible answers to this. Now, according to preliminary data, the number of North Korean soldiers killed and wounded in the Kursk region has already exceeded 3,000'. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky writes this on X. The South Korean Joint Staff had estimated the toll at 1,000 killed or wounded North Koreans in the war on the side of Moscow's army.

Speaking in the Knesset, Israeli PM Benyamin Netanyahu evoked "some progress" in negotiations with Hamas on the hostage release agreement.

A drone launched against Israel from Yemen was shot down by the Israeli Air Force earlier today. According to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces), the drone was intercepted before entering Israeli airspace and no siren sounded as per protocol.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had a telephone conversation, in which the 'importance of refining' the UK's training offer for the Ukrainian armed forces to 'further strengthen Ukraine's battlefield capability' was reiterated. The Guardian reports. In the account of the phone call released by Downing Street, we learn that 'President Zelensky reflected on the situation on the front line in Ukraine and the need to ensure that Kiev can weaken Russian forces in the long term'. "What happens in Ukraine in the coming weeks and months is important for Europe and NATO, and the leaders agreed that it is critical that President Putin's ambitions fail in Ukraine." The leaders discussed Operation Interflex, the UK-led training mission for Ukrainian recruits, and agreed on the importance of refining the offer to further strengthen Ukraine's battlefield capability."

An Italian delegation is meeting the new Syrian leadership in Damascus today. This was confirmed by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who said that Italy wants "to be an active part of the pacification and stabilisation of Syria". "I believe the meeting is still ongoing," he explained on the sidelines of his visit to the Italian contingent of Kfor and Eulex in Kosovo.

On the Magdeburg bomber 'there was an extradition request' from Saudi Arabia, a source revealed to news agencies. Ryhad had warned Germany 'many times' about Taleb Jawad al-Abdulmohsen, without explaining how he was considered potentially dangerous. The 50-year-old psychiatrist, who had spread death threats online and had previously been in trouble with the law, also helped Saudi women to flee their country. On social media, Abdulmohsen described himself as a victim of persecution who had renounced Islam and denounced what he saw as the ongoing Islamisation of Germany. He arrived in Germany in 2006 and was granted refugee status ten years later, according to German media and a Saudi activist.

The number of people killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since the beginning of the war has risen to 45,317, while another 107,713 have been injured. This was reported by the Hamas-controlled Gaza Ministry of Health, pointing out that 58 people were killed and 86 injured in the last 24 hours.

Médecins Sans Frontières (Msf) is intensifying its activities in Renk, South Sudan, and in informal settlements along the border following the massive arrival of tens of thousands of people fleeing the war in Sudan. In recent weeks, says a Msf statement, the number of people displaced has exceeded 80,000, including hundreds with war injuries. Msf is calling for immediate and coordinated humanitarian and medical support for the displaced people. More than 5,000 people a day have crossed into South Sudan since the beginning of December, following intensified fighting in the Sudanese states of White Nile, Blue Nile and Sennar, near the Sudan-South Sudan border.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he will meet with the leader of Junts, Carles Puigdemont, as well as the leader of the other Catalan independence party, Erc, Oriol Junqueras. "I have no problem in meeting with the leaders of Ecr and Junts, and of course I will meet them, I don't know when," Sanchez said in response to journalists' questions, after taking stock of the government's activity over the past year.

"The European Union has lost this war. We will witness futile attempts to explain why defeat is a victory, why victory is a defeat. Orwell's books may be worth picking up from the library and leafing through to decipher what they say, but that does not change the facts. There is a reality on the battlefield that we have always known, and we Hungarians have always said so'. This was said, referring to the war in Ukraine, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaking to broadcaster M1. The interview was relayed by government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs. Orbán expressed hope for a breakthrough with the inauguration of the new US President on 20 January, saying it could herald 'a new era'. Speaking about the Magdeburg attack Orban again attacked the EU: 'Europe, with its idiotic rules, will not turn Hungary into a Magdeburg by letting migrants in'.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico of wanting to 'help Putin', referring to the meeting between the two yesterday in Moscow.

Ukrainian troops suffered more than 300 casualties in fighting in the Russian province of Kursk in the past 24 hours. This was stated by the Moscow Defence Ministry.

'The Ukrainian army lost more than 260 men in one day,' the ministry said in a note.

Palestinians in Jenin in the northern West Bank are observing a general strike called by militant groups to protest a rare crackdown by Palestinian security forces. An Associated Press reporter in Jenin heard gunshots and explosions, apparently resulting from clashes between militants and Palestinian security forces. It was not immediately clear whether anyone was killed or injured. There was no sign of Israeli troops in the area. Shops remained closed in the city today, a day after militants killed a member of the Palestinian security forces and wounded two others. The militant groups called for a general strike across the territory, accusing the security forces of trying to disarm them to support the half-century-long Israeli occupation of the territory. The Palestinian Authority, supported by the West, is internationally recognised but deeply unpopular among Palestinians, partly because it collaborates with Israel on security matters.

For NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the sometimes harsh criticism of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is unjustified. "I have told Zelensky several times 'stop criticising Olaf Scholz', because I think it is not right," Rutte said in an interview with Dpa. For Rutte, what Scholz has done for Ukraine is impressive. Scholz has helped ensure that Germany is second only to the United States in terms of military support for Ukraine, the NATO chief said. This is an achievement for which Kiev can be grateful, he added. At the same time, Rutte made it clear that, unlike Scholz, he would provide Ukraine with long-range Taurus cruise missiles and would not place any restrictions on their use. "In general we know that this kind of capability is very important for Ukraine," the former Dutch prime minister said. However, he added, it is not up to him to decide what the allies should offer. Zelensky recently criticised Scholz for talking to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone, which he did not like. He has also repeatedly expressed his incomprehension over Scholz's refusal to hand over German-made Taurus missiles, which could strike deep into Russian territory. Scholz ruled out their delivery, regardless of the decisions made by other NATO allies, arguing that giving them to Kiev would pose a serious risk of escalation.

Russia claimed the conquest of another village in eastern Ukraine, some fifteen kilometres from the borders of the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts, where its troops prevailed over Ukrainian soldiers.

The Moscow Defence Ministry said in a note that its forces had 'liberated' the village of Storojeve, in the eastern Donetsk region. It is located very close to the town of Velyka Novosilka, which its soldiers appear to be in the process of encircling.

The Russian Defence Ministry claims that Kremlin troops have taken control of another village in the Ukrainian region of Donetsk, that of Storozheve. This was reported by Tass. The statements of the Russian authorities cannot be confirmed at the moment.

The Israeli Ministry of Defence signed an agreement to sell the Barak MX air defence system to Slovakia, a deal valued at EUR 560 million.

The ministry stated that this 'historic agreement' is the largest defence export agreement ever concluded with Slovakia.

The Barak MX, manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries, is designed to counter various types of air threats, including fighter jets, helicopters, drones, cruise missiles, surface-to-air missiles, and tactical ballistic missiles, according to the ministry.

The Kremlin said that during their meeting yesterday in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico also discussed the war in Ukraine. Tass reports. "It was possible to exchange views on the Ukrainian issue. President Putin brought to his interlocutor's attention his view of the current situation on the battlefield,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov was quoted as saying by the official Russian news agency.

One of Iraq's main pro-Iranian militias, Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, claims that the country's armed groups have stopped their attacks against Israel, justifying the decision by the ceasefire in force since 27 November between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah. To the Shafaq News website, the group's spokesman, Kazem al Fartusi, said that "the Iraqi factions' operations against Israel were linked to Hezbollah operations and the Iraqi groups' operations stopped after the ceasefire came into effect". The armed factions, he added, "have not abandoned nor will they abandon" the principle of "unity of fronts" against Israel, although the current situation "needs to be studied well". "The principle of unity of fronts is accepted by the Iraqi factions and cannot be abandoned, but it is the circumstances that determine and define the positions of the groups," he argued, adding that "there are allies in Iraq who have their opinion and reservations about operations and they must be listened to."

Palestinian doctors reported that the latest Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip killed at least 20 people. One of the attacks, which took place overnight and this morning, hit a tent city in the Muwasi area, declared a humanitarian zone by Israel, killing eight people, including two children, reported the Nasser hospital in the southern town of Khan Younis, where the bodies were taken. Hospital records report six more victims in an attack on people guarding an aid convoy and two more victims in an attack on a car in Muwasi. One person was killed in a separate attack in the area.

The Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Hospital in the central city of Deir al-Balah said that three bodies arrived after an airstrike on a school turned shelter in the Nuseirat refugee camp, an attack that was also reported by the Palestinian news agency Wafa, which had reported an initial death toll of five in two attacks in the area.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, "concluded this morning his solidarity visit to the Christian community of Gaza". The same Patriarchate of Jerusalem announced this on X, specifying that "during the visit, Cardinal Pizzaballa presided over the Eucharistic celebration of the Nativity of the Lord at the Church of the Holy Family, praying with the faithful and bringing a message of hope and resilience to the parish community".

Pizzaballa "also met with Archbishop Alexios at the Greek Orthodox parish of St. Porphyrios, emphasising the spirit of fraternity and unity among the Christian communities of Gaza. The Patriarch also reviewed the ongoing humanitarian aid initiatives organised by the Latin Patriarchate and the Sovereign Order of Malta. He reviewed the results of the aid deliveries and assessed the urgent needs of the local community. Together with the local parish, His Beatitude confirmed the next steps of humanitarian aid and approved plans and initiatives for the opening of the school'.

'The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem,' the note concludes, 'prays that this Christmas will bring renewed hope in the end of the ongoing tragedy in Gaza and the wider region, marking the beginning of a brighter and more peaceful future for all.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will appear in court today for the fifth day of testimony in the criminal corruption trial against him.

Despite the fact that the trial is under the jurisdiction of the Jerusalem District Court, the deposition will be held in a fortified Tel Aviv District Court venue, as the Jerusalem court has no such facilities.

Two recently retired senior Israeli intelligence agents shared new details about the years-long operation that targeted Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and Syria three months ago using explosive pagers and walkie talkies. The agents spoke to the CBS programme '60 Minutes' in a segment aired Sunday night. They wore masks and spoke in altered voices to conceal their identities. One agent said the operation began 10 years ago using walkie-talkies loaded with hidden explosives, which Hezbollah did not realise it was buying from Israel, its enemy. The walkie-talkies were only detonated in September, a day after booby-trapped pagers were activated. "We created a fake world," said the officer, who goes by the name 'Michael'. Phase two of the plan, involving booby-trapped pagers, was initiated in 2022, after the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad learned that Hezbollah had purchased pagers from a Taiwanese company, the second officer said. The pagers had to be slightly larger to accommodate the explosives hidden inside. They were tested several times on dummies to find the right amount of explosives that would only injure the Hezbollah fighter and not anyone else in the immediate vicinity.

An 'air corridor' to rearm the Lebanese Hezbollah. After the end of the Assad era in Syria that has reduced Iran's influence in the Arab country, according to the Times, the Islamic Republic is reportedly studying the possibility of flying arms to Lebanon for the Party of God. According to a source in the region cited by the newspaper, talks on the project are underway in Tehran and Western countries are "worried" about the possibility that Iran is "trying to turn Beirut airport into its new logistics hub, just as it did in Syria". A move that, the source warns, 'could lead to the next escalation'. Also because, the newspaper points out, it would be a violation of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah, decimated by Israeli military operations against the orphaned group of Hasan Nasrallah.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the US air strikes against Iranian-backed Houthi targets in Yemen, calling them "a blatant violation of international law'' and stated that "such attacks, which are often conducted jointly with the UK, are being carried out on behalf of Israel, with the aim of weakening Islamic countries and asserting dominance over the region''. According to Irna, Araghchi made these statements in a telephone conversation last night with the Foreign Minister of the Houthi group in Yemen Jamal Ahmed Ali Amer. The Iranian minister also praised the Houthis' support for the Palestinian people. For his part, Amer called on the Islamic nations "to use their potential to prevent their enemies from achieving their goals".

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agency Tass that there are no inputs yet to arrange a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President-elect Donald Trump. "So far there have been no real impulses," he said in response to a question whether there is a possibility of a meeting even before Trump's inauguration, or whether there are no specifications or prerequisites for face-to-face contact yet.

The West will 'pay dearly' for its inability to adapt to the 'new reality' of the conflict in Ukraine (with Donald Trump's arrival in the White House). This was stated by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaking to the Hungarian broadcaster M1.

According to Orban, Trump's arrival will completely change the future of the West. 'I already live mentally in this new reality, and the Hungarian government is already there. In Brussels, on the other hand, they are still in the old reality, the one before the big changes. And they keep saying that everything can be done as it has been done so far. A total illusion. They will pay dearly for this,' Orban told broadcaster M1.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani will be on a mission in Kosovo today to greet the Italian contingent in the KFOR (Kosovo Force) mission.

North Korea is reportedly ready to send more troops and equipment to Russia, possibly even kamikaze drones, in support of Moscow's war against Ukraine. This was reported by the South Korean Yonhap news agency, citing the Seoul military.

"A comprehensive assessment of multiple pieces of intelligence information shows that North Korea is preparing to rotate or increase troop deployments (to Russia), while currently supplying 240mm rocket launchers and 170mm self-propelled artillery," the military says. "There are also some signs that (the North) is moving to produce and supply suicide drones, first unveiled during Kim Jong-un's on-site inspection in November," they continue.

The Palestinian news agency Wafa says that five people died and more than 20 were injured in Israeli shelling that hit the Gaza Strip tonight. Most of the casualties occurred in the Al-Mawasi area in the south of the Palestinian enclave.

More than 1,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded so far in Russia's war against Ukraine, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said today.