Barak Ravid reports that a U.S. official said Prime Minister Netanyahu has turned himself into a global pariah over the past two years, adding that he should reflect on why Egypt’s President Sisi refuses to meet with him and why, five years after the Abraham Accords, he has still not been invited to visit the UAE. The official added that while the Trump administration is putting in significant effort to repair the situation, it will not waste time trying to expand the Abraham Accords if Netanyahu is unwilling to take the steps necessary to de-escalate tensions.

Two soldiers killed in an ISIS-affiliated attack on Saturday in central Syria have been identified as Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown. Both were serving with the 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division of the Iowa National Guard, which is currently deployed to the Middle East.

Turkey’s Ministry of Defense announced that an unidentified drone approaching Turkish airspace over the Black Sea was shot down earlier tonight by a Turkish Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon.

Newly released footage from Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) shows a first-of-its-kind underwater drone strike on the Russian port of Novorossiysk in the Black Sea. The video captures “Sea Baby” unmanned surface vessels penetrating the harbor and at least one making direct impact on a Kilo-class diesel-electric submarine of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, inflicting significant damage.

The FBI announced it has disrupted a credible New Year’s Eve terror plot, arresting four suspected members of a radical pro-Palestinian extremist group.

The White House sent a sharply worded message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the weekend following Saturday’s airstrike in Gaza that killed Ra’ad Sa’ad, a senior commander in Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades. According to Israeli officials speaking to Axios, the U.S. accused Israel of violating the ceasefire and failing to notify Washington in advance through the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC).

Four members of the Syrian Interior Ministry’s Road Safety Patrol were killed earlier tonight and several others wounded in an ambush near Maarat al-Numan, south of Idlib in northwestern Syria. The attack is believed to have been carried out by ISIS. This marks at least the third ISIS attack targeting U.S. and Syrian forces in the past day, amid growing instability across the Middle East that is likely contributing to a resurgence of the Islamic State.

First Lady Melania Trump: "My thoughts and prayers go to the families of people who lost their loved ones around the world. In this difficult time, we are celebrating here Christmas, and I'm thinking about them — what they're going through. My heart is with them."

NYC mayor-elect Mamdani, who previously declined to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” responded to today’s attack in Sydney: “The attack at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney today was a vile act of antisemitic terror. I mourn those who were murdered and will keep their families, the Jewish community, and the Chabad movement in my prayers. May the memories of all those killed be a blessing.”

A Jewish man in Australia confronted an Islamist gunman in full view, locking eyes with the shooter and refusing to back down. As rifle fire continued, he remained exposed, repeatedly pointing at the attacker rather than taking cover.