WEDNESDAY PDB – The announcement came hours after Israel's cabinet approved the deal. It capped weeks of indirect Qatari-led negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
Qatar worked alongside the U.S. and Egypt to broker the agreement.
The agreement involves the release 50 hostages and pause fighting for four days in Gaza.
It will also see 150 Palestinian women and children released from Israeli jails.
The truce would allow the entry of “a larger number of humanitarian convoys and relief aid.”
An Israeli official said Wednesday that the truce is slated to begin at 10 a.m. local time (3 a.m. ET) on Thursday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that for every additional 10 hostages who are released, there will be an additional day of a pause in the fighting.
The U.S. and Israel will also both pause drone flights over Gaza for six hours each day as part of the deal.
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here's a roundup of today's other top defense stories from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.
Not the President's Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL'S DAILY BRIEFING – the PDB:
ISRAEL'S WAR AGAINST HAMAS TERROR
How Israel's shift to CENTCOM is paying off during Gaza conflict. In 2021, Israel shifted from being tied to EUCOM to CENTCOM. That's proving important during the Gaza conflict.
US should immediately prosecute culpable Hamas leaders. Publicly available evidence demonstrates that Hamas's principal leaders, including those residing in Qatar and Turkey, are responsible for the ongoing hostage-taking of U.S. citizens in violation of U.S. law.
PENTAGON WOKE WATCH
HELL NO! – Pentagon asks for $114M to spend on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in 2024. The Pentagon's DEIA funding request is the most expensive of its kind from the department in recent years.
NATIONAL SECURITY
As AI-controlled killer drones become reality, nations debate limits. Worried about the risks of robot warfare, some countries want new legal constraints, but the U.S. and other major powers are resistant.
Mental health doesn't cost troops security clearances, data shows. For years, military leaders have insisted that troops in need of mental health care should reach out without worrying it will adversely impact their professional path.
Pentagon seeks to rapidly build up information-warfare force. Emerging technologies play a critical role in both waging and foiling influence campaigns, according to the DoD's strategy.
HOMELAND SECURITY
New Mexico Air Force Base issues ‘all clear' after active shooter lock down. Security forces at Cannon Air Force Base have lifted a shelter in place mandate and issued an “all-clear” nearly five hours after reports of an active shooter in the area.
National Guardsman who feds say went AWOL after Biden's election is charged with assaulting officers on Jan. 6. Matthew Honigford said he “did not trust the current state of the country” before he attacked officers at the Capitol.
Coast Guard intercepts ‘suspicious vessel' near Malibu, detains 23 undocumented immigrants. The service intercepted a “suspicious vessel” near Malibu on Tuesday and detained 23 people allegedly trying to enter the country illegally.
CHINA THREAT
A growing global footprint for China's space program worries Pentagon. It is concerned that China's growing network of facilities in Latin America and Antarctica for its civilian space programs has defense capabilities.
CHINA BEWARE – US, Philippines begin three days of joint patrols in the South China Sea. On Nov. 21, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, began joint maritime and aerial patrols in the South China Sea.
More F-35s arrive in Okinawa, bolstering 5th-gen forces near Taiwan. The stealth fighters from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, arrived in Japan Nov. 20, also maintaining the steady rotation of fighters there in place of retiring F-15C/Ds.
Group of lawmakers urge Kendall to speed new F-16 jets, upgrades for Taiwan. There is “high risk” to the plans for supplying Taiwan with new and modified F-16s in a timely way, according to 24 Republican members of the House of Representatives.
House GOP push to boost funding for security initiatives across Indo-Pacific. Top Republicans on the select China committee are pushing to secure billions more dollars for U.S. security initiatives across the Indo-Pacific to counter the growing ambitions of Beijing.
Taiwan's former US envoy, well-known in US, vilified by China, named VP candidate. Lai Ching-te, the frontrunner for Taiwan's presidency, named Taipei's former envoy to the U.S. as his running mate for January's election.
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
Nearly half of Americans think the US is spending too much on Ukraine aid, poll says. This, as lawmakers in Washington weigh sending billions more in federal support to Kyiv to help fight off Russian aggression.
UN: Civilian deaths in Ukraine war surpass 10,000. UN just reported these civilians have died in Ukraine since Russia invaded in early 2022.
Tired Ukrainian troops fight to hold back Russian soldiers: ‘They come like zombies.' Russia is taking heavy casualties in the mud of eastern Ukraine as it presses to encircle the city of Avdiivka.
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 637. Ukraine's military spokesperson said Russia had reduced ground assaults and air strikes on the eastern town of Avdiivka but had not abandoned “their plans to surround” the town.
Ukraine's counteroffensive is stalled, but not at sea. Kyiv's plucky navy uses missiles and drones to break the Black Sea blockade and force a Russian retreat.
IRAN THREAT
US fires back after ballistic missile attack on Iraq base. An AC-130 gunship fired on an Iran-backed militia vehicle in Iraq on Monday night after the occupants fired a missile at a base housing U.S. troops.
BIDEN TOOK THEM OFF THE LIST! – US considers redesignating Houthis as ‘terror' group after ship seizure. The White House is considering redesignating Yemen's Houthi rebels as a “terrorist” group after they seized a commercial ship in the Red Sea.
BIDEN HAS GIVEN IRAN BILLIONS OF DOLLARS! – The White House is concerned Iran may provide ballistic missiles to Russia for use against Ukraine.
NORTH KOREA THREAT
North Korea claims it successfully put spy satellite into orbit. This was its third launch attempt this year.
South Korea partially suspends military agreement with North after satellite launch. Seoul is restarting aerial reconnaissance operations at the North Korean border, suspended since 2018.
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
NATO examining permanent increase of troops in Kosovo. It wants a permanent increase in the number of troops in the Western Balkans to keep tensions under control.
US MILITARY
I'll bounce back, top Marine vows in 1st video since cardiac arrest. “It's not the first time I've been knocked down,” Gen. Eric Smith said. “When I was shot in 2004, I bounced back from that.”
End of an era: The last class of Marine Scout Snipers graduates on Dec. 15. The last HOGs night will take place the night before, aboard Camp Geiger in North Carolina.
LOVABLE JARHEADS – Marines in dress blues who brawled with civilians in Texas bar district not facing punishment. The group were caught on video brawling with civilians outside a nightclub in Austin, Texas' bustling entertainment district.
Air Force to upgrade pilot eyewear with laser, ballistic protection. The devices, developed in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory, will also include night eyewear that allow more natural light.
END of PDB
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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