Netanyahu lands in Florida ahead of meeting with Trump
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December 28, 2025
December 28, 2025
Australia says Bondi review to check if terror attack could have been averted
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attends a memorial for the victims of the Bondi attack, this month. Credit: Dean Lewins / Reuters
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attends a memorial for the victims of the Bondi attack, this month. Credit: Dean Lewins / Reuters
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday that an independent review into law enforcement agencies set up after the Bondi mass shooting will assess whether authorities could have taken additional steps to prevent the terror attack.
Albanese said the review will examine whether existing laws or information gaps stopped police and security agencies from acting against the alleged attackers, a father and son, who police say were inspired by the militant group Islamic State.
Fifteen people were killed in the mass shooting at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Sydney's famed Bondi Beach on December 14, shocking a country with strict gun laws and fuelling calls for tougher controls and stronger action against antisemitism.
Families of those killed and injured on Monday urged Albanese to set up a royal commission, the most powerful type of government inquiry, to probe the rise of antisemitism and any intelligence failures tied to the attack, Australian media reported on Monday.
"Announcements made so far by the federal government in response to the Bondi massacre are not nearly enough ... You owe us answers. You owe us accountability. And you owe Australians the truth," said a statement from the families of those involved in the mass shooting, according to media reports.
Reuters could not immediately contact the families for comment.
Albanese, who is facing mounting criticism from opponents who argue his government has not done enough to curb a rise in antisemitism, has been resisting calls to set up a royal commission into the attack. He reiterated that it would take years for the inquiry to submit the report.
"The government is committed to making sure that we can't wait years for answers. We need to get on with any changes that are required," Albanese told reporters, while announcing the terms for the review into the attack.
Albanese said the independent committee will submit the report in April, and the Parliament will resume as soon as possible next year to consider any legislation.
Gaza captivity survivors Matan Zangauker and Ilana Gritzewsky celebrate engagement
Captivity survivors Matan Zangauker and Ilana Gritzewsky are engaged, according to a post by Matan's mother, Einav Zangauker, on her X account. "My victory photo," Zangauker wrote alongside a picture of the engaged couple.
Gritzewsky was released in a hostage deal in November 2023, and Zangauker was freed last October, after being taken hostage from Nir Oz on October 7, 2023.
Houthi leader: Any Israeli presence in Somaliland will be a military target for our forces
Houthi supporters chant slogans and hold pictures of Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthi movement, during an anti-U.S. and anti-Israel rally in Sanaa, Yemen, March. Credit: Osamah Abdulrahman/AP
Houthi supporters chant slogans and hold pictures of Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthi movement, during an anti-U.S. and anti-Israel rally in Sanaa, Yemen, March. Credit: Osamah Abdulrahman/AP
Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi condemned Israel's recognition of Somaliland as an independent state, saying, "Any Israeli presence in Somaliland will be a military target for our forces."
Speaking in a statement broadcast on the Houthis' Al-Masirah television channel, he added, "The Israeli enemy, through its declaration, seeks to engage in hostile activities that threaten the security of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden."
Al-Houthi said the Houthis would take "all possible means of support" to stand by the Somali people. "We call on the Red Sea states and the Arab and Islamic world to take practical steps to prevent the Israeli enemy from violating Somalia's sovereignty," he added.
Netanyahu lands in Florida ahead of meeting with Trump
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara have landed in Florida ahead of his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara have just landed in Florida. Posted on X @dannydanon
Source: Netanyahu floated opening Gaza-Egypt border, retracted after Ben-Gvir, Smotrich opposed
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu considered opening the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt in both directions as a goodwill gesture during his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, but abandoned the plan after opposition from National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a source said. In recent days, Netanyahu has held several consultations in preparation for the meeting, including with coalition party leaders and senior diplomatic and security officials.
The Israeli prime minister is expected to land in Florida shortly ahead of the meeting with Trump, the sixth between the two since Trump returned to office in January. The talks are expected to focus mainly on U.S. efforts to move to the second phase of a Gaza reconstruction plan, tensions with Lebanon and Syria, and Israeli concerns over Iran's attempts to rebuild its missile arsenal.
RECAP: Hezbollah Secretary General: We reject the demand to disarm as long as Israeli attacks continue
Here are Sunday's updates on Israel, Gaza and the West Bank:
■ PM Netanyahu considered opening the Rafah crossing ahead of his meeting with U.S. President Trump, then backtracked, according to Israeli sources.
■ Israel formally deployed its first laser-based air defense system, Iron Beam, into active service, sharply cutting the cost of rocket, drone and mortar interception.
■ Israel captured an Islamic Jihad operative suspected of involvement in holding deceased hostage, Ran Gvili, in central Gaza City.
■ Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem rejected demands for disarmament and blamed Lebanon's instability on the U.S. and Israel.
■ Italian police seized 1.08 million euros from a pro-Palestinian charity suspected of funding Hamas, as well as pro-Hamas material.
■ Haredi anti-draft demonstrators held an illegal protest blocking Route 4 near central Israel's Bnei Brak. Police arrested three men.
■ The State Prosecutor's office is working to extradite Israel "Srulik" Einhorn, a prime suspect in both the "Bibileaks" and "Qatargate" affairs.
Source: Netanyahu weighed opening Rafah crossing for Trump meeting, then backtracked
An Israeli source says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu considered offering to open the Israel-controlled Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza in both directions as a goodwill gesture ahead of his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, but dropped the idea after opposition from National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
Aid trucks at the Rafah crossing in October. Credit: Mohammed Arafat/FP
Aid trucks at the Rafah crossing in October. Credit: Mohammed Arafat/FP
According to the source, Netanyahu has held several consultations in recent days with coalition leaders and senior diplomatic and security officials in preparation for the meeting.
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