Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has proposed N356.95 billion to the federal government as budget for 2024.

This is contained in the 2024 government-owned entities’ (GOE’s) budget proposal seen by TheCable on Friday.

According to the proposed budget of N356,951,441,648, the agency plans to spend N11,070,000,000 on long service awards, N13,617,615,408 on welfare packages as well as N4,599,450,000 on the purchase of computers while networking/communications or information technology infrastructure takes N3,715,524,465.10.

Also, the revenue agency budgeted N5,550,000,000 to purchase motor vehicles and N1,350,000,000.00 to maintain vehicles and transport equipment.

On power supply, FIRS will spend N2,480,840,000 on purchasing power generating set, N2,700,000,000 on fueling plant/generator, and N1,260,000,000.00 on electricity charges in one year.

FIRS also earmarked N15,222,000,000 on local grants and contributions to government-owned companies and N180,000,000 as grants to foreign international organisations.

Also included in the budget is N10,200,415,000 earmarked for local (N7,500,415,000) and international (N2,700,000,000) training.

In the budget, FIRS plans to spend N4,500,000,000.00 on local travel and transport, while international travel and transport is expected to gulp N1,350,000,000.00.

The Cable

Suspected terrorists killed 14 people in a rampage that began in a nightclub and proceeded into the surrounding neighborhood in northeastern Yobe state, residents said on Friday, two months after another attack in the state killed 40 people.

The Boko Haram and splinter Islamic West Africa Province have waged an insurgency in Nigeria's northeast for more than one decade and continue to carry out sporadic attacks against civilians and the military.

Ali Musa, a resident from the Kwari community in Yobe told Reuters by phone that the gunmen arrived around 1:00 a.m. (0000 GMT) at a nightclub and started to shoot sporadically, killing seven people there.

The armed men then went on to burn several houses and vehicles, killing five more people. Another two people were killed following an explosion, said another resident Joseph Inuwa.

Inuwa said one of the people killed was the local pastor of the Church of Christ in Nigeria, who was shot dead while he tried to escape.

"As I'm speaking to you many other people are hospitalized at Gaidam Specialist Hospital," Inuwa said.

Yobe police spokesperson Dungus Abdulkarim did not respond to calls and messages to his phone.

President Bola Tinubu has yet to disclose how he would tackle insurgency in the north and widespread insecurity in other parts of Nigeria.

Reuters

At least eight traders were killed while several others were injured when a group of terrorists attacked a convoy of vehicles conveying traders to a local market in Katsina State, north-west Nigeria.

The traders were going to Yantumaki weekly market in Danmusa Local Government Area when the terrorists opened fire on them Friday morning.

Eight of the traders died instantly while the wounded ones are receiving medical attention at a local hospital, the chairman of the drivers union in the area, Kabiru Dangaye, said.

Many federal, state and local highways in the North-west have become death traps as terrorists waylay travellers especially in Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto states.

In many local communities in the sub-region, motorists now drive in a convoy, sometimes with military or police escort, to avoid being attacked.

“Our drivers waited for hours as usual for other drivers and traders to come from neighbouring communities before they began the journey,” Dangaye said. “We had about 25 vehicles then called the soldiers to come and escort us as usual. The soldiers drove in their vehicle.”

The meeting point, according to the drivers’ union chairman, was Mai Dabino, one of the communities in the Danmusa area.

Dangaye said the convoy passed Sabon Garin Nasarawa and Mahuta before it ran into an ambush around Makera.

“The terrorists were in four groups and it was when the leading vehicle reached the second to the last group that they (terrorists) began shooting. When the soldiers driving in the back, aimed to move faster to the front, another set of terrorists began shooting at them. The soldiers engaged them but because they were too many and separated, the terrorists had upper hand over the soldiers,” he said.

Dangaye said a distress call was made to the Community Watch Corps who “came with more soldiers” to help the traders.

Usman Abdulmuminu, a resident of Maidabino, said most of those killed were from his community.

“One of them was my best friend, Buhari. The communities are in mourning because aside those who lost their lives, several others are still nursing serious wounds that may lead to death,” he said.

Police spokesperson in Katsina State, Abubakar Sadik, could not be reached on his regular phone number at the time of this report. An SMS sent to him about the attack was also not responded to.

This is the second time in a month that local traders are targeted in the state. Eight traders were killed last month by the terrorists in the same state.

Many states in the northwestern part of Nigeria have witnessed terrorist activities for over a decade which have led to the death of thousands of people.

PT

US, Europe embark on new diplomatic push to quell Gaza war

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Europe's senior diplomat Josep Borrell began a new diplomatic push on Friday to stop spillover from the Gaza war into Israeli-occupied West Bank, Lebanon and Red Sea shipping lanes.

Their Middle East visits came three months since Hamas militants from Gaza attacked Israel, triggering an offensive that has devastated the enclave, uprooted 90% of its population, and killed 22,600 people, according to Palestinian officials.

Israel, which says it has killed 8,000 militants since the deaths of 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, has announced a more targeted approach under global pressure to limit civilian casualties.

But Gazans said Israeli planes and tanks had intensified attacks overnight on densely populated Al-Maghazi, Al-Bureij and Al-Nusseirat in the centre of the coastal strip.

Some 162 people were killed in the past 24 hours, Palestinian officials said earlier.

In addition to these, Palestinian officials later said that in the south, where hundreds of thousands of Gazans have moved in response to Israeli warnings, at least 22 people were killed by Israeli strikes on Khan Younis.

One Palestinian health official said these included at least 10 people killed and several wounded by an Israeli air strike on a house belonging to Al-Bayouk family.

Four others were killed in an air strike on a street in Al-Nusseirat, Palestinian officials said, while another three died and seven were injured in Israeli shelling on a house in central Gaza's Deir Al-Balah, the Palestinian Red Crescent said.

Separately, medics reported that two more people were killed and others injured in the same central Gaza town after what residents described as fresh Israeli air strikes after dark.

"The Israeli government claims democracy and humanity, but is inhumane," Abdel Razek Abu Sinjar said as he cried over the shrouded bodies of his wife and children killed in a strike on his house in Rafah on the border with Egypt.

In Jabalia in northern Gaza, people picked their way through ruined streets filled with sewage and garbage, video showed. Hunger and deadly diseasesare spreading.

WEST BANK DEATHS MOUNT TOO

The military said it had struck more than 100 targets in Gaza in the past 24 hours, killing gunmen who tried to attack a tank in Al-Bureij and others in Khan Younis, where Hamas' military wing said it had killed some troops.

The war in Hamas-run Gaza has stoked violence in the West Bank, which is governed by its rival Fatah and is another territory where Palestinian hopes for statehood have been dashed since the last U.S.-mediated talks on a solution to the decades-long conflict in 2014.

The Palestinian health ministry said a 17-year-old was killed and four other Palestinians wounded by Israeli army gunfire in the West Bank town of Beit Rima. Israel's military said troops shot at Palestinians who threw petrol bombs.

Some 300 Palestinians have died there since the war erupted, the United Nations says.

Blinken is due to visit the West Bank during a week-long tour starting on Friday in Turkey, which has offered to mediate. He will also visit Israel, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

"It is in no one's interest, not Israel's, not the region's, not the world's, for this conflict to spread beyond Gaza," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

Borrell, the EU foreign policy chief, was due in Lebanon.

IRANIAN BACKING

Hamas, which is sworn to Israel's destruction, is backed by Iran. Other Iranian-backed militants have hit U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria and struck Israel from Lebanon in what they call revenge for Israel's avowed attempt to eliminate the Palestinian Islamist movement.

The U.S. offered up to $10 million for information on Hamas sponsors or anything leading to the disruption of the group's financial mechanisms.

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said the U.S. should focus on ending aggression towards Palestinians and occupation of their land. "We hope that Mr. Blinken learned lessons from the past three months and realized the extent of the mistakes the U.S. has made by blindly supporting the Zionist occupation and believing its lies, which resulted in unprecedented massacres and war crimes against our people in Gaza," he said in a speech.

The leader of Lebanon's powerful Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, Hassan Nasrallah, said on Friday the militia had conducted around 670 military operations on the border with Israel since Oct. 8, destroying many Israeli military vehicles.

The Iran-aligned Houthis who control much of Yemen have fired on commercial vessels in the Red Sea since Nov. 19, forcing them to take longer routes in a blow to global trade.

Israel has listed 175 soldiers as killed in action since its offensive began.

Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has said the next phase would include raids in the north to demolish tunnels and a focus in the south on rescuing some 132 Israeli hostages remaining.

A 25th hostage had been declared dead, a government spokesperson said on Friday.

The World Health Organization said hospitals and other medical infrastructure in Gaza have been attacked nearly 600 times since the conflict erupted. Some 613 people have died within facilities and more than 770 wounded, it said.

France and Jordan air-dropped seven tonnes of aid for a field hospital in Khan Younis.

Reuters

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine unleashes more drones and missiles at Russian areas as part of its new year strategy

Russian air defenses downed dozens of Ukrainian drones in occupied Crimea and southern Russia on Friday, officials said, as Kyiv pressed its strategy of targeting the Moscow-annexed peninsula and taking the 22-month war well beyond Ukraine’s borders.

Air raid sirens wailed in Sevastopol, the largest city in Crimea, and traffic was suspended for a second straight day on a bridge connecting the peninsula, which Moscow seized illegally a decade ago, with Russia’s southern Krasnodar region. The span is a crucial supply link for Russia’s war effort.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its defenses intercepted 36 drones over Crimea and one over Krasnodar, part of an emerging pattern of intensified Ukrainian aerial attacks in recent days.

A Ukrainian Neptune anti-ship missile also was destroyed over the northwestern part of the Black Sea, the ministry said.

The developments came after three people were injured Thursday night by other Ukrainian rocket and drone attacks on the Russian border city of Belgorod and the surrounding region, said Belgorod Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov.

He posted photographs on Telegram of an apartment building with some windows shattered and damaged cars. He said authorities could help those wanting to move farther from the border.

Ukrainian attacks on Dec. 30 in Belgorod killed 25 people, officials there said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pledged to hit more targets on the Crimean Peninsula and inside Russian border regions this year. The goal is to unsettle Russians as President Vladimir Putin seeks another six years in power in a March 17 election.

A Ukrainian attack on military facilities in Crimea on Thursday affected a command center and the peninsula’s air defense system, according to a spokesperson for Ukraine’s southern joint forces, Nataliia Humeniuk.

She said the Russian military recently relocated its Crimean launch sites for Shahed drones.

It was not possible to verify either side’s claims.

Following a drone strike deep inside Russia last year, Zelenskyy said Ukraine had developed a weapon that can hit targets 700 kilometers (400 miles) away. He said last month Kyiv plans to produce 1 million drones, which have become a key battlefield weapon.

Other Ukrainian officials said it aims to manufacture this year more than 10,000 attack drones with a range of hundreds of kilometers, as well as more than 1,000 longer-range drones that can hit targets well behind the front line and inside Russia.

Both sides are raising the stakes of their long-range warfare as soldiers remain bogged down on the wintry battlefield. The U.K. Defense Ministry said Friday that “ground combat has continued to be characterized by either a static front line or very gradual, local Russian advances in key sectors.”

The Kremlin, meanwhile, has acquired ballistic missiles from North Korea and fired at least one of them into Ukraine on Dec. 30, the White House said Thursday, citing recently declassified U.S. intelligence. It also is seeking close-range ballistic missiles from Iran, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.

British Defense Minister Grant Shapps said Pyongyang would pay a high price for supporting Russia, although he didn’t say in what way, and he accused Moscow of violating a U.N. embargo on arms shipments to and from North Korea.

“The world has turned its back on Russia, forcing Putin into the humiliation of going cap in hand to North Korea to keep his illegal invasion going,” Shapps said on X, formerly Twitter.

Asked about the development, Ukrainian air force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said in televised comments Friday that he couldn’t immediately confirm the use of the North Korean-supplied missiles, adding that experts need to study the fragments. Russian officials have refrained from commenting on previous U.S. claims that North Korea has supplied ammunition to Moscow.

Ukraine said it stopped 21 out of 29 Russian Shahed drones launched late Thursday and early Friday. The assault injured two people, including a 14-year-old, and was the latest of almost daily Russian drone attacks in the new year.

Zelenskyy thanked Germany late Thursday for a delivery of military aid, especially air defense materiel that he said “is timely and focused on our priorities.”

Ukraine “should look to continue degrading Russia’s ability to wage war by conducting an escalating campaign of airstrikes on targets far behind the front lines throughout occupied Ukraine and inside Russia itself,” according to Mykola Bielieskov, a research fellow at Ukraine’s National Institute for Strategic Studies.

“This could include attacks on troop concentrations, military bases, and munitions stores along with logistical hubs and armament production facilities,” he wrote in an assessment published by the Atlantic Council, a U.S. think tank.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Air defense systems take down Neptune anti-ship missile over northwestern Black Sea

Air defense systems have eliminated a Neptune anti-ship missile over the northwestern part of the Black Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

"On January 5, around 12:30 p.m. Moscow time (9:30 a.m. GMT - TASS), an attempt by the Kiev regime was thwarted to carry out a terror attack on targets in the Russian Federation with the use of a Neptune anti-ship missile. Air defense systems on duty detected the Ukrainian missile and eliminated it over the northwestern waters of the Black Sea," the military agency said.

** Russia’s Su-25 aircraft hit strongholds, manpower of Ukrainian forces in Donetsk area

The crews of Su-25 attack aircraft of the Russian aerospace forces hit strongholds and manpower of the Ukrainian armed forces in the Donetsk direction using unguided air-launched missiles, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

"The crews of Su-25 attack aircraft of the Aerospace Forces hit enemy strongholds and manpower in the Donetsk direction. The strike was carried out by unguided S-8 air launched missiles. In addition, the attack on the target was carried out with a pitching maneuver at an extremely low altitude of 25 meters," the ministry says.

The ministry clarified that, according to the reports of the forward air gunner, all of the specified targets were successfully hit. The flight went as usual. After using aircraft weapons, the crews performed an anti-missile maneuver, released heat traps and returned to the airfield.

"We received the task of destroying an enemy stronghold. The task was carried out in pairs by flying at extremely low altitudes by launching unguided air launched missiles of the S-8 type from a nose-up position. The task was completed successfully. According to the report of the forward aircraft gunner, the target was hit," said the Su-25 pilot, call sign Farmer, as quoted by the Defense Ministry.

AP/Tass

Words matter. How you choose them and how you use them makes a big difference in the way people perceive you. 

Researchers have found that there are certain words, phrases and other ways of communicating that can make others think more highly of you, improve your reputation, and help create a more empathetic and compassionate workplace.

Here are 13 communication mistakes that the most likable people always avoid:

1. Not greeting people

What to do: Say “Hello,” “Good morning,” or ask “How are you?”

Greeting people, even in a casual way, pays off big time. Nowadays, many people feel that their coworkers aren’t civil or friendly enough. By being polite and starting the conversation off with a bit of humanity, you stand out as a warm and friendly person.

The same applies to emails and text messages: Open with a pleasant greeting before getting to the point.

2. Doing all the talking

What to do: Don’t just use words. Make sure you listen, too.

Psychologist Carl Rogers says active listening is at the heart of every healthy relationship. People think positively about people who take the time to listen.

It’s also healthy for the mind: A recent study found that being listened to helps prevent cognitive decline.

3. Not being present

What to do: Use body language to show engagement.

According to several studies, most of the time we aren’t listening as well as we think. So putting real effort into it can make you stand out.

Engage the speaker — make eye contact, nod and be ready to respond. In other words, let them see that you’re paying attention.

4. Not inviting the other person to elaborate

What to do: Say “That’s interesting. Tell me more!”

This is another way to engage while you listen. Again, we all like to talk, so it’s a gift when people actually invite us to do so.

Another benefit: The more you let people talk, the more you can learn from them and about them, which can be helpful in winning their favor.

5. Lacking curiosity

What to do: Ask questions.

Instead of trying to say something impressive, try asking something specific to the conversation you’re having. A 2017 Harvard University studyfound that when you ask people questions, they think of you as more likable.

6. Refusing to admit fault

What to do: If you were wrong, say “I was wrong.”

This is one of the most powerful ways to build credibility. In one survey, 84% of U.S. employees said it is important for managers to admit mistakes, but only 51% said their managers did so.

Managers or not, all too often we try to cover up our mistakes. But don’t kid yourself — usually people have noticed them by the time you have! By admitting your errors, you show you’re honest and trustworthy.

7. Not giving acknowledgement or compliments

What to do: Say “You’re right!” or “Great idea!”

Being complimented feels the same to the brain as receiving a monetary award, according to one study. And since we’re wired to seek out pleasant sensations, people are likely to repeatedly seek out people who compliment them.

8. Not letting people know when they’ve helped you

What to do: Say “I’m glad you told me about ...,” “I took your suggestion and did...,” or “Because of you, I was able to ...”

It’s important to validate people and their contributions. If they give you good advice or input, they love to hear that you actually used them.

Who doesn’t like knowing that they made an impact on someone, whether it’s suggesting a great lunch spot or giving career tips?

9. Only caring about your own opinions

What to do: Ask, “What do you think?”

After you’ve put forth your opinion on something, flip it around and draw your listener in by asking for their thoughts. This can help with team-building, while also immediately making the other person feel more positive about you.

10. Saying “Are you sure you can do it?”

What to do: Help people believe in their own abilities.

Validation is key to helping people improve themselves, so don’t question if someone has the chops to manage something. Tell them you believe in them, and they’ll believe in themselves. They’ll also remember that you’re part of the reason why.

11. Ignoring those who seem left out

What to do: Say “Let’s hear from…”

At meetings, there are always the quiet ones — the ones who may have ideas, but who are rarely heard. They’re often drowned out or intimidated by the big talkers.

By asking publicly for their input and by engaging them, your entire team could hear some great ideas — and you will gain grateful allies. 

12. Always being negative

What to do: Use positive words like “excited,” “wonderful” or “admirable.”

Here’s an interesting fact: Half of all the words we use to describe emotions are negative, according to a survey by a linguist at Penn State. Differentiate yourself from others by communicating in encouraging and positive ways.

13. Failing to express gratitude

What to do: Say “Thank you.”

These two little words carry a lot of weight in relationships. According to a publication by Harvard Medical School, managers who thank their teams may find that their employees are more motivated.

Giving thanks can boost your feelings about a relationship, too. One studyfound that partners who express gratitude feel happier and more comfortable in their relationship.

With that in mind, thank you for reading this.

Kathy and Ross Petras are the brother-and-sister co-authors of “Awkword Moments: A Lively Guide to the 100 Terms Smart People Should Know,” “You’re Saying It Wrong” and “That Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Means.” 

CNBC

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday inspected Dangote Group's books as part of investigations into possible past misuse of foreign currency sourced from the Central Bank of Nigeria, two sources at the Commission said.

The Dangote Group, which counts cement and fertiliser manufacturing and sugar refining among its businesses, is owned by Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote. Dangote is also readying a 650,000 barrels per day oil refinery that cost $20 billion to build.

Under former CBN governor Godwin Emefiele, the bank had multiple exchange rates and sold dollars cheaply to some businesses, including Dangote, to help them import raw materials.

A Dangote spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Two people at the EFCC said Thursday's search at Dangote offices in Lagos, was part of an investigation set to be expanded to other companies.

"We went to the head office of Dangote Group today to look into their books on the ongoing investigation on the abuse of the extant laws that govern the foreign exchange transaction during the tenure of Godwin Emefiele as CBN governor," one of the sources told Reuters.

"Here, we are talking about multiple exchange rates and others. It is an ongoing investigation and it was the turn of Dangote Group today," said the source, who declined to be named because he is not authorised to speak on the issue.

EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale declined to comment.

A second source confirmed the investigation, adding that at least one other listed Nigerian conglomerate would be targeted.

Reuters

Men and commanders of the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, from Ekiti, Oyo, Osun, Ogun and Ondo states held a walk on Thursday in Akure in honour of the late Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu.

The Amotekun corps were joined by Akeredolu’s successor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, during the walk from the Cathedral area of Akure to the Governor’s Office.

Akeredolu died on December 27, 2023, after a prolonged battle with prostate cancer. He was aged 67.

As the Chairman of the South-West Governors’ Forum, Akeredolu rallied his fellow governors from the six South-West states to form Amotekun as a regional security outfit in response to the escalating insecurity, particularly attacks on farmers and kidnapping by killer herdsmen.

Despite the initial opposition by the Federal Government, through then Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, Akeredolu, led his fellow South-West governors to see the formation of Amotekun through.

During the walk on Thursday, Aiyedatiwa said South-West governors would continue to work together to ensure the continuity of Amotekun.

He said, “I can assure you that  Amotekun will be sustained because of its role in society; because the security of lives and property of the people of the South-West zone is very important to us; we will use whatever is in our possession to support and sustain it.”

He commended the Amotekun corps and commanders for honouring Akeredolu, “whose passage was a monumental loss to the state and Amotekun as a whole.”

Responding on behalf of his colleagues, the commander of the Ondo Amotekun, Adetunji Adeleye, said Akeredolu would continue to be remembered for his legacy.

Adeleye, who is the Chairman of the South West Amotekun Commanders, appreciated the officers and men of the corps for their unrelenting efforts.

“We have met all the governors and all of them have shown their solidarity with the people of Ondo State.

“All the corps commanders travelled all the way from their various states today; that’s the essence of the 5km walk we embarked on today.

“The good work he (Akeredolu) did, mainly in the security system in South-West, is worth mentioning.

“We all knew what the security situation was before the creation of Amotekun; that’s about three years ago, and we are a living testimony to the fact that security in the South-West has greatly improved.

“We are resolute to continue the good work that he (Akeredolu) started. That’s our own contribution to immortalising him as our great leader.

“Akeredolu was resolute and sincere at making sure that Amotekun corps became a reality,” he said.

Also, the Corps Commander from Oyo, Olayinka Olayanju, pledged that the corps would continue to operate.

Punch

Israeli defense minister lays out vision for next steps of Gaza war ahead of Blinken visit

Israel’s defense minister on Thursday laid out his vision for the next phase of the war in Gaza, describing how Israeli forces would shift to an apparently scaled-down “new combat approach” in northern Gaza, while continuing to fight Hamas in the south of the territory “for as long as necessary.”

Ahead of a visit by the U.S. secretary of state, Yoav Gallant also outlined a proposal for how Gaza would be run once Hamas is defeated, with Israel keeping security control while an undefined, Israeli-guided Palestinian body runs day-to-day administration, and the U.S. and other countries oversee rebuilding.

Israel has come under heavy international pressure to spell out a post-war vision but so far has not done so. The issue is likely to be on the agenda in Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s talks this weekend in Israel and other countries in the region. The United States has pressed Israel to shift to lower-intensity military operations in Gaza that more precisely target Hamas, after nearly three devastating months of bombardment and ground assaults.

The vagueness of many of Gallant’s provisions made it difficult to assess how much they mesh with the U.S. calls.

The document issued by Gallant was titled a “vision for Phase 3” of the war, and Gallant’s office said the phase had not yet begun. It also said the ideas were Gallant’s and not official policy, which would have to be set by Israel’s war and security cabinets.

Gallant, who is a member of both cabinets, may be aiming to put his personal plan before the Americans ahead of others in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, which includes hard-right members likely to want a tougher approach.

Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed more than 22,400 people, more than two-thirds of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run territory. The ministry’s count does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas after its Oct. 7 attack, in which militants killed some 1,200 people and abducted around 240 others.

Much of northern Gaza, which troops invaded two months ago, has been flattened beyond recognition. Associated Press footage from Gaza City showed people wandering through a shattered landscape with large fields of broken concrete and splintered wood and streets lined with toppled buildings.

With the focus now in the south, Israeli forces are battling Hamas militants in the city of Khan Younis and in urban refugee camps in the center of the territory.

Some 85% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been driven from their homes and squeezed into smaller slivers of the territory. Israel’s siege of the territory has caused a humanitarian crisis, with a quarter of the population starving because not enough supplies are entering, according to the U.N.

At the same time, airstrikes and shelling across Gaza continue to destroy houses, burying families taking shelter inside.

An Israeli strike Thursday flattened a home in Muwasi, a small rural strip on Gaza’s southern coastline that Israel’s military had declared a safe zone. The blast killed at least 12 people, Palestinian hospital officials said. The dead included a man and his wife, seven of their children and three other children ranging in age from 5 to 14, according to a list of the dead who arrived at Nasser Hospital in nearby Khan Younis.

There was no immediate response from Israel’s military.

GALLANT’S VISION

Gallant’s statement underlined that the war would go on until Hamas’ military and government capabilities are eliminated and the more than 100 hostages still in captivity are returned.

In the north, the statement said, forces will shift to a new approach that includes raids, destruction of tunnels, “air and ground activities and special operations.” The aim would be “the erosion” of the remaining Hamas presence.

There was no word whether northern Gaza’s population, which has almost entirely been driven south, would be allowed to return.

The statement did not clarify how the new approach would differ from current operations, but Gallant has previously said it would be a lower scale. Israel began last week to withdraw some troops from northern Gaza, where the military says it has largely gained operational control after weeks of heavy fighting with Hamas. Still, Gallant has said several thousand Hamas fighters remain there.

In the south, he said, fighting would continue “as long as is deemed necessary.”

After the war, the statement said, Israel will keep security control, taking military action in Gaza when necessary to ensure there are no threats and maintaining inspections of all goods entering the territory.

Gallant said there would be no Israeli civilians in Gaza, ruling out calls by some in Israel’s far-right for a return of Jewish settlers to the territory.

Israel withdrew its troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005 after a 38-year presence.

Palestinian entities — apparently local civil servants or communal leaders— would run the territory, with Israel providing “information to guide civilian operations,” the statement said without elaborating. A multinational task force, led by the U.S., would be in charge of rebuilding.

The apparent picture of an Israeli-dominated Palestinian administration for Gaza differs starkly from U.S. calls for a revitalized Palestinian Authority to take control of the territory and a start to new negotiations toward creating a Palestinian state alongside Israel. Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have rejected that idea.

FEARS OF WIDER WAR

An apparent Israeli strike that killed a top Hamas leader in Beirut has stirred fresh fears that the conflict could expand into other parts of the Middle East — a prospect that is also likely to be high on Blinken’s agenda.

The killing of Saleh Arouri prompted warnings of retaliation from Hamas’ ally, the Lebanese Hezbollah militia. But there was no immediate escalation in the daily exchanges of rocket fire and shells between Hezbollah and the Israeli military over the two countries’ border. Regional tensions climbed as a U.S. airstrike killed an Iranian-backed militia leader in Iraq and as Yemen’s Houthi rebels continued attacks on ships in key Red Sea shipping lanes.

At the same time, Israel has stepped up warnings of tougher military action against Hezbollah unless it pulls its fighters out of the border region, as called for under a U.N.-brokered 2006 cease-fire. Israel says that is the only way tens of thousands of Israelis who evacuated from communities in the north can return.

Gallant said Thursday that there was a “short window of time” for diplomacy with Hezbollah. But he said Israel was determined to bring about “a new reality in the northern arena, which will enable the secure return of our citizens.”

AP

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine says it hit two Russian military targets in occupied Crimea

Ukraine said on Thursday its air force conducted a strike on a Russian command post near the occupied city of Sevastopol more than 200 km (120 miles) from Kyiv-held territory, and hit a military unit in a separate strike on the Crimean peninsula.

Russia's Defence Ministry said its air defence units had downed a total of 36 Ukrainian drones over Crimea.

Ukraine's Air Force Commander, Mykola Oleshchuk, posted a video from social media on the Telegram messaging app showing smoke rising from an explosion near Sevastopol, a Crimean port that serves as the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet.

"Thanks again to the air force pilots and everyone who planned the operation for perfect combat work," he said.

He also published a screenshot of a social media post saying that a Russian military base in the city of Yevpatoria had been hit in a strike.

Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol, described the attack as "the most massive in recent times".

One person was hospitalized after a piece of shrapnel struck a house, he wrote on Telegram.

In a later posting, Razvozhayev said three residents of a home hit by falling debris had been evacuated. Further evacuations might be necessary as forensic experts examine part of a missile that fell near a village.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

In a report just after midnight, Russia's Defence Ministry reported the downing of 36 drones in Crimea and one over the southern Russian region of Krasnodar.

The head administrative official in Saky, home to an air base north of Sevastopol, said several Ukrainian air attacks on the area had been repelled.

And Ukrainian bloggers and unofficial Telegram channels said Russian air defence units had been in action repelling Ukrainian attacks in the Kerch strait, on Crimea's eastern coast, and in the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.

The Russian defence ministry had earlier reported that its forces had destroyed 10 incoming missiles over the peninsula.

The Strategic Communications Department of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said a Russian command post had been hit near Sevastopol.

Ukraine has stepped up its attacks on the Crimean peninsula, which was seized and annexed by Moscow in 2014, seeking to destroy Russian military capabilities and force its fleet to pull back from the Black Sea.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said Kyiv has managed to seize the initiative from Russia in the area.

** White House says Russia used missiles from North Korea to strike Ukraine

Russia recently used short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) sourced from North Korea to conduct multiple strikes against Ukraine, the White House said on Thursday, citing newly declassified intelligence.

National security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters the United States will raise the development with the United Nations Security Council.

Kirby called North Korea's arms transfer to Russia a "significant and concerning escalation" and said the United States would impose additional sanctions against those facilitating the arms deals.

Both Moscow and Pyongyang have denied conducting any arms deals, but vowed last year to deepen military relations.

The use of the missiles drew condemnation from Britain, as well as South Korea, which had reported in November that North Korea may have supplied SRBMs to Russia as part of a larger arms deal that also included anti-tank and anti-air missiles, artillery and mortar shells, and rifles.

"Our information indicates that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea recently provided Russia with ballistic missile launchers and several ballistic missiles," said Kirby, using the official name of North Korea.

On Dec. 30, he said, "Russian forces launched at least one of these North Korean ballistic missiles into Ukraine," adding that it appeared to have landed in open field.

Then on Tuesday Russia launched "multiple" North Korean missiles as part of a broader wave of heavy air strikes, Kirby said. Washington was still assessing the impact of those missiles.

Russia recently has launched some of its most intense strikes on Ukraine since the war began almost two years ago. Kyiv on Tuesday said that Russia had launched well over 300 attack drones and missiles of various kinds at cities across Ukraine since Friday.

HELPS RUSSIA

"Just like the artillery and munitions, this all helps prolong Russia's warfighting efforts," said Jenny Town, director of the Stimson Center's 38 North Program, which studies North Korea.

While the White House would not say specifically what type of missiles Pyongyang had sent to Russia, Kirby said they had a range of about 900 km (550 miles) and released a graphic that appeared to show KN-23 and KN-25 missiles.

Such missiles are new, solid-propellant SRBMs that North Korea began testing in 2019, said Ankit Panda, of the U.S.-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

"This is the first known combat use of these North Korean missiles," he said.

Joost Oliemans, a Dutch researcher and expert on North Korea's military, said images from Ukrainian social media accounts clearly show fragments of the ring housing the control vanes that are characteristic to North Korea's Hwasong-11 family of missiles, which includes the KN-23 and KN-25.

Kirby said the U.S. expects Russia and North Korea to learn from these launches, and anticipates Russia will use additional North Korean missiles to target Ukraine.

He said Iran has not delivered close-range ballistic missiles to Russia, but Washington believes Russia intends to purchase missile systems from Iran.

Moscow has been heavily reliant on Iran for drones and other weaponry for use against Ukraine.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Putin approves citizenship for foreigners in Russian army

President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree granting the right to obtain Russian passports to foreigners who sign up for service in the country’s Armed Forces or other military units during the Ukraine conflict, the Kremlin reported on its website on Thursday.

Family members of such foreigners will also have the right to obtain Russian citizenship, according to the decree.

In addition, simplified naturalization rules will apply to foreigners dismissed from military service during the fighting for health reasons, upon reaching the age limit, or the expiration of their contract.

Applications to secure Russian ID for the foreign nationals are to be considered within a month after the relevant papers are submitted to the Interior Ministry. The term can be extended to up to three months in case some data needs additional verification, the document reads.

The move can help to solve the problem of extraditing foreigners who took part in the fighting for Russia to other countries, according to Aleksandr Khinshtein, the head of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy.

“Now the problem with the extradition of veterans of the military operation to other countries, where they are to be punished as ‘mercenaries’, will be resolved. Russia doesn’t extradite its citizens!” he wrote on Telegram.

Foreigners have been allowed to sign contracts with the Russian military since November 2022. However, a simplified path towards naturalization previously only applied to those who committed to at least one year of service.

Last month, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said that the number of “foreign volunteers” joining the country’s military units had increased sevenfold over the past year. He didn’t reveal the exact number.

Also on Thursday, the Russian Defense Ministry published data on foreign mercenaries fighting on the Ukrainian side. According to its estimates, over 13,500 soldiers of fortune have arrived in the country since the outbreak of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev in February 2022.

A total of 5,900 mercenaries have been killed, while over 5,600 have fled the battlefield. The number of foreigners in the ranks of the Ukrainian military currently stands at over 1,900, according to the ministry.

** White House not ready to report damage to weapons supplied to Kiev

The US administration is not ready to inform, what portion of US weapons transferred to Ukraine was damaged in combat actions, Coordinator for Strategic Communications of the US National Security Council John Kirby said at the regular briefing.

"That's a better question put to the Ukrainian defense forces, not the United States," Kirby noted. "We are working very, very hard to make sure that for every system that is provided to Ukraine, there's a measure of accountability for it, that we can assure the Congress and the American people that the material is being used appropriately on the field of battle. And we've seen no indication that it hasn't been, that there's been some wide-scale corruption or misuse by the Ukrainian military," the official said.

The US is tracking Ukrainian capabilities in the conflict with Russia, Kirby added. "We added expertise and individuals to the team in Kiev specifically for accountability purposes," he noted.

Reuters/RT/Tass