Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday vowed to continue waging war against Hamas in Gaza, despite a growing number of international calls for a ceasefire.
Driving the news: While visiting Israeli troops in northern Gaza, Netanyahu said: "Whoever talks about stopping, there is no such thing."
Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer is expected in Washington on Tuesday for meetings at the White House and State Department about Israel's plans for eventually scaling down the war and transitioning to a low-intensity operation in Gaza, two Israeli and U.S. officials told Axios.
Why it matters: The meetings Dermer, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's closest confidant, is expected to have will take place amid growing tensions between the Biden administration and the Israeli government over when the high-intensity phase of the war should end and what will happen in Gaza after it does.
Pope Francis on Monday took aim at the weapons industry as part of a Christmas Day message that also called for peace in Israel and Palestine.
What he's saying: "The human heart is weak and impulsive; if we find instruments of death in our hands, sooner or later we will use them," the pope said.
Maersk announced plans Sunday to resume shipments through the Red Sea after suspending operations earlier this month due to missile and drone attacks on vessels in the region.
Why it matters: Maersk was one of several global shipping giants to reroute vessels away from the key commercial route due to the Iran-backed Houthi rebels' attacks from Yemen, but the firm cited the deployment of a U.S.-led multinational maritime security force as the reason why it had decided to return.
Two men were arrested on suspicion of theft of a Banksy traffic sign that went missing in London, England, soon after the anonymous street artist unveiled the artwork, British police said Sunday.
The big picture: London's Metropolitan Police said they're "aware of footage being shared" to social media showing the removal of the stop sign that features three drones, which has been widely interpreted as calling for a cease-fire in Gaza as it's reminiscent of artwork in Banksy's Walled Off hotel in Bethlehem that was established in 2017.
Pope Francis addressed the Israel-Hamas war and raised his concerns about Jesus' message of peace during Christmas Eve mass on Sunday evening.
What he's saying: "Tonight, our hearts are in Bethlehem, where the Prince of Peace is once more rejected by the futile logic of war, by the clash of arms that even today prevents him from finding room in the world," Francis said during his homily watched by some 6,500 people in St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican, and more viewing screens outside in the square.
The celebrations traditionally enjoyed in Bethlehem — the "capital of Christmas" — are canceled this year, as the war in Gaza and violence in the occupied West Bank continue to devastate Palestinian communities.
The big picture: The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem arrived in Bethlehem on Sunday for the annual Christmas Eve procession to a quiet and subdued city. There were no marching bands, concerts, or cheering crowds. There were no Christmas lights and no tree towered over Manger's Square as it typically does.
