Reuters World News Summary

They had hoped to announce a free trade agreement with the EU, opening markets home to some 732 million people. US nominee Campbell says he's not in favor of making support for Israel conditional U.S. Deputy Secretary of State nominee Kurt Campbell said in a Senate hearing on Thursday that he is currently not in favor of making American support for Israel conditional, amid calls for the United States to use the aid as leverage to force Israel to do more to protect civilians in the conflict in Gaza.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Son of Israeli minister killed in Gaza battles -statement

The son of Israeli cabinet minister and former military chief Gadi Eizenkot was killed in fighting in the Gaza Strip, Benny Gantz, leader of the National Unity Party, said on Thursday. Party members Eizenkot and Gantz, also a former army chief, joined Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government shortly after Hamas' deadly Oct. 7 attack which prompted an Israeli air, ground and sea offensive in the Palestinian Gaza Strip.

Hundreds more Palestinians killed in Israel's assault on Hamas in south Gaza

Hundreds more Palestinians were killed as Israel fought Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip's biggest cities on Thursday, and almost 2 million displaced Gazans facing shortages of food struggled to find safe refuge. Residents reported fierce battles going on east of Khan Younis, southern Gaza's largest city. Palestinian health officials said three Gazans were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a house in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza.

South American countries urge peaceful solution to Venezuela, Guyana tensions

South American countries on Thursday urged Venezuela and Guyana to seek a peaceful solution to their territorial dispute over the Esequibo region, warning the nations to avoid "unilateral actions" on the conflict. Members of the Mercosur trade bloc "express their deep concern at the rise in tensions between the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the Cooperative Republic of Guyana," said a joint statement from the bloc's member countries Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Mercosur summit overshadowed by fate of EU trade deal, Milei in the wings

Presidents of the four Mercosur nations met for their annual summit on Thursday with black clouds hovering over the fate of a trade deal with the European Union, as well as the future of the South American common market itself. They had hoped to announce a free trade agreement with the EU, opening markets home to some 732 million people.

US nominee Campbell says he's not in favor of making support for Israel conditional

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State nominee Kurt Campbell said in a Senate hearing on Thursday that he is currently not in favor of making American support for Israel conditional, amid calls for the United States to use the aid as leverage to force Israel to do more to protect civilians in the conflict in Gaza. Asked by Senator Bob Menendez if it would be his advice to create conditionality on aid to Israel, Campbell responded, "It would not be at this time."

Peru attorney general suspended as probe into her actions escalates

Peru's justice oversight board has suspended the country's attorney general Patricia Benavides as a probe into accusations that she was leading a "criminal organization" gathers pace. The board said late on Wednesday in a statement that the suspension was aimed at "preventing obstruction" of the investigation. It did not elaborate but last week Benavides dismissed the head of the anti-corruption team investigating her.

Biden aide says Iran helps plan, execute attacks by Yemen's Houthis

The United States believes that Iran is involved in the planning and execution of drone and missile attacks by Yemen's Houthi group on Israel and ships in the Red Sea, a senior aide to U.S. President Joe Biden said on Thursday. The comments by deputy White House national security adviser Jon Finer are among the most explicit to date by a U.S. official alleging Iranian involvement in the Houthi attacks.

White House open to new asylum limits for Ukraine aid -source

The Biden administration is considering getting behind new restrictions on who can seek asylum and an expanded deportation process to secure new aid for Ukraine and Israel in a supplemental funding bill, a source familiar with discussions said. The White House and U.S. Congress are racing to strike a deal that would deliver military aid to the two allied nations while discouraging illegal immigration across the U.S.-Mexico border with only a week until lawmakers depart for a Christmas break.

Hanukkah brings light to Germany's Jews facing surge in antisemitism

A German chancellor for the first time kindled the first flame of the giant Hanukkah Menorah in front of Berlin's landmark Brandenburg Gate on Thursday in a sign of solidarity with Jewish people two months after the Hamas attacks. "May these days go down in history as a further step in the growth of Jewish life in Germany," Berlin Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal said, standing alongside Chancellor Olaf Scholz in front of the nine-branched, 10-metre (33-foot) high candelabra marking the eight days of the Jewish Festival of Lights.

Blinken: important that Israeli inquiry on killed Reuters journalist 'come to a conclusion'

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it was important that Israel's inquiry into the killing of a Reuters journalist in Lebanon come to a conclusion, when asked about a Reuters investigation published on Thursday that found he was killed by an Israeli tank crew. "(It) is important and appropriate that it be fully and thoroughly investigated. My understanding is that Israel has initiated such an investigation, and it will be important to see that investigation come to a conclusion, and to see the results of the investigation," Blinken said at a press conference.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)