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Hard Numbers: Running hot and cold, Gaza dealings, Montenegro protests, Paying to get into New York
100: Israeli officials are wrangling with Hamas over a deal to return some hostages and secure a halt to fighting in the Gaza Strip, where Hamas claims Israel killed more than 100 people this weekend. Hamas says it has approved a list of 34 Israeli hostages to be released as part of a deal, but Israel says it has received no such list.
1,000s: Just days after 12 people were killed in a shooting in Cetinje, Montenegro’s historic capital, thousands took to the streets on Sunday to demand that the country’s security officials resign for failing to protect society. Demonstrations broke out hours after a 12-minute silence was held on Sunday to honor the victims of the tragedy, which stemmed from a bar brawl. Meanwhile, authorities have debuted a strict new gun law and other tough measures to reduce the number of illegal weapons in the 620,000-strong Balkan state.
9: The Big Apple wants drivers to show some green. As of Sunday, New York City became the first American city to charge car drivers a congestion fee of up to $9 daily. The toll zone covers Manhattan south of 60th Street — and the charges are meant to ease traffic, boost air quality, and raise $15 billion for New York’s transit system. But if President-elect Donald Trump and a powerful teachers union in the city get their way – they’ve vowed to fight it – the charge won’t be around for long.10 memorable quotes on GZERO World with Ian Bremmer in 2024
On our award-winning weekly global affairs show, GZERO World, Ian Bremmer explains the key global stories of the moment and sits down for in-depth conversations with the newsmakers and thought leaders shaping our world. In no particular order, here’s a look back at the 10 most quotable moments from this year’s episodes.
Adam Grant on how AI is changing the world of work
Aired on February 2, 2024
The AI revolution is coming… fast. But what does that mean for your job? Watch Ian Bremmer’s conversation with organizational psychologist Adam Grant.Yuval Noah Harari explains why the world isn't fair (but could be)
Aired on March 8, 2024
In a conversation filmed live at the historic 92nd Street Y in NYC, Yuval Noah Harari delves into the foundational role of storytelling in human civilization, the existential challenges posed by artificial intelligence, the geopolitical implications of the Ukraine war, and the most pressing questions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Watch the full episode.Thomas L. Friedman on How the Israel-Gaza war could end - if Netanyahu wants it to
Aired on April 5, 2024
Pulitzer-prize-winning author and New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman games out a possible resolution to the war in Gaza and explains why both Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Hamas are obstacles to peace. Watch the full episode.
Emily Bazelon on the major Supreme Court decisions of June 2024
Aired on May 3, 2024
Yale legal scholar and New York Times Magazine staff writer Emily Bazelon unpacks some of the biggest cases that were on the docket this year and how the rulings will impact Americans. Watch the full episode.
Justice & peace in Gaza: The UN Palestinian ambassador's perspective with Riyad Mansour
Aired on July 5, 2024
Ian Bremmer sits down with Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour for a candid interview about his role in the UN, the war in Gaza, and how it might end. Watch the full episode.
An exclusive interview with Argentina's radical new president, Javier Milei
Aired on August 2, 2024
Argentine President Javier Milei defends his radical approach to saving Argentina’s struggling economy, his commitment to aligning with liberal democracies, and his pragmatic stance on international trade and alliances. Watch the full interview.
Why António Guterres believes the UN should lead on AI
Aired on September 20, 2024
In an exclusive interview for GZERO World, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres sat with Ian Bremmer on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to discuss his vision for the future of the UN during his last term in office. Watch the full interview.
Iran's next move: Interview with VP Javad Zarif
Aired on October 4, 2024
Ian Bremmer sits down with Iran's new Vice President for Strategic Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif just days before the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah to discuss the escalating conflict in the Middle East and where Iran stands. Watch the full episode.
Roberta Metsola on whether Europe can become a global superpower
Aired on October 20, 2024
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola discusses Europe’s future amid an ongoing migrant crisis, the war in Ukraine, and an economic slowdown. Can the bloc’s 27 member states stay united? Watch the full episode.
Oren Cass on the case for Trump's tariffs
Aired on December 6, 2024
Trump has vowed to raise tariffs, slash business regulation, and deport millions of undocumented immigrants, policies he says will put Americans first. Oren Cass outlines what that will mean practically for workers and consumers. Watch the full episode.
Don’t miss an episode in 2025!
GZERO World airs nationwide on US public television (check local listings), and new digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube.
Palestinian factions near deal to govern Gaza
Following talks in Cairo brokered by Egypt, the two rival factions agreed the committee would also administer the Palestinian side of the Rafah checkpoint on the border with Egypt. The proposal was submitted to the Palestinian authority in the West Bank for approval on Tuesday.
Would Israel and the US accept the deal? Israel insists it must dismantle Hamas to ensure the security of the Jewish state – which could make the deal a nonstarter. Washington supports a revitalized Palestinian Authority to govern Gaza and the West Bank.
Meanwhile in Lebanon, Israelvowed to “penetrate deeper” into Lebanese territory if the tenuous ceasefire between the two nations collapses. On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed a strategic partnership designed to strengthen bilateral ties and jointly called for Lebanon to hold long-delayed presidential elections.Trump threatens military intervention in the Middle East over Israeli hostages
On Monday, President-elect Donald Trumpposted on social media that “if the [Israeli] hostages are not released prior to January 20, 2025, the date that I proudly assume Office as President of the United States, there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East.”
Quite a threat to issue to an entire region, particularly given Americans’ skepticism of foreign involvement in overseas conflicts. But it’s a low-probability, high-risk sort of scenario, given that Trump did not specify who he would attack or how.
Meanwhile, at least 97 hostages or their remains are still in Gaza, and the Israeli military believes at least 35 of that group are dead. Hamas is also believed to be holding two corpses of Israeli soldiers killed a decade ago, and two living Israelis captured in 2014 and 2015.
While Trump’s threat is unlikely to lead to imminent hostage releases, we’ll be watching for any movement.
Former Israeli defense minister accuses government of war crimes; UNWRA pauses aid
Former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon on Sunday accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of committing war crimes and ethnic cleansing in Gaza. Yaalon, who served under Netanyahu from 2013-16, but has criticized him ever since, claimed that far-right members of the cabinet aim to displace Palestinians in northern Gaza to re-establish Jewish settlements. He alsotold the Reshet Bet radio station that IDF commanders reached out to him “expressing fear about what’s happening there.”
Yaalon’s statements were quickly condemned by Netanyahu allies as “slanderous lies.” But they come at a sensitive time, following the International Criminal Court’s recentissuing of arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former defense chief Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Gallant called Yaalon’s statements “a lie that aids our enemy and harms Israel,”and said the Israeli military “acted according to the highest standards that can be applied in the complex and difficult war that was imposed on us.”
UNWRA suspends aid. Meanwhile, the United Nations Relief and Works Agencysuspended humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza on Sunday after armed gangs seized food supplies twice in recent weeks. “This difficult decision comes at a time when hunger is rapidly deepening,”said UNWRA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, calling on Israel to ensure the safety of aid workers and supplies and criticizing its “restrictive policies.” In response, Israeli officials denied hindering humanitarian relief andblamed delays on the UN.ICC warrants for Bibi, Gallant will test respect for international law
The International Criminal Court on Thursday issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of “crimes against humanity and war crimes” in Gaza — including using “starvation as a method of warfare” and “intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population.”
The court also issued a warrant for Mohammed Deif, the head of Hamas’ armed wing who Israel says was killed in an airstrike. The ICC said it’s not in a position to determine if Deif is dead.
The warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant are emblematic of the growing schism between Israel and the international community amid the Gaza war, and perhaps the sharpest rebuke yet of the Jewish state’s prosecution of the conflict. The move came as the death toll in Gaza surpassed 44,000, according to Palestinian officials.
Will Netanyahu be arrested? Not in Israel or the US, neither of which belongs to the ICC or recognizes its authority. Both countries swiftly condemned the court over the warrants.
The ICC also doesn’t have a police force and relies on member states to make arrests — and the court doesn’t try defendants in absentia. But Netanyahu and Gallant could potentially be arrested and tried if they travel to any of the 124 countries that are ICC member states, including the entire EU.
These warrants will pose a test for Israel’s Western allies if Netanyahu ever plans to visit, and raises questions over how they should interact with the Israeli leader more generally.
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said the ICC arrest warrants are “binding” on all countries in the bloc given they’re party to the Rome Statute — the international treaty that established the court. Canada and several European countries have already signaled they’ll abide by the warrants.
We’ll be watching for signs of how these countries plan to handle relations with Netanyahu moving forward — and whether they’ll choose maintaining close ties with Israel over upholding international law.
Qatar suspends Hamas-Israel mediation efforts
The Gulf Arab emirate announced this weekend it would stop mediating efforts to broker a cease-fire and hostage release deal between Hamas and Israel until “the parties show their willingness and seriousness to end the brutal war.”
For months, talks have failed, despite efforts by the US, Qatar, and Egypt. Hamas demands a permanent cease-fire and complete withdrawal of Israeli troops in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages, while Israel, which has sworn to destroy Hamas, insists on only a temporary truce and the right to occupy the enclave indefinitely.
Relatedly, reports suggested the Qataris, under US pressure, have asked Hamas political leaders to leave the kingdom, where they have enjoyed a safe haven for more than a decade.
Qatar, a US ally, has long served as a channel for talks with Hamas and other groups listed as terror organizations by the West.
Whether Qatar’s gambit will revive productive talks remains to be seen, but with Benjamin Netanyahu now comfortably awaiting the return of his close ally Donald Trump to the White House, it may put more pressure on Hamas than on the Israelis.
While the group could relocate elsewhere, there are no viable options that would offer channels to the West as direct as Qatar’s. Meanwhile, Trump, who has promised to “end” the conflict, has reportedly spoken with Netanyahu at least three times since the election alone.
For a broader look at how Trump 2.0 might shake up US foreign policy, including on the Middle East, see our recent report here.Israel bans main Gaza aid agency despite warnings from US
The Israeli Parliament on Monday voted to ban the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, from operating in its territory — despite warnings from the Biden administration that doing so could impact US policy toward Israel. The Knesset even voted to designate UNRWA a terror group and to prohibit Israeli authorities from having contact with the agency.
UNRWA is the main humanitarian agency in Gaza, and this could impact millions of people who depend on it for aid. Critics of the legislation, which includes allies of the Jewish state, have expressed concern it will exacerbate the already dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where the local health ministry now says over 43,000 Palestinians have died amid the war over the past year. Foreign ministers from Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and the UK on Monday expressed “grave concern” over the Israeli move.
This comes roughly two weeks after Washington told Israel it had 30 days to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza or risk cuts to military support from the US.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Millersaid Monday that the US urges Israel not to implement the legislation, underscoring that UNRWA is playing an “irreplaceable role right now in Gaza, where they’re on the front lines of getting humanitarian assistance to the people they need it.” Miller said there’s nothing that can replace UNRWA amid the current crisis.
Israel accuses UNRWA of involvement in the Oct. 7 attack, which killed roughly 1,200 in Israel and saw hundreds of hostages taken. A UN investigation that concluded in August said nine UNRWA employees may have been involved in the attack and all were fired. Several countries suspended funding to UNRWA over the allegations, but most have since restored funding, but not the US.
We’ll be watching to see how this legislation, which won’t take effect for 90 days, impacts the US-Israel relationship.
Meanwhile, across the border, Hezbollah has elected Naim Kassem to succeed Hassan Nasrallah as secretary general after Nasrallah was killed in September.
Kassem was already one of the group's leading spokesmen, often conducting interviews with foreign media. Critics say he lacks his predecessor's gravitas, but the man considered most likely to succeed Nasrallah, Hashem Safieddine, was also killed in recent weeks as Israel ramps up its efforts to dismantle Hezbollah.