IDF Spokesperson Major Doron Spielman says around 8,000 Hamas fighters have been killed since the conflict in Gaza so far. Mr Spielman said the figures are based on intelligence, the interrogations of captives as well as satellite photos that have been gathered. “The issue is because each of the fighters are surrounding themselves with a blanket of civilians and are often located underground, underneath their homes it's difficult to come up with an assessment,” he told Sky News Australia. “The most accurate way of doing so is based on intelligence, it is based on integrations that happen afterwards, satellite photographs. “And we try to come up with a number not only so that we have a number, but so that we can try to understand how we are pinpointing terrorists and not civilians."

Residents in Douglas Shire lose access to running water, Sydneysiders are cautioned to be respectful ahead of NYE celebrations, a two year girl has drowned in a pool in Lismore, NSW Police search for attempted kidnappers, Peter Dutton criticises the government's Red Sea plan, and the Israeli military confirms the deaths of three of its soldiers. See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

Sky News US analyst Michael Ware claims people in the Democrat and Republican parties don’t want to see a rematch between Donald Trump and Joe Biden in the upcoming presidential election. Mr Trump surpassed the President as preferred leader in a recent Wall Street Journal poll, with the former president leading Mr Biden 47 per cent to 43. Mr Ware noted there are Democrats who would like to see President Biden “bow out” of the race but they don’t have a “viable candidate” standing by. “And there's a core within the Republican Party that's outside the MAGA base, the old school schmaltzy conservatives who would desperately like not to see President Trump run,” he told Sky News Australia. “But as it stands right now with former president Trump leading so far in the polls in the primaries, it seems almost certain that it’s going to be Biden v Trump.”

The Israeli military says it “regrets the harm” caused to civilians by an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) strike in the Maghazi refugee camp in the centre of Gaza. The United Nations estimates that 86 people died in the strike. The Israeli Defence Force have released a statement following investigations into the air strike on Christmas Eve. "A preliminary investigation revealed that additional buildings located near the targets were also hit during the strikes, which likely caused unintended harm to additional uninvolved civilians. The statement goes on to read that: "The IDF regrets the harm caused to uninvolved civilians and is acting to draw conclusions and learn lessons from this event".

A teenage boy has been killed in a shark attack on the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia. Emergency crews were called to Ethel Beach, west of Adelaide around 1.30pm on Thursday. The teenager's body was recovered from the water where it's understood he was surfing. The beach which is located in Innes National Park is popular with holidaymakers around this time of year. Police are preparing a report for the coroner.

US singer Cher has applied for a conservatorship for her son over alleged mental health and substance abuse issues. The court documents allege Mr Allman is 'substantially unable' to manage his financial resources. Mr Allman has not commented on the application publicly. However, he recently posted on his Instagram, hashtag 'imprisonment via conservatorship'. A hearing for a temporary order is scheduled for January.

Residents in South East Queensland are being warned to prepare for the state's hottest December day in four years, as tens of thousands of homes remain without power. Temperatures in Brisbane reached 36 degrees on Thursday. with temperatures expected to rise further on Friday, before easing over the weekend. Up to 10,000 households in the state's southeast are expected to remain without power into the new year - prompting authorities to warn residents to seek shelter in public libraries and pools. The heatwave is also forecast to produce volatile storm conditions over the coming days, bringing further destructive winds and large hail on Saturday.

Queensland to record its hottest day in four years, a man who drowned at Penrith Beach remembered by loved ones, a teenage boy dies in a shark attack in South Australia, an Israeli official says strikes could have avoided a Gaza refugee camp, Republicans appeal Donald Trump's ballot ruling, and Storm Gerrit brings wild weather to the UK.   See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

The Michigan Supreme Court has rejected an attempt to remove former president Donald Trump from the 2024 primary ballot. This comes in contrast to Colorado which recently ruled Trump ineligible to run for high office. Sky News host James Macpherson says the United States presidential election faces the prospect of being a “legal fiasco”. “We’re going to just face these legal challenges ongoing for the next number of months aren’t we,” Mr Macpherson said. “Doesn’t the US presidential election, even the primaries for the Republican Party face the prospect of being turned into a legal fiasco?”

Victoria’s “war on gas” continues, says Sky News host James Macpherson. “With households and businesses facing hefty gas connection fees, as the state marches relentlessly towards net zero.,” Mr Macpherson said. “In 2025 gas connection fees will need to be paid upfront in Victoria. “Now for homes that will cost up to $2,500 and businesses could be hit with payments of up to $31,000.” Mr Macpherson is joined by The Australian’s Environmental Editor Graham Lloyd to discuss the state’s net zero plan.

The US migrant crisis is due to be a key battleground in the upcoming 2024 presidential election. The Biden administration has paid a visit to Mexico to address the issue. An estimated 8,000 migrants are on their way to the US southern border. Migrant encounters at the US border are reaching unprecedented numbers, with December on track to break the monthly record. The Biden administration is committed to expanding legal pathways for migrants but says it needs more funding from Congress to do so.

The Australian’s Environmental Editor Graham Lloyd says the Victorian government is trying to make all forms of energy expensive besides renewables. “There’s a common theme here isn’t there?” Mr Lloyd told Sky News host James Macpherson. “To maintain this view that renewables are the cheapest form of energy around you have to make everything else more expensive to justify the claim. “We’re seeing it in electric vehicles, we saw it in the SCIRO report into the cost of nuclear. “Certainly with gas, the game is to increase the cost so that it’s no longer a valid consideration.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong is being hailed a “champion” of same-sex marriage as she prepares to tie the knot with her long-term partner Sophie Allouache, Sky News host James Macpherson says. “The couple met nearly 18 years ago and share two daughters,” Mr Macpherson said. “Senator Wong voted against same-sex marriage in 2008 and in 2010 explained her opposition to redefining marriage in these terms." Ms Wong said – ‘on the issue of marriage I think the reality is there is a cultural, religious, historical view around that which we have to respect’ – on the matter back in 2010. She campaigned hard to legalise same-sex marriage in the leadup to the plebiscite in 2017, despite dismissing the vote itself as an ‘expensive stunt’.

Sky News host James Macpherson has slammed pro-Palestine protestors who claim Jesus was Palestinian. “Anti-Israeli protestors, both here in Australia, and overseas, have hijacked Christmas to claim that Jesus was not in fact a Jew, but a Palestinian,” Mr Macpherson said. “Their argument goes something like this – Jesus was born in Bethlehem and Bethlehem is located south of Jerusalem in what is now known as the West Bank – therefore, they say, Jesus was Palestinian. “Attempting to weaponise Christian identity in support of a terrorist organisation by claiming that Jesus was not a Jew is deceitful. “The fact that Jesus was a Jew doesn't mean He would abandon the Palestinians, and it doesn't mean that Christians should abandon the Palestinians either. “In the current circumstance, it means supporting Israel's right to defend itself and to eliminate the forces of evil seeking to wipe it from the map, while at the same time mourning the destruction required to accomplish those goals, since Jews and Palestinians are equally made in the image of God. “Jesus taught us that. And Jesus was a Jew.”

The fallout from the Carols by Candlelight protest continues as police are investigating if the protesters had inside help to get on stage, Sky News host James Macpherson says. The Australian reported on Thursday that insiders have asked why strict control of the event for participants was not applied to the protesters. “That’s a worrying accusation,” Mr Macpherson said. The moment a protester ambushed the stage was captured during the live television broadcast and has been slammed by viewers online as an ‘utter disgrace’. The broadcaster of the event, Channel Nine, cut away from the scenes of the protest in the live broadcast but the audio was still transmitted.

A new royal documentary has depicted King Charles as a loving, doting, grandfather to William and Kate’s three children, Sky News Senior Reporter Caroline Marcus says. “What we don’t see is apparently his horribly strained relationship with his grandkids, Harry’s children,” She said. Recently King Charles failed to feature Prince Harry or Meghan Markle in his second Christmas speech as monarch. Delivering the 2023 Christmas message from Buckingham Palace, King Charles expressed the importance of ‘care and compassion’ and thanked those who have gone the ‘extra mile’ this year to help others. Despite the King's touching remarks, there was no mention of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex who reside in California with their two children.

The BBC has been criticised for a “woke adaptation” of Agatha Christie’s ‘Murder is Easy’, Sky News Senior Reporter Caroline Marcus says. “That’s a verb now, apparently, doing a Disney,” Ms Marcus said. “After they were criticised for their woke adaptation of Agatha Christie’s classic, Murder is Easy. “This one has hit a nerve.” Ms Marcus sat down with GB News host Patrick Christys to discuss the novel adaptation.

New York City is beefing up security ahead of the iconic Times Square New Year's Eve celebrations. The city has been gradually adding more patrols each year, but this time there are safety concerns as the Israel-Hamas conflict escalates. Pro-Israel and pro-Palestine protests have taken to the streets of New York, sometimes clashing with police. Since the Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7, New York City Mayor Eric Adams claims there have been nearly 500 protests throughout the city. During a pro-Palestine protest on Christmas day, the NYPD called in a level three mobilization – the second highest threat. The NYPD is concerned protestors will now try to disrupt the Times Square NYE celebrations and are taking precautions to ensure the safety of those attending.

Households and businesses in Victoria will soon face hefty gas connection fees as the state looks to move towards renewable. Under the current system, gas connection fees can be paid in instalments over prolonged periods of time, but from 2025, those fees must be paid upfront. For homes, it could range from $1,700 to $2,500, while businesses could be forced to pay up to $31,000. It’s one of several measures introduced by the state government and energy regulator – another is a ban on gas connections for new homes in Victoria, which begins on January 1, 2024. There are concerns the upfront fee could impact low-income earners and renters who may already be feeling the cost of living pinch.

Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration is warning Australians there will be a drug shortage. The TGA has warned certain diabetes medications are set to remain in short supply. Supply of Ozempic and other self-injectable type 2 diabetes medicines will be in limited availability throughout 2024. The TGA claims the shortage is due to an increase in off-label use. The medications have reportedly gained popularity as a weight loss drug on social media.