Israel to Receive New Sa'ar 6 Warships From Germany

The Haifa warship, one of two Israeli warships that just crossed into the Suez Canal on Monday, is seen in the Suez canal September 5, 2011. REUTERS/Stringer
The Haifa warship, one of two Israeli warships that just crossed into the Suez Canal on Monday, is seen in the Suez canal September 5, 2011. REUTERS/Stringer
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Israel to Receive New Sa'ar 6 Warships From Germany

The Haifa warship, one of two Israeli warships that just crossed into the Suez Canal on Monday, is seen in the Suez canal September 5, 2011. REUTERS/Stringer
The Haifa warship, one of two Israeli warships that just crossed into the Suez Canal on Monday, is seen in the Suez canal September 5, 2011. REUTERS/Stringer

Israel will receive the first of four new missile ships in December to defend its shores and vital sites, according to Israeli army spokesman.

The Sa'ar 6 ships were handed over to Israel from a marine shipyards in Germany.

"The first of the new missile ships set to defend Israel’s shores and strategic sites will arrive in early December, after it was handed over to the Navy from the Thyssenkrup Marine shipyards in Germany," the spokesman said in a statement.

He said the ships deployment aims to protect the Israel's economic zone in the Mediterranean Sea and to be capable of facing asymmetric battle methods facing the Navy from land.

The Sa'ar 6-class corvette is a class of warships initially ordered for Israel's Navy in 2015.

Command over the ship was officially transferred on October 29 from Germany to Israel.

According to the spokesman, the Sa'ar 6 has a handful of unique capabilities intended to handle various threats.

"It has numerous communications systems operated by the army in order to communicate with a handful of units, as well as an Anti-Ballistic Missile system and radar-based steep-shot shooting interception."

The ships will additionally be armed with the means for detecting aerial and field targets, allowing the Sa'ar 6 to face a wide range of threats. It can also carry a Sea-Hawk helicopter.



UNICEF Projects 20% Drop in 2026 Funding After US Cuts 

A view shows the logo on the exterior of UNICEF's humanitarian warehouse in Copenhagen, Denmark, November 15, 2023. (Reuters) 
A view shows the logo on the exterior of UNICEF's humanitarian warehouse in Copenhagen, Denmark, November 15, 2023. (Reuters) 
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UNICEF Projects 20% Drop in 2026 Funding After US Cuts 

A view shows the logo on the exterior of UNICEF's humanitarian warehouse in Copenhagen, Denmark, November 15, 2023. (Reuters) 
A view shows the logo on the exterior of UNICEF's humanitarian warehouse in Copenhagen, Denmark, November 15, 2023. (Reuters) 

UNICEF has projected that its 2026 budget will shrink by at least 20% compared to 2024, a spokesperson for the UN children's agency said on Tuesday, after US President Donald Trump slashed global humanitarian aid.

In 2024, UNICEF had a budget of $8.9 billion and this year it has an estimated budget of $8.5 billion. The funding for 2025 is "evolving," the UNICEF spokesperson said.

"The last few weeks have made clear that humanitarian and development organizations around the world, including many UN organizations, are in the midst of a global funding crisis. UNICEF has not been spared," said the spokesperson.

UNICEF did not specifically name the US, but Washington has long been the agency's largest donor, contributing more than $800 million in 2024. Since UNICEF was established in 1946, all its executive directors have been American.

"At the moment, we are working off preliminary projections that our financial resources will be, at a minimum, 20% less, organization wide, in 2026 compared to 2024," said the UNICEF spokesperson.

Since returning to office in January for a second term, Trump's administration has cut billions of dollars in foreign assistance in a review that aimed to ensure programs align with his "America First" foreign policy.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said last week that it will cut 20% of its staff as it faces a shortfall of $58 million, after its largest donor, the United States, cut funding.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also last month said he is seeking ways to improve efficiency and cut costs as the world body turns 80 this year amid a cash crisis.

UNICEF has implemented some efficiency measures but "more cost-cutting steps will be required," said the spokesperson.

"We are looking at every aspect of our operation, including staffing, with the goal of focusing on what truly matters for children: that children survive and thrive," the spokesperson said. "But no final decisions have been taken."