‘DEEP REMORSE’: Israel Defense Forces mistakenly killed three hostages held by Hamas, the service announced Friday. “During combat in Shejaiya, the IDF mistakenly identified 3 Israeli hostages as a threat and as a result, fired toward them and the hostages were killed,” reads the statement. The IDF revealed two of the hostages’ names: YOTAM HAIM and SAMER TALALKA, each taken from a different kibbutz Oct. 7. The family of the third victim asked for the IDF not to broadcast the name. A review of the incident is now underway. The IDF further stated that it “expresses deep remorse over the tragic incident and sends the families its heartfelt condolences. Our national mission is to locate the missing and return all the hostages home. National Security Council spokesperson JOHN KIRBY called the news "heartbreaking" and "horrific" in a brief news conference Friday afternoon. UKRAINE ‘CERTAIN TO FAIL’ WITHOUT AID: With Ukraine aid in limbo as Congress fights over a deal that would tie it to border reform, a senior U.S. military official said Kyiv is “certain to fail” if the U.S. stops sending assistance. “There is no guarantee of success with us, but they are certain to fail without us,” the official told CNN’s JIM SCIUTTO. The primary concern is that Ukraine’s counteroffensive in the east and south, which has already struggled to make gains, would flounder: “If looking at taking and holding further territory … it is hard to see how that could succeed without continued U.S. support,” a European diplomat told CNN. In other ominous news for Ukraine, Hungary blocked a $55 billion aid package to Ukraine hours after European Union leaders agreed to open accession talks with Kyiv, our own BARBARA MOENS reports. Hungary wants the EU to unblock more funds for Budapest before agreeing to a budget deal, which would include financial aid for Ukraine, BALÁZS ORBÁN, the political director of Hungarian Prime Minister VIKTOR ORBÁN, told reporters at the European Council. The Hungarian government has been embroiled in a long-standing dispute with Brussels, which has frozen billions in EU funds intended for Hungary over concerns about human rights and the rule of law in the country. The European Commission on Wednesday unblocked $11 billion in frozen EU funds earmarked for Hungary, but there is more money at stake for Budapest. ‘PEOPLE SNATCHERS’: Ukraine’s military recruiters have become increasingly aggressive as the war drags on, sometimes pulling men off the street and bringing them to recruitment centers — and using physical force to get them to join the ranks. As The New York Times’ THOMAS GIBBONS-NEFF reports, “recruiters have confiscated passports, taken people from their jobs and, in at least one case, tried to send a mentally disabled person to military training.” Videos depicting soldiers using such harsh tactics are popping up on social media more frequently. In one area of Ukraine, certain recruiters have become known as the “people snatchers,” local residents told the Times. Those actions go far beyond the limits of what recruiters are allowed to do and are illegal in some cases, lawyers and activists told the Times. Many men have taken legal action: There were 226 court decisions related to military mobilization in November alone, public records show. BURNS’ BURN: It’s not looking like Washington’s relationship with Beijing will greatly improve anytime soon, U.S. Ambassador to China NICHOLAS BURNS said today, as Matt reports. "I don't feel optimistic about the future of U.S.-China relations. I feel that we need to see how things develop,” he said during a Brookings Institution event this morning, exactly a month after Biden met with Chinese leader XI JINPING in an effort to repair the relationship. The pair agreed on a number of confidence-building measures — specifically a resumption of high-level military-to-military communications. But Biden soon after called his Chinese counterpart a “dictator” — the second time he has done so in a year — angering Beijing. Burns calls the meeting in California “productive,” explaining that both countries have so far followed through with their commitments: “I’m careful about this, maybe realistic — hopeful, if you will. But hopeful is different than being optimistic.” HOUTHIS STRIKE SHIPS: Yemen’s Houthi militant group hit two Liberian-flagged ships in the strait connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden today, a U.S. defense official told Reuters. The strike from a projectile, believed to be a drone, caused a fire on one of the ships. The second attack involved two ballistic missiles, one of which hit another ship and also caused a fire. No injuries were reported. It’s the latest in the Iran-backed group’s aggressive behavior since the Israel-Hamas conflict began, stoking fears that a wider war in the region will break out. CONGO-RWANDA DETENTE?: The cease-fire between Congo and Rwanda will be extended for another two weeks through the Congolese presidential elections, said a U.S. official familiar with the deal, confirming a Reuters report from Thursday. During a trip to the region in November by one of Washington’s top intelligence officials, the U.S. brokered a deal between the two countries to de-escalate fighting between Rwanda-backed rebels and Congolese forces. Then, late last week, Kinshasa and Kigali agreed to a 72-hour cease-fire. It is a major victory for Washington, which has for months worked with the countries to strike a pact to reduce the violence in the eastern part of Congo. The U.S. has also worked to make inroads in regions where China already has relationships. The U.S. has signed multiple agreements with DRC and surrounding countries to develop the infrastructure needed to more efficiently export minerals, including cobalt and copper, to the international market. A war between Rwanda and Congo would slow or completely halt those infrastructure projects. DRINKS WITH NATSEC DAILY: At the end of every long, hard week, we like to highlight how a prominent member of Washington’s national security scene prefers to unwind with a drink. Today, we’re featuring BRIAN NELSON, the Treasury Department’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence. Nelson told us there’s no place like home to enjoy an ice-cold vodka martini with a lemon twist. “I have learned to make a good one that my wife and I both enjoy while trading stories about our week,” he said. Nelson added he travels a lot for work — he answered our questions from Mumbai — and so he enjoys any moment he gets to unwind when back in town. Awwwww. Cheers, sir! IT’S FRIDAY. WELCOME TO THE WEEKEND: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily. This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at award@politico.com and mberg@politico.com, and follow us on X at @alexbward and @mattberg33. While you’re at it, follow the rest of POLITICO’s national security team: @nahaltoosi, @PhelimKine, @laraseligman, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @leehudson, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130, @ErinBanco, @reporterjoe, and @JGedeon1.
| 
