In tonight’s top story: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is dismissing reports that the U.S. has convinced Israel to not expand its military offensive in Gaza. "Israel is a sovereign state," Netanyahu told his cabinet on Sunday, adding that "Our decisions are not dictated by external pressures." Also, in the Middle East, the Taliban marks one year since it banned women in Afghanistan from attending post-secondary schools. To escape this, a growing number of female Afghan students are seeking scholarships in Canada. However, there are many roadblocks and not too many spots. And while Canadians immerse themselves in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it's a challenging time for blood and plasma collection centres. It's been nearly three months since Hamas militants unleashed a surprise attack in southern Israel and killed more than 1,200 Israelis — prompting Israel to proceed with its vow and unrelenting mission to destroy Hamas. Since it began, Global News teams have been on the ground covering the conflict. Many of the things these reporters have seen and heard are unthinkable. Plus, a beloved Montreal Christmas tree that lit up a community every holiday season for over 40 years recently went dark to the chagrin of many. But try as he might, Gallant simply could not stop squirrels from chewing through the lights’ wires and ruining the entire display. This year, however, the community the tree gave so much joy to gave its owners an unexpected surprises.