ATHENS, Dec 3 (Reuters) - The crew of the Greek-operated cargo ship Eternity C, which sank in the Red Sea in July after being attacked by Yemen's Houthis, have been released, an official with the ship's operator and a maritime security source told Reuters on Wednesday.

The crew of the Liberia-flagged Eternity C abandoned the ship before it sank following repeated strikes by the Iran-aligned militants with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades.

Israel announced Wednesday it had received hostage remains found in Gaza from the Red Cross, which were being transported to the morgue for identification.

It comes as the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remains fragile, with both sides accusing each other of violating the terms.

Under the first phase of the deal -- which came into effect in October -- Palestinian militants were due to return all 48 hostages they held captive, 20 of whom were still alive.

Benjamin Netanyahu's request for a pardon in three ongoing corruption cases is widely seen as his latest bid to ensure his political survival, as the canny premier stares down the prospect of close elections in 2026.

The first sitting Israeli prime minister to stand trial, Netanyahu has been dogged by the allegations for years, and has had to appear in front of a judge weekly for hearings.

He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and denounced the cases as a politically motivated plot against him.

Iran said Wednesday it would now send representatives to the World Cup finals draw in Washington in a complete reversal of an earlier decision to boycott the event over visa issues.

"Amir Ghalenoei, head coach of Iran's national team, will participate in the World Cup draw ceremony as the technical representative of the national football team with one or two other people," the Iranian Football Federation spokesperson told state television.

More than 200 celebrities, including actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Josh O’Connor, called on Israel on Wednesday to release imprisoned Palestinian politician Marwan Barghouti, who is seen by supporters as a key unifying figure.

Barghouti, 66, has been in jail since 2002 but is regarded as a likely major player in the creation of any Palestinian state because of his ability to unite various political factions.

The open letter calling for his release featured film A-listers Josh O’Connor, Benedict Cumberbatch and Javier Bardem, as well as musicians Fontaines D.C. and Sting.

By Steven Scheer

JERUSALEM, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Israel on Wednesday published a draft law that aims to boost state revenues from a concession for extracting minerals from the Dead Sea as well as tackling its environmental consequences.

The Finance Ministry said the proposed law intends to redefine the concession to ensure the public and the state get their rightful share, while ensuring the preservation of nature and environmental values.

HOLZDORF, Germany, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Germany on Wednesday became the first European nation to deploy the Arrow air defence system, built to intercept intermediate-range ballistic missiles such as Russia's Oreshnik, as it seeks to counter what it sees as a growing threat from Moscow.

Operating at altitudes above 100 kilometres (62 miles), outside the earth's atmosphere, and with a range of 2,400 kilometres, the stationary Arrow system complements shorter-range air defences such as Patriot and IRIS-T which are mounted on trucks.

JERUSALEM, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition skipped a parliamentary vote on Wednesday endorsing U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end the two-year war in Gaza.

The vote, proposed by opposition leader Yair Lapid, was largely symbolic as Netanyahu had already publicly backed the plan after Israel agreed to a ceasefire with Hamas in October.

Less than a third of the parliament's 120 lawmakers participated in it with 39 in favour and none against.

NEW YORK, Dec 3 (Reuters) - An end to Russia's war in Ukraine should abide by international law, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday.

"I believe we are still far from a solution," Guterres said at the Reuters NEXT conference in New York.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, triggering the biggest confrontation between Moscow and the West since the depths of the Cold War.The United States is trying to broker an end to the conflict.

KABUL, Dec 3 (Reuters) - The shooting of National Guard members in Washington, D.C., over which an Afghan immigrant has been charged, has nothing to do with Afghanistan's people or its government, Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said on Wednesday.

Muttaqi's comments are the first on the incident by the Afghan Taliban government, and come a week after events in Washington when suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal is accused of opening fire on guard members, killing one and critically wounding another.