Qatar, Turkey Try to Circumvent Hamas Disarmament as Terror Group Escalates Crackdown in Gaza

As the United States pushes for the second phase of President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire to begin, Israel is warning that Qatar and Turkey are trying to shield Hamas from disarmament as the Palestinian terrorist group seeks to reassert control over the war-torn enclave.

Qatar and Turkey have proposed alternatives to a central provision of Trump’s peace plan, according to Israeli media reports. Rather than requiring Hamas to disarm, Qatari and Turkish officials have pushed for the Islamist group either to hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority or place them in secure storage under international oversight. As part of this plan, Qatar and Turkey are reportedly advocating a two‑year grace period during which Hamas could legally retain its weapons.

However, Israeli officials have rejected these options as unacceptable, arguing they would allow the terrorist group to maintain its influence in Gaza, which Hamas has ruled for nearly two decades. Israel has made clear it will allow Hamas just a few months to give up its weapons, warning it will act unilaterally if the group is not disarmed promptly. Turkey and Qatar, both longtime backers of Hamas, have been trying to expand their roles in Gaza’s post-war reconstruction, which experts have warned could potentially strengthen Hamas’s terrorist infrastructure. Israeli officials have repeatedly rejected any Turkish or Qatari involvement in post-war Gaza.

The first stage of Trump’s peace plan, which took effect in October, included Hamas releasing all the remaining hostages, both living and deceased, who were kidnapped by Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists during their Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of and massacre across southern Israel. In exchange, Israel released thousands of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including many convicted terrorists serving life sentences, and partially withdrew its military forces in Gaza to a newly drawn “Yellow Line,” roughly dividing the enclave between east and west. (Read More)

Israel can ease tensions with Qatar, but only if Doha stops supporting Hamas - opinion

A trilateral meeting of the United States, Israel, and Qatar was held Sunday as part of an American initiative to jumpstart a process aimed at easing tensions between Doha and Jerusalem, against the backdrop of efforts to advance Phase B of President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza. The meeting was attended by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Mossad director David Barnea, and a senior Qatari official.

Following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s apology in September, Qatar is seeking to solidify its image as a constructive mediator and launder its reputation despite its ongoing support for terrorism. This comes amid statements from Doha declaring that “Qatar will not take part in funding the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip,” arguing that “we will not sign the checks that rebuild what someone else destroyed.” 

Beyond strengthening their already elevated international standing – bolstered significantly by their central role in Trump’s “points plan” – the Qataris are keen to further tighten their ties with Washington, which grants them extensive security benefits, including a defense agreement anchored in a presidential order. If the process of rapprochement progresses and such meetings continue, 

Israel must make it clear that any advancement depends on concrete steps from Doha. Every move toward improved relations with Qatar must be conditioned on the cessation of all support for Hamas – direct or indirect – and on a complete halt to any promotion of interests aligned with the organization’s goals. Only under these terms can Israel ensure that any emerging diplomatic dynamic serves its strategic interests rather than granting further legitimacy to actions that endanger it and destabilize the region. (Read More)

US official to ‘Post’: International Stabilization Force to be deployed at beginning of 2026

The International Stabilization Force (ISF) will be deployed in the Gaza Strip at the beginning of 2026, a US official told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday night. The official noted that the ISF will initially include only personnel from one or two countries, with more countries potentially joining in the future.

The ISF “will not be deployed in areas controlled by Hamas in the Gaza Strip," the official added. Ambassador Danny Danon insisted last month that the ISF must play an active role in disarming Hamas. However, Danon admitted at the time that it was "complicated" to envision when such a force would come into effect. “What interests us now is seeing whether this force can stabilize the situation and strip Hamas of its weapons,” he explained. “That’s the immediate objective.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made similar comments last month, expressing uncertainty on when the ISF would launch its operations. He noted that many countries were reluctant to enter the Gaza Strip, despite vocalizing support for a ceasefire. While the US official did not disclose the countries that will be involved in the ISF, the source's comments came after Turkish security sources told their country's media that they were ready and waiting to be deployed. "We have no problem with the troops being sent to Gaza to join the ISF. The Americans also very much want us there, while Israel opposes it. The Americans are pressuring Israel to have Turkish troops [as part of the force]," sources were cited as saying. (Source)  

Jerusalem legalizes six Samaria communities in move hailed as ‘historic’

All six established towns, some dating to the early 1990s, with hundreds of residents, have received retroactive authorization.

The Binyamin Regional Council in Samaria on Tuesday announced the “historic” official legalization of six former outposts by the government. Ahiya, Harasha, Migron, Nofei Prat, Adei Ad and Shvut Rachel have been “fully regularized and recognized as official towns” by Israel’s Interior Ministry, the council, which administers communities in southern Samaria, said in a Hebrew-language statement.

“Following years of struggle, effort and challenges, these towns are now formally recognized, with ‘settlement symbols’ and full recognition by the State of Israel,” it said. “This is a significant achievement, especially for the young settlement, which has maintained faith and determination over the years, despite harsh weather conditions and many obstacles.”

Binyamin Regional Council leader Israel Ganz thanked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also oversees civilian issues in Judea and Samaria as part of his secondary role as a minister in the Defense Ministry. “We continue building and settling with full strength!” Ganz concluded. Ahiya, Adei Ad, Nofei Prat received Israeli Cabinet approvalin May, while Harasha, Migron and Shvut Rachel are neighborhoods of existing communities that were split off by a March 22 Cabinet decision. (Read More)

Truckloads of armed men spotted riding near IDF troops near Syria border - report

IDF soldiers operating in the area of Khan Arnaba in southwestern Syria fired at armed individuals riding pickup trucks passing near troops, Israeli media reported on Tuesday afternoon. "Several suspects approached the troops and posed a threat, prompting the forces to begin a suspect-arrest procedure that included firing into the air to push them back," Israel public broadcaster KAN News reported, citing the IDF.

"When the suspects did not move away, the troops fired at two of them, causing the group to disperse." Three civilians were reportedly injured by the IDF's "distancing fire" and have since received medical treatment, according to Syrian media. Earlier on Tuesday, the Prime Minister's Office noted in a post to X/Twitter that US mediation between Israel and Syria led to a meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the United Nations General Assembly in September, though "no agreements and understandings with Syria were reached." 

The statement also addressed a Monday report in Saudi outlet Asharq al-Awsat claiming that Netanyahu refused to sign a security agreement with Syria, calling the motion "absolute fake news." (Source)

Israel to reopen Allenby Crossing with Jordan for first time since deadly Sept. 18 terror attack

Israel was set to reopen the Allenby Crossing with Jordan on Wednesday for the first time since a Jordanian Armed Forces contractor murdered two Israeli soldiers stationed on the border in a Sept. 18 terrorist attack. An Israeli security official told Hebrew media that Jerusalem’s political echelon ordered the crossing reopened for the passage of goods and humanitarian aid after “necessary security adjustments” were implemented on both sides of the border.

“Security screening and inspection procedures for Jordanian drivers and the contents of the trucks have been tightened and dedicated security forces have been assigned to guard the crossing,” the official said. The official emphasized that aid trucks will be transferred to the Gaza Strip “under escort and security after thorough security inspection.” On Sept. 18, a civilian hired by the Jordanian Armed Forces to transport aid to the Gaza Strip carried out a combined shooting and stabbing attack while waiting for his truck to be inspected by Israeli troops.

The Israel Defense Forces identified the victims as Sgt. Oran Hershko, 20, a liaison officer in the army’s international cooperation unit, and Lt. Col. (res.) Yitzhak Harosh, 68, an officer in the Civil Administration’s Unit 309. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir advised the political echelon to halt deliveries of humanitarian aid from Jordan following the attack. Jerusalem’s Foreign Ministry in an X post blamed the terrorist attack on “vile incitement in Jordan,” adding that the two IDF soldiers were killed as a result of Amman’s incessant “echoing of Hamas’s campaign of lies.” (Read More)

Women now comprise third of IDF's career officers

Exclusive data reveals nine percent jump in female officers over five years, though senior command positions remain heavily male-dominated.

Women's representation in IDF career positions (permanent military service beyond mandatory conscription) has climbed seven percentage points over five years. As of 2024, women comprise one-third of all career soldiers, according to exclusive data obtained by Israel Hayom that Brig. Gen. Ela Shido Shachter, the gender affairs advisor to the chief of staff (the IDF's senior official responsible for gender integration policy), will present on Monday before the Knesset.

The data reveals that female officers in the IDF have surged by nine percentage points over the past five years, with women now accounting for 36% of the officer corps. Female non-commissioned officers have similarly increased by five percentage points over five years, with women now representing 31% of all IDF NCOs.

Moreover, despite an acute manpower crisis and the voluntary departure of hundreds of career personnel, soldiers are returning to service. The data shows nearly half of the 1,386 career personnel who rejoined the military are women. Statistics spanning 2019-2024 demonstrate steady growth in women's representation across mid-level officer ranks, though substantial gaps persist at senior levels.

Among second lieutenants and lieutenants, women's share rose from 41% in 2019 to 44% in 2024, while the captain rank saw an increase from 29% to 34%. More substantial advances occurred at the major rank, from 27% in 2019 to 33% in 2024, with the lieutenant colonel rank experiencing the sharpest jump, from 18% to 23%.

Senior ranks tell a different story: Women's representation in the colonel rank climbed from nine percent to 14%, yet at the brigadier general level, it declined from eight percent in 2019 to merely five percent in 2024. At the major general rank, after one woman held this position in 2021 (7%), the number has remained negligible, hovering between 7 and 8% in recent years. (Source)

Trump’s Gaza peace plan faces pitfalls in attempt to shift to its second phase

Impasses remain in key points, such as Hamas disarmament, postwar governance of the Strip, funding reconstruction, and a path to Palestinian statehood.

With the remains of one hostage still in Gaza, the first phase of the US-brokered ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas is nearly complete, after a two-month process plagued by delays and finger-pointing. Now, the key players — including Israel, the Palestinian terror group Hamas, the United States, and a diverse list of international parties — are to move to a far more complicated second phase that could reshape the Middle East.

US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan — which was approved by the UN Security Council — lays out an ambitious vision for ending Hamas’s rule of Gaza. If successful, it would see the rebuilding of a demilitarized Gaza under international supervision, normalized relations between Israel and the Arab world, and a possible pathway to Palestinian independence. 

But if the deal stalls, Gaza could be trapped in an unstable limbo for years to come, with the Hamas terror group remaining in control of parts of the territory, Israel’s army enforcing an open-ended occupation, and its residents stuck homeless, unemployed, unable to travel abroad and dependent on international aid to stay alive. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the prime minister of Qatar and a key mediator, said over the weekend that the ceasefire is at a critical point, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to travel to the White House this month to discuss the next steps. (Read More)

Turkish troops ready for Gaza ISF, US pressuring Israel to allow it, security sources say - report

Turkish officials say they are ready to join the Gaza stabilization force, calling Israel’s resistance politically motivated and insisting their participation is essential to the ceasefire.

The Turkish military is ready to send troops to the Gaza Strip as part of the International Stabilization Force (ISF), Turkish security sources cited across Turkish media claimed on Tuesday. "We have no problem with the troops being sent to Gaza to join the ISF. The Americans also very much want us there, while Israel opposes it. The Americans are pressuring Israel to have Turkish troops [as part of the force]," sources were cited as saying.

Turkish security sources affirmed that as a guarantor of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, and as a signatory to the peace process, they "must be there." "Our forces are ready. We have prepared all the necessary units. The moment the order is given, we will immediately form a modular unit," the sources were cited as saying.

"You cannot say that 'Turkish troops cannot come' when it is clear that Turkey is one of the countries that worked the hardest to establish the ceasefire and coordinated the exchange [of hostages for Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons]," the sources added. "If you say 'Turkish troops cannot come,' then you do not want this mission [the ceasefire process and the ISF] to succeed. You intend to continue to genocide," they accused.

On Saturday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke to Reuters on the sidelines of the Doha Forum, saying that not advancing the US-backed Gaza ceasefire plan to the next stage would be a "huge failure" for the world and Washington. (Ed note: Always remember that President Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey has two dreams, destroying Isarel, and rebuilding the Ottoman Empire.)  (Read More)

Hamas must honor truce deal, State Dept tells JNS after Mashaal rejects Trump Gaza plan

The statement came after Khaled Mashaal rejected the U.S.- and U.N.-backed demands for Hamas to disarm and for the Strip to be demilitarized.

The United States expects Hamas terrorists “to abide by the deal they signed,” a State Department spokesperson told JNS on Sunday, after terror chief Khaled Mashaal appeared to reject key elements of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan a day earlier. “Hamas has agreed to all 20 points of President Trump’s 20 Point Plan. That means Gaza will be fully demilitarized for the sake of Gazans,” the spokesperson said in a statement emailed to JNS on Sunday afternoon. 

The statement came after Mashaal, during a speech at an anti-Israel summit in Istanbul on Saturday, rejected the U.S.- and U.N.-backed demands for Hamas to disarm and for the Strip to be demilitarized.
“Protecting the resistance project and its weapons is the right of our people to defend themselves,” the terrorist said, while calling for the destruction of the State of Israel.

“The resistance and its weapons are the honor and pride of the ummah[the Islamic nation],” Mashaal continued. “A thousand statements are not worth a single projectile of iron.” Mashaal in his taped speech also dismissed “all forms of guardianship, mandate and re-occupation of the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and all of Palestine,” rejecting another key part of Trump’s plan for Gaza, which received unanimous support of the U.N. Security Council on Nov. 17. (Read More)

Smotrich: IDF ‘likely’ to step up enforcement in Lebanon

"It is likely that we will soon need to return and operate there to preserve the gains achieved against Hezbollah," Smotrich told JNS.

The Israel Defense Forces will “likely” need to intensify military operations in Southern Lebanon, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich told JNS on Monday. “We are enforcing in Lebanon, without compromise, against any Hezbollah armament and any violation of the ceasefire,” Smotrich stated, speaking at a Knesset meeting of his Religious Zionism Party.

“It is likely that we will soon need to return and operate there to preserve the gains achieved against Hezbollah,” he continued. “We will not allow Hezbollah to remain,” the minister vowed. “Residents of the north deserve to live in complete security in their communities,” with the Israel Defense Forces holding strategic positions beyond the border, he added.

“There will no longer be a situation in which towns are the front line and the IDF is behind them. The IDF will be the front protecting the communities, and the communities will be behind it. “We will continue to strike Hezbollah and defeat it,” continued Smotrich, adding, “We will not repeat the mistakes of the past 20 years.”  (Read More)

Report: Tony Blair will not join Trump’s Gaza “Peace Council”

Arab and Muslim states reportedly raised strong objections to Blair’s appointment, despite him being the only publicly named candidate when Trump unveiled his 20-point plan.

Tony Blair will not take a seat on the so-called “peace council” envisioned by U.S. President Donald Trump to oversee Gaza’s post-war governance, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
Arab and Muslim states reportedly raised strong objections to Blair’s appointment, despite him being the only publicly named candidate when Trump unveiled his 20-point plan to resolve the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

When the plan was announced, Trump praised Blair as “a very good person,” and the former UK prime minister expressed willingness to serve. However, Blair’s longstanding support for the 2003 Iraq invasion has left a lasting stigma in the Middle East, fueling concerns that his presence could marginalize Palestinian voices in the proposed governance structure. Trump had acknowledged these sensitivities in October, saying he wanted to ensure Blair would be “acceptable to everyone.”

For over a year, Blair has been engaged in Gaza planning through the Tony Blair Institute, developing scenarios and coordinating with key U.S. figures including Jared Kushner. While he will not sit on the main council, which is expected to be composed of serving heads of state, he may join a smaller executive committee alongside Kushner, Trump adviser Steve Witkoff, and senior officials from Arab and Western countries.

This executive committee, reportedly to be led by former UN envoy and Bulgarian defense minister Nickolay Mladenov, would coordinate with a Palestinian technocratic committee tasked with overseeing Gaza’s daily administration. The arrangement appears to echo the functions initially envisioned for Blair, acting as a bridge between international oversight and local governance. (Read More)

1,000 Missiles Warning: Western Allies Reveal Iran's Next Massive Attack Plan on Israel

In a closed Knesset session, an IDF representative revealed that Iran has resumed high-tempo ballistic missile production six months after its last war with Israel, as Hamas exploits the ceasefire to rebuild its military capabilities, setting the stage for potential future war.

A confidential briefing presented by an IDF representative to the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee has exposed critical security developments concerning Iran and Hamas. The representative revealed that Iran has returned to producing ballistic missiles at a high rate, a little more than six months after the "12-day war" between Israel and the Islamic Republic in June.

This intelligence aligns with warnings from Western sources, who have recently claimed that Iran has prioritized the reconstruction of its ballistic missile program. These sources cautioned last month that Iran has resorted to older manufacturing methods after Israeli actions severely damaged its planetary mixers. They warned that in a future confrontation, Iran might attempt a massive saturation attack, launching between 500 and 1,000 missiles at Israel simultaneously.

Western diplomats, familiar with regional tensions, noted that while they do not see a significant effort by Iran to renew its nuclear program, "the highest priority for the Iranians is to restore the ballistic missile program." They added that communication channels have been used to warn Iran that Israel has no interest in attacking again, but Tehran’s response suggests mistrust, raising concerns about a dangerous "miscalculation" by Iran.

The increased production comes amid reports of major Iranian military exercises, including a two-day drill by the naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Persian Gulf. This exercise involved a "massive launch" of cruise missiles (Qader 110, 380, and 360 models) and a "302" ballistic missile, all reportedly hitting dummy targets with "high precision." (Read More)

Trump Promises Executive Order to Block State A.I. Regulations

In a Truth Social post, the president said he would sign an order that would eliminate a patchwork of state laws that have emerged in recent years.

President Trump said in a social media post Monday that he would issue an executive order this week to curb state laws on artificial intelligence, the latest win for a tech industry lobbying for deregulation. Mr. Trump said he would create a federal order for rules and approvals for A.I. to eliminate a patchwork of   laws that have emerged in recent years.

“We are beating ALL COUNTRIES at this point in the race, but that won’t last long if we are going to have 50 States, many of them bad actors, involved in RULES and the APPROVAL PROCESS,” he said on Truth Social. While Mr. Trump did not offer details, a draft executive order that circulated last month directed the U.S. attorney general to sue states to overturn A.I. laws. Federal regulators were also directed to withhold broadband grants and other funding to states with A.I. laws.

Efforts by the White House to block state laws could be challenged in court. Some legal experts and opponents of a moratorium on state A.I. laws argue that the president doesn’t have the legal authority to intervene in state legislation. (Ed note: Won't President Trump's attempt to control the use of artificial intelligence A.I. just centralize its control in the hands of one group--the government?)   Read More)

Israel is not a democracy, US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack suggests at Doha Forum

"In this region, what's worked the best, whether you like it or you do not like it, is a benevolent monarchy," Barrack said.

US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack appeared on Sunday evening to suggest that Israel is not a democracy while speaking at the 23rd edition of the annual Doha Forum in Qatar's capital.

"We have never had a democracy in [the Middle East]...I don't see a democracy," Barrack said, adding that "Israel can claim it is a democracy, but in this region, what's worked the best, whether you like it or you do not like it, is a benevolent monarchy."

Taking part in a Doha Forum panel on Syria along with Damascus' foreign minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, Qatari state minister Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, and Norwegian foreign minister Espen Barth Eide, Barrack noted that Syria must define its future, "without going in with Western expectations of, 'we want a democracy in 12 months.'" (Ed note: So Israel with an elected legislature by the people which is called "The Knesset" a 120-member parliament is not a democracy? I would have to ask what school did Tom study his class in government.) (Read More)

IDF launches drill along northern border

The Israel Defense Forces on Sunday morning launched a military exercise in the Mount Hermon and Mount Dov regions along Israel’s border with Syria and Lebanon. “As part of the exercise, there will be active and noticeable movement of security forces and vehicles in the area, and explosions will be heard,” the military stated. The IDF emphasized that there was “no concern” regarding a “security incident.”

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa over the weekend accused Israel of “exporting crises” across the Middle East in an effort to divert attention from what he called “horrifying massacres” in its war against Hamas in Gaza. Speaking at the Doha Forum in the Qatari capital on Saturday, the former al-Qaeda terrorist reiterated his call for the Israeli military to withdraw from the security zone in southern Syria.

After the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, the IDF seized control of parts of southern Syria, expanding a buffer zone and maintaining a presence amid ongoing clashes and strikes. Jerusalem remains ready to negotiate a new security agreement with the Syrian regime but will “stand by its principles” to prevent a repeat of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week. (Read More)

Qatari PM says he won’t write a check to rebuild what Israel destroyed in Gaza

DOHA — Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Abdulrahman Al Thani said Sunday that his country will not foot the bill for rebuilding Gaza, despite speculation that it would be the main backer of reconstruction. “We are not the ones who are going to write the check to rebuild what others destroyed,” Al Thani said during an onstage interview at the Doha Forum, an annual diplomatic conference. “When you are talking about Gaza,” he went on, “Israel flattened this land.”

He indicated that Qatar will limit its funding to humanitarian aid, declaring that it will continue supporting the Palestinian people and do what it can to alleviate their suffering. “Our payments will only go to help the Palestinian people if we see that the help coming to them is insufficient,” Al Thani said, without elaborating.

He also listed a succession of Israeli prime ministers and security agencies that, he said, endorsed Qatar’s sending funds into Gaza in the years before the Hamas invasion on October 7, 2023: “[Prime Ministers] Netanyahu, Bennett, we have dealt with all the agencies, Lapid was the prime minister at a certain point of time, Mossad, Shin Bet, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs… and the Defense [Ministry], all of them were involved.” (Read More)

‘Weapons Are Our Honor and Glory’: Hamas Chief Khaled Mashal Rejects Disarmament, Defies Trump Gaza Peace Plan

Hamas leader Khaled Mashal declared that “the resistance and its weapons are our honor and glory” and that “the battle is not over,” boasting that rights are won “at the recruitment office, not the U.N. Security Council” — a declaration that directly contradicts President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan and celebrates the October 7 “Al-Aqsa Flood” massacre as a turning point to push Israel off “our homeland” and the international stage.

Speaking Saturday by video to the “Pledge to Jerusalem” conference in Istanbul, the head of Hamas abroad used a keynote address carried on Al Jazeera to lay out an uncompromising roadmap that flatly rejects the core elements of President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan — disarmament, an international stabilization force, and Hamas’s removal from power — even as the terror group moves toward Phase Two of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire it ostensibly accepted two months ago.

Mashal told supporters that while what he called the worst phase of a “genocidal war” in Gaza is over, the conflict with Israel is not  He urged the wider Islamic “ummah” to commit to “the liberation of Jerusalem as the banner and symbol of freeing Palestine,” including the “cleansing” of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the “reclaiming” of Islamic and Christian holy sites, framing Gaza as the vanguard that launched the “Al-Aqsa Flood” massacre in 2023 and “turned into the pride of the nation and the conscience of nations.” (Ed note: And President Trump wants to build this guy a city?)   (Read More)

Israel building 310-mile security barrier along Jordan border

Amir Baram, the director-general of Israel’s Defense Ministry, said that the project is a "central component" of its new strategy.

Construction work on Israel’s eastern security barrier along the border with Jordan has begun, the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced on Monday. The initial stage will focus on the Beit She’an, Jezreel and Jordan Valleys, constructing the first two sections of the new barrier that will span roughly 50 miles, the ministry said.  Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement, “The new barrier will strengthen the communities along the border, significantly reduce weapons smuggling to terrorists in Judea and Samaria, and deal a heavy blow to Iran and its proxies’ efforts to establish an eastern front against the State of Israel.”

He went on to say that he instructed establishing outposts manned by the Nahal Infantry Brigade, which will form a “strategic component of our national security.” According to the Defense Ministry, establishing strategic control along Israel’s eastern border is a “central component” of the ministry’s strategy, advanced by its director-general, Maj. Gen. (res.) Amir Baram.

...Baram was quoted as saying that the eastern border is Israel’s longest, stretching about 310 miles, and that defending it is a “complex mission” that begins with a physical barrier and reorganizing IDF forces—“but does not end there.” He remarked that the strategy is to form a “complete ecosystem of settlement, employment, transportation, water, agriculture, health, and more” along the eastern border.  (Ed note: Why is this artice important? For all of us expecting the prophecy of Ezekiel 38/39 to soon appear, we must remember Ezekiel 38:11.  Is Israel now living without "walls, bars, or gates"?)   (Read More)

EU forced to admit it was deceived by PA

The report notes documentation of payment collection from Palestinian postal branches. It was further noted that terrorists who were released in the deal received salaries throughout their time in prison, and some even received additional grants from the Authority after their release.

An Israeli intelligence delegation that traveled to Brussels, classified reports delivered to Israeli ambassadors in European capitals, and a broad advocacy campaign – this is how Israel succeeded in changing the European Union's stance toward the Palestinian Authority, and forced Europeans to publicly acknowledge for the first time that Abbas continues paying salaries to terrorists, despite his commitment to stop.

At the end of November, a meeting was held in Brussels between senior Palestinian Authority officials and representatives of donor countries. On the agenda: examining the reforms the Authority committed to implement – chief among them stopping payments to terrorists and their families, a reform the Palestinians declared had already been carried out. The Authority's commitment to reforms didn't stem from goodwill, but from financial distress. Unlike the past, the Europeans decided to stop serving as an "open wallet" and conditioned continued aid – hundreds of millions of euros – on meeting commitments.

A day before the meeting, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar issued an unusually detailed declaration: The Authority not only hasn't stopped payments to terrorists – it has actually increased them. The only change: instead of transferring the money through a designated fund, the Authority found alternative and covert channels. (Read More)

Eyeing phase two in Gaza, PM airs skepticism on whether international force can disarm Hamas

Netanyahu says he’ll give multinational force a chance, and in the end, disarmament ‘will be done’; also claims Israel is ‘stronger than ever’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced skepticism about the notion that a multinational force meant to patrol Gaza could successfully disarm Hamas, though he vowed disarmament would occur while touting Israel’s strength. The remarks, made Sunday evening to a meeting of Israel’s ambassadors in Jerusalem, came after the premier had said earlier in the day that the first phase of the ceasefire in the Strip was close to finished. The second phase, as laid out in a 20-point plan for Gaza presented by US President Donald Trump, outlines governing arrangements for the enclave.

The plan envisions Hamas disarming, a Palestinian technocratic body managing Gaza’s affairs, and a multinational force deploying there as the IDF withdraws. Israel has demanded Hamas’s disarmament as a condition for moving forward with the plan. In his remarks to the ambassadors, Netanyahu suggested that the multinational force, called the International Stabilization Force, might not be able to force the terror group to lay down its weapons.

“In the second phase, we are moving to disarmament and demilitarization,” he said, adding that he had said “Go ahead” when presented with the idea of the multinational force. “We know that there are certain missions that this force could do,” he continued. “There are certain things they can’t do, maybe the main task they can’t do, but we will see.” But he vowed that Hamas would be disarmed, repeating a phrase he has used multiple times when discussing disarmament. “We can do it the easy way, or the hard way,” he said. “But in the end it will be done.”  (Read More)

Israel’s Diaspora minister pans Doha Forum, spotlights bad actors

Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli sharply criticized the Doha Forum held this weekend in Qatar’s capital. The annual conference, which has taken place since 2003, bills itself as a “global platform for dialogue.” “Doha, the world capital of the Muslim Brotherhood and the ATM of Hamas, is opening this weekend its annual Terror Laundering Gala, the @DohaForum,” Chikli wrote in a Dec. 5 post on X.

Qatar is a major sponsor of the Muslim Brotherhood, a transnational Islamist group that spreads fundamentalist Sunni Muslim ideology around the world. The group is engaged in a “grand jihad” to destroy Western civilization from within, according to a 1991 document uncovered during a U.S. government investigation of the Texas-based Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development.

“A brief reminder of the terror money trail: hundreds of millions to Al Qaeda in Syria; hundreds of millions of dollars every year to the Taliban through Doha banks; Qatari ‘charities’ caught funneling money to Al Shabaab; more than two billion dollars to Hamas,” Chikli wrote.

Some of the personalities participating in the conference included Ahmad al-Sharaa, Syria’s present leader, whose past associations as a terrorist and Al-Qaeda commander have been whitewashed, Chikli said. (U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed al-Sharaa to the White House on Nov. 10.) (Read More)

IDF chief says Gaza ceasefire line ‘a new border’

Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir says IDF is preparing for future surprise attack scenarios.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said on Sunday that the Gaza ceasefire line known as the “Yellow Line,” demarcating the Israeli military withdrawal, is “a new border line.” “We have operational control over extensive parts of the Gaza Strip, and we will remain on those defense lines,” Zamir said during a tour of Gaza, according to remarks provided by the IDF.

“The Yellow Line is a new border line—serving as a forward defensive line for our communities and a line of operational activity.” Israel controls about 53 percent of Gaza under the first phase of U.S.

President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan. The IDF chief reiterated the Israeli government’s position that Hamas will not be allowed to reestablish itself and, after the failure of Oct. 7, 2023, is preparing for future surprise attack scenarios. He noted that Israel was waiting for the return of the final deceased hostage. (Read More)

REMEMBERING PEARL HARBOR DAY

  DECEMBER 7, 1941

Hamas's Khaled Mashaal: We will not disarm, give up control in Gaza, or accept int'l. oversight

Israel's Foreign Ministry, sharing footage of Mashaal's address, slammed the comments, calling them a "direct contradiction of the core terms of the peace plan itself."

Hamas will not disarm, give up its weapons, rule of the Gaza Strip, or permit external oversight in Gaza, including the International Stabilization Force (ISF), terror leader Khaled Mashaal said during a video address to an Istanbul conference titled "Pledge to Jerusalem" on Sunday.

Israel's Foreign Ministry, sharing footage of Mashaal's address, slammed the comments, calling them a "direct contradiction of the core terms of the peace plan itself." "Hamas is making a mockery of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan," the ministry added. 

 
Mashaal: Hamas's weapons are the honor, pride of Palestinian nation: 

The ministry also shared a video snippet of Mashaal's speech, where the terror leader said that "protecting the resistance project [Hamas's terrorism] and the resistance's weapons is our people's right to defend itself. The resistance and its weapons are the honor and pride of the nation." (Ed note: Well, that was "in your face, Trump." What's Trump's plan now? I'm certainly not going to pick up a hammer on Trump's work crew now.)     (Source)

Hamas chief rejects key points of Trump peace plan, calls for Israel’s destruction

Global anti-Israel sentiment has created opportunities "to remove this entity [Israel] from our homeland," said Khaled Mashaal.

Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal on Saturday repeated his call for Israel’s destruction, rejecting U.S.- and U.N.-backed demands to disarm the Iranian-supported terrorist group and demilitarize the Gaza Strip.
“The time has come for the ummah [the Islamic nation] to commit to the liberation of Jerusalem as the banner and symbol of freeing Palestine; to cleansing the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque; and to reclaiming Islamic and Christian holy sites,” the top terrorist said, speaking by video link at a pro-Palestinian conference hosted in the Turkish city of Istanbul.

The global anti-Israel sentiment that has emerged since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre has created opportunities “to remove this entity [Israel] from our homeland and exclude it from the international stage,” Mashaal told attendees.

The terrorist leader denounced the demand that Hamas give up its weapons under U.S. President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan for the Gaza Strip, telling the conference that “protecting the resistance project and its weapons is the right of our people to defend themselves.” “The resistance and its weapons are the ummah’s honor and pride,” he continued. “A thousand statements are not worth a single projectile of iron.”  (Read More)

Senior Saudi diplomat: It’s Israel, not the PA, that most needs reform to secure peace

DOHA — A senior Saudi diplomat says that while there is much focus in the international community on the need for the Palestinian Authority to engage in a comprehensive reform process, a reform of the Israeli government is what is most needed for peace in the region. “The Palestinians have been reforming for the past 30 years. President Mahmoud Abbas had put [forward] a robust reform plan that he committed himself to, because this is good for the Palestinians,” says Manal Radwan, a minister in Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry, during an onstage panel discussion at the Doha forum.

“Saudi Arabia, of course, is committed, and we work on a daily basis with the PA to help in its reform plan, but what we need to really get a sustainable peace and security and an end to this conflict and to implement President Trump’s 20 peace plan and to implement the Security Council Resolution is a reformed Israeli government,” she says.

“We have an Israeli government that opposes the two-state solution. We have an Israeli government that has officials continuously inciting against Palestinians, against Arabs, against Muslims,” Radwan continues. “We don’t see that we have a partner for peace, not even a partner for a sustainable ceasefire. So that is the actual and the important reform that we are hoping to see.” (Read More)

Syria’s Sharaa slams Israel for ‘exporting’ conflict to region to hide Gaza ‘massacres’

DOHA, Qatar — Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Saturday accused Israel of “exporting crises” to other countries around the region in order to distract from its “horrifying massacres” in Gaza. Sharaa’s comments, which were perhaps his sharpest against Israel since becoming Syria’s leader a year ago, were made during the annual Doha Forum hosted in the Qatari capital and followed several other regional leaders who also spoke about the war in Gaza.

“Israel… tries to run away from the horrifying massacres committed in Gaza, and it does so by attempting to export crises,” Sharaa said during an onstage interview. “Israel has become a country that is in a fight against ghosts,” he claimed, saying that Israel uses the guise of security concerns and the need to prevent another October 7 massacre to justify every action it takes, even though no such correlation exists.

“Since we arrived in Damascus, we sent positive messages regarding regional peace and stability… and that we are not interested in being a country that exports conflict, including to Israel,” Sharaa continued, referring to his jihadist group’s toppling of the Assad regime last year. “But in return, Israel has met us with extreme violence,” Sharaa said, highlighting the deadly Israeli raid on terrorists in the southern Syrian town of Beit Jinn last month.

“Syria has suffered massive violations of our airspace, and we’ve been victim of over 1000 airstrikes and over 400 incursions,” he said. Sharaa reiterated his call for Israel to withdraw from the Golan territories in southern Syria that it has occupied since December, after Assad fled, with Jerusalem wary of the new Syrian leader’s past as an al-Qaeda commander and citing fears the area would fall into the wrong hands. (Read More)

Turkey Believes Israel-Hamas Ceasefire is About to Collapse

Turkey warns the U.S. to push Netanyahu on Gaza ceasefire as violations mount and disputes stall Phase 2. Experts say without urgent action, the fragile truce could unravel, leaving Gaza on the edge of renewed conflict.

Turkey called on the United States Saturday to press Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to advance the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire, warning that failure to do so risks the deal's total unraveling amid mounting violations and unresolved disputes.

Speaking at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said ongoing discussions about deploying an international stabilization force in the enclave remain stalled, with key questions lingering over its command structure, contributing countries, and mandate. Turkey, one of the deal's four guarantors alongside the US, Qatar, and Egypt, has expressed willingness to participate but faces staunch opposition from Israel, which views Ankara as too sympathetic to Hamas. 

"The first mission of this force should be to separate Palestinians and Israelis," Fidan said, emphasizing that Hamas disarmament cannot be the immediate priority. "We must be realistic: Gaza needs a credible Palestinian civil administration and a vetted police force first, before expecting Hamas to hand over control." He added that without US intervention, "there is a huge risk the plan will fail," noting President Donald Trump's personal role in brokering the agreement. (Read More)

Iran holds drills in Gulf, firing ballistic, cruise missiles at simulated targets

State media reported a massive launch of Qadr 110, Qadr 380 and Qadr 360 cruise missiles and 303 ballistic missiles at targets in the Gulf of Oman.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy fired ballistic and cruise missiles at simulated targets in the Gulf on Friday during a two-day military exercise aimed at countering foreign threats, state media reported.

Earlier, Iran hosted an anti-terrorism drill in its northwestern province of East Azerbaijan with members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which, according to state Press TV, was intended to signal both “peace and friendship” to neighbouring states and warn enemies that “any miscalculation would meet a decisive response”. The ground and naval exercises follow a 12-day air warbetween Israel and Iran in June, during which the US joined Israel in striking Iran's nuclear facilities. 

State media reported a massive launch of Qadr 110, Qadr 380 and Qadr 360 cruise missiles and 303 ballistic missiles at targets in the Gulf of Oman. Drones simultaneously struck simulated enemy bases, the reports said. The IRGC Navy began its exercise in the strategic Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman on Thursday. It emphasised what it said was its heightened artificial intelligence readiness and the "unwavering spirit and resistance" of its sailors in confronting any threat. (Read More)

Panic in Tehran: Iranians Dump Savings for Gold as War Fears Surge

A fear-driven economic crisis is gripping Iran, pushing citizens to convert their savings into gold, silver, and diamonds as they brace for a potential new war with Israel and the complete collapse of the Iranian Rial.

The ongoing tension with Israel has deeply unsettled the Iranian public, triggering a massive, fear-driven shift in the country's economy. Reports from Tehran's Grand Bazaar reveal a run on gold, foreign currency, and other precious metals unprecedented in recent memory.

Traders state that every new headline, whether concerning UN sanctions, the plunging value of the Rial, or the possibility of renewed hostilities with Israel, sends Iranians flocking to exchange their vulnerable savings for easily transferable assets. The public is seeking financial shelters that they believe will retain value even if a crisis escalates.

Jewelry vendor Manzer, 28, told the Associated Press that he sold six kilograms of gold in just two weeks. "People are rushing to buy because they are afraid their savings will be eroded," he explained. For many Iranians, gold is seen as the only reliable safe haven against rampant inflation. Behzad Rashvand, 57, summarized the prevailing sentiment: "Every time I earn money, I convert it into gold. It's the only way to maintain value. (Read More)

Iran’s new race to the bomb

A nuclear weapon offers the possibility of wiping out Israel, fulfilling what the Islamist regime sees as a historic, strategic and religious prophecy.

The Iranian regime has always sought nuclear weapons, but at the moment, this ambition may have taken on an unprecedented urgency. For decades, the ruling clerics have perceived nuclear capability as a symbol of power and ideological triumph. Now, more than ever before, the regime may be prepared to use every trick, tactic and deception it has cultivated over the years to achieve that goal.

Iran’s leaders appear to see nuclear weapons not simply as a strategic tool, but as an existential necessity—a shield for the regime’s survival and a sword to advance its revolutionary ideology. One of the core reasons Iran has reportedly been ratcheting up its pursuit of nuclear weapons again might be the shock it experienced during June’s 12-day war with Israel.

The conflict exposed, in a brutally clear manner, how deeply inferior Iran’s military capabilities are compared to those of Israel and the United States, especially its air force and advanced warfare infrastructure. Iran watched its proxy forces struggle and realized that in a direct confrontation, it lacks the conventional military strength to deter or defeat its adversaries.

This realization may well have intensified the regime’s belief that a nuclear weapon is the great equalizer. Iran’s leadership sees that one nuclear-armed missile aimed at Israel could accomplish what decades of proxy warfare, rhetoric and regional maneuvering have failed to do. (Ed note: Very interesting thoughts from this author.)  (Read More)

As women join IDF combat units, military kit must be redesigned to fit them - opinion

For most of modern history, military uniforms have been built around the male body, as more women join combat units, it’s time for a redesign.

Picture this: On a windswept training area, a young female infantry soldier hauls herself out of a fire trench and shoulders her weapon. Her plate carrier rides up toward her chin, the shoulder straps are cinched as tight as they will go, yet the weight still hangs awkwardly. Ten years ago, she might have been told to “get on with it. In today’s British Army, that bad fit is treated as a design problem rather than a personal failing.

For most of modern history, military uniforms have been structured around a single, convenient fiction: the “average” male body. Height, chest, limb length, hand size – all the numbers that informed boots, webbing, and body armor came from men because they were the only ones expected to fight on the frontlines. As more women moved into more physically demanding military roles, that fiction began to fray, at least in Britain. In Israel, even as more women join combat units, their uniforms – and their equipment – remain very much designed for men, despite obvious differences in height, weight, and build.

The first step in fixing it is data. Engineers cannot design for soldiers they cannot measure. Over recent years, the British Army and its suppliers have been building up far more detailed “anthropometric” profiles of the force. Not just a simple S/M/L but a spread of heights, limb lengths, and body shapes across both genders and a range of ethnic backgrounds. (Read More)

IDF ‘updating defense doctrine across all sectors’

A mllitary official tells JNS that the IDF is expanding the authority of division and brigade commanders as well as adopting a "community as fortress" concept.

The Israel Defense Forces has begun to reformulate its defense doctrine and readiness plans for surprise scenarios across all sectors, implementing a series of shifts designed to prevent a recurrence of the systemic failures of Oct. 7, 2023, a military official told JNS in recent days.

According to a Nov. 22 report by Mako, the new defense plans formulated by the IDF Operations Directorate specifically include “releasing more authorities to field echelons” to speed up response times. The report noted that the plans are designed to better utilize the readiness of readiness squads already present in the communities.

The plans, formulated as part of the lessons learned from the massacre and the subsequent two years of multi-front war, represent a pivot away from centralized command in the initial stages of a surprise attack, instead empowering field commanders to act more autonomously. According to the military official who spoke to JNS, the updated directives include expanding the authorities of division and brigade commanders regarding the mobilization of troops.

The goal is to enable “shorter operational cycles” and significantly shorten air and ground readiness times, the source stated, ensuring that forces can jump into action without waiting for top-down orders from the General Staff that might be delayed by the fog of war. (Read More)

Trump to announce transition to Phase II of Gaza deal, 'Board of Peace' by Christmas - Axios

US President Donald Trump is expected to announce Gaza's "Board of Peace" and the transition to the second phase of the US-backed Gaza deal in the next three weeks, Axios reported on Thursday, citing two US officials and a Western source familiar with the details. "All of the different elements are pretty well advanced. It's all moving ahead, and the aim is to announce it before people break for the holidays," Axios reported, citing the Western source.

The "Board of Peace" will reportedly include approximately 10 Arab and Western leaders and will work alongside an international executive board composed of former British prime minister Tony Blair, Jared Kushner, US envoy Steve Witkoff, and other senior officials from contributing countries.

"The equation will be IDF out of Gaza but Hamas out of power," Axios cited the Western source as saying. "The moment of truth will come in the next few weeks." Mediators are attempting to reach an agreement with Hamas regarding ending its governance of the Gaza Strip and its disarmament, according to Axios. The current discussion will reportedly have the terror group lay down its heavy arms first, and only afterward call for the group's handover of its lighter weapons.  (Ed note: Any guesses on how President Trump is going to handle it when Hamas starts shooting at his construction workers?)    (Read More)

International force should deploy along Gaza buffer zone to verify ceasefire, Egypt minister says

The international force would "use all necessary measures" to demilitarize Gaza, protect civilians and aid deliveries, secure Gaza's borders, and support a newly trained Palestinian police force.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said on Saturday that the international stabilization force should deploy along the "yellow" line buffer zone in Gaza to verify the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in the enclave.

The international force would "use all necessary measures" to demilitarize Gaza, protect civilians and aid deliveries, secure Gaza's borders, and support a newly trained Palestinian police force, according to a drafted UN Security Council resolution proposed by Washington. (Ed note: This idea would only hurt the IDF and help Hamas not to disarm. Beware of Egypt.)