Hamas – BICOM

Updated January 5, 2026

Post Trump meeting, Netanyahu declares support for the Iranian people

What’s happened: At the start of Sunday’s weekly cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed support for the Iranian people.

Netanyahu told his ministers, “we identify with the struggle of the Iranian people, with their aspirations for freedom, liberty, and justice. It is very possible that we are standing at the moment when the Iranian people are taking their fate into their own hands.”
Similarly, President Trump has also expressed support for the protesters in Iran and warned that if Iran, “starts killing people like they have in the past, I think they’re gonna get hit very hard by the United States.”
According to the New York Times, senior Iranian officials acknowledged that the Islamic Republic has entered “survival mode.”
During the cabinet meeting, Netanyahu also related to the Iranian issue that came up at last week’s meeting with President Trump saying, “We reiterated our joint position of zero enrichment on one hand, and the need to remove the 400 kilograms of enriched material from Iran and oversee the sites with tight and genuine supervision.”
Netanyahu also expressed support for the US “determined decision and action” in Venezuela, “to restore freedom and justice to that part of the world.”

Context: The Iranian issue was one of the top priorities for Netanyahu when he met Trump last week. Overall, the top objective for Netanyahu was to consolidate on the military achievements across several fronts including Iran, Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. The common thread was to reaffirm US support that if necessary Israel will act to prevent Iran and their proxies from rearming and to ensure Israeli military freedom of action to counter any developing threats.

Although details of the private meeting between Trump and Netanyahu remain vague, Netanyahu also told ministers on Sunday that Trump was “unequivocal” on Gaza.
Netanyahu said, “He repeated this both in our private conversations and to public opinion at the press conference there. He said it: ‘The essential condition is that Hamas disarms.’ There is no other option. This is an essential and fundamental condition for the implementation of his 20-point plan. He made no concessions and showed no flexibility on this issue.”
Without continued Israeli action Israeli officials are concerned that the achievements of the last year will be eroded. To ensure the achievements are consolidated Israel is banking on continued close coordination with US defence officials.
In the wake of the October 7^th attack Israel is pursuing a new security doctrine, that includes forward and pre-emptive defence. It is further understood Israel’s new defence posture includes:
- Disarming terrorist armies.
- Disarming and destroying military infrastructure above and below ground in a way that will make it impossible to renew the fighting, or to carry out surprise attacks on Israel’s borders and civilian communities adjacent to them.
- Preventing terror groups from restoring their military capabilities.
- Establishing effective international enforcement mechanisms that will ensure and enforce precise implementation of the disarmament.
- Secure US support to operate independently, without having to coordinate with the US every time Israel detects violations of the arrangements.
Specifically on Gaza, Netanyahu reiterated the Israeli position to secure the return of the body of Ran Gvili, the last remaining hostage who has not been buried in Israel before transitioning to the second phase.
When it comes to disarming Hamas the priorities include decommissioning RPG launchers, other rockets, missiles, mortars, anti-tank weapons, and heavy drones.
Thirdly, the destruction of the remaining underground infrastructure, especially attack tunnels, as well as command and control centres and weapons manufacturing sites. Israel is also demanding a complete ban on military training in the Strip.
At this point Israel remains insistent on remaining on the Yellow Line to ensure the protection of communities on the Gaza periphery.
Similarly in the north, Israel is demanding that Hezbollah be fully stripped of its heavy and long-range arms, including rockets and missiles and drones
Regarding Iran, Israel will support an international agreement that removes Iran’s ability to develop its military nuclear programme. In addition, Netanyahu seems to have secured support from Trump that also recognises Iran’s efforts to rebuild its array of conventional military threat of ballistic missiles as another red line.
It appears that Trump was accommodating to most of Israel’s demands. The main area of disagreement appears to be the role of Turkey, both in Gaza and their ambitions to extend their sphere of influence in Syria.
According to Nahum Barnea writing in Yediot Ahronot, “There will probably not be Turkish soldiers in the international force whose establishment is unlikely, but Turkish contractors will be included in the [Gaza reconstruction] work, and F-35 jets will be sold to the Turkish air force. Netanyahu was unable to persuade Trump that Erdogan is bad; Erdogan was unable to persuade Trump that Netanyahu is bad. Trump enjoys both of their displays of sycophancy.”
On Venezuela, Israel has been concerned for several years of their alliance and connection to both Iran and Hezbollah.

Looking ahead: Later today Israeli – Syrian negotiations over a security agreements in southern Syria are expected to be resumed in Paris. The talks have been on hold for the last two months.

Israeli defence establishment remains on high alert over concern that the Iranian regime could try and divert domestic attention by launching an attack on Israel.
On Sunday, Iran International, a Persian language opposition channel broadcasting from London, reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has conducting further missile launching exercises. The exercise includes tests of air defence systems and is being conducted in several cities including Tehran and Shiraz.
The Israeli assessment remains that the Iran remains exposed, and that their air defences have not been reconstituted since the 12 Day War last summer. Nevertheless, there is concern that if the regime fears it will be deposed then an attack on Israel could be its only move left.

December 16, 2025

Netanyahu meets US envoy as tensions rise in Gaza and Lebanon

What’s happened: Over the weekend, Israel carried out an air strike that eliminated Raed Saad, the deputy commander of Hamas’ military wing and one of the architects of the October 7 attacks.

In a joint statement, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Minister Katz linked the strike to the detonation of a Hamas explosive device that had wounded Israeli soldiers earlier in the day on the ‘Israeli side’ of the Yellow Line in Gaza.
They described Saad as “one of the architects of the October 7 massacre” who in “recent days had been engaged in rehabilitating the terrorist organisation and in planning and carrying out attacks against Israel and rebuilding an attack force, in blatant violation of the ceasefire rules and Hamas’s commitments to adhere to President Trump’s plan. Instead of promoting demilitarisation, he was engaged in rearming for acts of terrorism.”
Another Israeli official described Saad as an arch-terrorist who worked day in and day out to violate the agreement and renew the fighting, and stressed that the strike was carried out “in response to these violations and was intended to ensure the continuation of the ceasefire.”
Also over the weekend, the IDF called off a strike on a Hezbollah armaments warehouse in the village of Yanouh in southern Lebanon at the last minute. Acting on Israeli intelligence, Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) had approached the spot to enforce the ceasefire agreement but disturbances broke out with residents which caused the LAF to withdraw.
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit Arab media branch then issued evacuation orders for the area, after which the LAF asked for permission to return to the site in order to act.
A defence official said that Israel had received evidence of coordination between the LAF and Hezbollah. “Despite this, we gave the LAF an opportunity to address this violation. We conveyed a message to Lebanon this evening through the Americans: Cooperation between Hezbollah and Lebanon is unacceptable.”
Yesterday, Prime Minister Netanyahu met US Ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack. Sources said the sides arrived at mutual understandings on both Israel’s freedom of operation in Syria to neutralise emerging threats as well as the advancement of US-mediated talks with Syria aimed at forging a new security arrangement. Barrack posted on X that they had had “constructive dialogue working towards regional peace and stability.”
In the past, Barrack had drawn ire from officials for his comments about Israel not being a democracy as well as his support for the inclusion of Turkish troops in a future international force in Gaza, a position Israel is staunchly opposed to.
Searches continue for the body of Ran Gvili, the last Israeli hostage remaining in Gaza. Israeli officials claim Palestinian Islamic Jihad holds more information about his location.

Context: While Israeli officials framed the strike on Saad as an effort to strengthen the ceasefire, and while he was undoubtedly seeking to strengthen and rehabilitate Hamas, it also ties in with Israel’s strategy of closing accounts with those responsible for the Hamas attacks on October 7.

Reports from Washington suggest the administration is unhappy with the strike. Yesterday President Trump said that Washington was “looking into” whether Israel had violated the Gaza ceasefire, while a report in Axios said US officials are frustrated with Israeli actions in Gaza since the ceasefire and Trump recently told Netanyahu that he needs to be a “better partner” on Gaza.
While Phase One calls for all the Israeli hostages to be returned, Trump is eager that Phase Two in Gaza should begin in early 2026. That phase envisions Hamas disarming and Israel withdrawing as a multinational ‘International Stabilisation Force’ (ISF) deploys across the Strip at the same time that a Palestinian technocratic body begins managing Gaza’s day-to-day affairs.
Trump yesterday told reporters who asked about the ISF that “in a form, its already running, but it’ll get stronger and stronger, and more and more countries are coming into it. They’re already in, but they’ll send any number of troops that I ask them to send.” However major questions remain as to the composition of the ISF, its mandate, and its capacity to disarm Hamas, which is thought to have approximately 10,000-20,000 fighters in Gaza.
In Lebanon, Israel is sceptical that the LAF will be able to disarm Hezbollah, with defence officials believing that more IDF strikes in Lebanon may be inevitable. Hezbollah has violated the ceasefire agreement more than 1,900 times since it first went into effect more than a year ago. In this period, the IDF has attached and enforced roughly 1,100 violations with the LAF enforcing close to 600 violations that it was asked to deal with.
In light of the continued challenges from Hezbollah, the security cabinet met last week to discuss IDF plans for a large-scale offensive against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon if efforts fail to disarm Hezbollah by the end of 2025. Air force combat jets have recently carried out several drills over Israel and over the Mediterranean Sea.

Looking ahead: A conference is taking place in Doha today which is organised by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) to discuss the ISF.

Representatives from more than 45 countries have been invited to participate although Turkey has been excluded, likely due to Israeli opposition.

December 10, 2025

Search for remains of last hostage on hold as storm hits coast

What’s happened: The ongoing search for the body of Ran Gvili, the last remaining hostage from the October 7 massacre not repatriated to Israel for burial, has been temporarily called off due to an impending large storm.

Storm Byron, named by the new Southeast Mediterranean convention instituted by Greece, Israel, and Cyprus five years ago, is expected to bring harsh weather to Israel and the Palestinian territories.
In preparation, COGAT has confirmed that almost 270,000 tents and tarpaulins have entered Gaza in recent weeks along with fuel, 5,600 tons of medical supplies and over 1,500 trucks of blankets and winter clothes.
In addition, since the ceasefire went into effect, over 18,000 food trucks have entered Gaza, with about 20% of those coming from the UN. According to the most updated figures, between 600 and 800 trucks carrying humanitarian goods enter every day.
The New York Post reported yesterday on a video that had surfaced on social media from the summer showing several tons of baby formula and nutritional shakes meant for kids being hidden in an underground Hamas facility. According to the report, the video was taken during the late summer weeks when global headlines were dominated by an alleged famine in Gaza. The video was distributed by a Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a Gaza native and anti-Hamas activist, who accused Hamas of attempting to starve its own populace in an attempt to put pressure on Israel.
Yesterday at Ben Gurion Airport, a small ceremony was held to mark the repatriation of the body of Sudthisak Rinthalak, a citizen of Thailand who was abducted and murdered in the October 7 attack and whose body was returned to Israel last week.
Israel is set to reopen the Allenby Crossing today. The crossing is one of only three crossings between territory under Israeli control and Jordan, and the only one connecting the West Bank to Jordan. Israel closed the crossing in September following a deadly attack in which a Jordanian citizen driving a truck with aid for Gaza opened fire on Israelis, killing two security personnel. Shortly after the incident, Israel had the crossing reopened for passenger traffic, but it has been closed for trucks for the past three months.

Context: President Trump has indicated that he would like to announce the conclusion of Phase One of the ceasefire and the beginning of Phase Two.

Israeli officials are hesitant to accede to this without first achieving the return of the last hostage to Israel. There is fear in Israel that even a small compromise on this very clear and very measurable ceasefire condition will be a repeat of the mistakes made in previous ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon, where global pressure on Israel not to insist on full implementation ended up allowing terrorist organisations to build up and thrive on its borders.
Israeli officials have speculated that Hamas is deliberately delaying the repatriation of Gvili’s body in order to drag out the first stage of the ceasefire, which has allowed Hamas to reestablish and consolidate its hold on half of the Gaza Strip, and avoid entering the second stage, which could see it forced to disarm.
Both the US and Israel would like to see a forceful mandate for the International Stabilisation Force, yet to be formed, which will enforce Phase Two of the ceasefire agreement. It remains unclear whether the mandate will fall under Chapter VI or VII of the UN Charter. Both Israel and the US are keen on the latter which provides the legitimate use of force for enforcement purposes. Israel is wary of repeating the failure of UNIFIL in Lebanon that is only mandated to carry arms for self defence under Chapter VI. Chapter VII is crucial if the mission is to include disarming Hamas. In any event there are still no countries prepared to send troops for such a mission, apart from Turkey that has been vetoed by Israel.
Parallel to that, Israel has acceded to a US request to map out several “green zones” inside the part of the Gaza Strip held by the IDF as places for temporary housing for Gazans. Preliminary infrastructure work has been done in these zones so that trailer homes and schools can be connected to water and sewage lines. Only families vetted to ensure that they have no arms and no connection to Hamas will be allowed to enter the green zones, and this will only begin once the second phase of the ceasefire has formally begun.
Israel Hayom reports that the Israeli Government, contrary to its publicly stated position, conveyed to the Palestinian Authority a limited willingness to accept the “pathway to a Palestinian state” mooted in Trump’s 20-point plan which was the basis of the Gaza ceasefire, but only if the Palestinian Authority accepted two conditions: a definitive end to the pay-for-slay programme for terrorists in Israeli prisons and an end to UNRWA activity in both the West Bank and Gaza. The Palestinians, according to the report, rejected both conditions.
Former head of the Shin Bet Ronen Bar has spoken publicly for the first time since leaving his role. He called once more for the formation of a State Commission of Inquiry to investigate the failures leading up to the October 7 attack. He made the statement, widely interpreted in Israeli media as a swipe at Prime Minister Netanyahu’s attempt to craft a bespoke inquiry outside the framework of the Commission of Inquiries Law. He noted, fifteen State Commissions of Inquiry have been convened under the rubric of this law, and they have investigated matters including Israel’s failure to prepare for the Yom Kippur War, the massacre of Palestinians in two Lebanese Refugee Camps during the First Lebanon War, the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin, and the October 2000 riots.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has sought to sidestep a State Commission of Inquiry by appointing a ministerial committee to convene a special governmental commission of inquiry, whose mandate would include investigating the role of the Supreme Court, the media, and anti-government protesters in the lead-up to the October 7 massacre.

Looking ahead: The US administration is determined to see diplomatic progress on Gaza, as well as with Syria and Egypt, and may be willing to apply moderate pressure to achieve this.

President Trump appears eager to announce some kind of positive development on at least one at his scheduled meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu on December 29, and ideally all three.

December 4, 2025

Deceased Thai hostage returned

What’s happened: Israel’s Institute for Forensic Medicine positively identified the remains handed over by Hamas yesterday as belonging to Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak.

On October 7, 2023, Rinthalak, then 42 years old, was murdered in the orchards of Kibbutz Beeri. His body was abducted by Palestinian Islamic Jihad and held in Gaza for two years.
Sudthisak Rinthalak was from the northern Thailand and had been working in Israel since 2017.
On October 7, a total of 39 Thai nationals were murdered and 31 were taken captive.
The only deceased hostage being still held in Gaza is Ran Givili, an Israeli policeman, who reportedly eliminated 14 terrorists before he was killed and his body taken to Gaza
A major firefight erupted yesterday in Rafah, southern Gaza, between IDF soldiers and Hamas militants. Two Hamas fighters emerged from a tunnel shaft and launched a rocked propelled grenade at an IDF armoured personnel carrier. Four soldiers were wounded, of whom one is listed in a serious condition. Soldiers returned fire and eliminated one of the Hamas man.
Following the incident, which Israeli officials characterised as a “grave violation of the ceasefire,” the IDF struck Hamas targets in al-Mawasi, killing six. Eyal Zamir, IDF Chief of Staff, said yesterday that “it is unacceptable for terrorists to emerge from shafts and tunnels in which they have been trapped and, while fleeing to hiding places, to carry out attacks against IDF soldiers in the area.”
Direct talks between civilian officials from Israel and Lebanon were held yesterday in Naqoura, on the Lebanese side of the Israel-Lebanon border under the auspices of US envoy Morgan Ortagus.

Context: As ever, the Israeli policy for both Gaza and Lebanon, is guided by the US who are keen to see progress towards peace and stability on both fronts.

In Gaza, yesterday’s the decision to reopen the Rafah crossing is being tied to the Netanyahu-Trump call from earlier this week.
There are conflicting reports about the operation of the crossing, with Israel insisting that traffic for now will only be of Gazans leaving into Egypt and not the other way around, while the Egyptians would like the crossing to operate only if it is two-way. Following the latest violation of the ceasefire, there have been calls inside Israel to delay the opening.
In Lebanon, the US-led talks which took place yesterday involved a host of civilian issues beyond the usual remit that is normally insisted upon by the Lebanese side. Israel was represented at Naquora by Uri Resnick, a senior official in the National Security Council, and Lebanon by Simon Karam, a Maronite Christian who previously served as Lebanon’s ambassador to the UN. Also attending the meeting were representatives of the IDF, Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), and the UN.
This was the first direct encounter of civilian officials from Israel and Lebanon since the Madrid Peace Conference in 1991.
This development, welcomed on the Israeli side, evidences the success of the US policy in Lebanon and the new pragmatic approach of the Lebanese government. It also shows the weakening grip of Hezbollah and its ability to impose its will over the Lebanese government.
Israel is now hopeful that on one hand it can continue to target Hezbollah, according to the provisions of the ceasefire agreement, whilst maintaining civilian dialogue with Lebanese government.
The talks focused on not just on the implementation of the 2024 ceasefire agreement, but ranged over issues including the maritime border, gas exploration, the return of residents to border communities, and even possible cooperation in agriculture. Looming behind the entire process is the US demand for the disarmament of Hezbollah to be completed by December 31.

Looking ahead: According to the provisions of the ceasefire agreement, Hamas should have released all the hostages within the first 72 hours. Ran Gvili remains the last deceased hostage, now held for over 790 days in Hamas’s captivity.

There’s hope that the meeting in Naquora will be a springboard for continued Israeli-Lebanese dialogue in spite of the continued threat post by Hezbollah.
Prime Minister Netanyahu announced this morning that the next head of Mossad will be Maj Gen Roman Gofman, currently the Prime Minister’s Military Secretary.

December 3, 2025

Rafah border crossing to reopen

What’s happening: Despite the ongoing failure of Hamas to release the remains of all hostages, Israel announced today that it will allow the reopening of the Rafah crossing for Palestinians leaving Gaza into Egypt.

The crossing will operate under the coordination of Israel, Egypt, and a small contingent of officials from the European Union.
According to Israeli media there are suggestions that the Israeli decision to open the crossing even before the last hostages are recovered came as a result of a request from President Trump in phone call with Prime Minister Netanyahu on Monday.
The human remains transferred to Israeli by Hamas on Tuesday are not those of deceased hostages, according to the Israeli National Institute of Forensic Medicine, which examined the remains.
Today, Palestinian Islamic Jihad said that it is working with the Red Cross to locate the remains of one deceased hostage whom it had abducted.
The bodies of two hostages taken in the October 7 attack, one Israeli, Ran Gvili, and one Thai citizen, Sudthisak Rinthalak, have yet to be handed over.
This morning Palestinian sources are claiming that the body of a deceased hostage has been found in northern Gaza, but there has not yet been a formal statement.
Prime Minister Netanyahu met yesterday with Trump’s Deputy Special Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus. Israeli officials reportedly shared with Ortagus intelligence showing both that Hezbollah are rearming and that the Lebanese Armed Forces were either unwilling or unable to do much about it.

Context: The latest phone call between Netanyahu and Trump once more highlighted the president’s direct engagement in the Middle East and across the various fronts including Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Iran.

Not only is Trump’s influence seen in Israel’s decision to open the Rafah crossing, but also in the de-escalation in Syria, following the Beit Jinn incident late last week in which six Israeli soldiers were wounded and 13 Syrians were killed.
It has since been reported that some of the armed men weren’t just militants, but rather part of the new regime’s security forces. The US administration is keen to reach understandings with Syria and Israel on a number of issues before the expected Netanyahu-Trump meeting. These include restrictions on IDF operations in areas in which al-Sharaa’s troops operate, cooperation in dealing with Sunni terrorist organisations, and guaranteeing the wellbeing of the Druze population in the As-Suwayda enclave.
On Lebanon, tensions are ratcheting up as the sides approach the unofficial US deadline of December 31 for the disarmament of Hezbollah. Foreign Minister Gidon Saar, who also met yesterday with US Envoy Ortagus, told reporters, “The terrorist organisation is rearming at a far quicker pace that it is being disarmed. The responsibility resides with the Lebanese government. There have also been money transfers from Iran to Hezbollah via Turkey. That needs to be curtailed.”
In a rare positive diplomatic development Lebanon has agreed to send a civilian government representative to the ceasefire monitoring committee meeting with Israel. Simon Karam, their former Ambassador to the US will head Lebanon’s delegation to review the ceasefire mechanism. Until now Lebanon has always sent military representatives so as not to legitimise engagement with the State of Israel. Israel’s Prime Minister’s office will also send a representative.
However, with the Pope’s visit in Lebanon now over, the perceived immunity from Israeli strikes has been lifted. Israel has reportedly conveyed to the Lebanese government that it is “very likely to begin to take harsher measures” against Hezbollah if the disarmament conditions of the November 2024 ceasefire are not fully implemented.
US diplomacy is making its presence felt here too. The US will not provide aid to Lebanon unless it fulfils its commitments on disarming Hezbollah. Where American statements regarding Israel and Syria on the one hand and Israel and Gaza on the other have largely pushed in a de-escalatory direction, this has not been the case regarding Israel and Lebanon.
The UN General Assembly approved by a majority of 123 votes a resolution calling on Israel to withdraw from the Golan Heights. 7 countries voted against and 41 abstained, including the UK.
The resolution is presented to the General Assembly every year, at the initiative of Syria and receives an automatic majority. The resolution calls for Israel to withdraw to the June 4, 1967 lines.
In Gaza, Israel is concerned that Iran has been encouraging Hamas to refuse any kind of disarmament. In parallel, the US is seeking to begin reconstruction in Gaza even without disarmament, but focused only on the area under Israel’s control. This measure is strongly opposed by Egypt.

Looking ahead: Ortgaus’ next stop after Israel will be Lebanon, where she is expected to take part in the Mechanism meeting. She is expected to demand strict enforcement of the disarmament clauses, including a measure the Lebanese Armed Forces have refused thus far to implement: searches in private homes where Hezbollah caches are stored.

The latest reports suggest that Netanyahu and Trump will meet on December 28 in Mar-a-Lago, and not the White House. Netanyahu is expected to fly directly to Florida, and to return to Israel within 48 hours, without a stop in Washington.

November 26, 2025

Rift in Israel’s security establishment emerges as body of Dror Or is returned

What’s happened: A body handed over to Israel by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad yesterday was confirmed this morning to be that of Israeli hostage Dror Or from Kibbutz Beeri.

Dror Or was a 48-year-old cheesemaker and yoga instructor living on the kibbutz with his wife Yonat and two of their young children. On October 7, 2023 terrorists from the Islamic Jihad set fire to their home. The four members of the Or family slipped out the window of their safe room as their house burned and scattered in different directions. Yonat was murdered on the spot. The two children were taken hostage and released later in a ceasefire. Dror’s fate was unknown until May of 2024, when authorities determined based on intelligence that he too had been killed and his body held in Gaza.
In a statement issued by Kibbutz Beeri, they described Dror Or as an “exemplary family man, a devoted friend, a calm, pleasant and kindhearted man with a gentle sense of humor and high sensitivity towards his surroundings. He loved good food, basketball, trips around the world, yoga exercises and even taught yoga himself.”
With this handover, there remain two deceased hostages held in Gaza. Sudthisak Rinthalak, a Thai agricultural worker, who was murdered on October 7, 2023 in Kibbutz Beeri. Ran Gvili, an Israeli police officer who rushed to the front lines on October 7 despite being on medical leave due to a surgery on his shoulder. He was abducted after being shot by Hamas terrorists. Before that, he reportedly eliminated 14 terrorists. In January 2024, Israeli authorities informed his family that he had been killed.
According to the ceasefire which went into effect six weeks ago, Hamas was supposed to hand over all hostages living and dead within 72 hours.
The IDF continues to clear out tunnels in Rafah. Yesterday six Hamas gunmen were eliminated in one encounter with the IDF.
In the West Bank, the IDF and the Shin Bet launched a major counterterrorism operation focused on the villages of Tamunn and Tubas, between Nablus and Jenin. Citing unnamed Israeli security officials, Ynet reports that the goal of the operation is “to prevent terrorists from regrouping and evolving into battalion-like formations, similar to the situation that existed in parts of the West Bank until about two years ago.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu met separately yesterday with both Defence Minister Katz and IDF Chief of General Staff Zamir in an attempt to bring to a close the public dispute the two have had over investigations into the failures on October 7.

Context: Conflicting reports emerged yesterday about Hamas’ grip on power in Gaza and its future plans as the first phase of the ceasefire nears its end.

The London-based, Saudi-backed Al-Sharq al-Awsat reported that Hamas leaders both inside the Gaza Strip and abroad are considering dissolving their armed wing and reconstituting themselves as a political party, possibly even under the umbrella of the PLO. According to the report, Hamas leaders have raised the possibility in discussions with Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt.
Israeli defence officials, meanwhile, presented the cabinet with worrying signs of Hamas reestablishing its prewar bases of power in the Strip. In the areas beyond the Yellow Line, there are reports, Hamas has gradually reestablished complete control, deploying police and checkpoints and collecting taxes. In total, 13 out of 25 municipalities have resumed full activity, all under Hamas control.
On the Israeli side of the Yellow Line, pockets of Hamas gunmen remain holed up in tunnels that the IDF is gradually dismantling. Estimates suggest security sources claiming that hundreds of metres of tunnels have been demolished, together with 15 tunnel shafts and 40 buildings that hid the shafts or served as terrorist bases. Troops quoted in the report say that Hamas gunmen found in the tunnels have two choices: “surrender or death.”
A feud has been raging at the apex of the Israeli security establishment about responsibility and lesson learning from the October 7, and the extent to which it should be limited to the military and intelligence services.
Following a military investigation written over the course of seven months by 12 major-generals and brigadier-generals – known as the Turjeman report – (itself an investigation of previous IDF investigations into combat and intelligence failures) Chief of Staff Zamir last week summoned senior officers implicated in the October 7 failures, including many long out of active duty. He informed them that they were being dismissed for their roles in the IDF’s failures to anticipate and properly repel the attack.
Together with the dismissals, Zamir also announced several new appointments and promotions. Defence Minister Katz intervened to freeze the appointments and asked to revisit the Turjeman report. Mutual leaks ensued, with associates of both men accusing the other of undermining each other’s authority and impugning the other’s motives.
Yediot Ahronot reported that in the Prime Minister’s orbit there were those who accused Katz of “primary-season tweeting.” Anonymous sources close to Netanyahu say that the Prime Minister regrets appointing Zamir, who has proven to be much more independent than was hoped for.

Looking ahead: With the public spat between Defence Minister Katz and IDF Chief of General Staff Zamir dominating headlines in Israel, Israel Hayom reports that the Prime Minister is considering a cabinet reshuffle that would, among other things, reassign Katz to the Energy Ministry.

In the reshuffle under consideration, Foreign Minster Gideon Saar would take over at Defence, and Eli Cohen would return to the Foreign Ministry. Katz and Cohen were originally slated to rotate at the Foreign and Energy Ministries, but the firing of Gallant and the rejoining of Saar to the coalition saw both men assume different posts.

November 25, 2025

Palestinian Islamic Jihad claim to have found another deceased hostage

Hostage body: Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) has claimed that it has located the body of one of the remaining hostages following a search in central Gaza.

So far there has been no announcement of when the body will be handed over to Israel.
The discovery was made following five days of searches by PIJ operatives alongside representatives from Egypt and the Red Cross in the Nuseirat area in the centre of the Strip.
The last hostage returned was the body of Meny Goddard two weeks ago.
Three deceased hostages remain in Gaza. These include two Israeli citizens, Ran Gvili and Dror Or, as well as one Thai citizen Sudthisak Rinthalak.
- Ran Gvili (24) was an Israeli Border Policeman who reportedly eliminated 14 terrorists before he was killed and his body taken to Gaza (the IDF declared his death in January 2024).
- Dror Or (49) and his wife, Yonat, were murdered from their home in Beeri. His body taken to Gaza, along with their two children, Noam and Alma, who were released in the November 2023 deal.
- Sudthisak Rienthalak (43) was a Thai agricultural worker, who was kidnapped while working in the orchards of Kibbutz Beeri. It is noteworthy that the Hamas attack on October 7 attack did not only target Israeli Jews, but also Muslims and Christians from around the world who happened to be in southern Israel on that fateful morning.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad is the second-largest Palestinian terrorist group, responsible for numerous atrocities and the murder of Israeli hostages. They are closely aligned with, and backed by, Iran.
Prime Minister Netanyahu condemned the delays in handing over the deceased hostages: “In light of the Islamic Jihad’s announcement regarding the location of findings related to a deceased hostage, Israel views with severity the delay in their immediate transfer into its hands. This constitutes a further violation of the agreement. Israel demands the immediate return of the three deceased hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip.”

Ongoing IDF operations: The IDF continues to operate in the designated Green Zone, in the Israeli controlled side of the Yellow Line.

In the Rafah area in the south troops continue to dismantle the remaining terror tunnels in the area. According to the IDF “Over the weekend, 17 terrorists emerged from an underground tunnel route in the area. Following significant combat…11 of the terrorists inside the route were eliminated.” A further six were arrested and taken for questioning.
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit confirmed, “As part of the activity over the past week, hundreds of meters of underground tunnel routes were dismantled, and more than 60 targets were struck, including approximately 15 tunnel shafts and around 40 structures used by the terrorist organisations in the Gaza Strip. Additionally, a Hamas flag, military gear, and weapons were located in the Rafah area along the yellow line, including: firearms, rifles, explosive devices, magazines, and other weapons.”
In a separate incident on Monday, several terrorists were identified crossing the yellow line and approaching IDF troops in the northern Gaza Strip, which according to the IDF posed, “an immediate threat,” two terrorists were eliminated.
These type of engagements have reoccurred several times in the last month. According to the terms of the ceasefire agreement, they constitute breaches by Hamas, and Israel has freedom of action to respond and defend their forces.
In the West Bank, counter terror commandos eliminated a Palestinian who had been on the run for the last 18 months, after killing two IDF soldiers in a car ramming attack outside Nablus in May 2024. Following the attack he had turned himself in to the Palestinian police, but they released him after he claimed the incident was a traffic accident rather than a nationalistically motivated attack. Since then, he had been considered a wanted terrorist.

Advancing towards the ‘Day After’: For Israel, the return of the remaining three hostages – as agreed upon in the Trump Plan – remains the first condition that needs to be met. After that the disarming of Hamas and the decommissioning of their weapons remain the priority.

Israel is able to do this in the areas under its control – those that are closest to the border and the civilian communities, (although the work is painstakingly difficult and slow).
The planning and coordination for the International Stabilisation Force (ISF) continues to be led by the US in the CMCC (Civil Military Coordination Center) based in Kiryat Gat, and includes representatives from 21 countries, although not Turkey, Qatar or the Palestinian Authority.
Despite the received UN mandate last week, there remain many unanswered questions for the ISF. These include: what weapons will they have? What will be their rules of engagement? How will they be coordinated with the IDF? How are they expected to locate and destroy tunnels, confiscating weapons – by consent or by force? There is scepticism if this force will even be formed and deployed. So far there have been no countries willing to send troops for this mission.
At this point the IDF sees the advantage in being able to share monitoring with the international representatives at the CMCC. For example they share how Hamas commandeers the majority of the 600+ aid trucks that enter Gaza every day. Similarly the IDF are sharing their intelligence on Hamas efforts to reassert control and reorganise their military structure.
Earlier this week, Palestinian Authority deputy chairman Hussein al-Sheikh met with former Prime Minister Tony Blair in Ramallah. According to Sheikh’s post on X, the pair discussed issues related to the “day after” the war in Gaza, as well as issues related to the West Bank and Palestinian statehood.
According to COGAT, Israel assisted close to 300 Gazans in need of medical treatment this week, enabling them and their escorts to leave Gaza overland into Jordan on their way to unspecified third countries.

Designating Muslim Brotherhood: President Trump announced that he has commissioned a report to ascertain if “certain chapters” of the Muslim Brotherhood can be designated Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs).

The US will now begin the process of labelling Muslim Brotherhood chapters as terrorist organisations which would bring sanctions against the movements.
Trump signed an executive order directing Secretary of State Rubio and Treasury Secretary Bessent to submit a report within 45 days on whether to designate any Muslim Brotherhood chapters, such as those in Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan. The order notably omitted to mention Turkey or Qatar.
Prime Minister Netanyahu commended President Trump, “on his decision to outlaw and designate the ‘Muslim Brotherhood’ organisation as a terrorist organisation.” Netanyahu added that the Muslim Brotherhood “endangers stability throughout the Middle East and also beyond the Middle East.
In the UK, Reform announced at their conference last month that, if they form the next government, they would proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood.

November 20, 2025

Mossad foils Hamas plot in Europe

What’s happened: The Prime Minister’s Office announced yesterday the conclusion of a complex antiterrorist operation conducted by the Mossad in cooperation with law enforcing authorities across Europe that led to the disruption of a massive Hamas network that was preparing terrorist attacks in Europe.

According to the announcement, arrests were made in Germany, Austria, and the UK, and large weapons caches were discovered in Austria and possibly elsewhere as well.
The terrorists involved coordinated with Hamas operatives in Turkey and Qatar. The announcement sparked some media interest in Israel yesterday, but was little noted abroad, though the discovery of a weapons cache in Austria was reported abroad two weeks ago.
According to the PMO, Hamas operative Mahmoud Nayim was arrested in the UK in November 2025.
In its statement the Austrian Directorate for State Security and Intelligence (DSN) specified that “Among the seized items were tens of thousands of euros in cash, numerous data storage devices and mobile phones, gas pistols, firearms, ammunition, knives, and related literature.”
The Prime Minister’‘s office warned that: “Since the October 7 massacre, the Hamas terrorist organisation has been working with renewed vigour to build infrastructure and recruit terrorist cells in Europe and other arenas, similar to the Iranian regime and its proxies.” Reiterating Mossad’s commitment to countering terrorism “The Mossad, together with its partners in the Israeli and global intelligence and security communities, is leading extensive efforts to thwart terrorism against Israeli, Jewish, and innocent targets worldwide.”

November 20, 2025

IDF operations across Gaza, Lebanon and Syria

What’s happened: Hamas terrorists opened fire on an IDF position in Khan Yunis on the Israeli side of the Yellow Line.

In response, the IDF carried out a wave of strikes on Hamas positions including in Gaza City and al-Muwasi area. Israel’s Kan radio reported this morning that the commander of Hamas’ Zeitoun battalion, who also served as the organisation’s chief of naval forces, was eliminated in the IDF operation.
The IDF also carried out extensive operations in Lebanon yesterday. A weapons storage facility in southern Lebanon was destroyed by the Israeli Air Force hours after the IDF Spokesperson called on civilians to evacuate the site. Other Hezbollah targets were struck throughout the day yesterday, especially around Beit Lif, where, according to Israeli officials, Hezbollah was reestablishing terrorist infrastructure and where the Lebanese Armed Forces were refusing to operate.
Prime Minister Netanyahu toured the buffer zone in Syria held by the IDF since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. Speaking to Israeli soldiers, he said, “We attach immense importance to our capability here, both defensive and offensive, safeguarding our Druze allies, and especially safeguarding the State of Israel and its northern border opposite the Golan Heights. This is a mission that can develop at any moment, but we are counting on you.”

Context: IDF operations yesterday in both Gaza and Lebanon are potent reminders of how different the current ceasefires are from those which ended previous rounds of fighting — and how different Israel’s approach to forward defence is in a post-October 7 world.

The IDF’s overwhelming response to a shooting attack in which no Israelis were injured is an indication that as far as Israel is concerned the containment policies of previous ceasefires no longer holds. Not only will the IDF respond to any provocation, but Israel will prefer not to move on to the next stage of the ceasefire without all the terms of the first stage being met, namely the return of all hostages, including deceased hostages.
The bodies of three Israeli hostages are still in Gaza and have not been returned. This may yet turn into a point of contention with the Trump administration, which is likely to want to move forward even if all the terms of the first phase are not met entirely.
Israeli officials continue to brief local media that they do not believe that the Lebanese Armed Forces will successfully disarm Hezbollah. The IDF has conducted attacks on targets affiliated with both Hezbollah and Hamas in Lebanese territory. An unnamed Israeli official told Israel Hayom that “the Lebanese Armed Forces are not doing enough. The truth of the matter is that I don’t see the Lebanese Armed Forces disarming Hezbollah. Only the IDF will disarm Hezbollah.”

Looking ahead: The Supreme Court ordered the Government to produce an explanation within 45 days of why it has not yet formed a State Commission of Inquiry to investigate the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023.

This court order came in response to a petition from several Israeli civil society groups demanding such a Commission of Inquiry.
The Government has refused to approve such a commission, arguing that the role of the President of the Supreme Court in choosing the composition of the commission, as called for by the relevant Israeli laws, would bias it against the Government.
Instead, it announced earlier this week a ministerial panel — all of whose members save one were in ministerial posts on October 7 — that will organise a special investigative committee that will not be an official State Commission of Inquiry and whose membership “will reflect as broad a public consensus as possible.”
The latter commitment is widely interpreted as ensuring that any committee includes right-wing backers of the governing coalition.

November 18, 2025

Netanyahu welcomes UN vote on Gaza

What’s happened: The United Nations Security Council approved Resolution 2803, endorsing President Trump’s Comprehensive Plan and granting an international mandate for the creation of an International Stabilisation Force to operate in Gaza for the next two years.

The resolution explicitly references both the Board of Peace, a body to be managed by the Trump Administration and a “path to a Palestinian state.”
The UNSC resolution authorises Trump’s Board of Peace to oversee governance of the strip until December 31, 2027. The Board of Peace will be empowered to appoint a “technocratic, apolitical committee of competent Palestinians from the Strip” to manage the day-to-day affairs of the Gaza Strip.
The resolution also authorises the World Bank to allocate financial resources for the reconstruction of Gaza and calls for the establishment of an international trust fund for Gaza reconstruction.
The Board of Peace will oversee the International Stabilisation Force, a multination armed force operating with a UN mandate that will “coordinate” with Israel and Egypt for security missions in the Gaza Strip, including training and support Palestinian police personnel, securing humanitarian corridors, and securing border areas.
PM Netanyahu reacted to the vote by praising the Trump plan. In a post on X, he wrote that “The State of Israel and PM Netanyahu applaud President @realDonaldTrump and his tireless and devoted team. The courage and sacrifice of our brave soldiers, along with President Trump’s diplomatic efforts, helped bring home all of the living hostages and most of the deceased ones. and saying it “will lead to peace.”
Before the vote, at the start of the Government meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu reiterated that his “opposition to a Palestinian state in any territory has not changed one bit.”
Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon also praised the adoption of the resolution, emphasising that Israel would not compromise on the implementation of the resolution’s demands for full Hamas disarmament. “As we are determined to bring back all the hostages, we will display the same determination and ensure that Hamas is disarmed,” he said. “We will not stop and will not rest until Hamas is not a threat to the State of Israel.”
The Palestinian Authority’s Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin also praised the resolution’s adoption, calling it a “first step in a long road towards peace.” Speaking to reporters in the Philippines, she said that “we could not embark on anything else before we had a ceasefire.”
Hamas issued a statement rejecting the UN Security Council resolution, saying that it did not address the Palestinians’ rights and demands. It further indicated that it would not cooperate with any attempt to disarm the organisation.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres hailed the resolution’s adoption and said that it was “essential now to translate the diplomatic momentum into concrete and urgently needed steps on the ground.”

Context: Despite reservations about some of the language – specifically relating to a pathway to a Palestinian state – Israel accepted the resolution as it sees it as a natural progression towards the next stage of the Trump 20 Point Plan.

According to Israel Hayom, Israel was opposed to the changes in the text’s wording, but later dropped its opposition after receiving private commitments from the Trump administration that the state envisioned in the resolution, as far as the US administration is concerned, is in line with the 2020 “Deal of the Century” proposal of the first Trump administration, and not one that see the entirety of the West Bank and Gaza handed over to a fully sovereign Palestinian state.
China and Russia abstained in the vote on the resolution’s adoption. Either country could have vetoed the resolution had they been so inclined. Both expressed serious reservations about the outsized role of the US, particularly the implied mandate of President Trump’s Board of Peace to govern Gaza.
In an earlier Russian draft, the Board of Peace was unmentioned entirely. The Chinese and Russians were concerned that the ISF would essentially be reporting to the Board of Peace and through it to Washington. Ultimately, in the approved text, the Board of Peace retains the powers Trump had sought for it, but the ISF has to report back to the Security Council every six months.
Algeria, the only member of the UN Arab Group currently on the Security Council voted in favour of the resolution, but only after securing language on Palestinian statehood that went beyond the wording in Trump’s 20-point plan or the original American draft of the resolution.
Algeria’s ambassador told the Council that “genuine peace in the Middle East cannot be achieved without justice, justice for the Palestinian people, who have waited for decades for the creation of their independent state.”
Algeria was not alone on insisting on these changes to the resolution’s text. The New York Times reports that other countries on the Security Council, including France, Guyana, Pakistan, Slovenia, and Somalia, pushed for more forceful language on Palestinian statehood.
The resolution stipulates that after the Palestinian Authority reforms itself and reconstruction of Gaza progresses, “conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.”

Looking ahead: The mandate of the ISF goes far beyond mere peacekeeping and includes disarmament.

The question of when the ISF could begin operating remains open.
Though the Security Council resolution gives it a mandate to disarm Hamas, no country presently seems willing to take on the task.
It can’t be effective in the parts of Gaza under Hamas control while Hamas forces still operate there as quasi-sovereign military and police force. It could conceivably operate in areas the IDF vacates, but Israel won’t vacate these areas until some kind of Hamas disarmament is achieved.
President Trump is due to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman today in the White House. Their discussions could have far-reaching implications for the entire regional alliance structure following both the Gaza War and the Twelve Day War with Iran.
Trump announced yesterday his intention to sell the Saudis F-35 fighter jets, a move that could put Israel’s qualitative military edge at risk.
Previous US administration’s (including Trump’s) had conditioned any such sale on Saudi commitments to scale back relations with China and to normalise relations with Israel. It is not yet clear what Trump will be expecting from the Saudis in return for the sale announced yesterday.

Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood

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