Israel News
Daily Alert
Netanyahu: Trump Said "You Have Got to Get Hamas to Disarm"
on December 31, 2025
(Fox News) Lindsay Kornick -
After his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News on Tuesday that when discussing plans to implement the second phase of the Gaza peace deal, "He cut right to the chase. He said...the real thing is, you have got to get Hamas to disarm. He just banged the nail on the head." Netanyahu said his main takeaway from the meeting was the reassuring strength and alliance between Israel and the U.S.
"If we disarm Hamas, whether with an international force or by any other means, yes, I see a different future for Gaza," Netanyahu said. "And this is the one remaining step. Everybody understands that. I think Hamas understands it. That's why they don't want to do it. Because, you know, the point here is not to negotiate with Hamas. That's not the job. Their job is to vanish, stop, no more. And you know who wants it more than anyone else? The people of Gaza."
Economic Crisis Sparks Biggest Protests in Iran since 2022
on December 31, 2025
(Guardian-UK) Deepa Parent -
The sudden loss of purchasing power pushed Alborz, a textile merchant in Isfahan, to close his shop and take to the streets, joining merchants across Iran who shuttered their stores and students who took over their campuses to protest against declining economic conditions. Protests have spread from the capital, Tehran, to cities across Iran.
"What will my children eat? Do we have to bring suitcases of cash to simply buy bread? Do you find that normal?" Alborz told the Guardian. Food prices are up by 72% on average compared with the same time last year.
The protests are the largest in Iran since 2022. Women's rights activists, shopkeepers and students have begun chanting "death to the dictator." "Yesterday, we blocked roads and stopped the security forces from advancing. People sat on the roads and chanted that they could kill us, but we wouldn't let them pass. We are not going to open shops until the regime weakens further," said Alborz.
U.S. and Allies Kill or Capture 25 ISIS Operatives in Syria
on December 31, 2025
(U.S. Central Command) U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and partners across Syria killed or captured nearly 25 ISIS operatives during 11 missions conducted Dec. 20-29. The operations also led to the elimination of four ISIS weapons caches. These missions followed attacks by U.S. and Jordanian forces on 70 targets on Dec. 19.
"Continuing to hunt down terrorist operatives, eliminate ISIS networks, and work with partners to prevent an ISIS resurgence makes America, the region, and the world safer," said Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM.
Iran Designates Royal Canadian Navy a Terrorist Organization
on December 31, 2025
(AFP) The Iranian Foreign Ministry designated the Royal Canadian Navy a terrorist organization on Tuesday in retaliation for Canada's 2024 blacklisting of Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a terror group. One of the reasons behind Ottawa's decision was the downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 by the IRGC in 2020, killing all 176 passengers and crew, including 85 Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
Rome Church Fundraiser "Made a Bundle of Cash for Hamas Terrorists"
on December 31, 2025
(Telegraph-UK) Josephine McKenna -
The San Lorenzo in Lucina church, one of the oldest and most beautiful churches in Rome, hosted a fundraising event in 2024 in support of Gaza. Donors believed the money raised at the "Peace Convoy for Gaza" would help Palestinians suffering during the war with Israel.
In reality, their donations ended up in the hands of killers, terrorists, and the families of suicide bombers as part of an elaborate operation to use "fictitious charities" to fund Hamas from Italy, police say. Three sham Italian charities transferred funds through Turkish associations to 19 Palestinian organizations in Gaza, Hebron, Ramallah and Bethlehem "belonging to, controlled by, or otherwise linked to Hamas."
Egypt Buys Chinese Combat Drones for $400 Million
on December 31, 2025
(Defence Blog) Dylan Malyasov -
Egypt has reportedly signed a contract worth $400 million to acquire 10 Chinese-made WJ-700 unmanned combat aerial vehicles. The WJ-700 uses jet propulsion and can reach attack speeds of 700 km. per hour. It can operate at high altitude, up to 50,000 feet, outside the engagement envelope of many air defense systems.
Egypt's New Artillery from South Korea Is a Warning to Israel
on December 31, 2025
(National Interest) Brandon J. Weichert -
Egypt is currently undertaking a rapid military expansion and modernization program - one that mirrors several countries including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey. In December, the Egyptian Armed Forces publicly displayed a complete K9 artillery battery for the first time, including six 155mm self-propelled howitzers.
South Korea has partnered with Egypt under a technology transfer plan to provide hundreds of K9s and support systems, to be assembled in Egypt. The deal between Egypt and South Korea's Hanwha Aerospace is worth $1.7 billion.
Israel, U.S. Set Two-Month Deadline for Hamas Disarmament
on December 31, 2025
(Israel Hayom) Ariel Kahana -
Israel and the U.S. will give Hamas a two-month window to disarm, Israel Hayom has learned, following a meeting between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump in Florida on Monday. Professional teams from both countries are working to establish clear, mutually agreed criteria defining what would constitute the practical disarmament of Hamas. Both Israel and the U.S. agree that allowing Hamas to retain most of the weapons and military capabilities currently in its possession would be unacceptable.
It was also agreed that Hamas's disarmament and the demilitarization of Gaza would include the destruction of its underground tunnel network. If Hamas does not disarm, responsibility for the next steps would revert to the Israel Defense Forces.
Gaza-Egypt Crossing to Reopen following Trump-Netanyahu Meeting
on December 31, 2025
(Israel Hayom) Danny Zaken -
Following a conversation between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt is set to reopen, an American official told Israel Hayom.
U.S. Planning New Gaza Neighborhoods
on December 31, 2025
(Jerusalem Post) Yonah Jeremy Bob -
The U.S.-led Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) is planning new neighborhoods on the Israeli-controlled side of Rafah in Gaza as well as the deployment of an International Stabilization Force (ISF). Currently, the CMCC is working to coordinate the IDF's clearing of tunnels from specific areas in Rafah so that they will be ready for new construction.
The strategy is to focus on the areas where the remaining Hamas tunnels can be cleared the fastest and place some Gazans in temporary residential units that are superior to tents. The CMCC is coordinating with the Israel Security Agency to set up a process for vetting Gazans who wish to move from Hamas-controlled areas into the new Israeli-controlled neighborhoods. No one associated with Hamas will be allowed to move in.
U.S. Command Center Reveals IDF Positions in Gaza during Briefing with Arab States
on December 31, 2025
(Ynet News) Amir Ettinger -
During a briefing at the U.S.-led Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) in Kiryat Gat in December attended by intelligence officials from Jordan, Egypt, the UAE and other nations, U.S. drone footage showing IDF combat units in Gaza was displayed. A senior Israeli officer demanded that the image be removed. Protocols for the multinational briefing explicitly restrict imagery to humanitarian aid logistics, such as truck convoys, and prohibit showing Israeli troops in the field.
Israel's Population Reaches 10.18 Million
on December 31, 2025
(Times of Israel) Zev Stub -
Israel's population rose to 10.178 million in 2025, the Central Bureau of Statistics said on Dec. 31. The population includes 7.771 million Jews and non-Arab Christians (76%), 2.147 million Arabs (21%), and 260,000 foreigners (3%).
U.S. Lacks the Tools to Engineer a Major Shift in Gaza
on December 31, 2025
(Ynet News) Ron Ben-Yishai -
After Monday's meeting between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, it appears no major decisions were reached and no serious disputes erupted. In Gaza, the Yellow Line remains in place, possibly for years. In other arenas, Israel remains largely free to act as it sees fit. Trump echoed talking points closely aligned with Netanyahu's messaging, both in his public opening remarks and behind closed doors.
The U.S. has not succeeded in assembling a stabilization force for Gaza, a key prerequisite for implementing the second phase of Trump's peace plan. Only Turkey and Italy have expressed readiness to participate, but Israel has ruled out any Turkish role and Trump made clear he does not intend to force Israel to accept Turkish involvement near its borders.
The Palestinian governing body meant to administer Gaza does not yet exist even on paper. Without a viable plan for Gaza as a whole, Trump and his envoys have little incentive to clash with Netanyahu or demand further Israeli withdrawals. The bottom line is that Washington currently lacks both the tools and the readiness to engineer a major shift in Gaza, Iran or other active fronts.
Are the Foundations of Hamas's Power Beginning to Crack?
on December 31, 2025
(Ha'aretz) Jack Khoury -
Hamas's narrative of "business as usual" collides with the domestic reality of Gaza. Hamas has lost most of its local leadership, a substantial part of its military powers, its rocket capabilities, and ammunition production capacity.
As Hamas continues to repeat its mantra of "liberation and resistance," it has lost control of half of Gaza's territory, and there appears to be no clear prospect of an Israeli withdrawal. Hamas is also struggling to meet the basic humanitarian needs of residents living in Gaza: food, shelter, health and education.
The Palestinian public in Gaza has undergone a substantial change, explains Mustafa Ibrahim, a Gaza resident and researcher of Palestinian society. Whereas "steadfastness" was once considered Hamas's source of public credibility, today, legitimacy is measured by the ability to ensure people's lives. Those who protect people from hunger, cold, and disease succeed. Those who wave flags bearing slogans of resistance do not.
Is This the End for the Islamic Republic of Iran?
on December 31, 2025
(Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs) Ella Rosenberg and Sogand Fakheri -
The current unrest in Iran is not merely another wave of dissent; it is a direct response to the most catastrophic economic crisis since the 1979 Revolution. By late December 2025, the Iranian rial effectively collapsed. The monthly minimum wage has plummeted to $100, placing Iranian workers at the bottom of the region, just above war-torn Yemen. For the average family, a middle-class standard of living now requires 600 million rials per month, four times the current minimum wage. 60% of the population now lives below the poverty line.
The regime is funneling billions into the IRGC and regional proxies like Hizbullah even as major cities suffer from rolling blackouts and a severe drought that has led to water rationing. The 12-day war with Israel in June drained the last of Iran's liquid reserves.
For the first time, analysts believe the regime is facing a structural failure that cannot be solved by a simple crackdown. Previous uprisings were met by a unified security elite; today, that elite is fracturing. Regular army soldiers, suffering from the same inflation as the civilians they are ordered to suppress, are increasingly showing signs of "passive resistance."
The question is no longer if the regime will face a reckoning, but how it will survive a winter where it can provide neither heat nor hope.
Ella Rosenberg is a senior research fellow at the JCFA focusing on Iran and counter-terror financing. Sogand Fakheri is an Iranian-born actress and JCFA Iran affairs commentator who moved to Israel in 2007.
Iran Protests Are about Far More than Cost of Living
on December 31, 2025
(Jewish Chronicle-UK) Jonathan Harounoff -
Many headlines are reducing what is unfolding in Iran to unrest triggered merely by a plunging currency. But such framing is not only incomplete, but dangerously misleading. The demonstrations now rippling through cities far beyond Tehran are the latest chapter in a decades-long struggle for dignity and freedom.
Yes, the economy is in crisis. But what we are witnessing is the culmination of 46 years of accumulated grievance. Iranians are protesting against a rotten system that has continued to fail them in every way.
They are protesting against the routine use of violence, arbitrary detention and lethal force against citizens who dare to dissent. They are protesting against the persecution of minorities, from Kurds and Baluchis to Baha'is and Lurs, who have borne the brunt of systematic discrimination. They are protesting against the daily war waged against women, whose bodies, hair and choices are policed as instruments of ideology.
They are protesting against corruption so entrenched that even formal resignations at the top, like that of the central bank governor this week, appears less like accountability and more like theater. They are protesting against environmental ruin and water bankruptcy, the result of mismanagement that has left once-fertile regions parched and unlivable.
The people of Iran deserve better than a regime that pours vast sums into foreign terrorist militias while its own citizens struggle to afford bread and medicine. This year alone, a billion dollars was sent to Hizbullah. The people of Iran are not asking to be rescued. They are demanding to be seen.
The writer is Israel's international spokesperson at the UN.
About the New Iranian Protests
on December 31, 2025
(Wall Street Journal) Editorial -
Remember the predictions from experts that a military strike on Iran's nuclear sites would cause Iranians to rally behind their regime? You can junk that. The Iranian people are marching in protest only months after the Israel-U.S. attack.
The regime has typically responded to protests with beatings, arrests, torture and shootings. But this time its initial response was more cautious, as if it realized the danger of a broad anti-government uprising. Iran says it arrested 21,000 "suspects" during the June war, and human-rights groups have documented a surge of executions since then, most carried out in secret. This repression makes the continuing protests all the more remarkable.
The Iranians risking their lives deserve meaningful support. This can mean restoring internet access when the regime cuts it off, unmasking regime thugs, and much more. Most important is to keep the economic pressure on the regime. Iran has been able to evade sanctions enough that its oil exports are at new highs - two million barrels a day, 20 times the U.S. target. This mocks Mr. Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign. The Ayatollah depends on oil revenue to keep his commanders loyal and troops' rifles aimed at their own people. If the money stops flowing, the loyalties of the regime enforcers may change.
Hizbullah Remains Entrenched in Southern Lebanon
on December 31, 2025
(Israel Hayom) Lilach Shoval -
The American deadline to Lebanon's government requiring Hizbullah's full disarmament by year's end expired Wednesday. The IDF said Hizbullah breached the ceasefire 2,024 times. Defense sources said Lebanese officials are falsely portraying progress in neutralizing Hizbullah.
Beirut maintains that 90-95% of the territory below the Litani River in southern Lebanon has been cleared. But Israeli intelligence noted that Lebanon's army won't enter private property and villages throughout the south, and that Hizbullah is actively working to restore its capabilities there.
Lebanon's military remains too feeble and insufficiently committed to truly dismantle Hizbullah. The IDF has spent months preparing for several days of renewed intensive combat in Lebanon in order to block Hizbullah's force restoration.
The U.S. Has a Lot to Gain from Israel's Tool Kit
on December 31, 2025
(Wall Street Journal) George Blumenthal -
The Arrow 3 missile-defense system - co-developed by Boeing and Israel Aerospace Industries - has demonstrated its effectiveness by intercepting and destroying more than 100 Iranian ballistic missiles since 2023. With a range exceeding 1,500 miles, exo-atmospheric interception capabilities, and kinetic "hit-to-kill" technology, Arrow 3 destroys long-range ballistic missiles far from populated areas.
Its defensive footprint is more than three times as large as the U.S. Patriot system, making it particularly well-suited for large-area defense. These characteristics align directly with President Trump's "Golden Dome" vision for U.S. homeland missile defense. Israel's wartime operational environment has consistently driven rapid innovation, allowing it to refine and improve military hardware under real combat conditions. That experience has benefited the U.S. for decades.
The Many Shades of Islam
on December 31, 2025
(Washington Times) Clifford D. May -
Many members of al-Qaeda, the Islamic State, the regime that rules Iran, Hizbullah, Hamas, and the Houthis self-identify as "Salafi-Jihadis," meaning they see their version of Islam as akin to that of the Prophet Muhammad's 7th century companions and followers whose armies marched out of Arabia, swords raised, conquering foreign peoples and settling in foreign lands. Vast Islamic empires and caliphates soon dominated much of the Middle East and North Africa, as well as significant swaths of Europe and Asia.
It was not until the 1920s, in the aftermath of World War I, that the Ottoman Empire collapsed. Hassan al-Banna, an Egyptian, saw this as a historic tragedy. In 1928, he founded the Muslim Brotherhood. Its mission is to reestablish Islamic supremacy and domination everywhere and anywhere.
Since then, Brotherhood theologians have provided inspiration to pretty much every group committed to waging jihad against Jews, Christians, Hindus, and others. Those "others" include Muslims who decline to embrace the jihadis' reading of Islam.
The writer is founder and president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
Tehran's Dreams of Hegemony over the Middle East Are Gone
on December 31, 2025
(JNS) Jonathan S. Tobin -
All over the globe, antisemitism is surging. Yet the meetings held in Florida this week between President Trump and other members of his administration with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu are a reason for optimism after the president expressed support for Netanyahu and aimed threats at Hamas and Iran.
The relationship between the two nations remains close and forward-thinking. During the last 12 months, the forces seeking Israel's destruction in the Middle East and elsewhere can definitively be described as the losers. Israel and the Jewish people remain stronger than at any other point in memory.
That's not the tone of most of the coverage of Israel and its ties with its ally. A constant drumbeat of stories has attempted to make the case that Trump and Netanyahu are on a certain collision course about the next steps with respect to conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Iran. But for now, claims that the alliance is about to crack up are wrong.
There is no doubt that Hamas is far weaker now than when it started the war, with no immediate prospect of becoming as dangerous as it was back in October 2023. Iran has suffered defeat after defeat since its leaders set in motion a multifront war against the Jewish state. Israel's 12-day campaign against Iran in June - which the U.S. eventually joined - did enormous damage to its military, in addition to significantly setting back its nuclear program. The assumption that it is a threshold nuclear power no longer holds true.
Iran's Hizbullah auxiliaries in Lebanon suffered a humiliating and catastrophic defeat as a result of Israel's 2024 campaign, which also led to the collapse of the Bashar Assad regime in Syria. The hopes of hegemony over the Middle East that the Tehran government dreamed of are gone. So, too, is the land bridge to the Mediterranean composed of its allies in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon - with which they sought to encircle Israel.
Countless generations of Jews who endured persecution, hardships and even attempts at their genocide have only dreamed of a situation as positive for Jewish life as the one that exists today despite all the sorrow that contemporary Jewry has endured since Oct. 7. This should encourage us to have faith that Israel and the Jewish people will continue to live and thrive. That will require the continued heroism of the Israeli people, bolstered by diaspora Jewry, to have the courage to stand up for their rights and bear witness against hatred and bigotry, wherever it is to be found.
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