Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-12-07 at 23:07 cover art

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-12-07 at 23:07

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-12-07 at 23:07

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 HEADLINESTrilateral NY talks push Gaza ceasefireInternational stabilization force eyed for GazaQatar vows no reconstruction funding without settlementThe time is now 6:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.In New York, a high level trilateral meeting underscores heightened efforts to steady a volatile Gaza ceasefire, with a senior Qatari official, Mossad Director David Barnea, and Steve Witkoff taking part in a session hosted by Witkoff. The gathering is part of a new mechanism designed to repair ties that were strained after a September strike in Doha and to advance negotiations into the second phase of the United States‑brokered plan for Gaza.The talks come as Hamas signals flexibility on the most contentious question of the truce: its weapons. A senior Hamas official, Bassem Naim, told The Associated Press in Doha that Hamas is open to a “freezing or storing” of its arsenal, as part of a broader ceasefire framework that would shift Gaza onto a longer‑term track. Naim said Hamas could consider a five to ten year postponement of weapon use, with Palestinian guarantees ensuring weapons would not be used during the ceasefire period. He stressed that the idea remains conditional on clarifications to the Trump administration’s twenty‑point plan and the operations of any international force authorized to oversee the agreement.Israel’s leadership has repeatedly linked the future of the truce to Hamas disarmament. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu noted that the first phase of the ceasefire is nearly complete and that the next stage would begin soon, a development that would bring the fragile pause into its more complex second phase. Israel has warned that disarmament remains a central objective and has suggested it would pursue it “the hard way” if necessary, while stressing the need for security guarantees and enforcement mechanisms.A focal point of the broader strategy is the anticipated deployment of an international stabilization force to Gaza, a component of the second phase that still requires detailed agreement on its composition, command, and authorities. United States officials have signaled that readiness is growing for a force presence in the Gaza Strip as the plan moves toward implementation, potentially early next year and more fully by 2026. Hamas has indicated it would welcome a force near the borders to monitor the ceasefire and report violations, so long as it does not extend its mandate to operate inside Palestinian territories.The negotiations also contemplate the creation of a technocratic Palestinian governing committee to manage daily life in Gaza, along with a gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops and the rebuilding of the enclave. Qatar has underscored, however, that while it supports Palestinian relief and humanitarian assistance, it will not finance reconstruction beyond humanitarian efforts. Doha’s position places the burden of reconstruction on a broader donor coalition and the international community, not solely on Qatar.The second phase addresses disarmament and postwar governance. The mediators say progress will require convergence on a disarmament plan—beginning with heavier weapons and, over time, smaller arms—and a clear governance framework to replace Hamas in governing Gaza. A United States official emphasized that even as discussions progress, Hamas has indicated a willingness to hand over control of Gaza to a Palestinian technocratic government, while maintaining its right to armed resistance in a broader political context. The parties are also negotiating how to establish sustainable governance, security arrangements, and guarantees to prevent a relapse into renewed conflict.In Doha, Qatar’s prime minister reiterated a careful stance: Qatar will continue supporting the Palestinian people and will contribute humanitarian aid, but it will not underwrite reconstruction that others have destroyed. He suggested that reconstruction funding must come with credible pathways to a political settlement, including a viable route to a Palestinian state, a position reflecting a broader Gulf posture that links relief to a political horizon.Beyond Gaza, regional dynamics remain unsettled. Turkish forces reportedly conducted incursions into northern Syria from multiple directions, targeting Kurdish positions, a development that adds to regional tensions and complicates an already crowded security landscape. In the West Bank, Israeli forces conducted operations in which a suspect attempted to ram a military unit near a highway; the exchange of fire followed, with no Israeli casualties reported and the suspect sought by security forces.In a different front of crisis management, Nigerian authorities reported the release of as many as one hundred kidnapped schoolchildren in a development welcomed by church leaders and state officials seeking confirmation of the information. Official verification remained pending as ...
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