Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-12-08 at 00:07 cover art

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-12-08 at 00:07

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-12-08 at 00:07

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 HEADLINES- New York talks shape Gaza ceasefire framework- Hamas hints at arms freeze with guarantees- US delivers bunkerbuster bombs to IsraelThe time is now 7:02 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.A senior Qatari official met in New York with Mossad Director David Barnea and Steve Witkoff in a trilateral discussion described by The Jerusalem Post as ongoing, focusing on Gaza, regional security, and the path toward a broader ceasefire framework brokered with US involvement. The talks come as Washington and allied capitals weigh how a second phase of the Gaza ceasefire should be structured, including how Hamas might de‑arming commitments could be verified and sustained.In Gaza, Hamas officials signaled openness to potential arrangements around the weapon issue as the US-led plan moves into its second phase. Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas’s political leadership, told The Associated Press in Doha that the group is prepared to consider “freezing or storing” its arms with Palestinian guarantees that they would not be used during a ceasefire period, while acknowledging that the broader peace plan requires clarifications. He framed October 7 as a defensive act and suggested that a five‑ to ten‑year horizon might be needed for negotiations on weapons and governance, with the possibility of a multinational stabilization force monitoring the agreement and a technocratic Palestinian governing body in Gaza. The plan also envisions a gradual Israeli troop redeployment and international involvement to oversee reconstruction, though Israel has insisted that any security arrangements be tied to complete disarmament of Hamas.Hamas officials say a long‑term framework is under discussion among guarantor states, including Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, and that the goal is to prevent escalations while preserving Hamas’s influence in Gaza. Israel has consistently linked its security to Hamas’s disarmament and has warned that it will pursue a hard line if the group refuses to surrender its weapons.Doha’s diplomacy underlines a broader pattern in which Qatar’s ties to Hamas are described by Doha as aimed at advancing peace efforts, a stance Qatar’s prime minister has recently defended as having begun at the request of the United States. The emphasis on dialogue with Hamas occurs alongside continuing talks about how to supervise and implement a potential ceasefire, the deployment and mandate of an International Stabilization Force, and the creation of a new Palestinian technocratic administration in Gaza.In Florida, attention is focused on a Trump–Netanyahu meeting that is expected to center on the second phase of the US plan for Gaza. Officials say the package envisions a multinational security presence, a Palestinian governing body in Gaza operating with a technocratic slate, and the gradual drawdown of Israeli forces, all under the oversight of an international board led by the United States to manage implementation and reconstruction. A key sticking point remains Hamas’s disarmament, which Prime Minister Netanyahu has tied to security guarantees and a definitive end to armed hostilities.Separately, in Israel, a domestic security development was reported in the settlement of Givat Ze’ev. Authorities said multiple guards employed by the private security firm involved were arrested on suspicions they facilitated the entry of illegal workers into the settlement and employed them illegally. Investigators say some of the suspects received bribes in the thousands of shekels in exchange for entry approvals. A former security official was described as coordinating funds, with other detainees from nearby areas. The detentions followed an undercover inquiry launched after an official complaint from the local council, and police say additional extensions of detention are anticipated this week.In a separate security operation, the Israeli military said an attacker attempted to ram a security force during an operation in the Burqin area of the Manasheh Brigade. Troops responded with gunfire, the vehicle was hit, and there were no Israeli casualties; security forces continue to search for the assailant.Meanwhile, reporting from Washington cites a discussion about military aid as part of the broader security handoff between the United States and Israel. A Fox News report cited a senior US official as saying Washington has transferred a substantial quantity of advanced, bunker‑buster capable smart bombs to Israel, intended to bolster capabilities for potential operations against fortified targets. The Pentagon and White House have stressed the intent of continuing close security cooperation, while emphasizing the protection of civilians in Gaza and a clear path to de‑escalation.The ongoing exchange of views—between regional actors, Palestinian factions, and international guarantors—highlights the fragility of the current pause and the persistent gaps over ...
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