Dec. 29: PM says Trump set conditions Palestinian Authority must meet before it can return to Gaza

Trump says US ‘very seriously’ considering sale of F-35s to Turkey: ‘They’ll never use them against Israel’

US President Donald Trump says he is considering selling top-end F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, speaking during a visit by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“We’re thinking about it very seriously,” Trump says when asked about an F-35 deal for Turkey as he met Netanyahu at the US leader’s Florida club.

The United States booted Turkey from development of the F-35, a top-of-the-line stealth plane, in 2019 after the NATO ally went ahead with purchases of missile defense from Russia.

Trump, however, has warm relations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, despite the veteran Islamist-rooted leader’s fiery denunciations of Israel’s conduct in Gaza.

Israel has expressed concern in the past over the potential sale of the advanced F-35 fighter jets to Turkey and other nearby countries, as it is anxious to preserve its qualitative military edge in the region.

Asked about the potential for conflict between Israel and Turkey, Trump calls Erdogan “a very good friend.”

“I promise they’ll never use them on [Israel],” Trump says while walking out of the room. “We’re not going have a problem.”

Katz, Zamir honor 20 organizations, municipalities for exceptional support to reservists

Commemorating more than two years of war, Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir award the “Defense Minister’s Shield” to 20 local authorities, companies and academic institutions for exceptional, sustained support of Israel’s reservists and their families “over a prolonged period,” according to a joint statement from the IDF and Defense Ministry.

“Every day we see how our enemies do not stop for a moment,” Katz said at the ceremony. “Iran leads these efforts, and opposite them the IDF and the security forces operate nonstop — and the reservists stand at the center of thwarting these efforts.”

Thanking the award recipients, he added, “You are the vanguard of the State of Israel — and we salute you.”

Zamir stressed the importance of the link between the battlefield and civilian society, saying: “The security of the State of Israel is measured not only by the strength of combat systems and operational capabilities, but also by the ability to provide a broad, humane and comprehensive response to the needs of its fighters.”

He added that “the personal campaign of reservists does not end with their release from long and arduous reserve service,” calling for continued support as they return to family life, work and studies.

The award recipients were chosen by a professional committee with representatives from the Defense Ministry, the IDF, local government, the business sector and higher education.

Winners included six municipalities and regional councils, 10 companies and employers, and four academic institutions recognized for “policies and initiatives that strengthen reservists during and after service.”

Trump: Saudis ‘getting along great with Israel,’ will sometime join Abraham Accords

US President Donald Trump reiterates that the Abraham Accords will be expanded “fairly quickly” and that Saudi Arabia will join “at some point.

“As far as I’m concerned, Saudi Arabia has done everything that we can ask for. They’re getting along great with Israel,” Trump says in response to a question on the matter.

Riyadh has recently been outspoken about its refusal to currently normalize ties with Israel, with former intelligence chief Prince Turki bin Faisal telling The Times of Israel this will only happen when the Jewish state “acts normally.”

Netanyahu says Trump set conditions Palestinian Authority must meet before it can return to Gaza

Asked whether the Palestinian Authority should be allowed to play a role in the postwar management of Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterates that the PA will have to implement “real reforms” and says President Donald Trump has set the necessary conditions.

“Stop ‘pay-to-slay,’ change the curriculum in your textbooks, open up a different society and a different future. If they do it, well, you know, I think it was clear. He put guidelines,” says Netanyahu, referring to Trump.

Ramallah says it is instituting reforms of its welfare and education programs but Israel has argued that they are not sufficient.

Trump dodges question on whether Israel should strike Hezbollah over refusal to disarm

Asked during a press briefing alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if Israel should strike Hezbollah in Lebanon over the terror group’s refusal to disarm, US President Donald Trump says: “We’re going to see about that.”

“The Lebanese government is at a little bit of a disadvantage with Hezbollah,” he continues, adding that Hezbollah “has been behaving badly.”

Asked how close the sides are to another war with Iran, Trump responds, “I don’t want to say that.”

“But Iran may be behaving badly. It hasn’t been confirmed, but if it’s confirmed, they know the consequences will be very powerful.”

Given his long insistence that the US “obliterated” the nuclear sites that it targeted in June, any new work by Iran is taking place at different locations, Trump claims.

He reiterates that he would support bilateral negotiations with Iran on its nuclear program.

Trump credits Erdogan with Assad’s fall in Syria, claims Netanyahu ‘agrees with that’

Israel and the US “have an understanding regarding Syria,” says US President Donald Trump alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago, while declining to elaborate.

Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa “has been with us all the way,” Trump insists.

“I’m sure that Israel and him will get along,” says Trump. “I will try and make it so that they do get along.”

Israel’s interest “is to have a peaceful border with Syria,” says Netanyahu.

“We also want to secure our Druze friends,” he continues, adding that Christians should be protected throughout the Middle East and in Syria.

Trump makes sure to interject that it was Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a leading critic of Israel and backer of Hamas, who helped topple Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria by supporting Sharaa.

“Bibi agrees with that,” Trump claims.

In fact, Netanyahu has sought to convey himself as the one who brought about Assad’s fall through actions during the war that weakened the Iranian axis he was a part of.

Trump again argues that most Gazans would leave if given the opportunity

US President Donald Trump is asked about a recent poll that purportedly found that half of Gazans would elect to leave the Strip if given the opportunity.

He says such numbers are “common sense” and speculates that the real figure is more than 50 percent.

While he promoted a plan in February to permanently relocate Palestinians from Gaza, Trump has largely stopped pushing this idea due to massive pushback from Arab and Muslim allies whose support is needed for the postwar management of Gaza.

The reporter asking about the poll pushes Trump to comment further on the possibility of allowing Gazans to move elsewhere. ” Let’s not talk about it because we don’t want the controversy,” Trump responds.

“Let’s see if that opportunity presents itself,” he says, arguing that more than half would leave “if given the opportunity.”

“We’re helping the people of Gaza a lot,” says Trump. “So is Israel, by the way.”

Trump refers to Netanyahu’s ‘love-hate relationship’ with Israeli public, claims there’s ‘a lot of jealousy about him’

An Israeli reporter tries to press US President Donald Trump on the latter’s claim that President Isaac Herzog recently told him that a pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “on its way” after Herzog’s office denied having even spoken to Trump on the matter.

But the reporter stumbles in asking the question in English, leading Trump to repeat his belief that Netanyahu is “going to be in good shape.”

Many “people in the world” appreciate Israel’s military victories over the past two years.

The people of Israel “know it,” Trump insists. “That’s why they like me, and they actually like him,” he says of Netanyahu. “He’s got more of a little of a love-hate relationship than I do over there.”

“Even the haters have a lot of respect for him,” says Trump. “There’s a lot of jealousy about him.”

Trump: Israel has ‘lived up’ to Gaza peace plan, but should learn to give violators a second chance

US President Donald Trump says he is “not concerned about anything Israel is doing” around his peace plan for Gaza. “I’m concerned about what other people are doing or maybe aren’t doing.”

He stresses that Israel has “lived up to the plan. They’re strong, they’re solid.”

At the same time, Trump says that sometimes Israel “doesn’t understand that when someone violates something, you want to give them a second chance. We’ve given them a couple of second chances,” he says, pointing at Netanyahu, appearing to imply Israel has committed some sort of violation.

But Trump emphasizes that “Israel has lived up to the plan, one hundred percent,” adding that “we made the plan possible by taking out Iran.”

He repeats his warning that if Iran is trying to rebuild its nuclear or ballistic missile program, “we’re going to have no choice but very quickly to eradicate that buildup.”

“We know exactly where they’re going, what they’re doing,” he says of Iran.

Trump says he doesn’t agree ‘100%’ with Netanyahu on West Bank; claims PM ‘respects’ Erdogan

Asked about settler violence in the West Bank during his press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump says: “We have had a big discussion for a long time on the West Bank, and I wouldn’t say we agree on the West Bank one hundred percent. But we’ll come to a conclusion on the West Bank.”

Pressed to explain what the disagreements are, Trump declines to do so, but insists that Netanyahu “will do the right thing.”

Trump says Netanyahu “respects” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and that “they’re not going to have a problem.”

In fact, Netanyahu and Erdogan have been trading public barbs for years, and the latter has been one of the Israeli premier’s fiercest critics among all world leaders.

“He’s done a fantastic job,” Trump says of Erdogan. “I’m with him all the way, I’m with Bibi all the way, nothing is going to happen.”

Trump: Hamas will have ‘very short period of time to disarm’ or ‘there will be hell to pay for them’

US President Donald Trump says he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “talked about Hamas and we talked about disarmament.”

Hamas “will be given a very short period of time to disarm,” says Trump in response to a question about whether Israel will be expected to pull its troops back from Gaza before the terror groups disarm.

Top White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will be in charge of that effort from the US side, says Trump. “If they don’t disarm, as they agreed to do, they agreed to it, then there will be hell to pay for them.”

“They have to disarm within a fairly short period of time,” Trump stresses.

If they don’t “it will be horrible for them… really, really bad.”

He again claims that other countries are willing to disarm Hamas. “Those same countries will go and wipe them out” if Hamas doesn’t disarm, he insists. “They don’t even need Israel.”

“They want to do it because it’s the right thing to do.”

Hailing ‘very productive’ meeting, Netanyahu invites Trump to Israel to receive Israel Prize

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praises US President Donald Trump, saying he has been “extraordinary in his friendship and his support for Israel. His principled positions. His willingness to cut through, to get to the essence of things.”

The partnership “has allowed us to do enormous things,” says Netanyahu.

Trump, says Netanyahu, “has achieved remarkable things in the Middle East because we work together. We talk about our ideas. Sometimes we have different ideas, but we work it out. And most of the time we see eye-to-eye.”

Netanyahu calls the meeting “very, very productive.”

“We’re with you, and we’ll continue to be with you,” Trump responds.

“We have peace in the Middle East, and we’re going to try to keep it that way,” Trump continues.

Trump says being granted the Israel Prize in a new peace category “was really surprising and very much appreciated.”

Netanyahu explains that since Trump has broken so many conventions, Israel decided to as well — to award the Israel Prize to a non-Israeli. “It would honor us, Mr. President, if you could visit Israel” on Israel’s Independence Day, he continues.

Trump says he and Netanyahu came to ‘a lot of conclusions’ in their meeting

US President Donald Trump says he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “came to a lot of conclusion, and conclusions” during their meeting.

“There’s very little difference in what we’re looking at and where we want to be, where we want to go,” he says at a press conference after a lunchtime meeting with Netanyahu and his team.

Trump praises the Israeli delegation, calling it a “very talented group.”

“We’ve done very good work together, and it’ll continue,” says Trump, thanking Netanyahu and using his nickname “Bibi” before shaking his hand.

Trump to receive Israel Prize, education minister tells him in phone call

During his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump accepted a phone call from Education Minister Yoav Kisch, who told him he had been awarded the Israel Prize.

Israel’s top civilian honor has never been bestowed on a foreign leader. Trump will receive the Israel Prize for special contribution to the Jewish people.

In the short conversation, Trump thanks Kisch and says he will consider coming to Israel for the Independence Day ceremony.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Education Minister Yoav Kisch (speaking by phone) inform US President Donald Trump that they have decided to award him the Israel Prize for his unique contribution to the Jewish people, during a meeting at Mar-a-Lago on December 29, 2025. (Video: Omer Miron/GPO)

WATCH: Trump and Netanyahu holding second press conference inside Mar-a-Lago

Netanyahu aide Michael Eisenberg joins PM’s meeting with Trump; reportedly faces restrictions

Israeli-American businessman Michael Eisenberg, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pointman to the Civil-Military Coordination Center in Kiryat Gat, is with the premier on his trip to Mar-a-Lago.

He has joined Netanyahu and his top advisers for the ongoing lunch meeting with US President Donald Trump and his team.

However, according to Ynet, Eisenberg has not officially begun his employment with Netanyahu’s office yet, and does not have a legal arrangement in place to prevent a conflict of interest between his government work and his business interests.

The PMO legal adviser gave the green light for Eisenberg to make the trip to Florida, but he cannot participate in any private meetings and can’t be present in any discussions that could relate to his business dealings, according to the report.

“Michael Eisenberg is acting at our invitation with the aim of assisting Israel in upholding and implementing its principles in the Gaza Strip,” the PMO tells Ynet. “His experience and contribution to advancing these important issues are worthy of appreciation.”

Responding to Trump, Khamenei aide threatens ‘harsh response⁩ beyond imagination’ in case of attack

Ali Shamkhani, a top adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, responds defiantly to US President Donald Trump’s remark in a press briefing alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would greenlight an Israeli strike on the Islamic Republic if it continues with its nuclear and missile programs.

“Iran’s ‌#Missile_Capability⁩ and defense are not containable or permission-based,” he tweets. “Any aggression will face an immediate ‌#Harsh_Response⁩ beyond its planners’ imagination.”

Under Iran’s defense doctrine, responses are set before threats materialize. Iran’s ‌#Missile_Capability⁩ and defense are not containable or permission-based. Any aggression will face an immediate ‌#Harsh_Response⁩ beyond its planners’ imagination.

— علی شمخانی (@alishamkhani_ir) December 29, 2025

Netanyahu’s office says he and Trump are meeting with top officials at Mar-a-Lago

US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu begin their meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, accompanied by their senior-most officials and advisers, the Prime Minister’s Office says.

Herzog condemns Smotrich’s ‘dangerous’ discourse against Supreme Court chief; minister doubles down

President Isaac Herzog condemns Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s remark earlier today that he will “trample” Supreme Court President Isaac Amit.

“The violent discourse is very concerning and dangerous,” Herzog says in a statement. “I strongly condemn the use of such a violent term as ‘trampling.’ Our elected officials have a duty to lead decent and clean discourse.”

Smotrich has refused to back down, claiming on X this evening — before Herzog’s statement — that “what’s common to all my populist critics is that they didn’t hear my words before lashing out at me.”

Calling them “a violent, mouth-shutting mob that doesn’t know how to deal with different opinions,” Smotrich writes that “Isaac Amit and the Supreme Court, with megalomaniac violence, robbed democracy from Israeli citizens, as the more they become extreme in their destructiveness, the fix will be more drastic.”

PM, Rubio agreed during meeting to continue advancing Trump’s 20-point plan — State Department

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio agreed to continue advancing US President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan during their meeting earlier today in Florida, says a light-on-details readout from the State Department.

The pair also “discuss regional security, economic cooperation, and the fight against antisemitism,” the US readout adds.

Concluding initial presser, Trump says Netanyahu ‘is going to get along with Syria,’ calls Sharaa a ‘tough cookie’

Asked whether he’ll be urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to sign an agreement with Syria, US President Donald Trump says he hopes the Israeli premier will “get along” with Damascus.

“I hope he’s going to get along with Syria because the new president of Syria is working very hard to do a good job,” Trump says of Ahmed al-Sharaa. “He’s a tough cookie. You’re not going to get a choir boy to lead Syria.

“I dropped the sanctions on Syria because otherwise they wouldn’t have had a chance. We want to see Syria survive. We’re going to be talking about Syria too,” Trump adds.

With that, Trump and Netanyahu head inside Mar-a-Lago for their meeting after taking over 15 minutes of questions from reporters outside the entrance of the compound.

Trump: Relationship with Israel is ‘extraordinary,’ Netanyahu is ‘strong man’ but ‘can be very difficult’

Speaking alongside US President Donald Trump in Florida, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that “we have never had a friend like President Trump in the White House, it’s not even close. I think you can judge that, not only by the frequency of our meetings, but by the content and the intensity.”

“I think Israel is very blessed to have President Trump leading the United States, and I’ll say leading the free world at this time. It’s not only Israel’s great fortune. It’s the world’s great fortune.”

“We have a great relationship,” Trump adds. “It was a great honor to speak before your leaders” at the Knesset in October, he says. “The relationship has been extraordinary, and Bibi’s a strong man. He can be very difficult on occasion, but you need a strong man. If you had a weak man, you wouldn’t have Israel. Right now, Israel, with most other leaders, would not exist today. Now they’re stronger than ever.”

Asked whether reconstruction conditioned on Hamas disarmament, Trump dodges: ‘It’ll start soon’

US President Donald Trump is asked whether he’ll allow the reconstruction of Gaza to commence before Hamas has been disarmed, but he avoids answering directly.

“I think it’s going to begin pretty soon,” Trump says, reiterating that Gaza has “been a mess for a long time.”

“We’re going to straighten it out. We’re already starting certain things. We’re doing things with sanitary conditions,” Trump claims.

Ben Gvir interfering in freedom-of-information requests sent to police — report

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir is reportedly interfering in responses to Freedom of Information Law requests submitted to the police, in an apparent violation of the law.

According to a report from the Kan public broadcaster, Ben Gvir’s office has been instructing the unit responsible for handling freedom-of-information matters to forward specific requests to his ministry for approval.

Sources speaking to the outlet claim his office demanded to review requests for data regarding Jews detained on the Temple Mount, West Bank enforcement and crime statistics. The far-right minister is a vocal advocate of expanding Jewish prayer rights at the flashpoint holy site and has visited it repeatedly.

Under Israel’s Freedom of Information Law, an officer with the rank of chief superintendent, who is appointed to deal with the matter, should forward freedom of information requests to the relevant bodies upon receiving them, then publish the response once the data has been provided — without any oversight from elected officials.

However, this has reportedly not been the case during Ben Gvir’s term as national security minister. According to the report, he intervened in a September 2024 request regarding Jews detained on the Temple Mount.

The minister apparently asked to be updated regarding the request soon after it was filed. Police, despite receiving data within weeks of the request from the unit that oversees Temple Mount matters, sat with the numbers for four months, the report says.

When the response was finally published in January 2025, it included only partial data, with statistics on restraining orders but none on detentions. There were several other similar cases, according to the sources who spoke to Kan.

Police have not responded to a Times of Israel request for comment regarding the claims.

Responding to Kan, Ben Gvir’s office does not deny that the ministry has requested to be updated on certain freedom of information requests, but insists the policy is in compliance with Israeli law.

“It is within the authority, and even the duty, of the minister’s office to stay updated on the information consistently released under this [freedom of information] framework… in order to improve monitoring of policy indicators, to pinpoint issues important to the public and follow the overall situation,” the ministry replies.

Trump says he and PM to discuss 5 topics including Gaza, falsely says no hostages freed under Biden

US President Donald Trump says that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be talking about five subjects in their meeting, including Gaza.

Trump falsely claims that no hostages “were released in the Biden administration, none. They were all released because of us.” More than 100 hostages were released in a November 2023 ceasefire under Biden. The last 20 living hostages were freed on October 13, 2025, under an arrangement brokered by Trump.

Asked twice whether he’ll allow for the commencement of his Gaza plan’s second phase before the return of the final hostage body, Trump avoids answering directly.

He notes that he just met the parents of that final deceased hostage, Ran Gvili, inside Mar-a-Lago.

“He’s the only one left, and we’re doing everything we can to get his body back,” Trump says. “The parents just said, hopefully he’s alive, and I said, ‘I love you to think that way.'”

Trump asks Netanyahu how many hostages were kidnapped on October 7, 2023, and the premier incorrectly responds, “255.”

The correct number is 251.

Denying Trump’s claim, Herzog says he’s still weighing Netanyahu’s pardon request

After US President Donald Trump claimed that President Isaac Herzog had recently told him that a pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “on its way,” Herzog’s office quickly issues a denial.

“There has been no conversation between President Herzog and President Trump since the pardon request was submitted,” Herzog’s office says in a statement.

“A few weeks ago, President Herzog held a conversation with a representative on Trump’s behalf, who reached out with a question regarding the American president’s letter,” the statement from Herzog’s office says, referring to a November letter Trump sent to the Israeli president formally urging him to pardon Netanyahu.

Netanyahu sent his own official request to Herzog later in November. Herzog is still deliberating the matter.

In the aforementioned phone call between Herzog and the Trump aide, the latter “was given an explanation of the stage the request is currently at, and that a decision on the matter will be made in accordance with the procedures. This was explained to Trump’s representative, exactly as President Herzog conveyed to the public in Israel,” Herzog’s office says in a statement.

Trump claims he spoke to Herzog who said pardon for Netanyahu ‘on its way’

US President Donald Trump claims that he spoke with President Isaac Herzog who told him that a pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “on its way.

Asked outside of Mar-a-Lago whether Herzog will pardon Netanyahu, Trump responds, “I think he will. How do you not. He’s a wartime prime minister. He’s a hero.”

“I spoke to the president… he tells me it’s on its way. Can’t do better than that, right?” Trump says proudly as Netanyahu stands alongside him.

Katz defends Israel’s ban on foreign press access to Gaza, citing security risks

Defense Minister Israel Katz justifies Israel’s ongoing ban on foreign press access to the Gaza Strip, citing the risk posed to media personnel from IDF troops, Haaretz reports.

Katz’s comments come in response to an inquiry from Hadash-Ta’al chair Ayman Odeh, who had questioned the government’s policy prohibiting journalists from entering Gaza.

According to the report, Katz says that Hamas’s repeated violations of the current ceasefire “lead to immediate IDF responses that could endanger journalists and our soldiers.” He adds that due to the classified nature of the matter, further details could not be provided.

Israel has maintained the ban on foreign press access to the enclave since the onset of the war with the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, onslaught. It has let some journalists into the Strip as embedded reporters with IDF troops.

The Foreign Press Association (FPA) has filed two petitions to the High Court of Justice in response. The first petition was rejected based on security concerns, while the second, filed over a year ago, has been delayed multiple times to give the state more time to submit a response.

Last week, the court accepted another request from the state for an extension and is now requiring the state to submit its response by Sunday.

Attorney Gilad Shar, representing the FPA, criticized the government’s stance, stating that it “tramples on basic constitutional rights” and undermines Israel’s image as a democracy. He emphasized that the continued denial of access to foreign journalists signals disdain for a free press and freedom of expression.

The Committee to Protect Journalists reports that 206 media personnel have been killed during the Gaza conflict, with 59 of them said to be specifically targeted by Israeli forces.

Israel has repeatedly denied targeting journalists and has said that some of those who have been killed have links to Hamas.

Trump says he’d back Israeli attack on Iran if it continues with nuclear, missile programs

US President Donald Trump, standing next to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, says he would back an Israeli attack on Iran.

Trump is asked whether he’d support an Israel attack if Iran resumes production of its missile and nuclear programs.

“If [Iran] will continue with the missiles — yes. [And if they continue with] the [production of] nuclear [capabilities] — fast. One will be yes, absolutely. The other, we’ll do it immediately,” Trump says, indicating that the US could again join Israel in such an attack on Iran.

But Trump says he won’t “talk about the overthrow of a regime” after being asked if he would back toppling the Islamic Republic in Iran.

“They’ve got a lot of problems in Iran, they have tremendous inflation. Their economy is bust, their economy is no good, and their people aren’t happy,” he says. “But don’t forget, every time they have a rioter or someone forms a group — little or big — they start shooting people.”

Trump says ‘Israel would not exist’ if it had the wrong wartime PM; threatens to ‘knock the hell’ out of Iran

US President Donald Trump praises Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “wartime prime minister,” as they take questions outside the entrance of Mar-a-Lago.

Asked about his relationship with Netanyahu, Trump responds, “He’s done a phenomenal job. He’s taken Israel through a very dangerous period of trauma.”

“Israel, with other people, might not exist right now,” Trump claims.

“They were met with a force the likes of which not many countries could have handled. We worked together and we were extremely victorious, to put it mildly.”

“Now I hear that Iran is trying to build up again, and if they are, we’re going to have to knock them down. We’ll knock the hell out of them. But hopefully that’s not happening.”

“I heard Iran wants to make a deal. If they make a deal that’s much smarter. They could have made a deal the last time before we went through a big attack. They decided not to make the deal. They wished they made that deal,” Trump says.

Outgoing NYC Mayor Adams: After leaving office, I’ll fight antisemitism with cryptocurrency

Outgoing New York City Mayor Eric Adams, in what might be his final press conference in office, says that his first steps as an ex-mayor will include using cryptocurrency to fight antisemitism.

Adams is a staunch supporter of Israel and the Jewish community and has made combating antisemitism a priority while in office. Jews are targeted in hate crimes far more than any other group in New York City.

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a far-left anti-Zionist, will take office on January 1.

Adams, who has served since 2021 and dropped out of his race for reelection this year, says at the press conference that he’s “excited about the next step,” and outlines plans for writing a book, studying and traveling.

“I also want to use cryptocurrency to go after violence, educate our children, and really deal with antisemitism that we’re seeing globally,” Adams says.

“There’s a combination of back to school, doing my book, using technology like cryptocurrency to improve the lives of our children and go after hate in a real way, specifically antisemitism,” he says.

Asked for details about the cryptocurrency plan, Adams does not provide specifics.

“It’s an opportunity to use technology, all types of technology that I want to use. Many people know that I’m a big technology person and that’s another form of technology that has not been used and I want to utilize it to do so,” he says. “I’ll have more to say in the years to come.”

Standing alongside Netanyahu, Trump indicates he’d welcome Turkish troops in Gaza

Asked whether he’ll allow Turkish troops in Gaza, US President Donald Trump pivots by reiterating that he has a “great relationship” with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly come out against granting Ankara a foothold in Gaza through the International Stabilization Force that the US is working to set up. The US is said to be looking to convince Israel to remove its veto on Turkey’s involvement touting the latter’s ability to influence Hamas.

“We’ll be talking about it, and if it’s good, I think that’s good… Turkey’s been great,” Trump says.

Netanyahu doesn’t weigh in on the matter, though, the question wasn’t posed to him.

Meeting Netanyahu, Trump says phase 2 of Gaza plan will start ASAP, but Hamas must be disarmed

Asked how quickly he’d like to see a transition to phase two of his Gaza peace plan, US President Donald Trump tells reporters, “As quickly as we can.”

“But there has to be a disarmament. We have to disarm with Hamas. It’s one of the things we’ll talk about,” Trump says, while standing alongside Netanyahu outside the Mar-a-Lago resort.

Trump makes light of Netanyahu’s frequent visits as PM arrives at Mar-a-Lago

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives for his meeting at Mar-a-Lago with US President Donald Trump.

Trump receives Netanyahu in front of Israeli and US flags.

“Hi, Bibi,” Trump says before the two shake hands briefly.

“Does anybody recognize this man,” Trump asks, appearing to make light of the fact that Netanyahu has held more meetings with Trump this term than any other world leader.

Before taking questions, Trump points at reporters and says, “They’ve been very fair for the last three days” — an ostensible reference to the coverage of his Sunday meeting with visiting Ukrainian president Volodymr Zelensky.

WATCH: Netanyahu and Trump meet, take questions at Mar-a-Lago

Netanyahu en route to Mar-a-Lago for meeting with Trump

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has departed from his hotel in West Palm Beach, Florida, en route to the nearby Mar-a-Lago resort, where the premier will meet with US President Donald Trump for the sixth time this year.

Family of last Gaza hostage Ran Gvili meets Rubio, Kushner and Witkoff

The family of the last remaining deceased hostage in Gaza, Ran Gvili, has met in Florida with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and top White House Middle East advisers Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, according to a statement from the Tikva Forum, which represents some relatively hawkish families of hostages and former hostages, including the Gvilis.

Ran’s parents, Itzik and Talik, and siblings Omri, Sharon and Shira take part in the meeting, which takes place shortly before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned meeting with US President Donald Trump.

The conversation was “very positive” and gave assurance that Israel and the US “will do everything to bring Rani home as soon as possible,” the family says in the statement, which adds that the three senior officials “stressed that the return of Ran is of great importance to President Trump, and that significant efforts are being made to bring him back.”

Somali president to visit Turkey following Israeli recognition of Somaliland

Somalia’s president is set to visit close ally Turkey tomorrow following Israel’s recognition of the breakaway territory of Somaliland, Turkey’s presidency says.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud will hold talks “on the current situation in Somalia in the fight against terrorism, measures taken by the federal Somali government towards national unity and regional developments,” Burhanettin Duran, head of the Turkish presidency’s communications directorate, says on X.

Turkey on Friday denounced Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, a self-proclaimed republic, calling it “overt interference in Somalia’s domestic affairs.”

Ankara, a close ally of Somalia, provides military and economic assistance to the country that has been devastated by civil war since the early 1990s. Turkey is helping to rebuild its army and infrastructure while ensuring its presence in East Africa, including at sea.

Somaliland declared independence in 1991, as Somalia was plunged into chaos following the fall of dictator Siad Barre.

The recognition is the latest move by Israel, which has angered Turkey, with relations souring between the two countries in recent years.

Ankara has strongly condemned Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and Israel has opposed Turkey’s participation in a future stabilization force in the territory.

Netanyahu meets US War Secretary Hegseth, Joint Chiefs of Staff head

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets US War Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Four Seasons Hotel in Palm Beach ahead of the premier’s meeting with US President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago.

Hegseth is joined by US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine.

Hamas armed wing reiterates it ‘will not give up’ arms as Trump set to meet Netanyahu

Hamas’s armed wing reiterates that the Palestinian terror group will not surrender its weapons, a key issue expected to feature in talks later today between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Our people are defending themselves and will not give up their weapons as long as the occupation remains,” the new spokesman for the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, who has adopted the name of his late predecessor Abu Obeida, says in a video statement.

Minister in Netanyahu’s party calls for Smotrich’s vow to ‘trample’ Supreme Court chief to be ‘put into action’

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party says that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s vow to “trample” Supreme Court President Isaac Amit should be implemented, calling on the government to openly defy rulings by the High Court of Justice.

“The finance minister’s words must be put into action. The time to act has long since arrived. We say no (!) to illegal orders from the High Court of Justice and save Israeli democracy,” says Karhi in a post on X.

Earlier today, Smotrich vowed to “trample” Amit, whom he accused of being “a violent megalomaniac who is stealing Israeli democracy,” causing outrage among opposition lawmakers and the Judicial Authority, who accused him of incitement.

In a statement posted on X, Karhi urges Smotrich to “stand tall” and ignore criticism.

He calls on the government to defy recent court rulings, including yesterday’s decision to freeze the government’s controversial closure of Army Radio.

COGAT recaps 2025 aid efforts in Gaza, claiming it delivered over 1 million tons of food

Israel’s liaison to the Palestinians, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), publishes an end-of-year recap detailing what it says is Israel’s facilitation of humanitarian aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip throughout 2025.

According to the year-end summary, the IDF, through COGAT, coordinated the entry of aid in cooperation with the United Nations, international humanitarian groups and donor countries, alongside the opening of additional crossings and routes to increase aid delivery volumes.

COGAT says that over the course of the year, more than one million tons of food entered Gaza, along with tens of thousands of tons of medical equipment, enabling hospitals to continue operating and allowing the establishment of additional field hospitals. The military body also says that more than 1.2 million family tents and tarpaulins were brought into the Strip, including ahead of the winter season, as well as fuel and gas to operate essential humanitarian systems, coordinated with the international community.

The recap comes as World Food Programme officials say food security in Gaza has improved since a ceasefire came into force two months ago, even as other humanitarian needs remain acute.

Speaking to The Times of Israel earlier this month, WFP deputy executive director Carl Skau said the food situation had stabilized but warned that progress in other sectors has lagged, citing continued Israeli restrictions on dual-use items – which Israel says could be diverted by Hamas – contributing to shortages of shelter materials as winter peaks.

Aid Wrapped | 2025
Just like Spotify Wrapped, we’re looking back at a year of humanitarian efforts.
Here’s a snapshot of the aid that entered Gaza in 2025 in partnership with the UN, countries, approved NGOs and the private sector. pic.twitter.com/u9O10tqEwU

— COGAT (@cogatonline) December 29, 2025

Man washed away by flood near Meitar, searches ongoing; road blocked to traffic near Dead Sea

Searches are ongoing for a man who was washed away in a flood near Meitar in the northern Negev, the Israel Fire and Rescue Service says.

Officials are searching the stream on foot and from the air, including using drones, the statement says.

תיעוד נוסף של אותו אדם בתוך המים נסחף pic.twitter.com/nUvSKSWTke

— Haim Goldich | חיים גולדיטש (@HGoldich) December 29, 2025

Meanwhile, police say Route 90 has been closed to traffic in both directions from Ein Gedi until the Dead Sea hotels area, due to expected flash floods from the Tzeelim Stream.

Officers are deployed nearby and directing traffic elsewhere due to the considerable danger in the area, police say.

Witkoff, Kushner, others took part in Netanyahu-Rubio meeting

US President Donald Trump’s top Middle East envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner also participated in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Florida earlier, in addition to Senior White House adviser Josh Greenbaum, according to a new photo sent out by the premier’s office.

On the Israeli side are also Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter, acting National Security Adviser Gil Reich, and Netanyahu’s military secretary Roman Gofman.

Netanyahu is expected to meet Trump at Mar-a-Lago at 1 p.m. local time (8 p.m. Israel time).

Knesset passes bill outlawing water and electricity supply to UNRWA facilities

A law prohibiting the provision of electricity or water to facilities owned by or operated on behalf of UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees and their descendants, passes its third and final reading 59-7 in the Knesset.

The government-backed legislation requires electricity and water providers to withhold or disconnect service from UNRWA facilities and blocks the provision of communications and banking or financial services to the agency.

UNRWA — officially the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East — provides education, health care and aid to millions of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

Israel has long argued that its school curriculum includes support for terror, and claims that its staffers took an active part in the October 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught and in holding hostages taken that day. It also charges that the agency perpetuates the conflict by granting automatic refugee status to all descendants of Palestinians displaced in the events surrounding Israel’s creation in 1948 — causing the number of registered refugees to soar over time instead of shrink, as happens in other refugee crises around the world.

The measure is an amendment to two bills passed by lawmakers in October 2024, which barred the agency from operating in Israeli territory and curtailed its activities in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank by banning state authorities from having any contact with the agency.

The new bill clarifies that the provision of electrical and water services should be considered “contact” under the law.

The legislation also allows the government to seize properties in Ma’alot Dafna and Kafr Aqab in Jerusalem, which had been leased to UNRWA by the state and used as the agency’s offices, “without the need to initiate legal or administrative proceedings.”

IDF sets new readiness guidelines based on lessons from Oct. probes

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has approved a wide-ranging set of internal directives aimed at strengthening the army’s core readiness and embedding lessons from Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, as the military moves from initial probes of the failures surrounding the invasion itself toward a broader war-wide investigation process following a senior command conference held earlier today, the Times of Israel has learned.

The guidelines were finalized after the IDF completed its internal probes into the October 7 failures and are intended to shift the focus toward systemic implementation. They address readiness and alert levels, training and exercises, operational planning, manpower, safety oversight and support for wounded soldiers and bereaved families, following more than two years of sustained fighting across multiple fronts.

The Times of Israel has further learned that the military is preparing to launch an in-depth, General Staff-level investigation into the war in the coming weeks, expected to span roughly a year, confirming earlier reports. The process will involve relevant commanders alongside oversight and integration teams and will examine key phases of the fighting in Gaza, southern Lebanon and the northern West Bank, as well as the conduct of the war as a whole and lessons for future conflicts.

Among the measures approved are adjustments to alert postures and on-call force levels across all arenas, the definition of readiness “red lines,” expanded training programs for regular and reserve forces, efforts to restore the fitness of weapons and equipment after prolonged wartime use and tighter safety oversight. The directives are to be disseminated to commanders in an orderly manner as the IDF transitions from investigation to implementation.

IDF confirms broader investigations into Oct. 7 war launched at senior command conference

The IDF confirms earlier reports that it is preparing to launch a sweeping series of investigations into its ground maneuver during the war, and that it held a senior command conference earlier today that formally set the process in motion.

In a statement, the military says Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir convened the IDF’s senior command and brigade commanders for a conference focused on learning from wartime probes into the failures surrounding Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught and implementing their conclusions.

According to the IDF, the discussions addressed lessons from the investigations, the continuation of probes into the broader war, and the foundations of the military’s upcoming multi-year plan, alongside updated directives on readiness and alert levels as part of a shift in the IDF’s security doctrine.

The conference opened with the presentation of findings of an expert team led by Maj. Gen. (res.) Sami Turgeman and concluded with a commanders’ discussion headed by Zamir.

In remarks released by the military, Zamir says the IDF is in “a race to learn and an arms race,” stressing that the investigations are being conducted “courageously” and that the army must remain prepared for renewed fighting on multiple fronts.

The statement follows reports that the broader General Staff probes will examine the Gaza ground campaign, operations in southern Lebanon and the northern West Bank, the war with Iran and broader strategic and force-allocation decisions, with findings expected to be presented to bereaved families and the public toward the end of 2026, assuming major hostilities do not resume.

‘Incitement’: Judicial Authority condemns Smotrich’s pledge to ‘trample’ Supreme Court president

The Judicial Authority, which represents the Supreme Court and the Israeli court system, condemns comments by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich that the government will “trample” Supreme Court President Isaac Amit, describing his remarks as “incitement” against the Judicial Authority and against Amit himself.

“Statements expressing threats against judges are not part of a legitimate public debate. This is an extremely grave statement whose sole purpose is to intensify violent and inflammatory discourse against the judiciary and its head, and is all the more [severe] when the words are said by an elected official,” the Judicial Authority says in a statement to the press.

Earlier, during a faction meeting of his Religious Zionism party, Smotrich denounced the Supreme Court and Amit for rulings against the government.

“Isaac Amit is a violent megalomaniac who completely tramples [the government] and is stealing Israeli democracy, who has an extreme lack of awareness, who is doing things in the court that were never done before, and the result is that we will trample him. There won’t be a choice,” said Smotrich.

Netanyahu meets US top diplomat Rubio at Mar-a-Lago ahead of summit with Trump

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu begins his meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.

Netanyahu is slated to meet US President Donald Trump at 1 p.m. local time (8 p.m. Israel time).

“I had a great meeting,” writes Netanyahu on X.

Smotrich vows to ‘trample’ Supreme Court President Amit, calls him a ‘violent megalomaniac’

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich accuses Supreme Court President Isaac Amit of being “a violent megalomaniac who is stealing Israeli democracy,” and vows to “trample him,” in a blistering attack on the country’s top court.

Speaking to reporters at the Knesset before a faction meeting of his Religious Zionism party, the far-right minister and fervent opponent of the judiciary says that he wishes he could reach a compromise with Amit, but “when one side becomes so extreme, it leaves you no option but to fight back with everything you’ve got.”

Smotrich has long supported the government’s attempts to overhaul the judiciary and has repeatedly attacked the Supreme Court and Amit specifically, often accusing them of undermining democracy when the courts are at odds with the government.

His divisive comments attract criticism from opposition leaders.

Blue and White party chair Benny Gantz says that Smotrich’s language is dangerous, “crosses a red line, and is a new peak in this coalition’s crazy attack against the justice system. What begins with words like this can end in blood. Stop the madness!”

The leader of the left-wing Democrats party, Yair Golan, says: “We are facing a criminal gang, but we will stand as a wall of defense around the rule of law and the State of Israel.”

“Smotrich, you will not pass the electoral threshold; what you have destroyed, we will fix this year,” he adds, referring to opinion polls that predict Smotrich’s party will fail to enter the next Knesset.

The Yesh Atid party’s Major General (res.) Noam Tibon calls the finance minister “a pyromaniac with a microphone,” accusing Smotrich of “inciting against a symbol of government.”

“I call on the head of the Shin Bet to review the security [protection arrangements] of President Amit. We will defend democracy against the failed minister and all his colleagues in the failed government,” he says.

UTJ party to boycott votes on coalition bills this week amid feud with fellow Haredi party

The United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party has decided to boycott votes on coalition legislation this week as part of an ongoing feud with fellow Haredi party Shas, ultra-Orthodox media reports.

According to the Behadrei Haredim website, the decision comes at the request of UTJ’s Degel HaTorah faction, which is involved in a conflict with Shas over the appointment of a new chairman of Jerusalem’s religious council. The conflict has escalated to the point where Degel HaTorah last week abstained from voting for additional funding for the Religious Services Ministry, a key Shas interest.

During UTJ’s faction meeting this afternoon, party chairman Yitzhak Goldknopf, who belongs to the party’s Hasidic Agudat Yisrael faction, attacked his fellow MKs for launching a boycott over the Jerusalem religious council and not over the recent arrests of yeshiva students who dodged the military draft.

This boycott marks an escalation from the partial legislation boycott the party has maintained for months, in which it has declined to vote on preliminary readings of private bills advanced by coalition lawmakers.

Both Shas and UTJ left the government over the summer to protest the lack of progress in exempting yeshiva students from military service. However, unlike UTJ, Shas remained a member of the coalition.

IDF chief ends service of officer over Lebanon incident last year in which 2 were killed

The IDF says that Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has ordered severe disciplinary measures against Col. (res.) Yoav Yarom, following a November 2024 incident in southern Lebanon that resulted in the deaths of Sgt. Gur Kehati and civilian researcher Ze’ev Erlich.

However, the move appears to be symbolic since Yarom asked to quit the military shortly after the incident.

According to the military, Zamir accepted the findings of an operational debriefing into the incident and decided that Yarom will receive a severe command reprimand, be dismissed from reserve duty and end his service in the IDF.

The decision follows Military Advocate General Maj. Gen. Itai Ofir’s move to close a criminal investigation into Yarom’s actions this month, which recommended he be sanctioned at the command level.

The probe found serious flaws in Yarom’s conduct, including inadequate preparation and execution of the operation and the entry of a civilian into a combat zone without the required approvals or proper operational planning.

Zamir describes the incident as a grave operational failure with tragic consequences, adding that some of the shortcomings point to broader cultural and operational gaps within the IDF that must be addressed at a systemic level.

The military says it continues to accompany the bereaved families.

Netanyhu talks to Elon Musk about AI, autonomous cars; billionaire says he’ll visit Israel in March

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a conference call last night from Florida with US billionaire Elon Musk, Transportation Minister Miri Regev and National AI Directorate head Erez Askal, his office says ahead of Netanyahu’s meeting with US President Donald Trump.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Musk says he will attend a Smart Transportation Conference in Israel in March.

The participants also discussed “continued cooperation with Tesla and the advancement of legislation concerning autonomous vehicles,” says the PMO.

Netanyahu and Musk, who in September 2023 held a long panel debate over the ethics of artificial intelligence at the Tesla factory in California, spoke on the call about “promoting and developing artificial intelligence technologies in Israel,” according to the statement.

“We intend to propel Israel forward and turn it into a global leader in the field, just as we did in cyber and other technologies,” Netanyahu tells him.

Hamas finally confirms deaths of Muhammad Sinwar, spokesman Abu Obeida and others, showcases new spokesman

Months after their respective assassinations by Israel, Hamas’s armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, officially confirms the deaths in May of its commander Muhammad Sinwar and Rafah brigade chief Muhammad Shabana, the death in June of senior Qassam officer Hakem al-Issa, and the death in August of Hudhaifa Samir Abdallah al-Kahlout — better known as Abu Obeida — Qassam’s longtime spokesman.

In his first public speech, Kahlout’s successor also pays tribute to Qassam’s slain second-in-command Raad Saad, who was killed earlier this month, and whose death Hamas has already officially acknowledged.

The new spokesman announces that he will also be known as Abu Obeida. “We have inherited the title ‘Abu Obeida’ from the commander Hudhaifa al-Kahlout, and we pledge to continue the journey,” says the spokesman.

The statement represents the first time Hamas has referred to Kahlout by his real name or shown his face in public. The IDF publicly revealed Kahlout’s name and image early in the war.

Like the previous Abu Obeida, the new spokesman, whose real name is unclear, delivers his statement with a keffiyeh over his face and wearing military fatigues with a nametag that reads “military spokesman.”

Report: After Oct. 7 probes, IDF now set to launch sweeping inquiry into Gaza, Lebanon, Iran wars

The IDF is launching a broad series of investigations into its ground maneuver during the war against Hamas in Gaza, the Ynet news site reports.

According to the report, the move will be formally launched in the coming days at a senior command conference led by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, and will examine the ongoing war, triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught. The reviews will focus on the Gaza ground campaign, the ground operation in southern Lebanon and the seizure of two refugee camps in the northern West Bank during the war.

The Gaza debriefings will reportedly be divided into six major operational phases, including the initial push into northern Gaza and Gaza City, the capture of Khan Younis, the Rafah operation and coordination with Egypt along the Philadelphi Corridor, repeated operations in Jabalia, and two late-war operations dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots A” and “Gideon’s Chariots B,” the latter of which was halted amid ceasefire talks and hostage releases.

While based in part on brigade and division-level lessons already drawn from IDF investigations into the failures surrounding the October 7 attack itself, the General Staff probes are expected to focus on strategic questions, including why no plan was prepared for a full conquest of the Gaza Strip, whether beginning the maneuver in the enclave’s north was the correct decision, the impact of the presence of hostages on combat operations, and why several key battles dragged on.

Ynet says the investigations will also examine intelligence failures related to Hamas’s tunnel network and the need for forces to improvise counter-tunnel tactics during fighting, despite years of prior exposure to the threat.

Parallel reviews are said to be planned for the northern front, including the defense against Hezbollah, air and covert ground operations, and preparations for a potential invasion by the group’s elite Radwan Force, as well as for operations in southern Syria.

The IDF has also reportedly completed internal probes into its 12-day June operation against Iran.

According to the report, findings are expected to be presented to bereaved families and the public toward the end of 2026, assuming fighting does not resume on any of Israel’s fronts.

Nahariya hospital becomes first in Israel to implant artificial urinary sphincters in women

Israel’s first successful implantations of artificial urinary sphincters in women have been performed on four female patients, aged 44 to 75, at Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, the hospital says.

Until now, this complex procedure, which has been performed in only a small number of medical centers worldwide, had been performed only in men in Israel.

The surgeries were carried out using robotic technology and were led by Prof. Lior Lowenstein, Head of the Women’s and Maternity Division at Galilee Medical Center and Vice Dean and Head of the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine at Bar-Ilan University, as well as by Dr. Susana Mustafa Mikhail, head of urogynecology and pelvic floor reconstructive surgery at Galilee Medical Center, in collaboration with Prof. Gilles Karsenty of Aix-Marseille University Medical Center in Marseille, France, one of the world’s leading experts in this field.

“This is a highly demanding surgery,” says Lowenstein. The goal is to “significantly” improve the quality of life for patients who suffer from severe impairment of daily functioning.”

Hundreds of cops raid Bedouin town with live fire after days of clashes, police say

Police announce that hundreds of officers and Border Police fighters are raiding Tarabin al-Sana, using live gunfire in the southern Bedouin town.

The sweeping raid comes days after four of the town’s residents allegedly set fire to cars in neighboring Jewish areas. Three suspects were arrested within a day of the incident.

The arson was considered “revenge” for previous police operations in the town and prompted a visit yesterday from National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who vowed to crack down on crime in the locale.

Now, police say they are working to “fully encircle” the village. Less than an hour ago, dozens of Border Police vans were seen outside a gas station just outside Tarabin al-Sana, in apparent preparation for the incursion.

Meanwhile, army bases in the surrounding region have reportedly upped their defense readiness for “operational reasons,” according to Haaretz.

Police do not elaborate on the precise objective of the operation but say it aims to “strengthen governance, enforce the rule of law and provide a sharp and clear response to any attempt at serious criminal activity.”

הרבה רכבי משטרה מול היישוב תראבין שבנגב. מתדלקים? השאלה היא לקראת מה… pic.twitter.com/irH9VyVDq4

— ilana curiel (@ilanacuriel) December 29, 2025

Lapid accuses Netanyahu of putting Israel at risk of becoming a client state of the US

Addressing the Knesset Subcommittee on Foreign Relations and Public Diplomacy, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid expresses concern regarding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s state visit to the United States, where he is scheduled to meet with US President Donald Trump today for talks expected to focus on the future of the Gaza Strip and ongoing threats from Hezbollah and Iran.

“When an Israeli prime minister travels to meet an American president, we wish him success, but I am concerned. Netanyahu is arriving at this meeting without any organized idea about Gaza. And when you don’t have an idea, someone else will decide for you,” says Lapid.

“This has already happened more than once this year, and it is leading us toward the status of a client state. What does the government want to put forward against the possibility that Turkey and Qatar — two ideological partners of Hamas — will become the dominant actors inside Gaza? I propose again, as I have proposed throughout the past year, that we work to make Egypt the entity that administers Gaza,” he says.

“If the Israeli government has no ideas, the Americans will have ideas. The Qataris will have ideas. The Turks will have ideas. Hamas will have ideas. Today, the State of Israel is a politically paralyzed body.”

Netanyahu meets with family of final slain hostage Ran Gvili in Florida

After arriving in Florida yesterday for his meeting with US President Donald Trump this afternoon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Talik and Itzik Gvili, the parents of the last remaining deceased hostage in Gaza, Ran Gvili, the premier’s office says in a statement.

During the meeting, the premier and his wife, Sara Netanyahu, “offered strength and support to Ran’s parents,” and Netanyahu assured them “that every effort is being made to return their son, a brave hero, for burial in Israel,” the statement continues.

The statement adds that Talik joined the prime minister on his flight to the US.

Netanyahu and Trump are poised to discuss this week how to advance to the second phase of Trump’s Gaza peace plan — a move made more sensitive by the fact that Gvili’s body has yet to be returned, despite the plan’s first phase stipulating that all hostages must be brought back.

Yesh Atid to petition High Court over government’s planned transfer of NIS 1 billion to Haredi schools

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid announces that his Yesh Atid party will petition the High Court of Justice on Monday against what he describes as the “theft of more than a billion shekels of the money of Israeli citizens,” after the Knesset Finance Committee last week approved a budget transfer of NIS 1 billion ($312 million) to ultra-Orthodox schools out of what is left of the 2025 state budget.

According to the Globes financial news site, NIS 786 million ($245 million) will go to school networks affiliated with the ultra-Orthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism parties, while NIS 150 million ($46.9 million) will go to so-called “recognized but unofficial” schools, which commit to teaching 75 percent of the core curriculum but in practice often do not.

Additional funding will be going to national-religious schools.

“This money is being transferred to ultra-Orthodox institutions in violation of the law, in an improper procedure, in an attempt to hide it from the public,” Lapid tells reporters ahead of his Yesh Atid party’s weekly faction meeting in the Knesset.

“We are determined to stop this,” he says. “We are tired of the fact that every time they have a problem in the coalition, their solution is to bribe each other with our money. In total, more than a billion shekels, outside the state budget, are stolen from working people, those who serve, taxpayers, the Israeli middle class — and transferred in the dead of night to people who do not serve, do not work and do not pay taxes.”

“This money is added to the unimaginable sum of 60 billion shekels ($18.6 billion) that the State of Israel pays every year to finance Haredi evasion,” Lapid adds, using a number he frequently cites as the cost of the failure of the Haredim to enlist in the IDF.

“At this time, our children are studying in too-large classes with teachers who earn too little. Our wounded are in hospitals that are collapsing under the load. Our roads are clogged, the cost of living is breaking families, personal security is at an all-time low and the government is raising property taxes and fees,” he continues.

“This petition will be submitted because we are fed up,” he continues, arguing that “the money they are stealing from us today, it is being used to destroy the future of our children. They are creating another generation here – much larger, with many more people – of young people who do not serve in the army and do not work, whom our children will have to finance.”

Shopkeepers in Tehran close their stores, take to the streets in protest over economic situation

Some shopkeepers in Tehran have closed their stores in protest against economic hardships and sharp swings in Iran’s embattled currency, Iranian media reports, following similar demonstrations yesterday.

State news agency IRNA says some shopkeepers and traders at Tehran’s bazaar “have closed or partially closed their stores,” adding that “some people chanted slogans in protest against the currency rate and the economic situation.”

The ILNA news agency also reports a shopkeepers’ protest “against economic and livelihood pressures” at the bazaar, publishing images of traders gathering in the streets.

Videos received by Iran International show Tehran shopkeepers extending walkouts and street protests on Monday, with closures and gatherings reported across multiple commercial districts as anger grows over worsening economic conditions and currency market turmoil.

Footage shows… pic.twitter.com/AdodxMmxs9

— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) December 29, 2025

Iran’s currency has hit new lows on the unofficial market, with the US dollar trading at around 1.42 million rials on Sunday — compared to 820,000 rials a year ago — and the euro nearing 1.7 million rials, according to price monitoring websites.

The rates have eased somewhat today, with the US dollar at around 1.39 million rials and the euro at about 1.64 million rials.

AFP correspondents say some traders, particularly import-reliant electronics vendors, had temporarily halted sales or shifted their pricing online, enabling them to more easily make adjustments as the exchange rate fluctuates.

Yesterday, the ISNA news agency says, a group of shopkeepers and mobile phone vendors at a main shopping center in Tehran “protested against sharp fluctuations in the exchange rate and the damage caused to the mobile phone market” by briefly shutting their shops.

Traders tell ILNA that exchange rate volatility has made it difficult to set prices or finalize deals, with one protester quoted as saying they were selling items to cover their costs “but price swings prevent us from replacing our goods.”

The semi-official Fars news agency warns that the limited protest gatherings risk leading to instability.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered the budget for the next Persian year to the parliament yesterday, vowing to fight inflation and the high cost of living.

Liberman calls to prevent rebuilding of Gaza until Ran Gvili’s body is returned

Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman declares that Israel cannot allow the rebuilding and rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip until the return of the body of the final hostage still in the Strip, Ran Gvili.

Addressing reporters ahead of his party’s weekly faction meeting in the Knesset, Liberman adds that the coastal enclave cannot be allowed to rebuild until Hamas disarms and Israel ensures that Turkey has no role in post-war Gaza.

“The most powerful lever Israel has against Hamas is the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip,” Liberman says, arguing that if Israel does not accomplish all three of these goals, it is “a shameful surrender” which condemns Israel to “another October 7.”

Balcony collapses in Tel Aviv, seriously injuring 70-year-old man

A 70-year-old man in Tel Aviv is in serious condition after a portion of a balcony collapsed and fell onto the street below as he was passing by.

A Magen David Adom paramedic who was called to the scene recounts finding the man “lying on the sidewalk near the building, unconscious, and surrounded by debris.”

He is suffering from “multi-system trauma,” the paramedic says, and was taken to Ichilov Medical Center for treatment.

Hebrew media reports suggest that the balcony may have collapsed due to heavy rainfall as stormy weather sweeps the country.

Earlier in the day, a tree was downed in Herzliya and fell on a vehicle while the driver was inside. Medics were called to the scene, but the man was not injured and did not require further treatment at the hospital.

*פצוע קשה כתוצאה מקריסת מרפסת בתל אביב*

דוברות איחוד הצלה – מחוז מרכז: צוותי הרפואה של איחוד הצלה העניקו סיוע רפואי לגבר כבן 70 שנפצע קשה ברחוב הרצל בתל אביב.

*דוד בן אלול חובש איחוד הצלה סיפר*: ״נמסר לי כי הוא נפל מגובה עם חלק מהמרפסת שקרסה עקב הגשמים. בעקבות כך הוא נחבל בראש pic.twitter.com/LDYuptny7Q

— כל החדשות בזמן אמת (@Saher_News_24_7) December 29, 2025

Residents of Kiryat Shmona will be eligible for private gun licenses, Ben Gvir announces

Residents of Kiryat Shmona will now be eligible for private firearms licenses, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir announces during a special faction meeting of his far-right Otzma Yehudit party in the northern city.

“Today I came with very important news for the city: we are going to turn it into a city entirely eligible for firearms,” Ben Gvir announces.

“After staff work in the ministry, we decided to designate all of Kiryat Shmona—excluding the industrial zone—but the entire city, as a firearms-eligible area. This will allow those who remain here to defend themselves — of course, alongside a large police presence,” Ben Gvir tells Mayor Avichai Stern.

Requests for gun permits surged following Hamas’s massive attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. In the wake of the massacre, the National Security Ministry also granted temporary authority to Ben Gvir’s personal staff appointees, Knesset employees, and others to approve gun license applications. Several were subsequently investigated by police on suspicion that the ministry inappropriately issued firearms permits.

In September, Ben Gvir said that since the beginning of his efforts to increase gun ownership, the government had issued around 230,000 new firearms licenses.

While Ben Gvir claims that putting more weapons on the streets has made Israel safer, women’s groups have decried the rising number of guns in Israeli homes, saying it poses a risk to victims of domestic violence.

Ben Gvir says that facilitating the return of the residents of the city who were displaced during the war against Hezbollah is important, declaring that “there is still much to do” while also touting 280 million shekels ($87.5 million) allocated to the city by Negev, Galilee and National Resilience Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf, a member of his party.

“I think this city must not only renew its former glory but grow even more, flourish and thrive. That’s why we’re here — to convey the message and do everything,” he says.

A day after the Hamas-led massacre in Israel’s south, the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah began firing barrages of rockets, missiles and drones at communities and military infrastructure in the north, leading to an unprecedented mass evacuation of some 60,000 people living close to the Lebanese border.

Virtually all the 24,000 residents of Kiryat Shmona, just over a mile from the border, were among those evacuated until a ceasefire was reached in the north in late November 2024.

Only 60 percent of Kiryat Shmona’s residents have returned to the city since the ceasefire with Hezbollah, and only about half of the local businesses have reopened.

Poll: 50% of Israelis believe working for PM and Qatar simultaneously is act of treason

Fifty percent of Israelis believe that working for Qatar while employed by the Prime Minister’s Office should be considered an act of treason, a new poll published by Walla has found.

The poll comes amid renewed attention on the so-called Qatargate scandal, which involves allegations that top aides to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Eli Feldstein and Jonatan Urich, acted as paid lobbyists for Hamas-backer Qatar while also working for the premier.

The poll finds that over 70% of those who vote for opposition parties believe that working for both the prime minister and Qatar would be an act of treason, compared to around 30% of those who vote for coalition parties.

The poll was conducted on December 28 by online pollster Panel4All on behalf of Walla and included responses from 500 Jewish and Arab Israelis. The margin of error is 4.3%.

Three Turkish police killed in clash with Islamic State militants, minister says

Three Turkish police officers were killed in a clash with Islamic State militants in northwest Turkey this morning, and six militants were killed in the operation, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya says.

Earlier, Turkish media reported that seven officers were wounded in the clash. It is not clear if the three killed were initially included in the number of injured.

China condemns Israeli recognition of Somaliland after Taiwan becomes first country to welcome move

China opposes any attempt to split territories in Somalia, the foreign ministry says, affirming Chinese support for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the East African country, after Israel formally recognized the Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state.

“No country should encourage or support other countries’ internal separatist forces for its own selfish interests,” ministry spokesperson Lin Jian tells reporters at a regular press conference, urging authorities in Somaliland to stop “separatist activities and collusion with external forces.”

Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, which broke away from war-ravaged Somalia in 1991, has been widely condemned. It has been welcomed, however, by Taiwan, which China views as one of its provinces rather than as an independent country.

Immigration drops by a third in 2025 as Russian immigration plummets

Some 21,900 new immigrants moved to Israel in 2025, the Immigration and Absorption Ministry says. That is a decline of about a third from last year’s 32,800, due mainly to a sharp dip in immigration from Russia.

Immigration from the United States, France, and the UK rose, showing a trend of more young people moving from Western countries, the ministry notes.

As has been the case every year in recent decades, the largest number of immigrants came from Russia, with about 8,300 arriving during the year. That was a 57% decline from 19,500 in 2024, and a fraction of the 74,000 who arrived in 2022 following the country’s declaration of war on Ukraine.

Excluding Russia, immigration trends remained stable or rose somewhat from the previous year. Some 3,500 immigrants came from the US, an increase of 5% from the previous year and 30% from 2023. French immigration rose 45% to 3,300, compared to 2,200 in 2024. Immigration from the UK rose 19% to 840, reflecting an ongoing upward trend.

“With the support of the Prime Minister, we are promoting a broad government decision to encourage immigration from countries where antisemitism is increasing,” says Immigration and Absorption Minister Ofir Sofer. “This, along with many programs to integrate immigrants in the fields of employment, housing, higher education and the community, is expected to encourage further immigration and strengthen the State of Israel.”

Hamas military wing says it will deliver speech at 4 p.m.

The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, says it will be delivering a statement at 4 p.m. today.

It does not give any indication of what the subject of the address will be.

It comes as Israel waits for the terror group to return the body of the final hostage, Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, and ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with US President Donald Trump in Florida today, which is expected to focus on the next stage of Trump’s 20-point plan to end the Gaza war.

The next stage of the plan is supposed to see the establishment of a Palestinian technocratic government for the Strip, overseen by a Trump-led Board of Peace, as well as the deployment of an International Stabilization Force as the IDF’s presence in the Strip is phased out.

Israel and Hamas have not formally signed on to the second phase of the deal.

High Court hears petitions against State Comptroller probe into Oct. 7 failures

The High Court of Justice is hearing petitions against State Comptroller Matan Englman’s investigation into the core failures surrounding the October 7, 2023, Hamas invasion and massacres.

The petitions were submitted by the IDF’s Military Defense Counsel and the Movement for Quality Government in Israel in June 2024, arguing that the State Comptroller has no authority to carry out such an investigation, and that his probe is compromising any future, independent investigation into the catastrophic attack.

Englman has insisted, however, that the law for the state comptroller gives him the authority to investigate all matters requiring review and examination in Israel, and that two years after the events of October 7, there is still no state commission of inquiry into the disaster.

Englman has drawn up a draft of his investigation into the main failures that enabled Hamas to successfully carry out its attack, but the Movement for Quality Government also petitioned the court to bar its publication, alleging that the state comptroller failed to seek answers properly from key decision makers when conducting his probe.

The Kan public broadcaster reported in August that senior IDF officials were alleging that Englman “marked out from the beginning” who was responsible for the October 7 attacks in order to absolve Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the government of responsibility.

Justices Daphne Barak Erez, Alex Stein, and David Mintz are hearing the case.

2,000-year-old Jewish ritual bath discovered under Western Wall Plaza in Jerusalem

An ancient Jewish ritual bath, known as a mikveh, dating to the last days of the Second Temple, roughly 2000 years ago, has been discovered under the Western Wall Plaza, just steps away from the Temple Mount, the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Western Wall Foundation announce in a statement.

The structure, measuring 3.05 meters in length, 1.35 meters in width, and 1.85 meters in height, has been discovered under a layer of ashes, bearing witness to the last tragic days of Jerusalem when the Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE.

Those who wished to ascend to the Temple were required to purify themselves in the mikveh before doing so.

“Jerusalem should be remembered as a Temple city,” explains Ari Levy, excavation director on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority. “As such, many aspects of daily life were adapted to this reality, and this is reflected especially in the meticulous observance of the laws of ritual impurity and purity by the city’s residents and leaders.”

Several vessels typical of the late Second Temple period have been unearthed around the mikveh.

The discovery is announced on the eve of the Tenth of Tevet Fast, which falls tomorrow and commemorates the beginning of the Babylonian siege that led to the destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple in the 6th century BCE. The statement does not specify when the mikveh was first unearthed.

Energy Min. Eli Cohen: If PM’s aides worked for Qatar, they must be ‘brought to justice’

Energy Minister Eli Cohen, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, appears to criticize the handling of the so-called Qatargate scandal in the Prime Minister’s Office, following the lead of Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, who last week demanded that the affair be fully investigated.

“If someone in the prime minister’s Office works on behalf of another country, he should be denounced and brought to justice,” Cohen tells Kan’s Reshet Bet radio station.

This is particularly necessary, he says, if the country in question is Qatar, “as it supports terrorism.”

The Qatargate affair involves allegations that top aides to the prime minister, Eli Feldstein and Jonatan Urich, acted as paid lobbyists for Hamas-backer Qatar while simultaneously working for Netanyahu.

The affair returned to the headlines last week following new revelations about the case, sparked by a three-part interview given by Feldstein to Kan and additional reports from other Hebrew-language outlets.

Police probing allegations of misconduct in office of Education Minister Yoav Kisch

The Israel Police confirmed yesterday that it is probing allegations of irregularities and misconduct in the office of Education Minister Yoav Kisch after they surfaced in a Channel 12 investigative report last month.

The purported wrongdoings revealed by the news outlet include allegations of personal and political interests influencing the work of the Education Ministry.

In one case, Channel 12 alleged that a tender had been awarded to a company owned by the father of Kisch’s chief of staff. In another case, the company at which the partner of the ministry’s director general is employed was alleged to have received contracts worth hundreds of millions of shekels.

Additional allegations involve Likud council members being awarded contracts without a tender, and an unreported conflict of interest in an appraisal meeting concerning funds for the Kfar Saba municipality, where Kisch’s partner works.

Following the Channel 12 report, which Kisch dismissed as “false,” the Movement for Quality Government appealed for a police investigation into his office.

The request was accepted by the police yesterday, although Channel 12 reports that it will be a few weeks until it is clear whether the initial investigation will develop further.

Bondi Beach Hanukkah attack hero says he just wanted to protect ‘innocent people’

Bondi Beach Hanukkah terror attack hero Ahmed al Ahmed recalls the moment he ran towards one of the attackers and wrestled the gun from him, saying in an interview with a US outlet that he wanted to protect “innocent people.”

“My target was just to take the gun from him, and to stop him from killing a human being’s life and not killing innocent people,” he tells CBS News in an interview that airs today.

“I know I saved lots, but I feel sorry for the lost.”

Father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram targeted a Hanukkah event on Sydney’s Bondi Beach on December 14, killing 15 people and wounding dozens in what authorities declared an antisemitic terrorist attack.

Ahmed, a local vendor, went viral for ducking between parked cars as the shooting unfolded and then wresting a gun from one of the assailants.

He was shot several times in the shoulder after tussling with one of the gunmen and underwent several rounds of surgery.

He recalls the moment he “jumped” on the gunman’s back, holding him with his right hand and saying: “Drop your gun, stop doing what you’re doing.”

“I don’t want to see people killed in front of me, I don’t want to see blood, I don’t want to hear his gun, I don’t want to see people screaming and begging, asking for help,” Ahmed tells the television network.

Ahmed was at the beach getting a cup of coffee when the shooting occurred.

The father of two emigrated to Australia from Syria in 2007, his uncle Mohammed, a farmer, had told AFP in Ahmed’s hometown of Al-Nayrab days after the shooting.

“His act is a source of pride for us and for Syria,” Mohammed said.

The Australian government has fast-tracked and granted a number of visas for Ahmed’s family, local media reports.

“Ahmed has shown the courage and values we want in Australia,” Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said in a statement.

Seven Turkish police wounded in clash with Islamic State militants, media says

Seven Turkish police officers were wounded during a clash with suspected Islamic State militants in Yalova province in northwest Turkey, state broadcaster TRT Haber reports.

It says police teams in Yalova launched an operation on a house believed to contain militants near the town of Yalova.

The wounded police officers were not reported to be in a serious condition, it says.

Taiwan condemns China’s ‘military intimidation’ after Beijing announces drills

Taiwan condemns China’s use of “military intimidation” after Beijing announced major drills around the democratic island.

“In response to the Chinese authorities’ disregard for international norms and the use of military intimidation to threaten neighbouring countries, Taiwan expresses its strong condemnation,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo says in a statement.

Former hostages Matan Zangauker and Ilana Gritzewsky become engaged

Former hostage Matan Zangauker and his girlfriend, former hostage Ilana Gritzewsky, have become engaged, according to a photo posted by Matan’s mother Einav.

Einav Zangauker, who became famous for her ceaseless lobbying for her son’s release over two years following the October 7 attack, posts a photo of Matan and Ilana drinking champagne by a “Will you marry me” sign. A giant guitar-shaped building in the background places the photo at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood, Florida.

“My picture of victory,” Einav writes. “Ilana & Matan.”

תמונת הניצחון שלי🩵
אילנה & מתן pic.twitter.com/1XQ9wSrJm8

— עינב צנגאוקר (@enavezangauker) December 29, 2025

Matan Zangauker, 26, was freed in October after two years in captivity after being kidnapped by terrorists from Kibbutz Nir Oz with Gritzewsky, 31. She was freed in November 2023 after nearly two months in captivity.

Einav Zangauker became one of the most recognizable faces of the battle to bring the hostages home, appearing regularly at protests and employing harsh invective against the government.

Netanyahu to meet Rubio at 10 a.m. Monday before sitting down with Trump at 1 p.m.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Monday meeting with US President Donald Trump at the latter’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida has been moved up to 1 p.m. local time, or 8 p.m. in Israel

Netanyahu’s meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also been moved up to 10 a.m. (5 p.m. in Israel).

Netanyahu’s office had initially told reporters that both meetings would be held later in the day, but the White House and State Department have released updated schedules for Monday’s meetings showing otherwise.

North Korea test-fires long-range cruise missiles — state media

North Korea has test-fired two strategic long-range cruise missiles into the sea, state media reports.

The reclusive state’s leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the drill, staged Sunday over the Yellow Sea, and urged “unlimited and sustained” development of his country’s nuclear weapons forces, the KCNA news agency reports.

It was apparently the first such test since early November.

The South Korean military detected the launch of multiple missiles from the Sunan area near Pyongyang, the Yonhap news agency says.

The goal of the exercise was to review the “counter-offensive response posture and combat capability of long-range missile sub-units,” KCNA says.

Kim stated that the government and ruling party of North Korea “would as ever devote all their efforts to the unlimited and sustained development of the state nuclear combat force,” the news agency adds.

North Korea staged a ballistic missile test on November 6, just over a week after US President Donald Trump — on a tour of the region — expressed interest in meeting with Kim. Pyongyang did not respond to the offer.

Trump says Ukraine deal closer but no talks breakthrough

US President Donald Trump says a deal is closer than ever to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but reports no apparent breakthrough on the flashpoint issue of territory after new talks with the warring countries’ leaders.

Trump says it will become clear within weeks whether it is possible to end the war that has killed tens of thousands of people since February 2022.

In a pre-New Year’s diplomatic sprint, Trump brought Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Florida, where the two met with top aides over lunch, a day after Russia unleashed major new attacks on residential areas of the capital Kyiv.

Much like when Zelensky last met Trump in October, Russian President Vladimir Putin also spoke shortly beforehand by telephone with the US leader, who insists that Moscow was “serious” about peace despite the assault.

“I really believe we’re, Mr. President, probably closer than — far closer than — ever before with both parties,” Trump says with Zelensky at his side in the tea room of his Mar-a-Lago estate.

“Everybody wants it ended,” Trump says.

After their talks, Zelensky and Trump spoke jointly by telephone with key European leaders, who have been particularly alarmed about any decisions that would embolden Russia.