According to him, "Honestly, this is a strange and thoughtless decision. If Netanyahu had agreed at the beginning to open the crossing according to the agreement, he would have achieved the following things – respect from the international community, embarrassment for Egypt, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians would have left, only a few hundred would have entered, and the US would have received this as a gift. This is a diplomatic failure."

Nevertheless, Israel views this as an appropriate sanction for the ongoing delay in delivering all deceased hostages.

That is, first a Palestinian police force would be deployed, then a technocratic government would be established, and the PA would return to managing the Strip, and only at the end would the disarmament process begin. According to this proposal, the weapons would pass to the custody of the Palestinian Authority, which would oversee their storage, and its role would be to prevent terrorists from accessing them. It has also been reported that Doha and Ankara are proposing an alternative to the PA: "international supervision."

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For years, Saad topped Israel's target list, evading numerous assassination attempts until Saturday's successful strike. Together with Izz al-Din Haddad, who now leads Hamas' military apparatus in Gaza, he stood as the sole survivor among the organization's pre-war senior leadership and among the handful who knew the intimate details of Hamas' assault blueprint, which Israel designated "Wall of Jericho" (Hamas's operational code for the October 7 attack).

Israel justified Saad's elimination by pointing to his ongoing efforts to reconstitute Hamas' capabilities and an explosive device that injured two reserve soldiers near the southern Strip on Friday. Yet these explanations appear tailored for Washington's consumption: The authentic motivation boils down to a score Israel had to settle with him – or stated plainly, vengeance.

By Saturday evening, Hamas had yet to acknowledge Saad's death. The silence might reflect internal disarray, though questions remain whether the organization retains meaningful retaliatory capacity. Hamas has hemorrhaged most of its military strength alongside its military and civilian leadership throughout the war, leaving it organizationally shattered. Currently it channels its remaining resources toward consolidating control over the Strip's western sector, which stays under its authority. Israel presumably factored this weakness into its assassination calculus, which earned unanimous backing from the diplomatic-security establishment's uppermost echelons.

The singular gamble Israel appears to have accepted concerns the Washington administration. Saad's elimination provides Israel an opportunity to gauge President Donald Trump's temperature, for whom the Gaza accord stands as his first presidential term's marquee diplomatic accomplishment. Trump recently pressed Israel to throttle back its Gaza operations, affording space for the agreement's advancement; if he refrains from erupting now, Israel can interpret his silence as tacit authorization to persist in eliminating Gaza's senior hierarchy, mirroring its Lebanon approach.

Hamas will naturally strive to derail this trajectory, mobilizing its Qatari and Turkish sponsors hoping they'll persuade Trump to muzzle Israel. This contest for the president's attention – and by extension his policy direction – will dictate Gaza's near-term landscape. Israel seeks maximum postponement of transitioning to Phase 2, apprehensive it will mandate further withdrawals absent fundamental shifts in Gaza's circumstances. It partially attributes delays to Hamas' failure to return fallen hostage Ran Gvili, with Hamas contending that Israeli intelligence leads proved fruitless in pinpointing his location.

Three unpalatable paths

Meanwhile, Americans wrestle with assembling a multinational contingent to shoulder Gaza's security burden and execute its demilitarization. Simultaneously, mobilizing the billions required for the Strip's reconstruction proceeds at glacial speed: precisely as before, a chasm yawns between verbal pledges and written commitments. Trump must deploy his full leverage extracting promised funding – including from prosperous nations, principally Saudi Arabia – lest he grow tempted to embrace Qatari financing once more.

This tangle poses difficulties for Israel by generating three unpalatable paths. First, the grandiose promises yield nothing and Hamas continues governing overtly. Second, Americans declare victory prematurely, accepting a phantom governing structure masking Hamas' continued dominance. Third, the accord disintegrates entirely, forcing Israel back into comprehensive Gaza combat – bearing its physical, economic and diplomatic toll.

Israel will likely endeavor provisionally, at least publicly, to afford the agreement implementation opportunities as Trump desires. The assassination will be rationalized, as noted, through immediate operational necessity, simultaneously insisting Hamas cease its ongoing violations. Meanwhile, deliberately avoiding excessive administration irritation and projecting restraint, Israel shelved plans Friday to strike Hezbollah installations in Lebanon.

Israel maintained the scheduled operation was aborted because the Lebanese Armed Forces requested (and obtained) the intended target and pledged to address it independently. This signals encouragingly that threats of escalating military pressure toward renewed warfare are producing results, propelling the Lebanese Armed Forces toward action. Prudence nevertheless counsels withholding definitive conclusions: presently the probability of another Hezbollah confrontation remains elevated, merely deferred temporarily.

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So far, no country has formally announced that it will join the ISF. Even states that were expected early on to take part have yet to do so. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, whose country was considered a leading candidate to join the force, said earlier this week that "the questions we raised have not been fully answered. Therefore, there is no final decision regarding the participation of Azerbaijani military personnel."

With this vacuum, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is attempting to push his country's forces into taking part of the ISF. As Israel Hayom previously reported, Netanyahu vetoed Turkish military involvement at the outset of the process, citing Erdogan's close ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, his sympathy for Hamas, and his persistent antisemitism.

The US accepted Israel's position. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said publicly that the administration would not force Israel to accept the participation of countries it does not want involved.

Still, with more than two months having passed since the end of the war and the force still not established, Turkey is renewing its efforts. Recent reports claim Erdogan's forces are already prepared for deployment. At the same time, new messages have been conveyed to Jerusalem urging Israeli officials to reconsider Turkey's inclusion in the ISF. Netanyahu, however, continues to reject these proposals.

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According to the hospital's announcement, the partnership aims to "transform St. Joseph Hospital-Jerusalem into an academic medical institution and provide clinical training for students in various health professions." The statement further noted that the project is "funded and supported by four partners: the French Development Agency (AFD), the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), the European Union, and St. Joseph Hospital."

The signing ceremony for the agreement took place in Doha, Qatar, on December 8, 2025. Jamil Kusa, the hospital's director general, said, "We are deeply grateful for the generous support of the Qatar Fund for Development. This partnership is not just a financial agreement; it is a lifeline for thousands of patients who rely on our services. This cooperation will enable us to renovate our facilities, and most importantly – expand our reach to those who need it most."

Ran Ichay, head of research at the Jerusalem Center for Applied Policy (JCAP), responded by saying that "Qatar, the major supporter of Hamas alongside Turkey's Erdogan, continues to buy its way into Jerusalem with substantial funding. Its consistent ally is France, which throughout the war has demonstrated an almost consistently anti-Israel policy."

Ichay, former Israeli ambassador to Kazakhstan and former director general of the Ministry of Jerusalem, added, "France, in its foolishness and inherent anti-Israel stance, joins Qatar, and not for the first time, including support for radical Islam, incitement, and terrorism. Now the consistent channel is the French St. Joseph Hospital in Jerusalem, located near the National Headquarters and the National Security Minister's office on one side, and the Turkish consulate, which is another hub for subversion in the city, on the other."

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"The genocide in Gaza has caused the killing of more than 70,000 people. This constitutes a grave violation of the values in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Unfortunately, the injustices in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories continue despite all the efforts of the international community," Erdoğan charged, according to statements quoted by the Turkish news agency.

The Turkish leader further emphasized that "the rehabilitation of Gaza, which has been turned into a pile of rubble, is a shared responsibility that rests on the shoulders of all humanity toward the Palestinians."

Meanwhile, Erdoğan addressed the domestic situation in his country, stating, "We will first achieve the goal of a Turkey without terrorism, and then, with God's help, we will announce the goal of a region without terrorism, based on development, solidarity, cooperation, and peace."

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According to Adraee, "IDF and the Shin Bet are exposing documents belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization that show it is operating, under Iran's leadership, a network of money changers made up of Gazan exiles in central Turkey, exploiting the country's financial systems for terrorist purposes." He added that "IDF and the Shin Bet warn against any contact with this exchange network or with the other economic arms of the Hamas terrorist organization."

Adraee said the Gaza-born money changers "work in full cooperation with the Iranian regime and transfer hundreds of millions of dollars directly to the Hamas terrorist organization and its senior officials." He noted that the network runs extensive financial activity inside Turkey, including receiving, storing and transferring Iranian funds to Hamas.

"We are revealing documents from the network that record only a small part of these transfers, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. The identities of three operatives are now being exposed as well: Tamer Hassan, a senior figure in Hamas' Finance Office in Turkey who works directly under Khalil al-Hayya, and Khalil Farauna and Farid Abu Dair, both money changers in the Hamas network."

#خاص جيش الدفاع وجهاز الشاباك يكشفان الستار عن شبكة صرافة سرّية تديرها حماس في قلب تركيا بتوجيه إيراني

يكشف جيش الدفاع وجهاز الشاباك وثائق تابعة لمنظمة حماس الإرهابية تبين أن قيام حماس - وبقيادة إيران - بإدارة شبكة من صرّافي الأموال مكوّنة من غزيّين يقيمون في قلب تركيا،… pic.twitter.com/2YsObe8XxV

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) December 7, 2025

"Hamas, encouraged and supported by the Iranian regime, continues to pursue terrorist activity against Israel and to rebuild its capabilities even after bringing destruction upon the Gaza Strip, and it is doing so from outside the territory as well. The IDF and the Shin Bet warn against any ties with the exchange network or with the economic arms of the Hamas terrorist organization."

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The F-35 was developed as part of an international project that included several countries, among them Turkey, but it was removed from the program in 2019 after purchasing S-400 air defense systems from Russia. Since then, Turkey has been trying to return to the project and acquire the advanced aircraft for its aging fighter fleet.

Burke said in Abu Dhabi that the fact that the systems in question are not operationally active has eased some of the US concerns, but they remain in Ankara's possession, which makes resolving the issue difficult.

"I believe these issues will be resolved within four to six months," Burke was quoted as saying, and when asked whether Turkey is close to removing the Russian air defense system, he answered "yes." Since Trump returned to the White House, he has demonstrated close friendship with Erdoğan, despite growing tensions between Ankara and Jerusalem, which he promised to resolve.

Trump has expressed willingness to sell the advanced aircraft to Turkey, but during Erdoğan's visit to Washington in September, he said Erdoğan "will have to do something for us" to bring the deal to fruition.

Since its removal from the program, Turkey has been working on several parallel tracks to renew its fighter fleet: a deal to purchase 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets from Britain and Germany, purchasing new F-16 aircraft and upgrading existing ones, and developing its own fighter jet – the KAAN – which is expected to enter service by 2028, according to Turkey.

Turkey and the US are the two owners of NATO's largest militaries, and on Turkish territory is located Incirlik Base – one of America's most important bases in the Middle East. Nevertheless, Turkey has maintained balanced relations with Russia over the years, even after the invasion of Ukraine, and frequently presents itself as a possible mediator in talks and has hosted them in the past.

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Over the weekend, Dendias presented "Achilles Shield", a major shift in Greece's security doctrine that would place missile batteries on hundreds of Aegean islands. "We will seal the Aegean from the ground", he said in a Friday speech, again calling Turkey "the greatest threat" to Greece. "Greece is defending itself and Turkey is the one issuing threats", he declared. According to him, "the country that represents the most tangible threat to us is producing drones. Based on the information we have, it has more than a million drones ready at this moment".

A significant portion of the weapons systems for the Greek plan is expected to come from Israel, reflecting deepening defense ties between Israel, Greece and Cyprus, who share longstanding hostility toward Turkey. According to reports, Jerusalem and Athens are negotiating a deal worth roughly 3.5 billion dollars that would include air defense systems built by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries: Spyder, Barak MX and David's Sling.

At a weekly press briefing in Ankara, Defense Ministry spokesperson Rear Adm. Zeki Aktürk addressed Dendias's remarks. "All developments in our region, including the military activity of our neighbor Greece, are under close monitoring by us", he said. "Our country's basic priority is for our region, including the Aegean Sea, to be an area of peace and stability. Our expectation is that Greece also demonstrates a similarly constructive approach".

Aktürk described statements by Greek officials as "detached from reality, delusional and contrary to international agreements", and argued that they "damage the positive atmosphere created on the basis of understandings reached between the leaders of the two countries".

He added: "The Turkish armed forces do not pose a threat to anyone who does not threaten them, but they have the power and determination to thwart any threat directed at our country. Initiatives aimed against Turkey have failed in the past and will not succeed now or in the future".

The briefing also noted that Turkey has begun construction of a domestically produced submarine, the first of its kind in the country. Ankara has also signed an agreement to sell a corvette to Romania, marking Turkey's first sale of a naval vessel to a NATO ally. Last week, Turkey announced it had started building a TF-2000 class air-defense destroyer, which will be part of the multilayered "Steel Dome" system the government previously unveiled.

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This information helped the Americans accept the Israeli veto on bringing Turkish army forces as part of the multinational force. Ankara was furious about this. On one hand, the country announced the recruitment and training of exactly 2,000 soldiers for this very purpose, which Israel prevents, and additionally published arrest warrants against dozens of Israeli senior officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, and others.

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Video: Turkish truck driver transformed his milk tanker into an improvised firefighting vehicle. Credit: Social media

Akram Aslami, a milk tanker driver from Denizli province in southwestern Turkey, drove on a mountain road after loading milk at a local cooperative and was on his way to unload the valuable cargo. At one of the road's curves, he noticed thick smoke and flames consuming the nearby brush, but instead of continuing his journey, he decided to take action. Aslami got out of the truck, activated the milk pump in reverse, and began spraying jets of milk toward the flames. Passersby who arrived helped the brave driver direct the stream and even began firefighting efforts around him using clothes and water bottles. A short video, documented by one of the passersby, captured the truck driver's heroism as he faced the flames while he and several other people worked to extinguish the fire using the valuable cargo he had transported.

"After about half an hour, the police and firefighters arrived and replaced me. I asked if they needed me for anything else, and they said there was no need," the truck driver told one of the Turkish media outlets after the incident. Aslami's actions helped stop the fire's spread at a critical stage, which allowed firefighting forces to gain control of the flames. "I didn't do anything unusual, that's how they taught me to behave," Aslami said in an interview.

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