FDD | Dec 8, 2025
Latest Developments
- Prime Minister Says Second Phase Warrants Caution: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump later this month to discuss the next phases of the Gaza ceasefire. Netanyahu asserted that it was critical for Hamas to uphold the ceasefire and follow through on “their commitment” to Trump’s 20-point truce, which requires the full disarmament of the terrorist organization as well as the demilitarization of Gaza. The Israeli prime minister also stressed the importance of clarifying the role of the proposed International Stabilization Force (ISF) for Gaza. “What will be the timeline? What are the forces that are coming in? Will we have international forces? If not, what are the alternatives? These are all topics that are being discussed,” Netanyahu said.
- IDF Chief of Staff Says Yellow Line Represents ‘New Border’: IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir stated that the “Yellow Line” — which separates Israeli-held territory from areas held by Hamas in Gaza — represented Israel’s new frontier. “We will not allow Hamas to reestablish itself. We control large parts of the Gaza Strip and stand along [strategic] lines. The Yellow Line is a new border line, a forward defensive line for the communities and an offensive line [as well],” Zamir stated during a tour of Israeli positions on December 7. Israel was required by phase one of the ceasefire to withdraw to the Yellow Line, which still leaves the IDF in control of some 53 percent of Gaza.
- Hamas Official Vaguely Floats Possibility for Weapons Freeze: Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim claimed that the terrorist organization is “open” to discussing “freezing or storing or laying down” its weapons without elaborating further. Insisting Hamas must retain its “right to resist,” Naim said it was nonetheless “very open-minded” about the fate of its weapons. Naim’s comments came days after his colleague, Khaled Mashaal, declared in a video address to a conference in Istanbul that Hamas would never lay down its weapons, calling them “the honor and pride of [Palestine].”
FDD Expert Response
“Disarming Hamas and returning the hostages have been the top two goals of Israel’s war since the beginning. It is no coincidence that Jerusalem is suggesting to Washington that both these requirements be met before moving into the second phase of Trump’s ceasefire. Meanwhile, Hamas has made it clear that it has no intention of laying down arms and has consistently and systematically violated phase one of the agreement, raising the question as to whether the group is interested in moving to any future phases at all.” — Enia Krivine, Senior Director of FDD’s Israel Program and National Security Network
“Just days after senior Hamas leader Khaled Mashal bluntly declared that the Islamist group would not disarm, Bassem Naim is now offering a markedly softer line. The shift is not a significant change in Hamas’s strategy but rather routine damage control. Mashal erred by stating aloud what Hamas has long signaled in practice, namely, its refusal to comply with President Trump’s ceasefire plan. Naim’s revisionist tone only underscores the widening gap between Hamas’s public messaging and the reality on the ground.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal
FDD Background and Analysis
“Battalion Commander Among 4 Hamas Terrorists Eliminated by IDF in Rafah,” FDD Flash Brief
“For the Sake of the US-Crafted Ceasefire in Gaza, Israel Should Fortify the Yellow Line Immediately,” by Aaron Goren
“Israel Set To Open Rafah Crossing To Allow Palestinians To Exit Gaza,” FDD Flash Brief
“Terrorist uses aid route to fire at Israeli troops; IDF reports 14 Gaza ceasefire violations from November 22 to 26,” by Samuel Ben-Ur and Aaron Goren
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