Israel has approved the construction of 126 illegal housing units in Sa-Nur, located in the occupied West Bank. The plan was sanctioned by the Higher Planning Council under the Civil Administration, allowing settlers to return to the Sa-Nur outpost. The area had been unilaterally separated from Palestinian territory by Tel Aviv in 2005.

According to Israeli media reports, the approval follows the repeal of the 2005 Disengagement Law by the Israeli parliament in March 2024. The law had previously restricted settlement activity in certain evacuated areas. On December 23, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich convened a meeting of the Higher Planning Council to consider the 126-unit proposal. Channel 7 reported that the plan is expected to take effect within two months.

The Palestinian Authority has repeatedly urged the international community to pressure Israel to halt settlement construction in the occupied West Bank, which the United Nations and international law consider illegal.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced a boycott of the influential daily newspaper Haaretz, accusing it of supporting Israel’s enemies during the Gaza war. According to a report by Middle East Monitor, the decision includes cutting all advertising and editorial ties with the paper. A government directive instructs all ministries, state-funded companies, and public advertising agencies to avoid any relationship with Haaretz. The boycott was implemented based on a government decision made in November 2024.

The Israeli government claims that Haaretz published editorials during the Gaza conflict that undermined Israel’s legitimacy and right to self-defense. Officials stated that they would not tolerate a domestic newspaper supporting enemies or calling for international sanctions against Israel.

Israel’s Attorney General has warned that the new restrictions could negatively affect press freedom, increasing the risk of commercial and political interference in media operations.

Israel has decided to revoke the licenses of 37 organizations providing humanitarian assistance in Palestine, citing their failure to meet new registration requirements. According to Israeli authorities, the groups did not submit complete personal data of their staff as required under the updated regulations. The suspension, affecting well-known international NGOs such as ActionAid, the International Rescue Committee, and the Norwegian Refugee Council, will take effect on January 1, with operations to cease within 60 days.

The move has drawn sharp criticism from ten countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Canada, and Japan, which described the new rules as excessively strict and unacceptable. In a joint statement, their foreign ministers warned that forced closures of international NGOs would severely disrupt access to essential services such as healthcare in Gaza, where humanitarian conditions remain catastrophic. They urged Israel to allow NGOs to continue sustainable operations.

The UN-supported Humanitarian Country Team previously warned that Israel’s new registration policy poses fundamental risks to NGO activities in Gaza and the West Bank, calling the system arbitrary and politically driven, with conditions that could undermine humanitarian principles.

Israel has warned that it will suspend the operations of several donor and humanitarian organizations working in the war-torn Gaza Strip, accusing them of failing to comply with new regulations. According to the report, the restrictions are set to take effect from Thursday and will affect more than 30 groups, including Doctors Without Borders, the Norwegian Refugee Council, CARE International, the International Rescue Committee, Oxfam, and Caritas. Israel claims these organizations did not meet requirements to share information about their staff, funding, and activities.

Tel Aviv further alleged that some staff members of Doctors Without Borders were cooperating with Hamas and that the organization failed to clarify their roles. Doctors Without Borders denied the accusations and warned that Israel’s decision would have a devastating impact on its medical work in Gaza. International organizations described Israel’s new rules as arbitrary, while Israeli authorities stated that permits for 37 groups had not been renewed.

The dispute underscores growing tensions between Israel and international aid agencies over operational transparency and humanitarian access in Gaza.

Israel has released 10 Palestinians detained in Gaza under a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with Hamas, according to Anadolu Agency on Sunday. The released individuals were taken by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah for medical examinations and necessary treatment.

Human rights organizations from both Palestine and Israel reported that more than 9,300 Palestinians remain imprisoned in Israel, including women and children. The report cited allegations of torture, starvation, and medical neglect among detainees, leading to several deaths. Rights groups also stated that mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners has intensified during Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza.

Since the conflict began in October 2023, over 70,900 people have been killed—mostly women and children—and about 171,200 injured, while large parts of Gaza have been reduced to rubble.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir came under attack from angry Palestinians during a visit to the Bedouin village of Tarabin in the occupied Negev region of southern Palestine. The incident occurred on Sunday after Israeli forces had raided the village and arrested several Palestinians. As Ben-Gvir arrived to oversee a police operation, villagers reportedly threw stones at him, forcing him to flee the area under heavy police protection.

According to Channel 14, the confrontation escalated when residents clashed with police during the minister’s visit. Social media videos showed Palestinians throwing stones at Ben-Gvir as he left the area surrounded by security forces. Israeli police responded by firing tear gas to disperse the crowd.

The report, citing Middle East Eye, highlights ongoing tensions in the occupied Negev region, where Israeli security operations and Palestinian resistance frequently lead to violent confrontations.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to travel to the United States on Sunday to meet President Donald Trump in Florida the following day, according to an Israeli official in Jerusalem. This will be their fifth meeting of the year, taking place as the United States and regional mediators intensify efforts to advance the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the meeting may cover a range of regional issues, including Iran, the Israel-Syria security agreement, a ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the next stage of the Gaza agreement. Progress on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, brokered in October by Washington and regional allies, has been slow, with both sides accusing each other of violations and mediators fearing deliberate delays.

According to Axios, the Trump-Netanyahu meeting is considered crucial for advancing the next phase of the Gaza deal. The report also noted growing dissatisfaction among senior Trump administration officials over Netanyahu’s role in the stalled peace process.

Hamas has called on Israel to allow an impartial international investigation into the October 7, 2023 attacks in southern Israel. The Palestinian group released a 42-page document rejecting accusations of killing or committing atrocities against Israeli civilians. The document provides detailed accounts of the events of that day, Hamas’s perspective on Israel’s actions in Gaza, and its view of the ongoing conflict.

According to the document, Hamas claims Western media and pro-Israel lobby groups spread misleading narratives about the attack, including false reports of child killings and sexual violence. It states that such claims were used to justify what Hamas describes as a genocidal campaign in Gaza. The group says it had offered to release civilian hostages shortly after the attack, but Israel initially refused. During a brief truce in November 2023, about 100 hostages were exchanged for Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas attributes the October 7 assault to decades of Israeli occupation, Gaza’s blockade, repeated violations of the Oslo Accords, and international inaction. The document concludes that Hamas is an inseparable part of the Palestinian national structure.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Sunday, where he is expected to press for additional military action against Iran. The meeting follows the U.S. bombing of Tehran’s nuclear facilities in June, an operation that Trump claims destroyed three sites completely. Analysts believe Netanyahu remains unsatisfied and is now emphasizing Iran’s missile program as the next target.

Israeli officials and their allies are again calling for urgent measures against Iran’s missile capabilities, while analysts warn that another conflict would contradict Trump’s stated foreign policy priorities. Sina Toossi of the Center for International Policy noted that Trump seeks to strengthen economic and diplomatic ties between Israel and Arab states, whereas Netanyahu aims to expand military dominance in the region.

Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute told Al Jazeera that Israel is pressuring the U.S. to remain engaged in a prolonged confrontation with Iran, shifting focus to missiles since Trump has declared the nuclear issue resolved.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared that Israel will never withdraw from Gaza and announced plans to establish a wide security perimeter around the enclave as well as authorize settlements in its northern region. Katz made the remarks on Thursday during a public event, according to Anadolu Agency. Earlier in the week, he had made similar comments regarding settlement construction in northern Gaza.

The report states that Israel, with U.S. support, launched a major war in Gaza in October 2023, resulting in over 71,000 Palestinian deaths and injuries, most of them women and children. A ceasefire proposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump took effect on October 10, but Israel has allegedly violated it daily, causing 411 additional Palestinian deaths.

Katz further said that Israel would eventually establish the Nahal outpost in northern Gaza and exercise what he described as “de facto sovereignty” similar to its control in the occupied West Bank. The Palestinian Authority accused Israel of intensifying annexation efforts in the West Bank through demolitions, forced displacement, and settlement expansion, warning that such actions undermine the UN-backed two-state solution.

Fourteen countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Canada, and Denmark, have jointly condemned Israel’s decision to authorize 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank. In a joint statement, the nations described the move as illegal under international law and warned that it endangers the fragile Gaza ceasefire and prospects for long-term regional stability.

The statement, endorsed by Belgium, Germany, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom, urged Israel to reverse the decision. The countries reaffirmed their opposition to any annexation or expansion of settlements and reiterated support for the Palestinian right to self-determination. Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich confirmed the approval, stating the plan aims to prevent the creation of a future Palestinian state.

Diplomatic observers warn that the move could further strain Israel’s relations with Western allies and complicate ongoing mediation efforts to sustain the Gaza truce. The development underscores renewed tensions surrounding the two-state solution and international law compliance.

The Israeli military on Wednesday confirmed the death of a Hamas financial officer in a December 13 airstrike in Gaza, identifying him as a key figure in the group’s armed wing. The official, named Zakut, was killed alongside senior Hamas commander Raed Saad during a joint operation by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Shin Bet security agency. Saad was reportedly one of the planners of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

According to IDF Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee, Zakut was responsible for managing millions of dollars in funding for Hamas’s military activities over the past year. Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya had earlier confirmed Saad’s death but did not mention Zakut. The IDF described Saad as head of Hamas’s weapons production headquarters, overseeing the group’s military buildup.

The announcement comes amid a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, in effect since October 10, which both Israel and Hamas accuse each other of violating. The identification of Zakut underscores Israel’s continued targeting of Hamas’s financial and military infrastructure.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has declared that Israeli forces will not withdraw from Gaza, indicating plans to establish military outposts in the northern part of the enclave. His remarks, reported by Israeli media on Tuesday, came as mediators push for the second phase of a ceasefire that includes the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the territory.

Katz made the statement during a ceremony at the Beit El settlement in the occupied West Bank, asserting that Israel’s continued presence in Gaza is necessary to prevent future attacks. Former minister and ex-chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot sharply criticized Katz’s comments, accusing the government of undermining national unity at a critical security juncture.

The remarks complicate ongoing diplomatic efforts, including proposals for an interim Palestinian authority to govern Gaza and the deployment of an international stabilization force. Observers warn that Israel’s stance could stall ceasefire progress and deepen regional tensions.

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has proposed building a ‘crocodile-enclosed detention center’ for Palestinian prisoners to prevent escapes, according to Israeli Channel 13. The proposed site lies near Hamat Gader in northern Israel, close to the occupied Syrian Golan Heights and the Jordanian border, an area that already hosts a crocodile farm and a zoo.

Ben-Gvir reportedly presented the idea during a security assessment meeting with Prison Service Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi. The Israeli Knesset is also expected to vote on a separate bill he introduced, which seeks to impose the death penalty on Palestinians accused of planning or participating in attacks against Israel.

Human rights groups in Israel and Palestine have condemned the proposal as inhumane and politically provocative. Over 9,300 Palestinians, including women and children, are currently detained in Israeli prisons. The plan emerges amid ongoing violence in Gaza, where more than 70,900 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, according to rights monitors.

Israel’s security cabinet has approved the establishment of 19 new illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to a government statement released on Sunday. The decision, which brings the total number of approved settlements in the past three years to 69, was announced by the office of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, himself a settler living in the West Bank. The statement reaffirmed Israel’s intent to continue expanding settlements in what it calls Judea and Samaria.

The move has sparked strong international backlash. Saudi Arabia condemned the decision, while UN Secretary-General António Guterres criticized it as a serious escalation that undermines prospects for a two-state solution. Guterres warned that continued settlement expansion heightens regional tensions and jeopardizes peace efforts in the Middle East.

Analysts say the approval further isolates Israel diplomatically and complicates any future negotiations with the Palestinian Authority. The development is expected to feature prominently in upcoming UN discussions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.