Netanyahu Seeks Firm U.S. Guarantees on Gaza, Hostages, and Hamas Disarmament Ahead of Trump Summit

Netanyahu Seeks Firm U.S. Guarantees on Gaza, Hostages, and Hamas Disarmament Ahead of Trump Summit

Emmitt Barry

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Florida on Sunday ahead of a pivotal meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, amid growing Israeli concern that Washington may push forward with Phase II of the Gaza agreement without securing Israel’s core security demands.

Israeli officials fear the United States could advance the next phase “at any cost,” including further Israeli withdrawals and the opening of the Rafah Crossing, without first ensuring the return of the body of fallen hostage Staff Sgt. Ran Gvili and without unequivocal commitments to the full disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip. Jerusalem worries that vague U.S. language about “removing weapons from service” could allow Hamas to conceal arms rather than dismantle its military capabilities.

Netanyahu is expected to demand explicit guarantees from Trump before agreeing to any transition to Phase II. These include the return of Gvili’s remains, clear timelines for Hamas’s disarmament measured in months rather than years, and absolute clarity that symbolic gestures—such as handing over obsolete weapons or placing arms in storage—will not be accepted as compliance.

The Israeli delegation’s visit carries deep personal and political weight. Gvili’s mother and brother are also expected to travel to the United States, with Israel hoping Trump will meet them to underscore that a family is still waiting for closure. Israeli officials believe such a meeting could reinforce the moral urgency of resolving the hostage issue before any broader diplomatic steps are taken.

At the center of the dispute is Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza, which Israel says it accepted in full, provided all phases—including disarmament and demilitarization—are implemented in their entirety. U.S. frustration has reportedly been building over what some in Trump’s circle see as Israel’s reluctance to advance Phase II, while Israeli officials counter that security realities on the ground leave no room for ambiguity.

Another major issue is the proposed International Stabilization Force. Israel is seeking clarity on its composition and rules of engagement, stressing that Turkey and Pakistan must not be included. While the United States has reportedly secured commitments from three countries to contribute troops, Israeli officials say the effectiveness of the force will depend entirely on whether it prevents Hamas from rearming and reasserting control.

Beyond Gaza, Netanyahu is expected to brief Trump on intelligence regarding Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, pressing for a U.S. commitment to zero uranium enrichment, the removal of enriched material, and intrusive international inspections. He is also expected to seek understandings on what steps would follow if diplomacy fails, including when Israel might receive a U.S. “green light” to act militarily.

The talks are also set to cover Lebanon, where Israel believes Hezbollah remains far from disarmed despite international commitments, and Syria, where Jerusalem is wary of U.S. pressure to accept new leadership it views as unreliable. Netanyahu is expected to caution against any arrangement that would allow Turkey to gain a foothold in Syria or Gaza.

Netanyahu’s schedule includes a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, followed by his summit with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Additional meetings with evangelical leaders and Jewish community figures are planned later in the week, underscoring the broader political and diplomatic stakes of the visit.

Israeli officials believe the coming days will determine whether Phase II moves forward on Israel’s terms — or whether a widening gap between Jerusalem and Washington will emerge over Gaza’s future, regional security, and the limits of compromise in dealing with Hamas.

Hezbollah chief says terror group’s disarmament is not ‘in Lebanon’s interest’

Hezbollah chief says terror group’s disarmament is not ‘in Lebanon’s interest’

AFP

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem says moves to disarm the terror group in Lebanon are an “Israeli-American plan,” accusing Israel of failing to abide by a ceasefire agreement reached last year.

Under heavy US pressure and the possibility of expanded Israeli strikes, the Lebanese military is expected to complete Hezbollah’s disarmament south of the Litani River — located about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the border with Israel — by the end of the year.

It is then meant to tackle disarming the Iran-backed group in the rest of the country.

“Disarmament is an Israeli-American plan,” Qassem says.

“To demand exclusive arms control while Israel is committing aggression and America is imposing its will on Lebanon, stripping it of its power, means that you are not working in Lebanon’s interest, but rather in the interest of what Israel wants.”

The ceasefire required both Israel and Hezbollah to vacate southern Lebanon, to be replaced by the Lebanese armed forces. Israel has withdrawn from all but five strategic posts along the border.

Since the ceasefire, the IDF said it has killed over 380 Hezbollah operatives and members of allied terror groups in strikes, hit hundreds of Hezbollah sites, and conducted over 1,200 raids and other small operations in southern Lebanon. The IDF says the strikes target Hezbollah attempts to rebuild in violation of the deal.

Israel has questioned the Lebanese military’s effectiveness and has accused Hezbollah of rearming, while the group itself has rejected calls to surrender its weapons.

“The deployment of the Lebanese army south of the Litani River was required only if Israel had adhered to its commitments… to halting the aggression, withdrawing, releasing prisoners, and having reconstruction commence,” Qassem says in a televised address.

“With the Israeli enemy not implementing any of the steps of the agreement… Lebanon is no longer required to take any action on any level before the Israelis commit to what they are obligated to do,” he says.

Lebanese army chief Rodolphe Haykal told a military meeting on Tuesday “the army is in the process of finishing the first phase of its plan.”

He said the army is carefully planning “for the subsequent phases” of disarmament.

Zelensky Meets With Trump At Mar-a-Lago

Zelensky Meets With Trump At Mar-a-Lago As Ukrainian Capital Pounded By Russia

TYLER DURDEN

Just ahead of President Zelensky arriving in Florida where he hopes that talks with President Trump on the US-proposed Ukraine peace plan can achieve something favorable for Ukrainians, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov once again blasted European leadership as the main obstacle to peace. Trump has at the same time noted he held a Sunday call with President Putin.

"After the change of administration in the U.S., Europe and the European Union have become the main obstacle to peace," Lavrov told TASS. "They are making no secret of their plans to prepare for war with Russia," he continued, and underscored that the ambitions of European politicians are "literally blinding them."

"Not only do they not care about Ukrainians, but they also don't seem to care about their own population," he added.

However, he did also say that Moscow plans to continue its "engagement with American negotiators" and "address the root causes of the conflict."

Just the day prior, starting Saturday morning,  Russia carried out one of the biggest attacks on the Ukrainian capital in months, involving powerful Kinzhal missiles along with over 500 drones. Kiev was pounded, and several buildings were on fire.

Zelensky has in the meantime been seeking as much leverage from the European corner as possible, before getting face to face with Trump. Russia demands territorial concessions, but Zelensky seems only willing to talk about a temporary freeze to the war, and not necessarily the kind of full, permanent political recognition of Russia's hold over most of the Donbass.

Ahead of the Mar-a-Lago meeting, Zelensky commented that his capital is on fire as winter temperatures freeze:

The meeting, to be hosted by Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence at 1:00 p.m. (18:00 GMT) according to the White House, will be their first in-person encounter since October, when the U.S. president refused to grant Zelensky's request for long-range Tomahawk missiles.

Zelensky said during a stopover in Canada on Saturday he hoped the talks would be "very constructive," adding that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had shown his hand with the latest assault on the Ukrainian capital.

"This attack is again Russia's answer [to] our peace efforts. And this really showed that Putin doesn't want peace," he said.

Things aren't looking ideal for a finalized peace plan, also given that Zelensky during a Christmas Day message essentially wished for Putin's death. 

Zelensky will push for NATO 'Article 5-style' security guarantees for Ukraine in his Sunday meeting with Trump:

As the The Hill reviews of the message:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged in his Christmas Eve message that many Ukrainians want to see Russian President Vladimir Putin dead.

"'May he perish,’ each of us may think to ourselves," Zelensky said in the broadcast. "But when we turn to God, of course, we ask for something greater."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded soon after the message by blasting it as "uncultured, embittered, and coming from a seemingly unhinged person" - while further questioning whether "he’s capable of making any rational decisions."

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The Shadow Of The Beast

In Antichrist’s Shadow

Terry James

I must admit up front that I’ve delved into now ancient archives of my own thoughts in writing this week’s column. The things under consideration, however, are more relevant than ever. As a matter of fact, it becomes quite fascinating to look back at earlier times of analyses of issues and events. New perspectives and postulations can sometimes be derived from such retrospective.

Quite a few years ago, I put together (as general editor) a book with a number of prophecy scholars, broadcasters, and writers. That book was called Foreshocks of Antichrist. Its chapters dealt with issues and events of the times that the other authors and I believed were significant in considering prophecies about Antichrist coming to power, as described in the books of Daniel, Revelation, 1 John, and others.

That was about 1996, I think, and I believed at the time that conditions couldn’t ripen much more so far as the world being ready to reap the bitter harvest concerning what the Antichrist will bring.

I was wrong, of course, which proves we must never be too quick to think things can’t get much worse. They can get worse—and they have, since my late mentors/colleagues such as Dr. John Walvoord, Dr. Dave Breese, Zola Levitt, Dr. Tim LaHaye, and many others dissected the issues with the scalpel of God’s Word in that Harvest House book.

The shadow of the coming Antichrist looms more ominously than ever.

All one must do is to consider the following report I used many years ago to see that dictatorship might be right around the proverbial corner. An Austrian newspaper reported the following result of a question posed to the citizenry of that nation: What was their opinion of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi annexation during World War II?

Antichrist and the False Prophet of Revelation chapter 13 will be the ultimate, final dictatorship. Their regime will be the driver of the geopolitical and religious juggernaut that will crush anyone and anything that opposes it during the Tribulation era. The engine that will power Satan’s cruel, soul-rending Beast of Revelation 13:1–2 will be an all-controlling, enslaving economy. We see the Beast described as follows:

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China Unveils New Footage Of Carrier-Killer Hypersonic Missile Launch From Destroyer

China Unveils New Footage Of Carrier-Killer Hypersonic Missile Launch From Destroyer

TYLER DURDEN

China continues to signal, through overt public-facing propaganda, its readiness to challenge the U.S directly.

Recent state media have published footage showing simulated naval conflict operations in the Caribbean, followed by the release of a video showcasing a hypersonic anti-ship missile capability.

On Sunday, Chinese media outlet Global Times published a video on X featuring the YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile.

"An official Chinese media account, China Military Bugle, on Sunday unveiled the moment when a YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile was launched from a Type 055 large destroyer of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy," Global Times said.

The outlet added, "It shows the finalization test of a ship-to-ship missile aboard the 10,000-ton-class large destroyer Wuxi. This is the first time an official media report has shown a live YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile being fired from a warship."

The YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile ("carrier killer") can travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5, complicating the world's most advanced missile defense systems and posing a direct threat to U.S. carrier strike groups. The weapon's flight profile combines a high-speed boost phase with a maneuvering terminal phase designed to evade interceptor missiles, such as those from the U.S.' Patriot Missile System.

Our assessment is that the public release of YJ-20 footage serves as further signaling, reinforcing Beijing's message that U.S. naval power in the Pacific is increasingly contested. 

Earlier this month, we noted that China could be on the verge of a "DeepSeek moment" in hypersonic weapons, following a report claiming that a Mach 7 hypersonic glide weapon could be produced for as little as $100,000.

With both China and Russia deploying hypersonic missiles, the U.S., as far as is publicly known, does not currently have these next-generation weapons operational. That could change with President Trump's new warships.