Israel prepares for Phase 2 trap in Gaza as Hamas resumes regime of terror

Israel prepares for Phase 2 trap in Gaza as Hamas resumes regime of terror

Yaakov Lappin

As the Trump administration intensifies pressure to transition to “Phase 2” of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, potentially as early as January, observers in Israel see no sign of Hamas disarming as the terror organization reestablishes its fundamentalist, murderous regime over the 47% of Gaza that it controls.

Despite multiple reports of international stabilization force preparations and Palestinian technocratic governments, the reality inside the Gaza Strip could not be more starkly different.

Hamas is actively rebuilding its regime of terror, refusing disarmament, and testing the IDF’s forward positions along the Yellow Line, which demarcates the areas of Gaza currently under Israeli control, leading to targeted Israeli airstrikes to enforce the terms of the truce.

The dissonance between the diplomatic vision in Washington and the security reality in Gaza was exposed in recent multiple incidents where terrorists breached the Yellow Line. One recent case was on Dec. 20, when Israel Defense Forces troops identified two terrorists crossing the line and approaching forces, posing an immediate threat.

The Israeli Air Force eliminated them. The following day, three separate incidents occurred where suspects crossed the line, causing the IAF to strike again to remove the threats.

According to an IDF official, Hamas is now focused on aggressively reasserting its sovereignty. The official, speaking to JNS, detailed how Hamas is exploiting the current pause to cement its control over the population, even as Hamas’s military-terrorist chain of command remains fractured.

“Most of what we are seeing regarding [Hamas] strengthening, improving, and preserving capabilities is mainly in the political,” the IDF official stated. “That is to say, they are trying very hard to strengthen and maintain their status vis-à-vis the Palestinian population, to show that they are still the sovereign and that they can still provide them with food and make donations to the needy and collect taxes.”

The military official explained that this effort is a calculated message to both the local population and the international community. “They are trying to tell the Palestinians, ‘You will not have anything better than us,’ even though the truth is clear to all of us,” he said. “And probably also to the international community, they are trying to signal, ‘We don’t need an international force; we can do it alone.’”

This effort by Hamas includes seizing control of aid distribution, creating headquarters for its men and appointing members to political roles, while the terror group’s military recovery is still in early stages.

“There is no one really holding the organization together right now militarily, but in the political world, they are trying hard,” the official assessed.

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6.1-Magnitude Earthquake Jolts Taiwan, Strong Tremors Felt Across Cities

6.1-Magnitude Earthquake Jolts Taiwan, Strong Tremors Felt Across Cities

ABP Live News

Shaking was experienced in multiple regions, including Kaohsiung, with particularly strong jolts reported near the epicentre.

A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan’s southeastern coastal county of Taitung on Wednesday, according to the island’s weather administration. Reuters reported that the quake triggered strong tremors across several cities, though there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and frequently experiences earthquakes.

Shaking was experienced in multiple regions, including Kaohsiung, with particularly strong jolts reported near the epicentre. In the southeastern county, the tremor was powerful enough to knock items off shelves inside a supermarket, highlighting the intensity of the quake despite its relatively short duration.Taiwan’s National Fire Agency confirmed that there were no immediate reports of damage to transport networks, and emergency services remained on alert as assessments continued. Major semiconductor manufacturer TSMC said the earthquake did not cross the threshold requiring factory evacuations, according to Reuters.

‘No chance of normalization with Israel, we’re officially at war,’ Lebanon FM says

‘No chance of normalization with Israel, we’re officially at war,’ Lebanon FM says

Lior Ben Ari

Lebanon’s top diplomat rules out normalization with Israel, rejects Hezbollah’s armed presence and Iranian support, and accuses the terror group of trying to blackmail the government while waiting for a shift in US policy

Lebanon’s foreign minister, Youssef Rajji, said Tuesday that there is no chance of amending the law banning normalization with Israel, stressing that Lebanon is “officially at war” with the Jewish state.

“There is no possibility of correcting the law that prohibits normalization with Israel. We are formally in a state of war,” Rajji said, speaking amid denials in Lebanon that a Hezbollah terrorist killed in an Israeli strike this week also served in Lebanese army intelligence.

At the same time, Rajji said Lebanon also faces a serious problem with Iran. “Iran is not our enemy, but we have deep issues with it,” he said. “The Iranians are directly involved in arming and financing an illegal armed organization in our country.”

Rajji said Lebanon seeks peace with all countries, provided its sovereignty is respected and there is no interference in its internal affairs. He added that it is premature to speak about rebuilding the country because the war has not yet ended.

Addressing the issue of disarming Hezbollah, Rajji said Lebanon wants to see it happen. “The security of the state requires dismantling Hezbollah’s security and military arms, not just disarmament,” he said. “The Lebanese people want Hezbollah to be disarmed.”

However, he acknowledged that the Lebanese army faces a difficult task in confronting the group. “Hezbollah’s leaders say there will be no disarmament north of the Litani River,” Rajji said. “Hezbollah uses the confrontation with Israel as an excuse to keep its weapons and preserve its future dominance in the country.”

Dallas Police ARREST Christian Street Preachers for Refusing to “Back Off” While Preaching on Public Property

Dallas Police ARREST Christian Street Preachers for Refusing to “Back Off” While Preaching on Public Property

Jim Hᴏft

In a shocking display of what many are calling an outright assault on religious liberty and the First Amendment, Dallas police officers hauled away two devout Christian street preachers right in the heart of Texas—on public property, no less—for daring to spread the Gospel without bowing to arbitrary commands from law enforcement.

This outrageous incident, captured on video and now going viral, exposes the deepening rift in America where faithful Christians are targeted while radical agendas run rampant in Democrat-run cities like Dallas.

On December 18, 2025, outside the American Airlines Center during the Dallas Mavericks’ matchup against the Detroit Pistons, the two preachers, affiliated with the “Testimonies of God” ministry, were peacefully sharing messages of salvation.

The ministry was simply exercising its God-given and constitutionally protected rights on a public sidewalk when Dallas PD swooped in.

“Mavericks vs. Pistons, while the game was getting started and fans flooded to the arena, the Gospel went forth outside. We were arrested for preaching Christ on the public sidewalk, yet the Word of God was not hindered. Many souls heard. Many great Gospel conversations had, Bibles were given, and Christ was exalted,” the ministry wrote on Facebook.

Transcript from Dallas Express:

“You only, what, told me twice?” a preacher asked at the opening of the video. An officer then grabbed his arm.

“So what’s the charge, officer?” asked the man recording the video.

The officer replied it was “interference with public duties.”

“So this officer just arrested my fellow brother because he’s on public property and asking questions,” the man recording the video said.

The officer then brought the preacher to a group of other officers who cuffed him and sat him down beside another preacher.

“Why am I being arrested, officer?” the preacher asked.

“Because I told you to back off twice, and you didn’t do it,” the officer replied.

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Russia condemns seizure of Venezuelan tankers

Russia condemns seizure of Venezuelan tankers

RT

Russia condemns the seizure of oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela by the US military, Moscow’s envoy to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, has said. Earlier this week, the US Coast Guard conducted the second such operation.

“We strongly condemn the seizure of oil tankers by the US military and the de facto imposition of a naval blockade of Venezuela,”Nebenzia said on Tuesday as quoted by RIA Novosti.

“Washington’s responsibility for the catastrophic consequences of such cowboy behavior for the residents of the blockaded country is also obvious. Unfortunately, there is every reason to believe that the US actions against Venezuela are not a one-off. This unfolding intervention could become a template for future military actions against Latin American states,” Nebenzia noted.

US President Donald Trump has justified the blockade by claiming that the Latin American country “stole” US energy assets, while warning that Caracas will face the might of “the largest armada ever assembled in the history of South America” unless it returns them.

The US also deployed a large number of special-operations aircraft and multiple cargo planes carrying troops and equipment to the Caribbean earlier this week, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The first two oil tankers seized were operating on the black market and providing oil to countries under sanctions, Kevin Hassett, director of the White House’s National Economic Council, has claimed.

Since September, the US military has also been conducting strikes on small boats alleged to be carrying drugs, which UN experts have condemned as unlawful extrajudicial executions.

When asked repeatedly during a press conference on Monday if Washington’s intention was to force Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro from power, Trump gave non-committal remarks alluding to that possibility. “He can do whatever he wants,” the president responded. “If he wants to do something, if he plays tough, it will be the last time he ever plays tough.” He also claimed it would be “smart” for Maduro to step down.