Daily Digest Online

A senior Israeli official has issued a blistering accusation against Qatar, alleging the Gulf state is engaged in a deliberate campaign to "destroy the relationship between Israel and the Trump administration from the ground up" . According to a report by The Times of Israel, the official went so far as to state that Qatar is engaged "in jihad," highlighting the extreme depth of distrust in a critical regional relationship . These explosive charges come at a moment of high tension and complex diplomacy. The U.S. is actively working to implement the second phase of President Donald Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan, an effort that critically depends on coordination between Israel, Qatar, and the United States . The allegations suggest that beneath the surface of diplomatic talks, a fierce behind-the-scenes battle for influence is raging. The Flashpoint: A Shocking Strike in Doha The current crisis traces directly back to September 9, 2025, ...

The family of a young Tanzanian student murdered during the October 7th Hamas attacks has filed a lawsuit against the Israeli government, alleging authorities inflicted additional trauma by publicly releasing graphic video footage of his killing without their consent. The legal claim, filed on behalf of the family of Joshua Loitu Mollel, seeks significant damages. It argues that the Israeli Foreign Ministry caused severe distress by reposting the footage from an attacker's body camera on its official social media account. The clip, which showed Mollel being shot, was shared before the family had been formally notified or had a chance to view the material privately. A Young Farmer's Dream Ends in Terror Joshua Loitu Mollel, 21, was an agricultural student who had traveled to Israel just weeks before the attacks, filled with ambition for his future. "My son wants to make his fortune in agribusiness and become one of Tanzania's most successful farm...

Beneath the war-ravaged city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip, a silent and desperate standoff is threatening to unravel a fragile ceasefire. An estimated 100 to 200 Hamas fighters are trapped underground on the Israeli-controlled side of the line, cut off from supplies and facing a grim choice: surrender, attempt a breakout, or perish. This prolonged subterranean siege is now a major obstacle to diplomatic efforts aimed at establishing lasting stability in Gaza. According to Israeli and Arab officials cited by The Wall Street Journal , the militants were caught behind Israeli lines when a U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect in late October 2025. Isolated in a labyrinth of tunnels, their situation is deteriorating as food and water supplies dwindle. In response, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have launched a methodical campaign to dismantle the tunnel network, employing drilling, explosives, and in some areas, flooding sections with seawater to force the fighters out...

GAZA CITY — Search teams from Hamas and the International Committee of the Red Cross have concluded an operation in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood, failing to locate the remains of the last Israeli hostage believed to be held in the territory. The operation, which concluded on Monday, December 8, 2025, was focused on finding the body of Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili. Gvili, a 24-year-old officer from Meitar, was among the 251 people abducted by Hamas during its attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Israeli authorities believe he was badly wounded and did not survive long after being taken to Gaza. Video footage from the scene showed armed Hamas militants standing guard beside ICRC vehicles before a convoy drove into the neighborhood to conduct the search. This coordinated effort was part of the broader arrangements tied to the current U.S.-brokered ceasefire and ongoing hostage negotiations. The teams reportedly combed through multiple sites in the des...

TEL AVIV — The family of Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, the last confirmed deceased Israeli hostage held in Gaza, is demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump secure the return of his remains before a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement with Hamas proceeds to its second phase. In a statement carried by Hebrew-language media, Gvili's family issued a direct appeal to the leaders. "The first phase of the hostage deal is still not completed, while Rani hasn’t returned home," the statement said. "We demand that Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump pressure Hamas and Islamic Jihad to return Rani home immediately! We can’t move to the second phase of the deal without Rani here." The demand creates a significant hurdle for diplomatic efforts. The Trump administration is reportedly aiming to announce the transition to Phase Two of its Gaza peace plan within approximately two weeks. This next phase is intended t...

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a phone conversation on Saturday, focusing on critical Middle Eastern security issues, with Iran's nuclear program at the forefront of their discussions. According to an official Kremlin statement, the two leaders exchanged views on the fragile ceasefire in Gaza and the ongoing process of exchanging captives between Palestinian and Israeli sides. The statement confirmed that "both sides also reviewed issues related to Syria, as well as the status of Iran’s nuclear program," noting a shared "interest in exploring negotiated solutions concerning the Iranian nuclear file." Russian state media indicated this dialogue is part of an ongoing diplomatic channel between the two leaders. A previous conversation occurred on October 6, where they discussed broader regional developments, the situation in Gaza, and former U.S. President Donald Trump's pr...

At a farm in central Israel, a former soldier feels the cold skin of a snake wrapped around his forearm. For a moment, the world shrinks. The noise of a passing drone, a helicopter in the distance—the triggers for flashbacks to Gaza—fade into the background. "I'm here with the snake right now," he says. It is the only thing that brings him peace. This is the new frontline of Israel's longest war—one not against Hamas, but against an enemy within: a spiraling mental health crisis that is claiming the lives of Israeli soldiers not with bullets, but through suicide. The death of Tomas Adzgauskas, a Lithuanian-Israeli sniper commander who took his own life after confessing to acts he "cannot be forgiven" for, is a stark, individual tragedy in a devastating national pattern. A Crisis in Numbers The data paints a picture of an army under profound psychological strain. A report by Israel's Knesset Research and Information Cen...

Senior Hamas officials living outside the Gaza Strip are operating under sweeping new security protocols, internal documents reveal, as the group braces for potential Israeli assassination attempts in countries beyond the Middle East. This security crackdown follows a failed Israeli strike in Qatar and signals a new phase of international shadow warfare. Hamas is implementing extreme counter-surveillance measures for its senior leaders operating abroad, driven by a conviction that Israel plans further assassination attempts against its top officials, potentially in countries outside the Arab world.  The new directives, reviewed by Asharq Al-Awsat and reported by The Times of Israel , point to a high-alert state within the militant group's overseas leadership. The heightened fear stems directly from Israel's September 9, 2025, airstrike in Doha, Qatar, which targeted a meeting of the group's political leadership. While Hamas' chief negotiator, Kha...

Tomas Adzgauskas, a Lithuanian-Israeli soldier who fought in Gaza, has died by suicide. In a final, harrowing social media post, he wrote of being haunted by "a demon" since the October 7th attacks and of committing acts for which he could find no forgiveness. A former Israeli soldier has died by suicide after publishing an anguished final message describing the profound psychological trauma he suffered following his military service in the Gaza Strip. Tomas Adzgauskas, a Lithuanian-born Israeli citizen who served as a commander in an elite sniper unit, was found dead on Friday, December 5. Prior to his death, he posted a lengthy and deeply personal confession on his Facebook account, which has since circulated internationally. In the post, Adzgauskas directly linked his severe mental distress to the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked the ongoing war. "October 7, the date that ruined my life and destroyed everything I was...