Senior Obama natl security official @brhodes has a NYT editorial on Biden & Gaza, full of odd claims abt the war, and plenty of tropes abt Jewish money & Israel keeping the Dems from winning elections and perfecting the world.

1/11
nytimes.com/2025/12/01/opi… Rhodes: Biden gave Bibi 'unconditional support' to give the US leverage over him.

An odd claim. Biden held up key arms shipments & the Rafah operation for months. He lost leverage as his WH turned more on Isr.

Trump got to a Gaza ceasefire bc of his embrace of Isr
2/11

At a UN conference in NY the entire Arab League, 17 countries & the EU, formally condemned Oct 7 and urged Hamas to disarm and cede control of Gaza.

The “New York Declaration” proposes a demilitarized Palestinian state alongside Israel.🧵 1) It says: "In the context of ending the war in Gaza, Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority…"

"We also condemn the attacks by Israel against civilians in Gaza … siege and starvation…"

🧵Israel is in 'advanced talks' for a deal that would end hostilities with Syria.

"There may be an opportunity," an Israeli official told me yesterday: (1/13) The official said contacts are currently focused on security matters, and wouldnt speculate on when a deal could be finalized.

On whether the deal could develop beyond security, the official said “We will wait and see. For now, there isn’t anything concrete.” (2/13)

🧵Israel’s 12 Day War was efficient, effective, and swift, ending with a clear victory.

Meanwhile, we have reached day 632 of the war with Hamas in Gaza, with none of the war aims reached.

Why do the two campaigns look so different?
(1/12): The long-anticipated campaign against Iran's nuclear program ended after 12 days of undeniable competence.

Israel knew exactly where Iran's nuclear scientists and generals were- they fired drones missiles into their apartments to take out eliminate key regime figures. (2/12)

Israel Hayom's @arik3000 with a massive story:

After the US strike on Iran earlier this week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump agreed on a rapid end to the war in Gaza and expansion of the Abraham Accords. 1/4 Trump and Netanyahu agreed in their phone call that the war in Gaza would end within two weeks. Four Arab states, including the UAE and Egypt, would jointly govern the Gaza Strip in place of Hamas. The terror group's leaders will be exiled, and all hostages will be released. 2/4

Israel has some significant achievements in its campaign against Iran's nuclear program.

But success depends on its ability to strike one site - Fordo.

And Israel can't take it out from the air on its own.

Here's where the campaign stands:🧵 1) On Monday, Netanyahu listed many of Israel's achievements since last Friday:

Israel has taken out Iran's military leadership, struck ballistic missiles and launcher sites, destroyed half of Iran's UAVs, killed 10 top nuclear scientists and gained air superiority in west Iran

Israel operation against Iran could take 2-3 weeks, but the timeframe depends on decisions made by the political echelon on the scope of the campaign, an Israeli official tells me. 🧵 “There’s a bank of military targets that we can complete pretty quickly,” says the official. “If they decide to expand it to more like government symbols, economical targets, all that, then it will take longer.” >>>

What you should know about the planned expanded Israeli ground operation in the Gaza Strip 🧵 --

The security cabinet last night unanimously approved a plan to “conquer Gaza” and hold on to the territory, an Israeli official said Monday morning. >>> The official also said the cabinet approved a proposal to renew aid deliveries into Gaza while overhauling the mechanism in order to minimize diversion of the goods by Hamas to benefit its operatives >>>

Trump might want to think twice about sending Adam Boehler to make the rounds on TV news again 🧵

- He upset the Israelis even more with his gratuitous comment that the US is "not an agent of Israel."

- Dismisses Ron Dermer with "I don't really care that much"

1/ - Says the US wouldn't take the same deal that Israel is being pushed to accept

- Refers repeatedly to Israeli hostages as “prisoners,” and appears to now be using the term “hostages” to describe Palestinian prisoners

2/

The Bibas family tells Netanyahu to 'shut up' after he details the murders of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir for the 2nd time this week, calling the publishing of unapproved information ‘abuse for its own sake.’ 🧵 - Netanyahu, speaking before the America Israel Public Action Committee on Tuesday, and while holding a picture at a military service on Sunday, graphically described the murder of the young Bibas boys.

I just spoke to a senior Israeli official about what the next steps are in hostage release/ceasefire talks.

Here's what I can say - 🧵 Isr expects the release of the final 4 bodies from the 1st phase on Thursday.

Once that happens, Hamas has 3 options -
1) Accept Israel's demands - disarm, exile, give up rule - and move to the 2nd phase
2) Keep releasing hostages & maintain ceasefire
3) Go back to war
>>>

Israel's Health Ministry is submitting a report to the UN detailing abuse suffered by hostages in Gaza (graphic)🧵:

Acc to report, captors forced 2 minors to perform sexual acts on each other & to disrobe , touched their private parts, and whipped their genitalia. > The same two former hostages also reported that “they were held bound and were beaten throughout their captivity. Signs of binding, scars, and marks consistent with trauma were found."

>>

In September, US intelligence mistakenly predicted a catastrophic outcome if the IDF escalated its operations against Hezbollah. Israeli intelligence echoed this assessment, but PM Netanyahu pushed forward, deeming the cost worth paying.

@JacobMagid has the inside scoop: 🧵 1. In September, US intelligence warned escalating against Hezb could lead to a catastrophic war, predicting hundreds, maybe thousands of Israeli casualties, 3 US officials & 1 Israeli official say.

In what was likely the final opportunity for Isr press to see Southern Lebanon before the IDF withdrawal, I crossed the border w 91st Division commander Brig. Gen. Shai Klepper to see first hand Southern Lebanon after months of fighting.

Here's what I saw:🧵 1. Brig. Gen. Shai Klepper is commander of the 91st division. He also served as commander of the elite Sayeret Golani reconnaissance unit in the inconclusive 2006 Second Lebanon War.
In Oct, I entered Lebanon w Klepper the first time, 10 days into the IDF's ground operation.

Israel is expected to approve a 60-day truce with Lebanon today.

Here's what we know: 🧵 The security cabinet will meet to discuss a 60-day ceasefire with Lebanon today, an Israeli official told me. The official said Israel is halting hostilities, not ending the war with Hezb.
"It could last a month, it could last a year," the official says.

PM Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the Knesset, criticizing the Biden administration, revealing new details on Iran strikes, hostage negotiations and ongoing investigations.

Here's what he has to say: 🧵 1. Netanyahu criticizes the Biden administration for its ongoing reservations at key moments during the war, including ahead of Israel's ground operations in Gaza, and its operations in Gaza City, Khan Younis, and Rafah.

An official close to Netanyahu gives me his version of why Gallant was fired.
- It wasn't coalition politics or Haredi draft.
- Gallant "functioned as a rubber stamp for the IDF and did not challenge it even once. 1/4 - Gallant advocated a diplomatic solution in Lebanon six months ago that would not have diminished Hezbollah's capabilities, and opposed the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah until the IDF backed the move. 2/4

US officials to @BarakRavid: “Our trust of the Israelis is very low right now and for a good reason."
Jake Sullivan told Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer on Friday that the US expects “clarity and transparency” from Israel over its plans for a potential attack on Iran >> Sullivan’s message was a signal that if the US is not given a heads-up as to Israel’s plans, it won’t necessarily join a coalition to defend Israel against a potential future attack from Iran >>>

New details on pager/walkie talkie attack, per @N12News (keep in mind Israel's military censor let all this through FWIW) 🧵

- Attackers knew who was being targeted, their location, and whether others were in close proximity. - "Each pager had its own arrangements. That’s how it was possible to control who was hit and who wasn’t,” said an unnamed foreign security source. "Each pager had its own arrangements. That’s how it was possible to control who was hit and who wasn’t."

How will Israel react to Hezbollah's deadly Saturday strike on Majdal Shams that killed 12 children?

After the security cabinet's four-hour meeting last night, here's what we know. 🧵 Though Hezb denies responsibility for the attack, the US and Israel blame the Iran-backed terror group, which has been attacking Israel since October 8.

Lebanon also denies Hezb's responsibility + has called for an international investigation.
timesofisrael.com/lebanon-insist…

For those of us interested in defense innovation and why innovative civilian culture might not translate to a conventional military — this is a must-read by @Amirmizroch.

Has Israel's startup success been matched by its military?

Let's get into it >>
timesofisrael.com/in-war-with-lo… My colleague spoke with a dozen Israeli defense tech innovators/investors and military personnel who feel frustrated by perceived systemic resistance to the innovative traits that have won Israelis world renown in cybersecurity, AI, digital health, fintech, enterprise IT + others