Prime Minister Netanyahu wants to extend the Abraham Accords to “Islamic countries outside the region.” He rejected the idea of a Palestinian state, calling Gaza a “Palestinian state” that has only caused “the most horrific massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.” He asserted that Israeli opposition to statehood (99 out of 120 Knesset members) is nearly total, citing Palestinian “textbook indoctrination” and “pay-to-kill” programs to justify their ongoing refusal. He also stated that Saudi Crown Prince MBS would still want to join the Abraham Accords if a two-state path were achieved. “I worked [on the accords] in secret with Trump’s team,” Netanyahu said, describing behind-the-scenes diplomacy that only “three people in my office” were aware of. Now, he wants to expand beyond the borders of Arab states, to “Islamic countries outside the region.”
Minister for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Anti-Semitism Amichai Chikli said: “Turkey and Syria pose the greatest threat to the State of Israel. Erdogan and Jawlani (Ahmad al-Shara) are members of the Muslim Brotherhood. We are their enemies. We must continue the fight against the Islamists, preserving our forces on Mount Hermon and in the buffer zone. There will be no peace agreement with Jawlani; it is completely illegitimate. Turkey is becoming the new Iran; Erdogan’s vision is the restoration of the Ottoman Empire. Erdogan is part of a movement that the US administration is trying to thwart.”
Meanwhile, in Iran, Iranian security forces have decided to deploy a mechanized brigade to northwestern Iran to counter enemy forces infiltrating Iranian territory. Tehran has also responded to Israel regarding its relations with Syria. According to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi: “Iran currently does not maintain diplomatic relations with the Syrian government. Tehran is closely monitoring developments in Syria without rushing to take steps to normalize relations. I have not met with the Syrian Foreign Minister in Muscat. Iran does not interfere in Syria’s internal affairs.”
On December 3, Lebanon and Israel held their first direct talks in decades, with civilian representatives meeting at the United Nations headquarters in Naqoura, on the Lebanese border. The meeting took place as part of a US-led ceasefire monitoring framework; according to AFP and Lebanese and Israeli media, US special envoy Morgan Ortagus also attended. Highly disliked by the Lebanese army for her vehemence and verbal aggression toward senior military officials.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Abdallah Salim Salam reiterated: “Hezbollah must surrender its weapons.” At the end of the meeting, Netanyahu declared: “Lebanon and Israel agree to promote possible economic cooperation.” The Israeli Prime Minister, therefore, confirmed the direct talks. “He made it clear that Hezbollah’s disarmament is mandatory, regardless of the progress of economic cooperation, and agreed to hold a follow-up discussion.”
And now, a look at the military scenarios, updated as of December 4th at 3:00 PM. On the afternoon of December 3rd, Yemen reported that the government in Sana’a released the crew of the Ever Given, brokered by Oman, where they had been transferred from the Yemeni capital to Muscat.
The Wall Street Journal reported the sudden deployment of American F-35 fighter jets to the Eastern Mediterranean in the last few hours.
The Syrian Interior Ministry announced that a large shipment of mines, sent from Yabroud, in the Rif Damascus governorate, Lebanon, was discovered and seized. Four people involved in the incident were arrested, and another suspect was killed during a firefight with Syrian security forces. According to Syrian security officials, 1,250 mines were discovered during this operation. According to Syrian officials, this shipment was headed to Lebanon for Hezbollah.
According to local sources, a Russian military transport plane landed at Qamishli Airport in Syria. Drone activity has been monitored in Syria. Areas affected: Tal Baa Al-Ward, Beit Jinn, and the Damascus countryside.
Attacks in the Beqaa Valley in Lebanon. Israeli airstrikes targeted the town of Majadel, in the district of Tyre. The population of southern Lebanon is celebrating the death of Abu Yasser Shahab.
On the night of December 3, gunfire returned to the Gaza Strip. Israel attacked Khan Yunis, killing three. The attack targeted tents, and casualties were reported. Israeli media reported that one of the Hamas fighters attached a mine to a Namer armored vehicle and returned to the tunnel. Four Israeli soldiers were injured in clashes in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, one of whom sustained serious wounds.
An updated preliminary military investigation conducted by the Israeli army concluded that a Hamas member likely fired an RPG at an armored vehicle in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, wounding five soldiers, and that no explosive device was planted.
Forces from the Golan Brigade’s reconnaissance unit, stationed east of Rafah, spotted a suspicious person hiding under a blanket entering a building. A Namer armored personnel carrier, along with soldiers, was dispatched to the area to assist in the search for the suspect. Subsequently, soldiers aboard the vehicle spotted two elements emerging from a tunnel. One of the elements fired an RPG at the vehicle, wounding five soldiers, one of whom was seriously injured, according to the initial investigation.
In response, the IDF launched airstrikes and artillery bombardments in the area. The IDF is combing the area for a second militant. Muhammad Jawad, a Hamas commander east of Rafah, was killed.
An Israeli retaliatory operation appears to have begun following Hamas’s ceasefire violation: Palestinians report an Israeli military operation in the Muawati area, western Khan Yunus. A building was attacked, killing at least six people.
A few days ago, the Al-Qassam Brigades managed to deceive Israeli intelligence by encouraging a group of their fighters to pose as anti-Hamas elements and join Yasser Abu Shabab’s group. This allowed the Qassam Brigades to carry out a military ambush and kill Abu Shabab and his group. The resistance managed to assassinate Yasser Abu Shabab, their most wanted man, in the heart of Rafah, behind the Yellow Line. Abu Shabab is considered one of the most important agents to have enjoyed Israeli protection, where his headquarters is located at the deepest point under Israeli control. Israeli Army Radio reported that the man died in a tribal feud, but the Qassam Brigades posted videos of the executions. Channel 12 reports: “The leader of the Israeli-backed militia, Yasser Abu Shabab, died at Soroka Hospital in Beersheba, southern Israel, from wounds sustained in an ‘internal family dispute.'”
According to a statement from the resistance, al-Shabab also reportedly died.
The Al-Quds Brigades confirmed the death of the West Bank commander-in-chief: “Sheikh Ahmad Abdul Rahman Abu Al-Khair (Abu Saleh) dies after more than 19 years in Israeli prisons.”
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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