Overview
- An explosive device detonated against an Israeli military vehicle in Rafah, lightly injuring an officer, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would respond to what he called a Hamas ceasefire violation.
- Hamas denied responsibility, asserting the blast was caused by unexploded Israeli ordnance and saying the claim was conveyed to mediators.
- Turkey’s foreign minister met a Hamas delegation in Ankara to press the ceasefire’s second phase, which contemplates an international stabilization force, a technocratic Gaza authority, Hamas disarmament, and further Israeli pullbacks.
- Aid flows remain disputed: Israel and the U.S. say daily targets are being met, while the World Food Program reported about 256 mixed aid and commercial trucks per day in early December, well below the 600-truck benchmark.
- Israel’s defense minister Israel Katz said Israel will not fully withdraw from Gaza and plans Nahal outposts in the north, drawing criticism and clashing with the truce framework that foresees a full pullout.