This approach prevented his assassination until he was struck in his vehicle alongside three bodyguards on December 13, following multiple failed elimination attempts. One such effort unfolded in summer 2024, when the Israeli Air Force targeted a structure in the Shati camp – an area housing both a mosque and a school.

Saad handled diverse responsibilities within Hamas, spanning the organization's "civilian" infrastructure. Over three decades, he occupied a succession of critical positions directly linked to the October 7 massacre: operations chief, founder of the Nukhba (Hamas's elite commando force), naval force architect, and weapons production director. Throughout the war, he oversaw explosive manufacturing that claimed numerous IDF soldiers' lives. During the ceasefire, he orchestrated the restoration of the organization's strength.

"Generational transition"

Following his elimination, Israel Hayom has learned that Hamas is experiencing an accelerated "generational transition" due to dozens of senior operatives killed across two years. Today, scarce veteran figures populate the leadership, including "military wing head" Izz al-Din al-Haddad and intelligence director Mohammed Awda. They too face mounting responsibility portfolios. According to Asharq Al-Awsat, Awda was appointed commander of the northern Gaza Strip brigade. Al-Haddad himself managed the hostages dossier.

Consequently, the terrorist organization increasingly depends on junior terrorist commanders possessing minimal experience, restricted authority, and diminished capabilities. This dynamic threatens decision-making capacity and strategic planning.

Hamas has enlisted thousands of fresh terrorists throughout the conflict. Nevertheless, these recruits have only basic training, lacking experience and authority, and have marginal capabilities.

Yet alongside them, a hardened nucleus of veteran, proficient terrorists has endured. Therefore, Hamas sustains operations via emergency committees and apparatuses controlling the economy, transit, and education, while attempting to terrorize the population through executions and public prosecutions. Simultaneously, certain local clans demonstrate resistance.

Regarding the Palestinian population, Hamas' core supporter base has remained steadfast. Conversely, support for Hamas has declined according to multiple surveys. Furthermore, numerous Gazans exhibit passivity amid Gaza's humanitarian conditions, particularly during winter storms. Gaza has reported that at least 16 Palestinians have perished from weather-related damage thus far, including building wall collapses.

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The source, who is familiar with the discussions, told Israel Hayom that the meeting was badly coordinated and failed to deliver any concrete results.

The source said France has been floating the idea of an international conference on the Lebanese Armed Forces for months, but has yet to determine either a date or a host ciry. While French officials say the event will take place in February, the same assurance has been repeated every month since September, prompting skepticism about whether the plan can actually be implemented.

Commenting on Saudi Arabia's involvement, the source said Riyadh is not part of the mechanism at all and has no real role in the process.

The source also addressed the US position, particularly with regard to Lebanon, saying Washington would not be nothing more than an observer at any French-organized conference. They stressed that the US is the largest international contributor to the Lebanese Armed Forces and that its assistance is provided through standard appropriations, not through conferences.

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Iran has endured a punishing year marked by drought, an energy crisis and soaring inflation. But if Iranians were hoping their president might offer solutions, Pezeshkian suggested they should not bother. In a string of remarkably candid public speeches in recent weeks, he said the country was facing insurmountable problems and that he had run out of ideas for how to solve them.

"If anyone can do something, please go ahead and do it," Pezeshkian told students and academics in early December. "I can't do anything. Don't curse me."

In meetings with officials, he admitted the government was "stuck, badly stuck," adding: "From the first day we came in, disasters have been coming down on us, and it hasn't stopped."

He went further, saying Iran's woes were the result of corruption, internal factional infighting and decades of government spending that he described as "what crazy people do," rather than the fault of the US or Israel.

Referring to the fighting during Operation With a Lion, Pezeshkian said that although Iran had launched missiles, Israel's arsenal had proven superior both in quantity and in capability.

"It's true that we had missiles, but theirs were more numerous, more powerful, more accurate and easier to deploy," he said. He added, without elaborating, that in the end it was "the people" who thwarted Israel.

At the same time, Pezeshkian rejected calls for Iran to scale back its missile program, describing it as essential to national defense. "They tell us not to have missiles, while they arm Israel to the teeth so it can come here whenever it wants, destroy everything and leave," he said. "I won't accept that."

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Earlier this week, an Israeli teen, approximately 18 years old, managed to sneak onto an Austrian Airlines plane without a boarding pass. Only when he landed in Vienna did the Austrians discover he had no flight ticket, and he was returned to Israel. The case occurred about two months after another severe failure during which a 13-year-old boarded a flight from Ben Gurion to the US without a flight ticket. He slipped past all security circles by staying close to other passengers.

Following the incidents, conclusions were drawn, and boarding pass verification will now be conducted at the initial screening stage at Ben Gurion International Airport.

What has changed? Until now, passengers moved through various stages – from terminal entry to aircraft boarding – without needing to show flight tickets at certain points. Now, through a gradual rollout, travelers will be required to present boarding passes even at stages where this was not previously necessary.

Important to know: During the initial implementation phases, wait times may extend beyond normal, and queues at certain airport junctions may stretch longer than usual. The initiative is being deployed in learning phases, with full completion anticipated over the coming year.

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Shortly afterward, dozens more Israeli civilians attempted to cross the border in a separate incident. Several breached a barrier and entered the security buffer zone separating Israel from the Gaza Strip, but IDF troops and police officers rushed to the scene and prevented them from entering Gaza.

The IDF did not provide further details on the identities of the civilians or the circumstances that led to the attempted crossings.

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The move is included in a VAT law approved in 2024, designed to update China's tax system. VAT accounts for nearly 40% of China's total tax revenue. After nearly three decades of strict birth restrictions under the "one-child policy" (population control measure limiting families to one child), China has rolled out a series of incentive-based measures over the past decade to encourage births. These include raising the permitted number of children per couple to three and, in some provinces, offering subsidies for in vitro fertilization treatments and food allowances for additional children. Several local authorities grant young couples extra paid leave days to encourage marriage.

However, the fact that condoms and contraceptives are set to become more expensive has sparked ridicule on social media. One user on Weibo (a popular Chinese social media platform) wrote, "Are they really going this far just to make us have children?" The new VAT law also includes tax breaks for childcare and marriage matchmaking services.

This year, the government allocated 90 billion yuan (approximately $12.7 billion) to a first-of-its-kind national childcare subsidy program, offering 3,600 yuan annually per child up to age 3. On Saturday, the government announced plans to expand the national health insurance system to cover all birth-related expenses.

Despite the incentives, their impact on the birth rate has been minimal. In 2024, the birth rate stood at 6.77 per 1,000 people – a slight increase from 2023, but still a historically significant low figure. A high mortality rate resulting from an aging population means China's population has been shrinking for at least three years.

Now, concerns are emerging that authorities are turning to the "stick" to achieve the national birth target. In several regions, women have reported receiving phone calls from local authorities requesting information about menstrual cycles and pregnancy plans. In December, women in Yunnan province in southwest China were required to report the date of their last menstrual period to local authorities. The local health bureau claimed the data collection was necessary to identify pregnant women and expected births.

Social media responses included: "Today they require all women to report menstrual dates, tomorrow they'll demand reports on when sexual intercourse occurs, and the day after they'll call demanding intercourse during ovulation. This is mass breeding."

The tax increase on condoms is considered a symbolic move. A typical package of condoms costs 40-60 yuan (approximately $5.70-$8.50), and a birth control pill, available without a prescription, costs 50-130 yuan per monthly package.

Yun Zhou, a social lecturer at the University of Michigan, noted that the new tax will likely not affect people's decision-making processes, but it signals the government's position on "what constitutes desirable family behavior." Zhou added that if access to contraceptives becomes challenging, "the negative impact will fall primarily on women, especially women from vulnerable populations."

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Erdogan allegedly made the request during a 90-minute meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at an international forum in Turkmenistan last weekend. The Turkish Presidency and Defense Ministry declined to comment on the report, while the Kremlin denied that any such request had been made. According to the report, Turkey hopes its role as a mediator between Moscow and Kyiv will encourage the Kremlin to agree to the move.

US Ambassador to Turkey Jeff Flake said earlier this week that Washington is engaged in ongoing discussions with Ankara about its desire to rejoin the F-35 program. He said the positive relationship between US President Donald Trump and Erdogan had created a new atmosphere of cooperation, leading to "the most productive talks we've had on the issue in a decade."

Flake emphasized that Turkey would have to not only cease operating the S-400 system, but also relinquish possession of it in order to be readmitted to the F-35 project. "Our hope is that these discussions will yield a breakthrough in the coming months," he added. Last week, at a conference in Abu Dhabi, Flake expressed optimism that the hurdles preventing US approval of an F-35 sale to Turkey could be resolved "within four to six months."

Turkey signed a $2.5 billion deal with Russia for the S-400 systems in September 2017, with the first shipment arriving in July 2019. Just one week later, the US expelled Turkey from the F-35 program, citing concerns that Russia could use the S-400 systems on Turkish soil to gain sensitive information about the advanced American jet.

Bloomberg also reported that Ankara may seek financial compensation for the returned system, possibly by offsetting the cost against the price of natural gas and oil imported from Russia. The matter would be subject to further negotiation between the two governments, according to the sources.

Since returning to the White House, President Trump has shown warmth toward Erdogan. During the Turkish leader's visit to Washington in September, Trump expressed willingness to move forward with the sale of F-35 jets, but made clear that "he will have to do something for us" to make the deal happen.

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The message, written in English, read: "Iranian intelligence agencies are ready to receive your intelligence cooperation. To cooperate, contact one of the Iranian embassies via the internet."

Israel's National Cyber Directorate said it was aware of the message and issued clear instructions to the public.

What should you do?

Ignore the message completely. Do not respond and do not attempt to contact the sender. Block the sending number, mark it as spam, and do not forward the message, in order to prevent unnecessary dissemination.

Against the backdrop of more than 30 espionage-related cases exposed by the Shin Bet security agency over the past two and a half years, Israeli security officials say Iran has been carrying out widespread "spray and pray" recruitment efforts online. These attempts target normative citizens and span a broad range of sectors across Israeli society.

Investigations and indictments show that the overwhelming majority of Israelis involved were aware they were cooperating with Iran. In many cases, the initial approach was made directly through social media platforms, with messages such as: "Hello, this is Iranian intelligence. You can help us and we will help you in return for money."

According to the indictments, Israelis who established contact with Iranian handlers often began with tasks they perceived as harmless, such as photographing streets, signs or vandalizing vehicles. Over time, however, they were directed to carry out serious security-related missions. These included photographing the streets near the homes of public figures, reaching hospitals where prominent individuals were being treated, and even attempts to obtain weapons.

Israeli security officials stress that raising public awareness of the consequences of cooperating with Iranian elements, and the severe harm such ties pose to national security, is essential. The goal, they say, is to ensure that Israelis who receive suspicious approaches online or from Iranian sources understand the gravity of their actions and the seriousness of such contact with an enemy state.

Ongoing dialogue is being held with local authorities to strengthen public awareness and resilience in light of the many cases uncovered. Several months ago, Israel's National Public Diplomacy Directorate launched a broad public campaign highlighting the dangers and consequences of establishing contact with hostile Iranian elements.

Iranian espionage by the numbers

The Shin Bet has reported a 200% increase from 2024 to 2025 in counter espionage prevention activity carried out by its counterterrorism and counterintelligence division. This has involved dozens of cases, including warning calls, arrests and interrogations.

There has also been a rise of more than 30% in the number of arrests and investigations related to Iranian espionage between 2024 and 2025.

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In a recorded statement, Netanyahu said the total value of the deal was estimated at about 112 billion shekels, roughly $34 billion, with 58 billion shekels, about $18 billion, expected to flow into state coffers.

At the same time as Netanyahu's announcement, NewMed Energy reported to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange that it had received approval to export natural gas to Egypt. The authorization, granted by the Energy Ministry, allows the implementation of the export agreement signed in August, which is valued at approximately $35 billion.

As part of the approval, assurances were given that Israel would maintain attractive domestic natural gas prices and that gas supplies to the local market would be secured. The decision also paves the way for a final investment decision on the expansion of the Leviathan gas field, a move expected to significantly increase production capacity from the reservoir.

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