News Digest — 12/23/25
Syria Drops Golan Heights From Its Map, Recognizing Israeli Control
The government of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has apparently given de facto recognition to Israeli control and sovereignty over the Golan Heights, dropping the strategic plateau from an updated state map of Syria.
Syria lost the nearly 700-square-mile Golan to Israel in the 1967 Six Day War.
Six years later during the Yom Kippur War, Syrian forces managed to briefly occupy part of the Golan before the IDF recaptured the plateau and advanced on Damascus.
While Israel applied sovereignty over most of the Golan Heights in 1981, with the United States recognizing the move during the first Trump administration, Syria has for decades rejected Israel’s annexation and demanded the Golan be ceded as part of a future peace deal.
Last Friday (19th), however, the Syrian government released a new map of the country, redrawing its own borders to reflect the loss of the Golan.
In a post celebrating the repeal by the US Congress of the Caesar Act, which tightened sanctions on Syria, the Syrian Foreign MInister posted a visual of the updated map of Syria and the Syrian flag, under the caption “Syria free from Caesar sanctions.”
The new map appears to remove not only the two-thirds of the Golan gained by Israel under the 1974 separation of forces deal with Syria and annexed in 1981, but also the additional roughly 100 square miles in the former demilitarized zone occupied by Israeli forces since last December.
The Al Thawra Al Souria newspaper, a mouthpiece of the Syrian government, has also begun using the new state map.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), an anti-Assad London-based Syrian nationalist outlet hostile to Israel, castigated the al-Sharaa government over the move, calling it “full submission to US dictates and the fulfillment of all Israeli demands.”
“These maps used by the caretaker government, particularly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, are identical to the maps currently used by the Israeli government and various Israeli media outlets.”
President Herzog: Cyprus, A Bridge For Peace Between Israel And Its Neighbors
President Isaac Herzog met on Monday (22nd) with President Nikos Christodoulides of the Republic of Cyprus at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem. During their meeting, President Herzog and President Christodoulides discussed opportunities to deepen bilateral cooperation and advance regional initiatives aimed at promoting stability in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Herzog welcomed President Christosdoulides, noting that “we’re always very happy to see you here. You know our relations with Cyprus have been upgraded dramatically in recent years. There’s a huge potential for doing business together and actually developing together with Greece and other countries, the eastern basin of the Mediterranean.
The Israeli President mentioned Cyprus’ position regarding regional challenges: “As we look forward to the day after in Gaza, and also to the strategic changes in Syria and Lebanon, I think that the place of Cyprus is essential. It’s a key element in the region of functionality and development. It can also be a bridge for peace with our Palestinian neighbors and other countries in the region, as you stretch your connectivity all the way to India and the UAE. So I think there is so much to discuss here, and I welcome you to Israel wholeheartedly.” Herzog concluded by calling for the release of Staff Sergeant Ran Gvili: “He’s the last hostage who has not been returned to Israel. We call upon the family of nations and all those who are involved in the operation in Gaza to apply pressure and use any tools possible to bring him back home.”
He also added holiday greetings: “I want to take this opportunity to wish the people of Cyprus and all our sisters and brothers of the Christian communities in the Middle East, and of course, in the Holy Land, “Merry Christmas and a Happy 2026.”
President Christosdoulides replied: “Thank you, I’m very glad and pleased to be in Israel this time for a bilateral visit, but also, as you mentioned, the tenth trilateral summit between Cyprus, Greece, and Israel. I’m looking forward to the discussions and, more importantly, to the decisions that we’re going to have to take in order to enhance our strategic relations more. Issues like defense and security, energy, economy and trade, and innovation are high on our agenda. And of course, tourism – you mentioned the Israelis coming to Cyprus, and I was very glad to find out that during the summer time we have 186 weekly flights. This is a clear indication of our people-to-people contacts.”
He added: “At the same time, I’m here a few days before we assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. One of our main priorities is to bring the European Union much closer to the region.
The Cypriot President also mentioned Ran Gvili, stressing that “our position was clear from the very beginning and also as you noted, for the last remaining hostage to return.”
He publicly invited President Herzog to Cyprus to continue the discussion.
IDF Soldiers Frustrated As Hamas Recovers: ‘Can’t Do Anything Without US Approval’
IDF reservists stationed along the Yellow Line – the security boundary inside the Gaza Strip – say they are frustrated and constrained by current rules of engagement that prevent them from firing at Hamas terrorists inside the territory, even when individuals are clearly identified.
Troops and commanders speaking to Ynet described a growing sense of uncertainty and frustration among soldiers who report daily incursions and activity by terrorists just west of the Yellow Line but are permitted only to relay information to intelligence units rather than act directly.
A reserve lieutenant colonel who served in the sector about two weeks ago said units regularly detect Hamas terrorists “wearing vests” and observe activities such as planting explosive devices and rebuilding infrastructure deeper in the enclave. “We collect this and pass it to intelligence,” he said. “We do not open fire into the Strip except in cases involving a specific identified suspect and only with approval from command and higher. That creates frustration among troops, but they understand it’s the situation for now.”
Reservists also said two assumptions have taken hold in recent weeks: that the full task of disarming the Strip will ultimately fall to the IDF, and that US approval is required for virtually every step. There’s a growing belief in the army that only the IDF can act to disarm Gaza, not any other actor, and it’s also very hard for us,” one reservist said. “In practice, control over the Strip was ceded to the United States. Without approval from the American command – you can’t do anything.”
Another reservist who arrived on the line about a week ago echoed similar concerns. “We’ve seen very few incidents of terrorists crossing,” he said, “but they come among civilians, set up tents near the Yellow Line and try to establish infrastructure – it’s a known pattern of operation. We control the area east of the Yellow Line with observation and fire, we’re physically in the zone – but west of the Yellow Line there’s no IDF ground hold, and that’s where Hamas terrorists in vests are moving around. That’s troubling without question.”
A staff sergeant in reserve told Ynet that “nothing happening beyond the Yellow Line is permitted for us to act on – we simply can’t do anything about it.” He said the frustration is compounded by what he described as “a missed political opportunity.” “Now that Hamas is weakened, we’re not pushing for a diplomatic change. What’s happening with full disarmament of the Strip? Where’s progress on the Trump plan? We sacrificed more than 300 days for this, to enable a safe future for the country – we reached a point where we could push political change,” he said. “Instead we are moving in place, going nowhere. I don’t know who we’re waiting for. Meanwhile Hamas regains and grows stronger. We’ll find ourselves in endless cycles again. We’re missing a golden opportunity that’s unlikely to return soon.”
Meanwhile, there are few signs that Hamas is moving to disarm itself, even symbolically. Efforts to resume searches for the last remaining hostage, Ran Gvili, were reportedly postponed this week due to weather and other operational issues. The fact that most of the hostages – particularly those still alive – are now believed to be back home has reduced pressure on both sides to compromise or advance toward a future Gaza without Hamas control.
Military assessments suggest senior Hamas leaders remain at large and are directing operations from underground, while lower-level operatives are increasingly visible above ground, often under the guise of civilian life and performing internal administrative tasks. In many areas of the territory from Jabalia to Rafah, checkpoints and patrols controlled by Hamas are increasingly active, asserting a semblance of governance despite extensive war damage.
At the same time, Hamas appears to be injecting significant funds – reportedly tens to hundreds of thousands of shekels daily – into its recovery treasury, leveraging increased humanitarian aid flows allowed by Israel of around 4.200 truckloads per week. Aid shipments, including food and other goods, have been entering at between 600 to 800 daily, and Hamas is reportedly extracting revenue from private sector trade to tax or impose levies on Gazans.
Poll: 90% Of Israelis Against Turkish Troops In Gaza
Ninety percent of the Israeli public opposes the participation of Turkish troops within the International Stabilization Force stated for deployment in the Gaza Strip as part of Washington’s peace plan, according to a poll published on Sunday (21st) by Israeli broadcaster, Channel 14.
Seven percent of respondents said that Israel should agree regarding Turkish deployment, with 3% having no opinion at all.
The survey was conducted by Shlomo Fiber, Direct Polls’research director and political analyst.
A total of 502 adults participated in the poll conducted on the day of its publication.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with US President Donald Trump at the latter’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Dec. 29.
Diplomatic officials expect Gaza’s demilitarization to dominate the Trump-Netanyahu discussions..
Phase 2 of the Gaza ceasefire agreement revolves around the disarmament of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror groups.
The Stabilization Force, slated for deployment sometime early next year, is supposed to be stationed east of the Yellow Line that splits the Gaza Strip and where the Israel Defense Forces are currently deployed.
Troops from countries such as Azerbaijan and Pakistan have been reportedly considered for the task, with Turkey also involved.
However, Israeli officials have reiterated their stance against Ankara’s involvement in Gaza in light of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s bellicose rhetoric and consistent hostility toward the Jewish state.
Huckabee: Iran’s Ultimate Objective Is The US
Iran is doubling down on efforts to rebuild its nuclear program and to restore its ballistic missile arsenal following the June war with Israel, with the “ultimate” goal of targeting the United States, American Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee warned on Monday (22nd),
Huckabee addressed a conference hosted by the Institution for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, discussing the ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran amid reports of a massive missile and drone exercise being held by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The ambassador lamented that Iran appears to be ignoring President Donald Trump’s repeated overtures to Tehran after the 12-day war in June to negotiate a new nuclear deal and abandon its uranium enrichment efforts.
“I don’t know that Iran ever took [Trump] seriously until the night that the B-2 bombers went to Fordow,” Huckabee said.
“I hope they got the message, but apparently they didn’t get the full message because, as you mentioned, they appear to be trying to reconstitute and find a new way to dig the hole deeper and secure it more.”
When asked if the US would get involved in a new conflict withI Iran, following the one-day US air campaign during the June war, Huckabee emphasized the president’s commitment to preventing Iran from resuming uranium enrichment operations.
“All I can do is to point you to what [Trump] has said repeatedly, and he consistently has said Iran is never going to enrich uranium, and they are not going to have a nuclear weapon.”
Pushing back on suggestions that the threat posed by Iran’s ballistic and nuclear programs is limited to Israel or the Middle East, Huckabee warned that Iran constitutes a serious threat to Europe, and ultimately plans to target the United States directly.
“It presents a great threat to all of Europe,” Huckabee continued. “And if the Europeans don’t understand this, then they’re even dumber than I sometimes think they are.”
“The president has made it clear, this isn’t only about Israel. Iran’s ultimate objective is the United States.”
