News Digest — 2/12/26
Trump, Netanyahu Hold Three-Hour Meeting: Set Redlines On Iran As Gaza Talks Continue
Negotiations between the US and Iran on the nuclear issue will continue, US President Donald Trump said after his meeting on Wednesday (11th) with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the White House.
“There was nothing definitive reached other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a deal can be consummated,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“If I can, I let the Prime Minister know that will be a preference, If I cannot, we will just have to see what the outcome will be.”
“Last time Iran decided that they were better off not making a deal, and they were hit with Midnight Hammer — that did not work well for them.”
“Additionally, we discussed the tremendous progress being made in Gaza and the region in general. There is PEACE in the Middle East,” Trump’s post concluded.
The meeting—the seventh between the two since Trump returned to office last year—lasted three hours, two more than the scheduled time. It was more muted than past visits, with Netanyahu using the White House’s back entrance, and it was closed to the press.
During the meeting, the prime minister presented intelligence on Iran’s military buildup, including developments related to its ballistic missile program. He also conveyed the message that if Trump decides to strike Iran, the operation should include targeting the ballistic missile project as well.
The meeting between the Prime Minister and the US President also addressed the situation in Gaza.
“The Prime Minister emphasized the security needs of the State of Israel in the context of the negotiations, and the two agreed to continue close coordination and maintain direct communication,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement issued after the meeting.
According to Israeli media, a variety of other security and political officials were present at the meeting, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, Israel’s Ambassador to the USYechiel Leiter, Military Secretary MG Roman Gofman, acting director of the National Security Council Gil Reich, MIchael Eisenberg, Ziv Agnon, and advisor Ofir Falk.
Meanwhile, additional forces continue to be deployed to the Middle East. The Pentagon has instructed the USS Bush aircraft carrier to prepare for deployment to the region, after completing operational readiness preparation. Under the most optimistic scenario. It will take between 12 and 15 days to reach the Middle East.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu officially joined US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace February 11, 2026. The signing of the Board Of Peace Charter took place at a meeting with Marco Rubio at Blair House in Washington on Wednesday (11th).
After landing in the US on Monday (9th), Netanyahu met with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner where the three discussed regional issues.
During the meeting, Witkoff and Kushner also updated Netanyahu about the first round of talks held with Iran on Friday (6th).
Lebanon To Decide On Second Phase Of Disarming Terrorist Group
Lebanon’s government is set to decide next week how to proceed with the second phase of a plan aimed at extending the state’s authority and placing all arms under state control in areas north of the Litani River, according to the country’s information minister.
Paul Morcos, speaking to reporters on Wednesday (11th), during a visit to Kuwait where he was attending an Arab meeting and quoted by Reuters explained that the decision would be based on a presentation by the Lebanese Army, which will outline its needs and capabilities.
The army took operational control of the area between the Litani River and the border with Israel in January. Following this, the Lebanese cabinet asked the army to brief it in early February on how to pursue disarmament in other parts of the country.
“We have completed the first phase, south of the Litani River. Next week the government will take a decision regarding the second phase considering what the army commander sets out in terms of needs and capabilities, so that we can decide accordingly, based on that explanation.” Morcos said.
Lebanon has been working to bring all arms under state control as part of the US-brokered ceasefire that ended the fighting between Israel and the Hezbollah terrorist group in November of 2024.
Hezbollah has continued to violate the terms of the ceasefire and continues to rebuild its military strength. Israel has responded by striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
Lebanese authorities charged the Lebanese Armed Forces in August of last year to devise a plan ensuring a state monopoly on arms by year’s end.
Hezbollah however, has condemned the Lebanese government’s plan to disarm the terror organization and has repeatedly vowed to keep its arms.
Despite this, Morcos ruled out the possibility of any confrontation between the Lebanese Army and Hezbollah. He emphasized that the objective was to “extend state authority and achieve stability,” and stated that the plan would proceed as long as these goals could be pursued together.
IDF Kills Terror Mastermind Behind Attack That Killed 16 Civilians, Injured 100
A Hamas terrorist who orchestrated a double suicide bombing attack in southern Israel nearly 22 years ago, was killed in an IDF airstrike in the Gaza Strip last week, Israeli security forces announced on Wednesday (11th).
The airstrike was carried out on February 5, eliminating Basel al-Halmoni.
While reports from the Gaza Strip announced last week that al-Halmoni was killed in the strike, Israel only confirmed his identity on Wednesday (11th).
The Shin Bet security agency and the IDF issued a joint statement confirming al-Halmoni’s killing.
Born in Hebron, al-Halmoni was a high-ranking Hamas operative who took part in attacks on Israel during the Second Intifada.
In 2004, al-Halmoni commanded a terror cell which carried out a double-suicide bombing attack on a pair of buses in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba. According to the Shin Bet and IDF, al-Halmoni orchestrated the plot, sending two suicide bombers to carry out the attack.
The two suicide bombers killed 16 civilians in the August 2004 attack and injured over 100 people.
Two months later, al-Halmoni was captured in a joint operation of the IDF and the Shin Bet.
While he was sentenced to life in prison, al-Halmoni was released in 2011 as part of the deal securing the release of Gilad Shalit, an IDF soldier who was abducted by Hamas terrorists who infiltrated into Israel in 2006.
As part of the deal, al-Halmoni was deported to the Gaza Strip.
Following his release, al-Halmoni resumed his activities with Hamas, recruiting terrorists and directing attacks, the IDF and Shin Bet said.
“As part of his role in Hamas, during the war, he was involved in manufacturing and planting explosive devices targeting our forces. His elimination constitutes an important and meaningful closing of the circle.”
Cash Strapped Hamas Members Sell Their Weapons As Financial Crisis Bites, Report Says
Gaza sources say some operatives are offloading arms to survive after months without pay as funding dries up, money transfer routes are interrupted, and international oversight tightens.
Reports emerging from Gaza in recent weeks point to an unusual and potentially troubling development for Hamas: Some members of the terror group, facing severe financial hardship, are allegedly selling weapons or military equipment to survive.
If confirmed, the accounts would mark another sign of the deepening crisis confronting Hamas’ leadership, not only on the military and diplomatic fronts but also economically and organizationally.
According to a series of local reports, including posts on social media, Hamas is grappling with what has been described as an unprecedented financial crisis. The difficulties are attributed to a dramatic reduction in funding sources, disruption to money transfer routes, tighter international oversight and the devastating impact of the prolonged war on Gaza’s economy.
In addition to sustained military pressure and diplomatic demands – particularly US calls within a broader plan to end the war and dismantle Hamas’ military capabilities – economic strain is increasingly seen as a threat to the group’s continued functioning.
Reports indicate that some Hamas operatives have not been receiving salaries regularly, and, at times, have not been paid at all. In a reality marked by widespread unemployment, and the collapse of civilian services, some are said to be seeking alternative sources of income. In extreme cases, weapons or military equipment have allegedly been sold to fund family needs.
Analysts familiar with developments in Gaza say the current crisis reflects years in which Hamas relied on what they described as an “emergency economy” – external funding. Donations and irregular cash infusions – without building a stable and sustainable economic mechanism. The group’s focus on military buildup and managing conflict, they say, came at the expense of developing civilian and economic infrastructure that could provide resilience during times of crisis.
In addition, Hamas’ image among Gaza residents – was built on the narrative of steadfastness – which could erode if economic distress deepens.
Israel Upgrades David’s Sling Air Defense System Following Trials
Israel’s David’s Sling air defense system has successfully completed a series of complex tests designed to enhance its readiness against future threats, Israel’s Defense Ministry announced Wednesday (11th). The trials were conducted in cooperation with the Defense Ministry, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the US Missile Defense Agency.
The tests were carried out by the Israel Missile Defense Organization, known by its Hebrew acronym Homa, within the Defense Ministry’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development, together with the US Missile Defense Agency and Rafael. The advanced air defense system is designed to intercept a range of threats, including rockets, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, aircraft and aerial vehicles.
The series of trials, built on operational lessons learned during the war and from Operation Rising Lion, included a variety of challenging scenarios reflecting both existing and emerging threats. Defense officials said the successful tests mark another technological and operational breakthrough in upgrading the system, which demonstrated high performance during the war, carrying out successful interceptions that saved lives and prevented excessive damage.
David’s Sling constitutes a central layer in Israel’s multi-tiered air defense array, which also includes the Arrow missile defense system, Iron Dome and Iron Beam, the laser-based system recently delivered to the Israeli Air Force. The system’s development is led by the Defense Ministry through the Israel Missile Defense Organization in cooperation with Israeli defense industries and the US Missile Defense Agency.
Rafael is the prime contractor for David’s Sling. Israel’s Aerospace Industries, through its Elta division, developed the MMR radar, while Elbit Systems developed the command-and-control system.
When A UN Official Becomes A Megaphone For Hamas – Dr. Flamma Nirenstein
Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories, told an Al Jazeera forum in Qatar on Saturday (7th) that Israel is the “common enemy” against which the global community must now unite.
Israel is a country of 10 million people – seven million of them Jews – so small, its name barely fits on a map. It is surrounded by states that have spent decades and billions of dollars attempting to erase it. Those states have failed to produce a fraction of Israel’s scientific, agricultural, technological, and democratic achievements. To Albanese, this is proof of diabolical intent.
Iran, she suggests, should not distract us with its own crimes – tens of thousands of Iranian citizens killed for demanding freedom. No, the Jews are worse. They are the universal enemy. Israel’s real crime, in Albanese’s telling, is that it is still alive.
History has seen this story before. What is new is the brazenness with which the accusation is now delivered – under a UN title, on a Qatari stage, to applause.
The writer, a fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, served as vice president of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the Italian Chamber of Deputies.
(jns.org)
