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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-07-18 at 18:03
HEADLINES
1. Israel kills Hamas commander amid ongoing conflict
2. Hezbollah's power wanes after devastating Israeli strikes
3. US probes alleged American funds fueling Israeli protests
The time is now 02:00 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
At two in the afternoon, the Middle East remains a landscape of tension and ongoing negotiations. Israel’s military continues to respond decisively to threats, with recent reports confirming the death of a Hamas commander involved in the October 7 attacks, underscoring Israel’s relentless pursuit of its security objectives. Meanwhile, the IDF is investigating an incident involving a commander accused of neglecting a soldier’s attempted suicide, amid efforts to improve mental health support within the armed forces through new training workshops.
In Syria, violence persists as armed clashes intensify in the southern region of A-Suwayda, where Druze communities suffer from looting and loss of life, and Bado tribes continue to push into Druze-held areas. Reports indicate they have seized multiple weapons depots, raising concerns about regional stability and the fragile ceasefire.
Across the Gaza border, diplomatic efforts are ongoing to forge a peace deal. Israeli negotiators have made significant progress in Qatar, but Hamas remains resistant, demanding guarantees for a comprehensive resolution before agreeing to any interim ceasefire. Hamas’s spokesperson emphasized that without meaningful progress, their stance on hostage releases and ceasefire terms remains firm, potentially reverting to full demands rather than partial solutions. The international community watches closely as mediators from Egypt and Qatar, backed by the United States, try to broker a deal that would see hostages released and a return to relative calm.
Israel’s regional posture appears to be evolving into a superpower mindset, with recent updates to its defense doctrine emphasizing preemptive strikes and capabilities to prevent threats before they materialize. This approach reflects a strategic shift aimed at consolidating security and deterring future aggression, aligning with the broader goal of securing Israeli sovereignty and regional stability.
In Lebanon, Hezbollah’s influence has waned considerably following heavy strikes by the IDF, which have decimated their operational capacity. The Lebanese government is also under pressure to expel militant groups, but political turmoil hampers efforts to restore order.
In the domestic sphere, Israel faces a political crisis over the Haredi draft law, which has fractured the ruling coalition. Religious parties threaten to withdraw, and public pressure from reservists adds to the government’s precarious position. Simultaneously, a tragic traffic accident on Highway 6 resulted in the death of a 37-year-old man, highlighting ongoing road safety concerns.
On the international front, US Secretary of Defense and intelligence officials have engaged with their Israeli counterparts, with reports indicating that the US has examined allegations of indirect American funding of protests against Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government. Additionally, Israeli officials have sought increased cooperation with the United States on regional security, including efforts to address the threat of terrorism and stabilize volatile areas.
Meanwhile, in the United States, a report from the Congressional Judiciary Committee suggests that American funds may have indirectly supported anti-government protests in Israel, raising questions about foreign influence and domestic political tensions.
In cultural and human interest stories, Jerusalem’s Geula neighborhood remains a hub of ultra-Orthodox life, symbolizing the city’s religious heart. Elsewhere, a tragic incident in Greece claimed the life of an elderly Israeli woman who fell from
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