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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-09-23 at 05:06
HEADLINES
Gaza City Push Escalates, Soldier Killed
Gulf States Wary Yet Working With Israel
France Recognizes Palestinian State; Netanyahu Expands Settlements
The time is now 1:00 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
This is your hourly update. At this hour, the region remains on edge as a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran continues to hold only unevenly, with both sides warning that any misstep could escalate but with both also signaling a desire to avoid a full return to open conflict.
In Gaza, the current military campaign to push into Gaza City has intensified. The Israeli Defense Forces report that more than 200 Hamas targets have been struck as additional units move into position, and the campaign is now marked by the first combat fatality in this latest phase: Major Shahar Netanel Bozaglo, a 27-year-old officer from Migdal HaEmek, was killed by RPG fire in Gaza City. His death underscores the high stakes of Israel’s push to reshape the battlefield in and around the city, even as humanitarian concerns and hostage negotiations continue to loom over the war’s trajectory. Israel has stressed that its actions aim at neutralizing Hamas and protecting civilians, while acknowledging the heavy price of combating an entrenched adversary in densely populated areas.
Across the broader Middle East, the status of Israel’s regional partners remains mixed as the war unfolds. Five years after the Abraham Accords, the region’s alliance with Israel persists but faces scrutiny. Public opinion has cooled in several Gulf states, and some partners voice concern about the level of Israeli pressure or the potential spillover of regional tensions. Yet there is also evidence of continued practical cooperation. In the United Arab Emirates, for example, officials continue to emphasize the focus on Gaza relief and reconstruction planning, while maintaining a dialogue that spans security, business, and people-to-people ties. The core dynamic remains simple: Arab states see strategic value in a strong Israel to counter Iranian influence, even as they call for cooperative approaches to ending the Gaza war and stabilizing the region.
At the same time, observers note that Israel’s post-October 7 military campaigns have altered regional perceptions. Some Gulf analysts caution that Israel’s expanded operations, including strikes in Syria and even discussions about broader regional reach, could redefine risk calculations for Arab partners. There is particular concern about how far Israel might go if threats to its security mount, and how regional partners would respond if American policy shifts or if Iran intensifies its regional activities. The Qatar strike, for example, drew attention as a rare instance of Israeli action against a long-standing partner state, prompting questions about diplomatic balance and restraint.
Meanwhile, France’s recognition of a Palestinian state has generated mixed reactions in the West Bank. While some Palestinians welcomed the gesture as symbolic support for statehood, many view it as insufficient without concrete steps to end the Gaza war and to address daily hardships under occupation conditions. In Israel, Prime Minister Netanyahu pledged to expand settlements in the West Bank in response to foreign recognitions of a Palestinian state, underscoring the ongoing tension between international diplomacy and on-the-ground realities in the territories. The recognition backdrop also fuels broader debates inside Israel about strategy in the Palestinian arena as the Gaza war proceeds.
On the diplomatic front in Washington, several Western governments have offered to assist with humanitarian relief for Gaza, including medical corridors and aid for patients in the West Bank. Canada, France, Germany, and others called for restoring medical evacuation routes to Gaza-adjacent territories to
Published on 1 month, 1 week ago