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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-09-23 at 10:07
HEADLINES
Gaza City half evacuated as troops advance
Ceasefire framework floated amid hostage talks
Drones close Copenhagen Oslo airports
The time is now 6:00 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
This is the 6:00 AM update. Good morning. The battlefield remains active in Gaza as Israeli forces press their Gaza City operation, with new detail shaping how observers assess the war’s trajectory and humanitarian impact. The Israel Defense Forces say that roughly half of Gaza City’s population has now evacuated south as troops advance deeper into the densely populated urban area. Initial casualty figures from Hamas-controlled Gaza indicate at least 29 people killed by Israeli fire in Gaza City, with 25 of those fatalities concentrated there as the fighting intensifies. An Israeli officer, Major Shahar Netanel Bozaglo, 27, a company commander, was killed in the city after Hamas gunmen fired an RPG at a tank during the combat, marking the first fatality among the IDF’s latest ground offensive. He was taken to hospital in critical condition before he died, underscoring the human costs already unfolding in the campaign’s current phase.
In parallel, the war’s broader humanitarian dimension remains acute. Aid agencies and United Nations bodies have warned that the Gaza Strip’s health system is under extreme strain, and compassionate access continues to hinge on ongoing security considerations and blockade controls. A number of Western states have urged Israel to restore a medical corridor that would allow Gaza’s patients to receive treatment in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, as part of a coordinated set of measures to ease urgent medical needs. The joint appeal, signed by Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the European Union, and Poland, calls for resuming medical evacuations and lifting restrictions on the delivery of medicines and medical equipment. Israel has historically rejected Gazan treatment in West Bank hospitals over security concerns, though it has occasionally permitted limited evacuations to other countries. The medical crisis in Gaza has long been a point of contention between humanitarian relief efforts and security calculations.
Across the political and diplomatic spectrum, a new push for a ceasefire in Gaza has emerged. Senior Hamas officials have told the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that a fresh effort is underway to draft a ceasefire in Gaza. They suggest the next two weeks will clarify what each side is prepared to offer toward even a temporary pause that would halt the Israeli operation in Gaza City and open the door to more substantive talks. Reportedly, several Arab states are engaging in discussions aimed at ending the war entirely and securing a withdrawal of Israeli forces from residential areas. A proposed framework circulating in some channels includes the release of 10 hostages and the return of two bodies, including two US citizens, backed by American guarantees of a 60-day ceasefire and the delivery of humanitarian aid. Israel and Hamas have not publicly responded to these specifics. In parallel, media reports have circulated about a letter from Hamas to President Trump seeking a temporary 60-day ceasefire in exchange for freeing half the hostages, a development tied to mediation efforts that include Qatar and other mediators. The flow of mediations comes as concerns rise about the war’s toll on civilians and the disruption of daily life in Gaza and neighboring regions.
On the international front, President Netanyahu has continued to frame the conflict within a wider regional context. In a recent address to the IDF General Staff, he reiterated his government’s stance that the defeat of what he terms the Iranian axis is within the realm of Israel’s capabilities and security responsibilities. The comment aligns with a broader line that views Tehran’s network of allies and
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