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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-09-25 at 12:07
HEADLINES
Israel hits Hamas as hostage crisis deepens
Iranian proxies squeezed as war reshapes region
Erdoğan Washington visit could shift regional security
The time is now 8:00 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
This is the hourly news update. Good morning. An uneasy ceasefire between Israel and Iran’s regional network remains in place, but tensions are high and the risk of a flare‑up is persistent as military activity and diplomatic pressure continue to shape the balance of power in the region.
On the military front, the Israeli Defense Forces say it has degraded Hamas’s capabilities in Gaza, striking hundreds of targets across the enclave and focusing on dismantling what it calls terrorist infrastructure in Gaza City, Hamas’s last stronghold there. The campaign is ongoing while Israel continues to press the war against Hamas after the October war escalation and the resulting hostage crisis in Gaza. Civil and international concern grows over the fate of hostages and the humanitarian situation in Gaza as pauses in fighting are tested by renewed attacks and retaliatory strikes.
Iran and its proxies remain central to the security puzzle. Iran’s influence and its regional network face pressure from Israeli and allied actions, and from shifts in Syria as the country’s post-Assad political landscape consolidates. In Lebanon, Hezbollah has faced significant setbacks in the Israeli perspective of the fight, with operations and pressure aimed at limiting the group’s capacity inside Lebanon. The broader question remains: how far can Iran’s influence retreat or reframe itself in the shadow of Israeli diplomacy and US pressure? The discussions around a ceasefire and the possibility of a broader regional arrangement continue to be a backdrop to today’s events.
In Washington, the Trump administration’s stated approach to the region emphasizes strength and coalition building, aiming to align with Israel in a program described by US officials as pursuing peace through strength. The emphasis is on steady deterrence, coordinated diplomacy with regional partners, and a push to stabilize the Gaza situation while supporting Israel’s security needs. The conversations around security guarantees and potential arms discussions, including how to manage advanced systems like F-35 jets, are closely watched in Tel Aviv and allied capitals.
The Syria question remains acute as the post-Assad era takes shape. A new chapter in Damascus and its government dynamics is unfolding, with power contests and international actors recalibrating their presence in the Levant. The overall effect is a more crowded and complicated security map, in which Israel, neighboring states, and outside powers maneuver to manage threats and opportunities alike.
Turning to regional diplomacy, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s expected visit to Washington is seen by many as potentially game‑changing for the region. Agreements reportedly under discussion could reshape Turkey’s role as a security and military partner, including possible aircraft deals and energy arrangements that would touch on NATO dynamics and regional balance. Some Israeli analysts warn that the return of Turkey to the stealth jet program remains uncertain because of legal and policy hurdles in the United States, including CAATSA sanctions and congressional authorization, even as a closer Turkish relationship with Washington could influence the balance of power over the region’s air superiority dynamics.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron has outlined a position in conversations with US and European partners that Israel should not move to annex the West Bank, a line he frames as a shared international objective. He has warned that a prolonged Gaza crisis could trigger sanctions, and he highlighted the need for a multinational approach to stabilizing the regio
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