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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-09-26 at 01:05
HEADLINES
Comey Charged With False Statements
Fragile Israel Iran Pause Tests Diplomacy
Israel Launches Largest Yemen Strike Yet
The time is now 9:00 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
Good evening. This is the 9:00 PM news hour, with a look at the day’s key developments around the world and at home.
In Washington, former FBI director James Comey was formally charged with two counts of making false statements and obstructing justice, a development that comes as the Justice Department broadens what critics call a campaign against political opponents of President Trump. Officials emphasize the case rests on alleged actions unrelated to any ongoing investigations, but the indictment adds a new domestic element to a political landscape already shaped by the president’s rhetoric and allies’ statements.
In the Middle East, the broader security picture remains unsettled. Officials describe the current pause between Israel and Iran and their proxies as fragile and not a formal peace, with tensions persisting across regional theaters. The risk of escalation hangs over a landscape already trying to absorb a prolonged conflict in Gaza and related proxy actions.
On the diplomatic front, a sequence of high-level engagements unfolded in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Argentine President Javier Milei, among other leaders, as part of a flurry of diplomacy. Meanwhile, in Washington, former and current US officials continued to stress an alignment with Israel aimed at pursuing peace through strength, with Trump asserting that talks on Gaza have progressed in talks with Netanyahu.
In a related development, the Palestinian leadership pledged to work with Trump and other partners on a UN-backed plan for Gaza, as the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly endorsed a declaration aimed at advancing a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians. The international community has signaled support for renewed diplomacy, even as the humanitarian and security crises on the ground persist.
Europe’s role in the conflict also drew attention. Spain announced a total embargo on arms exports to Israel, canceling several major recent deals amid intense controversy over the Gaza war. The government’s move blocks exports of defense materials and dual-use technologies, including the cancellation of multi-hundred-million-dollar contracts and the suspension of other pending arms transactions as Madrid faces international pressure and domestic critiques of its stance on the war.
In Yemen, Israel launched what it described as its most extensive operation to date against Houthi targets in Sanaa. Airstrikes targeted the Houthis’ general staff headquarters, intelligence facilities and military camps housing fighters and weapons. Houthi sources said civilian sites were hit and reported significant casualties, illustrating the ongoing volatility of the conflict beyond Gaza’s borders.
Back in the West, leaders continued to weigh security and sovereignty questions. A prominent line of discussion after a call with Netanyahu centered on West Bank concerns, with President Trump stating publicly that annexation would not happen. The exchange underscored how domestic political pressures and international diplomacy intersect in real time as Israel seeks to shape its security environment.
News from within Israel also included violent crime cases drawing international attention. A man suspected of abducting a teenage girl was intercepted by witnesses on a key city street, averting a potentially devastating incident. In another domestic note, a 17-year-old TikTok influencer, Sana Yousaf, was shot dead outside her home, an event that has sparked mourning and renewed debate about safety and youth culture in a time of national st
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