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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-09-28 at 12:07
HEADLINES
Tsurkov freed after three-plus years in captivity
Gaza 21-point plan hinges on diplomacy
Nasrallah anniversary signals Hezbollah's enduring power
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 an hourly update at eight o’clock in the morning. The world watches a fragile balance in the Middle East, where a shaky ceasefire between Israel and Iran remains unsettled and the broader arc of Iran’s regional influence continues to shift. In Damascus and Beirut, authorities and militias alike calibrate their posture as Syria’s political order evolves after a changing leadership, while across Lebanon and Gaza the consequences of years of conflict ripple through communities and political factions. Meanwhile, hostage negotiations in Gaza persist alongside a series of hard political and legal moves inside Israel as the country seeks to respond with deterrence and resilience.
Across the security landscape, Israel’s long-running objective remains deterrence against terrorism while pursuing strategic gains on multiple fronts. In Israel, a bill pushed by Nationalist lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir to impose a death penalty for terrorism has moved forward in committee despite objections from the Prime Minister’s Office and concerns raised by families of hostages. The move underscores the government’s emphasis on a tough security posture even as negotiations and diplomatic channels continue to play out behind the scenes. In Washington, discussions tied to the Trump administration’s 21-point Gaza plan have dominated analysis, with officials outlining a pathway that envisions a staged end to hostilities in Gaza, provision for hostage releases, and a framework for a future Palestinian state. Whether that plan gains traction depends on a broad coalition of regional actors and ongoing diplomacy.
On the hostage front, no breakthrough appears imminent in public messaging, but reporting highlights a persistent effort to broker a deal that could free captives and stabilize the Gaza front. In parallel, the humanitarian toll remains severe for families caught in the crossfire. In a separate but related thread, Elizabeth Tsurkov, the Israeli-Russian academic who spent years in captivity, was freed after more than three years, following a complex multinational effort that included diplomatic engagement, private negotiations, and quiet diplomacy across borders. Her release, finalized after a long sequence of negotiations, is presented as a significant milestone in the broader effort to address hostage-taking in the region.
In the Gaza arena, Hamas has signaled that it sees no new proposals and has described negotiations as frozen since a recent Israeli strike in Qatar, complicating any immediate path toward a ceasefire or a broader settlement. The group’s stance, together with the ongoing hostage issue, leaves a precarious moment for any durable equilibrium in southern Israel and the Gaza Strip. In the same breath, reporting on Gaza notes the emergence of localized resistance within the enclave—clan-driven or otherwise—pushing back against Hamas’ grip in certain areas, a development that adds another layer of complexity to the current balance of power inside Gaza.
Hezbollah’s position and Lebanon’s response remain a central element of the regional calculus. The first anniversary of Nasrallah’s assassination since the leadership transition has been commemorated by the movement’s secretary general, Naim Qassem, signaling that Hezbollah remains a force to be reckoned with, even as Israel intensified its campaign in southern Lebanon in the previous year during broader regional clashes. The Lebanese state’s stance—its efforts to curb militant activity and reassert sovereignty—continues to influence the dynamics of deterrence and stability along the border.
In Syria, the regional realignment unfolds as As
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