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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-09-28 at 15:07
HEADLINES
UN sanctions snapback tightens Iran nuclear pressure
Gaza offensive deepens as hostages fate uncertain
Jordan signals unified regional diplomacy at UN
The time is now 11:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
At eleven o’clock this morning, the Middle East remains on a razor’s edge as a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran held only tentatively. Officials caution that the current pause is uneasy, with both sides signaling readiness to act if provoked, and regional powers watching closely as Tehran continues to pursue its nuclear program while Washington and its allies seek to constrain it through a renewed sanctions regime.
In a development welcomed by Israel, the United Nations has snapped back sanctions on Iran for alleged nuclear course violations. Israeli officials describe this move as vital to preventing Tehran from attaining a nuclear weapon and to pressing Tehran to halt any steps that would move the country closer to a break line on international diplomacy. The snapback underscores a broader international effort to deter escalation while maintaining the pressure on Tehran’s ambitions.
Across the region, the United States appears to be weighing its next steps with Israel as a central partner. President Donald Trump has reiterated, in a post on his Truth Social platform, that there is a real chance for greatness in the Middle East and that all parties are on board for something special. He declared that, for the first time, a path forward is on the table and that “we will get it done.” The remarks come amid a flurry of activity at the United Nations and in regional capitals as leaders consider a new phase of diplomacy framed around security through strength and peace through robust, coordinated action.
In Gaza, Israel’s ground and air operations intensify as forces push deeper into Gaza City with multiple divisions engaged in shaping the battlefield. Hamas, for its part, says it has lost contact with two hostages held in the city amid the fighting and has demanded a 24-hour lull in airstrikes to permit rescue efforts. The plight of hostages remains a central concern for their families and for international observers, who note that forty-eight captives remain in Hamas hands, including civilians and soldiers seized during the widening conflict that began last year.
Casualty figures in Gaza continue to be a major point of contention. The Hamas-run health ministry reports that more than sixty-six thousand people have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting, a tally that highlights the human cost of a conflict that repeatedly tests international norms and humanitarian norms. Israel contends that its campaign has targeted Hamas fighters and infrastructure, with thousands of militants killed since the start of the current phase of the war, and emphasizes the harm caused to civilian life as it executes what it calls strategic defense and deterrence. The true balance remains difficult to verify in the field, where hospitals report overwhelmed operations and aid workers struggle to reach besieged neighborhoods.
Israeli authorities say their campaign has penetrated into the heart of Gaza City, closing in on key districts as they seek to degrade Hamas’s command and control. In the south, Israeli forces have continued to strike Hamas targets and to disrupt surveillance capabilities used by the group. There are growing reports that some large Gaza City clans were approached about forming anti-Hamas enclaves in the city, but those proposals were reportedly rejected, and authorities have said they will press on with military plans to remove Hamas from power. The government has urged residents to flee high-risk areas and to move to humanitarian corridors in advance of intensified fighting.
Internationally, the Gaza situation has renewed attention to the humanitar
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