Podcast Episode Details

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-09-28 at 23:06

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HEADLINES
Israeli strike kills Hamas leaders hostages freed
Yemen missile intercepted as Iran threats loom
White House Gaza plan eyed for governance

The time is now 7:00 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

Tonight’s hourly update at 7:00 PM begins with a region still braced for escalation even as there are signals of a tense pause in the wider conflict.

In Gaza, Israel and Hamas remain locked in a fragile and incomplete pause. The Israeli military reported that Hassan Mahmoud Hassan Hussein, a commander with Hamas’s elite Nukhba force, was killed in an airstrike in the Gaza Strip. In the same incident, four people were abducted from a bomb shelter near the Re’im music festival, including a young man named Eliya Cohen who, in statements from his fiancée, expressed relief at the progress toward rescue while warning that more terrorists remain “next in line.” The Israeli military also said another Nukhba commander, Muhammad Abu Attawi, was killed in the same engagement. In addition, seven of the hostages who had been held in Gaza were later reported freed or recovered in the course of ongoing operations, while sixteen others were confirmed killed in the broader attack on the shelter. Israeli and allied officials say the assault underscores the persistent danger posed by Hamas and its network, even as negotiators discuss a framework to end the war and address governance in Gaza.

Across the region, the battlefield has repeatedly drawn attention to ongoing threats from Iran’s broader network. In Yemen, a ballistic missile was fired toward Israel and intercepted by Israel’s air defenses after alarms sounded in central Israel and parts of the West Bank. The Israel Defense Forces say the threat was identified and neutralized; there were no immediate reports of casualties. The incident comes amid persistent, layered tensions that include recent incidents attributed to Iran-backed groups and ongoing violence connected to the Gaza conflict. In parallel, European and other international actors continue to scrutinize Iran’s capacity to withstand renewed sanctions while maintaining strategic influence in the region.

On the diplomatic front, the management of the Gaza crisis remains in flux as the White House’s proposed 21-point plan for Gaza and broader regional diplomacy circulates among regional actors. In public remarks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled openness to parts of a plan that envisions a multilateral framework for Gaza’s governance, deradicalization measures, and a staged withdrawal from parts of the territory, with a multinational force potentially replacing Israeli security roles at each step. The plan also contemplates a technocratic administration for Gaza under international oversight and a role for the Palestinian Authority contingent on reforms. Netanyahu also acknowledged in interviews that Israel could grant certain protections or safe passage to Hamas leaders who depart Gaza, a concession that has drawn both support and skepticism from regional partners. Another point of friction is the status and timing of Israeli withdrawal and the long-term security buffer Israel would retain, including a security corridor through key border areas.

In parallel, there has been a robust exchange of views among regional actors about how to shape a post-conflict order. Qatar has emerged as an influential interlocutor in the discussions, while Egypt has proposed phased arrangements and security arrangements under Arab command for any early multinational deployments. Gulf states have conditioned significant investments in a future Palestinian Authority framework on sweeping reforms—anti-corruption measures, deradicalization programs, and international oversight of funding and reconstruction. Israel stresses the need to preserve security and a sustained Israeli presence in critical corridors while neg

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Published on 1 month, 1 week ago