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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-10-15 at 18:05
HEADLINES
Syrian official says Cohen exchange talks continue
Yemen under Houthis: prisons and forced recruitment
Aid expansion urged as Gaza ceasefire holds
The time is now 2:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
A senior Syrian official has rejected claims that Israeli spy Eli Cohen’s remains will be returned imminently, while confirming that negotiations with Israel are continuing. The official said no agreement has been reached, even as discussions persist, underscoring the sensitivity of the issue decades after Cohen’s espionage work helped shape regional dynamics.
In Yemen, residents describe life under the Iran-backed Houthi movement as tightly controlled and coercive, with reports of prisons, a personality cult, and diverted aid contributing to hardship. The Houthis have drawn international attention for their attacks on Israel, but humanitarian conditions inside Yemen remain severe, with accounts of starvation and forced recruitment of minors signaling the breadth of the conflict’s human toll.
Turning to Gaza, relief officials warn of a dire humanitarian need even as a ceasefire holds. The United Nations relief chief has called for a substantial expansion of emergency aid, and current arrangements allow some movement of aid into the blockaded territory—about 600 trucks have been cleared to enter under the current US-brokered truce. The aim is to prevent a renewed collapse of humanitarian services while political negotiations continue.
Back in Israel, a major legal development was announced: the High Court has ruled that a state inquiry into the October 7 attacks must be established within 30 days, with the panel empowered to conduct a broad investigation into security decisions and responses. In political and health news, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a scheduled trial appearance after being diagnosed with bronchitis; a hospital later stated the prime minister is not infectious.
Britain’s political debate also touches the Middle East. Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition, has said that Britain’s recognition of a Palestinian state played a role in securing the Gaza ceasefire, a claim that has drawn sharp rebuttals from US officials and some political opponents who caution about implications for broader peace efforts.
In the hostage-recovery narrative, Hamas has signaled another development: the group announced it would deliver two fallen hostages at 22:00, a claim that is being monitored for independent verification. Israeli officials have continued to emphasize that the safety and swift return of all hostages remains a national priority. The Israeli military reported a high-level meeting at Ichilov Hospital between Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir and returning captives Matan Angrest and Itai Horen, with Zamir reiterating that the security concerns of the hostages’ families remain central to government and military planning.
On the policy front from Washington, CENTCOM urged Hamas to end violence against Gazans and to stand down, calling on the group to disarm without delay and to align with a path toward peace outlined in the Trump-era framework. CENTCOM characterized the moment as a potentially historic opportunity for peace if Hamas chooses compliance.
In other security reporting, Israel’s defense establishment said it foiled additional settlement activity near the Syrian border in the Golan Heights, with security forces stopping a group attempting to cross the border under cover of a demonstration. Critics in border communities have argued that ongoing negotiations with Hamas and other comings and goings in the region send mixed signals about security and deterrence.
A controversial operational detail has drawn attention from observers abroad: reports that during the fighting, Israeli security forces deployed a larg
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