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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-10-17 at 22:05
HEADLINES
- Ceasefire holds as hostage handover advances
- Gaza rebuilding costs rise to seventy billion
- Louisiana indicts Hamas operative over Oct 7
The time is now 6:00 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
This is your hourly update on the Middle East, with emphasis on Israeli security concerns and the broader international dimensions shaping the crisis.
The ceasefire in Gaza remains in effect as negotiators press forward with the first phase of a 20-point plan intended to end the war. Mediators from the Red Cross reported the handover of a coffin containing an Israeli hostage’s remains to Israeli authorities for transfer to the mainland for identification and forensic processing. Hamas, for its part, said it had located another fallen hostage in Gaza, a claim that will be evaluated as the handover process continues. As of Friday evening, officials say 19 Israeli captives remain in Gaza, with the broader framework of the deal aiming to secure their return in stages alongside the release of Palestinian prisoners.
On the ground in Gaza, the humanitarian and security situation remains precarious. In the wake of the ceasefire, thousands of worshippers gathered for mass prayers at mosques damaged or partially intact across the Strip, underscoring a complex return to normal life in a landscape still defined by displacement and destruction. The Gaza health ministry, run by Hamas, has reported a toll well over 67,000 dead since the conflict began, a figure reflecting civilians and combatants within the Strip. Israeli officials dispute that count, placing the number of combatants killed at more than 22,000, with a substantial number of terrorists killed inside Israel. Officials caution that civilian-to-combatant ratios remain a central point of contention in assessments of the war’s impact.
Israel’s security posture remains tightly focused on the threat landscape and the ongoing effort to separate military targets from civilian areas. The Israeli military reports continuing operations against militants emerging from tunnels and other launch points along the Gaza border, consistent with the terms of the ceasefire and the need to prevent renewed hostilities. In parallel, internal security considerations remain high as senior Hamas figures who survived the war reassert influence behind the scenes. Analysts note that while violence has diminished in open combat zones, the organizational resilience of Hamas’s security and political machinery is designed to sustain control should hostilities resume. The day after the war’s principal fighting, questions persist about who will lead Gaza’s governance and how external forces might shape the postwar order.
In broader international diplomacy, Europe is intensifying its push to safeguard regional stability and the prospect of a Palestinian state. The European External Action Service is proposing new diplomatic channels to pressure Washington to ensure that any ceasefire framework does not undermine the viability of a Palestinian state led by the Palestinian Authority. Separately, reconstruction plans for Gaza remain a cornerstone of international consideration. The World Bank, in cooperation with the United Nations and the European Union, has been revising its cost estimates for Gaza’s rebuilding needs, with an interim figure rising to around 70 billion dollars after earlier projections exceeding 50 billion. Those figures underscore the scale of the challenge facing a postconflict environment, as international donors weigh conditions and governance requirements.
Within Israel, debate continues over how to frame the conflict’s name and legacy. A cabinet discussion is underway about renaming the Gaza war to “War of Revival,” a move critics say could be aimed at reframing accountability for the events of October 7 and shifting emphasis away from prewar warnin
Published on 2 weeks, 5 days ago