Podcast Episode Details

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-10-18 at 22:05

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HEADLINES
UN Gaza Stabilization Gains Ground; Egypt Leads
Hostages Return; Families Demand Full Release
UAE Buys Land for Permanent Israeli Embassy

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 the 6:00 PM update. The focus remains on the war’s aftermath, the effort to stabilize Gaza, and the ongoing effort to bring hostages and missing people home, all set against a broader regional and international backdrop.

A multinational effort to stabilize Gaza appears to be taking shape under a UN-backed framework. Egypt is anticipated to lead the stabilization force, with Azerbaijan reportedly ready to contribute troops and Indonesia publicly offering as many as 20,000 personnel under a UN-mandated mission. Other partners are in various stages of consultation, with Turkish interest noted in some discussions, while United Arab Emirates and Qatar are not described as contributing troops but could support the effort with funding or training. In Washington, the United States is coordinating with European allies to advance a UN Security Council motion that would authorize a stabilization mission and govern its mandate, while offering a structure that would not be strictly a UN peacekeeping operation. The broader plan envisions a transitional governance framework that would hand over security and civil administration away from Hamas, with a role for Palestinian representatives and international oversight. A separate, parallel line of discussion centers on a Gaza governance blueprint known in advocacy circles as a transitional authority, sometimes described in sources as a board of peace, designed to coordinate with the Palestinian Authority while safeguarding international involvement and oversight. While Israel has shown openness in discussions, officials continue to emphasize that any new governance arrangement must prevent a return to Hamas control and must advance security guarantees, including disarmament and the prevention of militant activity across Gaza’s perimeter.

On the battlefield and in diplomacy, the Israeli government continues to stress security concerns and the need to ensure that any postwar framework preserves Israel’s border security, civilian protection, and the ability to respond to any future threat. Israel has also signaled that it will determine access points and timing for humanitarian operations based on security assessments and Hamas’s compliance with its commitments under the ceasefire and any future framework. The Rafah crossing remains closed for now, with reopening conditioned on Hamas’s performance and the broader framework’s implementation. Mediators and allied governments say restricting passage at Rafah complicates rescue and recovery operations, but Israeli and allied officials insist that security constraints must guide such decisions.

In parallel, hostages and the missing remain at the center of public attention in Israel. The latest rounds of releases have included the return of living hostages and the transfer of bodies of deceased hostages to Israeli authorities. Reports describe two more deceased hostages’ remains arriving in Israel via Red Cross channels, part of ongoing ceasefire exchange mechanisms. To date, reports indicate that a significant number of hostages have been released or identified, while a substantial group—numerical estimates vary by source—continues to be held by Hamas. Families of the hostages have gathered in Tel Aviv to reiterate their demand for the full return of all captives and to urge mediators and the government to uphold the terms of the agreement and to intensify efforts to recover every hostage and each remains. Survivors and relatives have described ongoing emotional and logistical consequences as the country waits for complete separation from the wartime period and a path to national reconciliation.

On the domestic fro

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Published on 2 weeks, 4 days ago