Podcast Episode Details

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-10-18 at 23:07

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HEADLINES
Board of Peace to Govern Gaza Transition
Families Demand All Hostages Returned
Antisemitism Backlash Tangles Britain Israel Debate

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, as the Gaza ceasefire faces renewed scrutiny, a wide range of developments across the region underscore the fragility of a political and humanitarian arrangement that remains essential to civilian protection and regional stability.

Across Europe, a dispute over antisemitic rhetoric and anti-Israel activism continues to surface. In Britain, groups linked to anti-Israel campaigning voiced support for a London protest chant that urged violence against Jews, days after an Oxford student was arrested for inciting racial hatred at a rally. The episode highlights ongoing tensions between free expression, anti-racist safeguards, and concerns about anti-Israel sentiment spilling into social and political life in European capitals.

In Washington, the State Department reiterated that Hamas would violate the ceasefire if it proceeds with a planned attack on Gaza’s civilians. Officials warned that such a move would trigger measures to protect Gazan civilians and preserve the ceasefire’s integrity, signaling that the United States and its regional partners view any escalation as a direct risk to the framework that has been brokered to restrain violence.

Moments of human consequence continue to reverberate in Gaza and Israel as families of hostages press for a comprehensive return. The release of two hostage families’ statements and renewed appeals from relatives reflect the ongoing emotional toll of captivity. In recent days, two living hostages have returned to Israel along with twelve deceased, with sixteen bodies still held by Hamas. Within Israel, families have taken to public forums to insist that all hostages, living and deceased, be accounted for and returned according to the terms that were negotiated, stressing that the struggle on behalf of every captive remains a national and moral imperative.

Significant humanitarian and diplomatic steps have intersected with military actions. Israel has received bodies of two deceased hostages through the Red Cross, with formal identification underway at the national forensic institute. The transfer marked another moment in the fragile exchange dynamics that continues to govern the treatment of remains and the pace of the overall prisoner exchange process. Concurrently, Israeli security forces and the Shin Bet report ongoing operations to prevent attacks and to respond to threats emerging from the Gaza vicinity and the West Bank, including incidents in Tubas where an assailant threw a grenade at troops during a combat action, wounding two soldiers moderately before they were evacuated for treatment.

The broader international configuration around Gaza is shifting as well. Egypt is anticipated to take a leading role in a multinational stabilization force intended to secure Gaza during the transition period after the end of active conflict with Hamas. The Guardian reported that a UN Security Council motion is being prepared to authorize the stabilization mission under a UN mandate, while avoiding designation as a traditional UN peacekeeping operation. In addition to Egypt’s potential leadership, Azerbaijan has been cited as a contributor, with Indonesia publicly offering 20,000 troops under a UN-mandated peacekeeping framework. Turkish involvement has circulated in discussions at high levels, though questions remain about the feasibility of Turkish participation given current regional tensions. Gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, are not expected to deploy combat troops but may offer funding, training, or other forms of support. The evolving structure, dubbed by some as a “board of peace,” envisions a governance framework for Gaza d

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Published on 2 weeks, 4 days ago