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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-10-19 at 07:07
HEADLINES
US-backed Gaza plan splits governance rebuilds security
Two Israeli soldiers wounded in Tubas
Israel moves to split attorney general role
The time is now 3:00 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
This is the hourly update from the Israeli and Palestinian front, as the war and its wider diplomatic fallout continue to unfold. At 3:00 a.m. local time, the situation remains volatile, with significant developments in Gaza, the West Bank, and on the diplomatic stage in Washington and allied capitals.
In Gaza, a framework is taking shape around a US-backed plan to rebuild the territory and curb Hamas’s rule, even as fighting continues and questions persist about feasibility and security. A stream of senior US officials is en route to Israel to help prevent the plan’s next phase from stalling. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to arrive to mediate questions surrounding remains of Israeli hostages, and Vice President-elect JD Vance is also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Netanyahu to discuss a possible interim arrangement that would divide governance in Gaza into two zones until Hamas relinquishes control. Israeli officials say the aim is to create a pathway for reconstruction while maintaining tight security controls and ensuring that weapons and military infrastructure are not reestablished in the territory. The plan contemplates a phased revival of civil administration in selected areas, with major reconstruction financed by regional partners; the details remain contested among regional actors and at the bargaining table.
On the ground in Gaza, Hamas signaled it would resist external pressure while signaling engagement with the broader terms of any agreement. The group has publicly rejected accusations from the United States that it is violating a ceasefire, even as US officials warned of credible reports that Hamas planned an attack against Palestinian civilians in Gaza—a move that would constitute a grave breach of the ceasefire. In related developments, Hamas has indicated it is delaying the handling of some hostage remains, a tactic some Israeli officials say is designed to maximize leverage for external mediation efforts, including involvement by Turkish experts into Gaza’s reconstruction phase.
In Israel, authorities are continuing their response to hostilities and to security threats. Ronen Engel, a 54-year-old father of three and member of his kibbutz’s emergency response team, was identified as a slain hostage from the October 7 attack, after he gave his life fighting Hamas militants who had struck his community. His death underscores the ongoing toll of the conflict and the fragile nature of security along Israel’s periphery.
In Washington’s diplomacy and at the strategic level, discussions around Gaza’s future include debates over security guarantees, the disarmament of Hamas, and the governance arrangement in the enclave as reconstruction proceeds. An adjacent line of discussion concerns regional dynamics: Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Gulf partners weigh their influence over reconstruction plans and the terms of any transitional administration. Israel’s leadership has signaled that opening crossings, restoring essential services, and rebuilding infrastructure will be contingent on Hamas’s concrete steps toward disarmament and the return of hostages or remains, with the Rafah crossing remaining closed until further notice.
In the West Bank, violence and military activity continue to shape daily life and risk. Two Israeli soldiers were moderately wounded by an explosive device hurled at them during an operation in the town of Tubas. The Israeli Defense Forces said the incident occurred during offensive activity, and the assailant fled. In response, the IDF deployed additional troops to Tubas and established earth barriers at the town’s entrances. Separ
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