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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-10-20 at 15:08
HEADLINES
Herzog demands unity as Knesset opens budget
Gaza eyes technocratic administration under ceasefire
Iran sharpens deterrent rebuilds axis of resistance
The time is now 11:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
The opening of the Knesset’s winter session was marked by sharp exchanges over the proper tone of civic discourse and the responsibilities of leadership. The session began with a clash when the speaker declined to read a reference to a Supreme Court president by name, prompting a stormy response in the plenum. President Isaac Herzog addressed lawmakers, saying, “I will not accept basic disrespect,” and urging a return to unity as the chamber begins a period of urgent fiscal and security decisions. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled that the government intends to push forward with the 2026 budget in the near term, underscoring the unfinished business of state finances amid an environment of ongoing regional tensions.
In Gaza, the ceasefire framework remains fragile but in effect for now, with mediators pressing to advance the second phase of the agreement. Hamas’ armed wing announced it would hand over the remains of a hostage recovered in Gaza at 1700 GMT on Monday, a transfer conditional on ground realities and the broader ceasefire dynamic. Israel and the mediators have stressed the importance of moving forward with a transition of governance in Gaza—a technocratic administration that would operate independently of Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, a construct designed to keep humanitarian relief flowing while curtailing militant influence. In parallel, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner arrived in Israel for talks aimed at sustaining the ceasefire, with Vice President JD Vance planning to visit as well. Washington has framed this trip as part of a broader effort to maintain momentum, while mediators in Cairo and Doha continue discussions with Hamas, Egypt, and Qatar about the ceasefire’s second phase and a possible intra-Palestinian dialogue to unify Palestinian leadership.
Egypt has been positioned to lead a multinational stabilization effort in Gaza, with reports that a force of about 4,000 troops drawn from Egypt, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Indonesia could play a coordinating role under a United Nations mandate. Israeli officials and other regional actors have cautioned that foreign forces would need a clearly defined mandate and a pathway for Palestinian self-governance to avoid dependency or alienation of the Gaza population. Cairo has signaled a preference for a Security Council resolution to authorize such a multinational presence, while continuing to argue that any security framework must still enable Gaza’s own administrative capacity and prevent a power vacuum that could feed renewed violence. The discussions surround the contours of a transitional administration that would oversee Gaza during a presumably longer-term peace arrangement, with the second phase of the ceasefire envisaged to include disarmament and broader political arrangements.
On the security front, the regional dynamics remain deeply intertwined with Tehran’s strategic calculus. Iran’s leadership has signaled it intends to rebuild its deterrent and expand its influence around Israel, a move that many observers view as an attempt to preserve leverage after the Gaza war and to respond to international pressure. A series of assessments and public statements describe efforts to extend missile reach, including tests that Iranian officials and lawmakers describe as advancing capabilities beyond previous limits. There is emphasis within Iran on preserving the Axis of Resistance, including renewed ties with Hezbollah and allied networks across Syria and Lebanon. Iranian officials have warned against any return to negotiations with the United States while stressing that any future talks
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