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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-10-21 at 23:06
HEADLINES
- Gaza ceasefire anchored at Kiryat Gat hub
- British team backs US-led Gaza ceasefire coordination
- Sudan's al-Fashir drone siege drives exodus
The time is now 7:00 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
As of 7:00 PM, this is the hour’s concise update on events shaping the region and the broader international response, with attention to Israeli and Jewish perspectives for an international audience.
In Gaza, a multinational ceasefire framework is taking shape around a new command center in Kiryat Gat, Israel, where representatives from the United States, the United Kingdom, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates are coordinating efforts. Washington is driving the process, with Vice President Vance signaling determination and a plan that envisions dismantling Hamas’s offensive arsenal, including rockets and mortars, and handing over small arms. Discussions are advancing on establishing humanitarian zones in southern and northern Gaza and on reconstruction, with a first complex already being prepared for operation within about two months. Officials emphasize that rebuilding will occur only in areas under Israeli control, with rehabilitation in Hamas-run zones not part of the initial phase. Allied partners describe the process as deliberately phased, under security review, and dependent on adherence to terms.
Israelis and international partners remain focused on security guarantees. Israeli leadership has linked any renewal of violence to a tested readiness to defend civilians and critical infrastructure, underscoring that security imperatives will guide the pace and shape of any reconstruction or humanitarian access. After the ceasefire took effect, the IDF withdrew from roughly half of the Gaza Strip, while humanitarian aid resumed in response to United States requests. The new mechanism aims to accelerate aid distribution while ensuring appropriate oversight and risk management. Discussions with a broad set of partners continue on how best to deliver aid, demarcate safe zones, and coordinate humanitarian efforts with security needs.
Turkey’s potential role in the Gaza process has been discussed in the broader diplomacy surrounding the ceasefire. While Turkey may contribute humanitarian aid and assist in locating hostages and remains, there is broad consensus that it will not deploy military forces in Gaza. The United States has been clear about the limits of any multinational security footprint and emphasizes coordination through established channels.
In parallel, a small British contingent has joined the effort to oversee the Gaza ceasefire as part of a United States–led task force. The British team will work in a limited capacity, serving as a deputy to an American commander within a civil-military coordination center that also includes personnel from Egypt, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. London’s deployment reflects a careful balance between international involvement and the sensitivities of military engagement in a volatile environment.
On the diplomatic front, discussions continue among Israel, the United States, and other partners about the pace and scope of disarmament, the handover of weapons, and the creation of safe zones for civilian relief and reconstruction. American officials stress that any rebuilding will be confined to areas under Israeli control and will proceed in a stepwise fashion designed to reassure Israel’s security concerns while expanding humanitarian access. The broader goal remains to prevent a relapse into large-scale violence while stabilizing life for civilians caught in the crossfire.
Elsewhere in the region, there are ongoing humanitarian and security concerns outside Gaza. In Sudan, civilians in al-Fashir are reported to be cowering as drones plague the city, with the siege and hunger intensifying hardship. More than a million peo
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