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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-10-23 at 13:07
HEADLINES
Israel blocks Turkish troops from Gaza postwar
Iran enrichment could yield ten nuclear weapons
Israel strikes Hezbollah targets in Lebanon
The time is now 9:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
Good morning. This is your hourly briefing on developments shaping the Middle East and related global responses.
Israel’s leadership reaffirmed its position on postwar Gaza governance, stating flatly that it will not permit Turkish troops to participate in any postwar security or reconstruction framework. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also signaled that the Palestinian Authority would not be invited to govern Gaza unless there are fundamental changes to the Palestinian political landscape and security arrangements. The stance underscores Israel’s priority of maintaining security control in Gaza while seeking assurances it can defend its border and civilian population from renewed threats.
On the broader political front, the United States continues to resist moves toward unilateral changes to the borders in the West Bank. Vice President JD Vance, speaking during a visit to the region, characterized a Knesset vote to advance West Bank sovereignty as a political stunt and said the United States would oppose any steps toward annexation. The comments reflect a persistent tension within Washington’s approach to Israeli settlement policy and Palestinian statehood discussions, even as Washington seeks to sustain a Gaza ceasefire and advance regional diplomacy. Separately, reporting from Washington-based outlets indicated discussions among the Trump administration and Israeli officials about a divided Gaza arrangement intended to constrain Hamas, while several Arab partners voicing concern about any steps that could be misconstrued as legitimizing occupation or reducing incentives for a broader peace process. The reporting highlights persistent disagreements over how to structure a long-term truce and whether it can be paired with durable, verifiable arrangements in the Palestinian territories.
In regional diplomacy, comments from a senior Israeli official and public statements by allied governments made clear that normalization talks with Saudi Arabia continue to hinge on a time-bound, irreversible pathway to a Palestinian state. Israeli ministers have pushed back against any linkage that would hold back normalization, while Riyadh has conditioned ties on credible progress toward a two-state framework. The domestic political calculus in Jerusalem remains delicate, as coalition partners push for hardline positions on security and sovereignty in ways that could complicate diplomacy with Washington and Riyadh.
Beneath the political chatter, security actions continued along multiple fronts. The Israeli military conducted air operations against targets in Lebanon tied to Hezbollah, including a training camp and a facility used for weapon production in the Bekaa region and northern Lebanon. The military described the targets as facilities used for terrorist training and logistics that threaten Israeli forces and civilians, and said the strikes were part of ongoing efforts to prevent any escalation on the northern border. Forces along the border have remained on high alert, reflecting the enduring risk of spillover from the Gaza conflict and Hezbollah’s involvement across Lebanon.
In parallel, the International Atomic Energy Agency head warned that Iran possesses enough enriched uranium to produce as many as ten nuclear weapons if further enrichment continues. The briefing cited approximately 400 kilograms of uranium at a high level of enrichment, underscoring concerns about Iran’s nuclear trajectory and the potential for accelerated capabilities should incentives or pressures shift strategic calculations in Tehran.
There were also notable developments in the West Bank. Israeli forces
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