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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-10-23 at 18:07
HEADLINES
Aid deliveries far below promised Gaza crisis
US weighs Gaza force to oversee disarmament
Gaza demining could take decades
The time is now 2:00 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
This is your hourly news update at 2:00 PM. The day’s reporting centers on the fragile dynamic in Gaza and the broader security and political considerations shaping Israel’s policy posture, alongside significant developments in Washington and regional diplomacy.
In Gaza, the ceasefire remains in place but the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate for many residents. Aid groups warn that food supplies are not meeting the needs of the population, and access remains hampered by continuing restrictions and registration hurdles. The UN and major humanitarian networks say daily aid deliveries are far below the promised target of 600 trucks, with preliminary UN data showing an average of roughly 94 trucks or about one thousand tonnes per day entering Gaza since the ceasefire began, far short of what was pledged. Health officials report that hospitals in Gaza are severely strained, with many facilities not functioning at full capacity and critical shortages of medicines and equipment persisting. The World Health Organization has underscored that rebuilding the Gaza health system will require billions of dollars, highlighting the scale of the challenge even as aid flows slowly increase through the crossings that remain open.
On the military front, the Israeli Defense Forces say it acted to neutralize threats that crossed back over the ceasefire line. A drone strike attributed to Israeli forces killed a Hamas operative in southern Gaza who had crossed the Yellow Line in what the army described as an imminent threat to troops. Palestinian sources report a death from the strike, underscoring the continued volatility near the ceasefire boundary as operations against remaining militants unfold.
Turning to the issue of demining and ordnance, aid and security workers describe a vast and long-term task. An official with Humanity & Inclusion says the surface clearance of unexploded ordnance in Gaza could take 20 to 30 years, given the scale of war remnants amid hospitals, bakeries, and essential infrastructure. Aid groups caution that Israeli permissions affect what work can begin and what equipment can be brought in, complicating the pace of clearance and mitigation. The risk of misuse of ordnance continues to shape international discussions about how to proceed with demining and destruction of dangerous material, with authorities seeking to ensure that relief efforts do not become a conduit for illicit activity or weaponization.
In the political and security calculus, discussions in Washington remain focused on preserving a Gaza ceasefire framework as a foundation for broader stability. US officials and lawmakers are pressing for assurances that any reconstruction or security arrangements will be conditioned on Hamas disarmament and the return of missing and captured Israeli hostages. A newly active element in the US effort involves the potential deployment of a Gaza force to oversee Hamas disarmament, security of the ceasefire, and the recovery of hostages remains, a component of ongoing negotiations and policy planning. The arrival of senior US figures on the ground signals that the alliance intends to sustain pressure on all sides to adhere to the terms of a negotiated settlement, even as disagreements over the sequencing and scope of reconstruction persist.
In parallel, Israeli and regional diplomacy continues to evolve. Washington has signaled a tightening of expectations around Gaza’s future and the conditions that would allow broader stability in the region. In Israel, Prime Minister Netanyahu is navigating internal political dynamics while facing international and domestic pressures about how to pro
Published on 1 week, 5 days ago