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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-10-25 at 09:06
HEADLINES
- US-Led Gaza Relief Hub Expands Coalition
- Hamas Tunnels 60% Intact Near Yellow Line
- Hamas Forms Independent Postwar Gaza Technocratic Committee
The time is now 5:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
Good morning. This is the five o’clock update on developments in Israel, Gaza, and the wider Middle East as the ceasefire enters a careful, monitored phase and international partners broaden their role.
First, the United States has expanded its coordination in Gaza through a Civil-Military Coordination Center established in southern Israel. The center is designed to synchronize humanitarian relief, logistics, and security assistance for Gaza, and it is backed by a growing coalition that includes Britain, Germany, Denmark, Canada, Australia, France, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates, among others. American personnel are on site to help provide an independent view of ground conditions and to facilitate the flow of aid through international channels. Surveillance aircraft are now overflying Gaza with Israel’s consent to monitor ceasefire compliance and humanitarian movements, while officials emphasize that this arrangement is meant to support stabilization without a direct military presence inside Gaza.
Turning to Gaza, Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said that about sixty percent of Hamas’s tunnel network remains intact. He noted that a portion of these tunnels lies near the Yellow Line, the boundary from which Israeli forces withdrew at the outset of the ceasefire. Israeli officials stress that the destruction of Hamas’s underground infrastructure remains a central objective, alongside efforts to restore civil order in Gaza after more than two years of conflict. Israeli authorities have previously estimated that roughly a quarter of the tunnels have been eliminated since fighting began, with the balance posing ongoing security considerations for the region.
On the Palestinian side, Hamas and allied factions issued a joint statement signaling the formation of an independent technocratic committee to govern postwar Gaza. The announcement outlines a plan for administrative leadership, but observers caution that such a body would operate within the bounds of Hamas’s security and political influence. US officials, including Secretary of State, have reiterated that Hamas cannot participate in governing Gaza in the future, a position shared by partners aligned with the framework for Gaza’s reconstruction and governance that accompanied the ceasefire agreement. Analysts emphasize that the actual effect of any such committee would depend on how it is empowered and who ultimately controls security and policy in the aftermath of conflict.
International reaction to the mediation effort remains varied. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva criticized multilateral institutions, arguing they have “stopped working” and labeling the Gaza crisis a genocide, as he prepared to engage with Donald Trump on the sidelines of regional diplomacy. His remarks reflect tensions within the broader international community over approaches to Gaza and the roles of global organizations in conflict resolution.
In Washington, officials have stressed that the ceasefire framework is not a one-size-fits-all solution. The Civil-Military Coordination Center is intended to coordinate relief and stabilization efforts and to facilitate the possible deployment of future support, should countries decide to participate in a postwar stabilizing mission. While American authorities stress that US personnel will not operate inside Gaza, the coordination hub is seen as a bridge between humanitarian needs and security realities on the ground, with an emphasis on preserving access for civilians and ensuring aid delivery remains unhindered.
Jordan’s government confirmed that it has not dispatched groun
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