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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-10-26 at 20:07
HEADLINES
Joy as five ex-hostages discharged
Hamas taps Amjad Shawa for Gaza board
Syria pushes for Golan Heights sovereignty
The time is now 4:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
This is the four o’clock update on events in Israel, Gaza, the region, and the broader international context.
Five Israeli hostages abducted on October 7, 2023 were celebrated publicly today as five people discharged from Beilinson hospital and released to outpatient rehabilitation. The individuals—Evyatar David, Segev Kalfon, Bar Kuperstein, Gilboa-Dalal, and Eitan Mor—were among the last group of living hostages freed in the Gaza ceasefire agreement brokered with international mediation. Mor, Kalfon, and Kuperstein have already appeared in public homecomings in southern and central Israel, rejoining families and communities amid scenes of national solidarity. Beilinson said the discharged ex-hostages will continue support services in its returned-hostages unit as they progress with rehabilitation. The still-unreturned remains of several hostages in Gaza, including a soldier killed in 2014, underscore the ongoing human dimensions of the war.
Across Israel and the West Bank, crowds gathered to celebrate the homecomings or to greet the freed with flags, prayers, and public expressions of relief. In Dimona, Dimona’s residents welcomed Segev Kalfon as he returned to his hometown; in Bnei Brak, Bar Kuperstein was received with communal warmth and expressions of gratitude for the security forces and the families of the missing. In Kfar Saba, Evyatar David arrived to cheering streets and the presence of police helping to coordinate the welcome. In the Gush Etzion area, Eitan Mor appeared before neighbors and friends who praised the security forces and the support networks that sustained the families during captivity. The scenes reflected a national feeling that remains deeply intertwined with security concerns and the enduring danger posed by the conflict.
On the diplomatic front, Hamas has named Amjad Shawa to head a new Gaza board, a move that was described by station reports as contingent on US approval. The development comes as Hamas and allied actors seek to organize governance structures in Gaza that could influence the pace and terms of any future ceasefire arrangements, while Washington continues to emphasize conditions linked to the Gaza ceasefire and the release of hostages.
Syria has intensified its diplomatic push to recover the Golan Heights, seeking international recognition of Syrian sovereignty and its return to Damascus’ control. The campaign, backed by Turkey and several Arab states, challenges ongoing security negotiations with Israel. Israel maintains its claim of full sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a position rooted in 1981 laws and prior recognition by certain international actors, while noting that security considerations require a continued Israeli military presence in the territory. In a UN Security Council context, Syria’s envoy Ibrahim Olabi urged decisive action to end what he called Israeli aggression and to withdraw from the Golan and surrounding areas; four other Security Council members joined the appeal in a letter arguing the occupation threatens Syria’s stability. Israeli officials insisted there is no concession to be made on territorial sovereignty, tying any future reconstruction to the regime’s willingness to recognize Israel’s security needs and sovereignty.
In related security news, Israeli authorities have withdrawn from a hostage-search zone amid mediating pressure and concern about a renewed clash with Hamas. The step reflects the delicate balance Israel seeks to maintain between recovering bodies and ensuring the safety of its forces amid ongoing mediation efforts.
On the security frontier, Israeli prosecutors announced charges against three Turkish citi
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