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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-10-27 at 16:05
HEADLINES
IDF crushes Hamas tunnels in northern Gaza
Netanyahu frames postwar Gaza, force debate erupts
Smotrich blasts Saudi over normalization push
The time is now 12:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
At twelve noon, this is your hour-by-hour update on the Middle East and related security developments.
In Israel, a new initiative has begun in which reserve soldiers who play in the national soccer league swapped boots for cleats, with the Israel Football Association’s chief executive thanking the reservists and calling the program a privilege to give back to those who have given so much for the country.
Analysts are weighing how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has framed the postwar security outlook for Gaza. Some observers say the language and timing of this framing have constrained momentum, while others argue that a viable international force could still help stabilize Gaza, though agreement on leadership, rules of engagement, and mission scope remains unsettled.
In a separate political exchange, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich renewed criticism of Saudi Arabia, saying Riyadh has denied Israeli tradition and heritage and questioning the implications for regional normalization. The remarks reflect ongoing friction over regional alignment and its implications for Israel’s security calculus.
On the ground in Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces’ 99th Division completed its northern Gaza operations, reportedly destroying more than a kilometer of Hamas tunnels. The division’s work is described as a significant component of efforts to degrade Hamas’s subterranean network and reduce cross-border threats.
Hamas has claimed it began excavating remains of seven to nine hostages slain in Gaza, according to sources familiar with the matter. Israel continues to hold 13 of the 251 people abducted on October 7, 2023, and negotiations over the fate of those missing have shaped the terms of the ceasefire and subsequent discussions.
Civilian violence in Israel’s interior remains a concern. A 17-year-old boy was fatally stabbed by a classmate at a school in the Arab city of Kafr Qara; a 16-year-old suspect was detained, and an 18-year-old was shot hours earlier in the lower Galilee. The Times of Israel notes that violence tied to long-standing tensions in Arab communities has persisted for years, with 211 Arab Israelis killed in violent crime in 2025 so far.
In the south, Defense Minister Israel Katz announced the end of the emergency special security regime that had constrained gatherings near the Gaza border. The Home Front Command will lift the last remaining restrictions as part of a broader assessment that the security situation has changed in the wake of the ceasefire.
Diplomacy and security funding continue to intertwine with donor policy. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused the Palestinian Authority of continuing salary payments to terrorists despite donor conditions, and he criticized the European Union for rewarding what he described as a terror state by supporting the PA. He noted that Israeli tax revenues fund a substantial portion of these payments and urged accountability measures to be applied by European partners. The dispute ties into broader discussions about the Trump administration’s proposed framework for Palestinian governance and conditions tied to international assistance.
Hungary has emerged as a notable interlocutor in Israel’s diplomacy, hosting discussions with Israeli leaders and sending a large business delegation to reinforce ties. The broader lines of criticism of European policies continue to influence Israel’s diplomacy and security calculations.
In a separate regional development, a Swedish defense contractor, Saab, signed a letter of intent to supply up to 150 Gripen fighters to Ukraine, with plans to estab
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