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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-10-31 at 03:06
HEADLINES
US Restarts Nuclear Testing Sparks Global Alarm
Cairo Opens Grand Egyptian Museum $1B Jewel
Merav Daniel Waits for Word on Oz
The time is now 11:00 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
Tonight’s update: as night falls, a mix of conflict, diplomacy, and domestic pressures shapes the region and the broader international outlook.
President Trump has announced to the press that he has ordered the US military to restart the testing process for nuclear weapons, ending a long pause of more than three decades. The report, drawn from the New York Times, notes that the last nuclear test by any nation occurred in 2017, by North Korea, while Russia and China have not conducted nuclear detonations for decades, though Moscow recently said it conducted tests of two advanced weapons that did not involve a nuclear explosion. Washington’s move, if implemented, would mark a significant shift in allied and strategic calculations and could affect US deterrence posture, alliance commitments, and regional stability. Officials have stressed that no tests occur without a formal decision chain and a broader policy review, but the announcement has already drawn attention from partners and critics across the globe who warn of the risks of a renewed arms race.
In Egypt, the Grand Egyptian Museum is set to open with ceremonial fanfare in Cairo, a project described as the jewel in ongoing efforts to revitalize tourism and cultural life. The museum, perched with a panoramic view of the Giza plateau, is housing thousands of artifacts spanning more than five millennia and represents a landmark investment, exceeding $1 billion. Officials expect it to draw millions of visitors annually and to become a focal point for a country seeking to broaden its cultural and economic appeal beyond the immediacy of regional conflict.
On the regional security front, Israel continues to balance war-time imperatives with the civilian cost of conflict. The Israeli government is also weighing Lebanon-related security considerations as its cabinet completes a session and turns to the front on the Lebanese issue. In the broader frame, Israel maintains its stated policy of minimizing civilian harm while targeting threats tied to Hamas and other militants, a challenge that remains central to US-Israel security discussions and to international assessments of accountability during the Gaza campaign.
A high-profile human story accompanies the news: Merav Daniel, the mother of fallen IDF soldier Oz Daniel, describes a prolonged and anxious wait for word on her son’s fate, underscoring the human cost borne by families during ongoing hostilities. The personal toll of the conflict is a constant reminder of why strategic calculations and humanitarian considerations remain interlinked in this period of heightened tension.
In the energy sector, a dispute over a major gas export deal has produced a rare public friction between Israel and the United States. Israel’s Energy Minister reported that the US counterpart canceled a planned six-day visit after Jerusalem’s refusal to sign off on a large gas export agreement with Egypt, a deal initially announced after Leviathan began supplying gas to Cairo. Israel’s position is that export terms must preserve attractive prices for the Israeli domestic market, even as the project is expected to generate hundreds of millions of shekels in state revenue. The episode highlights the fragility and complexity of security and economic interests intertwined with regional diplomacy and US policy aims.
Turning to accountability and human rights, a United Nations fact-finding mission released findings on Iran’s internal repression, documenting a deterioration of civil space marked by mass arrests—more than 21,000 people—ethnic and religious persecution, and a sharp rise in executions well into 2025. The repo
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