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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-12-16 at 18:06
HEADLINES
ICC Rejects Netanyahu Gallant Warrant Appeal
Hamas Seeks Indirect Gaza Ceasefire Talks
Israel Grants Legal Status to 19 Settlements
The time is now 1:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
The ICC Appeals Chamber has rejected Israel’s appeal to overturn arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and the Prime Minister’s Office characterized the decision as further evidence that the process is political rather than judicial. The ruling keeps the warrants’ legal and diplomatic implications in focus as Israel weighs its next steps in how to respond to the court’s action.
In another development, Canadian Members of Parliament and Muslim delegates were denied entry to the West Bank, where they had planned meetings with Palestinian Authority officials, Palestinian refugees, and advocates representing Jewish, Muslim, and Christian communities. Israeli authorities cited security considerations for the denial.
The British Foreign Office has published an updated travel advisory for Lebanon, marking certain Shiite-dominated areas in southern Lebanon, the Al Baqa area, and the Dahiyah of Beirut in red as forbidden to visit; orange zones are deemed for essential travel only. The update underscores ongoing regional security concerns for travelers in the area.
Hamas is seeking a new round of indirect negotiations with Israel on a Gaza ceasefire, expressing dissatisfaction with US statements on the killing of Hamas’s No. 2 Raad Saad and what it views as ceasefire violations, while signaling it believes international pressure can push Israel to the next phase of the agreement.
A new Czech foreign minister has announced plans to move the embassy to Jerusalem in a gesture of solidarity with Israel and the Jewish community, a move that aligns with previous shifts in diplomatic posture by some European states.
In Vienna, the host broadcaster for Eurovision says it will not ban Palestinian flags in the audience or drown out boos during Israel’s performance, marking a shift in approach to crowd dynamics at the contest. The 70th edition will feature 35 entries, the smallest field since the format expanded in 2004.
In New York, the NYPD is investigating an assault on Hasidic Jews on a subway car, with no injuries reported and no arrests announced so far. The incident has drawn remarks from US officials, including a commitment from the Civil Rights Division to review the case for potential bias.
The Israel Defense Forces have decided not to pursue criminal charges against reserve Colonel Yoav Yarom for the Lebanon incident in which a Golani soldier and a civilian researcher were killed, accepting his claim that the operation was conducted for operational purposes. Families of the victims expressed disappointment and concern over the decision.
Israel has moved to grant legal status to 19 West Bank settlements, including two sites evacuated in 2005, a step aimed at consolidating planning and development in the occupied area despite ongoing international debate and Palestinian concerns.
Gaza’s winter weather has brought renewed rainfall and flooding to a territory already scarred by conflict. The health ministry in the Hamas-ruled enclave says at least one infant died from hypothermia amid cold and flooded conditions, as aid deliveries remain strained and shelter needs remain acute for hundreds of thousands of residents.
The Times of Israel reports that Israeli prisons are under strain as detainees convicted of security offenses express despair over the absence of hostage releases, with a prisoner population totaling about 22,573, including 9,230 security detainees and 13,343 criminal prisoners, and ongoing concerns about overcrowding and living conditions in the facilities.
International aid ag
Published on 11 hours ago