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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-12-31 at 09:09
HEADLINES
- Israel suspends Gaza NGO licenses
- Reza Pahlavi calls nationwide strike in Iran
- Netanyahu ties Gaza plan to Hamas disarmament
The time is now 4:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
This is the hourly briefing on regional and related developments in the Middle East and beyond.
In Israel, the High Court has ordered the state comptroller to suspend his probes into the October 7 failures while lawmakers push to establish a parliamentary commission of inquiry. The court action aligns with a broader domestic debate over how best to review and address the events of that day, with officials signaling forthcoming inquiries and countervailing oversight.
In Iran, protests have entered a fourth day, with authorities reporting security operations and demonstrators pressing for broader political change. A message attributed to Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi urged a nationwide strike and described the street protests as a spark for a national movement. Activists report continued demonstrations across major cities, with authorities intensifying security measures and messaging to quell dissent.
Israel announced it will suspend licenses for dozens of international non-governmental organizations operating in Gaza, beginning January 1, 2026, after reviews found gaps in security and transparency and linked some staff to terrorist groups. Groups affected must cease operations by March 1 or pursue appeals. The move follows scrutiny of humanitarian organizations in the area and comes as authorities said past assessments raised concerns about potential inadvertent support for terrorism. Separately, MSF said it did not cooperate with a government-required registration process and declined to provide Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Ministry with a list of its employees, a prerequisite cited by the government for registration.
On the regional leadership front, reports from Beirut’s Al-Akhbar and other outlets described attempts within Hamas to appoint a long-term head of the political bureau, with Mohammed Darwish’s candidacy reportedly blocked in a bid to avoid a power struggle between rivals. The organization is described as preparing for leadership decisions in the near term, with names such as Khaled Meshaal and Khalil al-Hayya among those discussed. The reporting underscores the internal dynamics Hamas faces as it seeks to navigate leadership transitions and strategic direction.
In domestic security news, two residents of Givat Shmuel, aged 21 and 46, were detained on suspicion of breaking into a car in Or Yehuda and stealing nearly 30,000 shekels plus tefillin. Police recovered cash, mobile devices, and the vehicle used in the alleged theft. Separately, authorities reported a spate of arson in Lehavim, with five vehicles set ablaze at a parking lot. Police described the act as potentially retaliatory in response to a police operation in the Bedouin community of Tarabin and warned of tougher measures moving forward, calling for Shin Bet involvement as needed.
Security coordination and aerial activity have continued in the West Bank and surrounding areas. A routine air maneuver by a Black Hawk helicopter in the Karnei Shomron corridor was described as part of ongoing security and readiness activities, alongside heightened airspace and force posture in anticipation of high-ranking government visits in the coming weeks. Security officials stressed that civilian life would be maintained wherever possible.
In a separate domestic matter, the judiciary’s stance on ongoing policy scrutiny was clarified with Bagatz freezing parts of the inquiry into policy and strategic questions linked to the October 7 disaster, reflecting the sensitivity and breadth of issues that require broad oversight beyond singular incidents.
On the Israel-Gaza front, Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated in
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