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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-15 at 08:06
Published 1 month, 1 week ago
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HEADLINES
Dead Sea quake 4.2 rocks Israel
Iran to recognize Israel, Cyrus Accords
Ceasefire Phase II raises alarms over Hamas
The time is now 3:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
A magnitude four point two earthquake was felt across southern and central Israel Thursday morning, with its epicenter in the Dead Sea region. Seismological authorities said the tremor occurred at about 9:00 a.m. local time and was widely reported, reaching communities around the Dead Sea and into the Negev and even central Israel. The Home Front Command urged residents to move to open spaces and, if that was not possible, to seek shelter in a protected room or stairwell with doors left ajar to aid escape and air flow. There were no immediate reports of injuries, and Magen David Adom said its emergency hotline had not yet logged injuries related to the quake. Authorities cautioned that aftershocks were possible and urged calm as residents assessed any damage in their areas.
In the broader regional context, exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi released a comprehensive vision for a post-Islamic Republic Iran. He said that once the current regime falls, Iran would immediately recognize the State of Israel and work to broaden regional ties through what he described as the Cyrus Accords, spanning Israel and its Arab partners. He pledged to end Iran’s nuclear military program, halt support for militant groups, and pursue transparent governance and a predictable energy policy. He cast a future Iran as a stabilizing regional actor aligned with international norms and as a partner in global security, stressing that the fall of the Islamic Republic would restore dignity to the Iranian people and benefit the region and the world. His remarks come amid ongoing protests in Iran, which have drawn international attention and a harsh crackdown by authorities; numbers cited by various rights groups and media organizations differ, reflecting the contested and fluid nature of reporting on the demonstrations.
Hamas and Gaza-related developments remain at the forefront of the regional security picture as a United States-brokered ceasefire enters Phase II. The Islamist group is reported to retain substantial operational capacity, including thousands of fighters, extensive tunnel networks, and cash reserves, and to be backed by regional actors such as Qatar. Israeli security officials have voiced concerns that long-term ceasefire terms could be exploited, including the possibility of a staged or “false front” approach to secure favorable terms over time. Israeli forces have warned of the persistent risk that any truce could be used to regroup and rearm, even as the broader humanitarian and political situation in Gaza remains dire for civilians.
Separately, Israel’s security environment continues to be shaped by ongoing intelligence and counterintelligence concerns. An Israeli combat soldier was reported to be under investigation for allegedly sharing military secrets with Iranian intelligence, an espionage case described by some observers as among the more serious in recent years. The incident underscores high-stakes tensions between Israel and Iran and the intensifying scrutiny of security vulnerabilities within Israel’s ranks.
On the diplomatic and travel front, several Western governments issued travel advisories related to the region. The United States and the United Kingdom advised their citizens to exercise caution and, in some cases, to consider delaying travel to Israel and, in several instances, to leave Iran amid the volatile regional situation. Airlines and airspace activity reflected the strain of the situation: Lufthansa said it would run only daytime flights in the region for several days, with routes to Tel Aviv and Amman operated as daytime services to avoid overnight stops, and to bypass Iranian and Iraqi airspace until
Dead Sea quake 4.2 rocks Israel
Iran to recognize Israel, Cyrus Accords
Ceasefire Phase II raises alarms over Hamas
The time is now 3:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
A magnitude four point two earthquake was felt across southern and central Israel Thursday morning, with its epicenter in the Dead Sea region. Seismological authorities said the tremor occurred at about 9:00 a.m. local time and was widely reported, reaching communities around the Dead Sea and into the Negev and even central Israel. The Home Front Command urged residents to move to open spaces and, if that was not possible, to seek shelter in a protected room or stairwell with doors left ajar to aid escape and air flow. There were no immediate reports of injuries, and Magen David Adom said its emergency hotline had not yet logged injuries related to the quake. Authorities cautioned that aftershocks were possible and urged calm as residents assessed any damage in their areas.
In the broader regional context, exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi released a comprehensive vision for a post-Islamic Republic Iran. He said that once the current regime falls, Iran would immediately recognize the State of Israel and work to broaden regional ties through what he described as the Cyrus Accords, spanning Israel and its Arab partners. He pledged to end Iran’s nuclear military program, halt support for militant groups, and pursue transparent governance and a predictable energy policy. He cast a future Iran as a stabilizing regional actor aligned with international norms and as a partner in global security, stressing that the fall of the Islamic Republic would restore dignity to the Iranian people and benefit the region and the world. His remarks come amid ongoing protests in Iran, which have drawn international attention and a harsh crackdown by authorities; numbers cited by various rights groups and media organizations differ, reflecting the contested and fluid nature of reporting on the demonstrations.
Hamas and Gaza-related developments remain at the forefront of the regional security picture as a United States-brokered ceasefire enters Phase II. The Islamist group is reported to retain substantial operational capacity, including thousands of fighters, extensive tunnel networks, and cash reserves, and to be backed by regional actors such as Qatar. Israeli security officials have voiced concerns that long-term ceasefire terms could be exploited, including the possibility of a staged or “false front” approach to secure favorable terms over time. Israeli forces have warned of the persistent risk that any truce could be used to regroup and rearm, even as the broader humanitarian and political situation in Gaza remains dire for civilians.
Separately, Israel’s security environment continues to be shaped by ongoing intelligence and counterintelligence concerns. An Israeli combat soldier was reported to be under investigation for allegedly sharing military secrets with Iranian intelligence, an espionage case described by some observers as among the more serious in recent years. The incident underscores high-stakes tensions between Israel and Iran and the intensifying scrutiny of security vulnerabilities within Israel’s ranks.
On the diplomatic and travel front, several Western governments issued travel advisories related to the region. The United States and the United Kingdom advised their citizens to exercise caution and, in some cases, to consider delaying travel to Israel and, in several instances, to leave Iran amid the volatile regional situation. Airlines and airspace activity reflected the strain of the situation: Lufthansa said it would run only daytime flights in the region for several days, with routes to Tel Aviv and Amman operated as daytime services to avoid overnight stops, and to bypass Iranian and Iraqi airspace until