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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-15 at 21:09
Published 1 month, 1 week ago
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HEADLINES
Europe backs Greenland sovereignty Denmark expands NATO
Palestinian technocrats to govern Gaza
Israel races to pass draft law
The time is now 4:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
This hour, Europe is signaling its support for Greenland’s sovereignty as Denmark presses ahead with plans for a larger and more permanent NATO presence to secure the island that has attracted attention from Washington and Moscow alike. A modest European deployment is under way to assist Denmark in preparing for military exercises, with Germany sending a 13‑person reconnaissance team, Sweden sending three officers, Norway two, France about 15 mountain specialists, Finland two liaison officers, and the Netherlands one navy officer, while a British officer joins the recon group. Denmark says the full scale of the anticipated buildup remains to be announced, but officials emphasize the aim is to deter aggression and strengthen surveillance in a region of growing strategic interest. In Copenhagen and Nuuk, officials stress that the initiative underscores NATO solidarity and the Arctic security responsibilities that extend beyond the Kingdom of Denmark. The White House described Thursday’s discussions with Danish and Greenlandic representatives as productive and reiterated that European deployments do not alter the US objective of considering Greenland’s future. Local observers note the deployments are being watched closely in Nuuk, where residents express mixed feelings about the increased military presence as the security calculus in the Arctic tightens.
Turning to Gaza, Washington’s Phase II plan for the enclave continues to move forward even as questions about governance and security persist. The plan envisions a Palestinian technocratic administration to handle day‑to‑day life, humanitarian relief, rubble removal, water and sewage, and other civic services, while security responsibilities will be apportioned through a framework that could involve a standing international force and local security arrangements. A 15‑member Palestinian Technocratic Committee has been proposed, with Ali Shaath expected to head the body and Sami Nasman expected to oversee security, to be supported by international partners and a continuing political process. In parallel, the broader governance question centers on who will run Gaza and how Hamas will be disarmed or constrained in a post‑conflict order. US officials have indicated that an international stabilization framework could see the International Stabilization Force playing a role at the perimeter and border, with discussions ongoing about the balance between Palestinian authority and security needs. Israel’s leaders have signaled a preference for a Gaza arrangement that preserves security control while avoiding a prolonged occupation, a balance that depends on disarmament prospects, the willingness of external partners to participate, and the readiness of Hamas to relinquish influence over public order. Analysts caution that Hamas could seek to obstruct or dilute the new mechanisms, and the path forward remains contingent on how quickly and effectively the various governance and security elements can come together. The process is being watched closely as regional and international mediators seek a credible path to reconstruction and governance in Gaza, with little guarantee of immediate breakthroughs.
In Jerusalem’s corridors of power, Israel’s domestic debate over the haredi draft law proceeds with urgency as elections approach. The Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee has conducted marathon sessions as lawmakers press to advance a bill widely viewed as essential to security, given the IDF’s manpower needs in a prolonged period of regional tension. Opposition figures, including Yair Lapid, have taken to the streets to demand that national service obligations be enforced more broadly,
Europe backs Greenland sovereignty Denmark expands NATO
Palestinian technocrats to govern Gaza
Israel races to pass draft law
The time is now 4:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
This hour, Europe is signaling its support for Greenland’s sovereignty as Denmark presses ahead with plans for a larger and more permanent NATO presence to secure the island that has attracted attention from Washington and Moscow alike. A modest European deployment is under way to assist Denmark in preparing for military exercises, with Germany sending a 13‑person reconnaissance team, Sweden sending three officers, Norway two, France about 15 mountain specialists, Finland two liaison officers, and the Netherlands one navy officer, while a British officer joins the recon group. Denmark says the full scale of the anticipated buildup remains to be announced, but officials emphasize the aim is to deter aggression and strengthen surveillance in a region of growing strategic interest. In Copenhagen and Nuuk, officials stress that the initiative underscores NATO solidarity and the Arctic security responsibilities that extend beyond the Kingdom of Denmark. The White House described Thursday’s discussions with Danish and Greenlandic representatives as productive and reiterated that European deployments do not alter the US objective of considering Greenland’s future. Local observers note the deployments are being watched closely in Nuuk, where residents express mixed feelings about the increased military presence as the security calculus in the Arctic tightens.
Turning to Gaza, Washington’s Phase II plan for the enclave continues to move forward even as questions about governance and security persist. The plan envisions a Palestinian technocratic administration to handle day‑to‑day life, humanitarian relief, rubble removal, water and sewage, and other civic services, while security responsibilities will be apportioned through a framework that could involve a standing international force and local security arrangements. A 15‑member Palestinian Technocratic Committee has been proposed, with Ali Shaath expected to head the body and Sami Nasman expected to oversee security, to be supported by international partners and a continuing political process. In parallel, the broader governance question centers on who will run Gaza and how Hamas will be disarmed or constrained in a post‑conflict order. US officials have indicated that an international stabilization framework could see the International Stabilization Force playing a role at the perimeter and border, with discussions ongoing about the balance between Palestinian authority and security needs. Israel’s leaders have signaled a preference for a Gaza arrangement that preserves security control while avoiding a prolonged occupation, a balance that depends on disarmament prospects, the willingness of external partners to participate, and the readiness of Hamas to relinquish influence over public order. Analysts caution that Hamas could seek to obstruct or dilute the new mechanisms, and the path forward remains contingent on how quickly and effectively the various governance and security elements can come together. The process is being watched closely as regional and international mediators seek a credible path to reconstruction and governance in Gaza, with little guarantee of immediate breakthroughs.
In Jerusalem’s corridors of power, Israel’s domestic debate over the haredi draft law proceeds with urgency as elections approach. The Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee has conducted marathon sessions as lawmakers press to advance a bill widely viewed as essential to security, given the IDF’s manpower needs in a prolonged period of regional tension. Opposition figures, including Yair Lapid, have taken to the streets to demand that national service obligations be enforced more broadly,