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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-20 at 14:06
Published 1 month, 1 week ago
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HEADLINES
Israel police wiretaps unchecked reform urged
Gaza governance plan in flux amid doubts
Greece security pact deepens anti-drone ties
The time is now 9:00 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
Good morning. A wide set of developments shape the Middle East and Israel’s place within it as 9:00 AM approaches. In Jerusalem, a government accountability review has found what the state comptroller described as systemic failures across Israeli law enforcement’s use of technology and surveillance. The report says police expanded their use of wiretaps, cyber tools, and data collection between 2016 and 2021, often without proper legal authorization or robust oversight. It details thousands of requests for surveillance orders, noting that a substantial share went forward with flawed procedures, and that many targeted data were gathered or used without the required authorizations. The finding is not a condemnation of individuals but a warning that outdated laws, slack internal controls, and insufficient oversight allowed practices to become normalized. The recommendations call for updated legislation, mandatory legal and technological opinions before tool approval, tighter judicial scrutiny of surveillance requests, and stronger oversight within police and the Justice Ministry. The report also notes that broader investigations into systemic failures tied to October 7 remain unsettled due to ongoing court proceedings. Officials say reforms have begun, but the comptroller cautions that corrective action remains incomplete as of late 2025 and urges senior ministers to ensure enforcement.
On the regional front, the United States’ Gaza plan and the European response to a US-led coordination effort continue to unfold with mixed signals. The Civil-Military Coordination Centre, established in southern Israel to monitor ceasefire terms, manage aid flows, and shape post-war Gaza governance, has drawn questions from several European partners. Multiple diplomats say some European members have not returned to the CMCC since the holiday period and describe the center as directionless. The center remains part of Washington’s broader approach to Gaza, including the later phase that envisions a Board of Peace to supervise governance, aid, and stabilization. Washington has signaled that participation by various states may be re-evaluated as countries weigh their interests and whether the arrangement actually accelerates relief and political change in Gaza. Israel defends its policy of prioritizing humanitarian aid while restricting dual-use items, arguing that aid flows and practical arrangements continue to meet pressing needs in Gaza, even as the center’s future remains uncertain.
In related regional diplomacy, Israel’s defense nexus with Greece has deepened. In Athens, Defense Minister Ben-Gurion-era names aside, Israel’s defense minister publicly warned against allowing actors to destabilize the region through terrorism, aggression, or proxies. The two countries pledged closer security cooperation, including anti-drone capabilities and cybersecurity. A trilateral framework that includes Greece, Cyprus, and Israel continues to evolve, with joint exercises and a planned multi-layer air and missile defense program under discussion. Greece has already moved to purchase Israeli missile systems and components to strengthen defenses in the eastern Mediterranean amid Turkish assertiveness. Israel’s position remains clear: deter and defeat threats that could undermine regional stability, while pursuing security collaborations with partners who share interests in preventing destabilizing changes on their borders.
Iran looms over the broader landscape as Tehran signals firmness in the face of perceived threats. A parliamentary body in Tehran warned that any targeting of Iran’s top leadership would be treated as an act of war, including a pl
Israel police wiretaps unchecked reform urged
Gaza governance plan in flux amid doubts
Greece security pact deepens anti-drone ties
The time is now 9:00 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
Good morning. A wide set of developments shape the Middle East and Israel’s place within it as 9:00 AM approaches. In Jerusalem, a government accountability review has found what the state comptroller described as systemic failures across Israeli law enforcement’s use of technology and surveillance. The report says police expanded their use of wiretaps, cyber tools, and data collection between 2016 and 2021, often without proper legal authorization or robust oversight. It details thousands of requests for surveillance orders, noting that a substantial share went forward with flawed procedures, and that many targeted data were gathered or used without the required authorizations. The finding is not a condemnation of individuals but a warning that outdated laws, slack internal controls, and insufficient oversight allowed practices to become normalized. The recommendations call for updated legislation, mandatory legal and technological opinions before tool approval, tighter judicial scrutiny of surveillance requests, and stronger oversight within police and the Justice Ministry. The report also notes that broader investigations into systemic failures tied to October 7 remain unsettled due to ongoing court proceedings. Officials say reforms have begun, but the comptroller cautions that corrective action remains incomplete as of late 2025 and urges senior ministers to ensure enforcement.
On the regional front, the United States’ Gaza plan and the European response to a US-led coordination effort continue to unfold with mixed signals. The Civil-Military Coordination Centre, established in southern Israel to monitor ceasefire terms, manage aid flows, and shape post-war Gaza governance, has drawn questions from several European partners. Multiple diplomats say some European members have not returned to the CMCC since the holiday period and describe the center as directionless. The center remains part of Washington’s broader approach to Gaza, including the later phase that envisions a Board of Peace to supervise governance, aid, and stabilization. Washington has signaled that participation by various states may be re-evaluated as countries weigh their interests and whether the arrangement actually accelerates relief and political change in Gaza. Israel defends its policy of prioritizing humanitarian aid while restricting dual-use items, arguing that aid flows and practical arrangements continue to meet pressing needs in Gaza, even as the center’s future remains uncertain.
In related regional diplomacy, Israel’s defense nexus with Greece has deepened. In Athens, Defense Minister Ben-Gurion-era names aside, Israel’s defense minister publicly warned against allowing actors to destabilize the region through terrorism, aggression, or proxies. The two countries pledged closer security cooperation, including anti-drone capabilities and cybersecurity. A trilateral framework that includes Greece, Cyprus, and Israel continues to evolve, with joint exercises and a planned multi-layer air and missile defense program under discussion. Greece has already moved to purchase Israeli missile systems and components to strengthen defenses in the eastern Mediterranean amid Turkish assertiveness. Israel’s position remains clear: deter and defeat threats that could undermine regional stability, while pursuing security collaborations with partners who share interests in preventing destabilizing changes on their borders.
Iran looms over the broader landscape as Tehran signals firmness in the face of perceived threats. A parliamentary body in Tehran warned that any targeting of Iran’s top leadership would be treated as an act of war, including a pl