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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-20 at 15:08
Published 1 month, 1 week ago
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HEADLINES
High Court halts daycare autopsy plan
Comptroller flags systemic police surveillance failures
Eisenkot criticizes Gaza policy urging diplomacy
The time is now 10:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
This hour, multiple developments across Israel, the broader region, and global markets are shaping security, diplomacy, and policy discussions at a tense moment for the Middle East and beyond.
In Jerusalem, the High Court of Justice blocked a plan to perform autopsies on two infants who died in a Monday daycare disaster. Authorities had pressed for autopsies to determine the cause of death, while the families of the deceased petitioned the court against the plan. A Jerusalem magistrate’s court had previously signaled there is room within Jewish law to permit an autopsy to uncover criminal conduct or to clear suspicion, but the High Court overturned that plan. The case has intensified a broader debate about accountability and due process in a catastrophe that prompted swift street protests by ultra-Orthodox communities across Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, and along major roadways. Police reported arrests as demonstrations turned confrontational, including incidents of violence against drivers and property damage. Authorities also sought to extend the detention of daycare staff under suspicion of negligence, while some parents described the manager as professional and caring, highlighting the tragedy’s human dimensions amidst the legal and public safety questions.
A probe by the state comptroller into police surveillance practices described what he called “fundamental and systemic failures.” The report found that the Israel Police relied increasingly on advanced technological tools—wiretaps, cyber capabilities, and data collection—without adequate legal authorization, oversight, or procedural controls. Authorities expanded these tools markedly between 2016 and 2021 even as the legal framework lagged. Among the most serious findings: nine tools were used in ways that exceeded authority; several cases proceeded without counsel-authorized approval; and many surveillance orders were executed without the requisite high-level authorization. The report notes that roughly fourteen thousand surveillance requests were reviewed, about eleven thousand were implemented, and that in a majority of sensitive wiretap requests, the State Attorney’s Office was not asked for the proper approval. The comptroller emphasized that the report does not assign malicious intent but points to a need for updated legislation, stronger internal controls, and reinforced oversight to prevent a drift toward unchecked surveillance. He urged senior officials to translate recommendations into action promptly, warning that inaction could erode civil rights or hobble law enforcement against organized crime.
Tensions and warnings echo beyond Israel’s borders as regional and global actors reassess threats and strategy. Iran’s parliament declared that any attack on the country’s Supreme Leader would trigger a jihad, or holy war, raising the possibility of a broader gravitational shift in regional security calculations. The Iranian security commission underscored that should the leadership be attacked, responses would be coordinated with Islamic scholars and “the soldiers of Islam” worldwide. In parallel, Iran’s president framed the same threat in strong terms, signaling the severity of Tehran’s stance amid protests at home and heightened friction with Washington.
Economic sentiment among global chief executives shows caution, even as some regions remain confident in long-term growth. A PwC survey of more than four thousand five hundred CEOs across ninety-five countries found that confidence in revenue growth for the next twelve months has sunk to its lowest level in a decade. While global economic growth expectations for twenty twenty-six r
High Court halts daycare autopsy plan
Comptroller flags systemic police surveillance failures
Eisenkot criticizes Gaza policy urging diplomacy
The time is now 10:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
This hour, multiple developments across Israel, the broader region, and global markets are shaping security, diplomacy, and policy discussions at a tense moment for the Middle East and beyond.
In Jerusalem, the High Court of Justice blocked a plan to perform autopsies on two infants who died in a Monday daycare disaster. Authorities had pressed for autopsies to determine the cause of death, while the families of the deceased petitioned the court against the plan. A Jerusalem magistrate’s court had previously signaled there is room within Jewish law to permit an autopsy to uncover criminal conduct or to clear suspicion, but the High Court overturned that plan. The case has intensified a broader debate about accountability and due process in a catastrophe that prompted swift street protests by ultra-Orthodox communities across Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, and along major roadways. Police reported arrests as demonstrations turned confrontational, including incidents of violence against drivers and property damage. Authorities also sought to extend the detention of daycare staff under suspicion of negligence, while some parents described the manager as professional and caring, highlighting the tragedy’s human dimensions amidst the legal and public safety questions.
A probe by the state comptroller into police surveillance practices described what he called “fundamental and systemic failures.” The report found that the Israel Police relied increasingly on advanced technological tools—wiretaps, cyber capabilities, and data collection—without adequate legal authorization, oversight, or procedural controls. Authorities expanded these tools markedly between 2016 and 2021 even as the legal framework lagged. Among the most serious findings: nine tools were used in ways that exceeded authority; several cases proceeded without counsel-authorized approval; and many surveillance orders were executed without the requisite high-level authorization. The report notes that roughly fourteen thousand surveillance requests were reviewed, about eleven thousand were implemented, and that in a majority of sensitive wiretap requests, the State Attorney’s Office was not asked for the proper approval. The comptroller emphasized that the report does not assign malicious intent but points to a need for updated legislation, stronger internal controls, and reinforced oversight to prevent a drift toward unchecked surveillance. He urged senior officials to translate recommendations into action promptly, warning that inaction could erode civil rights or hobble law enforcement against organized crime.
Tensions and warnings echo beyond Israel’s borders as regional and global actors reassess threats and strategy. Iran’s parliament declared that any attack on the country’s Supreme Leader would trigger a jihad, or holy war, raising the possibility of a broader gravitational shift in regional security calculations. The Iranian security commission underscored that should the leadership be attacked, responses would be coordinated with Islamic scholars and “the soldiers of Islam” worldwide. In parallel, Iran’s president framed the same threat in strong terms, signaling the severity of Tehran’s stance amid protests at home and heightened friction with Washington.
Economic sentiment among global chief executives shows caution, even as some regions remain confident in long-term growth. A PwC survey of more than four thousand five hundred CEOs across ninety-five countries found that confidence in revenue growth for the next twelve months has sunk to its lowest level in a decade. While global economic growth expectations for twenty twenty-six r