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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-22 at 13:07
Published 1 month ago
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HEADLINES
Tel Aviv top cop convicted over grenades
Gaza plan bets $25B on 2035 boom
Arab towns strike over police violence
The time is now 8:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
Good morning. Here is the latest on the Middle East security and diplomacy picture as of eight this morning.
In Tel Aviv, a breakthrough in a high-profile police case was delivered this week. Superintendent Meir Swissa, who previously served as operations officer for the Tel Aviv District, was convicted of reckless and negligent conduct for ordering stun grenades against demonstrators during 2023 anti-government protests. Prosecutors had filed an amended indictment that followed a plea agreement with the Police Investigations Department, though the department had cautioned that Swissa’s admission might not be genuine. The court accepted the plea and entered a conviction, with sentencing arguments now forthcoming. The case drew attention because the grenades were deployed into a densely packed crowd amid nonviolent demonstrations, raising concerns about police protocols and crowd safety. Four other officers charged in connection with the incident were either cleared in disciplinary proceedings or faced limited charges in a separate arrangement. The proceedings have intersected with political debate in Israel, as the case and the officers’ conduct have spurred discussions about policing during mass demonstrations and the potential impact on police leadership.
On the international front, a detailed plan for Gaza’s economic transformation was unveiled in Davos by Jared Kushner, representing the so‑called Board of Peace. The plan envisions turning the Gaza Strip into a regional economic hub by 2035, with an estimated investment exceeding $25 billion to develop utilities, public services, infrastructure, and industrial capacity. The blueprint lays out a six-phase development timeline beginning in the southern areas and moving northward, including coastal tourism development with hundreds of towers, industrial zones, a new port and airport, and a cross-border logistics framework. The program projects job creation on the order of half a million positions and significant improvements to GDP and household incomes. The effort is framed as part of a broader American diplomatic approach to Gaza, with the Board of Peace signifying a potential procedural channel that would work alongside, but not replace, existing international institutions such as the United Nations. While several participant states have joined, major powers including some Western allies have been cautious or undecided about full participation, underscoring the political complexity surrounding a major redevelopment and its implications for regional security and diplomacy.
Turning to Washington, the Board of Peace initiative has also entered a broader public discussion about US policy toward Gaza and the region. President Trump, chairing the board, has characterized the Gaza phase as a new era and described a framework in which reconstruction would proceed in coordination with international partners, including the United Nations. The charter ceremony at Davos featured a mix of endorsing leaders and supporters, with some countries signaling intent to participate and others declining or delaying. In parallel, Trump asserted that he had helped secure the release of hostages linked to Gaza and warned that Hamas must return the last remaining hostage, Ran Gvili, before reconstruction proceeds. The initiative is viewed by supporters as a potentially significant new mechanism for regional diplomacy, while critics question whether the board can supersede or bypass established international processes and whether it will produce durable normalization in the absence of a comprehensive peace framework.
In Israel’s domestic security landscape, the country remains grappling with the
Tel Aviv top cop convicted over grenades
Gaza plan bets $25B on 2035 boom
Arab towns strike over police violence
The time is now 8:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
Good morning. Here is the latest on the Middle East security and diplomacy picture as of eight this morning.
In Tel Aviv, a breakthrough in a high-profile police case was delivered this week. Superintendent Meir Swissa, who previously served as operations officer for the Tel Aviv District, was convicted of reckless and negligent conduct for ordering stun grenades against demonstrators during 2023 anti-government protests. Prosecutors had filed an amended indictment that followed a plea agreement with the Police Investigations Department, though the department had cautioned that Swissa’s admission might not be genuine. The court accepted the plea and entered a conviction, with sentencing arguments now forthcoming. The case drew attention because the grenades were deployed into a densely packed crowd amid nonviolent demonstrations, raising concerns about police protocols and crowd safety. Four other officers charged in connection with the incident were either cleared in disciplinary proceedings or faced limited charges in a separate arrangement. The proceedings have intersected with political debate in Israel, as the case and the officers’ conduct have spurred discussions about policing during mass demonstrations and the potential impact on police leadership.
On the international front, a detailed plan for Gaza’s economic transformation was unveiled in Davos by Jared Kushner, representing the so‑called Board of Peace. The plan envisions turning the Gaza Strip into a regional economic hub by 2035, with an estimated investment exceeding $25 billion to develop utilities, public services, infrastructure, and industrial capacity. The blueprint lays out a six-phase development timeline beginning in the southern areas and moving northward, including coastal tourism development with hundreds of towers, industrial zones, a new port and airport, and a cross-border logistics framework. The program projects job creation on the order of half a million positions and significant improvements to GDP and household incomes. The effort is framed as part of a broader American diplomatic approach to Gaza, with the Board of Peace signifying a potential procedural channel that would work alongside, but not replace, existing international institutions such as the United Nations. While several participant states have joined, major powers including some Western allies have been cautious or undecided about full participation, underscoring the political complexity surrounding a major redevelopment and its implications for regional security and diplomacy.
Turning to Washington, the Board of Peace initiative has also entered a broader public discussion about US policy toward Gaza and the region. President Trump, chairing the board, has characterized the Gaza phase as a new era and described a framework in which reconstruction would proceed in coordination with international partners, including the United Nations. The charter ceremony at Davos featured a mix of endorsing leaders and supporters, with some countries signaling intent to participate and others declining or delaying. In parallel, Trump asserted that he had helped secure the release of hostages linked to Gaza and warned that Hamas must return the last remaining hostage, Ran Gvili, before reconstruction proceeds. The initiative is viewed by supporters as a potentially significant new mechanism for regional diplomacy, while critics question whether the board can supersede or bypass established international processes and whether it will produce durable normalization in the absence of a comprehensive peace framework.
In Israel’s domestic security landscape, the country remains grappling with the