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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-31 at 11:03
Published 1 month ago
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HEADLINES
31 Killed in Gaza as Strikes Continue
Bandar Abbas Ahvaz Explosions Prompt Caution
Herzog Urges National Action After Arab Violence
The time is now 11:02 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
In the Disputed Territories (Gaza, Judea and Samaria, East Jerusalem), Hamas issued a pointed response to the latest wave of strikes in Gaza, saying that the occupation’s claims of violations to the ceasefire are lies and a justification for what it described as massacres against its people. The group labeled those claims as a dismissal of mediators, guarantor states, and all parties involved in what is described as the Peace Council. Hamas also suggested that Israel went one step too far as the Israeli air force conducted further strikes in Gaza. Separately, hospital sources in Gaza reported that 31 people have been killed by Israeli fire since the start of the day, including 24 in Gaza City and in the northern part of the enclave.
In the conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, today’s developments across Iran included a series of explosions in Bandar Abbas and Ahvaz, with authorities reporting fatalities and injuries while attributing the blasts to gas leaks. Iranian officials said an IRGC navy commander was not targeted and dismissed social-media rumors as false. Four people were reported killed in a gas explosion in Ahvaz, and Bandar Abbas and Ahvaz incidents were described as under investigation, with some outlets citing gas leaks as the cause. Reports of additional explosions appeared in Parand and Tehran, though authorities in Parand said the widespread smoke could be traced to a fire in dried reed beds along the Shur River rather than an explosion, and there was no immediate cause for concern. Iran-aligned channels claimed mid-range missile test launches near Karaj, while other reports circulated about unconfirmed blasts in Qom. Initial and unverified reports of further explosions in Qom also emerged as authorities sought to clarify the situation.
In Israeli Domestic Politics, President Isaac Herzog visited Sakhnin to address what he called an unacceptable spike in violence and murder within Arab society, stating that 250 innocent Israeli citizens have been murdered in Arab society in 2025 and more than 15 people have been killed since the start of January. He urged unity and determined action at the national level to combat crime, including legislation and enforcement, and to eradicate this stain from Israeli society. During the visit, Herzog spoke with local leaders and families affected by violence and reiterated that the fight against crime must be a national priority. Separately, a Friday broadcast segment around the Mordechi David case featured a tense exchange among anchors and commentators about coverage and the broader implications of violence, with participants arguing about balance and accountability rather than equivalence of actions on opposing sides.
In Uplifting News, the Anchored in the Earth program, now in its second year, supports about 60 veterans across four cohorts through a farm-based therapeutic path toward healing and reintegration. The 10-week program, established by a clinical social worker and run under a network of therapeutic farms, operates at the Bein Hatlamim Farm near Pardes Hanna. Also featured is the YASAR unit of the IDF, the Southern Command Scanning Unit, whose members search, identify, and return the dead, a mission described by those involved as demanding and essential. The southwest region of the country also saw thousands of people take to the outdoors during the Desert Bloom festival in the western Negev, with the area painted in red poppies and other colors, and the festival running into the month with farmers’ markets and guided tours. Weather noted that roughly 90,000 people visited natural sites over the weekend, including Nahal Hermon–Banias, Caesarea,
31 Killed in Gaza as Strikes Continue
Bandar Abbas Ahvaz Explosions Prompt Caution
Herzog Urges National Action After Arab Violence
The time is now 11:02 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
In the Disputed Territories (Gaza, Judea and Samaria, East Jerusalem), Hamas issued a pointed response to the latest wave of strikes in Gaza, saying that the occupation’s claims of violations to the ceasefire are lies and a justification for what it described as massacres against its people. The group labeled those claims as a dismissal of mediators, guarantor states, and all parties involved in what is described as the Peace Council. Hamas also suggested that Israel went one step too far as the Israeli air force conducted further strikes in Gaza. Separately, hospital sources in Gaza reported that 31 people have been killed by Israeli fire since the start of the day, including 24 in Gaza City and in the northern part of the enclave.
In the conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, today’s developments across Iran included a series of explosions in Bandar Abbas and Ahvaz, with authorities reporting fatalities and injuries while attributing the blasts to gas leaks. Iranian officials said an IRGC navy commander was not targeted and dismissed social-media rumors as false. Four people were reported killed in a gas explosion in Ahvaz, and Bandar Abbas and Ahvaz incidents were described as under investigation, with some outlets citing gas leaks as the cause. Reports of additional explosions appeared in Parand and Tehran, though authorities in Parand said the widespread smoke could be traced to a fire in dried reed beds along the Shur River rather than an explosion, and there was no immediate cause for concern. Iran-aligned channels claimed mid-range missile test launches near Karaj, while other reports circulated about unconfirmed blasts in Qom. Initial and unverified reports of further explosions in Qom also emerged as authorities sought to clarify the situation.
In Israeli Domestic Politics, President Isaac Herzog visited Sakhnin to address what he called an unacceptable spike in violence and murder within Arab society, stating that 250 innocent Israeli citizens have been murdered in Arab society in 2025 and more than 15 people have been killed since the start of January. He urged unity and determined action at the national level to combat crime, including legislation and enforcement, and to eradicate this stain from Israeli society. During the visit, Herzog spoke with local leaders and families affected by violence and reiterated that the fight against crime must be a national priority. Separately, a Friday broadcast segment around the Mordechi David case featured a tense exchange among anchors and commentators about coverage and the broader implications of violence, with participants arguing about balance and accountability rather than equivalence of actions on opposing sides.
In Uplifting News, the Anchored in the Earth program, now in its second year, supports about 60 veterans across four cohorts through a farm-based therapeutic path toward healing and reintegration. The 10-week program, established by a clinical social worker and run under a network of therapeutic farms, operates at the Bein Hatlamim Farm near Pardes Hanna. Also featured is the YASAR unit of the IDF, the Southern Command Scanning Unit, whose members search, identify, and return the dead, a mission described by those involved as demanding and essential. The southwest region of the country also saw thousands of people take to the outdoors during the Desert Bloom festival in the western Negev, with the area painted in red poppies and other colors, and the festival running into the month with farmers’ markets and guided tours. Weather noted that roughly 90,000 people visited natural sites over the weekend, including Nahal Hermon–Banias, Caesarea,