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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-02-01 at 00:02
Published 1 month ago
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HEADLINES
Rafah Crossing Reopens as Hostage Remains Returned
Iran Tensions Rise as Iraqi Faction Emerges
Tel Aviv Protest Unites Arabs and Jews
The time is now 12:01 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), Israel is set to partially reopen the Rafah crossing between the war-devastated Gaza Strip and Egypt on Sunday, a move described as a test for the day after in Gaza. After more than a year and a half of near-total closure, the crossing will allow limited movement of people in both directions. Mediators in Jerusalem, Cairo and Beirut regard this as a critical test at the political and security levels. The Rafah crossing has remained closed since Israeli forces seized control of it in May 2024 during the war with Hamas, with only a brief limited reopening in early 2025. Israel had previously said it would not reopen the crossing until the remains of Ran Gvili—the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza—were returned; those remains were recovered days ago and laid to rest in Israel this week. The crossing will open this coming Sunday (February 1st) in both directions, for limited movement of people only, with entry and exit limited as well. The crossing remains a vital gateway for civilians and aid, and its reopening marks a cautious step amid ongoing violence in Gaza, where Gaza’s civil defence agency reported dozens killed in Israeli attacks on Saturday and the Israeli military said it was retaliating against ceasefire violations.
In the conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, tensions across the region remain high as demonstrations, ultimatums and military posturing raise the specter of wider confrontation. Iran is facing a build-up of pressure as holidays approach and American ultimatums and exercises push the region toward potential clashes, with Israel preparing for a range of scenarios. A relatively new Iraqi resistance faction, calling itself Saraya Awliyaa Al-Damm (Blood Guardians Brigades), released a video showing extensive underground tunnels in Iraq and vowing to support Iran in any future war with the United States, signaling growing cross-border resistance dynamics. Former President Donald Trump has said that if negotiators can secure a convincing agreement that prevents Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, that outcome must be achieved. In comments captured aboard Air Force One, Trump declined to spell out current thinking but noted that large ships are headed toward the area and that a negotiated deal satisfactory to all sides could be preferable, while acknowledging that some regional actors warn that backing off a strike would embolden Tehran. Officials also noted that negotiators remain engaged in discussions about the possibility of a no-nuclear-weapon settlement, even as discussions continue and some voices urge caution about what can be achieved.
In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, the language leaders use on Holocaust commemoration is under scrutiny as the memory of six million Jews murdered by Nazi Germany is weighed against the need for precision. Vice President JD Vance marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27 with a message honoring “millions of lives lost,” but did not name Jews or Nazis directly. That omission drew backlash from Jewish figures and commentators, who argue that naming Jews as victims and Nazis as perpetrators is essential to the purpose of the day and to making clear the roots of antisemitism. Proponents of precise language contend that calling out the target and the ideology helps transmits the historical message and counters rising antisemitism in various political currents.
In Israeli Domestic Politics, observers in the IDF are under pressure as a report documents harsh conditions at the Ketziot Base guarding Israel’s southern border. The observers, many of them women, are sai
Rafah Crossing Reopens as Hostage Remains Returned
Iran Tensions Rise as Iraqi Faction Emerges
Tel Aviv Protest Unites Arabs and Jews
The time is now 12:01 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), Israel is set to partially reopen the Rafah crossing between the war-devastated Gaza Strip and Egypt on Sunday, a move described as a test for the day after in Gaza. After more than a year and a half of near-total closure, the crossing will allow limited movement of people in both directions. Mediators in Jerusalem, Cairo and Beirut regard this as a critical test at the political and security levels. The Rafah crossing has remained closed since Israeli forces seized control of it in May 2024 during the war with Hamas, with only a brief limited reopening in early 2025. Israel had previously said it would not reopen the crossing until the remains of Ran Gvili—the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza—were returned; those remains were recovered days ago and laid to rest in Israel this week. The crossing will open this coming Sunday (February 1st) in both directions, for limited movement of people only, with entry and exit limited as well. The crossing remains a vital gateway for civilians and aid, and its reopening marks a cautious step amid ongoing violence in Gaza, where Gaza’s civil defence agency reported dozens killed in Israeli attacks on Saturday and the Israeli military said it was retaliating against ceasefire violations.
In the conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, tensions across the region remain high as demonstrations, ultimatums and military posturing raise the specter of wider confrontation. Iran is facing a build-up of pressure as holidays approach and American ultimatums and exercises push the region toward potential clashes, with Israel preparing for a range of scenarios. A relatively new Iraqi resistance faction, calling itself Saraya Awliyaa Al-Damm (Blood Guardians Brigades), released a video showing extensive underground tunnels in Iraq and vowing to support Iran in any future war with the United States, signaling growing cross-border resistance dynamics. Former President Donald Trump has said that if negotiators can secure a convincing agreement that prevents Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, that outcome must be achieved. In comments captured aboard Air Force One, Trump declined to spell out current thinking but noted that large ships are headed toward the area and that a negotiated deal satisfactory to all sides could be preferable, while acknowledging that some regional actors warn that backing off a strike would embolden Tehran. Officials also noted that negotiators remain engaged in discussions about the possibility of a no-nuclear-weapon settlement, even as discussions continue and some voices urge caution about what can be achieved.
In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, the language leaders use on Holocaust commemoration is under scrutiny as the memory of six million Jews murdered by Nazi Germany is weighed against the need for precision. Vice President JD Vance marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27 with a message honoring “millions of lives lost,” but did not name Jews or Nazis directly. That omission drew backlash from Jewish figures and commentators, who argue that naming Jews as victims and Nazis as perpetrators is essential to the purpose of the day and to making clear the roots of antisemitism. Proponents of precise language contend that calling out the target and the ideology helps transmits the historical message and counters rising antisemitism in various political currents.
In Israeli Domestic Politics, observers in the IDF are under pressure as a report documents harsh conditions at the Ketziot Base guarding Israel’s southern border. The observers, many of them women, are sai