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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-02-16 at 16:01
Published 1 week, 6 days ago
Description
HEADLINES
Indonesia-led Gaza force expands with new partners
Former Gaza hostage blasts massacre term change
Bnei Brak draft protests turn violent
The time is now 4:01 PM 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), Morocco, Albania, and Greece are set to join Indonesia in the International Stabilization Force in Gaza, a peacekeeping mission that will oversee current ceasefire lines and may address other border-related issues. Indonesia’s contribution will begin in April with a primary deployment of about 1,000 troops, rising to around 8,000 by June. There is no published timetable yet for when Morocco, Albania, or Greece will deploy, though mid‑January reporting had Morocco expected to join Indonesia as one of the largest contingents. The announcements are timed to coincide with Sunday’s disclosure that Indonesia will be the first country to join the ISF and ahead of the Board of Peace summit in the United States set for Thursday.
In Israeli Domestic Politics, former Gaza hostage Or Levy spoke out against the government’s decision to remove the term “massacre” from official legislation regarding Hamas’s October 7 attacks during an interview with KAN Reshet Bet. Levy, held in Gaza for nearly 500 days before his release, recalled that his wife was killed in the massacre and pressed that the events be described plainly. “If this isn’t called a massacre, then what is? Soon they’ll say the Holocaust didn’t happen,” he said, noting also government efforts to block the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the massacre and related national security failures. In another front, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said at a Religious Zionist Party press conference that he does not want his daughter to enlist in the IDF, citing his rabbis’ rulings and arguing that “mixing men and women in tanks is delusional.” He tied this to broader aims to reduce the cost of living and to curb monopolies as the government fast-tracks a haredi conscription bill. A protest in Bnei Brak against the draft turned violent, with two female soldiers attacked by demonstrators before police intervened, and authorities reporting multiple arrests as investigations continued. The day’s events were met with swift condemnations from Prime Minister Netanyahu, opposition leaders, the heads of haredi parties, and rabbinical figures, highlighting a recurring refrain that violence by a fringe element does not represent the broader community. In another note on public order, images from Bnei Brak showed a mob attacking a police presence, and by Monday afternoon most individuals held under house arrest had been released as authorities pursued cases in the wider incident.
Thank you for tuning in to this Israel Today: Ongoing War Report update.
I'm Noa Levi. Stay safe and informed.
Keep in mind that this AI-generated report may contain occasional inaccuracies, so consult multiple sources for a comprehensive view. Find the code and more details in the podcast description.
SOURCES
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-886877
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-886874
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-886878
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-886876
Indonesia-led Gaza force expands with new partners
Former Gaza hostage blasts massacre term change
Bnei Brak draft protests turn violent
The time is now 4:01 PM 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), Morocco, Albania, and Greece are set to join Indonesia in the International Stabilization Force in Gaza, a peacekeeping mission that will oversee current ceasefire lines and may address other border-related issues. Indonesia’s contribution will begin in April with a primary deployment of about 1,000 troops, rising to around 8,000 by June. There is no published timetable yet for when Morocco, Albania, or Greece will deploy, though mid‑January reporting had Morocco expected to join Indonesia as one of the largest contingents. The announcements are timed to coincide with Sunday’s disclosure that Indonesia will be the first country to join the ISF and ahead of the Board of Peace summit in the United States set for Thursday.
In Israeli Domestic Politics, former Gaza hostage Or Levy spoke out against the government’s decision to remove the term “massacre” from official legislation regarding Hamas’s October 7 attacks during an interview with KAN Reshet Bet. Levy, held in Gaza for nearly 500 days before his release, recalled that his wife was killed in the massacre and pressed that the events be described plainly. “If this isn’t called a massacre, then what is? Soon they’ll say the Holocaust didn’t happen,” he said, noting also government efforts to block the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the massacre and related national security failures. In another front, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said at a Religious Zionist Party press conference that he does not want his daughter to enlist in the IDF, citing his rabbis’ rulings and arguing that “mixing men and women in tanks is delusional.” He tied this to broader aims to reduce the cost of living and to curb monopolies as the government fast-tracks a haredi conscription bill. A protest in Bnei Brak against the draft turned violent, with two female soldiers attacked by demonstrators before police intervened, and authorities reporting multiple arrests as investigations continued. The day’s events were met with swift condemnations from Prime Minister Netanyahu, opposition leaders, the heads of haredi parties, and rabbinical figures, highlighting a recurring refrain that violence by a fringe element does not represent the broader community. In another note on public order, images from Bnei Brak showed a mob attacking a police presence, and by Monday afternoon most individuals held under house arrest had been released as authorities pursued cases in the wider incident.
Thank you for tuning in to this Israel Today: Ongoing War Report update.
I'm Noa Levi. Stay safe and informed.
Keep in mind that this AI-generated report may contain occasional inaccuracies, so consult multiple sources for a comprehensive view. Find the code and more details in the podcast description.
SOURCES
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-886877
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-886874
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-886878
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-886876