Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-09-16 at 13:07 cover art

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-09-16 at 13:07

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-09-16 at 13:07

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 HEADLINESTwo IDF divisions invade Gaza CityUS and Qatar forge stronger defense cooperationNetanyahu touts autarky amid market volatilityThe time is now 9:00 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.Good morning. Here is your hourly update on the Israel-Gaza crisis and the surrounding regional and international developments as of nine o’clock this morning.In Gaza, the Israeli military’s latest phase of the operation in Gaza City has begun in earnest. Two IDF divisions, supported by air power, have moved into the city as part of a broader effort described by officials as a new stage of the campaign against Hamas. In the first hours of the operation, combat and air activity focused on Hamas infrastructure and command and control targets, with the military signaling that the push aims to disrupt the group’s capabilities and to pave the way for the possible release of hostages held in the area. The Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza reports casualties among civilians as the fighting intensifies, with reports of buildings collapsing and a growing humanitarian crisis as thousands of residents flee toward safer zones in the south and central Gaza Strip. The number of hostages held in Gaza remains 48, with roughly two dozen believed to be alive at this stage, though the precise status of each remains uncertain. Families of hostages have gathered near the prime minister’s residence in Jerusalem to voice fears that the new phase could put their loved ones at greater risk. The Tikva Forum and other groups representing families are pressing for a decisive outcome that will secure the return of hostages and end the war, while some other relatives advocate a more forceful military objective that could prolong combat in pursuit of Hamas’s defeat. The operation bears the code name Gideon’s Chariots II, following an earlier phase that sought to apply pressure on Hamas from the air and on the city’s outskirts. The immediate humanitarian toll remains a central concern for both local residents and international observers.On the diplomatic front, the United States is signaling a tight alignment with Israel while seeking ways to stabilize the Gaza conflict. United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while en route to Doha, indicated that Washington and Qatar are close to finalizing an enhanced defense cooperation agreement. The tenor of those discussions underscores Washington’s interest in keeping Qatar engaged as a mediator between Israel and Hamas, even as Israel pushes ahead with ground operations. At the same time, President Donald Trump has continued to voice his assessment that Qatar is an important ally and that any actions toward Gaza must be weighed against the broader regional picture. The backdrop to these discussions includes recent moves by the European Union toward a new sanctions package against Israel in response to the Gaza war, with officials signaling that certain trade provisions in EU-Israel agreements could be suspended. Israel has argued that such measures risk undermining legitimate security concerns and impede operations aimed at ending Hamas’s threat and rescuing hostages.Inside Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has delivered a stark message regarding the country’s future posture in a war that has stretched into a second year. In a prominent address, he described a world where Israel faces increasing isolation and spelled out a vision of military and economic self-reliance, using the term autarkic to describe a future in which Israel would produce its essential security needs domestically. The speech prompted a wide range of reactions. Supporters urged resolve, while critics warned that a move toward greater self-sufficiency could hamper Israel’s integration with global markets and its high-tech and academic ecosystems, which have long benefited from wide international collaboration. Market watchers noted a sharp reaction in the Tel Aviv stock market in the immediate aftermath, followed by renewed volatility as interpretations of the speech’s implications for trade and defense procurement spread. Business leaders warned that a purely autarkic approach could threaten Israel’s long-term economic dynamism, while some commentators argued that a more focused, shielded approach to critical defense industries could be pursued without severing ties to global partners.In the broader regional context, Iran’s role and its proxies remain a central thread. Iranian officials have seized the opportunity created by international backlash to Israel’s actions in Gaza to bolster alliances across the region, even as the Syrian government undergoes shifts following leadership changes and echoes of reconfiguration reverberate through allied, or formerly allied, non-state actors. Hezbollah’s status remains a concern for Israel, as do the evolving capabilities and alignments of Hamas and its networks, including hostage diplomacy ...
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