Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-11-26 at 00:05 cover art

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-11-26 at 00:05

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-11-26 at 00:05

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 HEADLINESHamas tightens grip as Gaza rebuildsAbraham Accords endure amid two state cautionsUNSC to visit Damascus Beirut amid tensionsThe time is now 7:00 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.Good evening. This is the 7:00 PM update on Israel at War Day 782, with a look at the evolving Middle East landscape and the perspectives that shape it for an international audience.In Gaza, security officials report that Hamas has asserted near-total control over portions of the territory, with 13 of 25 Hamas-controlled municipalities resuming full operations as police checkpoints return and reconstruction efforts proceed. The group is actively trying to repair damaged infrastructure and improve its image among Palestinians, while Israeli defense and security planners weigh how to respond if current arrangements fracture. Israel is debating its own approach to Gaza’s future, arguing that the American proposal for demilitarization does not fully address security needs. In this context, Tel Aviv seeks to balance humanitarian considerations with a clear message that any future arrangement must prevent threats to Israeli civilians and ensure sustained quiet along the border.Across the Atlantic, US officials are watching closely the trends in Israeli political life and the broader regional diplomacy. Reports in Washington describe ongoing discussions about normalization with the Jewish state, including how domestic politics in Israel might interact with prospects for a broader agreement. One indication is that, even as regional and domestic pressures remain high, senior American voices emphasize that the Abraham Accords remain a strategic object, while cautions about the two-state framework continue to surface in related conversations. The dynamics here matter because they influence how securely Israel’s neighbors view the region’s long arc of diplomacy and deterrence.On the security front, the US Space Force has begun awarding a series of small contracts to develop competing missile defense prototypes, including space-based interceptors and the associated control networks. Firms such as Northrop Grumman, Anduril, Lockheed Martin, and True Anomaly are reported as recipients in what officials describe as a broader push to accelerate capabilities that could help defend against a range of missile threats. While these prizes are not specific to any one theater, the work aligns with ongoing concerns about ballistic and space-based threats to national security in the Middle East and beyond.The United Nations Security Council is preparing a visit to the region, with plans for ambassadors to travel to Damascus and Beirut in early December as part of the council’s effort to reestablish its presence and support a transition process in Syria and to assess stability along the Lebanon-Israel border. Damascus is expected to meet with the new authorities there, including President Ahmed al-Sharaa, as the council also plans to engage peacekeepers with UNIFIL in Lebanon. Lebanon has accused Israel of violating the November 2024 ceasefire by continuing strikes and maintaining forces inside Lebanese territory, a development that adds to tensions along the border and complicates efforts to curb hostilities.In a separate development with strong resonance for Jewish communities abroad, New York City is moving ahead with plans for a Holocaust memorial in Queens. The project, supported by $3 million, will be located at Queens Borough Hall and is intended to create a permanent space for remembrance, education, and reflection for generations to come. City officials say the memorial will host ceremonies, programs, and community gatherings as part of a broader commitment to preserving memory and reinforcing the message that “never again” must be translated into ongoing action.Within the diaspora, a notable cultural initiative continues to draw attention to Israel’s social fabric. Fashion designer Elie Tahari, whose New York-based label has long dressed working women, has expanded his philanthropy by dressing injured Israeli Defense Forces servicewomen, with profits from his online business pledged to aid the country’s wounded female veterans. Tahari has estimated roughly 1,800 injured female fighters and has been sending clothing to Israeli soldiers, including a veteran who survived multiple gunshots. The project gained momentum after a Miami fashion show featuring some of the injured soldiers—an event described by organizers as an extension of the definition of warriors. The initiative, and Tahari’s personal background as someone who rose from a difficult childhood to create a global fashion empire, underscores how Israeli and Jewish communities abroad are seeking through cultural means to support security-minded aims and humanitarian resilience within Israel.Looking ahead, observers will watch how Gaza’s status, amid internal divisions within Palestinian politics and ...
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