Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-12-14 at 19:08 cover art

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-12-14 at 19:08

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-12-14 at 19:08

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 HEADLINESIsrael pounds Hezbollah as border flaresWest Bank Gaza violence escalates humanitarian tollBondi Hanukkah attack shocks worldThe time is now 2:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.At 2:00 PM, here is the latest roundup on events in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Lebanon, and related global developments, with background to give a fuller sense of what this means for regional and international security.Across southern Lebanon, the Israeli military says it has killed roughly 40 fighters from the Hezbollah movement since the October escalation began, with a series of strikes conducted in the border region. The Israeli Defense Forces say they conducted multiple operations aimed at neutralizing terror infrastructure and operatives, including three strikes on Sunday in southern Lebanon. The military notes Hezbollah has repeatedly breached the prevailing ceasefire framework since its start, and Israel has pledged to continue actions deemed necessary to protect civilian and military targets. The army has also highlighted that, since the ceasefire went into effect, it has killed more than 380 militants in Lebanon and points to Hezbollah’s continued presence and activity along the border as justification for ongoing security operations. Officials emphasize that the scale and frequency of these incursions reflect a broader pattern of interference with stability on Israel’s northern frontier.In the West Bank and Gaza, a deadly and volatile picture persists. The Israeli military says a would-be knifeman sought to stab soldiers near Hebron and was killed in the encounter. The Palestinian Health Ministry identifies the assailant as 23-year-old Muhammad Wael al-Sharouf, and notes that two previously reported incidents in the area involved a teenager who allegedly hurled an explosive device at troops in Silat al-Harithiya, leading to the death of a 16-year-old Palestinian. In a separate development, Palestinian authorities report the death of a Palestinian prisoner in administrative detention at Ofer Prison, named Sakher Zaoul, 26, from Hussan near Bethlehem. The Palestinian side says Zaoul had been held since June 11 and accuses Israeli authorities of cruel conditions; Israel describes administrative detention as a security mechanism in which suspects can be held without trial, arguing it is sometimes necessary for intelligence collection. Across the West Bank, violence has surged since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, with more than 1,000 Palestinians reported killed by Israeli forces or settlers in that period, according to Palestinian health authorities. In the same timeframe, Israeli and Palestinian fatalities on the Israeli side include 63 civilians and security personnel killed in terror attacks, while eight Israeli security personnel died in clashes during raids in Palestinian cities. The IDF also notes a notable rise in nationalist crimes and settler-related violence, tallying hundreds of incidents this year alone. In Gaza, Israeli troops have continued operations and, in some areas, have conducted engagements as part of the broader campaign to degrade Hamas’s military capabilities and infrastructure.On the political and diplomatic front, Israel’s military and political leadership have signaled that the objective remains to neutralize threats and prevent future attacks. A government statement released in Arabic by the IDF’s spokesman stressed that the Islamic State–aligned and other militant groups operating in the region remain under pressure from cross-border and interior security operations. In Jerusalem, a debate has intensified over how to investigate the failures surrounding the Hamas assault of October 7, 2023. A Likud member of Knesset publicly outlined a plan for a national state investigation committee to look into the October 7 links and failures, proposing a body with broad public buy-in that could be convened by a parliamentary majority and with live broadcasts of sessions to increase transparency. The opposition has rejected the proposal as an attempt to evade the establishment of a state commission of inquiry and has warned that such a move would be unacceptable to bereaved families. The government argues that the proposed panel would be more broadly acceptable to the public and could achieve political consensus. The debate reflects ongoing tensions over accountability for a major security failure and the political dynamics surrounding the handling of the war and its aftermath.On the international stage, a high-profile act of violence outside the region drew widespread attention. A deadly Hanukkah attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, left at least 11 people dead and dozens wounded when gunmen opened fire during a Hanukkah celebration attended by about 2,000 people. A bystander, later identified as Ahmed Al Ahmed, a 43-year-old Muslim man, was credited with disarming one of the attackers, an act widely ...
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