Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-12-30 at 07:07 cover art

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-12-30 at 07:07

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-12-30 at 07:07

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 HEADLINES- Israel US $8.5B F-15IA upgrade 25 jets- Trump eyes F-35 sale to Turkey- China holds largest drills near TaiwanThe time is now 2:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.Overnight developments across the Middle East and adjacent theaters are shaping security calculations and diplomatic stakes for Israel and its partners. In Washington, the defense partnership between the United States and Israel moved to a new level as the Pentagon announced a contract valued at eight and a half billion dollars to supply 25 upgraded F-15IA fighter jets for Israel, with an option for 25 more. The deal is financed through US military aid and is aimed at strengthening Israel’s air capabilities through the 2035 horizon, reinforcing its ability to counter evolving threats from multiple fronts, including Iran and allied groups across the region. Officials stressed that the package encompasses design, integration, instrumentation, testing, production, and delivery of the aircraft, expanding a fleet that already includes a substantial number of F-15 variants in service.In the same vein, attention in Washington has turned to whether the United States might broaden allied access to advanced air capabilities. President Trump, speaking in Florida alongside Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, indicated he was considering the sale of top-end F-35 jets to Turkey, a move that could reshape regional defense dynamics. Turkish officials have long pursued greater access to advanced platforms, but the prospect has implications for Israel’s qualitative military edge and for regional security alignments that have grown increasingly intricate in recent years.The Israeli side continued to emphasize that its security needs remain central to any discussions about arms sales or strategic deployments. Meanwhile, at a separate summit in the United States, Netanyahu and Trump discussed Gaza and postwar governance arrangements. Reports indicate that Trump is preparing a “day after” plan for Gaza to be announced in mid-January 2026, featuring the creation of an international oversight body intended to monitor disarmament and post-conflict administration. Israeli officials have noted that these announcements carry limited immediate practical effect on the ground, yet they signal a broader international frame for managing Gaza’s future.On the ground in the region, Iran’s domestic crisis persisted into the night as protests continued across major cities, with Tehran’s universities and merchant networks reasserting calls for freedom. Video and social-media posts depicted demonstrations as authorities pressed for a calmer public sphere, though organizers pledged to sustain pressure. The moment underscores a broader anxiety about internal legitimacy and regional leverage, particularly as Iran’s rivals monitor the potential for spillover effects into neighboring states and Israel’s security calculus.In Yemen, the security picture remains volatile as fighting and political maneuvering intersect with regional players. Reports from the Gulf indicate Saudi airstrikes targeting southern Yemen, including the port town of al-Mukalla, following moves by forces allied with the Southern Transitional Council. The strikes were described as limited in scope but targeted at military assets and equipment delivered recently through regional shipping routes. The broader context remains the Saudi-led coalition’s effort to shape governance in southern Yemen amid a fractious civil landscape, with implications for regional stability and the flow of arms and influence toward the region’s fronts and ports.Across the Gulf, the intersection of regional diplomacy and counterterrorism remains a constant feature. Turkey, stepping up its security operations, announced detentions in a major operation against Islamic State cells, detaining hundreds of suspected members in a multi-province sweep. The move comes as Ankara says it faces evolving threats linked to IS activity, including concerns about potential attacks in the lead-up to holiday periods. The United States has carried out related security actions in the broader region, including strikes in northwest Nigeria against IS targets and cooperation with regional partners to disrupt jihadist networks.Turning to East Asia, China’s military maneuvers around Taiwan entered what analysts described as the largest-ever series of exercises, featuring bombers and warships in proximity to Taiwan’s air and sea space. The activity has prompted flight cancellations on Taiwan’s offshore islands, affecting thousands of passengers and underscoring the sensitivity of cross-strait tensions in a global security environment already stressed by supply-chain disruptions, diplomacy, and alliance management. The exercises come at a time when regional powers monitor US strategic posture and its assurances to allies in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.In Australia, authorities said ...
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