Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-11 at 18:08 cover art

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-11 at 18:08

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-11 at 18:08

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 HEADLINESIran protests toll hits 500 internet cutHamas readies technocratic Gaza governmentRas Ein el-Auja displaced by settlement pushThe time is now 1:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.Two weeks into nationwide protests in Iran, reporting from rights groups puts the death toll over five hundred as security forces continue to crack down and information access remains tightly controlled. Tehran has tried to project calm by cutting the internet and limiting news of the unrest, while insisting internal affairs are for Iranians to resolve. In recent days Iran has sent its foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, to engagement abroad, visiting Lebanon and meeting with Lebanese officials as well as Oman’s counterpart, stressing non interference and the need to resolve regional conflicts through dialogue. Tehran’s messaging underscores a pattern: outward diplomatic activity and regional outreach continue even as domestic demonstrations intensify. Officials in Ankara have voiced concern that the protests could inspire Turkish citizens to challenge their own authorities, reflecting worries about spillover effects in neighboring states. Across the region, Iran’s leadership portrays the situation as a test of resilience, while opposition and rights groups accuse the regime of using force and censorship to avert a tipping point. Independent tolls point to hundreds of protest-related fatalities and more than ten thousand arrests, though the Iranian government disputes those figures and attributes violence to rioters backed by foreign powers.In Gaza, Hamas has ordered its ministries to prepare for the handover of administration to a proposed technocratic Palestinian government, a move tied to the broader plan being advanced by supporters of former US President Donald Trump. SAFA, Hamas’s media arm, quoted officials saying the transition would align with a plan to end the current war in Gaza and implement a forthcoming framework. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated a hard line that Hamas must be disarmed and Gaza demilitarized in line with a stated plan, as former UN envoy Nickolay Mladenov readied to assume leadership of the new Board of Peace appointed to supervise the new government pending Israeli vetting. The development arrives amid calls from Washington for a managed transition that would stabilize governance in Gaza and enable a new phase of diplomacy, though many details remain to be disclosed.Meanwhile, on the ground near Gaza and the Lebanese border, the Israeli military has pressed warnings and conducted operations to neutralize threats as they arise. In southern Lebanon, strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure followed warnings to nearby civilians to relocate, and an operation targeting a Hezbollah drone operator was reported. Across the border areas, the IDF stressed it would act to remove immediate threats while maintaining vigilance along the front with Lebanon and in Gaza’s vicinity. In the Gaza corridor, reports indicate a continuing effort to manage security concerns in a given zone while actions unfold against militant targets deemed causes of instability.Domestically in Israel, the political scene remains deeply divided as the country edges toward its next electoral test. Two major blocs have formed around rival visions for governance, with little cross-aisle movement evident. The current government leans right and religiously oriented, while the opposition coalition centers on figures who advocate change to the status quo. Analysts say the political stalemate could persist through the year, and some observers predict that the prime minister could emerge as a beneficiary of continued deadlock unless a breakthrough occurs. In parallel, discussions in Berlin yielded a joint declaration with Germany’s interior minister to expand cooperation on cyber defense, counterterrorism, and advanced technologies, with both sides citing threats from Iran and its regional proxies as a shared concern.In the West Bank, the Jordan Valley town of Ras Ein el-Auja has faced a dangerous spike in violence tied to settlement activity. Dozens of families have left the village, which once housed hundreds, as settlers have moved to establish outposts and increase pressure on Palestinian communities. Rights groups say settlement expansion has reshaped large areas of the West Bank, a trend UN officials warn could entrench an Israeli presence and complicate a two-state approach. Residents say they have faced daily intimidation, with loss of sheep, vandalism, and power disruptions reported in neighboring hamlets, and many displaced families have scattered to nearby villages and cities while some try to rebuild.In Syria, fighting in Kurdish-majority districts around Aleppo has left dozens dead and displaced tens of thousands. Government forces have reasserted control in Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsud, though the latter area was reported closed to returning ...
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