Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-17 at 04:07 cover art

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-17 at 04:07

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-17 at 04:07

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 HEADLINES- Gaza Postwar Board of Peace Formed- UK Won’t Designate IRGC as Terrorist- Iran Dissent Revealed Through FatimaThe time is now 11:00 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.This is the 11:00 PM international update. In Washington, officials outlined a framework to manage Gaza after a potential postwar transition, aiming to coordinate international aid, governance, and security. The centerpiece is the Board of Peace, a high-level coordination body designed to mobilize resources and steer the transition from conflict to civilian life. Its Executive Committee includes Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Turkish interlocutors, a senior Qatari diplomat, Egyptian intelligence leadership, and UAE international cooperation leadership, alongside former UK prime minister Tony Blair. The panel is intended to oversee the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, a parallel body comprised of Palestinian technocrats charged with restoring essential services and rebuilding institutions. The Executive Committee is described as the operational arm of the broader Board of Peace.The White House said the arrangement will also create an International Stabilization Force to provide security for the Strip and facilitate the safe delivery of humanitarian aid and reconstruction materials. Command of the ISF will be held by Major General Jasper Jeffers, a US Central Command veteran, who will coordinate security operations and demilitarization alongside civilian stabilization efforts. In addition, senior US officials have signaled that participation from a broad group of states remains essential to the plan, though one ally, Azerbaijan, has said it will not participate. Officials emphasized the aim of a gradual, coordinated transition that relies on local Palestinian police to maintain day-to-day governance while international partners support broader stability and reconstruction.Within Israel, officials have welcomed broad international engagement but have voiced careful scrutiny about who participates in shaping Gaza’s future. The government stresses the need for credible guarantees that security concerns, especially regarding Hamas, are addressed and that humanitarian relief continues under strict oversight. The administration notes that the Board of Peace is meant to be an overarching framework that aligns international resources with on-the-ground needs, while the NCAG focuses on governance and service delivery for Gaza’s residents.On the Iranian front, a campaign to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terrorist organization remains a focal point for regional diplomacy. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar held conversations with European Union officials to press for further proscription of the IRGC, arguing that the group is instrumental in repressing Iran’s citizens and projecting destabilizing influence across the Middle East. In a separate track, the United Kingdom has decided not to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization, opting instead for sanctions under existing frameworks. The United States already lists the IRGC as a terrorist organization, and several other countries have taken steps to broaden pressure on the group, reflecting a wider debate over how to curb Tehran’s security apparatus without constraining humanitarian channels.Meanwhile, Iranian voices at home and abroad continue to offer a stark portrait of the regime’s grip and the daily realities faced by dissenters. A report based on interviews with Fatima, a pseudonym used for a daughter of an IRGC official, details personal fears, coercive family dynamics, and the ways individuals navigate a system many describe as a prison. She describes abusive household dynamics, suppression of protests, and the risk to those who speak out. The interview adds to a chorus of testimonies about the pervasiveness of state power and the precarious safety of dissent within Iran’s political culture.Cultural channels remain a bridge to broader understanding of Iran and the region. Apple TV+ has begun streaming the third season of Tehran, the Emmy-winning Israeli drama that blends espionage with a portrait of Iranian society. The new season continues Tamar Rabinyan’s high-stakes chase, placing a focus on the shelter where women sheltering from abuse and threat provide a counterpoint to the violent world of intelligence operations. The series juxtaposes international suspense with intimate portraits of resilience, including a subplot involving a UN nuclear inspector and the dynamics between Mossad and its long-time ally within the intelligence community. The program complements a slate of Iranian cinema available on streaming platforms, including films like A Separation, which examines family crisis in Iran, and Shayda, a story about an Iranian mother in Australia seeking safety for her daughter. Argo, the 2012 film about a daring exfiltration during the 1979 hostage ...
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