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

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

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

Listen for free

View show details

About this listen

 HEADLINESGaza Board of Peace sparks UN concernsSyria SDF ceasefire forces join state ministriesIsrael public leans toward international Iran strikeThe time is now 1:00 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.The international diplomatic landscape remains tightly focused on questions of governance, security, and how far global institutions and national actors are willing to let different models of conflict management take hold. In Washington, President Trump has invited roughly sixty countries to participate in a Gaza-focused Board of Peace, a move that critics say could undercut the United Nations by creating a parallel framework with a lifetime chair and a charter that privileges rapid decision making and external funding thresholds. The invitation, viewed in European capitals and capitals around the world, has drawn cautious responses. Hungary’s Viktor Orban quickly signaled acceptance, while other governments have offered limited public comment, expressing concern that the plan could dilute or override UN processes already in place. The White House argued the board would address durable peace through pragmatic, nimble action, beginning with Gaza and potentially expanding to other conflicts; the draft charter also ties membership to substantial cash contributions and limits terms to three years unless certain funding thresholds are met. The plan has raised skepticism from several governments and from UN officials, who said member states are free to associate in different groupings, while noting that the United Nations is the only universally recognized body with a mandate to coordinate international action on war and peace. Israel’s government said the BoP’s makeup contradicts its policy, and it indicated it had not been consulted on details of the Gaza framework before the invitation was issued. In the wake of the invitation, observers point to the risk of undermining the UN’s role in Gaza and elsewhere, and to the possibility that some countries could join out of loyalty to the United States rather than to international law or established practice.In another front in the region, the Syrian government and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces have announced an immediate ceasefire on all fronts in the northeast. The agreement, published by the Syrian presidency, envisages the withdrawal of SDF-affiliated forces to the east of the Euphrates and the integration of those forces into Syria’s defense and interior ministries after security checks. Government control would extend to Kurdish-held Deir al-Zor and Raqqa, with border crossings and energy fields turned over to state authorities. The SDF would remove non-Syrian forces affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party from the country. The deal is being framed as a path toward a unified Syria, though questions remain about the fate of Kurdish governance in the longer term and the broader implications for regional security and foreign involvement. US officials welcomed the development as a step toward stabilization, while also warning that the security landscape remains fragile and the path to a comprehensive settlement remains complex.Across Israel and the wider public arena, reflective testimony from the October 7 period continued to surface in domestic forums. In a Knesset committee hearing focusing on the status of women and victims of violence, survivors described the lasting impact of abuse and the obstacles they faced in pursuing justice. One survivor recounted an assault in 2011 and the experience of gag orders that limited public accountability. A former minister’s aide also testified about past allegations and the enduring challenges of addressing sexual violence in the political arena. Lawmakers pressed for changes to statute of limitations and for improved processes to protect witnesses and victims, while stressing that accountability must be balanced with fairness and due process. The proceedings highlighted the ongoing domestic dimension of security that intersects with questions about governance, transparency, and public trust.In Tehran, the landscape remains tense over potential military actions and the broader strategic contest with Washington. Reports surrounding Iran’s Revolutionary Guard buildup and the possibility of a US strike have prompted sharp responses from Iranian leaders. President Masoud Pezeshkian cautioned that any strike against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would be tantamount to all-out war against the Iranian people, arguing that sanctions and external pressure have already inflicted hardship. In Washington, President Trump told interviewers that the United States would act decisively if Iran moved to executions or escalated suppression of protesters, while Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian stated there is no plan to carry out hangings. At the same time, a significant share of Israeli public opinion—reported in a Maariv ...
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.