Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-24 at 11:06 cover art

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-24 at 11:06

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-24 at 11:06

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 HEADLINESUkraine Hit by Russia as Talks ContinueIran Resumes Nuclear Arms Program, US WarnsGaza 66% Structures Destroyed, Rebuilding LoomsThe time is now 6:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.This is the 6:00 AM global briefing. Here are the latest developments shaping the Middle East and related international affairs.In New York, Mayor Zohran Mamdani defended anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil amid a deportation push reported by the Trump administration. Mamdani said Khalil should remain in New York, calling him a New Yorker and describing the attack on him as part of a broader effort to suppress speech about Palestinian human rights. Khalil, born in Syria to a Palestinian family, holds a green card and rose to prominence during protests at Columbia University in 2024. His case centers on arguments that removing him would raise constitutional questions and that his activism has drawn attention from US authorities amid a dispute over how campus protest activity intersects with foreign policy objectives.In Ukraine, diplomacy and war collided as Russian missiles and drones struck Kyiv and Kharkiv while officials pursued peace talks in Abu Dhabi brokered with US involvement. Ukraine reported casualties, including at least one death in Kyiv and damage to a maternity ward, an IDP dormitory, and a hospital in Kharkiv. Energy infrastructure again bore the brunt of Russia’s strikes, disrupting power and heating for civilians. Kyiv urged robust air defense and warned that the Moscow-backed assault aimed to undermine civilian life. Ukrainian officials also noted ongoing disagreements over Donbas as peace talks proceeded, with Russia reiterating demands about Ukraine’s eastern territories.Across the Atlantic, Washington’s policy debates touched Cuba and Gaza. Politico reported that Trump allies in Congress are pressing to intensify pressure on Havana as part of a broader regime-change discourse, reflecting a strategic opening following Venezuela’s collapse. Separately, the United States has asked Italy to join a Gaza stabilization plan as a founding member, seeking political backing from Rome without an immediate troop deployment. The aim is to shape the security and humanitarian environment in Gaza through diplomacy and coalition-building.In the broader regional and security arena, reporting circulated about Iran’s nuclear trajectory. A statement attributed to a US official said Iran has resumed its nuclear arms program, while US Central Command dispatched its chief, Admiral Brad Cooper, to Israel for urgent consultations on shared security concerns. The developments underscore a continuing regional contention over Iran’s nuclear ambitions and its impact on security calculations for Israel and allied partners.On the ground in Gaza, maps and assessments circulated suggesting a stark division of control on the strip. Officials and analysts described roughly 58 percent of Gaza as being within the green zone for Israeli control, with about 42 percent associated with Hamas. Destruction figures were sobering: approximately 66 percent of structures in the territory described as destroyed, about 10 percent deemed uninhabitable, and the remainder with varying degrees of damage. Observers cautioned that rebuilding would require enormous resources and time, likely contingent on dismantling Hamas’s military capabilities and defeating underground networks. The picture conveys a reality of extensive urban devastation and a daunting path to reconstruction.Within Jerusalem’s public dialogue, opinion pieces argued that Israel faces a cognitive warfare challenge as it approaches elections amid a volatile regional security environment. Analysts urged a careful calibration of national-security speech and emphasized the need for robust public diplomacy to counter hostile narratives abroad, particularly in Western capitals and among young audiences. The thrust of the argument was not to curb dissent but to ensure that leadership statements and policy consequences are anchored in clear accountability and strategic prudence during a period of information-driven contest.Human stories from the conflict continued to resonate. The Times of Israel published a detailed account of Liam Or-Nassar, an 18-year-old held hostage in October 2023 and later released. His father, Ramzi Nassar, described the decision to conceal the family’s Arab identity to protect Liam from potential repercussions should Hamas identify him as a son of a mixed Arab-Israeli family. The family ultimately changed Liam’s surname, a choice the father said brought deep personal pain but was necessary to safeguard him. The narrative provides a personal lens on the broader human cost of captivity and war, and the long road to recovery for those who return.Cultural and historical commemoration also featured in this briefing. An exhibition at the International Convention Center highlights Reuven Milon, a ...
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