Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-26 at 02:06 cover art

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-26 at 02:06

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-26 at 02:06

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 HEADLINESTehran mural warns of possible US warRafah reopening tied to hostage returnsIsrael tests fronts in Lebanon Syria GazaThe time is now 9:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.Tehran’s Enghelab Square has become the stage for a new state message. A mural now on display depicts a blue-tinted version of the United States flag, an aircraft carrier crowding the scene, and damaged white aircraft with red streaks, accompanied by the caption “If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind” in both Farsi and English. The artwork sits in a location long used by the regime for public displays and is periodically updated to fit national moments. The mural follows recent signals from Washington about possible military options, and it arrives as former president Donald Trump asserted on the Davos stage that there are “a lot of ships heading toward Iran,” while saying he hopes the United States will not have to use them. In Tehran, senior officials warned that any attack would be treated as an all-out war and that Iran would respond in the hardest possible manner to defend the country and its people.In Gaza and Israel, the diplomacy and security calculus continue to be closely linked. Israel signaled a limited reopening of the Rafah crossing with Egypt, but only after the IDF completes a focused operation to locate and recover the body of the last hostage, Ran Gvili. The plan envisions allowing pedestrian passage, conditioned on a full Israeli inspection mechanism and on Hamas’s efforts to locate and return all living hostages as well as slain hosts. US officials indicated the operation could take several days, with Rafah expected to reopen by the end of the week if the search progresses as hoped. Israel’s publicly stated position, echoed by its American partners, remains that the crossing’s reopening is tied to the return of hostages and to Hamas’s full cooperation in locating and returning the bodies of those killed. In Jerusalem, officials stressed that the decision rests on concrete progress in hostage recovery and on assurances that humanitarian aid can move through Gaza with oversight. At the same time, a number of far-right ministers criticized the decision at a cabinet level, warning that reopening Rafah could send a negative signal if it is not accompanied by demonstrable progress against Hamas. The broader humanitarian picture remains dire in Gaza, with aid deliveries and civilian needs at the forefront of international discussions.Separately, Israel’s military is testing its readiness for multi-front pressure. A Central Command drill modeled high-intensity scenarios across Lebanon, Syria, and the Gaza Strip and examined how the force would respond when manpower is constrained. Among the scenarios considered was the potential infiltration of terrorist cells from Jordan into Israel, a development security planners are watching amid broader concerns about border security and the risk of coordinated attacks modeled on October 7. The exercise also touched on domestic stability within the Palestinian territories and the possible implications of Ramadan, aiming to ensure that multi-front operations can proceed while maintaining the ability to respond across a busy regional landscape.In Washington and in allied capitals, diplomacy and security policy continue to intersect with the Middle East realities. A discussion between US officials and Iraqi leadership focused on the repatriation of foreign nationals held in Iraqi facilities and on ensuring that Iraq’s policies do not undermine broader US-Iraq cooperation. On the strategic horizon, the United States has reiterated its intent to deter China’s rising military profile as part of a broader defense strategy, emphasizing deterrence rather than regime change, and underscoring that peace on favorable terms is possible but achievable only with enduring balance of power that serves American interests. These strands underscore how regional security, alliance commitments, and domestic political developments in key capitals shape the choices surrounding Iran, Israel, and Gaza.In Iran, authorities have intensified their crackdown on protests, with banners and security actions reported in Tehran reflecting a harsher line against demonstrations. Accounts from doctors and observers describe casualties and the use of live fire as security forces move to restore order across major urban centers. The unfolding domestic response to dissent adds another layer to an already tense regional environment, as Tehran seeks to project control while flashpoints around its nuclear program, regional influence, and the status of US and allied pressure remain live.Smaller but relevant developments also weave into the broader security picture. Police and customs authorities in Israel have stepped up measures to curb the smuggling of dual-use items into Gaza as the Rafah question remains central to humanitarian ...
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