Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-26 at 19:07 cover art

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-26 at 19:07

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-26 at 19:07

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 HEADLINESLast Gaza hostage recovered, no hostages leftCarrier strike group deployed to Middle EastIran crackdown on protests draws UN condemnationThe time is now 2:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.This is the 2:00 PM update. The last Israeli hostage held in Gaza has been recovered and returned to Israel, bringing to a close a chapter that stretched for more than two years. Ran Gvili, a 24 year old police officer who fought Hamas fighters in October 2023, was identified and brought home after a focused operation in a Gaza cemetery. With his return, Israel says there are no living or deceased hostages left in Gaza for the first time since the 2014 crisis, and the ceasefire’s living components have moved into a new phase. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the moment as a significant milestone, while reiterating that the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire will center on disarming Hamas and demilitarizing the Strip. Israel will continue to supervise the crossing points and security arrangements that govern movement into and out of Gaza, including a remote surveillance posture at Rafah that remains a focal point of subsequent plans, even as the crossing reopens in a limited fashion for pedestrians.Beyond Gaza, the broader security picture in the region is evolving. The Israeli military has conducted strikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon as part of ongoing operations against infrastructure associated with the group. In parallel, Hezbollah’s leadership has warned it will not stand idly by in the event of an attack on Iran, signaling the risk of regional escalation should tensions flare around Tehran’s security posture or its allies. In addition, the Israeli Defense Forces and allied security services have emphasized that Iran remains a central factor in regional diplomacy and deterrence calculations, with statements reiterating vigilance against any Iranian action.In a separate development tied to regional tensions, a major diplomatic dispute between Italy and Israel arose after Italian Carabinieri on diplomatic duty were confronted in a West Bank village, forced to kneel at gunpoint, and subjected to questioning. The incident prompted formal protests from Rome, highlighting the sensitivity of foreign personnel operating in contested areas and the fragility of security protocols in such environments.Turning to the Iranian domestic front, a United Nations expert has reported that security forces in Iran have removed wounded protesters from hospitals during the crackdown following nationwide demonstrations. The expert described this as a grave breach of medical neutrality and international law, noting that families have faced demands for large ransoms to recover bodies of loved ones. The reports describe hospital raids and room-to-room searches as part of a broad crackdown that has drawn international condemnation and raised questions about the accuracy of official casualty tallies. The crackdown has coincided with internet blocks and widespread suppression of dissent, reflecting a broader pattern that international observers say impedes the ability to verify the true scope of the unrest.On the diplomatic and political front, the United States has expanded its posture in the region with a carrier strike group now positioned in the Middle East. The USS Abraham Lincoln and accompanying destroyers have entered the area to demonstrate the capacity to defend American forces and to deter further escalation. This move comes as President Donald Trump has spoken of an “armada” heading toward Iran and as Iranian leaders have warned of all‑out war in response to perceived threats. The United Arab Emirates has stated it will not permit any hostile actions to transit its airspace or territory, illustrating the wider regional calculus at play as Washington and its allies balance deterrence, diplomacy, and the prospect of further military options.Meanwhile, a long-running and strategically significant thread concerns Iran’s past and potential future relationship with Israel through intelligence channels. A historic analysis recalls how Mossad operated inside Iran prior to the 1979 Islamic Revolution, including close interactions with SAVAK and partnerships that spanned training, intelligence sharing, and cooperation against common regional adversaries. The piece speculates on what a post‑Ayatollah regime in Iran might mean for Mossad’s role: in a plausible scenario with reduced nuclear weapons threats and diminished hostility, cohabitation with the CIA and other partners could continue with less friction; in a more open scenario, renewed access to Iranian terrain could reshape regional intelligence dynamics and pathways to understanding allied groups across Iraq, Turkey, and beyond. The retrospective emphasizes that any change in Iran’s leadership would not instantly erase historical patterns of engagement, and it leaves open a ...
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