Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-27 at 00:07 cover art

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-27 at 00:07

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-27 at 00:07

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 HEADLINESGaza ceasefire phase two disarms HamasHezbollah warns war with Iran risk growsYe apologizes for antisemitic remarks in WSJThe time is now 7:00 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.Today’s global and regional update centers on the Gaza ceasefire’s second phase, broader Middle East tensions, and parallel international developments shaping Jewish and Israeli perspectives abroad. In Gaza, the return of Rem Ran Gvili’s remains marks the completion of the first phase of the truce agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the moment as a turning point and outlined the next phase: disarming Hamas and demilitarizing the Gaza Strip, not reconstruction. He stressed that the effort to remove weapons from Hamas is essential and warned that the process would proceed with or without cooperation, signaling high political stakes for the postwar period. In Washington, President Trump has repeatedly linked reconstruction to Hamas disarmament, framing the second phase of the plan as inseparable from guarantees that Hamas will relinquish its weapons. At the same time, US officials say the disarmament process could be accompanied by amnesty for Hamas members who renounce violence and pursue peaceful coexistence, though they emphasize that any such arrangement would be contingent on verifiable disarmament and compliance with the terms of the deal.Mediators in the region have pressed Hamas toward a gradual handover of weapons, a framework Israel has indicated it opposes if it implies concessions that reduce Hamas’s ability to operate. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Hamas delegates in Ankara, underscoring the ongoing regional diplomacy aimed at advancing disarmament and broader demilitarization in Gaza. Within Israel and among its supporters, there is broad skepticism about Hamas’s willingness to disarm fully, reflecting a long history of resistance to weapon relinquishment in past truces.In Washington, the US stance remains that it expects Hamas to disarm as part of Gaza’s redevelopment. A Reuters report quotes a US official saying Washington is "open for business" if Iran wishes to contact it as part of ongoing pressure over Tehran’s crackdown on protesters. The official also said there is confidence that Hamas will disarm and that the disarmament process could be tied to reconciliation mechanisms and safe passage for Hamas members seeking to relocate from Gaza. The same reporting notes that the Israeli embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to questions about possible amnesty for Hamas in exchange for disarmament. The broader policy frame remains: the postwar Gaza plan envisions a staged reconstruction that is contingent on Hamas laying down its arms.Across the region, risk calculations have grown more complex. Hezbollah’s leader, Naim Qassem, warned that a war on Iran would ignite the region and pledged to confront any American threats to Iran’s Supreme Leader. He stopped short of vowing attacks on Israel but indicated Hezbollah could be drawn into actions if a broader confrontation with the United States and Israel ensues. Mediators reportedly asked whether Hezbollah would intervene if an American-Israeli strike on Iran occurred, with Qassem saying Hezbollah would act based on conditions of battle and stressing that the group would not remain neutral in such a scenario. The evolving posture from Tehran to Beirut reflects a broader uncertainty about how far de-escalation can hold if Washington and its partners press for a rapid disarmament and a new regional security architecture.Meanwhile, US military movements in the region have grown more visible. An aircraft carrier group and supporting warships have arrived in the Middle East, expanding Washington’s capacity to defend forces and deter further escalation. Iranian officials have warned that any attack would be treated as an all-out war, a rhetoric aimed at signaling resolve amid the heightened American military presence and deterrence posture. Analysts caution that such signaling increases the risk of miscalculation as regional actors interpret moves as preparation for a decisive strike.In other strands of the news, the World Jewish community and campuses continue to wrestle with antisemitism and safety questions in the wake of events around Ye’s public statements. Kanye West, who now goes by Ye, issued a full-page apology in the Wall Street Journal for years of antisemitic remarks, attributing some of his past behavior to a bipolar disorder and a car accident head injury that he says affected his mental health. He asserted that he is not a Nazi and expressed love for Jewish people. The Anti-Defamation League said the apology, while overdue in its timing, does not erase a long history of harmful rhetoric, and the truest apology would be to refrain from antisemitic conduct in the future. Jewish groups largely refrained from broad public commentary...
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