Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-31 at 23:02 cover art

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-31 at 23:02

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-31 at 23:02

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 HEADLINESRafah Crossing Reopens Sunday Amid Gaza TensionsUS Iraq Envoy Exits Barrack May ReplaceVance Holocaust Post Ignites Naming DebateThe time is now 11:02 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.In the Disputed Territories (Gaza, Judea and Samaria, East Jerusalem), Israel will partially reopen the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt this Sunday, with access limited to the movement of people. The crossing has been closed since May 2024 when Israeli forces seized control during the war with Hamas, and it had only seen a brief, limited reopening in early 2025. COGAT, the Israeli defense ministry body overseeing civil affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories, said the Rafah Crossing will open this coming Sunday, February 1st, in both directions, for limited movement of people only. The reopening comes amid ongoing violence in Gaza, with Gaza’s civil defence agency reporting dozens killed in Israeli attacks on Saturday, while the Israeli military said it was retaliating against ceasefire violations. The emotional toll on the troops who recovered the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza has been described as severe, prompting urgent trauma care and mental health support to prevent long-term psychological harm. The remains of Ran Gvili were recovered days ago and he was laid to rest in Israel on Wednesday.In the conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, US special envoy for Iraq Mark Savaya is no longer in that post, according to sources, amid growing tensions between Washington and Baghdad over Iran’s influence in Iraqi politics. Savaya, a Christian Iraqi-American entrepreneur, was among a handful of Arab Americans named to senior posts by Trump; it was not immediately clear why he left or whether a replacement would be appointed. One source said Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria, is believed to be taking over the Iraq portfolio. A relatively new Iraqi resistance faction calling itself Saraya Awliyaa Al-Damm uploaded a video revealing extensive underground tunnels in Iraq; the group, which has previously targeted Israel and the US-led Coalition base in Erbil, vows to support Iran in any upcoming war with the United States. President Donald J. Trump has said that if a convincing agreement can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, it must be achieved, and he noted that there are very large ships heading toward the region, though he could not disclose more. He added that some see Saudi Arabia’s defense minister’s warning that backing off a strike would embolden Tehran, and he said a negotiated deal that achieves no nuclear weapons would be satisfactory if Iran agrees, but he was unsure they would. Iranian officials indicated progress toward negotiations with the United States, while Washington has deployed warships off Iran’s shores. Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said structural arrangements for negotiations were progressing even as a broader conflict would harm all sides. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said a wider war would hurt Iran, the United States, and the region. The Times of Israel has reported that Trump emphasized Iran is “seriously talking” as negotiations proceed and kept the threat of military action in view. Separately, Iran reported two explosions in Bandar Abbas and Ahvaz, which authorities attributed to residential gas leaks; senior Israeli and US officials have denied involvement.In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, Just say ‘Jew’: JD Vance’s Holocaust post shows why naming Jews and Nazis still matters -editorial, the issue centers on International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Vice President JD Vance marked the day with a message honoring “millions of lives lost,” but did not mention Jews or Nazis, drawing backlash from Jewish groups and others who say naming Jews and Nazis is essential to the commemorations and to understanding the roots of antisemitism. Critics argue that omitting those terms blurs the ideology and the targets of the Holocaust, underscoring concerns about rising antisemitism on the political right.In Israeli Domestic Politics, IDF observers forced to endure harassment, poor conditions - report describes the living and working conditions at the Ketziot Base. Observers, predominantly women protecting Israel’s southern borders, reportedly go without hot meals on duty, are not allowed to remove food from the dining room to eat during shifts, and the staff room is empty and unusable. Their uniforms can be dirty due to a broken laundry facility, and many toilets are out of service; sleep is scarce as noise from nearby male quarters disrupts rest. The complaints prompted a response from the IDF spokesperson’s unit. In Jerusalem, police say a haredi soldier was rescued from an anti-draft protest after being surrounded and attacked by around 400 extremists; he escaped to a nearby supermarket and called the ...
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