HEADLINES
- Nine Hostages Returned as Ceasefire Holds
- Five-Year Target: 50% Haredi Conscripts
- New Gazan War Crimes Tribunal Proposed

The time is now 4:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

A fragile pause in the Gaza ceasefire endures as negotiators press for the next phase while the human cost of the war continues to dominate headlines and hearts on both sides. In Gaza, the work of locating and recovering remains of those killed during the October 7 assault remains a central test of the ceasefire’s credibility. Israel has shared precise coordinates of where it believes hostages’ bodies lie with mediators in coordination with the United States, a step meant to accelerate the return of the dead and advance the broader deal. Nine of the original 28 slain hostages have already been returned to Israel, with nineteen more believed to still be in Gaza. A joint multinational task force is being assembled to locate and recover those remains, while Turkey has begun sending dozens of disaster relief experts to assist in the search. The United States’ exact role in the emerging force on the ground remains unsettled as discussions continue among Washington, regional partners, and mediators. The timing and scope of the next phase of the truce thus remain uncertain, even as both sides say they want to avoid a broader conflict.

On the ground, diplomatic and security leaders in Israel have signaled readiness to move quickly should Hamas falter in fulfilling its commitments. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a high-level security meeting to discuss possible steps if Hamas does not return the bodies of all slain captives. Officials floated options ranging from restricting reconstruction materials into Gaza to delaying the reopening of the Rafah crossing for people, measures aimed at pressuring Hamas while the ceasefire holds in what many describe as a delicate balance between restraint and deterrence. In parallel, defense officials have underscored Israel’s expectation that all elements of the ceasefire be honored, including the return of the dead, the living hostages, and the demilitarization of areas that have become flashpoints in the conflict.

Beyond Gaza, regional and international diplomacy continues to frame the long-term security architecture. France and Britain, coordinating with the United States, are moving to finalize a United Nations Security Council resolution that would lay the groundwork for a future international stabilization mission in Gaza. Paris and London describe the measure as a step toward creating a robust, broadly supported force, with Arab and Muslim states participating but not directly run by the United Nations. Egypt has also stepped into the diplomatic mix, announcing that an Israel-approved Palestinian council will govern Gaza during a transitional period, while Hamas would have no role in that governance. The arrangement appears designed to reassure neighboring states and global powers that a postwar governance structure can emerge under international oversight, potentially easing humanitarian access and reconstruction.

In Israel’s domestic arena, a major policy debate continues over the future of ultra-Orthodox conscription. Boaz Bismuth, a Likud member who chairs the Knesset’s defense panel, has presented a draft framework intended to guide a soon-to-be-formulated bill on Haredi military service. The proposal envisions that within five years half of the Haredi draft cohort would be conscripted, with the exemption age maintained at 26. Yeshiva budgets would face reductions only after meeting enlistment quotas for more than a year, and sanctions would be applied only after two years if targets are not met. In practice, this approach aims to reconcile Torah study with military service, a balance many in Israel see as essential to national security given the wartime demands on the IDF. Critics, including former prime minister Naftali Bennett, charge that the plan risks shoring up an exemption system that has long strained civil-military relations and public trust. Supporters say a clear framework is needed to ensure the IDF can meet its recruitment needs while sustaining the country’s broader security commitments.

Legally and politically, Israel is also moving to shape accountability for the October 7 attacks. Justice Minister Yariv Levin has pushed ahead with a proposal to create a special tribunal to try Gazans accused of carrying out massacres and other grave crimes tied to the invasion. The plan would empower the court to hand down death sentences for crimes framed under genocide law, while also prosecuting offenses such as crimes against humanity, murder, and hostage-taking. The tribunal would comprise 15 judges, with panels of three or five for individual and multi-defendant cases, and decisions would ultimately require prime ministerial approval after consultations with security officials. Backers argue the tribunal would accelerate accountability and deter future attacks; opponents warn of legal and ethical risks and question whether the measures would advance justice or inflame tensions at a critical moment.

At the same time, Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump have engaged in ongoing consultations about Gaza’s future, including the fate of captured and detained militants and the security commitments needed to stabilize the region. The two leaders have repeatedly expressed support for steps that advance Israeli security while pursuing international backing for stabilization and reconstruction in Gaza, an alignment that remains central to American policy in the region. US officials have emphasized patience to ensure the ceasefire endures, even as President Trump reiterates his willingness to act decisively should Hamas kill civilians or escalate violence.

In the broader regional picture, the cross-border challenge with Lebanon remains a factor. Israel’s air force recently struck Hezbollah assets and facilities used to mask Hezbollah operations in southern Lebanon as part of a broader effort to disrupt the group’s reconstruction efforts and its activities near the border with Israel. The strike also targeted an entity known as Green Without Borders, an organization Israel says has been used to shield Hezbollah’s presence and activities in the border region. Israel asserts that such targets violate understandings with Lebanon and threaten regional stability, underscoring the ongoing danger of spillover violence even as the Gaza ceasefire endures.

On the international front, Greece and Egypt have reached an agreement over the future of St. Catherine’s Monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai. The deal ensures the monastery’s status and religious character while addressing land and property concerns that had created tensions between the two governments. The accord is a reminder that broader regional diplomacy continues to shape security and cultural heritage issues alongside the ongoing Gaza dynamic.

Amid the security-focused news, human stories persist on both sides of the conflict. In Israel, families continue to mourn the victims of the October 7 attacks, with ceremonies observing two years since that day—remembrance that sits alongside renewed debate about accountability and security. In the wake of the ceasefire, some Gazans have publicly identified as Holocaust survivors in ways that have drawn condemnation from human rights and historical memory groups, who describe the trend as a distortion of history and a cynical use of historical trauma. These cultural and memory debates punctuate the emotional landscape surrounding a conflict where facts, memory, and identity intersect in powerful ways.

Internationally, voices inside and outside the region continue to press for a tested and monitored path to stability. France, Britain, and the United States are steering a Security Council effort to craft a framework for a possible international stabilization mission in Gaza, a move welcomed by some regional partners while attracting skepticism from others who question the feasibility and command structure of such a force. The United States has signaled willingness to participate in or support the mission, but the exact configuration and the level of participation by various states remain topics of intensive diplomacy.

In related coverage, updates from the surrounding region highlight interconnected security challenges. An Afghan-Pakistan setback and temporary truce, domestic political shifts in other states, and the broader struggle for governance in conflict zones all inform analysts’ understanding of how the Gaza situation may influence wider regional dynamics. Throughout, the core questions remain the same: how to ensure civilian protection, how to deter further aggression, and how to establish a sustainable framework for governance and reconstruction that can endure beyond a ceasefire.

As events unfold, the voices of those most directly affected—families awaiting answers about loved ones, communities rebuilding after violence, and nations contemplating enduring peace—remain central. The road ahead will require careful diplomacy, credible security guarantees, and accountability that respects due process while addressing the legitimate security needs of Israel and its allies. In this moment, leaders on all sides emphasize the goal of stabilizing the region, preventing renewed bloodshed, and laying the groundwork for a future in which security and normalcy can coexist with justice and remembrance. This is the update from the front lines to the conference rooms, where the next steps toward peace and security are being debated and defined.

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I'm Noa Levi. Stay safe and informed.
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