HEADLINES
Kiryat Gat to oversee Gaza ceasefire
Hezbollah logistics chief killed in Lebanon
UNICEF warns Gaza risks a lost generation

The time is now 1:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

Good afternoon. This is the 1:00 p.m. update on the Middle East and related regional developments. We assess a moment when diplomacy, security concerns, and humanitarian realities intersect across Gaza, southern Lebanon, and Jerusalem, with the United States leaning into a carefully choreographed ceasefire framework while regional actors press for influence and accountability.

First, the Gaza ceasefire and the road to the second phase. Washington is asserting that there is no Plan B for Gaza’s peace process and that Israel has met its commitments in the first phase of the ceasefire arrangement. The focus now is on the second phase, which envisions a Stabilization Force and a broader international role to address governance, security, and humanitarian needs in Gaza. A civilian-led center in Kiryat Gat will oversee civilian-military coordination to monitor the ceasefire’s implementation and ensure steady humanitarian access. Steven Fagin will serve as the civilian lead of that center alongside the US military’s central command counterpart, a reflection of the combined civilian and security framework being built to manage the transition. In public remarks at the coordination center, US officials emphasized keeping the ceasefire intact, preventing looting or diversion of aid, and laying the groundwork for stabilization efforts that would enable the second phase to begin. On the political track, US officials have pressed for Hamas to disarm, release the remains of hostages, and refrain from involvement in Gaza’s future governance. They have also signaled that UNRWA should not play a role in humanitarian delivery under the agreed plan, a line that reflects broader US and Israeli concerns about the agency’s ties to Hamas. At the same time, Washington has underscored that any future governance of Gaza must be agreeable to Israel and its partners and cannot allow Gaza to become a launch point for attacks. In parallel, US lawmakers have stressed that progress on peace purposes could open doors to broader regional normalization under the Abraham Accords, even as they insist that Hamas cannot govern Gaza.

On the security front along the borders, Israeli and allied forces have continued operational activity in Lebanon, where the fighting and the fragility of the ceasefire remain a persistent concern. In a drone strike attributed to the Israeli military, Abbas Hassan Karaki, the head of Hezbollah’s logistics for the organization’s southern front, was killed in a vehicle in the south of Lebanon. Lebanese health authorities reported several fatalities in the strike round that followed, including a number of civilians. The Israeli military described Karaki’s leadership as having coordinated rebuilding and weapon transfer efforts in southern Lebanon, and it said his presence or actions violated the ceasefire understandings reached after the 2023 escalation and the ensuing ceasefire two months later. Israel has since carried out additional strikes across Lebanon, including on Hezbollah sites, arms caches, and training camps, with Lebanese authorities reporting deaths in those operations. Israeli officials note that, since the ceasefire, operations against Hezbollah have continued as part of a broader objective to degrade the group’s wartime capabilities, while Lebanese authorities and international observers watch for the ceasefire to hold and for Hezbollah to diverge from any renewed hostilities. The broader context remains that Hezbollah’s actions and Israel’s responses are set against the longer arc of a conflict that began with the Gaza war and shifted into a northern front, with regional and international mediation trying to maintain a balance between deterrence and diplomacy.

In Gaza, humanitarian and educational concerns loom large amid the ongoing closure of schools and the risk of a “lost generation.” UNICEF officials warned from Jerusalem that Gaza’s education system has been shattered after years of conflict, creating a danger that a generation of children may be left without adequate schooling and development opportunities unless a transition program is urgently implemented. The warning comes as aid organizations continue to operate within a constrained Gaza context, seeking to ensure that life-sustaining aid reaches those most in need while the political arrangements for longer-term reconstruction and governance are negotiated. The human cost of continued military and political wrangling remains a central concern for international observers and regional leaders alike as they weigh how to stabilize life on the ground while pursuing political objectives.

On the diplomatic and political front in Washington, US Secretary of State nominees and senior diplomats have been shaping the administration’s stance on Gaza and broader regional normalization. A senior US diplomat will serve as civilian lead at the Gaza coordination center in Israel, a sign that the administration expects a continuing and visible US role in monitoring the ceasefire’s implementation and humanitarian access. In public briefings, US officials have reiterated that Hamas must demilitarize, that governance of Gaza must be non-Hamas, and that the international stabilization force will be composed of countries Israel can accept. The United States has signaled that a wide coalition could help advance the Abraham Accords, with broader regional normalization potentially arising as an outcome of stabilizing Gaza and reducing regional hostilities. At the same time, American officials have pressed away from allowing UNRWA to play a direct role in Gaza’s relief operations, citing concerns about Hamas influence within the agency. These positions come alongside discussions about the possible role of regional partners and the extent to which Turkey’s involvement would be acceptable within an international stabilization architecture, a question that remains unsettled as talks continue.

In parallel, regional voices continue to push their own priorities. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for broad sanctions and an arms embargo to press Israel toward a Gaza ceasefire, while Prime Minister Netanyahu has signaled that Turkey should not be given a direct security role inside Gaza. The dynamic underscores the fragility of a unified regional approach and the push-pull between competing strategic interests. In the United States, discussions about how to engage with Turkey, the Palestinian Authority, and other regional actors are entwined with broader debates about how to manage the Gaza ceasefire and the post-conflict governance framework.

Travel and economic developments also feature in today’s snapshot. American Airlines announced a resumption of service to Israel, including a new California route, following discussions between US and Israeli officials. The move reflects continued commercial ties even as security concerns shape travel advisories and business planning in the region.

From Jerusalem to the Lebanese border to the Gaza Strip, the human and political calculus of today’s events remains tightly interwoven. On the Israeli side, the focus is on security readiness and the maintenance of a ceasefire that can hold while political negotiations continue over who governs Gaza and under what framework. On the Palestinian and Lebanese fronts, humanitarian needs, accountability for civilian casualties, and the future of governance and security arrangements loom large in every discussion. And in Washington, policymakers emphasize a persistent commitment to the ceasefire process, a credible international stabilization architecture, and a cautious but hopeful outlook that regional normalization could emerge as a broader byproduct of achieving durable peace.

We will continue to monitor and report as events unfold, keeping all perspectives in view while prioritizing factual accuracy and the safety and protection of civilians in the affected regions. This concludes the 1:00 p.m. update.

Thank you for tuning in to this Israel Today: Ongoing War Report update.
I'm Noa Levi. Stay safe and informed.
Keep in mind that this AI-generated report may contain occasional inaccuracies, so consult multiple sources for a comprehensive view. Find the code and more details in the podcast description.

SOURCES
https://www.jpost.com/must/article-871522
https://www.jpost.com/real-estate/article-871523
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-871538
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-871537
https://www.jpost.com/international/article-871530
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-871471
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-871536
https://t.me/newssil/176365
https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/article-1244685
https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-ne