HEADLINES
US-Led Center Aligns Gaza Aid with Security
Hamas Tunnels 60 Percent Intact, 20k Fighters
Hamas Excluded from Gaza Postwar Governance

The time is now 4:00 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

This hour, the ceasefire in Gaza remains under watchful international scrutiny as partners expand monitoring and humanitarian coordination to support a path toward stabilization. A United States–led Civil-Military Coordination Center is now operating in southern Israel to align humanitarian relief with security needs and to begin planning for postwar governance. Delegations from Jordan, the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, and Canada have joined the effort, with Australia, France, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates joining in recent days. Roughly two hundred American military personnel are deployed at the center, which is designed to synchronize civilian assistance with security considerations while guiding the region toward a postwar framework. United States officials have emphasized that American forces will not enter Gaza itself, and the center’s mission is to coordinate aid flows and security support across the border area.

On the ground, Israel’s defense leadership has signaled that roughly sixty percent of Hamas’s tunnel network remains intact, including a sizable share near the Yellow Line where Israeli forces withdrew at the beginning of the ceasefire. Earlier in the war the Israeli military had estimated destroying a roughly quarter of the tunnels. Hamas is believed to still field around twenty thousand fighters, a reduction from prewar levels of about thirty thousand, with ongoing recruitment reported but claims that newly formed units are less capable than earlier formations. Rockets remain a concern, though the scale of attacks has diminished as Israeli forces concentrate on countertunneling and limited strikes against remaining subterranean targets.

Hamas and several Palestinian factions have issued statements indicating an intent to form a technocratic committee to administer Gaza after the war. The move appears symbolic and aimed at addressing questions of governance in the postwar period, including how disarmament and security will be integrated into any broader framework. In Washington, officials have reiterated that Hamas cannot participate in governing Gaza in the future, a stance echoed by partners aligned with the postwar plan signed at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit.

To verify ceasefire compliance, the United States has expanded its monitoring footprint, including drone flights over Gaza conducted with Israeli consent. Washington says the purpose is to obtain an independent picture of conditions on the ground and to support the new Civil-Military Coordination Center in southern Israel as it coordinates humanitarian, logistical, and security assistance. Officials have not disclosed the precise bases or routes for these flights. Israeli authorities have not publicly commented on locations or methods.

Beyond Gaza, regional observers note developments such as Turkey reporting a successful ballistic missile test, underscoring ongoing defense research and development in the region. Media reports from British outlets have claimed that freed Hamas operatives are staying at a five-star hotel in Cairo, a claim that has not been independently verified by Israeli or Egyptian authorities. The reports described the Renaissance Cairo Mirage City Hotel as housing nearly one hundred fifty to one hundred sixty freed militants alongside Western tourists; officials have not confirmed these accounts.

Israel continues to explore wellness and rehabilitation as part of a broader national narrative, with features highlighting the Dead Sea as a hub where science, hospitality, and culture intersect. Domestically, data from the Central Bureau of Statistics indicate a sustained pattern of emigration, with eighty-two thousand Israelis leaving in twenty twenty-three and officials signaling similar figures for the current year, a trend linked to security concerns and broader demographic dynamics.

Looking ahead, officials in Jerusalem and Washington emphasize the tasks of disarming Hamas and destroying remaining tunnels while establishing governance arrangements for Gaza within the framework of the regional peace plan. The ceasefire remains a fragile balance, contingent on security developments, humanitarian delivery, and the ongoing cooperation of international partners as the situation in Gaza transitions from war to postwar stabilization.

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.

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