Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-09-05 at 07:07

HEADLINES
- Fragile Gaza ceasefire under fire
- Lebanon disarm Hezbollah plan stirs regional fears
- US sanctions Palestinian NGOs over ICC case

The time is now 3:00 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

Good evening. This is the hourly update on the crisis and the larger regional picture, with a steady, unaffiliated voice laying out what matters most, why it matters, and what to watch next.

A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran remains tense and uneven, with both sides signaling red lines and the region watching carefully for any misstep that could widen the conflict. In the Gaza theater, Israeli officials say operations aim to degrade Hamas’s leadership and capabilities while seeking to minimize civilian harm, even as the war’s intensity persists and the hostage crisis remains unresolved. The Israeli government describes its security posture as a matter of self defense, detailing ongoing operations against Hamas inside Gaza and along the border to prevent attacks and to locate and free hostages believed held in Gaza. In parallel, regional power dynamics continue to shift as Iran’s proxies face a degraded position in some theaters, even as Tehran signals it will not abandon its broader strategic aims. The immediate question for Washington and its allies is how to sustain pressure and deterrence while supporting peace through strength, a line repeatedly emphasized in American policy discussions.

On the ground in Syria, the post-Assad landscape is described in some analyses as fragile and contested. Reports note changes in the local balance of power that have weakened allied factions and complicated the prospects for a stable, multi-sided settlement. In Lebanon, the Lebanese government is moving to discuss a plan to disarm Hezbollah, a proposal that has drawn sharp resistance from the group and its allies. Israel has been watching these developments closely as it pursues what it calls a necessary campaign to curb militant capabilities along its northern border. The broader message from Israeli officials remains that any disarmament would have to be real and verifiable, not symbolic, and that stability in the region requires durable security arrangements.

Human life and the humanitarian dimension remain at the center of the story in Gaza. The war’s toll continues to mount in Gaza and in the theater of operations around the city, with families and humanitarian groups pressing for safe corridors and for the protection of civilians. The hostage issue remains acute: 700 days into the conflict, with dozens of hostages still unaccounted for, advocates for hostages and families plan protests to keep international attention on their loved ones. The Israeli military has released and circulated images designed to illustrate the leadership structure of Hamas in Gaza, including senior figures involved in the military wing. Israel stresses its intention to avoid civilian casualties where possible, while stressing that Hamas uses civilian infrastructure for military purposes and endangers civilians by its own actions.

In Washington, US policy continues to intertwine with the battle for regional leverage and global norms. The administration has imposed sanctions on Palestinian non-governmental organizations tied to the International Criminal Court case against Israel, arguing that the ICC process and accompanying activism are part of a broader effort to delegitimize Israel’s security actions. The sanctions reflect a hard line designed to blunt what Washington sees as anti-Israel campaigns conducted under the banner of accountability. The broader US stance remains one of backing Israel’s security needs while pressing for de-escalation, a balance that is complicated by the political dynamics inside Israel and the competing regional interests.

Internationally, the political and economic fallout from...