Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-09-06 at 10:04

HEADLINES
Netanyahu blocks single phase hostage release plan
US UN craft postwar Gaza technocratic governance
UN warns Gaza famine as displacement soars

The time is now 6:00 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

Six a.m. update: the United States Central Command released photographs this week showing Commander Brad Cooper visiting Israel, where he met with Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir to review regional security cooperation and shared assessments of the threat environment. In Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly rejected a ceasefire plan advanced by former army chief Herzi Halevi that would have freed all Gaza hostages in a single phase, describing the proposal as defeat. In Gaza, the Israeli army issued an Arabic language evacuation alert for the Al-Ruwaiya building near the Beirut junction, warning residents to move ahead of an expected attack, with the building marked in red on the city map. On the diplomatic front, the United States and the United Nations are exploring a postwar Gaza framework that would include a technocratic governing body, international oversight, and the disarmament of Hamas, aiming to preserve Palestinian unity and stability in the region. The Egyptian foreign minister described as “nonsense” the portrayal of Palestinian displacement as voluntary, as Israeli forces push deeper into Gaza City and civilians relocate south toward the Al-Mawasi humanitarian zone. Thousands of Gazans have moved to the Al-Mawasi area, where field hospitals, water facilities, food, tents, and medical supplies are being provided in cooperation with the United Nations and international organizations. In Washington, President Donald Trump said the United States is in very deep negotiations with Hamas to secure the release of hostages in Gaza, warning that if all living captives are not freed the outcome will be nasty, with involvement from advisers including Jared Kushner. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum welcomed Trump’s involvement and praised his commitment to bringing home all captives, while urging Israel to back a comprehensive agreement. Reports say that last year former army chief Halevi pressed for a comprehensive package that would release all hostages before the Rafah operation, but Netanyahu dismissed the proposal as defeat and pressed for a phased approach at the time. Israeli defense officials warn Hamas may move hostages from Gaza City ahead of the planned ground offensive, and a Hamas release of a hostage video appears to show captives in areas outside the Israeli military’s current footprint, with the full hostage locations picture not yet known. The Israeli army and security services continue to push for a single, comprehensive end to hostage captivity and for Hamas’s disarmament, even as the possibility of a prolonged campaign in Gaza City remains under consideration by senior officials. The United Nations has warned of near famine conditions in Gaza and notes that up to one million people could be displaced by the intensification of the assault on Gaza City and surrounding areas. Separately, authorities arrested a suspect with a Molotov cocktail outside the Israeli Embassy in Belgium, with no embassy workers harmed. In another development, Iran executed a man linked to a 2022 attack during the Mahsa Amini protests, underscoring ongoing domestic crackdowns. Regionally, Egyptian and other international actors continue to press for Palestinian recognition and governance arrangements that could shape the postwar landscape, while Israel emphasizes security needs and seeks strong allied backing to advance its aims. Domestic Israeli security and political calculations remain closely tied to the evolving battlefield and diplomatic dynamics as the night shift gives way to continued overnight developments.

Thank you for tuning in to this Israel Today: Ongoing War Report update.
I'm Noa Levi....