Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-09-06 at 17:07

HEADLINES
Fragile Iran ceasefire strains regional balance
Hamas weakened as hostages drive talks
UK bans Palestine Action as Europe tightens

The time is now 1:00 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

Good afternoon. Here is your hourly update on the developing situation in Israel, Gaza, and the broader region.

Analysts caution that the ceasefire between Israel and Iran remains fragile and unsettled, with regional dynamics continuing to shift. While there is no durable settlement in sight, discussions and signals of restraint have persisted in recent days. At the same time, observers note that Iran’s network of proxies across the region appears degraded in capability in some corridors, even as it seeks to preserve influence through allied groups and allied governments. In Syria, questions about the structure of governance and the influence of external actors loom large as regional powers reassess leverage after years of conflict. The Lebanon front remains tense as factions and external players weigh their options, with successive security operations and diplomatic signals feeding a volatile mix. Israel’s security posture continues to emphasize deterrence and the protection of civilians amid a complex regional mosaic of actors and interests.

Turning to Gaza and the Hamas front, the operational picture is one of constrained capabilities for the group alongside an ongoing, multi-layer hostage crisis. Reports describe a significant diminution in Hamas’s ability to project power from Gaza, even as it maintains an integrated hold on hostages and uses humanitarian pauses as leverage. In recent days, Hamas’s command and control and tunnel networks have faced sustained pressure from Israeli forces, including strikes aimed at infrastructures supporting those tunnels and the broader war effort. The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, with crowded camps and limited access to essential services, as civilians continue to bear the brunt of intensified combat operations. The hostages remain a central element of negotiating dynamics, with families and mediators calling for safe release and urging public restraint from actions that could complicate or undermine those efforts.

In related hostage news, there is a notable development regarding Alon Ohel, a captive whose family has had limited public access to information. Following consultations with experts, Ohel’s parents disclosed that his vision has been affected, with the family noting loss of sight in his right eye likely tied to the conditions of captivity and insufficient ongoing healthcare. The family has authorized publication of an image to provide transparency about his condition, while continuing to urge privacy for the video footage and urging public attention on the hostages’ plight. The case remains a poignant reminder of the human dimension at the heart of these near-daily confrontations.

On the battlefield and battlefield-prep front, Israel’s forces have carried out targeted operations in Gaza City, including actions to dismantle infrastructure linked to Hamas’s tunnel network. The military says such measures are aimed at reducing the group’s ability to conduct cross-border activity and to threaten Israeli civilians. As these operations unfold, hundreds of families are moving south from Gaza City toward areas they hope will be safer, even as humanitarian conditions in transit zones become more strained. Alongside military moves, the broader security environment remains dangerous, with confrontations and rocket alerts recurring in border communities and southern Israel.

In domestic developments, Israel continues to confront public demonstrations linked to hostages and calls for a ceasefire. A reservist in an elite unit was arrested outside the Hod Hasharon home of Education Minister Yoav Kisch after authorities say he failed to...