Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-09-07 at 09:08

HEADLINES
Israel Readies Gaza City Push Civilians Suffer
US Outlines Comprehensive Gaza Hostage Accord
France Pushes Palestinian State Recognition Israel Pushback

The time is now 5:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

At 5:00 AM, the landscape in and around Israel remains tense but restrained for the moment. A fragile ceasefire in Gaza holds, even as the threat of renewed fighting and political brinkmanship hangs over the region. Across the spectrum, actors face divergent pressures: Israel emphasizes security and the degraded capabilities of Palestinian militant groups, while supporters of a broader settlement push for diplomacy and cautious movement toward hostage releases and ceasefire arrangements.

In Gaza, Israeli planners are moving forward with a large-scale operation focused on Gaza City. The Defense Establishment assesses that taking Gaza City could unfold over weeks to months and, ultimately, could extend for a year or more if the goal is to degrade Hamas infrastructure rather than to eradicate the group outright. The humanitarian calculus remains stark: tens of thousands have already evacuated from Gaza City, with estimates suggesting around 90,000 residents have left the area, while aid corridors and civilian safety remain precarious. The Gaza health ministry continues to report a staggering civilian toll, with figures that the Israeli government and international observers view as difficult to verify independently; the upper end of the tally reflects thousands of deaths and a vast humanitarian footprint. On the hostages, Hamas has signaled openness to comprehensive negotiations, even as Israel maintains its demand for a broad, all-encompassing prisoner exchange and for Gaza’s governance to shift away from Hamas. In parallel, Israeli officials warn of the high stakes for remaining hostages should operations intensify, stressing the need to minimize civilian harm while pursuing security objectives.

On the diplomatic front, Washington’s role remains central to the hostage discussions. The United States has conveyed to Hamas a set of principles for a comprehensive deal to end the war in Gaza, delivered through intermediaries including experienced Israeli negotiator Gershon Baskin and the intermediary channel built by Steve Witkoff, a longtime US envoy associated with President Donald Trump. The arrangement envisions a framework for negotiations that would, in time, secure the release of remaining hostages in return for a complex exchange and the possible release of Palestinian prisoners. Prime Minister Netanyahu has publicly signaled a preference for a comprehensive settlement that would see the release of all 48 hostages, a condition that, if realized, would require careful security arrangements and governance changes in Gaza. In the background, Israeli officials continue to evaluate the pace and terms of any potential truce, accounting for military risks, hostage welfare, and political considerations at home.

International diplomacy also continues to swirl around broader recognition issues. In Europe, a push led by France to secure recognition of a Palestinian state has drawn a robust counter-campaign from Israel. Israel argues that recognition moves could complicate or imperil the Abraham Accords and strategic alignments in the region, and it has pressed allied governments to weigh security and stability alongside any shift in recognition policy. Denmark has publicly stated it is not ready to recognize a Palestinian state and that Israel does not have a veto over such recognition by other states. That dynamic underscores a broader tension: the pursuit of state recognition by some actors versus Israel’s security concerns and the potential implications for regional peace efforts. In this context, Israel’s diplomacy is active, with senior officials engaging with partners abroad to explain how a...