Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-09-07 at 21:09

HEADLINES
Hamas signals six-month hostage endgame with US
Gaza high-rise strikes amid starving civilians
Israel High Court orders improved prisoner nutrition

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

This hour, the Gaza war remains in a precarious balance as diplomatic efforts intensify around hostage negotiations while battlefield realities press on in Gaza City and its outskirts.

Hostage negotiations and ceasefire dynamics
- Hamas has publicly indicated openness to ideas mediated by the United States, expressing a constructive approach in talks mediated with other parties. In a formal statement, Hamas said it has received ideas through mediators and welcomed steps that help end the fighting and free prisoners, while stressing it is prepared to sit down to discuss the exchange of all prisoners and related terms. Their message also calls for a clear and immediate start to discussions about a lasting ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and the establishment of a Gaza administration led by independent Palestinians to begin operating right away, with explicit international guarantees to prevent a relapse into past deadlocks.
- The Israeli position remains guided by its public principles for ending the war in Gaza, which include disarmament of Hamas, the simultaneous release of all remaining hostages, demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, Israeli security control, and the creation of a civilian governance framework not led by Hamas or the Palestinian Authority. In recent days, Israeli officials have discussed and reviewed a hostage-deal proposal that envisions a six-month framework to end the war, with hostages released in the first 48 hours after the declaration of the framework. The plan would replace a staged release with an accelerated early-release phase, and it contemplates a prisoner swap of 130 Palestinian security prisoners for every 10 hostages. The Israeli side also seeks an outside verification process for any disarmament, and conditions for phased withdrawal are tied to disarmament, the return of any hostage bodies, a de-radicalization program for Gaza, and the establishment of a Palestinian administrative body that would be discussed in tandem with negotiating partners. While some mediators carry this framework forward, Israel has not formally endorsed it and has signaled it remains cautious, weighing the balance of concessions against security guarantees and regional stability.
- In parallel, there are continued indications of movement and friction. Hamas has not rejected the Trump-era proposals outright but has asked for clarifications about the terms for released prisoners and governing arrangements. US President Donald Trump has been vocal on the hostage issue, describing a “last warning” to Hamas and signaling that Israel has accepted his terms for the hostage deal, while Netanyahu’s government has indicated it is “considering” the plan rather than fully endorsing it at this moment. The result is a tense but ongoing negotiation environment, with Washington and Cairo and other mediators urging progress while the fighting continues.

Gaza battlefield developments and humanitarian picture
- The Israeli Defense Forces have continued strikes in Gaza City as part of operations aimed at degrading what it says are Hamas’ military capabilities and command structures. In recent days, the IDF struck three high-rise buildings in Gaza City, including the al-Ru’ya Tower, after issuing evacuation warnings. The army contends Hamas has embedded itself in civilian infrastructure and used high-rises for intelligence and attack coordination. In the wake of these strikes, rockets were launched from Gaza toward Israel, marking the first such launch in several weeks; one rocket was intercepted and the other landed in an unpopulated area.
- The army also reported progress against...