Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-09-07 at 23:06

HEADLINES
Hamas open to talks on hostages
Fragile Iran-backed networks linger Hezbollah pressure
Israel pushes urgent inquiry into Oct 7

The time is now 7:00 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

This is the seven o’clock update. Tensions surrounding the war in Gaza, the status of Iran and its regional network, and the broader regional and international reaction remain sharply in focus as governments, diplomats, and security forces reassess risks and leverage, while Israeli leadership and allied partners seek a path to security and quiet through strength.

On the security front, the pause between Israel and Iran and the networks Iran sustains across the region continues to be described as uneasy and fragile. In neighboring Lebanon and Syria, officials and analysts point to a weakened but still operational Iranian projection, with Lebanon’s government and political leaders under pressure to curb Hezbollah’s weapons and influence. A leading Lebanese Christian party has pressed Hezbollah to hand weapons back to the Lebanese state, warning that continued reliance on illegal arms risks broader instability and disaster for Lebanon. The army’s plan to disarm Hezbollah remains a work in progress, with government statements noting that practical steps depend on the available capabilities and on cooperation from other parties, especially Israel. Across the border in Israel, national security remains the top priority as authorities warn that the threat from proxy groups persists even as prime targets have been degraded by military action.

Within Israel itself, domestic developments reflect a country navigating the pressures of a long, costly conflict. President Isaac Herzog, among others at a Tel Aviv conference, urged an urgent state inquiry into the October seventh attacks, arguing accountability and healing are essential to the nation’s resilience. Separately, a high-tension day in northern Israel culminated in the death of a police officer following a pursuit during a field operation; officials said an assailant opened fire, and the officer died of his wounds after being transported to a hospital. In Umm al-Fahm, a visit by national security ministers and security forces drew mixed reactions from residents and local officials, highlighting enduring debates over governance, security, and the balance between policing and community trust. The government has emphasized that any steps against illegal construction and other offenses must be matched by broader political and security commitments to the country’s diverse communities.

In Gaza and on the diplomatic front, efforts to manage the conflict’s ends and its human cost continue to unfold across multiple channels. Hamas has signaled openness to negotiations and to ideas aimed at achieving a ceasefire and the release of hostages, while reiterating conditions that must be met for any permanent settlement. In recent days, the organization stated its willingness to return to negotiations and to discuss a path toward the release of all hostages, while again outlining prerequisites that include a clear declaration ending the war, full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, governance arrangements, and robust international guarantees to prevent a collapse of any agreement. Meanwhile, Washington has engaged in multiple tracks with Hamas, refining a framework that envisions a staged process and, in some accounts, would tie hostage releases to broader steps toward ending the fighting. In separate reporting, a prominent American proposal circulating in mediation circles has suggested that all hostages could be released on the first day of a truce, with subsequent talks aimed at finalizing a broader settlement; Israel has not publicly confirmed acceptance of this specific plan.

In the same vein of diplomacy, the United States has signaled a willingness to press for a...