Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-09-12 at 09:13

HEADLINES
UAE summons Israeli envoy after Doha airstrikes
Hostages drive fragile Gaza ceasefire talks
US sanctions Yemen Houthis amid Gaza spillover

The time is now 5:08 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

At 5:08 AM, an uneasy calm persists over a broadened war theater as regional diplomacy wrestles with a fragile ceasefire framework. Reports indicate the UAE has summoned the Israeli ambassador after airstrikes in Doha, a development that has prompted an emergency Arab-Islamic summit set for this weekend to discuss the conflict and the Gaza war’s expanding regional footprint. The gatherings underscore how close the campaign in Gaza remains to provoking broader confrontation, even as Washington and allied capitals position themselves with the goal of peace through strength.

Across the broader Middle East, the balance of Iran’s influence appears strained even as Tehran keeps its options open. In Syria, narratives point to the formation of a new government apparatus following what pundits describe as the ouster of Bashar al-Assad, signaling a potential realignment of the country’s political landscape at a moment of intense regional pressure. In Lebanon, Hezbollah’s military strength is portrayed by some officials as diminished under sustained Israeli pressure, with Lebanese authorities and neighbors pressing to reduce the group’s presence along the border and within the country’s political economy. Those developments, if realized, would complicate any attempt to stabilize the region while keeping the focus on Gaza and the broader confrontation with Israel.

In Gaza, Hamas’s operational capacity is described as degraded relative to the peak of the war, even as the group maintains a hostageholding strategy that remains central to any durable ceasefire. Israel’s objective remains the return of hostages and the disarmament and demilitarization of Gaza, a condition tied to any long-term political settlement. The hostage dynamic continues to color negotiations in earnest, with US and regional mediators pressing for a credible path to release all hostages while ensuring that any framework does not leave Hamas empowered. In recent days, the US administration has publicly signaled concern over developments on the ground, including a high-profile strike in Doha against Hamas leadership that drew sharp reaction from Washington and its allies. Officials familiar with the diplomacy say the attack has complicated but not ended mediation efforts, though some interlocutors in the region claim that talks have been disrupted or paused as a result of the strike.

In Yemen, Houthi attacks persist, drawing new sanctions from the United States aimed at cutting off fundraising, smuggling and attack operations linked to the movement. The Treasury action targets a broad slate of individuals, entities and vessels in an effort to disrupt the group’s external financing and operational capabilities, reflecting the US view that regional turmoil in Yemen intersects with the Gaza war and broader regional security. The international community continues to monitor maritime routes and humanitarian access as threats from the Houthis’ actions ripple through supply chains and energy markets.

On the diplomatic front, the Qatar-mediated track remains a focal point of international efforts. Qatar’s leadership has pledged to continue its humanitarian and diplomatic work to stop the bloodshed, even as mediation efforts are tested by high-stakes incidents such as the Doha strike. The United Nations Security Council engagement and European leadership moves, including President Macron’s outreach, illustrate a broadening international focus on freeing hostages and advancing a political framework that could sustain a ceasefire. A recurring theme across these discussions is the demand from hostage families and allied partners for a comprehensive...