Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-09-12 at 16:07

HEADLINES
UN backs two-state path with 142 votes
Gaza deaths soar as 500 targets hit
Forty-seven hostages remain as talks hinge

The time is now 12:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

At noon today the world watches another chapter in a long and brutal conflict. The United Nations General Assembly has taken a clear step toward reviving a two‑state framework, while the battlefield on the ground in Gaza remains intensely active and deeply tragic.

The UN action centers on the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Palestine Question and the Implementation of the Two‑State Solution. The General Assembly approved the declaration by a substantial margin: 142 voting in favor, 10 against, with 12 abstentions. The United States and Israel did not participate in the conference that produced the document. The declaration calls for tangible, timebound steps that would lead to a two‑state outcome, condemns Hamas for its attacks on civilians and demands Hamas surrender its weapons, and urges concerted action to end the war in Gaza and to establish a Palestinian state with international involvement. It also gestures toward a possible deployment of a temporary international stabilization mission under United Nations auspices as part of a broader peace effort.

Responses to the measure are mixed and reflect a broad international divide. From Jerusalem, officials have described the move as “theatre,” while others in the international community view it as a meaningful, if incomplete, push to restart negotiations and to reinforce international pressure for accountability and security guarantees for Israel. In coming days, a number of world leaders are expected to use a UN summit in New York to formalize positions on recognizing a Palestinian state. French President Emmanuel Macron has signaled that, in that forum, a path toward recognizing a Palestinian state will be advanced, a move that would mark a significant shift in regional diplomacy. The European Union remains divided, with some member states weighing recognition and others pressing for caution as the Gaza war continues and as conditions for a viable two‑state settlement remain uncertain.

On the ground in Gaza, the Israeli military says it has intensified strikes against what it describes as terrorist infrastructures embedded in urban areas. Official briefings put total targets struck in Gaza City at over 500, including multi‑story buildings the army says have been repurposed as bases and launch points by militant groups. The toll in Gaza continues to mount, with health authorities in Hamas‑run Gaza reporting tens of thousands of Palestinians killed since the war began. Independent observers caution that casualty figures in such a densely populated area are contested and difficult to verify in real time, but the human cost is undeniable and mounting.

Hostage issues remain central to the conflict’s human dimension. Israeli officials say there are dozens of hostages still in Gaza, with estimates indicating that roughly 47 remain in Gaza, while some reports indicate that a number of captives have been confirmed dead by Israeli authorities. The fate and treatment of hostages continue to shape every diplomatic and military calculation, affecting talks about ceasefire arrangements, prisoner exchanges, and accountability for attacks.

Security operations inside Israel and across the occupied territories also continue. In the wake of a stabbing incident at a hotel in the kibbutz region, security forces conducted rapid operations targeting the attacker’s network. In Jerusalem’s Shuafat refugee camp, investigators and special units moved decisively to close in on a suspect tied to the broader violence. The operation included a confrontation during which the suspect was shot and subsequently evacuated for medical care, with searches...