Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-09-13 at 18:05

HEADLINES
Netanyahu ties Qatar Hamas to hostages
Hostage families march as talks stall
Syrian troops train in Turkey under pact

The time is now 2:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

As of 2:00 PM, here is the latest hourly update on Israel, Gaza and the broader regional picture.

Israel’s prime minister said removing Hamas leadership based in Qatar would remove the main obstacle to releasing all hostages and ending the war in Gaza, a point he reiterated after Israel targeted Hamas leadership in Doha earlier this week. The statement follows a series of military and diplomatic moves tied to efforts to shape the path toward a potential pause in hostilities and a broader resolution.

Hostage families, meanwhile, marked Saturday with rallies and a march to Hostages Square, expressing frustration with the pace and scope of efforts to secure a deal. They accused Prime Minister Netanyahu of undercutting possible progress by the Doha strike, arguing that such actions could derail negotiations and jeopardize the chance to bring captives home.

On the regional front, a Syrian defense ministry source told the pro-Qatar Arabic-language newspaper Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed that hundreds of troops in Syria’s new army and internal security apparatus are receiving training in Turkey. The training, the official said, is part of a security pact signed between the defense ministries of the two countries earlier this month, underscoring the continuing realignments and support networks shaping the post-Assad landscape in Syria.

In other reporting, there were denials of a circulating claim that Israel’s top intelligence leadership opposed carrying out a covert operation to eliminate Hamas leaders in Qatar. Officials indicated that discussions had occurred about options, but the favored path publicly described remains a major strike against Hamas leadership abroad rather than a covert action.

A separate military movement involved a French Rafale fighter jet taking off rapidly from a Polish air base following a Russian drone strike on Ukraine, illustrating the broader regional security pressures and the readiness posture of Western air forces operating near the European theater.

Diplomatically, the office of the Israeli prime minister said that tomorrow the United States’ secretary of state and Netanyahu would visit the Western Wall together, signaling ongoing close coordination between Washington and Jerusalem on security matters and shared concerns about the trajectory of the conflict and regional stability.

Domestically, the Jerusalem police reported an update on the investigation into a string of arsons and damage in the Rehavia neighborhood. A suspect in his 60s from Herzliya was arrested in the afternoon as investigators continued efforts to identify other individuals believed to be involved and to seek court-directed extensions of detention.

Internationally, Europe remains deeply engaged with the Gaza crisis. In Spain, the Vuelta a España cycling race faced renewed disruptions from anti-Israel protests, prompting authorities to deploy substantial security for the final leg into Madrid. Demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and interrupted a number of stages, raising tensions within Spain’s political debate about the war and its humanitarian impact. Spain’s government has signaled a willingness to take a clear stance, while other European leaders have weighed actions that could affect Israel’s regional relationships and economic ties. The protests come amid a broader European conversation about when, and how, to respond to the Gaza conflict and to calls for accountability over humanitarian concerns.

In London, more than 110,000 people gathered for an anti-immigration demonstration that featured Israeli and other flags and included tributes to the late American...