Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-09-13 at 19:07

HEADLINES
Gaza City invasion looms civilians brace
Doha summit on Hamas leadership strike
48 hostages require one-step release

The time is now 3:00 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

This is the hour’s news update. The fight over Gaza continues to shape diplomacy and politics across the region as Israel braces for a major ground operation in Gaza City while world powers and neighboring states weigh how to respond.

In Doha, an emergency Arab-Islamic summit is being organized in response to an Israeli strike against Hamas leadership believed to be meeting in the Qatari capital. An Egyptian source says President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi plans to attend, signaling high-level regional concern about the war’s next phase and the path toward a ceasefire. Israel’s government has framed the strike as a targeted step against Hamas leadership, while critics warn such actions risk destabilizing efforts to broker a truce and release hostages.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has argued that removing Hamas leaders in Qatar would remove the main obstacle to a broader deal and the release of hostages, a stance that underscores the Israeli view that targeted action against Hamas is essential to end the war and secure the return of hostages. At the same time, families of hostages held by Hamas staged Saturday rallies, accusing Netanyahu of torpedoing a possible deal to achieve a ceasefire and the safe return of loved ones.

In Jerusalem, the war’s broader political and religious context is interwoven with security concerns. An opinion piece marking Rosh Hashanah emphasizes choosing life and the Jewish people’s enduring commitment to preservation in the face of ongoing violence and existential threat.

Across the border in Lebanon, the Lebanese army has received five truckloads of arms from Ain al-Hilweh and three from al-Beddawi as part of an ongoing disarmament drive. Despite these transfers, skepticism remains over whether Palestinian factions will complete disarmament amid recurrent clashes. The broader regional implications of arming and disarming militant groups continue to influence security calculations for Israel and its neighbors.

In Gaza, the fighting stands at a critical inflection point. The Israeli military is expanding operations and has issued an evacuation map designating Gaza City a combat zone as it seeks to seize the city from Hamas. Israeli strikes have hit Gaza City targets including a high-rise building in the Tal al-Hawa and, in other districts, radio stations and offices tied to Hamas infrastructure. The army says the strikes aim to dismantle Hamas’ ability to coordinate and carry out attacks. Civilians are being urged to move to designated southern areas or humanitarian zones, sparking concerns about a humanitarian crisis as hundreds of thousands seek safety.

Figures from the Gaza conflict are contested. The Israeli Defense Forces say around 280,000 Gaza City residents have left the area in recent days, while Hamas-run civil defense agencies report far lower displacement figures. The true scale remains uncertain, but the UN and aid groups warn that displacing hundreds of thousands more could exacerbate an already dire humanitarian situation. In the past 24 hours, Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry reported dozens of fatalities across the city, including children, with deaths from airstrikes continuing to mount as operations intensify. The toll cited by Hamas-run authorities and independent monitors varies, underscoring the difficulty of independent verification in a war zone. The IDF says it has carried out hundreds of strikes against Hamas targets in Gaza City, and defense officials warn the operation could take months rather than days.

Security concerns surrounding the planned Gaza City operation have grown louder in Israeli and regional capitals. A Kan...