Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-09-13 at 20:05

HEADLINES
Doha summit reshapes Middle East diplomacy
Gaza operation intensifies with hostages fate unclear
US seeks truce path amid Gaza crisis

The time is now 4:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

This is the 4:00 PM regional update. The overarching frame remains a Gaza war in its second year, with Israel pressing its campaign against Hamas while diplomacy across the region and in Washington continues to stage shifts and warnings. In Doha, Israel’s action against Hamas leaders gathered in Qatar has prompted a chorus of reactions across capitals. Israel says the operation sought to disrupt Hamas’ leadership and its ability to drive a ceasefire, while supporters and critics weigh whether the strike advances or endangers the broader effort to secure hostages' return. Washington has made clear that while it is not pleased by the strike, it will not alter the long standing alliance with Israel; the United States under discussion with Israel will continue to pursue a path toward a truce that includes the restoration of negotiations and the safe release of hostages.

Doha is now slated to host an emergency Arab-Islamic summit in response to the strike, a development that could reshape diplomatic alignments in the region. An Egyptian source indicates President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is expected to participate, underscoring Egypt’s continued role as a regional broker even as tensions flare around Gaza. In Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that eliminating Hamas leaders abroad would remove a primary obstacle to ending the war and freeing hostages, while signaling that Israel will keep pressing efforts to dismantle Hamas’ command network wherever it operates.

On the ground in Gaza, the campaign in Gaza City intensifies as Israeli forces push to clear the city of Hamas influence. The Israeli military is urging civilians to evacuate, warning that the city is now a combat zone as airstrikes target the infrastructure Hamas relies on, including buildings tied to the militant group. The humanitarian tally remains devastating and highly contested: Gaza’s health ministry, run by Hamas, says tens of thousands have been killed in the fighting; Israel counters with its own tallies, arguing that many of those killed are combatants or linked to Hamas’ operations. The number of hostages remains a live and painful footnote to every move: 251 people were seized in October last year, with a portion released or still unaccounted for; the families of those seized continue their push for a negotiated outcome and access to information about their loved ones.

Domestically, Israel faces internal debates about the next phase of its Gaza operation. Senior officials have warned that sending in a new wave of ground operations could pose serious risks, even as reservist mobilization continues and the army readies further deployments. The West Bank has seen related actions, including steps to seal the homes of perpetrators behind deadly Jerusalem attacks and measures to curb potential escalation, such as revoking thousands of work and entry permits for relatives of suspected attackers. Human rights groups have criticized such policies as collective punishment, underscoring the tension between security aims and international scrutiny.

Internationally, the diplomatic landscape is unsettled. In Europe, Berlin hosted large pro-Palestinian demonstrations, with public debate intensifying over arms sales to Israel and the humanitarian cost of the Gaza campaign. Germany’s halt on certain arms shipments reflects broader European unease about the violence and its civilian toll. The United Nations and several Western capitals have pressed for a new framework to end the fighting and ensure hostage releases, even as some governments consider recognizing a Palestinian state within the West Bank as a way to push diplomacy forward....