Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-09-15 at 05:06

HEADLINES
Gaza War Escalates as Ground Invasion Looms
Iranian Missile Damages Beersheba Hospital
Public Integrity Probes Expand Amid Wartime

The time is now 1:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

This is one o’clock in the morning, and this is the latest hourly update.

Israel remains in the thick of the Gaza war. The Israeli Defense Forces continue pressure against Hamas while preparing for possible further steps in the campaign. The fate of hostages remains unresolved, with no durable breakthrough announced on any side. In advance of potential ground operations, military and political leaders are calibrating options while stressing the necessity of maintaining international support and civilian protections.

In a discreet briefing to a legislative committee, the commander of the Israel Defense Forces noted frustrations with an American-backed humanitarian program for Gaza, calling the effort a failure and questioning why distribution centers were expanded from four to twelve after initial setbacks. The general affirmed that the military will carry out its duties according to political directives and will adapt to changing battlefield realities, even as questions persist about the best way to separate humanitarian needs from security imperatives in a densely populated conflict zone.

On the home front, Jerusalem faces a suite of pressing domestic concerns that cut across security and society. A prominent hospital in Beersheba, Soroka, remains focused on rebuilding after an Iranian missile damaged its surgical wards, with dozens of operating rooms still affected and capacity reduced. The hospital, which serves the Negev’s large population and soldiers wounded in Gaza, has treated thousands of casualties since the conflict began. Government officials and the hospital’s private partners have formed a joint task force to chart a rehabilitation plan estimated at about one and a quarter billion New Israeli shekels, with two thirds expected to come from government bodies and the remainder from private donors. Officials say it will take years to fully fortify the facility, but immediate steps are aimed at restoring essential operating rooms and intensive care units to ensure lives can be saved during ongoing escalations. The hospital’s leadership warns that without timely upgrades, medical personnel may seek work elsewhere, and patient safety could be compromised in future rounds of fighting.

Beyond the battlefield, the security and governance landscape in Israel continues to grapple with internal pressures. A major public inquiry into complaints about public representatives highlighted that a notable share of cases against state prosecutors and related authorities were found to be warranted, underscoring ongoing tensions over accountability and transparency in public institutions. Separately, investigators expanded inquiries into a high-profile matter at the Ministry of Social Equality and the Promotion of Women, with police carrying out searches and detentions as part of a broader anti-fraud operation. The cases reflect a broader debate over governance and the prudent use of public funds during wartime.

The broader international backdrop shapes Israel’s strategic calculations. Five years after the signing of the Abraham Accords, analysts and policymakers continue to reassess what those agreements have achieved and what remains to be done to sustain regional alignment with Israel’s security needs. In Washington, President Donald Trump’s latest comments underscored a message sometimes heard in this orbit: Israel should act with seriousness and caution in military operations, while maintaining strong cooperation with allied partners. Trump signaled willingness to consider sanctions against Russia and urged Europe to coordinate with American policy, also noting Qatar as a cooperative ally...