HEADLINESIsrael Detains Arms Dealer Near TulkarmUNIFIL Says Hezbollah Blocks Ceasefire ConvoysIran Plans Multi-Front Push Against IsraelThe time is now 5:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.Five o’clock in the afternoon, and the top stories from the region center on counterterrorism, skies and security, and the broader strategic frame surrounding Israel and its neighbors.Israeli forces reported a counterterrorism operation near Tulkarm in the northern West Bank. A Duvdevan unit, acting on intelligence from Shin Bet, detained a central arms dealer in the Artaḥ area, outside Tulkarm, and the suspect was transferred for further questioning as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt weapon networks tied to militant activity in the area.Across the border in the Lebanon theater, UNIFIL has been tracking credibility and compliance with the ceasefire. A UNIFIL spokesperson said Hezbollah supporters have at times blocked convoy movements, and the mission continues to monitor the situation. In related reporting, UNIFIL’s analysis has cited thousands of alleged ceasefire violations attributed to Israeli forces, underscoring the fragility of any durable stopfire in a highly active front region.On a commemorative note in Israel, November 30 is observed to honor Jews who were expelled from Arab lands and Iran and who later made aliyah to Israel, a reminder of the regional upheavals that have shaped the country’s demographics and security calculus since 1948.Iran and the wider strategic context remain a focal point of attention. Five months after Operation Rising Lion, Tehran has internalized the magnitude of the threat Israel presents and is reassessing its long-term security posture. Reports describe efforts to restore and expand missile capabilities, strengthen the Lebanese Hezbollah, and sustain pressure inside a shifting regional balance. An influential Iranian security analyst called for a broad, multi-front approach against Israel, signaling a potential shift toward integrated operations across Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, and Iran itself. While the regime has faced pressure and scrutiny, officials continue to advocate a strategy aimed at deterring or overturning perceived Israeli advantages, including ongoing debates within Tehran about nuclear advances and cross‑border capabilities. These dynamics are shaping how Israel plans and positions defenses, including responses to a possible multi-front scenario.In Israel’s defensive posture, the army completed the establishment of Division 96, a force structure designed to deter and deny infiltration from across the Jordanian border by Palestinian groups, Iraqi militias, and other formations. The division will stretch from Ein Gev to Masada, with accelerated work on border fencing and engineering barriers contemplated to reduce cross-border risk. Officials emphasize the need for vigilance and the readiness to act preemptively if evolving threats materialize, including potential actions against proxies aligned with Iran or its regional partners.American military and allied actions also figure prominently. CENTCOM announced that, in coordination with Syrian interior security forces, it struck 15 weapons depots belonging to ISIS near Damascus over the past week. The depots reportedly contained explosives, rockets, small arms, machine guns, air defense components, and other materials used in bomb-making, with the operations conducted through a combination of air and ground actions in the pre-dawn hours.Diplomatic and domestic policy corridors continue to intersect with battlefield realities. In the United States, discussions around Middle East security policy persist alongside broader foreign policy concerns. Separately, Northwestern University in Illinois reached a $75 million settlement to resolve federal antisemitism complaints and restore federal funding, coupled with a series of measures intended to protect Jewish students and clarify campus policies—illustrating how US higher education policy intersects with the regional security environment.On hostage diplomacy and ceasefire dynamics, Qatar has urged Israel to maintain the ceasefire despite Hamas’ difficulties in delivering all hostages and locating missing personnel, a development occurring as a phase of the broader 20-point plan associated with international and regional diplomacy continues to unfold.In the West Bank, violence involving settlers and international volunteers has continued to draw international attention. Four foreign activists—three Italians and one Canadian—were attacked near Jericho, with assailants reportedly beating them and seizing belongings, including passports and phones. Italian authorities and Jericho officials are coordinating responses. The broader context shows a spike in settler violence, with the Israeli military recording hundreds of incidents in 2025, and the United Nations noting October as an especially violent month ...
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