Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-11-12 at 14:07

HEADLINES Gaza Health System Strains Under Ceasefire Trump Demands Netanyahu Pardon, Israeli Lawfare Debate Iran Faces Worst Water Shortage in Decades The time is now 9:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report. The Middle East picture today blends public opinion, security concerns, and humanitarian crises as events in Israel, Gaza, Iran, and regional diplomacy unfold against a rapidly changing backdrop. In Israeli polling, a new JPPI survey finds 90 percent of Israelis endorse the Trump ceasefire plan for Gaza, while 60 percent of Jews worldwide believe Hamas will retain power. A related finding shows 88 percent of Israelis want an inquiry into the failures surrounding the October 7 attacks. Taken together, the polls underscore broad support for moving forward on security priorities while acknowledging lingering questions about how the crisis began and was handled. On the humanitarian front in Gaza, the health system remains under severe stress months after the ceasefire went into effect. Doctors describe a hospital network that is only partially functional at best, with shortages of staff, medicine, and fuel that limit patient care. In Gaza City and the south, patients wait for surgeries hampered by capacity constraints and supply gaps. One hospital official noted that even urgent operations must be prioritized, a reality that tragically leaves some patients awaiting treatment that cannot be delayed any longer. The World Health Organization has noted some improvements since the ceasefire, including more aid and vaccines, yet relief efforts remain uneven. Aid deliveries continue to face competing claims: Israel says the ceasefire allows an average of 600 trucks to enter Gaza each day, while Gaza authorities say far fewer have reached those in need. Across the enclave, conditions vary sharply between the north and the south, with North Gaza reporting particularly acute shortages of medicines and electricity. Israel reopened the northern Gaza border crossing at Zikim for humanitarian deliveries, a step viewed as crucial to expanding access to relief supplies. The crossing will operate under security inspections before the UN and international agencies move aid onward, followed by ongoing assessments of security and feasibility. UN and aid groups have stressed that direct north-south access and crossings are vital to ensure that help reaches those most in need as winter approaches. Observers caution that even with openings, the scale of demand remains daunting, given the long-term damage to health facilities, water and sanitation systems, and shelter. Security developments continue to be watched closely. Israeli authorities say they thwarted an ISIS-inspired plot involving an 18-year-old and a plan to produce explosives, underscoring ongoing internal threats alongside regional tensions. Government and security officials emphasize the need for robust tools to counter such threats, including enhanced oversight and ability to respond quickly to plots rooted in shared radical networks. In parallel, discussions inside Israel about how to handle settler violence have intensified, with senior commanders calling for stronger legal authorities and potential outside funding to curb recurring incidents that threaten daily life in the West Bank and eruptions of violence in settlements. In political and policy terms, debate over media and public communications continues to reverberate within Israel. A move to reform Army Radio, including rebranding and reducing its political punditry, is described by supporters as a step to keep the service focused on the needs of soldiers rather than political discourse. Critics worry about the implications for press freedom and the IDF’s independence. The domestic debate comes as security and diplomatic matters press on, including questions about how Israel presents itself to the world in war-time or post-conflict contexts. The international dimension includes a high-profile letter from President Donald Trump requesting Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Benjamin Netanyahu. The letter calls for unity and an end to what Trump describes as lawfare; Netanyahu’s supporters see it as timely support, while opponents point to the ongoing corruption charges and the need for due legal process. Herzog’s office has said that pardon requests follow established channels and procedures, acknowledging the respect for Trump’s stance while maintaining constitutional requirements. In the Netanyahu case, opposition leaders have noted that under Israeli law a pardon generally requires admission of guilt or a formal acknowledgment of wrongdoing, reinforcing the procedural guardrails around such actions. Turning to the broader regional context, Iran faces an intensifying water crisis that has drawn attention to governance and climate-related pressures. Tehran is grappling with what officials describe as the worst water shortage in decades, with reservoirs n