Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-11-13 at 22:07

HEADLINES UN Gaza Draft Signals Palestinian State Manny Godard Returns Home as Hostages Remain Memory Fades as Survivors Drop Below 200k The time is now 5:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report. Good evening. Here is the latest news for an international audience, presented with clarity and balance. In remembrance and in focus, a notable shift in the arithmetic of Holocaust survivors is reported six months after an estimate of more than 220,000 living survivors. The Claims Conference executive vice president says the number has now slipped below 200,000, underscoring the aging population and the fragility of memory as generations move forward. Prominent survivors who became symbols of resilience, including the “librarian of Auschwitz” and one of the last Warsaw Ghetto fighters, have recently died, prompting renewed attention to documentation, education, and the ongoing lessons of history for future generations. Turning to the Gaza question, a United Nations draft resolution on Gaza contains language that, for the first time in the main body of the text, envisions the establishment of a Palestinian state. This marks a notable departure in the resolution’s framing and aligns in some respects with elements seen in the United States-backed plan for Gaza. The development highlights continuing debates over statehood, sovereignty, and the path to a durable settlement in the Palestinian territories, with international observers watching closely for how such language could influence negotiations, diplomacy, and on-the-ground dynamics in Gaza and the broader region. In Gaza, hostage-related updates remain a focal point of regional and international attention. The body of a hostage identified as Manny Godard, a 73-year-old man from Kibbutz Be’eri, has been returned to Israel after more than two years. The identification process, carried out by Israel’s forensic and medical authorities in coordination with security services and the military, underscores the ongoing effort to account for hostages and to bring them home. Israel’s government reiterated its commitment to securing the return of all hostages, stressing that the effort to recover them continues without interruption and will persist until every last hostage is brought home. Alongside this development, authorities report that remaining in Gaza now number three hostages, two Israelis and one foreign national, a figure that reflects ongoing negotiations and the fragile status of reunifications under the ceasefire framework and related arrangements. In domestic security news, the head of the Lahav 433 police unit, Chief Superintendent Meni Benjamin, was questioned on suspicions of intervening in a sensitive investigation, with his phone seized and his status suspended. The development has sparked discussion about governance, oversight, and the boundaries of police authority, particularly in a period of heightened security concerns and widespread public interest in how investigations are conducted. International security and defense policy continue to attract scrutiny. In the United States, officials have raised concerns about Saudi Arabia’s bid to purchase F-35 fighter jets, with the intelligence assessment suggesting that a sale could risk the leakage or transfer of sensitive technology to countries such as China if not carefully mitigated. The finding adds a layer of complexity to the already sensitive security relationship between Washington and Riyadh, as both sides weigh strategic interests, regional stability, and technology controls. Another regional thread concerns Saudi Arabia’s approach to neighboring Lebanon. A high-level Saudi official says the kingdom intends to move quickly to bolster commercial ties with Lebanon after Beirut demonstrated effectiveness in curbing drug smuggling into Saudi Arabia. The plan includes easing controls on imports and increasing trade with Lebanon, though Riyadh continues to push for progress on Lebanon’s central government disarming Hezbollah. The dynamic reflects broader regional pressures, with Israel closely watching any shifts that could affect Hezbollah’s posture and regional security. In Israel’s domestic political landscape, coverage of governance and security operations continues apace. A widely watched incident during a governance tour of mixed Jewish-Arab cities raised questions about police conduct and messaging. Officials publicly rejected claims that the operation was staged for optics, emphasizing that actions were carried out according to law and with judicial authorization to combat violent crime. The debate comes as homicide and security challenges persist in central districts and mixed populations, underscoring the ongoing tension between security measures and civil liberties. On the international front, France’s public mood toward antisemitism is under scrutiny after a poll indicating that a majority of French respondents believe antisemitism is widespread