Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-11-22 at 16:07

HEADLINES NU leadership faces ouster over Zionist guest IDF strikes Hezbollah across Lebanon amid tensions Hamas operations chief killed in Gaza The time is now 11:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report. Indonesia’s largest Islamic organization, Nahdlatul Ulama, is facing internal upheaval after its leadership invited a former US official who has publicly supported Israel’s war in Gaza to an internal program. NU’s leadership has given Chairman Yahya Cholil Staquf three days to offer his resignation or be removed, citing the guest’s ties to what the group described as an “International Zionism network” and alleging financial mismanagement. Staquf has apologized, calling the invitation an oversight and stating he condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza. The development highlights domestic tensions within a major Muslim organization that counts hundreds of millions of adherents worldwide, and it underscores sensitivities over public support for Israel amid the Gaza war. Indonesia, which has no formal diplomatic ties with Israel and has regularly condemned Israeli actions in Gaza, has nonetheless engaged in limited cooperation with Israel on humanitarian relief and has been discussed as a potential participant in broader international efforts on Gaza. Jakarta has previously denied reports that President Prabowo Subianto planned a visit to Israel, even as rumors circulated last year that he might. In parallel, Washington has discussed with partners the possibility of an International Stabilization Force in Gaza, involving several regional players, a framework that would place new responsibilities on Gulf and regional states alongside UN and international actors. Indonesia’s foreign minister this month signaled readiness to deploy a substantial number of troops in Gaza to help secure a ceasefire, contingent on a UN Security Council resolution anchoring such a mission. On the battlefield, the Israeli Defense Forces launched a new wave of strikes against Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, including rocket launchers and military sites in the Beqaa Valley and southern Lebanon. The operation came after a climb in cross-border escalation and ahead of a long-running, US-brokered ceasefire framework that envisions Lebanese state forces and UNIFIL assuming greater responsibility for stability in the border region. In the week’s movements, Lebanese authorities reported casualties in the south from earlier cross-border incidents. Israel has repeatedly stated that its operations aim to prevent Hezbollah from reconstituting capabilities near the border, while Tehran-aligned Hezbollah has warned against testing the limits of the truce. In a related development, Israeli forces confirmed the killing of a Hezbollah operative in a drone strike near the town of Froun in southern Lebanon. The operation followed a string of strikes attributed to the IDF in the Bekaa and border areas. The Israeli military said the operative’s actions had advanced attacks against Israeli troops and violated the ceasefire terms. UNIFIL’s leadership reiterated its commitment to supporting the Lebanese army and to the redeployment of Lebanese security forces across the south as part of stability efforts, noting that the 2027 end date for UNIFIL’s expanded mission remains under review by the Security Council. Since the start of the November 2024 ceasefire, the IDF has said it has killed hundreds of Hezbollah operatives in strikes, part of a broader pattern of cross-border incidents in the past two years. In Gaza, fighting persisted with several high-profile strikes and cross-border incidents. Israeli officials confirmed the killing of a Hamas operations chief in Gaza City and reported a series of targeted strikes across the Strip, including attacks on multiple residences and alleged Hamas facilities. The latest combat activity comes as Arab media and some Western outlets report that Hamas signaled a willingness to resume or intensify hostilities if the ceasefire terms are not mutually respected or if humanitarian channels fail to deliver. Separately, a wave of violence and military activity around Rafah and other parts of Gaza has continued to draw international concern over civilian harm and the risks of a broader flare-up. Security and intelligence highlights also included the arrest and indictments of four Israeli soldiers on suspicion of trafficking weapons from Syria into Israel. The case, tied to a broader probe into a weapons-smuggling network, involves both Israeli soldiers and Druze Israelis, as well as Syrian nationals. Prosecutors allege the ring moved an arsenal including RPG launchers and assorted ammunition via cross-border routes, with activity connected to the summer clashes in southern Syria. The case illustrates ongoing concerns about the leakage of weapons across regional borders and the ways in which conflict dynamics in Syria can feed violence inside Israel’s own borders. Cyber and internation