Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-11-25 at 14:06

HEADLINES - Ukraine Accepts US Peace Plan, Hope Rises - Israel Faces 300+ Women Murders, Justice Gap - Israel Faces Measles Outbreak Exceeding Epidemic Threshold The time is now 9:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report. This is the 9:00 a.m. update. Ukraine has agreed to the peace proposal presented by the United States to end Russia’s war, according to officials, with only minor details to be resolved. The reported agreement, if confirmed, signals a potential turning point in a conflict that has reshaped global security calculations and energy markets. In cultural news, Frida Kahlo’s self-portrait has sold for more than 54 million dollars, setting a new record for works by a female artist. Painted in 1940 and depicting Kahlo asleep in her bed, the work eclipsed the previous record of 44.4 million dollars set by Georgia O’Keeffe in 2014. In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disputed claims that he directed media coverage of his wife during Case 4000, saying that state witness accounts were exaggerated during renewed cross-examination. A new Knesset report finds more than 300 women murdered since 2015, with enforcement gaps that have left many cases unresolved and Arab women disproportionately affected. The findings highlight concerns about policing, prevention, and access to justice. Analysts note that as the United States tightens its stance toward the Muslim Brotherhood, regional governments are watching closely, weighing implications for balance and influence in a shifting regional order. In medical advances, Rabin Medical Center reports early success with a therapy using patients’ own cells to attack blood cancer cells. The first three patients treated experienced no complications and were discharged as planned. In Syria, thousands demonstrated across the coastal Alawite heartland in Latakia, Tartus, and Jableh after attacks on the minority community. Protesters called for federalism for the coast and the release of prisoners, while monitors say the region has seen violent violence and mass casualties in recent years. Security forces were deployed but did not intervene noticeably. Hamas and Islamic Jihad say they will hand over a deceased hostage at 4 p.m. local time, following the discovery of remains in central Gaza. The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office condemned delays in transfer as a violation of the ceasefire framework. In Israel’s Arab towns, grieving families and researchers describe a surge in homicide and a widening gap between communities and law enforcement. Studies show Arab citizens face a markedly higher risk of being murder victims, prompting calls for stronger policing and community trust-building. On security matters, the IDF says it killed Sultan al-Ghani, the Palestinian who murdered an Israeli guard in the West Bank last year, in a firefight near Jenin and detained five suspected accomplices. Earlier, another assailant who killed two soldiers last year was killed in Nablus, and counterterrorism forces killed Abdel-Raouf Shatyeh, linked to a 2024 attack. The West Bank has seen rising violence since the Gaza war began in 2023, with casualties on both sides and a sharp rise in nationalist crime and settler violence. Regional violence has taken a toll: more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the Gaza war began, according to Palestinian authorities, with dozens of Israelis killed in attacks or clashes. The IDF notes the fatalities largely involve gunmen or rioters, and foreign and domestic observers point to a rise in nationalist crime by settlers. Domestically, Israel’s government has operated for weeks with several ministries led by acting or interim ministers after ultra-Orthodox parties left the coalition. The appointment of two Likud ministers to head multiple portfolios has drawn criticism that the government may be short on full-time leadership needed to address postwar recovery, health, and social needs. Health and welfare budgets face scrutiny as the country confronts a major measles outbreak and a strain on public services. The broader international stance includes US backing for Israel’s right to defend itself after a recent Israeli strike that targeted an Hezbollah commander, with ongoing debate about the mechanisms for sustaining ceasefires in Lebanon and Gaza as Hamas expands its presence in Gaza. Health authorities report renewed measles fatalities amid an outbreak now exceeding the epidemic threshold, including an unvaccinated infant in Jerusalem and a flu-related death of a 10-year-old girl in the West Bank. Officials urge vaccination for all eligible populations and note outbreak zones across major cities, with guidance on vaccination timing. In a separate security development, the United States is conducting a large counter-drone drill using 500 Chinese-made drones repurposed as targets to refine defensive capabilities. Archaeology news reports new finds beside an unmarked sarcophagus