Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-11-26 at 20:08

HEADLINES Israel requires iPhone-only comms for senior officers Israel kills four gunmen, captures two Rafah Iran foiled plot against Israeli diplomats Africa The time is now 3:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report. This is the hourly update. The Israeli Defense Forces have implemented a new security directive requiring senior officers to use iPhones exclusively for official communications, moving away from Android devices to reduce the risk of digital intrusions at the highest levels of command. The change, effective for lieutenant colonels and above, reflects ongoing concerns about cyber threats and the need to protect sensitive operational information as tensions in the region remain high. In Washington, a developing domestic issue has drawn attention to global security concerns. Reports indicate that two uniformed men described as National Guard members were shot in central Washington, near the White House. Three people were reported injured and transported to hospital, though the precise conditions of the injured were not immediately released. Officials noted that President Donald Trump was in Florida at the time. While the incident is being investigated, it underscores the fragile security environment surrounding political life in the United States, just as international attention on Middle East security remains elevated. Turning to the Lebanese frontier, the prime minister of Lebanon warned that Hezbollah will not relinquish its military capabilities as long as Israel remains in Lebanon. He said Hezbollah would continue to act against Israel as long as Israel does not withdraw from Lebanese territory, and as long as Israel’s military presence extends into Gaza and Lebanon and continues to take action across the wider region. The statement highlights the persistent proximity of state and nonstate actors across the area and the potential for escalations impacting regional stability. In Gaza, Israeli forces say they killed four gunmen and captured two others who emerged from tunnels in Rafah, and additional operations in the south of the Gaza Strip killed at least two more operatives and neutralized a Hamas sniper who posed an imminent threat to troops in the northern Gaza area. The army reported that it had tracked a group of gunmen from surveillance footage, struck as they attempted to flee, and subsequently located the remaining suspects in a building. Israeli forces also reported capturing two operatives and neutralizing others who crossed the ceasefire lines in the area known as the Yellow Line. The broader campaign in southern Gaza, particularly in Rafah, has involved an aggressive dismantling of tunnel networks and targeting operatives attempting to move and operate under ground, as the Israeli military states its objective remains the destruction or capture of those who threaten troops along the border. In a separate development from the region’s security debates, the Lebanese prime minister’s counterpart has reiterated Hezbollah’s persistence in maintaining its armed strength until Israel withdraws from Lebanese territory, indicating the ongoing friction between Lebanese and Israeli security considerations that shape regional dynamics and the prospects for future negotiations. On the political front inside Gaza’s governing circles, Hamas spokespeople and allied factions have circulated statements referencing the dire conditions in Rafah and the broader Gaza area, including accounts from fighters who surrendered in earlier days. Reports also note ongoing concerns about water and food shortages among Gaza’s besieged populations, underscoring the humanitarian dimension that accompanies the military operations and the stalled path toward any comprehensive resolution. Two major security developments outside Gaza also feature prominently. First, a reported Iranian plot to attack Israeli targets in Africa was reportedly foiled by intelligence services, with operatives under Iran’s Quds Force allegedly recruiting a proxy network of Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, and local Africans to gather intelligence and plan attacks on Israeli diplomats in Senegal and Uganda. The interception of this network, described in intelligence-sharing channels with friendly African nations, emphasizes the cross-border nature of regional security threats and the persistent reach of regional actors seeking to undermine Israeli interests abroad. Second, Iran’s ongoing efforts to shape its international prisoner exchanges were articulated in recent remarks by Iran’s foreign minister, who said that an exchange with France is under negotiation and could take place within two months. The plan, they indicated, would involve the release of two French citizens held by Iran in exchange for an Iranian citizen held in France, with the broader framework hinging on the two governments’ judicial processes. The remarks come as France continues to monitor and assess the situation of French nationa