Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-11-27 at 14:06

HEADLINES Israel pounds Jenin in Five Stones push Israel strikes Hezbollah sites along Lebanon border Shin Bet halts Hamas arms plot 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 hour, the security picture across the conflict landscape remains complex and multi layered as operations continue in the West Bank, mounting pressure on the northern front with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and diplomatic currents shaping American policy toward the region. In the West Bank, the Israeli Defense Forces say border police special units are active in Jenin as part of a wider counterterrorism campaign codenamed Five Stones. Combat helicopters are reported to be providing air support to the ground force, with this operation described by the army as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt militant activity in the area. Separately, a broader West Bank sweep has detained suspects and seized weapons in Jenin and surrounding areas, underscoring a persistent emphasis on counterterrorism in the corridor north of the Jordan Valley. Across the border in southern Lebanon, Israeli forces conducted a new round of strikes on Hezbollah launch and weapons sites days after the killing of a top Hezbollah commander. The Israeli Air Force is reported to have targeted additional sites as part of continuing efforts to degrade Hezbollah’s operational capabilities along the border, with the Israeli military saying it will act to remove threats to civilians and soldiers while upholding its obligations under prior understandings with Lebanon. In the broader security theater, the Shin Bet security agency says it foiled a Hamas plot to smuggle arms into the West Bank using Israeli citizens. Prosecutors are preparing indictments in the case, which the agency says involved several Israelis from the central Arab town of Kafr Qasim and the southern Bedouin city of Rahat. The operation reportedly connected to an Israeli-based individual living in Turkey, Ahmad Zarzur, and relied on covert transfers of funds and weapons into Judea and Samaria, including cryptocurrency movements converted to cash for purchases in the Negev before crossing into territories controlled by the Palestinian Authority. The case illustrates how networks with links to Hamas have sought to blur borders and move weapons and funds to the West Bank. In a domestic policy development with regional implications, a Knesset committee approved for the first reading a bill to repeal the Jordanian-era law from 1953 that barred non Arabs from buying land in Judea and Samaria. Officials describe the measure as more than legal housekeeping; they say it is a moral and national correction aimed at ending institutionalized discrimination and reinforcing Israel’s claim to land the state regards as its biblical heartland. If enacted, the change would permit Jews to own land in those areas where Arabs had historically faced restrictions, a move that is likely to draw strong responses from various quarters abroad and within the region. Security concerns and international ties continue to surface in Washington as well. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly acknowledged support from United States House Speaker Mike Johnson, tweeting that Johnson’s clarity and conviction strengthen the shared stand against terror. Johnson’s public defense of the U.S–Israel alliance has come as debates over policy toward the Jewish state intensify in American political circles. In parallel, reports from The Times of Israel note that a broader US review of the Muslim Brotherhood, including possible sanctions, is underway, with some allies excluded from the scope of that review. The dynamic underscores ongoing American involvement in regional security calculations and its impact on Israel’s security posture. In Gaza, authorities say efforts to recover hostages continue, with two captives remaining in Gaza City’s Zeitoun district identified as Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak and Ran Gvili, a former Israeli soldier. Recovery operations are repeatedly described by officials as challenging and sensitive, reflecting the fragile humanitarian and security conditions that persist in the Strip amid ongoing localized violence and political stalemate. On a regional security note, reporting from regional intelligence channels and allied outlets highlights broader concerns about Iran and its proxies. One account describes Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps recruiting operatives to surveil Israeli embassies in Africa and to prepare attacks, reflecting the broader reach of Tehran’s networks. Another collection of analyses cites assertions that Iran has shifted toward using global air routes to upgrade the Houthis’ military capabilities in Yemen, coordinating shipments from Europe, Africa, and the Red Sea region to northern Yemen, with transit points in Eritrea, Somalia, and Port Sudan. While such reports reflect ongoing assessment and interpretation of intelligence,