Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-11-28 at 12:05

HEADLINES Iran redeploys IRGC forces near Persian Gulf Beit Jin cross-border raid raises death toll UN condemns Jenin killings as summary executions The time is now 7:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report. This is a 7:00 AM news update. Shabbat candle lighting times are published for Israel and the United States, with area-specific schedules to follow. In Iran, state media report an unusual movement of Revolutionary Guard forces in the country’s western region near the Persian Gulf. Tehran-based military correspondents for Channel 3 say heavy missile launchers are being repositioned, active launch tubes opened, and additional batteries deployed close to the Persian Gulf. Iranian officials describe the situation as full operational readiness, with special units, engineering detachments, and command vehicles moving between bases in the west and the south at a rapid pace. In Syria, footage from body cameras shows Israeli troops during an operation in Beit Jin. The Israeli army said the mission aimed to detain militants and left six soldiers wounded, three seriously, in exchanges of fire. Later reports from Syrian authorities increased the death toll in the Beit Jin operation, with the Syrian foreign ministry condemning the incursion as a war crime and alleging civilians were among those killed. The death toll was reported as rising into the double digits by authorities in Damascus, with women and children reportedly among the casualties as rescue operations continued. The United Nations rights office condemned the killings of two Palestinian men by Israeli security forces in Jenin in the occupied West Bank, describing the episode as appearing to be summary executions. The UN official said the two men, who appeared to be surrendering in footage broadcast by Palestinian outlets, faced lethal force during a raid. The report underscores ongoing international scrutiny of Israeli operations in the West Bank. In southern Syria, Israeli forces conducted an operation described by the army as targeting members of an Islamist group. The raid, near the village of Beit Jin, led to casualties on both sides and prompted a wider discussion about Israel’s activities in the Golan Heights vicinity. The Syrian side described the assault as a broader danger to regional stability, while security officials noted the operation’s objective was to detain militants connected to attacks against Israeli civilians. The fighting marked a notably deadly episode in the series of cross-border efforts since the fall of the Assad regime’s long-standing leadership. In US political coverage, Democrats press the Secretary of State to investigate alleged human rights violations in Gaza, aligning with a chorus of lawmakers who have urged independent scrutiny. The push reflects ongoing partisan debate in Washington over how best to address civilian harm and accountability in Gaza while maintaining support for Israel’s security concerns. A report from the Middle East indicates a significant development regarding Iran’s regional network. An outlet cited a UAE official stating that Iran transferred more than one billion dollars to Hezbollah through an Israeli ally. The UAE official stressed that his country rejects attempts to use its territory for covert funding and is cooperating with international partners to curb such activity, even as the UAE is often viewed as a transit point for regional financial flows. In domestic policy, Israel’s Health Ministry is reviewing a software-related error in a genetic test kit used to screen for a rare, Ashkenazi-linked MECR gene mutation. The malfunction led to rereading tests and identifying additional carriers. The episode prompted steps to re-check results across laboratories, with implications for families considering reproductive decisions, as the MECR mutation can affect movement, speech, and vision in affected children. On the security front, new reporting highlights a broader pattern of transnational activity linked to terrorism. An Arab-Israeli network was exposed for attempting to supply arms and hundreds of thousands of shekels to militants in Judea and Samaria, with funds allegedly channeled through cryptocurrency and converted to cash for weapons in the Negev before crossing into the West Bank. The case is cited as illustrating how cross-border networks can support insurgent activity within Israel’s heartland. In Jerusalem, residents report incidents of stray gunfire from surrounding Arab areas, with bullets found in yards and on balconies. Local officials and residents have urged vigilance as investigators assess the source of the shots and potential risk to civilians. Human-interest notes from the conflict’s frontlines honor acts of courage. A soldier named Guy Bazak, who served in Golani’s 51st Battalion, is remembered for heroism on October 7, after sending a final message about “the ground shaking” before joining the fight at Kibbutz Kissufim and en