Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-12-03 at 19:08

HEADLINES - Knesset Backs Trump Plan to End Gaza - Hostages Return as Gaza Ceasefire Wobbles - Lebanon Seeks Normalization Demands Hezbollah Disarmament The time is now 2:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report. Good afternoon. Here is the hourly update on events shaping the Middle East and related global dynamics. The White House has announced a new effort to counter misinformation, naming a “Media Offender of the Week” and offering slide-by-slide breakdowns of reports along with weekly email updates tracking the most prominent misreporting. The initiative arrives as Washington seeks to shape international discourse around conflict and security in the region, echoing broader concerns about information integrity on regional and international stages. In Israel, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s second choice to supervise the Sde Teiman leak investigation was invalid because the appointee was not a senior public official. The court’s decision underscores a line the judiciary has drawn to keep political involvement distant from criminal probes. The ruling follows a prior, related decision that had invalidated Levin’s initial pick, and it preserves an insistence that the investigation supervision come from senior public office staff, aimed at preserving the appearance and reality of independence in sensitive prosecutions. Turning to the broader regional security picture, Lebanon’s prime minister Nawaf Salam said that a lasting peace with Israel could pave the way for normalization and economic ties, but that such milestones are distant given current tensions. He cited that economic talks could be part of normalization only after peace is achieved. The comments come as Israel continues to confront security concerns along the southern border with Lebanon, including mentions of Hezbollah disarmament and the importance of implementing a November 2024 ceasefire when considering further steps. Beirut and Jerusalem have signaled openness to dialogue, while stressing that security and stability must be at the core of any broader rapprochement. On the political front in the United States’ relationship with Israel, a major legislative development saw the Knesset advance a motion endorsing a 20-point plan from former US President Donald Trump to end the Gaza conflict. The move passed its first reading with broad support, but Prime Minister Netanyahu and most of the coalition did not attend the vote, signaling a strategic boycott by the governing coalition. Opposition leader Yair Lapid framed the measure as a chance to express broad support for steps toward ending the war, hostage recovery, and potential future governance arrangements for Gaza, while underscoring that any Palestinian state status is not currently on Israel’s agenda. The plan envisions reforms in Ramallah and a pathway toward Palestinian self-determination only after certain conditions, including security assurances and disarmament, are met, though specifics remain a matter of debate among lawmakers. In the Gaza theater, the conflict’s first phase of a US-brokered ceasefire has evolved with the return of hostages and casualties on both sides. Israel’s government confirmed the transfer of remains of a deceased hostage found in Gaza to the Israeli authorities for identification, a step that accompanies ongoing efforts to reconcile the hostages’ fate with the conflict’s broader humanitarian dimension. The ceasefire agreement remains fragile, with both sides accusing the other of violations as talks continue. The situation on the ground remains dynamic, with Israeli forces continuing to operate in areas formerly under Hamas control to prevent renewed threat, while humanitarian concerns persist across Gaza. Meanwhile, on the security front in Rafah and the wider southern Gaza border, Israeli forces reported encounters with militants emerging from subterranean structures. In one incident, two attackers were neutralized and a third was being pursued after engaging Israeli troops with anti-tank weapons in the ceasefire zone. The army said it would maintain a posture aimed at removing immediate threats while the region remains under the terms of the ceasefire framework. These incidents illustrate the persistent fragility of the truce and the vigilance required to prevent renewed hostilities along the border. Farther afield in the Red Sea, Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement released crews held aboard the Greek-operated vessel Eternity C, which was attacked and sank in July. Oman reportedly took custody of the mariners as they moved toward safe transit, with other crew members released earlier this week. The Houthis have a long history of targeting ships in the region, and their campaign has significantly disrupted Red Sea shipping, although the latest development appears to ease tension around this specific incident. The international community has continued to monitor maritime se