HEADLINES Saudi Israel realignment hinges on Palestinian outcomes Hezbollah disarmament deadline looms near Litani South Yemen STC advances complicate Abraham Accords The time is now 1:20 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report. This is the hourly update on a day of continued regional and international realignments. The region remains focused on security, diplomacy, and the rough dynamics of power among Israel, its partners, and adversaries, with wide-ranging implications for civilians and for American policy interests. In Washington, conservatives in the United States marked eyes on the evolving prospects for a Saudi–Israel understanding. Senator Lindsey Graham warned that the path to closer Saudi and Israeli cooperation could be imperiled if the outcome for Palestinians is not judged to be improved. His remarks underscore the central question about the durability of any regional realignment: how to balance strategic pressure against security needs with the imperative of addressing Palestinian aspirations and humanitarian concerns. In Jerusalem, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved a new deputy director for the Mossad, selecting a candidate with more than two decades of service at the agency. The appointment is intended to strengthen the agency’s leadership core as Israel navigates a volatile regional environment and seeks to advance its strategic security goals in a period of heightened threat perception. Israel’s security posture at home and near its borders has also shifted in response to weather and continuity of operations. The Israel Defense Forces issued a curfew and reduced military activities to essential-only status ahead of Storm Byron, prohibiting troops from leaving bases for the weekend and suspending certain naval exercises. The measures are part of standard readiness protocols to ensure operational security and civilian safety in the face of extreme conditions. Turning to social and communal security, Israel’s Druze community has turned to technology and testimony to highlight the impact of violence linked to the broader regional conflicts. Spiritual leaders in the Druze community have drawn diplomats’ attention to crimes affecting Druze women in the region, including areas connected to Syria, as part of a broader effort to ensure accountability and protection for minority communities amid regional hostilities. In university and public policy circles, Columbia University’s Antisemitism Task Force urged the institution to broaden expertise on Jewish and Israeli topics that does not originate from an anti-Israel stance. The appeal reflects ongoing debates over academic discourse, university governance, and how best to address concerns about antisemitism while preserving freedom of inquiry. Within United States politics, Senator John Fetterman recalled the emotional aftermath of the Tree of Life attack and identified his own response as a commitment to national security considerations, including the defense of critical targets in the region. His remarks sit amid a broader conversation about security policy and the political mobilization around it in the year ahead. Diplomatic talks in the region continue to encounter friction. Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi’s successors and counterparts have indicated stall points in ongoing security talks, with Syria’s more recent demands complicating negotiations. Still, officials say there remains a desire to reach an agreement that would stabilize the region, even as the parties acknowledge distance remains between them. On the transatlantic security front, a US envoy reported “fruitful” talks on Turkey’s potential reentry into the fifth-generation fighter jet program. Washington’s decision to re-engage Ankara on these platforms follows years of tension over Turkey’s S‑four-hundred system and broader regional considerations. The message from the envoy is that dialogue continues, even as questions about security guarantees and interoperability persist. In Yemen, analysis of southern Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council’s rapid advances highlights new regional openings for Israel, should a more stable bloc form in the south and possibly participate in broader regional diplomacy. The STC’s gains have unsettled the internationally recognized government and raised questions about future arrangements in a country long divided by civil conflict and foreign influence. Analysts warn that secession remains a contested and risky option, with potential consequences for regional stability and for the Abraham Accords. Across the border in Lebanon, there is a closely watched assessment of Hezbollah’s armament and the timetable for any potential disarmament or changes in the balance of power. Beirut says it has dismantled a significant portion of Hezbollah weapons south of the Litani River, but Israel remains skeptical about whether the year-end deadline will be met and has warned it cannot wait indefinitely. The issue
