Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-12-13 at 04:05
13.12.2025
0:00
6:17
HEADLINES
Gaza Stabilization Force Planned Amid Tensions
ICJ Dismisses Hamas Infiltration Claims
ADL Legal Chair Berman Exits
The time is now 11:00 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
A new update from the Middle East and related Jewish community developments arrived as the day mature toward night. In New York, the Jewish Theological Seminary announced the death of Rabbi Eliezer Diamond, a highly regarded professor and author who taught there for more than three decades. His work shaped generations of rabbis and scholars, leaving a lasting imprint on the seminary’s intellectual life and on contemporary Jewish education.
In American civil society, a veteran leader within the civil rights and Jewish advocacy community stepped away from his post. Joe Berman, who chaired the Anti-Defamation League’s National Legal Affairs Committee from two thousand eighteen to twenty twenty-two, criticized the organization for what he described as a failure to confront antisemitism on the political right and for what he called the group’s use of rhetoric that aligned with partisan aims. His departure highlights ongoing debates about how major Jewish organizations navigate a shifting political landscape in the United States while addressing threats to Jewish safety and community cohesion.
On the international stage, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed a ruling by the International Court of Justice that allegations of Hamas infiltration of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East are not substantiated. The decision prompted mixed reactions. UNRWA’s Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini hailed the vote as a strong endorsement of the agency’s neutrality and urged member states to support its work in Gaza, including public health and education services. Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danon, blasted the outcome, arguing that the resolution legitimizes terrorism by ignoring documented links between UNRWA staff and violent acts. The United States State Department likewise criticized the vote as unserious and biased, maintaining that UNRWA has not demonstrated adequate oversight and has, in its view, connections that undermine regional stability. In the broader international response, several regional partners signed a joint statement underscoring UNRWA’s indispensable role in protecting Palestinian refugees. The background to these tensions includes prior concerns in Israel and Washington about UNRWA’s role and content in Gaza and East Jerusalem, as well as ongoing debates in capitals about how to best safeguard civilians while confronting extremism.
Turning to the Gaza corridor, attention remains on a plan described as an International Stabilization Force. United States officials say that such a force could be deployed as early as next January to operate under a United Nations Security Council framework that authorized its creation. The force is intended not to fight Hamas, but to help stabilize Gaza in concert with newly trained Palestinian police and a broader demilitarization effort. A high-level conference is slated for December sixteenth in Doha, where partner nations are expected to discuss the force’s size, housing, training, and rules of engagement. While Indonesia has signaled readiness to contribute up to twenty thousand troops for health, construction, and related tasks, other potential contributors, including Azerbaijan, have expressed more cautious or uncertain timelines. The plan envisions Israel reducing its military footprint as stability improves, with a Board of Peace guiding milestones and a framework that would address the disarmament of armed groups and the destruction of offensive infrastructure. Israel’s prime minister signaled openness to multinational involvement but cautioned that some tasks may exceed others’ capabilities, underscoring the complexity of any phased withdrawal in a volatile environment. The security council’s recent authorization to pursue the Stabilization Force and related policing arrangements remains a focal point for international diplomacy as the region moves into the next phase of its long and fragile effort to reshape Gaza’s security landscape.
In the human story layer of this conflict, an ex-hostage recount described continued pressure and coercion during captivity. A Hamas official had told a former hostage that he would be released about two weeks after the abduction, a timeline that underscores the enduring human costs and the emotional weight of the conflict for families and communities on both sides.
Beyond these headline events, observers note that acts of antisemitism and antisemitic rhetoric continue to surface in various settings, prompting legal and social responses in different jurisdictions. In one example, a European Jewish association announced legal actions in response to chants deemed hostile to the Israeli state, while in the United States, civil society groups and community centers confront intimidation and harassment linked to extremist campaigns. These developments underscore the pervasive challenge of preserving safety and dignity for Jewish communities while engaging in an international conversation about security, diplomacy, and human rights.
Analysts and policymakers continue to watch closely how the United States and its partners balance the imperative of supporting Israel’s security and civilian protection with the goal of advancing a broader and lasting political settlement. The stabilizing force plan, while still taking shape, represents a pivotal effort to translate high-level diplomacy into practical steps on the ground, even as questions remain about sequencing, leadership, and enforcement that will influence both Israeli security calculations and Palestinian governance in the months ahead.
Thank you for tuning in to this Israel Today: Ongoing War Report update.
I'm Noa Levi. Stay safe and informed.
Keep in mind that this AI-generated report may contain occasional inaccuracies, so consult multiple sources for a comprehensive view. Find the code and more details in the podcast description.
SOURCES
https://www.jpost.com/judaism/article-880204
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-880203
https://www.timesofisrael.com/un-backs-icj-declaration-that-unrwa-isnt-infiltrated-by-hamas-israel-denounces-vote/
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-880202
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-880201
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-880200
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/b1shos5mbl
https://www.timesofisrael.com/isf-will-not-fight-hamas-say-us-officials-who-still-seek-to-deploy-force-next-month/
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-880198
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-880199
Gaza Stabilization Force Planned Amid Tensions
ICJ Dismisses Hamas Infiltration Claims
ADL Legal Chair Berman Exits
The time is now 11:00 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
A new update from the Middle East and related Jewish community developments arrived as the day mature toward night. In New York, the Jewish Theological Seminary announced the death of Rabbi Eliezer Diamond, a highly regarded professor and author who taught there for more than three decades. His work shaped generations of rabbis and scholars, leaving a lasting imprint on the seminary’s intellectual life and on contemporary Jewish education.
In American civil society, a veteran leader within the civil rights and Jewish advocacy community stepped away from his post. Joe Berman, who chaired the Anti-Defamation League’s National Legal Affairs Committee from two thousand eighteen to twenty twenty-two, criticized the organization for what he described as a failure to confront antisemitism on the political right and for what he called the group’s use of rhetoric that aligned with partisan aims. His departure highlights ongoing debates about how major Jewish organizations navigate a shifting political landscape in the United States while addressing threats to Jewish safety and community cohesion.
On the international stage, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed a ruling by the International Court of Justice that allegations of Hamas infiltration of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East are not substantiated. The decision prompted mixed reactions. UNRWA’s Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini hailed the vote as a strong endorsement of the agency’s neutrality and urged member states to support its work in Gaza, including public health and education services. Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danon, blasted the outcome, arguing that the resolution legitimizes terrorism by ignoring documented links between UNRWA staff and violent acts. The United States State Department likewise criticized the vote as unserious and biased, maintaining that UNRWA has not demonstrated adequate oversight and has, in its view, connections that undermine regional stability. In the broader international response, several regional partners signed a joint statement underscoring UNRWA’s indispensable role in protecting Palestinian refugees. The background to these tensions includes prior concerns in Israel and Washington about UNRWA’s role and content in Gaza and East Jerusalem, as well as ongoing debates in capitals about how to best safeguard civilians while confronting extremism.
Turning to the Gaza corridor, attention remains on a plan described as an International Stabilization Force. United States officials say that such a force could be deployed as early as next January to operate under a United Nations Security Council framework that authorized its creation. The force is intended not to fight Hamas, but to help stabilize Gaza in concert with newly trained Palestinian police and a broader demilitarization effort. A high-level conference is slated for December sixteenth in Doha, where partner nations are expected to discuss the force’s size, housing, training, and rules of engagement. While Indonesia has signaled readiness to contribute up to twenty thousand troops for health, construction, and related tasks, other potential contributors, including Azerbaijan, have expressed more cautious or uncertain timelines. The plan envisions Israel reducing its military footprint as stability improves, with a Board of Peace guiding milestones and a framework that would address the disarmament of armed groups and the destruction of offensive infrastructure. Israel’s prime minister signaled openness to multinational involvement but cautioned that some tasks may exceed others’ capabilities, underscoring the complexity of any phased withdrawal in a volatile environment. The security council’s recent authorization to pursue the Stabilization Force and related policing arrangements remains a focal point for international diplomacy as the region moves into the next phase of its long and fragile effort to reshape Gaza’s security landscape.
In the human story layer of this conflict, an ex-hostage recount described continued pressure and coercion during captivity. A Hamas official had told a former hostage that he would be released about two weeks after the abduction, a timeline that underscores the enduring human costs and the emotional weight of the conflict for families and communities on both sides.
Beyond these headline events, observers note that acts of antisemitism and antisemitic rhetoric continue to surface in various settings, prompting legal and social responses in different jurisdictions. In one example, a European Jewish association announced legal actions in response to chants deemed hostile to the Israeli state, while in the United States, civil society groups and community centers confront intimidation and harassment linked to extremist campaigns. These developments underscore the pervasive challenge of preserving safety and dignity for Jewish communities while engaging in an international conversation about security, diplomacy, and human rights.
Analysts and policymakers continue to watch closely how the United States and its partners balance the imperative of supporting Israel’s security and civilian protection with the goal of advancing a broader and lasting political settlement. The stabilizing force plan, while still taking shape, represents a pivotal effort to translate high-level diplomacy into practical steps on the ground, even as questions remain about sequencing, leadership, and enforcement that will influence both Israeli security calculations and Palestinian governance in the months ahead.
Thank you for tuning in to this Israel Today: Ongoing War Report update.
I'm Noa Levi. Stay safe and informed.
Keep in mind that this AI-generated report may contain occasional inaccuracies, so consult multiple sources for a comprehensive view. Find the code and more details in the podcast description.
SOURCES
https://www.jpost.com/judaism/article-880204
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-880203
https://www.timesofisrael.com/un-backs-icj-declaration-that-unrwa-isnt-infiltrated-by-hamas-israel-denounces-vote/
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-880202
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-880201
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-880200
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/b1shos5mbl
https://www.timesofisrael.com/isf-will-not-fight-hamas-say-us-officials-who-still-seek-to-deploy-force-next-month/
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-880198
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-880199
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