Israel Update 15.1.26

Much of the news from the region is currently focussed on Iran and consequently is outside the remit of this Update, although Israel remains tense and on high alert in this highly volatile situation.

 

IRAN THREAT

 

 Iran’s parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned Sunday that U.S. military bases and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America strikes the Islamic Republic in support of Iranian protesters. Report here

 

GAZA

U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff said Wednesday: “We are announcing the launch of Phase Two of the President’s 20-Point Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, moving from ceasefire to demilitarization, technocratic governance, and reconstruction.”
“Phase Two establishes a transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in Gaza, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), and begins the full demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza, primarily the disarmament of all unauthorized personnel. The U.S. expects Hamas to comply fully with its obligations, including the immediate return of the final deceased hostage. Failure to do so will bring serious consequences.” X post here

The 15 members of the technocratic committee to govern Gaza in place of Hamas were named Wednesday. They include professional figures with institutional and security experience. The committee chairman is Ali Shaath, who previously held senior posts within the PA. Before it can start work, the committee must first determine its internal structure, support teams, and governing tools.    Security officials said Israel agreed to the appointment of the committee members. Report here

 

Palestinian sources have revealed that members of the Gaza-based charity Mubadaron are suspected of misusing donation funds raised from abroad during the war. A group of social media influencers in Gaza collected donations from Palestinians living abroad, claiming they were assisting displaced persons with basic needs such as food supplies. A resident of the Khan Yunis area said she noticed that several Mubadaron activists bought themselves new smartphones and rented luxury SUVs.Report here

 

The NGO Doctors Without Borders/ Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) “practised advancing an extreme anti-Israeli narrative under the guise of humanitarian activity” according to Israeli government documents. The organization is one of several dozen NGOs prohibited from operating in Gaza and the West Bank since January 1.
In June 2024, a Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative was identified as an MSF employee, and in September 2024, another MSF employee was identified as a Hamas sniper. Despite repeated and explicit Israeli demands,” MSF did not provide full transparency regarding the identities, roles, and activities of those individuals. An MSF employee in Gaza, Fadi Al-Wadiya, was revealed to be a senior operative of Islamic Jihad and an expert in rocket systems…The IDF said the 24 organizations that have not been banned are producing 99% of the total aid and that the current ban changes nothing on the ground. Report here

IDF CONTINUES FIGHTING HAMAS & HIZBULLAH

 

 

Among near-daily incidents:

 

The IDF last Friday (9/1) announced strikes against Hizbullah targets in Lebanon “in response to Hizbullah’s continued violations of the ceasefire understandings.” The IDF also struck several Hamas sites in Gaza on Thursday night in response to a failed rocket launch from Gaza City toward Israel earlier Thursday. Report here

 

Six Hamas fighters were spotted on Tuesday, trying to ambush the IDF. The terrorists, who were infringing on the 53% of Gaza under Israeli control in violation of the ceasefire, were killed. Report here

THE IDF

IDF reservist and industrial design graduate Oz Lotati, 29, noticed that there was no reliable way to keep lifesaving blood supplies properly cooled in the field so he created a portable  blood cooler (combat refrigerator) specifically for soldiers and field medical teams.
The cooler runs on standard military radio batteries already used by soldiers, and can also connect to vehicle power outlets, generators, electric sockets or even solar panels. It integrates directly into the gear of a medic or soldier, and is engineered to withstand movement, heavy loads and combat conditions. Report here

 

8,500 women served in IDF combat roles in 2025 – more than double the number in 2020. 5,000 women enlisted as combat soldiers over the past year, a tenfold increase compared with a decade ago. One-fifth of combat forces are women, and there are currently six female combat battalion commanders.
Since the start of the war, 65,000 women have served in the reserves, compared with 7,000 during the 2014 conflict. Women are now integrated in border defence, combat intelligence, infantry frameworks, and mixed-gender units. Women who previously performed national civilian service in place of IDF service have begun volunteering for reserve duty. Report here

The IDF has announced a national initiative aimed at integrating skilled immigrants into the military reserves who arrived in Israel at an older age and were previously unable to enlist through standard tracks. The programme allows eligible immigrants aged 26 and older to complete a condensed, two-week basic training course before being assigned to active reserve units in roles aligned with their professional and academic backgrounds. Report here

 

THE GAZA ENVELOPE

 

 

More people are now living in Israel’s Gaza envelope than before the October 7 Hamas attack, according to data released this week by the Israel Bureau of Statistics, marking a significant milestone in the government-led rehabilitation of the region. As of late 2025, approximately 65,000 residents live in the region, compared to about 62,000 on the eve of the October 7 assault

Official figures indicate that 529 residents of the region were murdered, 112 residents were taken hostage, and 288 children were left orphaned. Report here

 

More than 50,000 tulips are blooming throughout the Gaza border area, thanks to bulbs supplied by the Netherlands-based organization, Christians for Israel (CVI). CVI’s Johan van der Ham, who brought a group of Dutch Christians with him to learn about Israel “beyond the news headlines,” said that while the tulip was a Dutch symbol (some species of tulip grow wild in Israel), it also reflected a passage in the Book of Amos that says the roots of the Jewish people in the land cannot be uprooted. Report here

 

THE UK

 

Pro-Palestinian activists attacked machinery at the Bruntons Aero Products site outside Edinburgh on Jan 1. The firm appeared to have been targeted because it supplies specialist parts for defence companies Leonardo and BAE Systems, both of which have been criticized for their alleged links to Israel.
Parliamentarian Baroness Foster reacted to footage of the hammer-wielding activists damaging CNC machines, servers, and computers in a post on X: “Treason and terrorism…all rolled into one.”Report here (paywall)

 

BUSINESS

 

 Israeli startups raised $1.635 billion in December, the strongest month since 2022. Cybersecurity, healthcare and life sciences, and artificial intelligence companies were the most successful. Report here

Israel’s national pavilion at CES 2026 (the annual Consumer Technology Association technology show)  in Las Vegas last week,  drew thousands of visitors and hosted hundreds of business  meetings with investors and global companies, as Israeli firms showcased products in areas such as AI, digital health, semiconductors, AR, sensors, and edge computing. Report here

 

 

DEFENCE

 

 Israel’s Elbit Systems has received new contracts totalling $150 million from Sweden’s BAE Systems Hagglunds for its Iron Fist Active Protection System for ground vehicles.
The system will be installed on CV90 Infantry Fighting Vehicles operated by a number of European NATO members. Report here

 

INNOVATION

 

From materials that can be bonded and undone on command to new ways of designing antibiotics, diagnosing disease, and capturing carbon, researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem made discoveries in 2025 that push the boundaries of science and innovation.Here are ten breakthroughs from 2025 that blend curiosity-driven research with real-world relevance. One example is a new adhesive that resolves a long-standing challenge: combining strength with sustainability. The material bonds rapidly under visible light to glass, plastic, and metals – even underwater – yet can be cleanly taken apart using a household microwave. Reusable and solvent-free, the adhesive opens the door to recyclable electronics, sustainable packaging, optical components, and even reversible biomedical application Report here

 

SAMOA

 

Samoa will open an embassy in Jerusalem in 2026. The island state has consistently supported Israel at the UN while Israel and Samoa have collaborated over the years through Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation (MASHAV), providing training and support in areas such as energy; in 2023, the two countries ratified a mutual approval-exemption agreement. Currently, seven countries — the United States, Fiji, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea, and Paraguay — operate full embassies in Jerusalem. Report here

 

 

COMMENT & OPINION

 

 

Gaza

Khaled Abu Toameh:  Next week, President Trump is expected to announce the Board of Peace, an international transitional body to support the administration, reconstruction and economic recovery of Gaza in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 war.
The Board of Peace will reportedly include countries such as Turkey and Qatar, both followers of the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood who have long been providing financial and diplomatic aid to Hamas. They are hardly likely to participate in any attempt to disarm Hamas or destroy its military and terror infrastructure in Gaza…Hamas has no plans to go away and views itself as an integral part of any post-war arrangement.
For the Board of Peace to succeed, it must first issue a clear ultimatum to Hamas and all the terror groups in Gaza to lay down their weapons by a certain date and then disappear from the scene. These groups have nothing constructive to offer. Their stated goal is to destroy Israel and their attempts to do so will bring more death and destruction on the Palestinians.
No Board of Peace or International Stabilization Force will succeed so long as the Palestinian terrorists are still roaming the streets. These terrorists must be defeated, destroyed, and forced to surrender. Unfortunately, that is the only way to transform Gaza into a terror-free territory and prevent more violence and bloodshed.  Article here

 

Gershon Baskin:  I have consistently and unequivocally advocated for Palestinian rights for freedom, self-determination, and national dignity. This is an attempt to deal with the realpolitik of the current days with a strong desire for an outcome that will move us all forward to genuine peace…
In addition to the speed of reconstruction, the success of the process will also be measured by the extent to which the new reality in Gaza changes Gazan society regarding its willingness to live in peace next to the State of Israel. Gazan society has been deeply and negatively influenced by nearly two decades of Hamas rule and control that included the inculcation of hate toward Israel.
The new reality of Gaza has to change. It is not enough for Hamas to no longer control Gaza. Change must be seen in daily life. Change must also be seen in the classroom, in all the Gazan textbooks. Textbooks in Gaza (and in the West Bank) need to educate toward building a modern and successful Palestinian society willing to live in peace next to Israel. It should also include the study of Hebrew and a clear recognition that the Palestinian people share the land with the Israeli Jewish people. Article here

 

 

 

Gaza War

Maj. (ret.) Andrew Fox: The IDF Medical Corps is light years ahead of the British Army. 600 IDF soldiers, wounded in Gaza, are alive today who would have died in previous conflicts because of revolutionary changes to frontline medical care systems. That there are retired British generals recommending we don’t work with the IDF is mind-blowing. Learning from the IDF will literally keep our troops alive in future conflicts. X post here

Maj. (ret.) Andrew Fox: The 2023-25 war in Gaza offers a stark preview of intense combat in densely populated cities and provides timely lessons for NATO forces, their governments and their allies. The fighting highlighted the revolutionary role of drones and armoured engineering vehicles, the importance of integrating special forces with conventional units, and the critical need to protect civilians while managing the information narrative. The war in Gaza provides ample lessons for future conflicts in urban environments against non-state actors. Article here

Andrew Fox served for 16 years in the British Army.

 

 

 

Gaza/Iran

 

Jonathan S. Tobin:The same people who have been conducting mass demonstrations and virtue-signalling about their devotion to the cause of human rights and their abhorrence of civilian casualties when it came to the war in Gaza have been largely silent about what is happening in Iran. The activists who turned out in the tens of thousands to protest the war in Gaza or to broadcast their identification with Palestinians has zero interest in the Iranian struggle for freedom or the many victims of the Islamist regime.
The opinion columnists at major outlets who have been churning out articles falsely accusing Israel of “genocide” while parroting grossly inaccurate Palestinian casualty figures are mum about Iran. Given everything heard about how terrible it is for the innocent to be killed in conflict, why do they have nothing to say about Tehran, while they’re all very vocal about backing a “Free Palestine”?
If anything, the fight for freedom in Iran ought to be generating a lot more foreign support than the Palestinian cause. After all, the Palestinians have rejected compromise, peace and a two-state solution to end the Arab-Israeli conflict for nearly a century. And the recent war in Gaza wasn’t an Israeli attempt to stifle democratic protests. It was a morally justified response to a cross-border invasion by Palestinian Arabs on Oct. 7, 2023, which resulted in an orgy of mass murder, rape, torture, and kidnapping.
The ceasefire in Gaza reached last October didn’t really dampen the ardour of the anti-Israel crowd. Rather, as the chants of the pro-Hamas mobs made clear, it was their support for the desire of the Palestinians to see Israel eradicated and for violence against Jews wherever they lived that lured them to join the cause.  Article here

 

Palestinian Authority (PA)

 

Richard McDaniel: When I worked for a reconciliation organization and lived in the largely Palestinian Christian town of Beit Sahour last summer, there were multiple aspects of Palestinian society that disturbed me. What I found most discomforting was its overwhelming celebration of martyrdom – glorifying those Palestinians who sacrificed themselves in the name of “Palestine.”
Palestinian society’s extremism and fetishization of death are encouraged (or mandated) by the Palestinian leadership in a mindset shared by both the  PA and Hamas. Israeli peace activist Gershon Baskin told me that because Hamas’s “political-religious philosophy…is based on the sanctification of death,” they’re more than happy to never surrender.
The nearly universal celebration of martyrdom across Palestinian society demonstrates that extremism is deeply entrenched within Palestinian culture…

The potential for (Israel) working directly with Palestinian moderates is even more relevant today, especially because local Palestinian elections are scheduled for April 2026. One party that will participate in these elections is filled with moderates, who allegedly accept Israel’s existence and advocate for demilitarization and deradicalization.  Article here

Dr. Arnon Groiss: Saudi Arabia has offered to assist in implementing reforms within the Palestinian Authority (PA), among them, reform of the PA school curriculum.
Since 2000, I have researched the portrayal of Israel, Jews and peace in PA textbooks. The principles embedded in these books are not fundamentally different from those promoted by Hamas.
Their treatment of the conflict rests on three core pillars: rejection of Israel’s right to exist anywhere in the land and denial of the legitimacy of its seven million Jewish citizens; severe demonization of Israel and Jews, often on religious grounds; and the glorification of violent struggle for “liberation,” in which the annihilation of Israel is implicitly – and sometimes explicitly – endorsed.
In PA textbooks, Jewish history in the land is denied, as is the existence of Jewish holy sites. The “occupation” does not begin in 1967, but in 1948.
Jews are depicted as infidels, allies of Satan and enemies of God’s prophets. Students are taught that Jews betrayed Muhammad, and that they pose an existential threat to Palestinians.
These textbooks remain in use in the current school year and have not been meaningfully revised since 2020 – contrary to repeated claims by Western officials.
As the PA curriculum remains unchanged, the PA should not be permitted to assume a role in Gaza. Doing so would preserve the ideological foundations of Hamas’s extremist education. Article here

China

 

Yitzhak Shichor: How Israel Supported China and still became Beijing’s target. What has Israel done to deserve growing Chinese hostility?

The author explores the deteriorating relationship between Israel and China, questioning why China has adopted an increasingly hostile stance toward Israel despite decades of Israeli support for Chinese interests. Article here

Dr Shalom Salomon Wald: Antisemitism in China is not accidental or marginal.

The recent surge of antisemitism in China is a calculated policy shift rather than a grassroots phenomenon. Israel must be firm in its rejection of China’s official denials that it has become a breeding ground for anti-semitism. Article here

Europe

 

 

Jerusalem Post Editor-in-Chief Zvika Klein marks the anniversary of the January 2015 Islamist murders in Paris:

Eleven years is a long time to spend managing fear instead of defeating it. The people who were killed at Charlie Hebdo and Hypercacher were casualties in a war over whether free societies can remain free. Article here