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Ceasefire reportedly reached in Israel-Gaza conflict following two days of fighting
(JTA) — Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group have reached a ceasefire over fighting in the Gaza Strip, reports are indicating, following two days of deadly Israeli airstrikes and Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel.
Israel’s strikes have killed 21 Palestinians and wounded more than 40, including senior members of Islamic Jihad and at least nine civilians, according to Palestinian Health Ministry and United Nations figures. No Israelis have been reported killed or wounded by the rockets, though eight have been treated for injuries while running for shelter.
The Israeli military named its offensive Shield and Arrow. Hamas, the group that controls the Gaza Strip and is labeled a terrorist organization by the United States, has also claimed involvement in the Gaza rocket fire alongside attacks by Islamic Jihad. Israeli officials have questioned the claim.
Israel has instituted emergency measures in towns near the Gaza border, evacuating thousands of residents. Its defense systems, including Iron Dome and a new interceptor called David’s Sling, have felled dozens of rockets since the attacks began.
Brokered by Egypt, the ceasefire will reportedly go into effect Wednesday evening. The conflict this week follows a heavy exchange of fire on May 2 between Islamic Jihad and Israel, following the death of an Islamic Jihad leader who was on a hunger strike in Israeli prison. It also comes after a far-right faction in Israel’s right-wing governing coalition boycotted parliamentary votes in protest of what it saw as a weak Israeli response to last week’s rocket fire.
Israel and militant groups in Gaza have engaged in several rounds of conflict in recent decades. Last year saw a three-day exchange of fire, while Israel fought with Hamas and other terror groups for 11 days in 2021. The most severe round of conflict lasted nearly two months in the summer of 2014.
The U.N., France and Turkey were among the international bodies condemning Israel on Tuesday for the deaths of civilians. The United States State Department issued a statement saying it was “aware of reports” that civilians “were tragically killed in the Israeli strikes” and called on “all parties to deescalate the situation.” The State Department added that the United States’ “commitment to Israel’s security remains ironclad.”
As Israeli defense officials said they wanted to limit the conflict, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled the opposite, telling communities near the Gaza border they should prepare for “the possibility of the expansion of the operation.”
Meanwhile, news coverage of the conflict has led to fighting within Israel. On Tuesday, Amichai Chikli, the minister of diaspora affairs, dubbed Israel’s Channel 13 “13 Jazeera,” a reference to the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera network. The epithet came after a chyron on the channel read “With the P.M.’s approval: Women and children killed in overnight attack.” Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi also condemned the chyron.
On Wednesday, a pedestrian attacked Channel 13 reporters on the street with pepper spray after saying they were “worse than Al Jazeera” and stealing the cover off of one of their microphones. Israel’s journalists’ union condemned the pepper spray attack, and police announced that they had arrested a suspect.
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Report: Iran’s New Military Plan Is Regime Survival Through Regional Escalation
Members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attend an IRGC ground forces military drill in the Aras area, East Azerbaijan province, Iran, Oct. 17, 2022. Photo: IRGC/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
i24 News – After last year’s devastating conflict with the United States and Israel, Iranian leaders have reportedly adopted a major strategic shift aimed at expanding the war across the Middle East to secure the regime’s survival, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Previously, Iran responded to foreign strikes with limited, targeted reprisals. The new doctrine abandons that approach, aiming instead to escalate the conflict regionally, particularly against Gulf Arab states and critical economic infrastructure. The goal is to disrupt the global economy and pressure Washington into shortening the war.
This decision followed the twelve-day war with Israel in June 2025, during which Israeli and US strikes eliminated senior Iranian military leaders, destroyed key air defense systems, and severely damaged nuclear facilities. In response, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei—before his elimination early in the current conflict—activated a strategy designed to maintain continuity even if top commanders were neutralized.
Central to this approach is the so-called “mosaic defense” doctrine: a decentralized military structure in which the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) operates through multiple regional command centers. Each center can conduct operations independently, allowing local commanders to continue fighting even if national leadership is incapacitated. This makes the military apparatus more resilient to targeted strikes.
Analysts cited by the Wall Street Journal suggest that Tehran’s calculation is to make the conflict costly enough for all parties to force the US and its allies into a diplomatic resolution.
However, the plan carries enormous risks. By escalating attacks on regional states and international economic interests, Iran could provoke a broader coalition against itself. Despite prior military losses, Iranian forces retain the capability to launch drone and missile strikes, maintaining their influence over the ongoing conflict.
For Iranian leaders, the immediate priority remains unchanged: the survival of the regime, even if it requires a major regional escalation.
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Katz Warns Lebanon to Disarm Hezbollah or ‘Pay a Heavy Price’
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz and his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias make statements to the press, at the Ministry of Defense in Athens Greece, Jan. 20, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki
i24 News – Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Saturday warned Lebanon’s leadership that it must act to disarm Hezbollah and enforce existing agreements, cautioning that failure to do so could lead to severe consequences for the Lebanese state.
Speaking after a high-level security assessment with senior military officials, Katz directed a message to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, saying Beirut had committed to enforcing an agreement requiring Hezbollah’s disarmament but had failed to follow through.
“You pledged to uphold the agreement and disarm Hezbollah — and this is not happening,” Katz said. “Act and enforce it before we do even more.”
The meeting took place in Israel’s military command center and included Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and other senior defense officials, as Israel continues operations on multiple fronts.
Katz emphasized that Israel would not tolerate attacks on its communities or soldiers from Lebanese territory.
“We will not allow harm to our communities or to our soldiers,” he said. “If the choice is between protecting our citizens and soldiers or protecting the State of Lebanon, we will choose our citizens and soldiers — and the Lebanese government and Lebanon will pay a very heavy price.”
The defense minister also referenced Hezbollah’s leadership, warning that the group’s current chief could lead Lebanon into further destruction.
“If Hassan Nasrallah destroyed Lebanon, then Naim Qassem will destroy it as well,” Katz said.
Katz stressed that Israel has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon but said it would not accept a return to the years in which Hezbollah launched repeated attacks on Israel from Lebanese territory.
“We have no territorial claims against Lebanon,” he said. “But we will not allow Lebanese territory to again become a platform for attacks against the State of Israel.”
He concluded with a warning to Lebanese authorities to take action against Hezbollah before Israel escalates its response.
“Do and act before we do even more,” Katz said.
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Trump Explores Possibility of Limited US Ground Deployment in Iran
United States President Donald J Trump in White House in Washington, DC, USA, on Thursday, December 18, 2025. Photo: Aaron Schwartz via Reuters Connect.
i24 News – US President Donald Trump has discussed the possibility of sending American ground forces into Iran as part of broader planning for how the country could be managed after the current conflict, reports NBC News.
The topic reportedly arose in discussions with senior aides and Republican figures outside the White House, where Trump outlined his thinking about what a post-war Iran might look like if the current confrontation significantly weakens the ruling regime. According to people briefed on those talks, the president has spoken about the need to secure Iran’s uranium reserves and prevent nuclear materials from falling into the wrong hands during any potential political transition.
Sources say Trump’s comments did not focus on the idea of a large-scale US military invasion. Instead, the discussions centered on a far more limited scenario involving a small contingent of American troops tasked with specific strategic missions. Such forces could potentially be deployed to secure sensitive nuclear facilities, protect critical infrastructure, or support stabilization efforts during a transitional period.
Those familiar with the conversations said the idea has been presented as one possible option among several scenarios being considered as the conflict evolves. Trump has reportedly also described a longer-term vision in which a new Iranian leadership could cooperate with Washington economically, particularly in the energy sector. In private conversations, he has suggested that the United States could eventually work with a post-regime Iran on oil production arrangements, drawing comparisons to the current cooperation between Washington and Venezuela.