About this episode
HEADLINESIranian missiles strike Israel chemical warhead fearedHezbollah faces growing risk as tactics failKnesset to execute terrorists bill signals crackdownThe time is now 1:03 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.In Direct Israel-Iran Clashes, overnight reports describe a night of launches from Iran in which at least one missile was said to carry a chemical warhead. The barrage toward Israel produced casualties in Nahariya, where Ori Peretz was killed and about 25 people were hospitalized, with investigators pursuing a line of inquiry into the death of Yehuda Sherman near Homesh in what authorities described as a car-ramming attack. In Lebanon, Sergeant Aviad Elhanan Wolenski was killed by an anti-tank missile.In Iranian Retaliation, what was seen yesterday in Iran is described as only the opening move in the next phase of the conflict, signaling that further steps may follow in the broader confrontation.In Regional Impacts, Uganda’s armed forces chief General Muhoozi Kainerugaba said that any talk of destroying or defeating Israel would push Uganda to side with Israel in the Iran War, adding that if Israel needs help, it only need ask.In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, observers note that Hezbollah is increasingly exposed to risk on the ground as the group absorbs lessons from past engagements, with commentators describing the Hezbollah posture as a mounting trap in the field. Separate analyses warn that Hezbollah’s tactic of projecting pressure and delaying escalation has been revealed as inadequate in a shifting dynamic across the region.In US Policy Concerning Israel, analysts describe the sense that the hardline stance voiced by Iran’s leadership is translating into actions on the ground, shaping ongoing US-Iran interactions as the crisis broadens and events unfold.In Israeli Domestic Politics, new polling and policy moves shape the domestic landscape as the country faces wartime pressures. A Jewish People Policy Institute survey shows American Jews rating Netanyahu more positively than Trump on Iran policy, with 54% versus 46%. In domestic politics, a Merav poll outlines an enlarged unified opposition potentially becoming the largest bloc in 2026, with a Gide Isenkot-led list at 33 seats and a Naftali Bennett-led list at 32 seats, while particular head-to-head preferences place Isenkot at 32% and Bennett at 29% for prime minister. Separate survey figures indicate Bennett remains a preferred figure for a sizable portion of the opposition, while Isenkot strengthens to 13 seats and others trail, leaving the governing bloc around 50 seats. We also note moves in the Knesset set to begin next week, including a historic measure that would allow the execution of terrorists, and legislative steps aimed at “clearing the table” of pending reforms as the chamber pushes ahead with majo
