Tag Archive for: Israel News

News Update

In response to continued Iranian missile attacks against civilian targets, Defense Minister Katz said that, “IDF strikes in Iran will step up a level and expand to additional targets and areas that assist the regime in building and operating the weapons used against Israeli civilians.” Ori Peretz, a 43 year old civilian, was killed on an attack in the northern city of Nahariya yesterday. Several others were wounded, none seriously.

The air force struck Iran’s main site for producing missiles and naval mines in the city of Yazd. The military said the site was used to plan, develop, assemble and store advanced missiles intended for launch from cruise vessels, submarines and helicopters against maritime targets. The air force also carried out strikes overnight on ballistic missile production sites and air defense systems across Iran, including launchers and storage sites. A broad range of targets were also hit in Tehran.

[Despite the continuous, round the clock, strikes against Iranian targets, much more work is left to be done to cripple Iran’s offensive capabilities and prevent them from rebuilding. Perhaps that’s why President Trump extended the ceasefire negotiation deadline another 10 days? ]

News Update

Rocket barrages from Iran and Hezbollah continue. An Iranian missile fell close to Israel’s largest power plant, located in Hadera, causing no damage. Shrapnel impacts were reported throughout central Israel. A building in Tel Aviv was damaged from another strike. Shrapnel from a Hezbollah strike shattered the window of a child’s bedroom in Kiryat Shemona, throwing glass on the child’s bed. Thankfully, the parents had moved their child into the home’s shelter prior to the attack.

Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir confirmed that the IDF has dropped over 15,000 bombs on Iran since the start of the current operation. The recent IDF strikes against an Iranian naval base in the Caspian Sea was meant to disrupt the transport of weapons, ammunition, and Shahed drones between Russia and Iran. Yesterday and overnight, Israel struck Iranian missile and weapons production facilities and air defenses. The IDF has reportedly struck 70% of the targets designated at the start of the operation.

Airstrikes and ground operations continue against Hezbollah in Lebanon. The IDF said approximately 700 terrorists have been eliminated in the fighting so far. An Israeli civilian was killed as a result of fire from Lebanese territory yesterday. Meanwhile, Lebanon expelled the Iranian ambassador. Later, an Iranian missile hit Beirut.

After pressure from Washington to take action on the issue, the government will approve the establishment of a unit in the Ministry of Defense to deal with the hilltop youth, with a budget of 130 million shekels for the next three years.

A 14-year-old boy from central Israel has been charged with passing information to Iran and carrying out a series of tasks on its behalf. The boy is accused of providing information to the enemy, contact with a foreign agent, obstruction of justice and other offenses. Among the tasks he allegedly carried out for his contact and other agents were spraying graffiti reading “We are committed to the alliance” in several locations around Tel Aviv and on vehicles; filming videos lasting several minutes in streets near Ichilov Hospital and in neighborhoods in Ramat Gan; and recording footage of the Tel Aviv skyline, including a description of the location of the Kirya military headquarters.

News Update

Israel continued to strike hundreds of Iranian targets and Iran fired multiple missile barrages overnight, triggering sirens across large parts of Israel. Intercepts were largely successful, though shrapnel and debris caused damage in central areas, including homes in cities like Rehovot. Yesterday, the Haifa oil refinery was hit, most likely by fragments of an interceptor, causing minor damage. The refinery is still largely operational and affected systems are expected to be restored within days.

Israel is adjusting its defensive posture. Due to the volume of incoming fire, the Air Force is reportedly selectively intercepting threats, allowing smaller cluster fragments to fall in open areas in order to conserve interceptor stockpiles.

Prime Minister Netanyahu gave a live press conference yesterday (yes, he is alive!) in which he said that Israel has already inflicted “significant damage” to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, claiming enrichment capabilities have been “severely disrupted” but that Israel’s job is not completed and the war could continue a bit longer. He clearly denied the false rumor that Israel had dragged the U.S. into the war. He added that the war could “create conditions” for regime change. He also touched on the economic and strategic upside, pointing to the possibility of new regional energy routes that bypass Iran, suggesting Israel could play a larger role in global energy transit if Iran’s influence is weakened.

News Update

Israeli airstrikes killed Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and the most senior leader in the regime, along with Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij militia, and some other senior commanders. Also, the air force continues to strike hundreds of targets daily.

Iran fired five barrages at Israel yesterday. Almost all of the missiles were intercepted, but shrapnel damaged a home in Rishon Letzion. Shrapnel and missile fragments also fell near the Knesset and in Jerusalem’s Old City, including on the Temple Mount and near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Israeli forces carried out additional strikes in southern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah launch sites, weapons depots and observation posts along the border. Troops from the 91st Division have also continued limited ground activity near the border area to destroy rocket launchers and anti-tank positions threatening northern Israeli towns.

News Update

Operation Lion’s Roar continues with waves of Israeli airstrikes against Iranian military and regime targets. Israel is tempering its hopes for regime fall and rather on the goal of degrading Iran’s military capabilities. Israeli officials say the war could last for weeks, but ultimately the decision as to when the war will end lies with President Trump.

Millions of Israelis in the center and north were in bomb shelters yesterday as Iranian missiles were fired, all of which were either intercepted on fell in open areas. The number of Iranian missiles being fired at Israel has dropped dramatically since the start of the conflict. During the first days of fighting, Iran launched dozens of missiles in a single wave. Over the past week, Iranian forces have typically fired only a handful at a time. Israeli security officials attribute the decline to the extensive damage inflicted on Iran’s missile launch infrastructure, factories and senior personnel responsible for operating the system. According to a military source, Iran still possesses numerous launchers hidden inside tunnels but is struggling to deploy them. But the threat still remains.

The Finance Ministry lowered its economic growth forecast for 2026, saying the war against Iran and Hezbollah is expected to last only a few weeks, though it will still weigh on economic activity. According to an updated macroeconomic outlook released Tuesday by the ministry’s chief economist division, the economy is now projected to grow 4.7% in 2026, down from a previous forecast of 5.2%. The updated forecast assumes short-term fighting on the northern front and against Iran lasting only a few weeks, the ministry said. If the conflict continues beyond that period or expands to additional fronts, the outlook may need to be revised again.

A new settlement named Ebal has been established in Samaria. The cabinet approved the move in May last year as part of a broader decision authorizing the establishment of 22 settlements in Judea and Samaria, some of them retroactively legalizing existing outposts. Officials in the Samaria Regional Council said the establishment of Ebal is part of the “One Million in Samaria” plan promoted by council head Yossi Dagan. The initiative, developed with planners, architects, geographers and other professionals, aims to bring the population of Samaria to one million residents by 2050.