Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-04-09 at 09:02

HEADLINES
Handala hacks Halevi, 19,000 files leaked
Netanyahu trial resumes after wartime freeze
Palm Sunday blocks Holy Sepulchre access

The time is now 9:02 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Direct Israel-Iran Clashes, the pro-Iranian hacking group Handala claimed to have breached the phone of former IDF chief of staff Lieutenant-General (ret.) Herzi Halevi, according to a Thursday thread on the group’s X account. The group says the operation spanned years and yielded roughly 19,000 sensitive files, including video documentation of secret meetings, strategic maps, and personal footage from Halevi’s residence. The material also appears to show Halevi at meetings with senior Arab officials, including representatives from Qatar and Jordan, as well as footage with Halevi’s family and with other senior IDF officials whose identities are classified by the military. Handala’s posts also boast that they had direct access to unedited images from top commanders’ systems.

In Iranian Retaliation, Iran’s nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami said that no law enforcement body or person could stop Iran’s nuclear enrichment program. He said enemy claims they can stop enrichment are wishes that will go to the grave, and that conspiracies and actions by enemies, including the operations Roaring Lion and Epic Fury, have yielded no results. He argued that after decades of hostility, the enemies have reached a stage of desperation, and a ceasefire request signals their defeat. In the same period,US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that there will be no enrichment of uranium and that the United States, working with Iran, would address nuclear matters under satellite surveillance.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, diplomatic sources to Reuters said NATO Secretary General told European governments that Trump wants a commitment to participate in guarding the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, Palm Sunday in Jerusalem’s Old City saw Israeli police prevent senior Christian clergy from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Within hours, images and reports spread globally, and the reaction was swift and condemnatory as an affront to religious freedom at one of Christianity’s holiest sites. Access was restored under pressure, but observers note the broader context of an ongoing war and the security challenges involved in large gatherings at sensitive sites. Democracies are tested precisely in moments like these when security concerns intersect with religious access.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, Defense for Children International - Palestine announced its closure after 35 years, citing Israeli restrictions and the challenges of operating under what it calls the targeted criminalization of Palestinian human rights groups. The Palestine branch, established in 1991 and registered by Israel in 1996, has operated under Palestinian Authority jurisdiction since 2003. The organization said it could no longer overcome operational challenges resulting from these restrictions.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, Netanyahu’s criminal trial is set to resume Sunday after a wartime court freeze, with the next hearing at 9:30 a.m. in the Jerusalem District Court for the testimony of a defense witness. The emergency format that had governed the courts during the war is ending, returning the judiciary to its ordinary schedule, though the regime remains in effect for some matters through Thursday. The resumption comes as the trial proceeds in Case 4000, with the broader court calendar gradually returning to normal.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, a High Court petition seeks to strike down the new rabbinical courts arbitration law. Israel Hofsheet argues that the measure expands the powers of the rabbinical courts, creates a state-subsidized arbitration track for religious litigants, and strengthens a public institution that excludes women from its judicial ranks. The petition contends the law would effectively channel civil disputes into a religious arbitration framework and allocate public resources to a religious tribunal.

In Uplifting News, Education Minister Yoav Kisch announced plans to expand the Summer Vacation School program as schools reopen after the ceasefire. The plan would extend the subsidized summer program by three weeks and introduce a new middle-school program, broadening access to all elementary students from first through sixth grade. The government has not yet approved the plan, and the Finance Ministry has indicated it lacks funding. The expansion aims to address gaps left by closures during the war, even as most schools resume in-person learning with restrictions still in place in some northern areas and border communities.

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/israel-news/article-892463
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-892450
https://t.me/beholdisraelchannel/74795
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-892298
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-892471
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/benjamin-netanyahu/article-892469
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-892466
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-892473