Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-04-21 at 13:02

HEADLINES
US confirms THAAD stays in Korea
West Bank school attack kills two Palestinians
Hezbollah rockets breach ceasefire; Israel strikes launcher

The time is now 1:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In US Military Role, the United States says it did not move a key missile defense system from South Korea to the Middle East for the Iran war, the commander of US forces in Korea said on Tuesday. General Xavier Brunson testified that the THAAD system, designed for high-altitude interception of ballistic missiles and deployed in South Korea to guard against North Korea, remains on the peninsula. He added that no THAAD units have been moved, while munitions are being sent forward and are waiting to move. Brunson noted that in the past there were forward moves of other equipment, including radars ahead of a prior operation known as Midnight Hammer, and some of those items have not yet been returned, but the THAAD systems themselves stay in place.

In Regional Impacts, two Palestinians were killed and four wounded in a West Bank attack on a school in the village of Mughayir, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, which identified a 14-year-old and a 32-year-old as the dead. The IDF said troops were dispatched to the village after rocks were thrown at an Israeli vehicle, and a passenger in the vehicle, a reserve soldier, opened fire. The incident is under review, with findings to be transferred to the relevant authorities. MK Ahmad Tibi called the event a massacre and said Israeli media coverage was hypocritical.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, Hezbollah fired a rocket at IDF troops in southern Lebanon, violating the current ceasefire. Israeli media reported sirens along the Lebanese border were initially classified as a false identification, but the IDF later said the siren resulted from a Lebanese UAV intercepted before it crossed into Israeli territory, and the military said it also struck the launcher from which the rockets were fired. A 10-day ceasefire mediated by Washington remains in effect, with Israeli forces deployed along a border belt 5-10 kilometers deep as part of a broader aim to create a buffer zone to shield northern Israel. Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri warned that Israel would face resistance if it remains in Lebanese land, saying it would be met with daily resistance, as Washington hosts ambassador-level talks between Israel and Lebanon this week.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, the IDF announced that a soldier who smashed a Jesus statue in the Christian village of Debel in southern Lebanon will be removed from combat duty and receive 30 days of military detention, and the soldier who photographed the act will receive the same punishment. Six other soldiers present were summoned for clarification discussions; the military said the conduct completely deviated from orders and values, and it erected a new statue in place of the damaged one as part of the response. IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir condemned the incident as an unacceptable moral failure. More than 150 Jewish leaders worldwide denounced the act in an open letter, calling it a chillul Hashem and apologizing to the global Christian community. In another development, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir announced he would promote senior police officer Ruti Hauslich to head of the Investigations Department, following a Jerusalem District Court recommendation, while asking the attorney-general to weigh in on remarks about someone impersonating a title not granted in the Knesset, in reference to Hauslich’s use of the title in her petition. The court ordered Ben-Gvir to notify the A-G by April 26. Separately, anti-Netanyahu protesters held an alternative Independence Day torch event in Tel Aviv with speakers including former IDF chiefs Dan Halutz and Moshe Ya’alon, lawmaker Gilad Kariv, and Druze leader Amal Asad. Israel also marked the start of its 78th Independence Day with a torch-lighting ceremony at Mount Herzl, where Argentina’s President Javier Milei was invited to light a torch live but did not attend in person; his participation was recorded during rehearsal for later broadcast.

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.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/04/us-did-not-move-defense-system-korea-general-says
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-893751
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-893767
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-893763
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-893761
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-893759
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-893747
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hjzdazspzl
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rj6eb11r611l