Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-04-30 at 10:02

HEADLINES
Hezbollah drone wounds 12 IDF soldiers
PA pays terrorists despite Taylor Force Act
Bennett-Lapid form Together to oust Netanyahu

The time is now 10:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, twelve IDF soldiers were wounded on Thursday after a Hezbollah explosive drone struck an armored vehicle near the northern community of Shomera, igniting a fire and triggering secondary explosions of ammunition inside, according to the Israeli military. Two soldiers were moderately wounded and ten others sustained light injuries. Earlier, the IDF said it launched an interceptor toward a suspicious aerial target over southern Lebanon, but provided no further details. The day followed a string of Hezbollah attacks, including the launch of explosive drones toward IDF troops south of the Forward Defense Line on Wednesday, with no injuries reported in those cases. In response, IDF troops from the 146th Division, in coordination with the Israel Air Force, killed five Hezbollah terrorists operating near Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, the military said, and it began striking Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon earlier Thursday.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, the Palestinian Authority has continued payments to terrorists and their families despite promises to end the pay-for-slay programs. Under the Taylor Force Act, Washington cannot provide economic aid to Ramallah until those payments end and its statements of public support for terrorism are halted, the State Department told Congress last month. A total of $156 million was paid, a portion of the $214 million the PA pledged to distribute to families, including $126 million going directly to Palestinian terrorists, including those released from Israeli custody, and $30 million to the families of terrorists who died. The State Department said the PA continues to provide a system of compensation in support of terrorism through new mechanisms and under a different name. Payments continued despite Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas legislating changes to the West Bank welfare system last year, shifting payments to a needs-based model.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, a new alliance between former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid will not dissolve Yesh Atid, and it has drawn a positive response from party members and the public. Bennett and Lapid plan to run in the upcoming elections on a single ticket named Together, with Bennett at the head, a move aimed at uniting the opposition bloc and boosting its chances of unseating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by October. Merav Ben-Ari, an Yesh Atid member of Knesset and opposition coordinator, called the merger “an amazing thing,” saying it demonstrates Lapid’s leadership and how he can set aside ego for the good of the country.

In Uplifting News, Italian author Erri De Luca will take part in the International Writers Festival in Jerusalem, set for May 25-28 and held with the support of the Jerusalem Foundation. The festival will bring prize-winning writers from around the world together with leading Israeli authors, poets, journalists, and artists. De Luca, born in Naples and known as a novelist and poet, will appear in a program called “From Naples to Jerusalem” and will speak with Prof. Uri S. Cohen about the literary and cultural climate in contemporary Italy, his body of work, and a new Hebrew book slated for publication. De Luca is described as not only a formative novelist and poet but also a social activist and translator of biblical Hebrew who renders the Bible in a distinctive way. The festival also features international guests Nell Zink, Joseph Finder, Eva Illouz, Dara Horn, Steve J. Zipperstein, Benjamin Resnick, and Marcelo Birmajer.

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-894709
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-894700
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-894717
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-894722