Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-05-07 at 20:02

HEADLINES
IDF kills Hamas operative Ibrahim Abu Tzakar
US Destroyers Transited Hormuz Under Fire
Spain Demands Israel Explain Gaza Flotilla Detention

The time is now 8:02 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Operation Lion's Roar, the Israel Defense Forces say it killed Hamas terrorist Ibrahim Abu Tzakar in a strike last week. He participated in the October 7 Massacre and the abduction of former hostage Mia Schem from the Mefalsim area. The IDF says Abu Tzakar operated as a paramedic while also taking part in attacks against Israeli troops and civilians.

In Iranian Retaliation, President Donald Trump said three US Navy destroyers transited out of the Strait of Hormuz under fire, adding that the American ships were not damaged but great damage was done to Iranian attackers. He wrote on Truth Social that the destroyers were “very successfully” handling the transit and that the attackers were “completely destroyed along with numerous small boats.” In a separate development, Iranian forces launched missiles, drones and boats at US vessels in the Strait of Hormuz; the United States said it intercepted and struck Iranian sites in response, with explosions reported in southern Iran, and Iran blaming the UAE, though Abu Dhabi denied involvement amid wider Gulf tensions. Iranian state-backed Press TV released footage showing Iranian forces launching missiles and drones against three US destroyers during the recent engagement.

In Regional Impacts, Spain summoned Israel’s ambassador twice over the arrest of Saif Abu-Kashk, a Spain-based Palestinian detained on the Global Sumud flotilla to Gaza; Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares called the detention unacceptable and said it violated international law.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, the Committee to Protect Journalists urged US authorities to relaunch their investigation into the Israeli military’s killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot while reporting in the occupied West Bank in 2022. In a letter to the Department of Justice and FBI Director Kash Patel, CPJ demanded a public progress update on Abu Akleh’s death. The group noted that the FBI opened an investigation in November 2022 but has shown little demonstrable progress, and that witnesses have been willing to cooperate.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, former prime minister Naftali Bennett filed a defamation lawsuit seeking 2 million shekels against Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman, MK Ohad Tal, and Channel 14 for claims that he took psychiatric medications to function. Bennett accused Channel 14 of being a propaganda channel masquerading as a news outlet and said it attacks Netanyahu’s rivals with fabrications presented as facts. He quoted Silman as telling activists that he was “confused and stuttering” and in a “really, really, poor mental state,” suggesting pills were being placed in red boxes to help him function. Separately, three female soldiers from the IDF’s Border Protection Corps spoke with Channel 12’s Uvda about an April 2025 Gaza ambush in which they came under fire from 11 attackers while in an unarmored jeep without a convoy; the vehicle overturned, and one medic was left unable to help after losing a leg, highlighting the risks faced by frontline service members.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, a former Southern California college professor has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and battery in the death of a Jewish counterprotester during demonstrations in 2023 over the Israel-Hamas war. Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji, 53, was accused of striking Paul Kessler with a megaphone at a Thousand Oaks protest in November 2023.

In Uplifting News, artist Gunter Demnig carefully placed a palm-sized Holocaust memorial brass plaque into the sidewalk on a busy Berlin street corner, noting Johanna Berger’s deportation and murder. After Demnig cleared the sand from Berger’s Stolperstein and those for her husband and two sons, about a dozen relatives gathered, placed white roses, and recited the Kaddish as traffic roared by.

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://t.me/JewishNews24/54028
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/05/trump-says-great-damage-done-iranian-attackers-after-us-navy-destroyers-came
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hytsq00qcbg
https://t.me/DefenderDome/20642
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rko5cc5abe
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/05/cpj-demands-progress-us-probe-journalist-abu-akleh-killing-four-years
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-895539
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-895541
https://t.me/newssil/201177
https://t.me/JewishNews24/54031
https://t.me/JewishNews24/54026