Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-05-12 at 10:02

HEADLINES
Iranian recruitment texts shock Israelis, police say
UNICEF: 70 Palestinian children killed since 2025
Kuwait captures IRGC infiltrators on Bubiyan

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 Direct Israel-Iran Clashes, Israeli authorities say they received recruitment and threatening text messages from Iranian intelligence elements. The Israel Police released a statement describing the messages as “attempts by Iranian intelligence elements to recruit Israeli citizens in Israel and abroad.” Messages included offers to buy videos of the Iran war and invitations to “build your future” by contacting Iranian embassies in various countries to work with Iranian intelligence, while others threatened military action. One message warned that Israelis would soon see “stars in the night sky” that are not stars and “the sun in the night sky.” Additional messages claimed Israelis are being exploited by a government with no accountability. Police urged recipients to ignore all attached links and files and to block the number.

In Regional Impacts, UNICEF says seventy children have been killed in the occupied Palestinian territories excluding Gaza since early 2025, roughly one per week, with over 800 injured. Most of those killed or injured in the West Bank and East Jerusalem were hit by live ammunition, though some were stabbed, beaten or pepper-sprayed. James Elder of UNICEF called these incidents part of a sustained pattern of the worst kind of violations against children. He noted that 93% of the children who have died since January 2025 were killed by Israeli forces, with the remainder victims of settler attacks, unexploded ordnance or accidental hits by Palestinian forces. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Human rights groups have described a renewed surge in violence against Palestinians by Israeli settlers and soldiers since 2023, and most countries deem Israel’s settlements on West Bank land illegal, a view Israel disputes.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry said four members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were captured earlier this month after trying to infiltrate Bubiyan Island, Kuwait’s largest island. Six armed Revolutionary Guardsmen were involved, and one Kuwaiti Armed Forces member was injured. Kuwait said it reserves the full right to self-defense under the UN Charter and vowed to defend its sovereignty, with the Kuwaiti Navy and Coast Guard on high alert. Iran has yet to officially respond.

Also in the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, Israel and UAE: A brothers-in-arms alliance against Iran’s growing threat – an opinion piece notes that, on May 4, Iran fired missiles and drones into the UAE. It highlights that Israeli personnel operated Iron Dome to intercept the missiles from within the UAE, marking the first time Israeli defense technology was deployed operationally on foreign soil. The collaboration under the Abraham Accords is described as a rapidly maturing strategic partnership driven by a shared view of Iran’s threat, with early deployments and ongoing cooperation that has deepened despite limited media coverage.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, President Trump has posted messages to Iran on Truth Social this morning. He has asserted that Iran will stop enriching uranium with “100%” certainty, claiming Iranians told him they would transfer the enriched material to the United States. He has been posting about Iran on Truth Social, with multiple messages to Iran issued this morning.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, a state audit finds Israel entered the Hamas war with weakened domestic weapons-production capacity. The State Comptroller, Matanyahu Englman, said Israel's ability to preserve domestic production of weapons, raw materials, components, and related infrastructure was impaired over two decades, with stockpiles and production lines weakened or lost. Embargoes or restrictions from some friendly countries during the war compounded the challenge, while global demand for materials rose alongside the conflict, and the Israeli military did not comment on the findings.

Also in Israeli Domestic Politics, Degel HaTorah’s spiritual leader Rabbi Dov Lando gave a green light to move toward dissolving the Knesset as soon as possible over the haredi conscription bill, potentially paving the way for early elections. Opposition leader Yair Lapid urged preparations to dissolve the Knesset next week, and Degel HaTorah’s stance followed reports of a rift with Prime Minister Netanyahu after it was said there was no coalition majority to pass the controversial draft law.

Finally in Israeli Domestic Politics, NGO Monitor founder Gerald M. Steinberg will step down after 25 years, with Olga Deutsch advancing to CEO and president in the group’s first leadership transition. Steinberg will become president emeritus, and Deutsch will take over on January 1, 2027, guiding NGO Monitor into its next chapter as the organization continues research and advocacy on human rights and Israel-related policy.

In Israeli Economy and Business, an Israeli-Cypriot cyber company is set to unveil a Starlink de-anonymizing tool called Stargetz, designed to operate alongside a VPN de-anonymizing tool named VPNz. Targeteam says Stargetz does not intercept traffic or breach Starlink encryption, aiming to identify users without compromising communications. The company reportedly staffs engineers with backgrounds in military and elite Israeli cyber firms, while keeping team details private. Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet, has become a backdrop to ongoing debates about access and surveillance, and the United States is noted as having smuggled thousands of Starlink terminals into Iran earlier this year as part of broader internet access efforts.

Israeli startup Frame Security has raised $50 million in a financing round led by Index Ventures, Team8, and Picture Capital, with participation from Wiz CEO Assaf Rappaport and Elad Gil. Frame is building an AI-driven platform to defend organizations against AI-powered social engineering and deepfake attacks, automating security awareness and training. The platform aims to empower employees as the strongest line of defense, offering realistic attack simulations and personalized guidance across roles within an organization. Frame’s founders are Tal Shlomo and Sharon Shmueli, veterans of Israel’s elite cyber Unit 8200.

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-895916
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/05/unicef-says-70-children-killed-west-bank-and-east-jerusalem-2025
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-895926
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-895776
https://t.me/newssil/201458
https://t.me/DefenderDome/20702
https://t.me/beholdisraelchannel/76209
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-895923
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-895922
https://www.jpost.com/j-spot/article-895914
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/article-895927
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/tech-and-start-ups/article-895919