Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-05-14 at 11:02

HEADLINES
Yemen prisoner swap hits 1,600
Iraq seeks IMF loan amid war
IAI absorbs Elta Systems in merger

The time is now 11:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Regional Impacts, Iraqi officials have approached the International Monetary Fund to secure financial assistance due to the conflict in the Middle East. Initial conversations took place last month during the spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank in Washington, and discussions are ongoing about how much funding Iraq would need and how any loan would be structured. The war that began on February 28 between the US, Israel, and Iran, triggered Tehran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, has rocked the entire Middle East, wreaking damage on infrastructure and economies. Iraq has been hard hit by the war, with most of its oil exports, which represent nearly all government income, cut off by the closure of the critical waterway, which previously carried about one-fifth of the world's crude oil. No comment was immediately available from the IMF or the Iraqi embassy. Iraq has the world's fifth-largest petroleum reserves, and the economy is closely tied to oil exports. Iraq's last financial deal with the IMF was a $3.8 billion standby arrangement that expired in July 2019, of which $1.49 billion was drawn, according to the IMF's website.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, the internationally recognized Yemeni government and the Iran-backed Houthis will exchange more than 1,600 prisoners, the office of the UN special envoy for Yemen said on Thursday, marking the largest release of detainees since the outbreak of the war in Yemen. Under the agreement, the Houthis will release 580 prisoners, including seven Saudis and 20 Sudanese, while the government will release 1,100 Houthi prisoners, Houthi official Abdulqader al-Mortada said in a post on X/Twitter. The two sides agreed to hold further talks on additional releases and allow mutual visits to detention facilities. They also agreed on an implementation plan with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to move forward with the release operation. "The agreement includes the release of a number of coalition forces personnel, members of the armed forces and security services, fighters from various military formations and the popular resistance, as well as politicians and journalists who spent years in Houthi detention,” Yahya K.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, after latest draft-law crisis, Haredi parties weigh whether Netanyahu is still their only option. Degel HaTorah and Shas are expected to remain aligned with prime minister despite repeated threats to dissolve Knesset, while Hasidic faction Agudat Yisrael says it will examine what Bennett, Lapid and Liberman might offer after election.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, a Georgian white supremacist group leader was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Wednesday for planning and soliciting racial mass killings, including a plot to poison New York City Jewish schoolchildren, the US Department of Justice announced. After having been extradited from Moldova last May, Maniac Murder Cult (MKY) leader Michail Chkhikvishvili, also known as “Commander Butcher,” had pleaded guilty in November to soliciting hate crimes and providing instructions to make bombs and ricin to further his organization’s goals of accelerationism, ethnic cleansing, and racial supremacy. National Security Assistant Attorney General John Eisenberg said in a Wednesday statement that the sentencing of Chkhikvishvili had taken “a monster off our streets” and protected “our communities at least for a time.” According to the criminal complaint, the DoJ, and past statements by the US embassy in Moldova, then-20-year-old Chkhikvishvili attempted in 2023 to solicit, unbeknownst to him, an undercover FBI agent to commit bombings and arson against Jews and racial minorities. The agent was told that they could apply to join MKY by providing videos of murder, brutal beatings, arson, or bombings.

In Israeli Economy and Business, Israel Aerospace Industries has recommended merging its subsidiary Elta Systems into IAI. Elta, headquartered in Ashdod, is responsible for a wide range of advanced technologies. It is the developer and manufacturer of the "Green Pine" radar system, Israel's high-power radar that detects distant targets and ballistic missiles from Yemen, Iran, and anywhere in the Middle East. It is also responsible for the Arrow, David's Sling, and other interception systems. In addition, Elta is responsible for communication systems, electronic warfare, and tactical radar systems for fighter jets and naval ships, and manufactures maritime tools, including ships such as the Super Dvora, unmanned submarines, and advanced weapon systems. More than seventy percent of the company's transactions are with foreign clients. According to the proposed framework, all of Elta's activities, assets, rights, and obligations will be fully transferred to IAI without compensation, and Elta will cease to exist as a separate legal entity.

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/middle-east/article-896236
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-896241
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/sk8k6imjfx
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-896232
https://www.jpost.com/defense-and-tech/article-896235