Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-05-15 at 16:02

HEADLINES
Hamas Leader Haddad Targeted in Gaza Strike
US Considers Redirecting PA Tax to Gaza
Knesset Passes Roaring Lion Compensation Law

The time is now 4:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Regional Impacts, Hamas military leader Izz ad-Din al-Haddad was targeted in Israeli strikes in Gaza, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz saying in a Friday evening joint statement that Haddad was the target. Senior defense sources told Walla that initial indications suggest the assassination attempt was successful, though there has been no official confirmation from the IDF. The Air Force carried out the strike after intelligence from the IDF’s Southern Command and Military Intelligence Directorate identified Haddad’s location, which had been tracked for years. Government officials approved the operation about 10 days prior to the attack, according to Israeli media. Prior to the strike, the Air Force carried out a deception operation approved by Brigadier-General Omer Tischler to prevent Hamas from detecting unusual activity in the western Negev and Gazan airspace while keeping Haddad’s inner circle on low alert. Head of IDF Operations Major-General Itzik Cohen ordered the military to be ready on land, at sea, and in the air following the strike. Haddad is the highest-ranking Hamas military commander and the last leader connected to the October 7 attacks remaining in the Gaza Strip.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, the United States is weighing a request to redirect some funds withheld from the Palestinian Authority’s tax revenue toward President Donald Trump’s postwar Gaza plan. Five sources familiar with the matter said Friday that the administration has not yet decided whether to make a formal request to Israel. Under the proposal, a portion of the PA’s withheld tax money could go to a US-backed transitional government for Gaza, with other funds going to the PA if reforms are made. The Palestinian Authority puts the amount withheld at about $5 billion. The move could further sideline the Western-backed PA as Israel’s withholding of funds adds pressure in the West Bank.

In Israeli Economy and Business, Jerusalem Day is reflected on as a meaningful moment by a writer who describes it as one of their favorite days of the year, a time to celebrate the reunification of Jerusalem. The highlight for the writer is the flag parade, and the piece notes that tens of thousands of youth celebrate with a sense of substance and emotion, especially after two and a half years of war. The reflection also recalls soldiers who fell in battle and invokes a sentiment tied to the city’s history and memory. Separately, the Knesset has passed the Economic Assistance Plan Law to compensate businesses affected by Operation Roaring Lion, with the Israel Tax Authority opening a limited online system to claim war-related payments and a fuller system expected by the coming Sunday. The new law amends the Property Tax and Compensation Fund Law through 2031, and compensation generally relates to certain periods and types of businesses on a cash-basis, with separate compensation for property damage. The framework covers the 2025 calendar year as the preceding period, with specific provisions for March–April 2026, May–June 2026, and conditions for new businesses and frontline operations that faced evacuations after October 7.

In Uplifting News, The Wanderers tells the story of Poland’s Holocaust survivors who fled to the Soviet Union, as told by Daniela Gerson in her new book. Gerson chronicles her family’s journey from Zamość, Poland, through Siberian labor camps and displacement camps in Austria and Germany, framing a broader history of survivors who sought safety eastward. She notes that many survivors took this eastern route, forming the largest migration of European Jews to survive the Holocaust. Gerson, an immigration reporter and professor of journalism, reflects on her family’s experience alongside the broader memory of the Holocaust, including the century’s devastating loss in Poland where about 90 percent of Polish Jews were killed, and the fact that hundreds of thousands of survivors ultimately fled east in 1939 to the Soviet Union. Her book blends memoir, history, and journalism to illuminate these journeys.

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-896332
https://www.jpost.com/international/article-896331
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/banking-and-finance/article-896276
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/banking-and-finance/article-896278
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-896333