Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-05-15 at 17:01

HEADLINES
- Hamas letter to Nasrallah sparks regional tensions
- US redirects PA taxes to Trump's plan
- Polish Holocaust survivors endure Soviet exile

The time is now 5:01 PM 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, a document reportedly written by Hamas leaders Mohammed Deif, Yihya Sinwar, and Marwan Issa as a personal letter to Nasrallah was sent to Hezbollah’s secretary-general on October 7, 2023 at 6:30 a.m., coinciding with Hamas’s order to begin its invasion of Gaza. The report notes a high-value target in Gaza and describes an attempted assassination of Hamas leader Es Eddin al-Haddad, which is suggested to have connections to Iran. A military source references developments with Hezbollah in Lebanon as part of Iranian activity. The piece also mentions new remarks by Donald Trump that shake diplomatic talks and quotes an IDF chief of staff’s assertion that the unity of the IDF is what binds the forces together. The article raises questions about who will lead Fatah, and observers in Israel are watching these unusual events closely.

In the US Policy Concerning Israel, the United States is weighing a proposal to redirect some tax funds withheld by Israel from the Palestinian Authority toward Donald Trump’s postwar Gaza plan, five sources familiar with the discussions said. Under the proposal, a portion of the PA tax money would go to a US-backed transitional government for Gaza, with other funds directed to the Palestinian Authority if reforms are implemented. The Palestinian Authority puts the amount withheld at about five billion dollars. The prospect of reallocating the PA’s own tax revenue could further sideline the Western-backed PA as the West Bank faces a financial crisis, and Washington has not yet decided whether to make a formal request.

In the Israeli Economy and Business section, Your Investments: Financial freedom and Jerusalem unification, the author reflects on Jerusalem Day as one of the year’s meaningful moments, highlighted by the flag parade. The piece describes how tens of thousands of youths celebrate with pride in an era of social media and smartphones, and notes the emotional weight after two and a half years of war. It recalls the memory of soldiers who had marched in past parades and invokes a vision of unity and national renewal, drawing on references to Rabbi Jonathan Sacks to frame the sense of connection and continuity.

In Uplifting News, The Wanderers tells the story of Poland’s Holocaust survivors who fled to the Soviet Union, Daniela Gerson chronicles her family’s journey through exile from Zamość, Poland, to the Soviet Union, enduring a decade of wandering from Siberian labor camps to Central Asia and displaced persons camps in Austria and Germany, illustrating a broader arc of Jewish survival and memory. Noam Bettan impresses the crowd at Eurovision jury rehearsal ahead of the Grand Final in Vienna, drawing applause as Palestinian flags appear and Israeli fans praise the performance.

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.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/article-1321915
https://www.jpost.com/international/article-896331
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/banking-and-finance/article-896276
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-896333
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/sycvplb1fg