Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-05-18 at 04:02

HEADLINES
CENTCOM halts 6,000 drones and 1,500 missiles
Netanyahu UAE visit marks historic breakthrough
Belarus launches unusual nuclear weapons readiness drill

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

In Regional Impacts, US Central Command says its regional air defense helped intercept more than 6,000 one-way attack drones and over 1,500 ballistic missiles aimed at US forces, Israel, and Arab partners during the Iran conflict. In testimony to the Senate on May 14, USCENTCOM head Admiral Brad Cooper described how CENTCOM forces, in less than 40 days of major combat operations, dismantled what Iran spent four decades and billions building. He noted that the United States and Israel carried out strikes that destroyed Iranian air defenses, the navy, and thousands of other targets, with Iran responding. Cooper said USCENTCOM has undertaken a focused effort to structurally integrate its partners to enable them to take on a greater role in regional defense should fighting flare up again.

Saudi Arabia says three drones entered its territory from Iraqi airspace and were intercepted, in what followed a drone attack near Abu Dhabi’s Barakah nuclear plant. While authorities cautioned it is too early to confirm a link between the two incidents, the defense ministry spokesman Major General Turki Al-Maliki said Riyadh would take the necessary operational measures to protect sovereignty and the safety of citizens and residents. Even as hostilities in the Iran conflict have eased since the April ceasefire, officials warned that Iranian-backed proxies in Iraq could be testing new routes for attacks toward Gulf states.

Belarus, which hosts Russian nuclear weapons, announced an unusual drill to test readiness to use them, aimed at improving crew training and organizing combat operations from unplanned areas. The Defense Ministry said the exercise was not directed at any country and did not pose a regional security threat.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, Netanyahu’s UAE visit is confirmed by the Prime Minister’s Office as having occurred at the start of the Iran war, during Operation Roaring Lion, with a meeting with Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan described as a historic breakthrough in ties. The PMO’s decision to publicly confirm the trip was seen as a move to counter impressions that former prime minister Naftali Bennett would be welcome in the UAE while Netanyahu was not. The UAE Foreign Ministry denied that Netanyahu or Israeli military officials conducted undisclosed visits, unless issued by official Emirati authorities, and N12 reported that Abu Dhabi asked for confidentiality, with the public confirmation issued last Wednesday.

Ahead of Wednesday’s vote on the dissolution of the Knesset, United Torah Judaism did not agree to bring legislation to the plenary next week, and the Knesset presidency may publish an empty agenda as a result.

In Israeli Economy and Business, a price survey of 99 identical products across major categories found that the cheapest network was not Shufersal or Victory. The study, conducted by the Institute for Retail Research on May 17, 2026, compared chains including Rami Levy, Shufersal, Carrefour, Victory, Mahsanei HaShuk, Keshet Ta’amim, and Yohananoff, with a small sample against Volt Market. The findings indicate that the lowest prices among the tested chains came from a network other than Shufersal or Victory.

A Tel Aviv real estate project led by the Hag Hag brothers near Pardes Deka in Yafo, developed by Dania Sabos, has entered a period of extortion pressures, with reports that the brothers demanded protection money, kept guards on site, and expelled subcontractors from infrastructure and development work to force terms.

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-896522
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-896512
https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/article-1322725
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-896513
https://t.me/newssil/201850
https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/article-1322723
https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/article-1322720