Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-05-22 at 17:01

HEADLINES
Japan warns Taiwan war could threaten survival
Israel strikes al-Barij and Nazzirat camps
Iran says uranium talks off the table

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 Japan’s Taiwan fears expose a deeper crisis in American deterrence - opinion, regional actors believe that in the event of a direct confrontation with China the United States would act with extreme caution and seek to avoid a large-scale war whenever possible. Tokyo has gradually shifted its language on China and Taiwan, with senior officials acknowledging that a war over Taiwan could become a direct security crisis for Japan. A major turning point cited occurred on November 7, 2025, when Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told a parliamentary debate that a Taiwan emergency involving the use of force and naval vessels could constitute a situation threatening Japan’s national survival. Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized that Taiwan’s reunification with China remains a strategic objective not open to negotiation.

In Regional Impacts, Israeli fighter jets attacked two housing complexes in central Gaza, the al-Barij and the Nazzirat camps, with evacuation warnings preceding the strikes. Earlier today, Gazans reported that IDF forces and militias opposed to Hamas evacuated residents in the eastern Deir al-Balah area in central Gaza, and bulldozers were reported to have demolished several homes.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told IRNA that no conclusion will be reached in US-Iran peace negotiations if the United States insists on discussing Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium. He said the negotiations are focused on ending the war and that the nuclear issue will not be discussed in detail at this stage. Baghaei labeled US demands to temper Iran’s nuclear ambitions as unreasonable and excessive, citing deep and numerous differences between the two sides. He noted that senior Pakistani officials have arrived in Tehran to aid mediation and that the process is ongoing but not near resolution.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, a divided federal appeals court on Friday declined to rehear Mahmoud Khalil’s case, keeping open the possibility that the Trump administration could rearrest and deport the pro-Palestinian activist. The 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals voted 6-5 to deny the request to rehear a January ruling that had concluded a lower court lacked jurisdiction to order Khalil’s release from immigration detention. The decision highlighted ongoing debate over civil liberties for non-citizens amid immigration enforcement. Separately, the State Prosecutor’s Office filed an indictment in Jerusalem District Court against 25-year-old Israel Grossman, accusing him of aggravated intentional sabotage as an act of terror, arson, property damage, and obstructing a police officer in Jalud, in the Nablus district. The prosecution alleges participation in three violent incidents between February and May, including vandalizing property, arson, and an assault on a guard at a poultry complex, and seeks detention until proceedings conclude.

In Uplifting News, a photograph by Israeli photographer Chen Kalifa Levy showing Kibbutz Nahal Oz thriving beside the ruins of the Shaikh Jadah area in eastern Gaza has gained widespread circulation among Gaza-based social media users, described by some as a victory image. The contrasting image, with resilience on one side and destruction on the other, has sparked a broad, hopeful response.

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/opinion/article-896681
https://t.me/abualiexpress/122827
https://t.me/abualiexpress/122824
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-897029
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-897030
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/crime-in-israel/article-897024
https://t.me/abualiexpress/122823