Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-06-17 at 12:02

HEADLINES
Israel says F-35s more ready than US
Hezbollah drone strike wounds five Israeli soldiers
Israel to trial women in tank crews

The time is now 12:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In US Military Role, after a GAO watchdog report earlier this week said that the American fleet of F-35 stealth fighters has seen reduced readiness and usability as maintenance issues drag down mission-capable rates, Israeli sources said that their F-35s were faring better. Multiple Israeli sources said that the Jewish state's F-35s have remained more combat-ready than the report detailed for American F-35s, though none were willing to provide specific numbers they would stand behind. One source suggested that Israeli maintenance standards may be higher. Israel has needed to use its F-35 aircraft more often in recent years than the US has. The Lockheed Martin-produced F-35 is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons system, with the grand total of acquisition and sustainment costs expected to top $2 trillion. Yet the GAO report noted that as costs have risen, persistent problems have limited how often the aircraft can fly. The GAO said that despite billions invested to improve readiness, the efforts have not delivered the desired mission-capable rate. Israeli officials offered a counterpoint, saying their F-35s have remained more ready for combat than the GAO-described level, without providing numbers.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, five IDF soldiers were wounded, including one seriously, when an explosive Hezbollah drone struck their location in southern Lebanon near a Givati Brigade tank, the IDF said. The blast caused shrapnel injuries to four soldiers, who were escorted to an evacuation vehicle. A few minutes later, another explosive drone struck the evacuation vehicle, injuring an additional soldier. The first four were safely delivered for further medical treatment, while the fifth injured during the rescue was evacuated by helicopter. Families have been notified. Separately, Hezbollah sources said Turkey has reassured Hezbollah of its continued presence in Lebanon and that Damascus has no plans to act against the group. The remarks come as discussions among US and Iran are expected to include a halt to fighting on the Lebanese front. In a related development, Hezbollah drones struck Israeli forces and an evacuation vehicle in southern Lebanon, wounding five soldiers as a ceasefire on the Lebanese front appeared to be approaching.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Eyal Zamir announced that the pilot program to try out women serving in tank units will begin in November, and he said that at most, the effort will yield a single company of tanks crewed by women, a relatively small portion of the army’s tank brigades. He warned that female tank soldiers must meet the general physical standards to serve, and noted that past pilots in other areas had seen higher injury rates during training, which he said should be avoided this time. About a third of Hesder yeshivas opposed the plan, and on June 11, 25 Hesder yeshivas said they would ban Orthodox male students from joining the tank corps in protest of the pilot program. The program is described as a pilot, and it remains unclear whether it will lead to permanent women’s service in the tank corps. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir appointed six bereaved-family members as official inspectors under the Death Penalty for Terrorists Law to oversee the conditions of terrorists sentenced to death and supervise the law’s implementation, with inspector roles including family members of victims from previous attacks. The Knesset approved Likud MK Tally Gotliv’s immunity from prosecution in a Shin Bet officer identity exposure case by a vote of 62 to 48, following debates on security risk assessments presented by the Attorney-General. The plenary vote occurred as lawmakers debated the balance between oversight and accountability in wartime disclosures. Ultra-Orthodox protests over draft arrests disrupted central Israel, with thousands gathering near a military prison outside Kfar Yona after yeshiva students were arrested for draft evasion, blocking roads and signaling a deepening conscription crisis. In Hebron, Israel approved the expansion of a Jewish school in the center of the Palestinian city, part of a broader settlement push that Palestinians say violates longstanding arrangements. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the move the day after he had scrapped a deal that would have given the Palestinian municipality control over certain planning and construction around Hebron’s historic core near the Cave of the Patriarchs, a site sacred to multiple faiths and a flashpoint in the conflict.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, Bruce Lion, a longtime raisin industry heir, was charged with three felony counts of making threats against his Pacific Palisades neighbor and two counts of threatening to commit a crime with intent to terrorize, all Bias-motivated offenses. Lion, 64, is jailed on a $50,000 bond after allegedly hurling antisemitic insults at his Jewish neighbor, Rabbi Zushe Cunin, with the neighbor saying the behavior dated back to March and included interruptions to a local congregation. Lion is expected to be arraigned, joining a broader pattern of reported harassment.

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/israel-news/defense-news/article-899714
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-899721
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-899712
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hylfzeemzx
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-899710
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-899695
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-899707
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/skq0anggge
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/06/israel-approves-settler-building-plans-palestinian-west-bank-city
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-899704