Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-06-17 at 23:01

HEADLINES
UN: 2025 Gaza Child Victims Hit Record
Israel Targets Drone Smuggling to Gaza
Cornell Student Anti-Jew Remark Sparks Fundraiser

The time is now 11:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Regional Impacts, UN chief warns settlers could be blacklisted over alleged harm to Palestinian children. The UN’s yearly report on Children and Armed Conflict tallies 38,558 grave violations in 2025, affecting 24,174 children, a record since the mandate began in 1996. It shows 14,224 children killed or maimed, a 34 percent rise from 2024, with the number killed reaching 6,266. The UN verified the killing of 2,668 Palestinian children in Gaza and 57 in the West Bank. The Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led attackers entered southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, and Israel’s subsequent campaign has driven a devastating toll in Palestinian areas. Countries with the highest levels of violations in 2025 included the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Myanmar, and Somalia. The report notes that Israel already features in the blacklist discussions, and it also indicates Hamas’ armed wing and affiliated factions remain blacklisted for killings, maimings, and abductions, with Palestinian armed groups attributed with about 2,806 violations.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, Israeli officials believe the Washington-Tehran talks will not produce a final deal and hope the US midterms in November will reopen room for action on Iran, while Lebanon remains the most immediate flashpoint.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, Israeli authorities seized property tied to drone smuggling into the Gaza Strip in what officials call a first-of-its-kind enforcement action in the drone domain. The operation was carried out by Israel Police in coordination with the Southern District Unit and the National Headquarters for Economic Counter Terrorism under the Defense Ministry, with Defense Minister Israel Katz imposing economic sanctions based on intelligence and material provided by police, even though the vehicle owners—Bedouin residents in the Negev—were not caught in the act. The move targets the financial infrastructure behind smuggling, aims to disrupt ongoing operations, and strengthens deterrence against networks aiding Gaza-based terror groups. Katz stressed that those involved will pay a heavy price. Separately, 34 new officers joined the Israeli Air Force’s air defense array as commanders, reinforcing the protection of Israeli communities from north to south.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, Far-right streamer raises nearly $20K for Cornell student ‘not interested in working for a jew.’ A story reported by JTA notes that a far-right extremist YouTuber who has expressed a desire to see “another Hitler” raised more than $19,000 for a Cornell University student who wrote that he was “not interested in working for a jew” during a job application. The student, 19-year-old Austin Franco of Cornell’s class of 2028, made the remark while applying to an internship at a software company owned by two Jewish brothers. The post went viral after Gabe Einhorn shared the incident on X, including a screenshot that was later edited to obscure the name. Franco replied to explain his comment.

In Uplifting News, The Rebbe's vision of human potential lives on through Friendship Circle - opinion describes the organization’s impact as it supports individuals with special needs through visiting volunteers, hosting events, and building a sense of belonging for families. The author argues this work represents a transformation in how society values every person. Somaliland president visits children receiving life-saving heart treatment in Israel details how the Somaliland president visited Holon’s Save a Child’s Heart center, meeting nine Somaliland children receiving cardiac care at Wolfson Medical Center amid the opening of Somaliland’s embassy in Jerusalem.

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.ynetnews.com/article/bjoldflzmx
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/crime-in-israel/article-899765
https://www.timesofisrael.com/far-right-streamer-raises-nearly-20k-for-cornell-student-not-interested-in-working-for-a-jew/
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-899760
https://www.timesofisrael.com/un-chief-warns-settlers-could-be-blacklisted-over-alleged-harm-to-palestinian-children/
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-899763
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/r1avrdezmx
https://t.me/hnaftali/23525