Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-06-29 at 21:01

HEADLINES
Concrete seals Gaza tunnels; Goldin's remains
IDF reserve soldier severely injured in Lebanon
Sanctions relief, no challenge to Iran's aims

The time is now 9:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Regional Impacts, 30,000 cubic metres of concrete were poured to fill a Hamas tunnel network in Gaza, the same network that housed the remains of Israeli hero Lt Hadar Goldin for ten years.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, an IDF reserve soldier was severely injured by an explosion in southern Lebanon. The soldier was evacuated to receive medical treatment at a hospital, and his family has been notified.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, Jonathan Conricus, a former IDF spokesman and now a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, says the US-Iran memorandum provides Tehran sanctions relief and diplomatic breathing room without confronting its nuclear ambitions, missile program, or support for proxy groups. He frames the Middle East as a series of collisions rather than a single crisis, noting the Lebanon track as an opening that could signal momentum toward a peace deal between two sovereign states. Separately, Israeli lawyer Itay Epstein urged Security Council action against settlements and Israeli forces, drawing a sharp response from envoy Danny Danon who accused the UN of platforming anti-Israel voices.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, an ultra-Orthodox rabbi cursed IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir at a Bnei Brak anti-draft protest, saying the army educates for the most severe offenses in the Torah. The rally drew hundreds and was led by former Sephardi chief rabbi Yitzhak Yosef; Defense Minister Israel Katz condemned the incitement. Separately, Likud was reported to be courting Ra’am for help on passing a controversial media overhaul law, offering to halt home demolitions in Bedouin Negev communities in exchange for Ra’am abstaining on key votes; Ra’am MK Waleed Alhawashla indicated abstention would depend on a complete halt to demolitions.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights opened the "Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present" exhibit in Winnipeg, drawing fierce pushback from Jewish groups. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs condemned the exhibit as one-sided, and Mark Berlin, the museum’s sole Jewish board member, resigned in protest.

In Uplifting News, at New York City’s Pride March, LGBTQ Jews experienced both cheers and heckling as they carried combined Pride and Jewish symbols; one participant described a welcome in the “Jew York Pride” contingent followed by later boos when joining another Jewish group. Also, WhatsApp announced that users will soon be able to go by usernames instead of phone numbers, with the company having begun allowing users to reserve unique usernames ahead of a broader rollout later this year. WhatsApp counts more than 3 billion users globally.

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://t.me/beholdisraelchannel/78067
https://t.me/JewishNews24/56431
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-900889
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rknlefxxfl
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-900890
https://www.timesofisrael.com/likud-said-to-be-courting-raam-for-help-on-passing-media-overhaul-law/
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-900888
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-900887
https://t.me/JewishNews24/56429