Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-07-02 at 11:02

HEADLINES
- Damascus cafe blast kills rising ISIS threat
- Iranian drones strike Erbil Kurdish positions
- Israel court voids comptroller vote new elections

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

In Regional Impacts, authorities say a blast at a crowded cafe in central Damascus killed five people and wounded 16 others. State television reported that a bomb was planted at the cafe near the Palace of Justice, with the cause not immediately clear. A separate account described the explosion as caused by a rudimentary pre-made explosive device in Damascus' Al-Hijaz area, underscoring the ongoing risk from improvised devices and extremist cells, including remnants of ISIS, even as broad-scale fighting has eased in much of the country.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, multiple Iranian drones attacked Kurdish positions in the Erbil region of Iraqi Kurdistan overnight and again today. Separately, an Israeli envoy defended public rebukes of ministers by saying the Lebanese army is sidelining Shiite troops who won’t confront Hezbollah.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, presidential historian Gil Troy returns to The Deep Dive to discuss the evolving relationship as the United States nears its 250th birthday. He says the US-Israel bond remains strong but is under strain from both sides, stressing that crises between Israeli and American leaders have occurred before and do not necessarily signal rupture. He pointed to criticism from figures on the Republican right, including JD Vance and Tucker Carlson, and warning signs of anti-Israel sentiment among some Democratic candidates and officials. He distinguishes soft anti-Zionism, which he says can be reversed, from hard antisemitism.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, the High Court of Justice unanimously ruled that the Knesset’s vote to appoint attorney Michael Rabello as state comptroller was invalid due to a secrecy defect and ordered new elections. The ruling means there will be no sitting state comptroller starting Sunday, as the decision did not grant an extension for the current term. Separately, IDF troops were dispatched near Beit Ummar after reports of a car-ramming attempt; no injuries were reported, and soldiers were pursuing the suspect, believed to be a Bedouin citizen of Israel, with searches ongoing for others.

In Uplifting News, Israel marks 50 years since Yonatan “Yoni” Netanyahu was killed in the Entebbe rescue mission. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended a Mount Herzl memorial and recalled his brother’s leadership during Operation Thunderbolt, which freed more than 100 hostages in Uganda in 1976. Yoni Netanyahu, the only Israeli soldier killed in the raid, is remembered as a symbol of courage and resolve. Israeli rescue teams continued work in Venezuela on the fifth day of a mission helping civilians after devastating earthquakes that have killed about 2,300 people. The delegations from Magen, Ready for Rescue, and SmartAID work with local forces, targeting sites where information indicates people may be inside collapsed buildings, and performing manual search and recovery under difficult field conditions.

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-901243
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https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rkhyrgvqmg
https://www.jpost.com/podcast/article-901236
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-901256
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-901255
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-901245
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-901252
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-901229
https://t.me/newssil/205775