Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-07-12 at 02:02

HEADLINES
Iran Attacks Duqm US Escalates Strikes
IDF Publishes 2006 Lebanon War Documents
US Jews Split on Israel Leadership

The time is now 2:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Iranian Retaliation, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf posted on X Sunday morning, saying: "The era of one-sided deals is OVER. We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking." The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said its aerospace forces carried out a heavy attack on US aircraft carrier support and refueling platforms in the port of Duqm, Oman, as the third stage of its response to what it calls US military aggression. The operation targeted logistical support centers for US naval vessels. United States Central Command later said it had completed a third round of strikes against Iran this week, hitting about 140 Iranian targets on Saturday, including missile and drone sites, naval capabilities, ammunition storage facilities, communications networks, and coastal surveillance locations, with authorities noting that over three nights of strikes this week the total targets exceeded 300 in what was described as a response to Iranian actions.

In US Military Role, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said a vessel attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz via an unauthorized route was hit by warning fire and detained. Following the incident, Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed "until the end of the American intervention in the region" and said that no vessel would be permitted to transit the waterway, warning that any "wrong move" would be met with a harsh response. In response, the US military has attacked Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz, with a senior official listing air surveillance radar systems, missile and drone storage facilities, missile and drone launch sites, maritime surveillance radar installations, and surface-to-air missile launchers as among the facilities targeted. Oman informed the US that Iran had rejected proposals for an arrangement under which Tehran would oversee the shipping lane along its coastline while allowing free navigation through the southern channel. After these developments, US Central Command said it would continue operations in the region.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, the IDF on Sunday published two previously classified documents from the beginning of the 2006 Second Lebanon War in honor of the war's 20th anniversary. The documents include the general staff's orders, named "Operation Just Remission," to launch IDF operations in Lebanon and in the Gaza Strip, and the mid-war order to expand the IDF's operations in southern Lebanon toward the Litani River. The 34-day war followed a combined Hezbollah attack on northern Israel on the morning of July 12, 2006, targeting both IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians. Near the border fence between the villages of Shtoula and Zar'it, Hezbollah attacked an IDF patrol and kidnapped two soldiers, Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser. Eight soldiers were killed and several others wounded, according to the published general staff order, and Hezbollah fired a barrage of rockets toward Israel's northern communities. The documents show planning for the IDF to strike targets in Lebanese territory and for expansion of operations toward the Litani, revealing the framing of actions in the early days of the conflict.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, the editorial notes an AP-NORC poll showing American Jews' views on Israel's leadership. The poll found 44% of American Jews have a very or somewhat favorable view of Zohran Mamdani, who does not believe Israel should exist as a Jewish state and has called AIPAC "monsters," compared with 32% for Benjamin Netanyahu. By contrast, Netanyahu is viewed unfavorably by 59% of American Jews, while Mamdani is viewed unfavorably by 39%. The piece invites readers to consider how these attitudes intersect with broader debates about Israel's leadership.

In Israeli Economy and Business, a Hebrew-language report notes that Israel ranks second among developed countries in the share of low earners and sits in the fourth quartile from the bottom in the size of its middle class.

In Uplifting News, Nourishing the North: JNF-USA's culinary school opens with a mission beyond food describes the opening of the Global Culinary Institute by JNF-USA. The program offers cooking therapy for kids in Israel’s North and uses lessons in food, nutrition, agriculture, taste, and aesthetics to broaden education beyond the kitchen, highlighting community resilience through food education. Former soccer players show brain changes but no cognitive decline, researchers find reports that Imperial College London studied 142 former professional players aged 30 to 60 and compared them with 56 healthy controls. The study found structural brain differences and higher rates of anxiety and depression but no signs of cognitive decline. It lays the groundwork for a long-term project to monitor players every two years and treats repetitive head impacts as a potential modifiable risk factor for dementia, with findings shared at a major international conference.

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/iran-news/article-902188
https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/07/12/hormuz-strait-closed-iran-fires-on-gulf-as-us-launches-new-offensive/
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-902189
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-902175
https://t.me/newssil/206399
https://www.jpost.com/food-recipes/article-901989
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-902187