Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-07-18 at 01:02

HEADLINES
- Iran escalates strikes threatening Gulf shipping
- Hamas links to Global Sumud Flotilla revealed
- Lod court halts Likud candidate list vote

The time is now 1:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Iranian Retaliation, Iran renewed attacks on US Gulf allies on Saturday after a seventh straight night of strikes targeting Iranian military sites including logistics infrastructure, escalating the war one week after a fragile ceasefire agreement fell apart. Both sides also targeted shipping traffic, with the US saying it was enforcing a naval blockade while Iran said it targeted vessels that violated its rules on navigating the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway for one-fifth of the world's oil supply. Oil prices climbed more than 4% on Friday to their highest level in more than a month, applying political pressure on US President Donald Trump as his Republican Party tries to hold on to power in the November elections. Washington and Tehran have been testing the limits of escalation since their ceasefire agreement collapsed last week, raising the prospect of a return to all-out war. The US military's Central Command said it concluded its latest round of attacks by hitting surveillance sites, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage and maritime targets.

In Regional Impacts, Kuwaiti air defenses are engaging another wave of Iranian missile and drone threats.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar revealed links between Hamas and activists in the Global Sumud Flotilla during a conference on the rise of political terrorism in Washington. Sa’ar described the links between radical left-wing political movements in the West and Islamist terrorist organizations, asserting that the alliance poses a real challenge to the values of democracy and freedom. He highlighted the Global Sumud Flotilla as a prime example of how terrorist organizations hide behind leftist activist movements. The flotilla attempted to breach Israel’s legal naval blockade on the Gaza Strip multiple times under the guise of attempting to deliver humanitarian aid, but, according to Sa’ar, carried no aid materials. Sa’ar said Hamas documents seized by the IDF indicate financing, operational involvement, and covert ownership of the vessels through a Spanish shell company, and he said the organization behind the flotilla’s trips was operated to serve terrorist interests.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, the Lod District Court issued an injunction blocking a planned Likud vote after accepting a petition filed by the Social Forum affiliated with the National Labor Federation. The vote, which was set to begin at noon, was intended to determine new rules for selecting the Likud’s candidate list ahead of the election for the 26th Knesset. Likud officials announced the vote would be postponed following the court order, while the party’s legal adviser requested a postponement due to delays in the legal proceedings. The Social Forum argued that the Likud administration had acted in direct violation of a party court ruling by not presenting the forum’s proposed rules to the delegates, and the court issued a temporary order barring the vote unless the proposal was presented in line with the Supreme Court ruling.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, New York mayor Zohran Mamdani invoked Nelson Mandela to demand Palestinian freedom, drawing a parallel to questions Mandela faced about whether opposing Israeli policies would alienate the Jewish community.

In Uplifting News, Gangland director Vincent Grashaw brings Native American story to Jerusalem Film Festival, describing how he found the Gangland screenplay online and then worked with Native American advisers and actors to bring its fictional Thunderstone Reservation to life. The film features Lou Diamond Phillips as Teddy, a veteran tribal police chief, and Grashaw will attend the Jerusalem Film Festival to present the project. The 43rd Jerusalem Film Festival continues in Jerusalem, with screenings that sold out as audiences engage with films that balance excitement and war, including the documentary Find Me, Okay? by Yula Gidron about the kidnapping and murder of Eden Yerushalmi. The festival runs this week, following an opening with Moshe Rosenthal’s Tell Me Everything. And a traveler recounts a long journey from Dubai to Christchurch, New Zealand, saying the trip ended smoothly thanks to prayers and the kindness of people encountered along the way, welcoming greetings at the airport and hotel as they look forward to rest.

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.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/07/iran-renews-attacks-gulf-states-after-another-night-us-strikes
https://t.me/DefenderDome/22250
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-902865
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-902863
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hkg6xydefe
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/article-902775
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/article-902773
https://t.me/beholdisraelchannel/78337