Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-07-24 at 00:03

HEADLINES
- Iran rejects Trump ceasefire over Hormuz control
- Only one tanker crosses Hormuz, prices surge
- Netanyahu govt delays massacre probe until elections

The time is now 12:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Iranian Retaliation, Iran rejected on Thursday a ceasefire proposal from US President Donald Trump carried to Tehran by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, The New York Times reported, citing Iranian and Iraqi officials. Tehran said the proposal fails to address the question of who would control the Strait of Hormuz. Zaidi traveled to Tehran with a delegation of senior Iraqi officials and met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian; the country’s top negotiator, Brigadier General Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf; and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, The New York Times cited local media. The meeting came shortly after Zaidi’s meeting with Trump in Washington, DC. Iranian officials said the proposal was the only offer on the table, although its details remain unclear. They made it clear that Tehran was not interested in a temporary deal that failed to answer the question of who would control the Strait of Hormuz. Araghchi told state television that Iran and neighboring Iraq share economic, political, and security interests and have close ties. The visit was significant given the region’s current circumstances.

In Regional Impacts, The number of tankers crossing the Strait of Hormuz fell to just one on Thursday, the lowest level since May 7, according to shiptracking data, amid ongoing shipping risks in the Middle East and as oil prices surged back to $100 a barrel. Only one tanker crossed the Strait of Hormuz on July 23, compared with three the day earlier, data from analytics firm Kpler showed. Very large crude carrier New Giant, loaded with 2 million barrels of Iraqi Basrah crude, exited the strait on Thursday and is due to arrive at China's Rizhao port by mid-August. No ships entered the Strait of Hormuz on July 23. The US military said late on Thursday that it had completed a 13th consecutive night of strikes on Iran. Meanwhile, at the Bab el-Mandeb strait, commodity tanker crossings totaled 32 on July 23, up from 26 the day before, Kpler data showed. Of those crossings, 14 tankers were going into the Red Sea, and 18 were exiting the strait into the Gulf of Aden. Out of the 18 tankers exiting Bab el-Mandeb, nine were carrying crude oil, including two loaded Chinese supertankers bound for China. Separately, the clean tanker Torm Innovation, loaded with around 500,000 barrels of naphtha bound for Asia, ...

In Israeli Domestic Politics, nearly three years after the October 7 massacre, Israelis are still waiting for a full, independent investigation into the worst security failure in the country’s history. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government informed the High Court of Justice that it will not be able to complete legislation establishing its proposed political commission to investigate the failures surrounding Hamas’s October 7 massacre, saying the legislation would be completed after the October 27 elections and arguing that it is not appropriate for the court to rule on the matter or intervene in it. The government’s explanation for the delay drew sharp criticism as the coalition has opposed a state commission and argued for a political commission as the mechanism to probe the event and its aftermath.

Jerusalem cafe became symbol of secular defiance, until Israelis learned it's run by Jews for Jesus, a separate element within the same topic, shows the complexity of Israel’s cultural debate. Cafe Basimta in Jerusalem emerged as a point of friction as it faced harassment from haredi Orthodox protesters who urged closure on Shabbat; Hapoel Jerusalem initially offered free jersey advertising to support the cafe, then reversed course after learning Cafe Basimta is an official project of Jews for Jesus. Club spokesperson Matan Avrina said the intent was to support a small business, but the revelation of ties to a Christian missionary organization added layers to the public conversation about openness and religious life in the city.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, Germany’s ‘good Jews’ thought they were safe; New York should pay attention - comment, a recent column argues that New York’s Jewish community faces a volatile political climate. It recounts a New York mayor posting a two-minute video to explain that he cannot arrest Benjamin Netanyahu, a move the piece treats as part of a broader confrontation over Netanyahu’s portrayal as a war criminal. The column asserts that Washington should arrest Netanyahu instead and describes Netanyahu as responsible for killings, while noting that October 7 did not center in the piece. By Wednesday morning, Zohran Mamdani was at City Hall urging New Yorkers to protest Netanyahu at the United Nations in September, emphasizing protest as a democratic right, and noting involvement by the UJA-Federation in the discourse.

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-903531
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-903534
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-903512
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-903532
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-903516