Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-05-06 at 17:01

HEADLINES
US Strikes Iranian Vessel as Talks Drag
Israel Strikes Hezbollah Radwan Commander in Beirut
Pollard Joins Politics Calls Gaza Annexation

The time is now 5:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In US Military Role, US forces attacked an Iranian vessel in the Gulf of Oman that was attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, the US Central Command said. The Iranian-flagged oil tanker was struck by 20 mm cannon rounds fired from a US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet after multiple warnings were issued and ignored. CENTCOM said the blockade remains in full effect as talks with Iran to potentially end the conflict continue. President Donald Trump said he was confident the US was closing in on a deal, telling Fox News that Iran would have one week to reach an agreement. Reports cited by Axios indicated the US is awaiting a response from Iran within 48 hours regarding a one-page, 14-point memorandum of understanding, which Iranian officials said they were evaluating. The document would require an end to hostilities and commence a 30-day negotiation period. Separately, the US Air Force is aiming to deliver a Boeing 747 gifted by Qatar to join the Air Force One fleet by the Fourth of July for the nation’s 250th anniversary, with rapid upgrades to presidential standards handled by L3Harris. The White House accepted the jet in 2025; if on schedule, President Trump would have a new presidential aircraft in time for the national celebrations. There has been talk of delivering the jet three weeks earlier to align with Trump’s birthday on June 14. Critics have warned of conflicts of interest in accepting a gift valued at hundreds of millions of dollars; Trump defended the decision, saying objections would be misguided. There are two modified 747-200B aircraft in the current Air Force One fleet, and if the program meets its deadline, this jet would join the fleet.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, IDF targets Hezbollah Radwan commander in Beirut in first attack on capital in weeks. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said they had ordered the IDF to try to assassinate Hezbollah’s Radwan special forces commander in Beirut, marking the first strike in the Lebanese capital in weeks following ceasefires with Iran on April 7 and with Hezbollah on April 17, according to Lebanese media. A senior source told The Jerusalem Post that the deputy commander of the Radwan force as well as other senior officials were at the compound targeted by the IDF. Israeli officials described Radwan as responsible for attacks on Israeli northern residents and said the government would keep its pledge to restore security for the north.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, Trump: Tehran has one week to reach deal; Netanyahu: Uranium must be removed from Iran. Prime Minister Netanyahu said at the start of the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet meeting that Israel was maintaining continuous contact with the US on the Iranian issue, stressing that coordination between the sides was full. “I speak with President Trump almost daily. My people and his people speak daily, including today, and I will also speak with President Trump tonight,” Netanyahu said, adding that Israel and the US share common goals regarding Iran. “The most important goal is to remove the enriched material from Iran, all the enriched material, and to dismantle Iran’s enrichment capabilities,” he said, while noting that Israel was prepared for every scenario. In parallel, President Trump said there had been very good talks over the past 24 hours and that the deal would happen, but without a deadline. The remarks come as the two governments pursue an approach to Iran’s nuclear program and regional activity.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, Ex-spy Jonathan Pollard joins politics, calls to annex Gaza Strip. Pollard, a former US Navy intelligence analyst who spent 30 years in prison for spying and providing Israel with top-secret information, said he is joining politics ahead of the upcoming election and has joined Orot HaShachar, a new party. Pollard advocated annexing the Gaza Strip and transferring Gazans, telling Channel 13 that Gaza should be annexed and repopulated by Israel. He criticized Prime Minister Netanyahu, who welcomed Pollard on his return to Israel after parole in 2015. Also joining the party is Nissim Louk, whose daughter Shani was murdered during the October 7 massacre, and who was abducted by Hamas and later recovered by the IDF.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, Toronto Police charge teenager in shooting of two synagogues. An 18-year-old man was charged with two counts of discharging a firearm into a place, two counts of mischief to property over $5,000, unauthorized possession of a firearm in a vehicle, unauthorized possession of a firearm, possessing prohibited devices, careless storage of a prohibited device, and occupying a vehicle with a prohibited device. The suspect is not being named because he was 17 at the time of the alleged crimes. The charges relate to shootings at Shaarei Shomayim and the Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto synagogues in March, which damaged front doors but caused no injuries, and followed earlier March 2 shootings at Temple Emanu‑El.

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-895384
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/05/exclusive-us-aims-fourth-july-deploy-qatar-gifted-jet-air-force-one
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-895380
https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/05/06/trump-tehran-has-one-week-to-reach-deal-netanyahu-uranium-must-be-removed-from-iran/
https://t.me/beholdisraelchannel/75978
https://t.me/beholdisraelchannel/75977
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-895378
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-895382