Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-05-10 at 14:02

HEADLINES
Covert Israeli Base in Iraqi Desert Revealed
Hezbollah Tepid Reply After Balout Killing
UK Jewish Students Report Rising Campus Antisemitism

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

In Direct Israel-Iran Clashes, a covert IDF outpost operated deep inside the Iraqi desert during the opening phase of the war with Iran. The base was established shortly before Operation Roaring Lion and served as a logistical hub and emergency rescue point for Israeli Air Force pilots shot down over enemy territory. It remained off public records until recently. The outpost was located in a remote desert area. The secrecy of the operation was nearly exposed in March after a local shepherd reportedly noticed unusual helicopter activity and alerted Iraqi forces. Iraqi troops moved toward the area, prompting Israeli airstrikes that pushed them back. One Iraqi soldier was killed. Iraq condemned the strike publicly and filed a complaint with the United Nations.

In Regional Impacts, Iraqi media have recently been swept up by a Wall Street Journal report about a secret Israeli base in Iraq. Iraq is in the midst of assembling a new government after finally appointing a new Prime Minister, Ali al-Zaidi, last week. As such, the new report comes at a sensitive time in Iraq: Baghdad is seeking to respond to US pressure to rein in and disarm Iran-backed militias. Reports that Iraq’s sovereignty may have been undermined by a foreign force operating in the desert will cause controversy in Baghdad. Iraq is an implacable foe of Israel, and this will appear embarrassing to the new leadership. Iraq’s media is also interested in the role of the US in the recent reports. Iraq has had a complex and rocky relationship with the US, as it invaded the country in 2003 and deposed Saddam Hussein. Although Kurds and Shi’ites backed the invasion, the Shi’ite community is generally closer to Iran today and is infiltrated by militias that are hostile to the US. During the recent war with Iran, the militias carried out around 1,000 attacks on the Kurdistan region and on US diplomatic posts. As such, the militias may see the new report as evidence of the US and Iran’s involvement. Separately, the UAE Ministry of Defense said air defenses intercepted two incoming missiles from Iran.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, Hezbollah's minimal reaction to Radwan chief's killing highlights Israel's advantages. It's now official: Hezbollah blinked after the IDF assassinated its Radwan special forces chief, Ahmad Ghaleb Balout, on May 6. There was significant uncertainty about how the terror group would respond to the assassination. Since Wednesday, the IDF has repeatedly warned about a potential major escalation of rocket fire into northern Israel. Before Balout was killed, rocket fire into northern Israel had pretty much stopped for around a month, but Hezbollah did escalate by firing some rockets at the North. Hezbollah has been firing single-digit rockets and drones toward northern Israel since the end of last week, including on Sunday multiple times throughout the day. However, the volume of attacks per day pales in comparison to the around 100 rockets and drones per day which Hezbollah showered on the North in the early weeks of this war, or compared to the sometimes a couple of hundred rockets per day Hezbollah fired on Israel in the fall of 2024. In that sense, Hezbollah's response has been limited.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, Culture Minister Miki Zohar (Likud) said Hamas had planned the October 7, 2023 massacre while the government was led by former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid in 2022. His remarks were insistent, despite the fact that the deadly attacks took place when the government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was already in power. There has not been an investigation into the government’s role in the attacks over two and a half years on. Zohar criticized that the Bennett-Lapid coalition included an Arab party, in part attributing the attacks to that situation. “How does the extremist Islamic mind work? It exists in Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran; it identifies weakness when you are not clear in your stance against your enemy,” Zohar said in a Sunday interview with Radio 103 FM. “Anyone who thinks this won’t happen if a similar government dependent on Arab parties is formed...” Should that happen, he warned, “The next October 7 will be on it.”

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, Threatened with bombs, almost pushed down stairs: UK Jewish students testify about antisemitism. StandWithUs UK’s 2026 Voice of Students report presents testimonies from Jewish students about rising anti-Jewish hostility on UK campuses, including involvement by academic staff in creating a hostile environment and alarming encounters such as a Royal Holloway student receiving repeated anonymous calls naming his home address and threats to blow up the Jewish student. The report highlights escalating anti-Jewish racism and support for proscribed groups on campuses. Separately, Israel’s Eurovision contestant Noam Bettan was greeted by cheering fans on the turquoise carpet in Vienna, saying he’s “having the time of my life” as the contest approaches. Security concerns echoed last year in Basel, where a man approached Bettan’s contestant, wearing a keffiyeh and carrying a Palestinian flag, prompting heightened precautions. A campaign by Eurovision fans has also emerged, arguing the European Broadcasting Union has treated Israel unfairly; Eurovision’s managing director issued a formal warning to KAN, Israel’s public broadcaster, over an advertising campaign urging voters to cast ballots for Israel, including multi-language ads telling audiences to vote 10 times, and the EBU has noted concerns with new campaign rules.

In Uplifting News, Berlin renames state parliament plaza after German Holocaust survivor Margot Friedlander. Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner, House of Representatives President Cornelia Seibeld, Mitte district head Stefanie Remlinger, and Margot Friedländer Foundation board chairman Prof. Dr. Karsten Dreinhöfer joined in unveiling Margot Friedländer Square in front of the state parliament. Wegner said renaming the plaza honors a woman who returned to the city in her golden years and serves as a permanent reminder against antisemitism. He described the square as standing for human dignity, for Jewish life in the city, and for the values essential to democracy: freedom, respect, and tolerance.

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/podcast/jpost-podcast/article-895699
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-895709
https://t.me/JewishNews24/54138
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-895723
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-895711
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-895725
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/article-895722
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-895716
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-895713