Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-05-31 at 23:01

HEADLINES
- Blockade lift claim collapses as odds plunge
- Beaufort castle seized as Israel strikes Hezbollah
- Rubio de-escalation plan urges Hezbollah stop attacks

The time is now 11:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Regional Impacts, despite President Trump having announced in a post Friday on TruthSocial that the ongoing naval blockade against Iran would now be lifted, commercial vessels are continuing to be targeted and turned away from Iranian ports, with the chances on Polymarket that the blockade will be lifted by May 31 having dropped from 60% to 1%, and only a 36% chance it will be lifted by June 15, 2026.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, the spokesperson for Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office said Hezbollah has nowhere to hide, with Israeli forces reaching Hezbollah strongholds, crossing the Litani River, and capturing the Beaufort castle, as the group is described as becoming weaker and Israel stronger. Separately, four soldiers were lightly hurt after an explosive-laden Hezbollah UAV struck a military position near the northern border community of Beit Hillel earlier today; the army said the soldiers were taken to a hospital for treatment and their families were notified.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, the United States does not expect Israel to absorb ongoing attacks on its civilians by Hezbollah, and officials say the fastest way to de-escalate and protect civilians on all sides is for Hezbollah to stop firing immediately, with a framework proposed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio for de-escalation calling on Hezbollah to stop all attacks and for the IDF to avoid escalation in Beirut, creating conditions for a gradual de-escalation and cessation of hostilities; the plan was discussed with Israeli and Lebanese leaders, with Lebanon’s President seeking to advance it and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri placing the burden on Israel to stop firing first. In separate discussions, Rubio spoke with both Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, outlining that as a first step Hezbollah should stop all attacks and Israel should refrain from escalation in Beirut.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, a study by the Jewish People Policy Institute found that negative official statements about Israel by European Union institutions rose by nearly 60% since the October 7 Hamas attacks. Analyzing more than 24,000 statements from 2017 to 2026, about 3,584 were Israel-related, with 38% negative, 49% neutral, and 13% positive. Negative statements increased from 29% before October 7 to about 46% after, while neutral statements slipped from 51% to 46% and positive statements fell from 20% to 8%. Among the countries evaluated, only Iran had more negative statements than Israel, driven by security-related issues rather than humanitarian or legal concerns.

In Uplifting News, former NYC Mayor Adams praised the Israel Day Parade in New York City, noting that tens of thousands turned out to display unity, love, and resilience, and that New York will always stand with its Jewish community and with Israel.

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://t.me/DefenderDome/21088
https://t.me/JewishNews24/55083
https://t.me/JewishNews24/55081
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-897936
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/05/us-pushes-lebanon-and-israel-new-ceasefire-plan-official-says
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-897932
https://t.me/JewishNews24/55082