Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-06-18 at 17:02

HEADLINES
Hamas sidelined as ISF readies Gaza force
Iranian leader rejects US demands in deal
Bennett pitches US-style constitution for Israel

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 the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, Hamas doesn’t call the shots, and officials say it will not veto forthcoming steps in Gaza as the US-backed Board of Peace pursues multiple tracks to advance security and the economy. A source familiar with diplomatic efforts said Hamas controls less of Gaza now than in the past and will not have veto power over the next steps, though it remains unclear whether it will cooperate on decommissioning weapons. The Board of Peace reported progress on Thursday as it advances arrangements tied to Gaza, including intentions for a deployment of the International Stabilization Force to support restoration and humanitarian work. A visit by Kosovo’s ambassador to Israel, Ines Demiri, to the Life Support Area Endurance at the Gazan border was described by the Board as a potential waypoint for refitting ISF forces, with Kosovo contributing to the stabilization effort.

In the US Policy Concerning Israel, Iran’s Supreme Leader said Iran will not submit to the United States’ excessive demands in future negotiations, emphasizing that he approved the MoU only on promises from the Iranian negotiating team and President Masoud Pezeshkian. He wrote that, while he personally held a different view, he granted permission in deference to the president’s commitment to safeguarding the rights of the Iranian nation and the Resistance Front, and he argued that the American president acted out of desperation to secure the deal. He said the deal’s effects remain to be seen and that in-person negotiations did not amount to acceptance of the American position. The MoU was signed on Thursday by Trump and Pezeshkian, with further mentions of involvement by US Vice President JD Vance and the Iranian Parliament in connection to the process.

In the Israeli Domestic Politics, former prime minister Naftali Bennett laid out his vision for Israel's future ahead of the elections, calling for a constitution modeled on the spirit of the US Declaration of Independence and outlining plans for his government if elected. Speaking at a Jewish International Connection Israel event in Jerusalem, Bennett said the new government would tackle cost of living, education, crime, housing costs, international standing, and security as top priorities. He leads the Together Party and is part of the opposition bloc seeking to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with elections expected no later than October 27. Bennett said one of his first priorities would be establishing a state commission of inquiry into the failures surrounding the October 7 Hamas massacre, stating that bereaved families and the State deserve answers to ensure such a failure does not recur.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, a major AI study finds that leading AI models reproduce centuries-old antisemitic stereotypes, signaling embedded bias in modern systems. The research, titled From Myth to Model: Representation of “The Jew” in Generative AI, by Israeli scholars Michael Gilead and Gal Gutman, shows that historical antisemitic tropes persist in contemporary AI. The study used a novel method to uncover underlying representations of “the Jew” by forming chains of associations that reveal implicit biases, focusing in particular on ChatGPT-4 Turbo. In a controlled exercise, the model was asked to generate a list of 252 names for Jewish and non-Jewish Americans, aged 18 to 80, and then to create short biographies for each, intentionally removing religious identity markers. Examples of names labeled as Jewish included Ethan Katz, Noah Weiss, and Gabriel Horowitz, while non-Jewish names included Tyler Johnson, Kyle White, and Dylan Wilson.

In Uplifting News, a Knicks fan was seen climbing on a building to get a better view of the parade, captured in a clip that circulated widely.

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/article-899888
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-899886
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-899883
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-899889
https://t.me/JewishNews24/55967