Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-06-19 at 04:01

HEADLINES
Lebanon Drone Strike Kills Lt Col IDF
IRGC Forms Iraqi Cells Targeting Gulf States
Poll Eisenkot Yashar Tie With Likud

The time is now 4:01 AM 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, four IDF soldiers were killed while fighting in southern Lebanon on Friday in what authorities described as a drone strike targeting a tank belonging to the 52nd Battalion of the 401st Brigade near the Tebnit/Kfar Tebnit area. The military said the incident is under investigation and that one of the slain soldiers was Lieutenant Colonel Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon, 32, from Beit HaShita, the commander of the 52nd Battalion who took command in April 2026 after his predecessor was seriously wounded. He is survived by a wife and two daughters; the identities of the other three fallen soldiers have not yet been released as families were notified. The attack marks a significant escalation along the northern border amid ongoing ceasefire arrangements. Separately, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has established covert Iraqi cells to attack Gulf neighbors hosting American forces, bypassing established militia networks. Three or four cells, each with about 10 elite Iraqi Shi'ite fighters, launched at least seven drone attacks from desert locations near Basra and Samawa against targets in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates between April 20 and May 17, according to eight Iraqi sources. Some members were drawn from Islamic Resistance in Iraq, but the new groups operate outside its command structure and report directly to the IRGC, a shift reflecting Tehran's effort to preserve regional reach even as its proxies are diminished.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, Jewish groups are pushing back against the new memorandum of understanding brokered between President Trump and Iran, though responses are more muted than in 2015. The Republican Jewish Coalition urged followers to “Trust President Trump,” saying the MoU offers a horizon of economic stability for the United States, the region, and the world, and could open pathways to greater peace. The group praised the MoU while cautioning that a final deal should avoid the flaws that doomed the Obama-era agreement and should include no sunset clauses on Iran’s nuclear program. In the days leading up to this statement, at least one major Jewish group that opposed Obama’s deal has backed Trump’s framework, signaling a nuanced, divided stance among major Jewish organizations as negotiations continue.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, a Maariv poll shows Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party tying with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud for seats, each at 21, marking a notable shift as the opposition appears to gain momentum. The poll also suggests the opposition bloc, excluding Arab parties, would hold a majority of 61 seats, while the current government coalition would have 49. Smotrich’s Religious Zionism is projected to clear the electoral threshold, though the coalition still appears short of a majority. Since the start of Operation Roaring Lion, Likud has shed seven seats, while Bennett and Lapid’s Together has fallen by 11 seats after their merger, and Yesh Atid has gained nine. If Yashar and Together united under Eisenkot’s leadership, they would command about 37 seats, four fewer than running separately.

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/israel-news/article-899926
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-899924
https://worldisraelnews.com/four-idf-soldiers-kia-in-hezbollah-drone-strike-in-southern-lebanon/
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-899920
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-899921