Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-06-25 at 08:02

HEADLINES
Israel denies Lebanon buffer pullback amid talks
Urich stays at PMO amid indictment
Israel uncovers 25-meter deep East Jerusalem tunnel

The time is now 8:01 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, Israel denies US claim IDF withdrew from southern Lebanon buffer zone, sources tell 'Post'. A US State Department official had said the IDF had pulled back from the buffer zones and that Lebanon’s armed forces should step in, but two IDF sources denied the withdrawal and a senior Lebanese security official said they were unaware of any pullback. One Lebanese official framed the move as a concrete step toward good faith toward Lebanon’s legitimate government, adding that the Lebanese Armed Forces should verifiably clear out terrorist weapons and infrastructure, enabling the safe return of displaced families, reconstruction of the south, and restoration of full Lebanese sovereignty. In negotiations between Beirut and Jerusalem, Israel and the IDF discussed a modest withdrawal possibly from Tibnin and the Ali Taher Ridge, areas the IDF had only recently occupied. Separately, reports from Lebanon described an airstrike on a motorcycle between the towns of Zotar and Mifadon in the south of the country. Foreign Minister Rubio said negotiations are close on a pilot program to disarm Hezbollah.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, Yonatan Urich, a senior aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a principal suspect in the Bild leak case, will be allowed to remain at the Prime Minister’s Office after the Tel Aviv District Court rejected prosecutors’ bids to extend restrictive conditions. Prosecutors argued Urich tampered with evidence to impede the investigation, and he was added to an amended indictment alongside former PMO spokesman Eli Feldstein and IDF reservist Ari Rosenfeld. The case concerns the alleged transfer and use of classified military material connected to Hamas’s position in hostage negotiations, which Bild published in September 2024 after the military censor blocked publication in Israel. In an opinion piece, the author argues Israelis and Palestinians will vote almost simultaneously and should not vote in darkness, urging the international community to offer a diplomatic horizon and suggesting a direct, strategic statement from US President Trump as clarity, not interference, to influence the outcome. A separate opinion piece critiques Netanyahu’s deal with ultra-Orthodox partners as undermining the public, arguing it deepens rifts while those partners gain, using a traffic-jam metaphor to describe the clash between leadership and the public. Breaking: Israeli police say a 25-meter-deep tunnel was discovered in East Jerusalem, dug from the direction of the West Bank toward Israeli territory and intended for terrorist activity; investigation is ongoing. Israel’s defense minister says the IDF’s next major goal is to achieve military superiority in space, including both defensive and offensive capabilities, with space seen as a central arena to project security and potentially strike targets on Earth.

In Israeli Economy and Business, El Al will suspend its Tel Aviv-Moscow flights for the coming days and will reassess the situation next week, with passengers informed and offered alternatives in accordance with the law. Ukraine’s strikes on oil depots in Russia’s Krasnodar region and two oil refineries in the Ufa region, along with attacks on energy infrastructure farther afield, have contributed to fuel disruptions and a developing fuel crisis in Russia and the territories it controls. Ukraine also targeted a port and fuel transit terminals in Crimea’s Kerch Strait, with video footage of explosions and smoke circulating on social media.

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-900499
https://t.me/newssil/205262
https://t.me/newssil/205261
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-900524
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-900339
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-900506
https://t.me/StandWithUsBreakingNews/8321
https://worldisraelnews.com/israel-turning-its-focus-to-military-superiority-in-space-says-dm/
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-900504