Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-06-25 at 11:02

HEADLINES
- UAE Israel ties deepen amid Iran threats
- US Iran military channel to curb escalation
- Schalit kidnapping logs reveal IDF delays

The time is now 11:02 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Regional Impacts, the confrontation with Iran underscored the strategic value of the Israel-UAE partnership and highlighted the potential to expand cooperation beyond its current scope. The UAE has repeatedly shown that its commitment to regional stability extends well beyond rhetoric, with sustained engagement across the Middle East and the Horn of Africa to counter extremist actors and secure critical trade routes. During the conflict, Abu Dhabi reportedly faced more than 2,200 launches targeting its territory and took a firm public stance toward Iran, pursuing practical measures such as efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, exploring participation in a US-led military effort, and reportedly carrying out strikes inside Iranian territory along with administrative measures aimed at increasing pressure on Tehran. These actions illustrate the potential for a stronger, broader partnership between the two countries. Israeli and Lebanese officials are again meeting in Washington at this time.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, US Vice President JD Vance described a major breakthrough from the Switzerland talks as an agreement in principle to establish a direct military communications channel between the United States and Iran to help prevent future escalation. He said the aim includes a channel on the Iranian side for reducing conflict, and that the Iranian side agreed to send a representative from the IRGC to meet with a CENTCOM counterpart in Doha to help settle disputes. Vance also noted that the Emiratis, by far the most hawkish and pro-Israel country in the GCC, are having conversations with Iran, including with the IRGC, about economic incentives.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, marking the 20th anniversary of Hamas’s kidnapping of Gilad Schalit, the Defense Ministry released previously unseen logs detailing the events of that day, minute by minute. The material shows that an IDF command center received real-time updates via field communications and handwritten reports, highlighting the confusion and delays in the IDF’s response to the cross-border abduction. Schalit's abduction occurred in 2006, and he was released in 2011 in a deal supported by a broad public majority at the time, though public opinion shifted in the years since due to the release of over 1,000 Hamas prisoners. The account describes how Hamas fighters ambushed Schalit's tank team after emerging from a tunnel, resulting in casualties including Lieutenant Hanan Barak and Staff Sergeant Pavel Slutske, with Schalit himself lightly wounded.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, a disabled elderly Jewish woman in Melbourne’s Vodafone Elsternwick store was subjected to antisemitic abuse by a worker who shouted “Free Palestine,” called her a “dirty Zionist,” said “Jews are disgusting,” demanded her personal phone without explanation, and filmed her without consent. The woman reported the incident to Vodafone. The episode occurred around 3:35 p.m. on Tuesday, June 23, and left her distressed in the street after the encounter.

In Israeli Economy and Business, Immunai, an Israeli-founded AI biotech, announced a discovery collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim to identify novel T-cell targets across immuno-oncology and autoimmune diseases. The initial deal is valued at up to $15 million and runs through 2027, with potential for expansion based on progress. Immunai and Boehringer Ingelheim will build a data foundation spanning cancer and autoimmune disease and apply Immunai’s single-cell AI platform to thousands of patient samples to map patterns of T-cell dysfunction that could point to new drug targets.

In Uplifting News, Taiwan’s Jewish community inaugurated its first-ever cemetery in Taipei with the burial of a 73-year-old Israeli man who had lived in Taiwan for more than 20 years. Chabad Taiwan described it as a significant milestone and “sad but important,” with volunteers from Zaka’s International Division, led by Rabbi Mendy Rabinowitz from Hong Kong, arriving to assist with the funeral and burial at the local Chabad emissary’s request. Britain’s National Health Service will make its Jewish BRCA genetic testing program permanent after a successful pilot, offering testing for three BRCA mutations common among people of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. Carriers face higher risks of breast, ovarian, prostate, and pancreatic cancers, and those with Ashkenazi ancestry have a one in 40 chance of carrying BRCA1 or BRCA2 compared with one in 250 in the general population. The program, developed with Jewish health organizations and genetic specialists, will become routine from 2027/28, with more than 700 individuals identified so far who have access to counseling, monitoring, and, in some cases, preventative treatment.

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/opinion/article-900266
https://t.me/ILtoday/19408
https://t.me/selena_updates/66244
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-900537
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-900523
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/article-900538
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-900536
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-900299