Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-06-28 at 15:01

HEADLINES
US-backed Lebanon zones push Hezbollah disarmament
Drone strike kills Israeli tank commander
Canadians condemn antisemitism in open letter

The time is now 3:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Regional Impacts, a new agreement between Israel and Lebanon, backed by a US guarantee, makes clear that Israel will withdraw from southern Lebanon only after Hezbollah has been removed from the area. The deal sets two zones in southern Lebanon to be taken over by the Lebanese Army as pilot zones where plans to disarm Hezbollah will be implemented in the coming weeks. The arrangement follows days of regional diplomacy, including a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran and the US acknowledgment of Iran’s involvement in Lebanon. Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, led the Israeli delegation with representatives from the National Security Council, and Brigadier-General Amichai Levin, who represented IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Eyal Zamir, joined the talks. The IDF presented maps outlining potential withdrawal locations as part of the agreement, which frames a path for Hezbollah disarmament within a broader regional context.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, the IDF’s initial probe into the June 19 disaster in southern Lebanon finds that the tank carrying the commander of the 52nd Battalion and three soldiers was struck by an explosive-laden drone rather than an anti-tank missile; the military says the investigation is ongoing.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, a group of more than 70 non-Jewish Canadians published an open letter in major publications condemning antisemitism, forming the Stopping Antisemitism movement. The 78 professionals, including the CEO of the National Bank of Canada, former prime minister Stephen Harper, and university presidents, called on colleagues to join in condemning any act of antisemitism and urged Canada to adopt a consistent national approach to law enforcement, prosecution, and sentencing, while ensuring that terrorist organizations and their proxies do not operate in the country. The letter appeared in outlets such as the National Post, the Toronto Star, Le Devoir, the Vancouver Sun, and The Globe and Mail, and was endorsed by Prime Minister Mark Carney, who reposted it on X.

In a separate report from the United Kingdom, a man in a Waitrose store in Harrow, London, subjected an Orthodox Jewish woman to antisemitic abuse in a checkout queue. The Metropolitan Police confirmed they received an online report of a religiously aggravated hate crime at a shop on High Road, and a witness said store staff and the manager were aware but did not contact police. The victim left the store distressed, and police are investigating the incident.

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/defense-news/article-900741
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hjts001yqfg
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-900744
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-900743