Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-07-02 at 13:01

HEADLINES
Khamenei dies; Mojtaba crowned Iran's next
IDF probes video of blindfolded Palestinian
Harvard faculty warn antisemitism underground

The time is now 1:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Iranian Retaliation, Iran's ruling clerics are preparing days of mass funeral rites for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a show of public devotion to the Islamic Republic and proof that its revolutionary fervor still burns strong. The supreme leader was killed in the war's opening strike by the United States and Israel, and the funeral events will begin over the weekend in Tehran, with mass processions planned next week in Qom and Mashhad and ceremonies in Iraq. A Qom Friday prayer leader told state media that a large turnout would be like a referendum on the regime, and authorities are mobilizing millions by arranging transportation, lodging, and meals to display the regime's might after what it views as an existential war. Khamenei's death and the succession of his son Mojtaba as Iran's third supreme leader mark a watershed moment in the Islamic Republic's 47-year history.

In Regional Impacts, sirens were reported in the north, with the brief note offering no further detail.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, authorities say the IDF will discipline soldiers involved in circulating a video showing a blindfolded Palestinian man in Gaza tied to a broomstick with zip ties, who also appears stripped to his underwear and bound to a folding cot. Palestinian media reported the clip, and the IDF said a command-level inquiry is underway and those involved will be dealt with in line with its findings. The episode comes amid broader debate sparked by a United Nations inquiry that accused the IDF of deliberately targeting and killing Palestinian children in Gaza since October 7, 2023. Separately, Israel’s Chief Rabbinate Council clashed with the Director-General of Religious Services over approval granted to Tzohar Kashrut. The director-general said the license was granted unlawfully and did not pass through the council, which meanwhile contends it was not informed of the intention to grant the license and does not approve it at this stage.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, three Australian patients told The Jerusalem Post they were too frightened to write the word “Jewish” on hospital forms after October 7, expressing fear of discrimination; they had previously listed their Jewish or Israeli identity but now conceal it in medical contexts, a concern discussed with the Anti-Defamation Commission’s Dr. Dvir Abramovich. At Harvard, 170 Jewish and non-Jewish faculty members published an open letter arguing that antisemitism has moved underground and become more insidious, following Title VI lawsuits and a university report acknowledging pervasive bias against Jews; students say they hide their identity, including by wearing a baseball cap over a kippah and tucking in a Star of David.

In Uplifting News, President Isaac Herzog told 58 imams graduating from the Imams as Community Leaders program that Israel has an obligation to protect all its citizens. The year-long initiative, a joint effort by Open University and the Interior Ministry, brought Islamic leaders from across the country to Ra’anana weekly to study community resilience, conflict resolution, and violence prevention for Arab communities facing rising crime. Herzog noted that more than 140 Arab citizens of Israel have been murdered this year, with major incidents in Jaffa and Holon, and he welcomed the graduates as part of a broader effort to address violence and strengthen social cohesion.

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/iran-news/article-901258
https://t.me/newssil/205786
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-901263
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-901261
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-901270
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-901265
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-901262