Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-07-04 at 04:01

HEADLINES
Tehran mourners fill vast Khamenei funeral
Lebanon rejects pro Iran billboards near Beirut
Israeli gas plants spark kibbutz protests

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 Iranian Retaliation, mourners thronged a vast prayer complex in Tehran as the week-long funeral ceremonies for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei began with the national anthem, religious eulogies, and readings from the Koran. Iran is staging mass funeral processions for Khamenei, whose 37-year reign ended earlier this year, in a display of public devotion to the Islamic Republic’s theocratic state and revolutionary zeal. His coffin, draped with the Iranian flag and topped with his black turban, was placed on a large black platform that resembled the Kaaba, with mourners filling the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla and waving flags and carrying photographs of the slain leader. Chants of "Death to America" echoed through the Mosalla as the farewell to “Mr. Martyr” unfolded. On day two, footage showed enormous crowds gathered around Khamenei’s coffin in Tehran as the procession continued, with foreign delegations in attendance.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, the Lebanese government moved to remove pro-Iran billboards near Beirut’s airport, replacing signs that read "Thank you, Iran" with "Lebanon first," a shift signaling growing pushback in the region. The move underscores a broader reality in parts of the Middle East that Iran’s influence is increasingly questioned and opposed by local governments and communities.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, rural communities are being thrown into turmoil by a state program to build 13 new gas-fired power plants, a plan that allows developers to negotiate land deals directly with kibbutzim and farming cooperatives for plots that may never be used. Talks are underway to place four plants within or along the borders of the Hefer Valley Regional Council in central Israel, and local authorities have advised communities approached by entrepreneurs to vote down the proposals. The dispute has become personal in some places: at Kibbutz Givat Haim Meuhad, a chairperson’s child faced ostracism after the father supported the plant, and neighboring Kibbutz Givat Haim Ihud rejected the same motion by a wide margin as part of the broader consolidation of land deals.

In Uplifting News, the wreck of the Japanese WWII Hellship Hōfuku Maru has been identified off the coast of the Philippines, about 80 years after it vanished while transporting Allied prisoners of war and forced laborers. The discovery, announced by the Hellships Memorial Foundation and highlighted on a Discovery Channel program, places the wreck about 160 feet beneath the surface off Zambales province, more than 30 miles from where it was believed lost. More than 125,000 Allied prisoners were moved on Hellships, with an estimated 20,000 dying aboard these brutal transports; Hōfuku Maru was sunk by an Allied torpedo on September 21, 1944, killing more than 1,000 British and over 200 Dutch POWs. Also on the front lines of humanitarian concerns, Pope Leo XIV visited the island of Lampedusa in Italy, a major migration entry point, to defend migrants amid ongoing debates in the United States and Europe over migration policy. The pope urged safe and legal pathways for those seeking refuge and underscored the church’s commitment to helping the needy, using the visit to send a message about protection and shared responsibility at a time of shifting migration rules.

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-901377
https://t.me/hnaftali/23736
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/07/iranians-flock-week-long-funeral-rites-khamenei
https://t.me/hnaftali/23733
https://www.timesofisrael.com/push-for-gas-fired-power-plants-throws-rural-israel-into-turmoil/
https://www.jpost.com/history/article-901353
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/07/pope-defend-migrants-mediterranean-island-frontier