Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-07-11 at 10:01

HEADLINES
Iran vows revenge after Khamenei assassination
IDF braces for long Lebanon deployment
Ro Khanna detained by West Bank settlers

The time is now 10:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Iranian Retaliation, Iran pledged to avenge the assassination of former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a written statement attributed to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Saturday. The statement read, “We pledge to avenge your pure blood and the blood of all the martyrs of these two wars by holding their criminal and disgraced killers accountable,” and said such vengeance was the demand of the Iranian nation. It warned that the criminals “will take their dream of dying peacefully in their beds with them to their graves,” and noted that “this matter does not depend upon my presence or that of any other officials.” The statement also claimed that there are people around the world willing to take revenge, saying, “Soon, free people throughout the world will each carry out part of this divine mission.” The report also notes that around that time, US President Donald Trump posted that Iran had asked to continue negotiations with the US, and CBS News cited US officials saying Iran told Trump advisers that the attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz were a mistake. According to the report, Iran blamed the attacks.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, IDF prepares for long stay in Lebanon as Hezbollah regroups under ceasefire. Despite an unusual wave of strikes in southern Lebanon, Israeli defense officials say no pullback order has been issued; the IDF is preparing for a prolonged deployment while Hezbollah is believed to be using the ceasefire to regroup and replenish weapons.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, Representative Ro Khanna says armed settlers detained him during West Bank visit. Khanna said his delegation appealed to the US Embassy in Jerusalem after settlers allegedly blocked their vehicle, before Israeli security forces cleared the road. He described being detained by settlers armed with US-made rifles during a West Bank visit that he cast as an unfiltered look at the human toll of “Israeli occupation.” Speaking from a Palestinian village, Khanna said their van was surrounded by settlers wielding M4 rifles, a day earlier while touring a part of the southern West Bank where residents face frequent settler attacks. An aide to Khanna, Cameron Kasky, said they were held for more than an hour and made appeals to the US Embassy in Jerusalem for help.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, Haredi protesters rally outside Jerusalem cafe open on Shabbat. Dozens of ultra-Orthodox protesters gathered outside Cafe Basimta in Jerusalem’s Nahlaot neighborhood on Saturday to protest the cafe’s opening on Shabbat. The protesters chanted “Shabbos,” while hundreds of Jerusalem residents arrived to support the cafe. Police removed two protesters near the entrance. Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Adir Schwartz, who chairs the Hitorerut movement, said extremes would not dictate how Jerusalem residents live, adding that Hitorerut activists would remain to support local businesses and a free Jerusalem that belongs to everyone. The demonstration followed unrest at the cafe the previous week, when hundreds of haredi protesters surrounded the venue, overturned chairs, and banged on the window.

In Uplifting News, Ammunition Hill memorial now honors Six-Day War veterans killed on October 7. Israel’s Ammunition Hill Heritage Site features a monument built on rough stones used by the 66th Battalion to memorialize its fallen, a site that has evolved to remember Israel’s wars. The monument now bears four aspects: first, memory of the 36 fighters who fell in the Battle for Jerusalem in 1967; second, standing in memory of those who survived the 1967 battle but fell in Israel’s later wars; third, a recent refit to include two fallen reservists who served in the 66th Battalion during the Israel-Hamas War—Sergeant-Major (Reserve) Tal Shua, 31, and Sergeant-Major (Reserve) Neriya Shaer, 36; and fourth, a decision not to add another standard stone with the original fonts, a note explained by Alon Wald, Ammunition Hill’s head of operations.

In Uplifting News, “Crazy, moving”: Noga Erez documentary charts music star's rise through tragedy and triumph. At the Jerusalem Film Festival, the documentary Noga, about Noga Erez and Ori Rousso, had its Israeli premiere. The film, largely in Hebrew, follows the pair in a fly-on-the-wall style, blending their life and music to tell a story of rise through adversity. After world premieres at Tribeca and screenings at Munich, Erez said screening in Hebrew with Hebrew speakers gave the film new meaning, calling the experience “crazy, moving” as she reflected on the project’s five-year journey with directors Benjamin Bergmann and Jono Bergmann.

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-902159
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hyy1etjngg
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-902160
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-902162
https://www.jpost.com/history/article-902074
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/article-902161