Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-04-13 at 10:02

HEADLINES
US strikes damage Mahan Air plane Mashhad
Hezbollah rockets hit Nahariya wounding woman
Israel backs Hormuz blockade as allies split

The time is now 10:02 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In US Military Role, a Mahan Air aircraft was damaged during US strikes on Mashhad International Airport in Iran on March 30, Iranian officials told Asian News International. The airplane was stationed at Mashhad and was scheduled to fly to New Delhi as part of a humanitarian aid operation, with expected arrival in the days ahead to facilitate the transport of medical equipment and assistance. The United States has not officially claimed responsibility for the strike. Mahan Air is a private Iranian carrier that operates flights across Asia and has long been under US sanctions; in 2011 it was designated as a Specially Designated National for its material support of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, a designation that freezes assets and blocks US persons from dealings with the carrier. Maariv reported that Iran Air and Zagros also sustained damage in the strikes.

In Regional Impacts, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine helped down drones in the Middle East during the Iran conflict, posting on X that Ukrainian military experts and interceptor drones, along with electronic warfare specialists, aided in the operation and called it a success. Zelensky said Ukrainian personnel operated in several countries in the region and cited the significance of downing drones with jet engines, hinting at forthcoming mass production of interceptors capable of destroying such drones. He also noted that earlier in the conflict the United States had requested aid against Iran’s Shahed drones, leading to Ukrainian specialists being deployed to the region, including hundreds of experts sent to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, a Hezbollah rocket barrage toward Nahariya wounded at least one woman after six rockets were intercepted and a seventh rocket struck a residence, injuring the woman inside. Magen David Adom confirmed the casualty figure as the attack unfolded. Separately, an IDF attack drone captured the final moments of a Hezbollah terrorist targeted in southern Lebanon, highlighting ongoing operations tied to the broader regional confrontation.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel fully backs Trump’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, rejected claims of a rift with Washington, and stressed US demands to halt Tehran’s nuclear enrichment program. On the other hand, NATO allies Britain and France said they would not join the blockade, arguing it would not be appropriate to block maritime traffic and urging instead to keep the Hormuz channel open as it remains a vital route for global oil supplies. An official statement asserted that the naval blockade against Iran has begun, with the plan to block ships going to or from Iranian ports and a reminder that the blockade would involve allied participation. A countdown note stated that in five minutes the US naval blockade on Iranian ports would begin.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, Israel reported about 1,000 antisemitic incidents worldwide in the past year, with 20 Jews killed during that period. The Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry noted more than 300 incidents in the United States and over 130 incidents each in the United Kingdom and France, among a total of 958 incidents recorded across 72 countries. The report cataloged harassment, security incidents, physical assaults, vandalism, arson targeting Jewish property, and deadly attacks, including 15 of the deaths linked to the Bondi Beach mass shooting in Australia in December 2025. In a separate TAU study, antisemitism rose in several countries in 2025 despite a Gaza ceasefire brokered by the United States, with some places still seeing higher levels of anti-Jewish hostility than before the October 7 attacks. The report’s editor, Uriya Shavit, cautioned that a high level of antisemitic incidents is becoming a normalized reality, noting that the post-ceasefire period remained more hostile than pre-crisis years in many locations.

In Uplifting News, a Nature Communications study finds that Paleolithic hunter-gatherers in South Africa sought out dedicated stone quarries for tool-making as far back as 220,000 years ago. Investigators at the Jojosi site identified hornfels flakes and sizeable production waste, suggesting early humans mined stone at specific locations to shape tools later, with luminescence dating used to anchor the timeframe. The research challenges the notion that early humans collected raw materials by accident, indicating long-term planning in resource acquisition.

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-892843
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-892758
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-892857
https://t.me/ILtoday/18665
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-892852
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-892851
https://t.me/abualiexpress/120276
https://t.me/beholdisraelchannel/74961
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-892855
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-892853
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-892644