Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-04-13 at 18:02

HEADLINES
Israel eases wartime rules amid Hezbollah fighting
Protests demand blocking US bombs to Israel
Smotrich blasts German chancellor on Remembrance Day

The time is now 6:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, the IDF has further eased wartime restrictions as fighting with Hezbollah continues and a ceasefire holds with Iran. On the Lebanon border, education is allowed only in protected spaces, while in the northern Golan Heights and Upper Galilee schools may operate if shelters can be reached in time. Gatherings of up to 5,000 people are now permitted in several southern and central regions, including Jerusalem, the Negev, Eilat, and Gaza border communities. The updated rules remain in effect until Tuesday at 8 p.m., when a new assessment is expected. Separately, as fighting in the north persists and the IDF broadens its operations into southern Lebanon, Israeli and Lebanese officials are set to meet in Washington, while Hezbollah’s leader has threatened to kidnap soldiers, describing talks as unnecessary and vowing the group will not surrender.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, nearly 100 protesters were arrested during a demonstration Monday calling on Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand to block the sale of thousands of US bombs to Israel. Led by the antiwar group Jewish Voice for Peace, the crowd initially attempted a sit-in inside the Manhattan offices of the two lawmakers, whom they accuse of abetting Israel’s attacks in Lebanon and the broader US-Israeli war on Iran.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, Smotrich responded to the German chancellor on Holocaust Remembrance Day with a forceful rebuke, saying Germany should prepare to apologize many times in the name of Germany and not lecture Jews on how to face the Nazis of our generation. He asserted that Jews will not accept being sent back to ghettos, not in Israel, and that the return to the Land of Israel is the answer to those seeking to destroy the Jewish people. The piece also notes references to regional security developments involving Iran, Hizballah, and Lebanon as part of the broader security context.

In Uplifting News, Sylvan Adams told an audience in Krakow that the March of the Living is not only to remember how Jews died but to show how Jews live, stressing resilience and continuity in the face of rising antisemitism. In Bulgaria, Israel finished the 2026 IIHF World Championship Division II Group B with a perfect 5-0 record, crowned by a 5-2 win over Iceland that secured the gold despite the team arriving as independent athletes due to federation issues. In Belgrade, Hapoel Tel Aviv defeated Maccabi 99-88 to clinch a Euroleague playoff berth and set up a run for home-court advantage next week. In Jerusalem, the Foreign Ministry held a Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony for the Righteous Among the Nations, with more than 50 foreign diplomats in attendance; Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar warned that the world faces the Iranian threat and argued that appeasement will not keep Israel safe.

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
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https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rjef7r93wg
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https://t.me/JewishNews24/52648
https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/article-1309620
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-892895
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/sports/article-892896
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/sports/article-892893
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-892886