Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-05-05 at 00:02

HEADLINES
Two US flagged Vessels Transit Hormuz Safely
Khartoum Airport Hit as Drone Attacks Rise
Haredi Lawmakers Push Draft Exemption Bill

The time is now 12:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In US Military Role, CENTCOM said on X that American forces are actively assisting efforts to restore commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway in the region. The Alliance Fairfax, a US-flagged vehicle carrier operated by Farrell Lines, exited the Gulf via the Strait accompanied by US military assets, Maersk said. CENTCOM added that two US-flagged merchant vessels have transited through the Strait as a first step, and that US Navy guided-missile destroyers are operating in the Gulf under Operation Project Freedom. The Alliance Fairfax is part of the US Maritime Security Program, which provides stipends to US-flagged private vessels that guarantee transport for the US military during war or national emergency. Maersk said the transit was completed without incident and that all crew were safe and unharmed.

In Regional Impacts, Sudan's armed forces blamed a drone attack on Khartoum International Airport on the United Arab Emirates and Ethiopia, the latest in a barrage of assaults that have shattered months of relative calm in Sudan's capital three years into its civil war. Reuters could not independently verify the claims. Neither country immediately commented. Sudan has often accused the UAE of supporting RSF paramilitaries, a charge the Gulf state denies, and had accused Ethiopia of getting involved earlier this year. Strikes launched since Friday have hit military targets and civilian areas in a city where people, ministries, and international agencies had started returning since the army retook control there in March 2025, residents told Reuters. Witnesses said Monday's drone attacks targeted Khartoum International Airport, where some of the earliest fighting erupted between the military and the RSF in April 2023, and which received its first international flight in three years last week. Army spokesman Brigadier General Asim Awad Abdelwahab said the government had evidence.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, the editorial argues that Israel must accept that the only way to secure the North is to eliminate Hezbollah. It is not a call for endless war, but a recognition that a fake peace is more dangerous than an honest conflict. The piece notes Hezbollah secretary-general Naim Qassem’s televised address in which he rejected direct negotiations with Israel, effectively closing the door on the mechanism the international community claimed would bring stability to the northern border. For Israel, the safety of northern residents is a necessity, not a bargaining chip, and the editorial frames diplomacy as unlikely to deliver stability given Hezbollah’s stance.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, Haredi lawmakers press rabbis to back draft exemption bill as coalition faces deadline. Degel HaTorah lawmakers are pushing rabbinic leaders to back the draft bill seen as key to Haredi turnout, though political officials doubt it can pass. With elections nearing and sanctions on yeshiva students mounting, the effort highlights the political importance of exemptions from military service for Haredi communities.

In Uplifting News, a new Hebrew press in Berlin argues that Israel doesn’t own the language. Altneuland, a Berlin-based Hebrew publishing house founded by two Israeli expatriates, aims to build a global home for Hebrew and Jewish literature, independent of state funding and rooted in a multilingual, borderless vision. Dory Manor and Moshe Sakal launched Altneuland in 2024 after years in Berlin and Paris, saying Hebrew is a global language beyond national frameworks. The press has expanded to include Jewish authors writing in German, French, Russian, and Yiddish, and it plans a United States launch this fall with an English-language book by Ruth Margalit and translations of Hebrew works by Noa Yedlin and Itamar Orlev.

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-895132
https://www.jpost.com/international/article-895130
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-895104
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bk11eikdc11e
https://www.jpost.com/international/article-895131