Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-06-21 at 04:01

HEADLINES
Fourth Soldier Killed in Tebnit Tank Strike
Switzerland Hosts Emergency Iran-US Talks Session
Trump Privately Calls Netanyahu a Con Man

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 Regional Impacts, a fourth soldier has been identified as killed in the southern Lebanon tank incident after Hezbollah struck a tank in the Tebnit area. The IDF said Staff Sergeant Nave Habshoosh, 20, from Geva Binyamin, served in the 52nd Battalion of the 401st Brigade, and the tank involved was operating under the Givati Brigade. Also killed in the same incident were Lieutenant-Colonel Dor Gedalia Ben-Simhon, 32; Staff Sergeant Yoav Klein, 21; and Staff Sergeant Liav Kababia, 20, all members of the 52nd Battalion, 401st Brigade. Ben-Simhon had taken over command of the battalion on April 20 after the previous commander was seriously wounded in southern Lebanon. Habshoosh’s father told Army Radio that Nave wrote hours before the attack that there was a chance he’d come home on Sunday but asked not to tell his mother; this morning the family was told Nave’s body had been identified and would be brought home today.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, an emergency session addressing the Israel-Hezbollah conflict was added to the agenda on the first day of talks in Switzerland. Iran’s delegation arrived for planned discussions with the United States, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammed-Bagher Ghalibaf, who posted a photo on X ahead of arrival. US Vice President JD Vance arrived for what he described as a couple of days of peace talks, with US Special Envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff reportedly already in Switzerland. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan’s Chief of Staff arrived with their delegation. The meeting follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, new excerpts from a forthcoming book report that President Donald Trump privately described Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “con man” and told Tucker Carlson and Elon Musk in an Oval Office meeting that the United States would not go to war with Iran, months before he ultimately ordered strikes on Tehran. The account appears in Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump, a book by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan set for US publication. In another note, Trump told Axios in an interview that without his backing Israel would be “eviscerated” during the region’s conflicts and that Jerusalem would ultimately follow Washington’s lead, with Israeli officials “doing as I say” because of American support.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, a United Nations official confronted Israel’s UN envoy Danon during a speech on conflict-related sexual violence, then engaged with an antisemitic post that compared Israel to Nazis by posting an Israeli flag with a swastika; Danon said that “the mask is off.”

In Israeli Economy and Business, Israel plans to teach English to middle schoolers through artificial intelligence as part of Project 720, a national program announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Education Minister Yoav Kisch during a visit to Dekel Vilnai Middle School in Ma’ale Adumim. The program builds on a nationwide pilot in 28 schools within the Education Ministry’s initiative for personalized learning through technology. It comes as 40% of about 19,000 English teachers are reported to lack training, raising questions about how AI could support language learning. The initiative positions Israel at the forefront of integrating AI into education, aiming to tailor learning to each student’s pace, capabilities, and needs.

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/israel-news/article-899992
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-899990
https://worldisraelnews.com/trump-called-netanyahu-a-conman-vowed-not-to-get-involved-in-iran-war-report/
https://worldisraelnews.com/trump-we-have-to-keep-netanyahu-sane-israel-will-obey-me/
https://t.me/newssil/204877
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bjpqxmbmge
https://www.timesofisrael.com/with-massive-teacher-shortages-israel-plans-on-teaching-english-to-middle-schoolers-through-ai/