Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-06-29 at 12:01

HEADLINES
US-Lebanon talks push Israel pact forward
Israel pilots Yellow Line Litani security zones
UTJ blocks Knesset votes for draft exemptions

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

In US Military Role, the commander of the US Central Command, Brad Cooper, who is in Lebanon, met with Lebanese Army Commander Rudolof Heikal to discuss ways to implement the Israel-Lebanon agreement that was signed between Israel and Lebanon.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, Israeli Defense Minister Katz said to CENTCOM Chief Admiral Brad Cooper that Israel will only partially withdraw from security zones in Lebanon, Syria, or Gaza, with a pilot program focused on the area between the Yellow Line and the Litani River. Katz outlined three potential stages to negotiations with the Lebanese government about IDF withdrawals from southern Lebanon: a current pilot limited to deeper parts of southern Lebanon, a possible next stage of withdrawals from other areas if Hezbollah is kept out of the initial zones, and a third stage in which the IDF would maintain some limited security presence in southern Lebanon. He added that it was premature to specify where that final security zone would lie, including whether it would resemble the past outposts near the border or a different arrangement. Separately, Katz’s position on the Mossad plan to work with Iranian and Iraqi Kurds to push regime change in Iran remained unclear after conflicting statements; while Trump vetoed the plan, Katz offered skepticism in a Monday briefing to military reporters and did not publicly endorse the proposal, even as some Mossad officials defended it and argued it might have succeeded had it not been vetoed.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party told lawmakers it would boycott coalition votes in the Knesset to pressure the government as it pushes a series of bills deemed favorable to draft exemptions for haredi Israelis. The latest measure being debated in the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee would temporarily halt arrests of haredi draft evaders, a move UTJ says is necessary amid the IDF’s manpower challenges, and the party warned that Knesset plenum proceedings would likely wrap up earlier than planned as a result. Separately, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich canceled a planned visit to Kibbutz Be’eri following protests by relatives of the 32 Gaza hostages from the kibbutz, who argued his comments about his role in the war minimized their losses. The trip to Be’eri was part of a broader tour of Gaza border communities and was set to conclude with a ground-breaking ceremony in Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha; some sources cited time constraints for the cancellation, while others cited the families’ opposition as the reason.

In Uplifting News, an Israeli activist group opened a Secular House in Thailand as a non-religious alternative to Chabad, directly opposite the local Chabad House on Ko Pha Ngan. The project, led by the Free Secular Movement, aims to promote secularism and the separation of religion and state in Israel, and it opposes the spread of Chabad-style outreach. Naor Narkis, a secular Zionist activist, described the move as a response to what he calls a growing presence of religious outreach overseas, vowing to provide secular Israelis a space distinct from Chabad Houses. The Secular House presents a new base for visiting Israelis who seek a non-religious environment while abroad.

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://t.me/abualiexpress/125640
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-900858
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-900859
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-900865
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-900849
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-900852