Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-07-02 at 22:01

HEADLINES
2026 defense budget unfunds disabled veterans
Yamam Shin Bet nab Shfaram mosque shooters
Herzog marks thousand days at Kerem Shalom

The time is now 10:00 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, the IDF Disabled Veterans Organization warned of a national disaster as the 2026 defense budget was agreed with no additional funding allocated for the treatment of disabled veterans. The group said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich are abandoning the future of those who sacrificed their bodies and souls in battle for the State of Israel. The dispute had pitted the Defense Ministry’s push for roughly 183 to 188 billion shekels in defense spending against the Finance Ministry’s concerns about Israel’s fiscal credibility in international markets and the widening deficit. Defense Ministry officials stressed that there would be no open-ended budget and no horizontal cuts within the 2026 frameworks, while the veteran charity framed the decision as a betrayal of promises to the wounded and their families. Separately, security forces arrested a suspect in last night’s mosque shooting in Shfaram, in northern Israel. The elite Yamam counterterrorism unit made the arrest with intelligence support from Shin Bet, and two additional suspects were also taken into custody. All three were transferred for joint questioning by Shin Bet and the police’s Northern District, with a gag order issued by the Acre Magistrate’s Court as the case remains developing.

In Uplifting News, one thousand days after the October 7 massacres, President Isaac Herzog and First Lady Michal Herzog visited Kibbutz Kerem Shalom, situated on the border with Gaza and Egypt, where residents shared personal stories of the war and the effort to rebuild. The president praised the resilience of Kibbutz members who returned to the area after the attacks and noted the presence of the mother of Sergeant Yaron Zohar, who was killed defending the kibbutz. “We will continue to plant, to build, to nurture life, and to choose hope,” Herzog said. He added that the thousandth day is not simply a marker in time but a reminder of Israel’s capacity to grow out of crisis and unbearable pain: to remember, and never to forget, and to rise with the will to build, to live, to act, and never to give up. The gathering underscored a collective commitment to rebuilding and to honoring those who were lost.

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-901296
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/crime-in-israel/article-901294
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-901297