Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-07-07 at 00:02

HEADLINES
- Iran Fired Two Missiles at Hormuz Shipping
- Hamas Dissolves Emergency Committee Technocrats Take Over
- Netanyahu Says No F-35s to Turkey

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 Regional Impacts, Iran fired at least two missiles at commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a US official cited by Axios said early Tuesday. The ships were damaged significantly but there were no casualties. Earlier, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency reported a tanker was hit by an unknown projectile about eight nautical miles east of Oman's Limah, sparking a fire. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned ships in recent days to stay on Iranian-designated routes rather than the US-designated route off the coast of Oman, saying their missiles and drones are ready to fire. One of the vessels appears to be Al Rekayyat, a Qatari gas tanker, and a crew member aboard a ship near Al Rekayyat reported the vessel had been hit on the port side near the top of the engine room, triggering an engine-room fire and smoke, with all crew safe and muster called on the starboard side. Separately, British forces said a tanker was set ablaze after being struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman. In related regional diplomacy, Israel is weighing an Abu Dhabi summit to renew extra Israeli water supplies to Jordan, advance a regional desalination-for-solar project, and ease strained ties between Jerusalem and Amman.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, Hamas said the dissolvement of Gaza’s Emergency Committee was carried out in the national interest to prevent Israel from making excuses, and the group transferred the committee’s powers to the National Committee for Gaza’s administration, completing preparations for the entry of a technocrats’ committee. A Hamas spokesperson said the move “denies Israel’s excuses” and urged mediators and guarantor countries, including the United States, to press all sides to implement the agreement and push for the technocrats’ committee to assume authority, adding that the ball is now in the mediators’ court.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the United States should not provide Turkey with F-35 fighter jets or advanced fighters engines, warning that such a move would unsettle the regional balance and threaten Israel’s air superiority. He made the remarks on Fox & Friends as President Trump travels to Ankara for a NATO summit, noting Turkey was removed from the F-35 program in 2019 after buying Russia’s S-400 air-defense system. Netanyahu argued that the balance of power in the Middle East hinges on Israel’s air edge and on the United States’ posture in the region.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, Israel’s diaspora affairs minister Amichai Chikli criticized Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in a post on X, calling him a “grotesque hybrid of Hitler and Sinwar” and accusing him of being a “patron of Hamas and ISIS.” The post came amid longstanding tensions between Jerusalem and Ankara, intensified by concerns over Turkish ties with Washington and the potential return of advanced American F-35 jets to Turkey. Separately, the Knesset voted 59-45 to split a highly controversial bill aimed at eroding the powers of the attorney general; since time was short, the measure will not divide the role into separate offices, and criminal prosecution powers will remain with the attorney general for now. The bill would have removed the government’s obligation to align with the AG’s legal positions, drawing sharp criticism from opponents who say it would weaken checks on government power, even as Prime Minister Netanyahu and coalition partners signaled a path forward before the Knesset’s dissolution ahead of October elections.

In Uplifting News, a LEGO reproduction of the FIFA World Cup trophy unveiled at New York’s Rockefeller Plaza stands 27 feet tall, weighs more than 4 tons, and is built from 1.36 million LEGO bricks, making it one of the largest LEGO builds to date. Also, footage captured from the International Space Station shows fireworks brightening the sky over Los Angeles as the city celebrated the Fourth of July.

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-901664
https://t.me/JewishNews24/56788
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/s1g6sy5xme
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-901663
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-901656
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-901665
https://www.timesofisrael.com/knesset-votes-to-split-controversial-bill-to-erode-power-of-attorney-general/
https://t.me/JewishNews24/56791
https://t.me/JewishNews24/56781