Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-07-08 at 01:02

HEADLINES
Iran strikes US bases MQ-9 downed
Pakistan's Iran-China corridors move 14k tons
Egypt inaugurates Octagon strategic command HQ

The time is now 1:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Iranian Retaliation, Iran's IRGC says it launched a coordinated missile and drone attack on 85 US military targets in Bahrain's US Fifth Fleet area, Kuwait's Ali Al Salem Air Base, and Salman Port. The IRGC also claims it shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone.

In Regional Impacts, Pakistan has launched two overland trade corridors through Iran and China, offering Central Asian countries alternative routes to Pakistani ports after Islamabad closed its main transit crossings with Afghanistan because of security concerns. The corridors, operational since April 2026, run through Iran's Gabd-Rimdan border crossing and China's Sost Dry Port. They were introduced after Pakistan indefinitely closed the Torkham and Chaman crossings in October 2025 following persistent cross-border militancy. More than 14,000 metric tons of cargo have already moved through the two routes. One corridor was formally inaugurated in Karachi with senior representatives from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Pakistan presented the routes as a permanent alternative for Central Asian states seeking access to global markets without Afghan transit. The first convoy carried frozen meat and other exports to Tashkent and Bishkek through Iran. Pakistan also dispatched its first export shipment from the Karachi Export Processing Zone to Kyrgyzstan via the Sost Dry Port.

Egypt’s Octagon, Egypt’s new State Strategic Command Headquarters, was inaugurated by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in the New Administrative Capital east of Cairo. The ceremony included the signing of the facility’s official charter and the raising of the Armed Forces flag over one of the Middle East’s most ambitious military command centers. The Octagon is not just a headquarters building; it is described as a fortified military and administrative city, covering about 22,000 acres and comprising 13 strategic and logistical zones. The site features eight interconnected octagonal outer buildings arranged around two central command structures, a design meant to symbolize the integration of Egypt’s armed forces and state institutions. By comparison, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, covers about 29 acres as a building, with the wider Pentagon reservation far smaller than the Egyptian complex.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, Rahm Emanuel is expected to tell a Tel Aviv audience that the pursuit of a Greater Israel is a corrosive fantasy, destructive and fanatical as the chant “from the river to the sea.” The veteran Democrat and potential 2028 presidential candidate will warn that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is leading the country to a dead end that could turn Israel into a pariah and jeopardize the long-standing US alliance. He argues that the United States should not automatically back the Israeli government without conditions, saying that such a path has contributed to violence and hardship in the Occupied Territories and left Israel more isolated.

Abdul El-Sayed has refused super PAC funding. An anti-AIPAC PAC says it will spend to support El-Sayed in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, despite his pledge to reject all super PAC money. American Priorities PAC says it will fund ads and get-out-the-vote operations, noting that spending is not coordinating with El-Sayed’s campaign. El-Sayed, a physician and former county health director, is in a competitive race and is scheduled to debate his opponent.

In Uplifting News, Israel’s humanitarian mission to Venezuela reflects its national character. Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez thanked Israel for sending “a highly specialized and professional group” after the twin earthquakes that have devastated the country. The mission involved a 30-member IDF delegation led by Brigadier-General Elad Edri, with Israeli experts mapping roughly 1,300 damaged buildings to determine which should be demolished and which might be salvageable, and advising on debris removal. The death toll from the June 24 earthquakes stands at 3,535, with 16,740 people injured and 17,854 left homeless. Israel’s efforts were coordinated by the Foreign Ministry, Health Ministry, KKL-JNF, SID Israel, IsraAID and others, at Venezuela’s request.

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/beholdisraelchannel/78192
https://www.jpost.com/international/article-901809
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-901808
https://www.jpost.com/international/article-901812
https://www.jpost.com/international/article-901811
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-901789