Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-07-12 at 20:02

HEADLINES
Warnings Ignored Before Kuwait Drone Strike
Renewed US Strikes Hit Iran Targets
Lebanon Withdrawal Hinges on Hezbollah Removal

The time is now 8:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Iranian Retaliation, survivors of Iran's March attack on US base in Kuwait claim leadership ignored warnings. The Washington Post report says US soldiers and witnesses warned Port Shuaiba was a probable Iranian target, but intelligence warnings were not heeded ahead of the drone strike that killed six service members on March 1. The investigation, based on accounts from 17 people including survivors and other witnesses, quotes Brigadier General Clint Barnes leaving the base after the strike while soldiers under his command stayed behind. Soldiers described feelings of guilt and betrayal, saying they did not do enough to help those who died, and wounded service members reportedly felt the medical system failed them. The report notes that both base generals responded to requests for comment, and the Army broadly defended the unit's leadership and decision-making while declining to address complaints directly.

In US Military Role, US Central Command announced a renewed wave of strikes early Monday aimed at degrading Iran's ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. A CENTCOM spokesperson told CNN that US aircraft had shot down an Iranian cruise missile and a one-way attack drone; the spokesperson also said that within the past hour Iran fired at a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz. The previous day, CENTCOM said roughly 140 Iranian military targets were hit, including missile and drone sites, ammunition storage facilities, communications, and coastal surveillance locations, using precise munitions. Video footage circulating from Kuwait appeared to show ground-based missiles, possibly ATACMS, being launched toward Iran. Fires were seen burning in the distance after US strikes on the coastal area of Bandar Abbas in Hormozgan Province. Heavy US airstrikes were reported across southern, southwestern, southeastern, and central Iran, with strikes documented in Minab, Qeshm Island, Jask, Bushehr, Kangan, Hengam Island, Sirik, Bandar Abbas, Jaber, Chabahar, Ahvaz, Mahshahr, and other locations as the campaign continues.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, Ambassador Yechiel Leiter said the IDF would remain in Lebanon unless Hezbollah is removed from pilot zones in the south. He told CBS's Face the Nation that withdrawal hinges on Hezbollah's removal; if Hezbollah stays, Israel will keep its positions. Leiter emphasized that the withdrawal plan is not delayed and that the framework hinges on the Lebanese Armed Forces being receptive to the pilot zones. He asserted Hezbollah has no business in Lebanon and noted that Israel and Lebanon share concerns about security, with the goal of dismantling Hezbollah before any withdrawal.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee on Sunday approved for final readings a bill that would drastically weaken the attorney general’s authority and ability to act as a check on government power. The coalition aims to pass the measure later this week. If enacted, the government could reject the attorney general’s legal opinion on a given issue by deeming it inconsistent with existing law, unlike the current system where the attorney general’s positions are binding. The override mechanism would let the government decide for itself if actions are legal, sparking alarm from critics including Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who warned the legislation would weaken the rule of law. The move is part of ongoing power struggles between Baharav-Miara and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government as it seeks greater control over Israel’s legal processes.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, Dershowitz should be Tehran's mayor, Jews who voted for Mamdani are idiots, says Dershowitz. On Rudy Giuliani's show, Alan Dershowitz called Jews who voted for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani "idiots" for backing a candidate he described as contrary to their identity, and he said Mamdani should be the mayor of Tehran. He added, “My people, the idiot Jews, in New York, who live on the Upper West Side, who live in Park Slope, who voted for Mamdani—remind me of the 7,000 Jews who voted for Hitler.” He went on, "Seven thousand Jews formed a party in 1932 and voted for Hitler," and concluded, “Thank God, we have Italian-Americans, Irish-Americans, and other Americans who have a lot more sense than many Jewish Americans do.” Giuliani agreed that there are many strong Jews on the issue, and the two suggested that past events did not wake people up in 1932.

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/international/article-902277
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-902288
https://t.me/DefenderDome/22129
https://t.me/DefenderDome/22126
https://t.me/selena_updates/67057
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-902283
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-902286
https://www.timesofisrael.com/knesset-committee-approves-bill-to-gut-attorney-generals-powers-for-final-readings/
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-902232