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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-02-16 at 07:02
Published 2 weeks ago
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HEADLINES
Iran Navy drills Hormuz Strait amid talks
Hamas emoji signals mobilization before Oct 7
Trump backs Israeli strikes on Iran
The time is now 7:02 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
In the conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, Iran's Revolutionary Guards navy conducted a maritime drill in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, named Smart Control of Hormuz Strait, to test the readiness of operational forces in the face of possible security and military threats. Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, ruled out partial Hamas disarmament and said Iran must surrender its uranium stockpile as a condition for implementing phase two of Gaza plans and for Israel to accept a new nuclear deal with Iran. The IAEA chief, Rafael Grossi, met the Iranian Foreign Minister ahead of renewed US-Iran nuclear talks in Geneva, describing in-depth technical discussions. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he would meet the IAEA chief ahead of the talks and called for a fair, equitable deal, stressing that submission before threats is not on the table; Tehran has been focused on discussions limited to its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, while the United States has dispatched a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East as talks proceed and indirect discussions have occurred, including earlier talks in Oman and signaling willingness by Iran to compromise in return for relief.
In the Disputed Territories (Gaza, Judea and Samaria, East Jerusalem), Hamas’s military wing began sending coded emoji messages on WhatsApp to operatives’ phones just hours before the October 7, 2023 attack, using the symbols as signals to mobilize terrorists to mosques for last-minute instructions. Findings from an IDF General Staff investigation, drawing on intelligence collected during fighting, indicate the emoji traffic was one of several warning signs that Hamas was preparing for a broad assault. According to the probe, once operatives received the emoji signal, they moved to mosques or designated collection points, where they received briefings and were directed to retrieve equipment from home or from pre-stocked “combat bags.” Some operatives were instructed to replace Palestinian SIM cards with Israeli ones to expand the ability to map movement while complicating Israeli intelligence tracking.
In US Policy Concerning Israel, President Donald Trump reportedly told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the United States will back Israeli airstrikes on Iran's missile program if negotiations fail.
In Israeli Domestic Politics, the father of a three-year-old boy publicly criticized the court's decision to release Irina Rimer, the 53-year-old nurse charged with alleged physical abuse at the Reuth Rehabilitation Center in Tel Aviv, calling the ruling a scandal and saying the severity of the act must be acknowledged. Former Netanyahu aide Asher Hiyon died suddenly at age 58, with longtime observers noting his trusted role in the prime minister's circle. A suspicious envelope sent to the Prime Minister’s Office was reported, with initial inspections showing indicators and the item handled under security protocols.
In Uplifting News, Israel Post’s Philatelic Service issued an official stamp marking 30 years since the establishment of the IDF Combat Engineering Corps’ Yahalom Unit. The ceremony at the Yahalom base in Camp Immanuel saw Israel Post CEO David Laron present the first stamp sheet to the unit’s commander. Yahalom, formed in 1995 from the merger of the bomb disposal unit and Sayeret Yael, is a premier unit within the Combat Engineering Corps and the IDF Ground Forces, merging commando-style combat with engineering and technology to carry out explosive ordnance disposal, breaching, maneuver support, and locating and destroying underground infrastructure. Separately, reports from Israel highlight a fest
Iran Navy drills Hormuz Strait amid talks
Hamas emoji signals mobilization before Oct 7
Trump backs Israeli strikes on Iran
The time is now 7:02 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
In the conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, Iran's Revolutionary Guards navy conducted a maritime drill in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, named Smart Control of Hormuz Strait, to test the readiness of operational forces in the face of possible security and military threats. Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, ruled out partial Hamas disarmament and said Iran must surrender its uranium stockpile as a condition for implementing phase two of Gaza plans and for Israel to accept a new nuclear deal with Iran. The IAEA chief, Rafael Grossi, met the Iranian Foreign Minister ahead of renewed US-Iran nuclear talks in Geneva, describing in-depth technical discussions. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he would meet the IAEA chief ahead of the talks and called for a fair, equitable deal, stressing that submission before threats is not on the table; Tehran has been focused on discussions limited to its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, while the United States has dispatched a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East as talks proceed and indirect discussions have occurred, including earlier talks in Oman and signaling willingness by Iran to compromise in return for relief.
In the Disputed Territories (Gaza, Judea and Samaria, East Jerusalem), Hamas’s military wing began sending coded emoji messages on WhatsApp to operatives’ phones just hours before the October 7, 2023 attack, using the symbols as signals to mobilize terrorists to mosques for last-minute instructions. Findings from an IDF General Staff investigation, drawing on intelligence collected during fighting, indicate the emoji traffic was one of several warning signs that Hamas was preparing for a broad assault. According to the probe, once operatives received the emoji signal, they moved to mosques or designated collection points, where they received briefings and were directed to retrieve equipment from home or from pre-stocked “combat bags.” Some operatives were instructed to replace Palestinian SIM cards with Israeli ones to expand the ability to map movement while complicating Israeli intelligence tracking.
In US Policy Concerning Israel, President Donald Trump reportedly told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the United States will back Israeli airstrikes on Iran's missile program if negotiations fail.
In Israeli Domestic Politics, the father of a three-year-old boy publicly criticized the court's decision to release Irina Rimer, the 53-year-old nurse charged with alleged physical abuse at the Reuth Rehabilitation Center in Tel Aviv, calling the ruling a scandal and saying the severity of the act must be acknowledged. Former Netanyahu aide Asher Hiyon died suddenly at age 58, with longtime observers noting his trusted role in the prime minister's circle. A suspicious envelope sent to the Prime Minister’s Office was reported, with initial inspections showing indicators and the item handled under security protocols.
In Uplifting News, Israel Post’s Philatelic Service issued an official stamp marking 30 years since the establishment of the IDF Combat Engineering Corps’ Yahalom Unit. The ceremony at the Yahalom base in Camp Immanuel saw Israel Post CEO David Laron present the first stamp sheet to the unit’s commander. Yahalom, formed in 1995 from the merger of the bomb disposal unit and Sayeret Yael, is a premier unit within the Combat Engineering Corps and the IDF Ground Forces, merging commando-style combat with engineering and technology to carry out explosive ordnance disposal, breaching, maneuver support, and locating and destroying underground infrastructure. Separately, reports from Israel highlight a fest