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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-02-16 at 09:02
Published 2 weeks ago
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HEADLINES
Italy trains Gaza and Palestinian police now
Haredi protests shut Jerusalem roads over draft
Australians freed from Syria camp head home
The time is now 9:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
In the Disputed Territories (Gaza, Judea and Samaria, East Jerusalem), Italy said it stands ready to help train police forces in Gaza and the Palestinian territories. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced at a Rome news conference that Italy is prepared to train a new Gaza police force as well as a Palestinian police force, as Rome aims to play a role in stabilizing the Middle East. Tajani also confirmed Italy’s readiness to participate as an observer in the US-led Board of Peace initiative and said Rome had been invited to attend a meeting in Washington this week. This is a developing story.
In US Policy Concerning Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is meeting with Republican Senator Lindsey Graham in Jerusalem, a visit described as taking place amid broad US support for Israel.
In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, France’s interior ministry reports that Jews accounted for 53% of antisemitic acts in 2025, out of about 2,500 anti-religious acts overall, with 1,320 antisemitic acts; the total is down about 16% from 2024 but remains at historically high levels since the October 7, 2023 attack, and 67% of antisemitic acts were verbal or online. The report also notes 843 anti-Christian acts, representing 34% of total anti-religious acts, most of which were property crimes. Separately, a coalition within the American Psychological Association argues against recognizing the Association of Jewish Psychologists as an Ethnic Psychological Association, contending that most Jews identify as white and warning that conflating religion, race, and ethnicity obscures the history of racism and white privilege. In the UK, a minister writes that Britain is committed to protecting its Jewish community, noting that in 2025 the Community Security Trust recorded more than 3,700 antisemitic incidents—the second-highest figure on record—reflecting a global rise in antisemitism since the Hamas-backed October 7, 2023 attacks.
In Israeli Domestic Politics, Haredi protesters blocked the main road in and out of Jerusalem and a section of Highway 38 in a demonstration against mandatory military service, with police later dispersing demonstrators on 38. The protest followed large demonstrations in Bnei Brak after two female soldiers visited a pre-draft candidate at home. At least 26 Haredim were arrested in Sunday's protest, though most were released to house arrest; footage showed a mob flipping a car and pursuing the soldiers until police intervened. Former prime minister Naftali Bennett condemned the incident as “anarchy” and pledged to restore governance.
In Uplifting News, 34 Australians have been released from a camp in northern Syria holding families of suspected Islamic State terrorists and were placed on buses to Damascus ahead of a flight home to Australia. The detainees, who will be flown from Damascus, were released to their families, who had traveled to Syria for the releases. The Roj camp houses more than 2,000 people from 40 nationalities, many of them women and children.
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-886845
https://t.me/Newss0nline/58643
https://t
Italy trains Gaza and Palestinian police now
Haredi protests shut Jerusalem roads over draft
Australians freed from Syria camp head home
The time is now 9:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
In the Disputed Territories (Gaza, Judea and Samaria, East Jerusalem), Italy said it stands ready to help train police forces in Gaza and the Palestinian territories. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced at a Rome news conference that Italy is prepared to train a new Gaza police force as well as a Palestinian police force, as Rome aims to play a role in stabilizing the Middle East. Tajani also confirmed Italy’s readiness to participate as an observer in the US-led Board of Peace initiative and said Rome had been invited to attend a meeting in Washington this week. This is a developing story.
In US Policy Concerning Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is meeting with Republican Senator Lindsey Graham in Jerusalem, a visit described as taking place amid broad US support for Israel.
In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, France’s interior ministry reports that Jews accounted for 53% of antisemitic acts in 2025, out of about 2,500 anti-religious acts overall, with 1,320 antisemitic acts; the total is down about 16% from 2024 but remains at historically high levels since the October 7, 2023 attack, and 67% of antisemitic acts were verbal or online. The report also notes 843 anti-Christian acts, representing 34% of total anti-religious acts, most of which were property crimes. Separately, a coalition within the American Psychological Association argues against recognizing the Association of Jewish Psychologists as an Ethnic Psychological Association, contending that most Jews identify as white and warning that conflating religion, race, and ethnicity obscures the history of racism and white privilege. In the UK, a minister writes that Britain is committed to protecting its Jewish community, noting that in 2025 the Community Security Trust recorded more than 3,700 antisemitic incidents—the second-highest figure on record—reflecting a global rise in antisemitism since the Hamas-backed October 7, 2023 attacks.
In Israeli Domestic Politics, Haredi protesters blocked the main road in and out of Jerusalem and a section of Highway 38 in a demonstration against mandatory military service, with police later dispersing demonstrators on 38. The protest followed large demonstrations in Bnei Brak after two female soldiers visited a pre-draft candidate at home. At least 26 Haredim were arrested in Sunday's protest, though most were released to house arrest; footage showed a mob flipping a car and pursuing the soldiers until police intervened. Former prime minister Naftali Bennett condemned the incident as “anarchy” and pledged to restore governance.
In Uplifting News, 34 Australians have been released from a camp in northern Syria holding families of suspected Islamic State terrorists and were placed on buses to Damascus ahead of a flight home to Australia. The detainees, who will be flown from Damascus, were released to their families, who had traveled to Syria for the releases. The Roj camp houses more than 2,000 people from 40 nationalities, many of them women and children.
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-886845
https://t.me/Newss0nline/58643
https://t