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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-02-19 at 14:03
Published 1 week, 3 days ago
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HEADLINES
UK blocks Diego Garcia-based Iran strike
Hamas denounces PA after West Bank killings
Comptroller seeks urgent closed hearing on audits
The time is now 2:02 PM 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, the United Kingdom has not yet allowed the United States to use its bases in the region to strike Iran, The Sunday Times reported, with hesitation tied to concerns about possible international law violations that could implicate supporters if they know the circumstances of the internationally wrongful act. A Truth Social post by President Donald Trump suggested the US may need to use the joint UK-US Diego Garcia base and the RAF Fairford base in Gloucestershire to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous regime. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham criticized the report as “astonishing” and said it would raise serious questions about Diego Garcia’s status, arguing Iran is at its weakest point in years due to internal mass protests and the blows to its military infrastructure. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said Israel was prepared for any scenario and was working closely with the United States, telling graduates that the Middle East is at a crossroads and that if the Ayatollah regime makes a mistake and attacks, they will face a response they cannot imagine. Ambassador Danon, speaking in Auschwitz with UN ambassadors, declared that Iran’s regime openly intends to destroy the Jewish people, and that Israel will not allow a murderous regime to threaten its people, insisting that never again is now and that Israel has a strong army to defend itself. A Telegraph report quoted senior US security officials telling President Trump that preparations for an attack on Iran would be completed by Saturday.
In the Disputed Territories (Gaza, Judea and Samaria, East Jerusalem), Hamas condemned the Palestinian Authority after a West Bank operation that led to the accidental deaths of two children, aged 16 and 4. Hamas called it a serious crime and a black mark on the PA’s record, saying the authorities used force against their own people rather than protecting them, and Palestinian family accounts say masked officers waited at a junction for Samer Samara, 44, to drive by before gunfire struck his car where his children were traveling. The PA expressed deep regret, and the family demanded accountability and release for those responsible. Separately, reports from World Israel News say Hamas is reinforcing control over Gaza, a development Israeli officials say undermines any prospect of Hamas retaining power and raises questions about the effectiveness of the Board of Peace.
In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, Belgium’s only Jewish member of parliament has been drawn into a diplomatic and domestic dispute after seeking US guidance on circumcision ban. US Ambassador Bill White tweeted that Belgium should adopt a legal provision to allow Jewish mohels to perform their duties here in Belgium, a stance Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prévot called false and unacceptable and asserted that Belgian law already permits ritual circumcision when performed by a qualified physician. The row comes after months of raids on suspected illegal circumcisions and follows a public argument arising Monday between White and Prévot.
In Israeli Domestic Politics, State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman filed a 163-page sworn response urging the High Court of Justice to reject two petitions that prompted the court to freeze eight defined audits into the failures surrounding the October 7 attacks and the ensuing war, and he asked the justices to hold an urgent hearing behind closed doors so that he could personally present draft findings, including material classified at the level of top secret. The filing also asked that the three-justice panel currently hearing the
UK blocks Diego Garcia-based Iran strike
Hamas denounces PA after West Bank killings
Comptroller seeks urgent closed hearing on audits
The time is now 2:02 PM 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, the United Kingdom has not yet allowed the United States to use its bases in the region to strike Iran, The Sunday Times reported, with hesitation tied to concerns about possible international law violations that could implicate supporters if they know the circumstances of the internationally wrongful act. A Truth Social post by President Donald Trump suggested the US may need to use the joint UK-US Diego Garcia base and the RAF Fairford base in Gloucestershire to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous regime. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham criticized the report as “astonishing” and said it would raise serious questions about Diego Garcia’s status, arguing Iran is at its weakest point in years due to internal mass protests and the blows to its military infrastructure. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said Israel was prepared for any scenario and was working closely with the United States, telling graduates that the Middle East is at a crossroads and that if the Ayatollah regime makes a mistake and attacks, they will face a response they cannot imagine. Ambassador Danon, speaking in Auschwitz with UN ambassadors, declared that Iran’s regime openly intends to destroy the Jewish people, and that Israel will not allow a murderous regime to threaten its people, insisting that never again is now and that Israel has a strong army to defend itself. A Telegraph report quoted senior US security officials telling President Trump that preparations for an attack on Iran would be completed by Saturday.
In the Disputed Territories (Gaza, Judea and Samaria, East Jerusalem), Hamas condemned the Palestinian Authority after a West Bank operation that led to the accidental deaths of two children, aged 16 and 4. Hamas called it a serious crime and a black mark on the PA’s record, saying the authorities used force against their own people rather than protecting them, and Palestinian family accounts say masked officers waited at a junction for Samer Samara, 44, to drive by before gunfire struck his car where his children were traveling. The PA expressed deep regret, and the family demanded accountability and release for those responsible. Separately, reports from World Israel News say Hamas is reinforcing control over Gaza, a development Israeli officials say undermines any prospect of Hamas retaining power and raises questions about the effectiveness of the Board of Peace.
In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, Belgium’s only Jewish member of parliament has been drawn into a diplomatic and domestic dispute after seeking US guidance on circumcision ban. US Ambassador Bill White tweeted that Belgium should adopt a legal provision to allow Jewish mohels to perform their duties here in Belgium, a stance Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prévot called false and unacceptable and asserted that Belgian law already permits ritual circumcision when performed by a qualified physician. The row comes after months of raids on suspected illegal circumcisions and follows a public argument arising Monday between White and Prévot.
In Israeli Domestic Politics, State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman filed a 163-page sworn response urging the High Court of Justice to reject two petitions that prompted the court to freeze eight defined audits into the failures surrounding the October 7 attacks and the ensuing war, and he asked the justices to hold an urgent hearing behind closed doors so that he could personally present draft findings, including material classified at the level of top secret. The filing also asked that the three-justice panel currently hearing the