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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-06-22 at 18:03
Published 3 weeks, 4 days ago
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HEADLINES
Washington talks push Hezbollah disarmament
Iran's Beirut posters signal regional grip
Iran inspections advance as oil license granted
The time is now 6:02 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 latest images and diplomacy center on Lebanon and the wider regional spillover as Iran’s influence is scrutinized from Beirut to Washington. A circulated video shows posters along the road to Beirut’s airport that read “Thank you, loyal Iran,” with the faces of Iran’s supreme leaders watching over displaced Lebanese citizens carrying a mattress on a motorbike. Critics say this is the visible fruit of Iran’s involvement in Lebanon: ruined villages, displaced families, and countless shattered lives. Supporters of Hezbollah long warned of an Israeli invasion and occupation and claimed only the resistance could shield civilians, but observers say Lebanon has endured war, destruction, and displacement as a result. In the video, a purported victory is depicted as desperate men running between cars, waving Hezbollah and other jihadist flags, trying to sell a familiar illusion while families return to homes reduced to rubble. If this is the victory, many ask what defeat would look like.
On the diplomatic front, Israel and Lebanon are slated to meet in Washington for another round of talks focused on the disarmament of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and the prospect of normalization between the two states. The talks will run over three days on two parallel tracks. Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, will focus on political and diplomatic aspects, while Brigadier-General Amichai Levin, head of the IDF’s Planning Directorate’s Strategic Division, will lead separate military discussions. Lebanon will be represented by its Ambassador to the United States Nada Hamadeh Maawad and former ambassador Simon Karam. A central focus of the discussions is a pilot program in which the Lebanese Armed Forces would begin deploying to selected areas in southern Lebanon and dismantling Hezbollah’s military infrastructure there, with disputes centering on where the pilot should begin and how it should be staged.
In parallel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed a hard line stance, saying the IDF in southern Lebanon has full freedom of action to thwart any direct or developing threat to residents in the North and that there are no restrictions on this matter. He asserted support for the soldiers and for maintaining a security zone in the area for as long as necessary to protect the people of the North and all citizens of the state.
Also in this environment, the IDF reported the elimination of two Hamas militants who had violated the ceasefire and advanced attacks against Israeli troops. The operational summary identified Ahmad Zaza, an explosives expert who planted bombs near the security perimeter, and Hussein Safadi, Hamas’s sniper commander in Gaza City, who trained terrorists and directed sniper attacks.
In US Policy Concerning Israel, the developments around Iran and the region are framed by a mix of diplomatic progress and political debates at multiple levels. US Vice President JD Vance said that Iran has agreed to allow weapons inspectors into its nuclear materials during the Switzerland talks, marking what he described as important progress. He added that a mechanism has been set up to ensure the Straits of Hormuz stay open and that roughly 15 million barrels of oil recently passed through, contributing to lower energy prices. Vance said unfrozen Iranian assets would be used at the direction of the United States, with Qatar enlisted to help ensure the money goes where it is intended, and that coordination with Israel and Arab countries underpins efforts to keep a ceasefire mechanism in place in the Middle East. He noted that the progress c
Washington talks push Hezbollah disarmament
Iran's Beirut posters signal regional grip
Iran inspections advance as oil license granted
The time is now 6:02 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 latest images and diplomacy center on Lebanon and the wider regional spillover as Iran’s influence is scrutinized from Beirut to Washington. A circulated video shows posters along the road to Beirut’s airport that read “Thank you, loyal Iran,” with the faces of Iran’s supreme leaders watching over displaced Lebanese citizens carrying a mattress on a motorbike. Critics say this is the visible fruit of Iran’s involvement in Lebanon: ruined villages, displaced families, and countless shattered lives. Supporters of Hezbollah long warned of an Israeli invasion and occupation and claimed only the resistance could shield civilians, but observers say Lebanon has endured war, destruction, and displacement as a result. In the video, a purported victory is depicted as desperate men running between cars, waving Hezbollah and other jihadist flags, trying to sell a familiar illusion while families return to homes reduced to rubble. If this is the victory, many ask what defeat would look like.
On the diplomatic front, Israel and Lebanon are slated to meet in Washington for another round of talks focused on the disarmament of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and the prospect of normalization between the two states. The talks will run over three days on two parallel tracks. Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, will focus on political and diplomatic aspects, while Brigadier-General Amichai Levin, head of the IDF’s Planning Directorate’s Strategic Division, will lead separate military discussions. Lebanon will be represented by its Ambassador to the United States Nada Hamadeh Maawad and former ambassador Simon Karam. A central focus of the discussions is a pilot program in which the Lebanese Armed Forces would begin deploying to selected areas in southern Lebanon and dismantling Hezbollah’s military infrastructure there, with disputes centering on where the pilot should begin and how it should be staged.
In parallel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed a hard line stance, saying the IDF in southern Lebanon has full freedom of action to thwart any direct or developing threat to residents in the North and that there are no restrictions on this matter. He asserted support for the soldiers and for maintaining a security zone in the area for as long as necessary to protect the people of the North and all citizens of the state.
Also in this environment, the IDF reported the elimination of two Hamas militants who had violated the ceasefire and advanced attacks against Israeli troops. The operational summary identified Ahmad Zaza, an explosives expert who planted bombs near the security perimeter, and Hussein Safadi, Hamas’s sniper commander in Gaza City, who trained terrorists and directed sniper attacks.
In US Policy Concerning Israel, the developments around Iran and the region are framed by a mix of diplomatic progress and political debates at multiple levels. US Vice President JD Vance said that Iran has agreed to allow weapons inspectors into its nuclear materials during the Switzerland talks, marking what he described as important progress. He added that a mechanism has been set up to ensure the Straits of Hormuz stay open and that roughly 15 million barrels of oil recently passed through, contributing to lower energy prices. Vance said unfrozen Iranian assets would be used at the direction of the United States, with Qatar enlisted to help ensure the money goes where it is intended, and that coordination with Israel and Arab countries underpins efforts to keep a ceasefire mechanism in place in the Middle East. He noted that the progress c