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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - September 16, 2026, 12 PM Eastern · Israel Today: Ongoing War Report

• 0:08
  Speaker 1: You're listening to Israel Today ongoing war report. I'm Noah Levi.
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  Speaker 1: Our top story this hour. The ongoing disruption in the
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: Red Sea, orchestrated by Iran-aligned Houthis, continues to exert significant
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  Speaker 1: pressure across the region. Commander Abdul Malik al-Houthi's forces have
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  Speaker 1: tightened their grip on the vital Bab el-Mandib Strait, impacting
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  Speaker 1: global trade and rattling regional powers like Saudi Arabia. This offensive,
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  Speaker 1: according to jpost.com, has provided strategic leverage for Iran, especially
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: after years of conflict in Yemen and recent actions disrupting shipping.
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  Speaker 1: The Houthis, described as a battle-hardened force utilising drones and
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  Speaker 1: ballistic missiles, have not only attacked Saudi Arabia directly, but
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  Speaker 1: have also threatened areas like Mecca. Bahraini political analyst Dr
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  Speaker 1: Ahmed Al-Khuseya told the Jerusalem Post that even an attack
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  Speaker 1: on Islam's holiest city has not united the Middle East
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  Speaker 1: against the Iranian axis, citing regional dysfunction and shifting allegiances.
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  Speaker 1: He noted that countries like Morocco and Jordan remain aligned
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  Speaker 1: with Gulf states, while Lebanon and Egypt face domestic or
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  Speaker 1: financial challenges. The Houthis' actions are seen by some as
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  Speaker 1: demonstrating that neither the group nor Iran truly care about
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  Speaker 1: religion as they portray it, and may even seek to
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  Speaker 1: blame Israel for incidents. Meanwhile, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmail
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  Speaker 1: Bakhyi denied Iranian interference in Yemeni affairs. Adding to the
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: regional tensions, the IDF has warned residents in northern Israel
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  Speaker 1: about loud explosion noises following strikes in southern Lebanon. Lebanese
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  Speaker 1: reports allege that IDF strikes targeted villages like al-Mansouri and Nabatea.
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  Speaker 1: In a separate development reflecting the broader conflict with Iran,
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  Speaker 1: an Israeli court has handed down its harshest sentence to
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  Speaker 1: date for assisting Iran. Thirteen and a half years in
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  Speaker 1: prison for Alexander Granovsky. Prosecutors stated that Granovsky carried out
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  Speaker 1: paid missions for an Iranian handler, including surveillance of critical
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  Speaker 1: infrastructure and locations near former defence minister Benny Gantz's residence,
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  Speaker 1: as well as acts of sabotage like setting fire to
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  Speaker 1: vehicles and spray-painting pro-Iranian graffiti. This sentence is intended to
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  Speaker 1: deter Israelis from accepting recruitment offers from hostile states during wartime.
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: Turning to Gaza, the IDF announced the killing of Jihad
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  Speaker 1: Sami Mahmoud Ismail in the Khan Yunis area. The IDF
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  Speaker 1: identified him as a Nakba commander who participated in the
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  Speaker 1: October 7 massacre, involved in the killing of Captain Omar Nutra,
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: Staff Sergeant Oz Daniel and Sergeant Sheikh Dahan, as well
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  Speaker 1: as abductions and multiple ambushes against Israeli soldiers. On the
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  Speaker 1: diplomatic front, unusual US Secret Service involvement has been noted
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  Speaker 1: in security preparations, for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's upcoming visit
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  Speaker 1: to the UN General Assembly in New York. The Prime
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  Speaker 1: Minister is expected to land at Newark Airport. This comes
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  Speaker 1: as New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani has previously stated
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  Speaker 1: that he believes Netanyahu belongs in The Hague, though he
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  Speaker 1: acknowledged the city lacks the independent legal authority to enforce
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  Speaker 1: any warrants. In a disturbing act of hate, authorities in
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  Speaker 1: San Diego County are investigating vandalism at two homes in
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  Speaker 1: Imperial Beach. Swastikas and antisemitic graffiti were found drawn on
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  Speaker 1: properties on Saturday, a day that fell during the Rosh
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  Speaker 1: Hashanah holiday. Detectives are actively investigating these incidents. Domestically, a
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  Speaker 1: significant fundraising effort by 25,000 seminary girls has raised over
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  Speaker 1: 11 million Israeli shekels for yeshivas. This campaign was prompted
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  Speaker 1: by Israeli government budget cuts related to the sensitive draft issue.
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: Following a high court decision, that struck down a law
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  Speaker 1: shielding yeshiva students from draft evasion. Meanwhile, Prime Minister's office
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  Speaker 1: records have detailed expenses, including hotel bills reaching over $ 172, 000,
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  Speaker 1: thousands spent on hair and makeup, and costs associated with
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  Speaker 1: flying Israel's official state aircraft. In political interactions, Benny Gantz
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  Speaker 1: has commented that he called Benjamin Netanyahu to wish him
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: a happy holiday, but did not receive a callback. reportedly
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  Speaker 1: criticising Netanyahu's team for the lack of response. In other news,
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  Speaker 1: Syria's parliament has voted to abolish an Assad-era terrorism court
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  Speaker 1: and nullify the legal effects of its rulings. A significant
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  Speaker 1: legislative move, by the country's new assembly, formed after Bashar
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  Speaker 1: al-Assad's toppling in December 2024. For continuing coverage of antisemitism
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: around the world, listen to Antisemitism Watch from Clockwork Media.
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: Find it at clockworkmedia.org slash watch. I'm Noah Levi, thank
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  Speaker 1: you for joining us on Israel Today ongoing war report.
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: Stay safe and informed. Follow Israel Today ongoing war report
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: in your podcast app so you don't miss the next update.
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: Keep in mind that this AI generated report may contain
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: occasional inaccuracies, so consult multiple sources for a comprehensive view.