Latest / Israel Today: Ongoing War Report / Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - September 2, 2026, 10 AM Eastern

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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - September 2, 2026, 10 AM 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: Turning now to the broader regional tensions. Defence Minister Israel
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  Speaker 1: Katz stated on Wednesday that Israel is prepared to respond,
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  Speaker 1: with great force, and independently, if attacked by Iran during
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  Speaker 1: the upcoming Jewish holiday period, which begins in mid-September. This
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  Speaker 1: warning comes amid a significant escalation between the United States
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  Speaker 1: and Iran. Iran claimed it launched attacks on US military
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  Speaker 1: targets in Jordan, Kuwait, Iraqi Kurdistan and the UAE. In response,
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  Speaker 1: the US military confirmed it struck Iranian targets, including air
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  Speaker 1: defence systems, following Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the
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  Speaker 1: Strait of Hormuz. Adding to the regional volatility, Saudi Arabia
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  Speaker 1: reported that one of its oil tankers was targeted in
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  Speaker 1: a deadly attack by Iran in the same strait. Minister
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  Speaker 1: Katz noted that while Iran has been striking elsewhere in
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  Speaker 1: the region, Israel remains a potential target and is prepared
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  Speaker 1: for such a scenario. He commented that Iran often chooses
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  Speaker 1: to attack during Jewish holidays, attributing this to antisemitism, but
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  Speaker 1: reiterated Israel's defensive readiness and its coordination with the United States.
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  Speaker 1: Iranian state media also reported US strikes in Khuzestan province,
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  Speaker 1: resulting in casualties, and an attack on a wedding hall
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  Speaker 1: in Sirik County that reportedly wounded over 50 and killed
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  Speaker 1: at least four. On the southern front, Prime Minister Benjamin
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  Speaker 1: Netanyahu visited an IDF Gaza outpost on Wednesday. Alongside IDF
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  Speaker 1: Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamia, Netanyahu pledged to
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  Speaker 1: continue efforts towards disarming and demilitarising Hamas, asserting that the
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  Speaker 1: goal has been largely achieved and that we control the area.
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  Speaker 1: He stated the IDF is eliminating terrorists and controls 60%
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  Speaker 1: of the strip, with more work to be done. A
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  Speaker 1: significant development highlighted during this visit was the capture of
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  Speaker 1: the head of Hamas's internal security apparatus, often referred to
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  Speaker 1: as Hamas's Shin Bet. This high-level capture was a joint
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  Speaker 1: operation by the IDF and Shin Bet, according to a
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  Speaker 1: joint statement, with reports indicating deep involvement from anti-Hamas Gaza gangs.
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  Speaker 1: In economic and diplomatic measures, US Treasury Secretary Scott Besson
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  Speaker 1: announced new sanctions targeting Iran. He stated that Iranian airlines
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  Speaker 1: will be shut down and China will cease purchasing Iranian oil.
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  Speaker 1: Besson explained that grounding Iranian airlines will significantly reduce the
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  Speaker 1: flow of supplies and aid into the country. He also
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  Speaker 1: noted that while Iran receives some supplies from Russia, direct
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  Speaker 1: financial support is limited. Regarding oil, he mentioned that approximately
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  Speaker 1: 30 million barrels of Iranian oil currently at sea will
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  Speaker 1: eventually be depleted. Shifting focus to the West Bank, France's
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  Speaker 1: Foreign Minister, Jean-Noël Barrett, issued strong condemnations regarding the situation.
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  Speaker 1: France is seeking agreement within the European Union to halt
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  Speaker 1: trade with West Bank settlements, which Paris deems illegal. Barrett
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  Speaker 1: called for new sanctions against those involved in colonisation and violence,
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  Speaker 1: explicitly condemning settler violence as acts of terror, and urging
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  Speaker 1: the Israeli government to take decisive action against land seizures
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  Speaker 1: and violence. France also suggested that the EU should not
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  Speaker 1: import products from settlements, drawing a parallel to actions taken
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  Speaker 1: regarding the Crimean Peninsula. Ahead of the upcoming High Holy Days,
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  Speaker 1: an initiative aimed at improving workplace support for Jewish employees
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  Speaker 1: has been launched. JLENS, an affiliate of the ADL, has
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  Speaker 1: released the inaugural JLENS Workplace Tracker. This tool assesses the
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  Speaker 1: 100 largest US public companies on key policies and practices
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  Speaker 1: that support Jewish employees, covering areas like Jewish employee resource groups,
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  Speaker 1: antisemitism training, and religious accommodations. The tracker evaluated companies across
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  Speaker 1: several metrics, with 30 out of 100 receiving distinguished ratings.
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  Speaker 1: Ari Hoffnung of JLENS emphasised the practical challenges Jewish employees
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  Speaker 1: face regarding religious accommodations. The initiative highlights ongoing data on
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  Speaker 1: workplace gaps and hiring biases. Domestically, Brigadier General Reserve Ofer Winter,
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  Speaker 1: Chairman of the People of Israel Party, publicly criticised a
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  Speaker 1: religious ruling by Rabbi Shlomo Avena. Rabbi Avener had stated
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  Speaker 1: it is against Jewish law to vote for a party
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  Speaker 1: that includes an Arab-Israeli candidate on its slate, referring to
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  Speaker 1: Yosef Hadad, who is second on Winter's party list. Winter
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  Speaker 1: strongly defended Hadad, drawing on his military service and commanding
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  Speaker 1: diverse soldiers, emphasising that individuals of all backgrounds who serve
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  Speaker 1: and are wounded for Israel are worthy of leadership. He
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  Speaker 1: stated Hadad embodies the people of Israel in every sense.
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  Speaker 1: In related political news, Reports indicate that OFA Winter is
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  Speaker 1: also in contact with Yaron Zelitcher regarding potential union discussions.
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  Speaker 1: Winter was also scheduled to give a public statement on
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  Speaker 1: Wednesday evening. Finally, an unprecedented event has highlighted a strategic
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  Speaker 1: vulnerability in Israel's water supply. Five of the country's six
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  Speaker 1: major desalination plants were forced offline due to an influx
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  Speaker 1: of microalgae. This incident is particularly concerning, as these facilities
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  Speaker 1: provide approximately 80% of Israel's municipal drinking water. While some
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  Speaker 1: plants are beginning to resume operations, others remain offline, impacting supply.
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  Speaker 1: Experts are warning of over-dependence on centralised desalination infrastructure and
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  Speaker 1: calling for the rehabilitation of natural water sources and increased
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  Speaker 1: conservation efforts, describing the shutdown as a significant wake-up call.
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  Speaker 1: I'm Noah Levi, thank you for joining us on Israel
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  Speaker 1: Today ongoing war report. Stay safe and informed. Keep in
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  Speaker 1: mind that this AI generated report may contain occasional inaccuracies,
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  Speaker 1: so consult multiple sources for a comprehensive view.