Latest / Israel Today: Ongoing War Report / Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - September 21, 2026, 12 PM Eastern

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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - September 21, 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.
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: We begin this hour with escalating conflict in Yemen, where
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: Houthi fighters are pushing to seize strategic heights. Sources indicate
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  Speaker 1: these advances aim to cut off the Red Sea coast
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  Speaker 1: from Saudi-backed forces. This lightning advance by the Iran-backed group
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  Speaker 1: is extending the wider Middle East conflict to a new
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  Speaker 1: theatre and further threatening global energy supplies. According to the
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: New York Times, the Trump administration had prepared to launch
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: airstrikes against the Houthis after renewed pleas from Saudi Arabia's
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  Speaker 1: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. However, the newspaper reported that
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  Speaker 1: President Trump called off the airstrikes at the last minute,
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: even as troops were loading bombs onto aircraft. Reuters could
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  Speaker 1: not immediately verify this report, and the US military's Central
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: Command did not respond to an email-seeking comment. The Houthis
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  Speaker 1: claimed on Saturday they had fired on Riyadh. where loud
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  Speaker 1: booms were followed by visible smoke columns near the airport,
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  Speaker 1: though Saudi Arabia has not commented on these apparent strikes
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  Speaker 1: on the capital. According to the United Nations, nearly 700
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: people have been killed and thousands injured in the recent
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: flare-up in fighting, with over 120,000 Yemenis displaced from their homes.
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  Speaker 1: Fighting has centred on the outskirts of the remote mountain
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  Speaker 1: Al-Waziyah district in Taiz province and Ras Al-Ara along the
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  Speaker 1: Indian Ocean coast. The Houthis aim to secure the rear
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  Speaker 1: of their forces around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which leads
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: into the Red Sea, by taking control of these heights.
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: Turning now to Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of children
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  Speaker 1: return to in-person teaching on Saturday for the first time
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  Speaker 1: in nearly three years. They are attending classes in damaged
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  Speaker 1: or makeshift school buildings and tents, with many families struggling
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  Speaker 1: to afford uniforms, notebooks and pens. The United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF,
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  Speaker 1: states that 98% of schools in Gaza were either destroyed
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: or significantly damaged during the war. Gaza education officials report
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  Speaker 1: that approximately 660,000 students have been deprived of in-person learning
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  Speaker 1: and regular participation in education. This conflict has tragically claimed
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: the lives of around 22,000 students and more than 770
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: education workers, including 532 teachers, according to Ibrahim Ramadan, director
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  Speaker 1: of education for East Khan Yunis. Despite the devastation, The
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  Speaker 1: Ministry of Education, with support from international and local organisations,
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  Speaker 1: has established dozens of temporary schools constructed from tents, tarpaulins,
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  Speaker 1: sheet metal and wood to accommodate pupils. At least 540,000
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  Speaker 1: students are expected to attend in-person classes this year, with
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  Speaker 1: online learning continuing for those unable to attend or who
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  Speaker 1: have left Gaza. It's noted that Israeli forces remain in
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  Speaker 1: control of more than 60% of Gaza, despite a ceasefire
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: that halted major fighting last year. In Syria, a massive
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: explosion occurred at an ammunition depot in Aleppo. The Syrian
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  Speaker 1: government has stated that the explosion was due to an accident,
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  Speaker 1: refuting any claims that Israeli forces conducted a strike on
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  Speaker 1: the depot. Finally, diplomatic tensions are rising as France has
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  Speaker 1: vowed to summon Iran's ambassador and take measures following Tehran's
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  Speaker 1: closure of a French language centre affiliated with its embassy.
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  Speaker 1: The French Foreign Ministry described the move as an attack
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  Speaker 1: against France's cultural presence in Iran and called it unjustifiable
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  Speaker 1: and unacceptable. Ties between France and Iran have been strained
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  Speaker 1: for years over Iran's nuclear programme and the detention of
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: several French nationals. While the situation had seen some improvement
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: after their release, it worsened this summer after two French
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: diplomats were arrested and subsequently expelled, with France reciprocating the expulsion.
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that authorities closed the
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: centre following a judicial order, accusing it of activities against
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  Speaker 1: Iranian culture and national security, including identifying and building networks
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  Speaker 1: and facilitating the departure of skilled Iranians from the country.
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  Speaker 1: France has dismissed these allegations. Iranian Foreign Minister Arbas Arachi
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  Speaker 1: recently criticised a social media post from France's Foreign Minister,
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: regarding the anniversary of Masa Amini's death. The two ministers
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: are scheduled to meet on Tuesday. For continuing coverage of
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: antisemitism around the world, listen to Antisemitism, watch from Clockwork Media.
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: Find it at clockworkmedia.org slash watch. I'm Noah Levi, thank
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: you for joining me on Israel Today, ongoing war report.
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: Stay connected and informed. Follow Israel Today, ongoing war report
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: in your podcast app so you don't miss the next update.
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: Keep in mind that this AI-generated report may contain occasional inaccuracies,
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: so consult multiple sources for a comprehensive view.