Latest / Israel Today: Ongoing War Report / Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - September 20, 2026, 04 AM Eastern

Transcript

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - September 20, 2026, 04 AM 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: Hundreds of thousands of Iranians participated on Friday in a
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: rally organised by the regime in Tehran, described by Jpost.com
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: as the largest display of defiance since the US and
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: Israel attacked Iran in February. Participants voiced readiness to take
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: up arms as part of an initiative called Janfada Iran, meaning...
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: those who sacrifice their lives for Iran. State media reported
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: limited assault rifle training would begin, intended as an additional
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: defence layer alongside the IRGC and Basij. Tehran IRGC Commander-General
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: Hassan Hassanzadeh told state television that over 600,000 people had
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: already registered for the programme, with the regime expecting more
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: than one million participants. Iranian television estimated that over 300,000
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: people took to the streets of the capital. though figures
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: could not be independently verified. Iran also claimed responsibility for
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: an attack on the oil tanker trend, sailing under the
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: flag of Togo, near the Strait of Hormuz, stating it
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: was targeted for an illegal attempt to pass. The United
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations confirmed a vessel was struck and
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: a fire broke out on board, which was later extinguished. Meanwhile,
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: a Reddit post discussing the long war against Iran and
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: its proxies references A UK journalist's view that the conflict
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: is morphing into a global oil war, potentially leading to
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: a tough winter. The Post queries the sustainability of Iran's
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: regime and proxies like Hamas and the Houthis, despite significant
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: military efforts against them. In parallel, the IDF continues its
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: operations against Hamas commanders. World Israel News reports the elimination
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: of Mohammed Suleiman Bayouk, a commander in Hamas's military wing,
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: involved in planting explosives and rehabilitating the group. Nail Abu Obed,
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: commander of Hamas's Rafah Brigade and involved in abductions, was
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: also killed, as was Mohammed Yazari, commander of Hamas's Khan
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: Yuni's Brigade, who was working to rebuild its capabilities. On
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: a deeply personal note, former Gaza hostages Keith and Ava
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: Vasijil shared reflections on Yom Kippur with the Jerusalem Post.
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: Ava Vasijil described the deprivation of choice regarding food and
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: eating as a big, huge issue during their captivity. and
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: contrasted the voluntary act of fasting on Yom Kippur with
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: the trauma of being starved and denied control over their sustenance.
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: Keith Siegel emphasized that fasting and starvation are two completely
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: different things. The Siegels, who were kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: Aza on October 7, endured significant hardship, including starvation, torture,
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: and witnessing sexual assaults. Aviva spent 51 days in captivity,
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: while Keith spent 484. In the United States, American media
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: outlets are linking President Trump's early return from Camp David
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: to an escalation in the Middle East, citing Houthi activity
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: and tensions with Iran. The specific reason for the shortened
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: stay was not disclosed. Domestically in Israel, approximately 150,000 people
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: gathered for the final Selichot prayer service at the Western
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: Wall ahead of Yom Kippur, marking the conclusion of traditional gatherings.
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his wife Sara, chief rabbis, and
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: Jerusalem Me'er Moshe Lion were in attendance. The Prime Minister
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: offered prayers for peace and the safety of IDF soldiers
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: and security forces. Rabbi of the Western Wall, S.H. Mule Rabinovitz,
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: called the Western Wall the beating heart of the Jewish people.
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: The service also included former hostages and Nova survivors, with
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: one former hostage, Ron Braslavsky, sharing a poignant message about
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: faith and freedom. Separately, a new survey by the Israel
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: Democracy Institute, or IDI, found that 74% of Israeli Jews
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: fast on Yom Kippur, with 57% attending prayer services, noting
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: variations in observance across different demographics and communities. In another development,
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: an Israeli man, father of six from the ultra-Orthodox community,
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: was detained and drafted into the Ukrainian army while returning
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: from a pilgrimage to Yumen. Born in Ukraine and holding
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: dual citizenship, he is subject to Ukraine's draft laws amid
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: its ongoing war with Russia. His whereabouts and military status
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: are not yet confirmed. For continuing coverage of antisemitism around
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: the world, listen to Antisemitism Watch from Clockwork Media. Find
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: it at clockworkmedia.org slash watch. I'm Noah Levi, thank you
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: for listening to Israel Today Ongoing War Report. Stay safe
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: and informed. Follow Israel Today Ongoing War Report in your
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: podcast app so you don't miss the next update. Keep
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: in mind that this AI-generated report may contain occasional inaccuracies.
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: so consult multiple sources for a comprehensive view.