Latest / Israel Today: Ongoing War Report / Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - September 19, 2026, 05 AM Eastern

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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - September 19, 2026, 05 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: An investigation by the New York Times reveals a significant
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: development in online influence operations. According to the report, groups
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  Speaker 1: from Iran, China and Israel have leveraged artificial intelligence to launch,
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  Speaker 1: first of their kind, AI-powered social media campaigns. US officials
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  Speaker 1: told the NYT that these efforts used Chinese open-source AI
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  Speaker 1: models to create autonomous agents. These agents were designed to
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  Speaker 1: operate thousands of fake accounts across platforms like Instagram, Facebook,
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  Speaker 1: X and TikTok. The AI agents autonomously handled every stage
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  Speaker 1: of the campaign, from creating fake profiles to coordinating messaging
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  Speaker 1: and framing online discourse, bypassing safeguards to manipulate conversations, US
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: officials added. The investigation traced these efforts back to state-backed
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: Chinese and Iranian groups, as well as to Israeli campaigns
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  Speaker 1: stemming from two private firms. Kyle Crichton, a fellow at
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  Speaker 1: the Georgetown Center for Security and Emerging Technology, told the
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  Speaker 1: NYT that agent-led campaigns are likely to become more common
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  Speaker 1: as the technology spreads. In southern Lebanon, the Israeli Air
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  Speaker 1: Force conducted at least four airstrikes on targets in Nabatiyah
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  Speaker 1: al-Faqah earlier today. In a development concerning media in conflict zones,
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  Speaker 1: Al Jazeera has fired 24 journalists and staff members in Gaza.
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  Speaker 1: This follows a lawsuit filed in the US accusing the
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  Speaker 1: Qatari broadcaster of providing support to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad,
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  Speaker 1: as reported by UNIT. The lawsuit alleges some Al Jazeera
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  Speaker 1: staff had ties to or were members of these terrorist organisations.
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  Speaker 1: This comes after a review by the Committee to Protect Journalists,
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  Speaker 1: which removed 20 names from its database of journalists killed,
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  Speaker 1: after confirming they had worked for Hamas or PIJ. CPJ
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  Speaker 1: CEO Jody Ginsberg stated that misrepresenting combatants as journalists endangers
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: legitimate reporters. Meanwhile, at the United Nations headquarters in New York,
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  Speaker 1: a 100-metre-long shroud bearing the handwritten names of over 20,000
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  Speaker 1: Palestinian children was unveiled. Organised by interfaith groups and the
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  Speaker 1: Palestinian delegation, the exhibition, titled The Shroud of the Children
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  Speaker 1: of Gaza, aims to document young victims. Palestinian ambassador to
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  Speaker 1: the UN Riyad Mansour spoke at the event, calling for
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  Speaker 1: humanitarian aid, the withdrawal of the Israeli army, and accountability
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  Speaker 1: for alleged crimes against children. From Gaza itself, Palestinian journalists
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  Speaker 1: report a severe injury from an Israeli drone strike in
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  Speaker 1: the Jabalia refugee camp in the north of the Strip.
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  Speaker 1: Earlier today, a body was recovered following a drone attack
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  Speaker 1: in the Shujia neighbourhood of Gaza City. On the diplomatic front,
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  Speaker 1: US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee discussed Israel-Saudi relations. He
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  Speaker 1: stated that Israelis are eager to reach a security agreement
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  Speaker 1: with Saudi Arabia and see them join the Abraham Accords,
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  Speaker 1: noting that the hesitation currently lies with the Saudi side.
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  Speaker 1: Ambassador Huckabee added that there is good cooperation between the
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  Speaker 1: Israeli and Saudi militaries and intelligence agencies. Domestically, President Isaac
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  Speaker 1: Herzog addressed considerations regarding potential presidential pardons, and their role
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  Speaker 1: in forming a unity government. Herzog stated his considerations are
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  Speaker 1: solely substantive and proposed mediation, indicating a willingness to explore agreements.
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  Speaker 1: He expressed his commitment to doing everything possible to prevent
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  Speaker 1: repeat elections and establish a stable government, utilising the broad
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: discretion available to his office. In discussions surrounding antisemitism and activism,
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: Rapper McLemore's recent pro-Palestinian stance has drawn renewed criticism. While
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: he apologised in May 2014 for an on-stage costume perceived
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: as a Jewish caricature, his 2024 song, Heinz Hall, which
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: praised pro-Palestinian protesters and denounced US support for Israel, has
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: led to professional repercussions. The Anti-Defamation League called his actions unacceptable.
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: And Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium, referenced a broader
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  Speaker 1: history of anti-Semitic rhetoric when blocking McLemore from performing. Economically,
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: Istanbul prosecutors announced the arrest of 191 suspects in an
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: international investment fraud network, allegedly managed by Israeli citizens, which
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  Speaker 1: defrauded victims worldwide of over $ 3 billion. The operation involved
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: Turkish authorities and Interpol. Separately, Israeli wineries are facing significant challenges,
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: with millions of shekels in unsold stock. According to UNIT,
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: falling alcohol consumption, cheaper European imports, The war's impact on
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: tourism and events and cost of living pressures are contributing factors,
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: leading some growers to abandon their harvests. For continuing coverage
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: of antisemitism around the world, listen to Antisemitism Watch from
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: Clockwork Media. Find it at clockworkmedia.org slash watch. I'm Noah Levi,
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: thank you for listening to Israel Today Ongoing War Report.
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: Stay safe and informed. Follow Israel Today Ongoing War Report
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: in your podcast app so you don't miss the next update.
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: Keep in mind that this AI-generated report may contain occasional inaccuracies,
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: so consult multiple sources for a comprehensive view.