HEADLINES
Israel Extends Home Front Till July 14
Lebanon Framework US Pushes Disarmament Pilot Zones
Houthi Missiles Drones Upgrade Threaten Israel

The time is now 7:03 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Regional Impacts, Israel has extended the special status on the home front until July 14 due to continued uncertainty around both the Iran and Lebanon arenas. It means as far as Israel is concerned, conflict may erupt soon.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, Lebanon’s ability to enforce state authority in the south remains the central question as Israel, Lebanon, and the US move from diplomacy to implementation. The US-brokered framework signed in Washington on June 26 sets out a path toward ending the conflict, restoring Lebanese sovereignty, and moving toward peaceful neighborly relations, with the Lebanese Armed Forces to assume security responsibility in two initial pilot zones in southern Lebanon and Israeli redeployment contingent on verification that nonstate armed groups are disarmed and their military infrastructure dismantled, with future pilot zones to be agreed upon with US support and verification. Separately, Iran-backed Houthis are using the current ceasefire to upgrade their missile capabilities, conducting tests aimed at extending range and improving accuracy; since resuming attacks on March 28, they have fired around six missiles and five drones toward Israeli territory, and Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi has warned of intervention in support of Hamas if Israel launches a new Gaza operation. Additionally, Davidi, head of the Margaliot moshav, says the Lebanon framework falls short because Beirut cannot disarm Hezbollah, warning that another round of fighting is inevitable.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, former US Secretary of State John Kerry critiques the approach to Iran, saying Trump targeted the Iran nuclear agreement from the start of his campaign, calling the agreement an Obama-era accomplishment that Trump has moved to undo, including through military action, thereby risking credibility on a global stage.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, Miran, the father of former Gaza hostage Omri Miran, sharply criticized Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich after he claimed that “all the hostages are here because of me,” calling the remark unthinkable and accusing Smotrich of taking credit he did not deserve while noting that Smotrich supported the first hostage deal but subsequently created obstacles to further releases. Shin Bet head David Zini has held meetings about canceling the agency’s trips to Poland, where staff visit concentration camps to preserve Holocaust memory, saying there is no clear need for such trips and raising ethical considerations, with the agency also discussing a potential trip to the Gaza-adjacent communities as part of corrective lessons. The Knesset has clarified that it will enter a election break no later than July 17.

In Uplifting News, Syrian-American Jew Joseph Jajati says a historic chair from Damascus' Old City Jewish Quarter has been recovered, crediting local residents for locating and facilitating its return to the synagogue. The Chair of Elijah, believed to have been crafted around 1946 by Damascus Jewish artisans, holds significant ceremonial value and stands as a meaningful restoration of Syria’s Jewish heritage.

Thank you for tuning in to this Israel Today: Ongoing War Report update.
I'm Noa Levi. Stay safe and informed.
Keep in mind that this AI-generated report may contain occasional inaccuracies, so consult multiple sources for a comprehensive view. Find the code and more details in the podcast description.

SOURCES
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https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-900805