HEADLINES
Israel eyes space lasers for offensive edge
Katz doubts Mossad Iran Kurdish regime plan
Israel outlines staged Lebanon withdrawal Hezbollah risk

The time is now 2:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Direct Israel-Iran Clashes, Israel is developing space lasers to carry out attacks above the Earth, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday. He told military reporters that one of the central goals shared by the prime minister and himself is to recruit the best minds and to be the leading country with this capability, arguing that if achieved it would preserve deterrence and the ability to attack and destroy adversaries with substantial resources. Katz noted that Israel already leads in space-laser work with Iron Beam as a land-based system and that a project to enable fighter jets to fire lasers is in consideration, a point he appeared to echo with reference to Iran and the broader conflict this year, during which Israel struck Iranian facilities.

Israel Katz casts doubt on Mossad's plan to topple Iran's regime with Kurdish forces. In a Monday briefing, Katz was asked whether he supported the Mossad plan to work with Iranian and Iraqi Kurds to bring about regime change in Iran. He expressed skepticism, declining to offer public backing for the plan, even as some Mossad officials argued it could have succeeded if President Trump had not vetoed it. Katz gave the impression that he has long harbored doubts about the approach, aligning with other officials who questioned its feasibility, while acknowledging that Netanyahu and other senior figures have presented mixed views on the proposal.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, the Lebanese army must clear Hezbollah from Yellow Line to Litani River, Katz says. Katz told CENTCOM Chief Admiral Brad Cooper that Israel will not fully withdraw from its security zones in Lebanon, Syria, or Gaza, outlining a three-stage framework for potential withdrawals in southern Lebanon: a current pilot phase limited to areas deep in southern Lebanon, a possible next stage withdrawing further if Hezbollah remains out of the initial zones, and a third stage in which some limited security presence would be maintained. Separately, an IDF reservist from the Commando Brigade was severely wounded by an explosion in the village of Arnoun, southern Lebanon, around 1:30 p.m. today.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, the US administration views Israel-Syria normalization prospects before the Knesset elections as very slim. A US source cited by The Jerusalem Post said Syria’s core demand is for some form of withdrawal from the buffer zone established after the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, and that meaningful progress in normalization is unlikely before the election. Defense Minister Katz told reporters that Israel intends to remain in the areas it entered in Syria and said he had informed the commander of US Central Command that Israel would not withdraw from the Syrian security zone.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, opposition leaders blast Benjamin Netanyahu unity government proposal as pre-election scam. Yair Lapid, speaking at a Together Party faction press conference in the Knesset, accused Netanyahu of political maneuvering designed to capture votes from the opposition bloc and cited ongoing fast-tracked legislation, including measures tied to drafting reform and national service. Former haredim overlooked in draft debate, underrepresented in workforce, report finds reveals that among men aged 20 to 29 from haredi homes who served in the IDF, 71 percent no longer identify as haredi, a shift reflected in CBS data noting that 13.5 percent of men aged 20 to 34 who grew up haredi no longer identify as ultra-Orthodox. The report emphasizes a growing group of former haredim. Court: Comptroller overstepped authority in Oct. 7 investigations, several audits to be halted reports that the High Court ruled State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman overstepped his authority in investigations linked to the October 7 massacre, a decision that will pause several audits. Ultra-Orthodox party paralyzes Knesset votes to force through military draft exemptions describes United Torah Judaism’s boycott of coalition votes in protest over draft-related bills, including a proposal to temporarily halt arrests of haredi draft evaders, which is set for debate in the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Smotrich cancels visit to Kibbutz Be’eri following opposition by hostages' families, residents notes that the finance minister scrapped a Be’eri stop after relatives of the 32 Gaza hostages protested his remarks about his role in the war, with the trip continuing to Nir Oz and Ein Hashlosha as planned.

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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