HEADLINES
Israel US pivot from aid to partnership
IDF captures two terrorists near Nablus
Netanyahu vows tougher anti terror steps

The time is now 10:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In US Military Role, Amir Baram is Israel’s lead negotiator for a new US defense agreement, racing to replace decades of military aid with a long-term strategic partnership. Baram has served in either the IDF or in the Defense Ministry’s director-general role for 38 years, with deployments and missions in Lebanon, Gaza, and the West Bank, including covert operations behind enemy lines. A self-described maverick at times, he in 2012 reinstated full brigade parachute training, leading a team in its first full parachute exercise in 15 years. Since taking the Defense Ministry’s top apolitical post in early 2025, he has traveled worldwide to safeguard Israel’s defense interests amid a difficult diplomatic environment. Baram is the lead negotiator for Israel’s upcoming memorandum of understanding with the United States to transform a defense aid arrangement into a defense partnership for 2028-2038, signaling a shift from aid to a broader strategic partnership.

In Regional Impacts, IDF soldiers, guided by the Shin Bet, completed a targeted operation in the area of Nablus, apprehending two terrorists who took part in the shooting attack earlier today in the area of Tell in the West Bank. The injured assailants were evacuated to a hospital in the Nablus area, where they were detained by soldiers and transferred to the security forces for further processing. Authorities say the identities of all those involved are known, and security forces are continuing operations to apprehend the remaining terrorists.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Eyal Zamir held discussions on responses to the terror attack that killed two and wounded three on Friday morning. The victims were Master Sergeant (Res.) Benayahu Melet, a member of Gilad Farm’s emergency response squad, and Major Yuval Ezra, an Artillery Battery Commander. Netanyahu said, “We will act strongly against terrorists and their proxies, and we will not allow terrorism in Judea and Samaria to raise its head.” The government announced five orders, including demolishing the house of the terrorist responsible for the deadly shooting near Tell village, and taking stronger counterterrorism steps in hotbeds of terror—such as collecting weapons and revoking work permits—and increasing IDF deployment throughout the West Bank. The fourth and fifth measures were not specified in the report. Separately in Ramat Gan, a man admitted on video to threatening to kill an aide of Yesh Atid MK Moshe Tur-Paz; the confrontation occurred as Tur-Paz and aides were nearby, and the man, wearing a kippah, was heard saying he wanted to kill. The video shows him questioning and then grabbing the phone before a police officer escorts him away.

In Uplifting News, the Defense Ministry and the Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces, or FIDF, will establish a new brain injury rehabilitation center for wounded soldiers in Tel Aviv. The facility will be the only center in Israel dedicated exclusively to the rehabilitation of IDF veterans with brain trauma and is expected to be completed in 2030. Covering 2,560 square meters, it will accommodate about 60 veterans and replace the older Beit Marguza facility in Jaffa, which dates to 1973 and does not meet modern accessibility standards. The center will provide short-term and long-term recovery services, including rehabilitation, for veterans with traumatic brain injuries. Since October 7, more than 26,000 wounded IDF soldiers and security personnel have required treatment, with over 300 sustaining traumatic brain injuries, about a third of whom need more intensive care.

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
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-903485
https://t.me/selena_updates/67666
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-903568
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-903563
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-903519
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hktabjbrfg