Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-04-02 at 05:01

HEADLINESIsrael Braces Night of Iranian Hezbollah FireIDF Expands Ground Push into Southern LebanonIran Vows Crushing Attacks on US IsraelThe time is now 5:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.In Direct Israel-Iran Clashes, overnight Iranian attacks triggered sirens across Israel four times on Wednesday night, with five people wounded by shrapnel in the ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak, including two seven-month-old infants who were lightly injured. In northern Israel, two men aged 34 and 85 were moderately wounded by shrapnel after a Hezbollah rocket attack and were evacuated to the Ziv Medical Center in Safed, the 34-year-old suffering a head wound and the 85-year-old a hand wound. The military said it was operating at the scenes of reported shrapnel falls and urged people in the surrounding areas to avoid affected locations, not to touch interception parts, and to allow police and rescue forces to perform life-saving operations. Hezbollah fired a total of 35 rockets during the barrage.In Regional Impacts, China said on Thursday that US and Israeli strikes on Iran were the root cause of the Strait of Hormuz disruption, calling for an immediate halt to the war and saying military means cannot fundamentally solve the problem. The US embassy warned that Iraqi terrorist militia groups aligned with Iran may intend to conduct attacks in central Baghdad in the next 24-48 hours, urging Americans in the country to leave immediately. Iran’s military vowed to carry out crushing attacks against the United States and Israel, saying, “With trust in Almighty God, this war will continue until your humiliation, disgrace, permanent and certain regret, and surrender.” In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, the IDF has begun demolishing homes in southern Lebanese villages along the border that were used by Hezbollah as bases to launch anti-tank fire and conduct reconnaissance of Israeli forces. Defense Minister Israel Katz had ordered destruction of Lebanese homes south of the Litani River, saying the military would accelerate the process while continuing to allow residents to evacuate northward. IDF divisions pressed deeper into southern Lebanon overnight as ground operations continued, and several Hezbollah fighters were detained after surrendering to Israeli forces in the past 24 hours, with those prisoners transferred to Israeli authorities.In US Policy Concerning Israel, the United States is grappling with extracting Iranian uranium and is weighing alternatives from tactical burial to heavy economic pressure, as it prepares for the possibility of a complex military operation in the heart of Iran. In the north, two people were wounded in Kiryat Shmona amid a morning of shelling, while other reported incidents included a major building collapse in Tel Aviv and updates on a missing Israeli soldier’s burial place, which had remained unknown for 78 years. Iran has also been reported as strengthening its support for Hezbollah as part of the broader regional dynamics.In Israeli Economy and Business, Gulf states are considering bypassing the Strait of Hormuz with a new network of oil pipelines, roads, and railways that could connect the Arabian Peninsula to the Mediterranean through the port of Haifa. The Financial Times reported that Saudi Arabia has already relied on an East-West pipeline to sustain exports and that the broader plan envisions a comprehensive network to reduce dependence on the Hormuz strait. A Lebanese construction company, Cat Group, confirmed the involvement of major builders in such expansions, reflecting a potential shift in regional energy logistics.In Uplifting News, the discussion opens with a moral reading of Exodus for our time, suggesting that moments of historical fracture reveal courage, persistence, and movement forward under pressure, and invites a reconsideration of miracles as human endurance as much as divine intervention. Passover reimagined explores how Jews reinterpret freedom at the Seder table, highlighting the festival’s evolving meanings and the idea of multiple perspectives within Torah interpretation. Finally, Dr. Daria Kozlova is highlighted as Israel’s most unusual doctor—a leading pediatric cancer pathologist at Beilinson and Schneider hospitals who, as a conservative Orthodox Christian and mother of three, also performs stand-up by night, describing her patients as neatly arranged in boxes, a way of finding calm amid the work.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.SOURCEShttps://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-891936https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/04/iran-army-chief-tells-commanders-prepare-any-attack-state-media-reportshttps://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/04/war-middle-east-latest-developments-0https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-891935https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/article-1304300https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/energy-and-infrastructure/article-891934https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-891869https://www.jpost.com/judaism/jewish-holidays/article-891616https://www.ynetnews.com/magazine/article/hydarjsjzx