Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-04-04 at 13:02

HEADLINESAir defenses fail as missiles strike DimonaRosatom evacuated 198 at Bushehr plantFriendly fire kills IDF soldier in LebanonThe time is now 1:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.In Direct Israel-Iran Clashes, the IDF acknowledged air defense lapses after missile impacts in Dimona and Arad, where more than 100 people were injured. The Chief of Staff of the IDF’s Air Defense Systems, Colonel L., said the air defense system is not hermetic and that there are mistakes and malfunctions. He spoke two days after the attack alongside Major A., the head of the IDF's Systems Research Division, discussing the war, civilian protection, and adherence to Home Front Command guidelines. Colonel L., 42, has been an air defense systems officer in the Air Force for about a year, with a background in aeronautical engineering, and noted that the air defense system consists of three different weapons systems.In Regional Impacts, Russia’s Rosatom evacuated a further 198 staff from Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, a move reported as part of ongoing evacuations since the Iran war began in late February. The evacuations were planned before the International Atomic Energy Agency said one of the plant’s physical protection staff was killed by a projectile fragment and that a building on site was affected by shockwaves and fragments. Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev said developments near the plant are unfolding in line with the worst-case scenario, and that the killed staff member was Iranian. Rosatom has informed President Vladimir Putin about the situation. Red alert sirens were also heard in southern Israel and the Jerusalem area, with additional sirens reported in other areas.In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, a Staff Sergeant with the Maglan unit was killed in combat in southern Lebanon. Separately, an IDF soldier was killed by friendly fire during a Maglan operation to arrest a Hezbollah-linked suspect in southern Lebanon, with a second soldier seriously wounded and the circumstances of the incident under investigation.In US Policy Concerning Israel, federal agents arrested Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter, the niece and grand-niece of late Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani, after Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked their lawful permanent resident status. The pair are in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The State Department said Afshar promoted Iranian regime propaganda, celebrated attacks against American soldiers and facilities in the Middle East, praised the Iranian supreme leader, and supported the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, all while living in Los Angeles.In Israeli Domestic Politics, an opinion piece contends that religion is driving Israel toward extremism, citing the Netzach Yehuda ultra-Orthodox unit’s assault on CNN journalists and pointing to a history of detainee abuses, along with a government cabinet that includes far-right religious officials and has supported hard-line measures. Separately, the Supreme Court issued an interim order permitting protests of up to 600 people in Habima Square and 150 people at other sites, after the state did not provide a sufficient response.In Uplifting News, the remains of Private Dov Permat, a soldier killed in Israel’s War of Independence, have been recovered nearly 78 years later. An investigation team determined Permat was buried in a mass grave at Maoz Haim, alongside 16 other IDF martyrs from the 1948 battles in Malkiya. A state military ceremony is planned to place a tombstone for him in the near future.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-891944https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/04/russia-evacuates-198-more-staff-irans-bushehr-nuclear-plant-agencies-reporthttps://t.me/StandWithUsBreakingNews/7999https://t.me/ILtoday/18380https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/article-1305041https://www.ynetnews.com/article/b1482ycibehttps://www.jpost.com/international/article-892035https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-891871https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/article-1305042https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-892033