HEADLINES
Hoshen five-year plan 350B to modernize IDF
Iran protests surge as EU sanctions loom
Turkey warns against foreign intervention in Iran
The time is now 12:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
From Jerusalem to Tehran, from regional security to global diplomacy, this is the 12:00 PM update with a clear-eyed view of the Middle East and the broader arc of the region. We begin with the Israel Defense Forces, where a new five-year plan, known as Hoshen, is moving from concept to concrete steps under the leadership of Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir. The plan centers on a substantial budget framework—about 350 billion shekels over the coming decade—as Israel rebuilds readiness after recent years of sustained conflict and eyes future threats. Implementation is slated to begin on April 1, 2026, with twelve primary efforts guiding the program. Those efforts prioritize the welfare and readiness of personnel—conscripts, career soldiers, and reservists—alongside wartime preparedness, munitions stockpiles, and the rehabilitation of forces post-conflict. Border fortification stands as a core objective, reflecting lessons drawn from October 7 and the war since then, while air defense and low-altitude air combat receive heightened emphasis to address drones and evolving aerial threats. A new emphasis is placed on space, signaling organizational changes and operational planning beyond traditional domains. The plan also foresees expanded use of robotics and autonomous systems across air, sea, and land forces, sometimes operating independently and sometimes integrated with human troops. Artificial intelligence features prominently, with larger data centers and AI-driven management across operations. Robotics, autonomy, and new technologies are expected to contribute to ground maneuver, command and control, and intelligence gathering, alongside a broader focus on resiliency and readiness of the reserve and civilian workforce. In parallel, the plan contemplates the development of a defensive “beeper” concept, a reference to devices used in past operations, intended to deter or disrupt enemy movements on the border and potentially elsewhere. Details on deployment and placement remain to be clarified, including whether such devices would operate inside Israel, on its borders, or in potential adversary territory. The Hoshen plan is to be led by Planning Command Chief Major General Hedi Zilberman and will be reviewed annually, with a possible inclusion of US security assistance once a future framework is finalized. Israel’s security calculus also includes ongoing discussions with the United States over a new memorandum of understanding for security aid. The two sides have been negotiating since the expiration of earlier commitments, and discussions on the post-2018-2028 aid package—years in which about 38 billion dollars flowed from the United States to Israel—could influence Israel’s ability to fund technology-driven defense advances. In a broader strategic frame, the plan nods to space as a new theater, an area where rival developments in the region and beyond have accelerated. The push comes as Israel watches Iranian satellite launches with concern, a trend seen by Jerusalem and Washington as potentially eroding strategic advantages in space and related domains.
In cultural life and public memory, a new film project emerges from the narrative of a city under siege. Jerusalem ’67 offers a human-centered portrayal of the Six-Day War in Jerusalem, focusing on ordinary residents whose lives intersect with extraordinary events. The English-language drama centers on Sarah, a medic and mother who treats the wounded amid the chaos, and on a diverse cast of Jerusalemites whose experiences illuminate the human dimensions of war. The director, Oded Raz, emphasizes that the film aims to portray resilience and humanity without reducing the conflict to a simple war movie. The production highlights how a city, with its ancient stones and modern pressures, becomes a character in its own right, shaping choices and fates on the ground.
Turning to a different thread of regional security, Turkey’s governing party cautioned against foreign intervention in Iran as protests roil the country. After a weekend of demonstrations marked by mass participation and state violence, Ankara’s AKP acknowledged Iran’s internal grievances but warned that external involvement would likely exacerbate regional instability. The Turkish position aligns with a broader caution in regional capitals about foreign-led attempts to topple or weaken Iran’s regime, even as some allies in Washington and Europe debate how to respond to Tehran’s domestic turmoil. In official statements, Turkish officials stressed the importance of Iran’s own national processes and warned that intervention, including actions associated with Israel, could deepen crises rather than resolve them. This stance comes as Tehran faces a campaign of international reaction: the European Parliament moved to ban Iranian diplomats from its premises in a show of solidarity with Iranian protesters, while EU leaders weigh additional sanctions in response to the crackdown. The European response marks a clear elevation of political risk around Iran’s leadership as global attention to the protests intensifies.
Across the Atlantic, the human toll of Iran’s unrest continues to be tallied by rights groups and international observers. The Tehran-centered protests, sparked by economic distress and political demands, have drawn substantial attention to the regime’s response. Estimates of casualties and arrests vary, with rights groups reporting thousands detained and hundreds to possibly thousands killed, depending on the source and the day. The United Nations and Western governments have voiced concern over the scale and the methods of force used against demonstrators. In parallel, Iran’s Foreign Ministry discussed potential talks with the United States through backchannels, including the possibility of a nuclear deal revival, a development that would carry profound implications for regional dynamics and security calculations in Israel and its allies. Iranian officials have also signaled the willingness to engage in discussions with Western partners while asserting that the regime’s core objectives remain non-negotiable.
In the broader regional economy, Iran’s traders and merchants—the bazaar class that anchored the 1979 revolution—have increasingly voiced discontent with economic controls that have limited their import capacity and exposed them to sanctions. Analysts describe a macroeconomic drift in which the Revolutionary Guards’ economic networks have become central to many sectors, stretching from energy to transportation and construction. Inflation and currency depreciation have intensified public grievances, broadening street protests beyond political demands to encompass livelihoods and everyday life. The internal strain echoes a more global conversation about how sanctions, governance, and security policy intersect in the region, and how external powers’ responses will shape both Iran’s trajectory and its neighbors’ security calculations.
In another development, a separate report notes the ongoing destruction of urban infrastructure in Gaza during the period of ceasefire monitoring, underscoring the continuing fragility of stability in the wake of conflict. Satellite-based assessments cited by major outlets indicate continued demolition activity, including the targeting of tunnels and booby-trapped structures, a reminder that ceasefires can coexist with persistent insecurity on the ground.
Within Israel’s domestic political landscape, the government’s judicial reform stance remains a focal point. A key figure in the governing coalition, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, outlined plans to restructure the judiciary in a livestream with Likud activists, signaling a determination to pursue changes that the government views as necessary to align the courts with electoral and legislative choices. The discussions include proposals to discipline or reframe leadership within the judiciary and to consider mechanisms that would curb what supporters call judicial overreach. Critics argue these moves could spark constitutional friction and political crisis, while supporters frame them as restoring legislative accountability.
In the realm of science and archaeology, the passing of Prof. Gabriel Barkay marks the loss of a towering figure in Jerusalem’s archaeological heritage. Barkay co-founded the Temple Mount Sifting Project and contributed to major discoveries about ancient Jerusalem, including the Ketef Hinnom amulets, among the earliest biblical texts recovered. His work connected modern Jerusalem with its millennia-old past, reinforcing a sense that the city’s present and its future are inextricably tied to the layers of history beneath its streets.
Looking ahead, observers note that the region’s security environment remains unsettled amid ongoing turbulence in Iran, evolving strategic technology programs in Israel, and a global dialogue over the best path to address human rights concerns and security threats. The Hoshen plan signals Israel’s intent to modernize across domains—land, air, sea, space, and cyberspace—while the international community assesses how best to respond to Iran’s domestic upheavals and to the broader questions about regional stability, sanctions, diplomacy, and the future of security guarantees in a volatile neighborhood. This is the midday briefing from a region in motion, where the security of Israel, the resilience of its allies, and the aspirations of peoples seeking dignity intertwine with a changing strategic calculus.
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 sourc
