HEADLINES
- Israel strikes Hezbollah depots, violates ceasefire
- Abu Shabab dismantles Rafah tunnels
- UK court convicts ISIS plotters, life terms

The time is now 9:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In the conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon targeted Hezbollah arms depots and rocket launchers, according to the military. The strikes were part of ongoing operations as Hezbollah is described as attempting to rebuild its infrastructure in the area. The Israeli defense forces say the presence of these caches and launchers violates the November 2024 ceasefire, signaling a continued challenge from the group tied to Iran’s regional network.

In the Disputed Territories (Gaza, Judea and Samaria, East Jerusalem), Abu Shabab, an Israel-aligned militia operating in the Gaza Strip, has been active inside Hamas tunnels in Rafah and has begun dismantling those tunnels, a move the group says will reduce Hamas’s most potent weapon. The militia, also known as the Popular Forces, plans to destroy weapon manufacturing and rockets and then pursue guns, and it is slated to take part in security protocols around the recently-reopened Rafah Crossing. Separately, the IDF said Hamas tried to breach Israeli defenses in eastern Rafah through a tunnel, four Hamas attackers exited and opened fire on the 7th Armored Brigade before being killed; authorities cautioned it was unclear whether the assault was coordinated and noted fighters may have been hiding in tunnel areas for months.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office distanced itself from a public rebuke by President Trump of President Herzog over Netanyahu’s pardon, after Herzog was pressed for clarification on whether Netanyahu had encouraged the move. Trump had accused Herzog of being ashamed for not granting a pardon, while Herzog’s office emphasized that the legal process for considering such a pardon had not yet been completed. A source close to Herzog said that if Netanyahu influenced the matter, it would constitute a red line, and the episode followed a White House meeting between Trump and Netanyahu that fueled questions about the internal Israeli matter.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, a British court case has convicted Walid Saadaoui and Amar Hussein of planning an Islamic State–inspired attack that could have killed hundreds within the Jewish community. Saadaoui, 38, and Hussein, 52, were found guilty at Preston Crown Court in Dover and received life sentences for preparing acts of terrorism between December 2023 and May 2024. The mastermind, Tunisian-born Saadaoui from Wigan, was sentenced to a minimum term of 37 years.

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.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-february-15-2026/
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-886644
https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-didnt-push-trump-to-slam-herzog-over-pardon-pms-office-claims/
https://t.me/JewishNews24/49547