HEADLINES
Iran Talks Move Toward Tight Anywhere Inspections
Finnish Tourist Remains Identified in Jerusalem Woods
Lone Soldiers Bar Mitzvah at Western Wall

The time is now 3:01 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, the majority view among Israeli and US officials remains that President Trump will end up attacking Iran, but if he chooses not to, a proposed framework would replace a zero enrichment demand with unprecedented inspections that could be conducted anytime, anywhere under a robust IAEA regime. Israel is seeking the complete scrapping of Iran’s nuclear program, with zero uranium enrichment as a central demand, alongside limits on Tehran’s ballistic missile program and its support for proxies such as Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Hamas. Washington and Tehran have floated a model in which near-zero enrichment would continue, offset by a consortium that would provide solely civilian-use enriched uranium and strict IAEA oversight while preserving Iran’s stated right to enrich at some level. Tehran’s leadership is also said to be weighing the possibility of presenting a plan that emphasizes technical oversight and timing for resuming any enrichment, with critics warning that any deal would still face difficult hurdles and that major questions remain about verification, enforcement, and regional implications. A regional diplomat familiar with the negotiations cautioned that while a broader breakthrough at the Geneva talks may be unlikely, any expressed shift toward tighter inspections would mark a significant departure in the negotiating dynamics, and regional players, including Saudi Arabia, are watching closely as the process unfolds.

In the Disputed Territories (Gaza, Judea and Samaria, East Jerusalem), the police confirmed that remains found in Jerusalem woods belong to a Finnish tourist who had been reported missing earlier in the year. The family has been notified of the identification. Last week, children walking in the woods outside Pisgat Ze’ev found bones and brought them to a father, who called the authorities. Investigators located a foreign passport linked to the missing Finnish traveler, who arrived in Israel in January 2024 and was last seen on March 10, 2024, in a central Jerusalem hostel. The bones were taken to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification and to determine origin and cause of death.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, a recent opinion piece argues that denying Jews their history is the modern form of antisemitism. The author contends that contemporary Jew-hate has shifted from policy critique to challenging Jewish identity and historical continuity. The piece describes the claim “Jews aren’t Jews” as an attack on belonging itself, a move the author characterizes as a purification ritual that strips Jews of ancestry and history and recasts their survival as a wrongdoing, framing the current debate in terms of genetics and rightful place in society. The argument suggests that if Jewish continuity can be questioned, the legitimacy of Jewish nationhood becomes vulnerable in Western moral discourse, even as the broader conflict over the state’s renewal persists.

In Uplifting News, IDF lone soldiers marked bar and bat mitzvahs at the Western Wall Plaza in Jerusalem, a ceremony organized by Ach Gadol (Big Brother for Lone Soldiers), a nonprofit that provides mentorship and support for soldiers serving without immediate family. About 20 lone soldiers celebrated in the ceremony, which featured a musical procession from the Dung Gate to the Western Wall for tefillin and a Torah reading, with roughly 150 additional lone soldiers joining the parade alongside mentors who have previously served as lone soldiers. Among those celebrated was Kidist Mengistu, an Ethiopian-born lone soldier who immigrated to Israel about three-and-a-half years ago; she arrived in uniform and was surprised when her mother flew in from Ethiopia to join the celebration.

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/middle-east/iran-news/article-887677
https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/02/23/little-hope-for-beakthrough-as-iran-prepares-new-offer/
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-887674
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-887615
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-887678