HEADLINES
Nazareth spy case ties to Iran agent
Qatar warns Iran war hits global economy
IDF engineers destroy Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon

The time is now 2:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Direct Israel-Iran Clashes, state prosecutors in Nazareth has filed an indictment in the Nazareth District Court charging Shomou Abu Abed, 32, of Nazareth, with maintaining contact with an Iranian foreign agent, carrying out intelligence-gathering and filming assignments for him, and passing along sensitive information she obtained through her work for a company that provides services to the Transportation Ministry. The case was investigated jointly by the Shin Bet and the police’s Northern District Major Crimes Unit. According to the indictment, Abu Abed’s contact with the handler began around October, after she was approached on Telegram by someone using the name “Winema Ton,” who initially presented the work as innocuous paid filming jobs tied to tourism content. Prosecutors say the assignments escalated over time, and that by February she already suspected she was dealing with hostile actors and, days later, understood she was in contact with agents operating on Iran’s behalf — yet continued carrying out tasks for payment. The indictment says those tasks included filming commercial, governmental, and military-linked locations, mostly in and around Nazareth, and sending visual data to the handler.

In Regional Impacts, Qatar’s finance minister Ali Ahmed Al-Kuwari warned at an IMF discussion in Washington that the global economy is about to feel the full economic impact of the Iran war, while noting Qatar’s finances would be able to ride out the problems for at least a year. He described the recent spike in global prices as the “tip of the iceberg,” saying that within a month or two the world could face a substantial impact, including potential energy sourcing problems even for those who can afford to pay. He also warned that reduced regional fertilizer production could disrupt farming seasons worldwide, potentially triggering a food crisis. Economists at JPMorgan have warned that Qatar’s economy could contract by around 9% this year after Iranian missile strikes on Ras Laffan LNG plant wiped out a significant portion of its production capacity.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, IDF combat engineers say they are blowing up what they describe as an “endless” amount of Hezbollah terror infrastructure in southern Lebanon. Lieutenant-Colonel “R,” commander of the combat engineering battalion 603, told The Jerusalem Post that his unit has found and destroyed more than 1,000 terror infrastructure sites during nearly five weeks of service in the area. Battalion 603 is part of the 7th Brigade and had been in a period of combat in central Gaza about six weeks ago after three months in the Rafah area near the yellow line, where his fighters killed a number of Hamas fighters in close-range fighting and tank attacks. The unit has since been focused on rebuilding readiness at its base north of Eilat, with the current operations continuing to target insurgent infrastructure in the region.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, the Reservists Party launched a campaign against haredi and Arab parties, urging that those who do not serve in the IDF be prevented from voting or running for the Knesset. The campaign mirrors a 2019 effort by Likud, which used the slogan “They won’t decide.” In the Reservists version, the billboard shows four MKs from haredi and Arab parties with the slogan “They won’t decide, the serving public will decide,” and adds that those who do not serve will not be able to vote or be elected. Reservists leader Yoaz Hendel said the approach aims to reflect the role of those who serve in shaping the elections. Separately, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hungary’s prime minister-elect Peter Magyar spoke in a warm introductory phone call, with Magyar inviting Netanyahu to attend a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the Hungarian Uprising and Netanyahu inviting Magyar to a government-to-government meeting in Jerusalem. Magyar stressed the desire to maintain a close relationship between Israel and Hungary, noting Hungary’s Jewish community and describing the relationship as special, as political developments in Hungary move forward.

In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, Der Zeit has released an online tool that lets people check whether their ancestors were Nazis. The tool builds on data from German and US archives, making available 4.5 million central card index entries and 8.2 million regional cards searchable by name, with results linking to individual membership cards. Users must provide exact birth date and place to correctly identify the person, and some records are missing or destroyed, so not all Nazi members can be found. Separately, Iran’s embassy posts on X/Twitter included an AI-generated photograph that compares Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Adolf Hitler, accompanied by the caption “Times change, crimes don’t.” In a separate post, Iran’s embassy in Tajikistan shared an AI-generated video showing Jesus striking US President Donald Trump and sending him to Hell, reflecting ongoing use of provocative AI content in Iran’s public messaging.

In Uplifting News, Hungarian Jewish groups extended congratulations and called for cooperation with Peter Magyar after his electoral victory, including statements from the Association of Torah-Observant Communities and the Federation of Jewish Communities in Hungary. They credited Orban-era leadership with improving security for Jews in Hungary and noted a transformation toward dialogue and friendship with Israel and the Jewish people, emphasizing that changes occurred through a broader process rather than in isolation.

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/israel-news/crime-in-israel/article-893133
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-893136
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-893138
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-893142
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-893117
https://www.jpost.com/international/article-893135
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-893124
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-893125