HEADLINES
- US intercepts ships breaching Iran port blockade
- Lebanon seeks extended Hezbollah ceasefire with Israel
- Supreme Court weighs October 7 inquiry

The time is now 7:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Trump's Op. Economic Fury pressure campaign on Iran expands beyond Hormuz blockade - report, US officials say the drive has moved into a new phase by intercepting and seizing ships attempting to breach the blockade of Iranian ports.

The United States has begun a new phase of its pressure campaign against Iran, intercepting and seizing ships that try to breach its blockade of Iranian ports or provide material support to the regime, in a program described as Operation Economic Fury. The blockade began with Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz and has been enforced by American naval forces and aircraft, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announcing the move last week at a Pentagon briefing with Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine. Ships attempting to evade the blockade are contacted by US forces, and if the crew does not comply, the vessel is disabled and boarded. The operation on Sunday involved the boarding of the Iranian-flagged tanker Touska, which reportedly carried about two million barrels of Iranian oil from Kharg Island when it tried to break through. The campaign has since expanded beyond the Strait of Hormuz to ships that provide support to the Iranian regime, employing similar maritime interdiction and boarding procedures.

In US hosts talks as Lebanon seeks ceasefire extension with Israel, Washington will host a second meeting between Lebanese and Israeli envoys on Thursday as Beirut presses to extend the ceasefire with Hezbollah, which is due to expire on Sunday. The ceasefire mediated by the United States has substantially reduced violence, but attacks continue in southern Lebanon, where Israeli troops have seized a self-declared buffer zone. Iran-backed Hezbollah says it has the right to resist occupying forces. Wednesday marked Lebanon’s deadliest day since the ceasefire took effect on April 16, with Israeli strikes reported to have killed at least five people, including a journalist Amal Khalil. Hezbollah and Israel renewed hostilities in March, and while the Lebanon ceasefire operates separately from Washington’s broader efforts to resolve tensions with Tehran, Iran had urged Lebanon to be included in any wider truce. Hezbollah said it carried out four operations in south Lebanon on Wednesday.

Residents in the village of Debel in southern Lebanon, with assistance from an Italian UNIFIL battalion, replaced an IDF-provided statue of Jesus that had been smashed by an Israeli soldier with a replica identical to the damaged one. The IDF said the investigation found the soldier’s conduct went beyond orders, and the commander of the 162nd Division removed the soldier who destroyed the statue and the soldier who photographed it from combat, sentencing them to 30 days in prison. Six additional soldiers who were present were summoned for exploratory talks to be held later, and further handling of the command delegations would follow. The IDF expressed deep regret over the incident, which the findings and recommendations were presented to the commander for review.

In Israeli army demolitions of terrorist infrastructure across southern Lebanon are ongoing without a halt, with operations reported in Deir Saryan, Houla, Meys al-Jabal, Khiam, Bint Jbeil and other locations as part of a continuing campaign.

In Ben-Gvir to sign off on Ruti Hauslich promotion after court pressure, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir informed the Jerusalem District Court that he would sign off on the promotion of senior police officer Ruti Hauslich after Independence Day, effectively ending her administrative petition filed after he blocked her advancement despite police backing. The court treated the minister’s notice as a decision and deleted the petition as moot, though questions about legal costs were left to be filed by May 7. The move marks a sharp reversal in a case that tested the limits of Ben-Gvir’s authority over police promotions, and responses from Hauslich and from the state on cost matters would follow.

Supreme Court hears petitions demanding October 7 state inquiry, bereaved families disrupt hearing, as the court began considering petitions to compel the government to establish a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 massacre and the subsequent Israel-Hamas War. The petitions come two and a half years after the Hamas-led attack, with the attorney-general backing the push for a formal inquiry. The proceedings focus on whether the government can delay creating a state commission with broad statutory powers while pursuing a different inquiry mechanism. Supreme Court President Isaac Amit recused himself from the case, leaving Deputy President Noam Sohlberg to lead the seven-justice panel, with Justices David Mintz, Yael Willner, Ofer Grosskopf, Alex Stein, Khaled Kabub, and Yechiel Kasher participating. The hearing opened with questions about the proper mechanism and timing for a state inquiry.

In Israeli battery-swapping IP owners demand $250 million from Chinese EV giant for patent infringement, Charge Peak, which holds the intellectual property of the defunct Better Place startup, has filed a lawsuit alleging that Chinese automaker Nio is using that IP to establish battery-swap systems in Europe. A warning letter, verified by The Jerusalem Post, asserts that the Better Place patents are in force and that the industry recognizes Better Place as the pioneer of foundational battery-swap patents before Nio’s incorporation. Nio denies the infringement, saying its battery charging and swapping patents differ materially from the referenced three patents, and has suggested an option to buy Charge Peak’s IP portfolio.

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-893895
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-893938
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-893926
https://t.me/selena_updates/62447
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-893939
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-893932
https://www.jpost.com/podcast/jpost-headlines/article-893927
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-893915
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/tech-and-start-ups/article-893928