HEADLINES
Hezbollah drone wounds 12 IDF near Shomera
US says PA pays terrorists despite pledge
Bennett leads Together bloc against Netanyahu

The time is now 9:02 AM 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, twelve IDF soldiers were wounded on Thursday after a Hezbollah explosive drone struck an armored vehicle near the northern community of Shomera, with two soldiers moderately wounded and ten lightly injured as the attack ignited a fire and reportedly triggered secondary explosions of ammunition inside the vehicle. Earlier, the IDF said it launched an interceptor toward a suspicious aerial target in southern Lebanon, without providing further details. The incidents follow a string of Hezbollah attacks, including explosive drones aimed at IDF troops south of the Forward Defense Line on Wednesday, though those drones caused no injuries. In response, IDF troops from the 146th Division, in coordination with the Israel Air Force, killed five Hezbollah operatives operating near Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, according to an IDF statement issued Thursday. The IDF also said it began striking Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon earlier in the day.

In the US Policy Concerning Israel, the Palestinian Authority has continued paying terrorists and their families, despite promises to end pay-for-slay programs, according to a US State Department report to Congress. Under the Taylor Force Act of 2018, Washington is unable to offer economic aid to Ramallah until it ends pay-for-slay payments and its public statements of support for terrorism. A total of $156 million was paid out to the families, a fraction of the $214 million the PA had promised to distribute. Of that amount, $126 million went directly to Palestinian terrorists, including those released from Israeli custody, and $30 million went to the families of Palestinian terrorists who died committing their acts. The State Department said the PA continues to provide a system of compensation in support of terrorism through new mechanisms and under a different name. Payments continued despite Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas legislating changes to the West Bank’s welfare system last year, shifting payments to a needs-based model rather than stipends tied to the length of a terrorist’s sentence.

In the Israeli Domestic Politics section, the hills of Samaria: The northern West Bank between politics and daily life describes a relatively new bypass road that goes around the Arab town of Huwara north of Tapuah Junction, diverting Israeli traffic from the town along the northern part of Route 60, a historic north-south artery. The bypass road reflects shifting political realities in the area, with Jewish and Arab communities divided, and the landscape features a site labeled “Luna Park,” remnants of an amusement venue that hints at a past era. Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim loom over the landscape, framing the city of Nablus, and the piece notes how history and geography intersect with daily life in the region. In a separate thread within the same topic, Yesh Atid MKs say the Lapid-Bennett alliance strengthens the opposition bloc and that Yesh Atid will remain intact, with the two former prime ministers forming a single ticket to be led by Bennett under the banner Together. The move is described as an opportunity to unite the opposition and improve its prospects of unseating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in elections due no later than October, with reactions described as hopeful from party members and the public.

In the Uplifting News section, Italian author Erri De Luca will take part in the International Writers Festival in Jerusalem. The festival, held May 25-28 at Mishkenot Sha’ananim and supported by the Jerusalem Foundation, will bring prize-winning writers from around the world together with leading Israeli authors, poets, journalists, and artists. De Luca will appear in a program called From Naples to Jerusalem, in conversation with Prof. Uri S. Cohen about the literary and cultural climate in contemporary Italy, his body of work, and a forthcoming Hebrew edition of a new book. De Luca is celebrated for his engagement with biblical Hebrew and his work as a translator of the Bible, and he is described as a social activist who transcends traditional literary roles.

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/article-894709
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-894700
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-894717
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-894712
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-894722