HEADLINES
Eshel to headline defense conference amid tensions
San Antonio attacked; oil trade at stake
Israel kills Hamas militants near Gaza

The time is now 6:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Operation Lion's Roar, Major General (Ret.) Amir Eshel, the first Israeli Air Force commander to commission and fly the F-35 Adir for the IAF, will take the stage at The Jerusalem Post Annual Conference on June 1. Eshel, who later served as director-general of the Ministry of Defense from 2020 to 2023, also led the historic Auschwitz flyover in 2003 as commander of Tel Nof Airbase. He will be joined by other defense leaders, including Major General Amikam Norkin, former commander of the Israeli Air Force; Lieutenant General (Ret.) Richard Y. Newton III of the US Air Force; and Tzachi Hanegbi, former minister of justice, minister of national security, and head of the National Security Council, at an event that brings together decades of operational experience and strategic insights in a time of evolving regional tensions and alliances.

In US Military Role, US President Donald Trump announced that, at Pakistan’s request, Project Freedom, whose goal is to enable movement in the Strait of Hormuz, will be suspended for a short period in an effort to reach an agreement with Iran.

In Regional Impacts, CMA CGM said one of its vessels, the San Antonio, was targeted in an attack while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, with several crew members wounded and evacuated for medical care. The broader conflict has disrupted shipping in the Gulf, with hundreds of vessels blocked and roughly 20% of global oil trade affected. CMA CGM also noted that it had previously reported a vessel being targeted by warning shots in the strait, and that about 14 CMA CGM vessels were stranded in the Gulf at the start of the conflict, with the CMA CGM Kribi later exiting the Strait. The Hebrew report adds that Israeli forces identified and killed two Hamas militant cells near the northern Gaza area after recognizing an immediate threat, and that a separate airstrike followed by a militant’s attempted escape resulted in another militant’s death. The article also references a plan mentioning the deployment of 50 to 100 aircraft over more than ten Iranian cities.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, analysis notes that pausing the effort to open the Strait for ship movement underscores how complex the task has become as the war with Iran shifts toward the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump said the pause is to allow time for a deal to end the Iran war, while the blockade of Iranian ports would remain in place. The United Nations warned of an unprecedented crisis affecting about 20,000 crew members aboard ships stuck in the Persian Gulf.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, former prime minister Naftali Bennett told the Trinity Broadcasting Network that 9/11 was caused by the international community’s failure to treat radical Islamism in the Middle East as a global issue. He recalled being in Manhattan during 9/11 and warned that if a nuclear deal with Iran is not reached, radical Islamists could threaten Western cities, including Manhattan, California, and beyond.

In Israeli Economy and Business, Israel will begin supplying jet fuel to Germany following a request from Berlin, with shipments contingent on evolving security conditions and coordination with refineries. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced the decision during a trip to Berlin, and Energy Minister Eli Cohen directed the relevant authorities to approve the move. The Foreign Ministry also indicated further examination of the possibility of exporting natural gas to Germany. Separately, Germany’s chemical industry mood fell to its lowest level in almost three years in April, with the Ifo chemical sector index dropping to minus 29.0 points amid global supply-chain disruptions tied to the Iran war.

In Uplifting News, hundreds of European doctors hoping to make aliyah attended the MedEx conference in Paris. The event, organized with Israeli aliyah and integration ministries, the Health Ministry, and other agencies, drew physicians from France, Belgium, Germany, and nearby countries and connected them with Israeli medical centers. Attendees submitted more than 50 applications for medical license conversions, and for the first time, the YAEL Hebrew proficiency exam was offered to foreign doctors seeking employment in Israel.

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/conferences/article-895279
https://t.me/selena_updates/63311
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-895268
https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/article-1318085
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-895267
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-895229
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-895288
https://www.jpost.com/aliyah/article-895122