HEADLINES
Trump demands Iran abandon nukes, Hormuz open
Pentagon hosts Israel-Lebanon talks amid escalations
Danish arrest ties to Hamas Europe plot

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 Iranian Retaliation, Trump says Iran must abandon nuclear weapons, reopen Hormuz and accept uranium removal; Tehran denies key terms, demands sanctions relief and warns it may break the US blockade.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, Israeli and Lebanese military officials are set to meet for talks at the Pentagon on Friday aimed at resolving their decades-long conflict, as fighting tests the ceasefire between the two countries and the United States and Iran seek to extend it to buy time for negotiations. Israel has issued evacuation orders in seven towns and villages ahead of airstrikes in southern Lebanon, and the Iranian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah has launched drones into northern Israel, including a strike that killed an Israeli soldier. The discussions will begin a security track, with political-track talks planned for next Tuesday and Wednesday to pursue a longer-term calm. An eighth person linked to a Hamas network plotting attacks against Israeli and Jewish sites in Europe was arrested near Copenhagen, Denmark, after German prosecutors issued a warrant; the investigation ties to an armaments chain involving several individuals, including a suspect who allegedly provided five pistols and ammunition. In Gaza, World Vision’s former director Mohammed el-Halabi, convicted in 2022 of terrorism financing and released in February 2025 as part of a hostage-prisoner deal, now says he is the victim of Israeli propaganda and denies links to Hamas, describing new interview details that he says clarify or add to the mystery surrounding his case. Meanwhile, Hezbollah is running away from multiple villages as the IDF pushes deeper into southern Lebanon, signaling continued friction along the border.

In US Policy Concerning Israel, President Donald Trump says he will make a final Iran decision and signaled an agreement to lift the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, posting that he will meet in the Situation Room to determine the final course of action and that the strait must be open, with no tolls, for unrestricted shipping in both directions. He also indicated that Iranian enrichment activities and related items would be addressed in coordination with the International Atomic Energy Agency and that no money would be exchanged with Iran until further notice. The same briefing landscape includes ongoing scrutiny from lawmakers, as the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee says it has uncovered new financial links between federal grants awarded during the Biden administration and nonprofit organizations that supported protests against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu or had ties to groups accused of supporting terrorism, according to a report cited by JNS.

In Uplifting News, a rare, intact Roman burial has been unearthed in eastern Croatia during excavations in Vinkovci ahead of a new city market development. The find is the first among more than 200 graves uncovered in the area to be fully undisturbed, with the skeleton of a roughly 40 to 45-year-old man preserved in relatively good condition. The brick grave structure held a small number of items, including an iron object near the right foot and a bronze fragment on the right shoulder, providing valuable data for analysis as researchers place the site within the northern necropolis of the Roman Cibalae.

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.ynetnews.com/article/rjvqabpxzx
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-897766
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-897765
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-897703
https://t.me/beholdisraelchannel/76934
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-897762
https://t.me/JewishNews24/55014
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-897717