Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-02-04 at 02:02 cover art

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-02-04 at 02:02

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-02-04 at 02:02

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 HEADLINESHouthis Target US Navy Red Sea TenseAncient Pilgrimage Road Reopens After 13-Year ExcavationIDF Reserve Officer Wounded in Gaza AmbushThe time is now 2:01 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, Yemen’s Houthi movement says it is preparing to strike United States Navy ships in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea in the event of a direct US attack on Iran, according to information reaching American officials. The group has moved missile and drone stockpiles in anticipation of possible strikes against maritime targets. After a lull since May, the threat is reemerging, and renewed involvement could heighten risk to international sea lanes.In the Disputed Territories (Gaza, Judea and Samaria, East Jerusalem), archaeologists say the Pilgrimage Road, a roughly first-century route linking the Pool of Siloam to the foot of the Temple Mount, has opened to the public after 13 years of excavations. The City of David and the Israel Antiquities Authority announced that they have re-exposed the entire length; the road was Jerusalem’s main thoroughfare for pilgrims during the Second Temple period, with coins and a special weighing table found, and an ancient drainage channel beneath the road believed to have been used by Jewish rebels; items recovered include cooking pots, oil lamps, hundreds of bronze coins from the Great Revolt, and even a sword belonging to a Roman legionnaire.Also in this area, an IDF reserve officer was severely wounded on Tuesday night during routine operational activity near the yellow line in northern Gaza after terrorists opened fire on troops. The military said the officer was evacuated to a hospital and his family was notified; armored units and Israel Air Force aircraft struck targets in the area and the incident was described as a blatant violation of the current ceasefire agreement. Earlier in the week, terrorists in Jericho threw rocks at IDF soldiers, and the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt was opened for pedestrians as part of the phased ceasefire process, with a US envoy arriving to discuss Hamas disarmament and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.Also, a separate report quotes an IDF reserve officer as seriously wounded in a Hamas sneak attack in Gaza, with Israeli forces responding by bombing terrorist positions and work in Gaza continuing under the ceasefire framework; the post notes Hamas violated the Gaza ceasefire with the ambush.In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, Saudi media ramps up anti-Israel rhetoric, dimming normalization hopes. The Wall Street Journal reported that state-aligned outlets in Saudi Arabia have grown more hostile to Israel in recent months, with The Riyadh Daily asserting that “Wherever Israel is present, there is ruin and destruction.” Arab News criticized what it described as Israeli violations of international law and sovereignty. The coverage extended beyond print, with Sheikh Saleh bin Humaid, an imam at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, denouncing Israel in a recent sermon, saying, “Oh God, deal with the Jews who have seized and occupied, for they cannot escape your power.” The criticisms come amid the ongoing war in Gaza.In Israeli Domestic Politics, three items stand out. First, in an interview on 103FM, Avigdor Lieberman of Israel Beiteinu criticized how Yair Golan expresses himself, saying there is no coordination between the head and the mouth, and he repeated calls to end the era of Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister. Second, three men were killed in a highway shooting in central Israel linked by police to a blood feud between crime families; the victims, from the Arab Israeli town of Tira, were in a car that crashed into a bus after the attack, all three declared dead at the scene, and three suspects from Tira were later arrested. The Abraham Initiatives noted that 32 Arab citizens have died in violent crime so far this year. Third, veteran security figure Gadi Eizenkot told Reta B in an interview that Shin Bet chief David Zini is not responsible for actions taken by his brother and that Zini is a mature, responsible figure.In Israeli Economy and Business, Somaliland’s president says he expects to visit Israel soon and sign a trade agreement. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi said Netanyahu invited him to the Jewish state and that Somaliland would offer rights to valuable mineral deposits in exchange for access to Israeli technology. He told Reuters that there is currently no bilateral trade or investment, but the aim is to reach a partnership agreement and to engage with Israeli business people and government. Somaliland is the first country to recognize Somaliland’s independence, and Israel has signaled interest in cooperation across agriculture, health, technology, and the economy, with Somaliland described as rich in resources including minerals, oil, gas, and marine assets.Thank you for tuning in to this Israel ...
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