Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-02-04 at 01:02 cover art

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-02-04 at 01:02

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-02-04 at 01:02

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 HEADLINESIran protests demand intervention as talks resumeIDF officer wounded as Gaza ceasefire erodesSaudi media crushes Israel normalization hopesThe time is now 1:01 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, Iranians took to the streets last month in the deadliest domestic unrest since the 1979 revolution, carrying signs addressed to US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and renaming streets after the American president as they pleaded for intervention. They believed explicit warnings from Trump against killing demonstrators would matter, but those hopes did not materialize. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are to meet in Istanbul to revive diplomacy over Iran’s nuclear program and dispel fears of a new regional war, with representatives from Saudi Arabia and Egypt expected to participate. Eyewitness accounts and smuggled messages describe the crackdown as a crime against humanity, and officials say the regime shut down the internet for more than three weeks to hide mass arrests and killings. Separately, the Trump administration agreed to move negotiation talks on Friday from Turkey to Oman at Iran’s request.In the Disputed Territories (Gaza, Judea and Samaria, East Jerusalem), 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 officer was evacuated to a hospital and his family was notified. The IDF said armored units and Israel Air Force aircraft struck targets in the area and called the incident a blatant violation of the current ceasefire agreement. Earlier on Tuesday, terrorists in Jericho threw rocks at IDF soldiers; the soldiers responded by opening fire, killing one of the terrorists and injuring several others. This week, Israel fully reopened the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt for pedestrians, the first step in moving ahead to Phase II of the US-backed ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. On Tuesday, US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss Hamas's disarmament and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, Saudi state-aligned media outlets have been adopting an increasingly anti-Israel tone in recent months, the Wall Street Journal reported, signaling fading chances for normalized relations between the two countries. An editorial published by the Riyadh Daily said, Wherever Israel is present, there is ruin and destruction. Arab News criticized Israel last week, accusing it of ongoing violations of international law and disregard for state sovereignty, noting that Israeli incursions, settlement expansion, arrests and military raids across the Occupied Territories have eroded trust in diplomacy. Sheikh Saleh bin Humaid, an imam at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, used a recent sermon to denounce Israel, saying, Oh God, deal with the Jews who have seized and occupied, for they cannot escape your power. The reporting comes as the war in Gaza continues.In Uplifting News, 18,300 cranes were spotted this morning at the Hula Lake reserve, a winter spectacle as thousands of cranes roost and fill the marsh with sound and movement, with migration north planned in March and birds returning from Africa to continue their journey. The area is one of the world’s important habitats for migratory birds, offering safe rest, abundant food, and scenic sunrise tours on weekends. In Eilat, an Argentine oleh who made aliyah 20 years ago celebrated his Bar Mitzvah after completing a long conversion process, joining his Jewish coworkers in the Garbage Removal Department for support. The conversion included learning about Jewish customs, circumcision, and reading the Torah in a ceremony with friends and family in Eilat, with the mayor in attendance to offer congratulations.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.SOURCEShttps://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-885513https://t.me/beholdisraelchannel/68410https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-885524https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-885384https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/article-1280789https://www.jpost.com/aliyah/article-885523
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