Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-30 at 22:03 cover art

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-30 at 22:03

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-01-30 at 22:03

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 HEADLINESSettlers torch Bedouin hamlet near RamallahSpark could trigger Iran war planUS approves $6.5B Israel weapons dealsThe time is now 10:02 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.In the Disputed Territories (Gaza, Judea and Samaria, East Jerusalem), a new film about the October 7 massacre, Of Dogs and Men, was made and shot around Kibbutz Nir Oz, where a quarter of the kibbutz’s members were killed or kidnapped, finishing filming on the first day of the ceasefire in November 2023. The movie follows a teenage girl, Dar, whose mother is being held hostage in Gaza, as she leaves the evacuated hotel to search for her dog, evading army patrols and meeting Natan, who has already returned, and Nora, a young woman rescuing animals whose owners were forced to abandon them. The cast includes non-actors Rosenberg and his small crew encountered in the Gaza Envelope region, and the director says the film is haunting and poetic, giving a sense of what survivors endured in those early days. Separately, Dozens of Israeli settlers attacked a Bedouin Palestinian hamlet near Ramallah, torching a building and wounding two men who were rushed to hospital for treatment. A local resident said residents had alerted Israeli security forces earlier of a potential attack near the nearby Gur Aryeh illegal outpost and the Ma’azi Jaba’ community; the army did not immediately comment, and there were no reports of arrests. Attacks like these have become more frequent in the West Bank and are often reported with limited accountability, complicating daily life in the area.In the conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, decision-making circles in the United States and Israel have moved past diplomacy with Iran, viewing military action as effectively decided, with only the timing still under debate, a Western source familiar with coordination talks told Iran International. Israel is said to be on full alert, and one scenario under discussion involves waiting for a “spark” to trigger the next phase, such as Iran attempting to fire a first missile toward Israel, which could then be used as justification for launching a broader campaign directed at the regime in Tehran. The United States Central Command released a separate warning, urging Iran to keep its planned naval exercise in the Strait of Hormuz safe and professional and to avoid any unsafe or threatening behaviors toward US forces and assets during the two-day live-fire drill, stressing that actions posing danger would not be tolerated. In Washington, Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman reportedly told a private briefing with Middle East think-tank experts and Jewish organization representatives that if President Donald Trump does not follow through on his threats against Iran, the regime could end up stronger, according to sources cited by Axios.In US Policy Concerning Israel, the State Department has approved more than $6.5 billion in potential military sales to Israel in three contracts. The first sale covers Joint Light Tactical Vehicles and related equipment for about $1.98 billion, the second covers AH-64E Apache helicopters for about $3.8 billion, and a third contract is valued at roughly $740 million. The principal contractor for the JLTV package is AM General LLC, with Boeing and Lockheed Martin involved in the Apache helicopter sale. Earlier this month, the Navy awarded an $11 million contract to ELTA North America, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries, for the design and production of advanced airborne communications jammers to be integrated into the Navy’s Stand-off Jammer Jets program. The notice also included the potential sale of Patriot advanced capability-3 missiles and related equipment to Saudi Arabia for about $9 billion.In Antisemitism and Anti-Jewish Hate, anti-Israel protesters disrupted an event featuring New York Times journalist Ezra Klein at Sarah Lawrence College. Protesters labeled Klein a Nazi and a genocide supporter, following earlier denouncements by the campus branch of Students for Justice in Palestine that called him a “Zionist pig.” Klein faced interruptions during the event, which was part of a broader discussion on bridging divisions and seeking shared solutions.In Uplifting News, two Jewish lives now available on Israeli screens present a contrast in style and subject. Blue Moon, a drama about lyricist Lorenz Hart, is available on Apple TV+ in Israel and is directed by Richard Linklater, offering a intimate portrait of Hart’s life and work. The film, which played at Israeli film festivals, did not have a theatrical release in Israel. In contrast, Mel Brooks: The 99-Year-Old Man is streaming on HBO Max, offering a humorous look at the legendary comedian’s long career. Separately, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s new memoir Where We Keep the Light centers Judaism as a core organizing principle of his public life, tracing his Jewish upbringing, his ...
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