Israel & the United States at War with Iran
Special Update from Israel

April 16, 2026

Prepared by and sent from Jewish Federations of North America's Israel Office 

Breaking News: President Donald Trump announced a 10-day Israel–Lebanon ceasefire set to begin at 5 p.m. ET, following calls with both countries’ leaders.

• Rocket attacks on Israel’s north continue
• Ceasefire between Iran and Israel + the US holding. Negotiations over the next stage continue informally.

Iran

• Following its imposition of a shipping blockade on Iran, the US warned that buyers of Iranian oil could face secondary sanctions and indicated it expected China to pause purchases. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington had told countries that Iranian funds sitting in their banks could trigger secondary sanctions, and that letters had also been sent to two Chinese banks warning of possible punitive measures. The Treasury Department also targeted Iran’s oil transportation infrastructure, sanctioning more than two dozen individuals, companies, and vessels. Bessent confirmed a 30‑day waiver on sanctions for Iranian oil at sea, issued March 20 and due to expire April 19, was not renewed.
• US Central Command said it turned back 10 vessels that attempted to sail out of Iranian ports during the first 48 hours of the naval blockade. CENTCOM claimed no ships broke through, including one vessel it said was redirected back to Iran by a guided missile destroyer.
• A senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader publicly threatened to sink American ships if the US attempted to “police” the Strait of Hormuz during the blockade. Mohsen Rezaei said US ships “will be sunk” by Iranian missiles if Washington continued, and he also issued an explicit threat about taking hostages in the event of a ground invasion.
• Iran’s parliament speaker said a Lebanon ceasefire would be the result of Hezbollah’s “steadfast struggle” and the unity of the “Axis of Resistance,” while pressing the view that Lebanon should have been included in the ceasefire reached between Washington and Tehran.

Lebanon

• IDF Sgt. Maj. (res.) Ayal Uriel Bianco, 30, from Katzrin was killed on Monday, when a military vehicle he was traveling in overturned during operational activity in southern Lebanon amid ongoing fighting with Hezbollah. Three other reserve soldiers were injured in the incident, and the IDF said the circumstances of the crash were under investigation.
• In what would be a historic move, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to speak directly with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in the near future— possibly as early as today, as the two countries engage in direct negotiations and move closer to what could be a new peace deal. The talks were confirmed by an Israeli minister, although no formal announcement has been made.
• Earlier in the week, Israel began direct negotiations with Lebanon, marking the first such talks between the two countries since 1993, following decades of formal hostilities and indirect contacts. Israeli and Lebanese delegations met this week in Washington, DC, in US‑mediated talks hosted at the State Department. The Washington meeting brought together Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and senior US officials acting as mediators.
• Hezbollah rejected the talks outright and stepped up rhetoric against the Lebanese government as it continued its attacks on northern Israel with repeated barrages of rockets, missiles, and drones launched from southern Lebanon, triggering air raid sirens across the Galilee and border communities, including Kiryat Shmona, Nahariya, Safed, Shlomi, and Karmiel.
• More than 40 rockets were fired in one barrage earlier this week, and additional attacks included multiple explosive drones, several of which penetrated Israeli airspace before being intercepted, while at least one drone struck a building in Shlomi, causing property damage. Most projectiles were intercepted or fell in open areas, but rocket shrapnel wounded an Israeli civilian in the Western Galilee, and damage was reported to residential structures.
• In recent days, the IDF has continued its combined air and ground campaign against Hezbollah across southern Lebanon, striking what the military described as command centers, weapons depots, rocket launch sites and Radwan Force infrastructure. Airstrikes targeted Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon, the Tyre and Nabatieh areas, and parts of the Bekaa Valley, but not Beirut.
• Israeli ground forces continued an expanded offensive just north of the border. The main focus of ground fighting has been the town of Bint Jbeil, a longtime Hezbollah stronghold and symbolic center of the group’s “resistance,” where the IDF said troops have surrounded the town, destroyed dozens of sites used by Hezbollah and killed over 100 fighters in close‑quarters combat and air support operations.
• During the fighting in the Bint Jbeil area, IDF forces located more than 130 weapons inside a school building. The weapons included Kalashnikov rifles, pistols and additional arms, along with Hezbollah flags and other organizational insignia found at the site. The IDF said the weapons were confiscated, and troops continued operations in the area as part of efforts to locate additional weapons and Hezbollah operatives.
• President Donald Trump publicly urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to avoid actions that could derail diplomacy, saying Washington wanted to create “breathing room,” though he also stressed that Hezbollah was not covered by the Iran ceasefire. Israeli officials said operations against Hezbollah would continue, arguing the campaign was aimed at pushing the group away from the border and dismantling its military capacity.
• The IDF reiterated a broad evacuation warning for residents of southern Lebanon, urging people to evacuate immediately and move north of the Zahrani River.

Israel's Home Front

• Israel’s Health Ministry said 7,791 people had been admitted to hospitals due to the fighting with Iran and Hezbollah since the war began on February 28. It reported 83 still hospitalized, including one in critical condition, 15 in serious condition, 26 in moderate condition, and 41 in good condition, with the figures including both soldiers and civilians.
• The Israeli shekel has strengthened sharply in recent days, reaching its strongest level against the US dollar in roughly 30 years, with the exchange rate briefly breaking below 3 shekels to the dollar for the first time since the mid‑1990s. Over roughly the past year, the shekel has appreciated close to 20% against the dollar, making it one of the world’s strongest‑performing currencies over that period. Economists and market analysts attributed the surge to improving investor sentiment following the ceasefire with Iran, expectations of reduced regional risk, continued strong capital inflows, and a broader weakening of the dollar globally. The shekel has also gained against other major currencies, pushing it to record levels on a trade‑weighted basis, a development that has helped moderate inflation and lower import costs, while raising concerns among exporters about pressure on competitiveness.
• Israel’s aviation sector has begun a gradual return to normal operations following the ceasefire with Iran, with Ben Gurion Airport fully reopened and servicing an expanding—but still limited—range of international flights. Israeli carriers El Al, Arkia, and Israir have resumed broader schedules, with El Al set to expand service to around 40 destinations starting April 19, including routes to Boston and multiple European cities.
• Among foreign airlines, Etihad Airways has restarted two daily Tel Aviv–Abu Dhabi flights, while Bluebird Airways and TUS Airways have resumed service to Athens and Larnaca, respectively. Ethiopian Airlines, Smartwings, Hainan Airlines, and several smaller European and regional carriers are also returning this week, though capacity remains constrained. Major North American and Western European airlines—including United, Delta, Air Canada, Lufthansa Group, Air France–KLM and British Airways—have largely kept suspensions in place for now, citing security assessments and regulatory guidance. As a result, flight availability remains limited, fares are high, and the authorities say a full recovery will depend on continued stability and the pace at which foreign carriers regain confidence in the market.
• The government approved a five‑year development plan for the Golan Heights and Katzrin for 2026–2030, with total investment estimated at about $330 million. The plan aims to significantly expand Katzrin, which cabinet minister Ze’ev Elkin said would become the Golan’s first city, and to strengthen infrastructure, housing, employment and public services across the region along the Syrian and Lebanese borders. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the plan envisions bringing about 3,000 new families to Katzrin and the Golan Heights by 2030, alongside investments in higher education and research. Plans include establishing a branch of the University of Kiryat Shmona in Katzrin, as well as a veterinary hospital.

Diplomatic Developments

• Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar publicly thanked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for signing a law that introduced criminal penalties for antisemitic action in Ukraine, including prison sentences of up to eight years. The law was signed on Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, and the update said it was overwhelmingly supported by Ukraine’s parliament.
• The US Senate voted down two resolutions aimed at blocking weapons sales to Israel, while a large share of Senate Democrats supported the efforts. Forty of 47 Senate Democrats voted to back one resolution seeking to block a $295 million sale of bulldozers, while 59 senators voted against it. Thirty‑six Democrats supported another resolution seeking to block a $152 million sale of 1,000‑pound bombs, while 63 senators voted against blocking it.     
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was included on Time magazine’s 2026 list of the 100 most influential people, marking his fifth appearance. The publication criticized Netanyahu for his responsibility for the October 7, 2023 failure while crediting him with subsequent political recovery amid Israel’s conflicts in Lebanon and Iran and the release of Gaza hostages.

Jewish Federations and Partners

The Jewish Agency for Israel

• Through the Jewish Agency’s Roaring Lion Fund for victims of the war, 1,165 assistance requests were approved and 325 remain in process, with total allocations reaching approximately $1.36 million. In parallel, $4.3 million in loans and grants were provided to 336 small businesses to support economic recovery.
• Jewish Agency subsidiary Amigour continued disruption at its sheltered housing facilities in northern Israel. A total of 11,909 food packages were distributed to elderly residents, including 76 deliveries this week to seniors in Nahariya. The organization renovated  153 sheltersand has been asked to repair 730 homes and public buildings.
• The Wings program for new immigrant lone soldiers expanded support following the outbreak of the war, mobilizing staff to conduct proactive outreach to hundreds of participants. Approximately 100 emergency grants and shopping vouchers were distributed to participants financially impacted by the fighting, and around 40 individuals were referred for mental health treatment, including wounded soldiers, evacuees, and those affected by nearby rocket impacts. The program also provided dedicated assistance to evacuees and parents of lone soldiers, including online resilience workshops for families abroad, while continuing all counseling and scholarship preparation services remotely to maintain continuity. The Wings program supports an average of 3,600 lone soldiers annually.

Kulna

• Kulna, an initiative that strengthens and empowers Mizrahi Jewish communities across Israel, is playing a critical role in this moment. Supported through iRep (Israel Religious Expression Platform), a coalition of Jewish Federations working  to advance religious pluralism in Israel by supporting civil society organizations, building public awareness, and strengthening dialogue between Israeli and North American Jewish leadership on issues of religion and state.
• In Tiberias, the local Kulna community led by Yossi Ben Hamo, is helping operate the municipal emergency center, supporting about 2,000 families. Their work focuses on three areas: meeting urgent community needs, including refurbishing shared shelters; supporting evacuated families with essentials and activities for children; and providing meals, care packages, and morale-boosting support for soldiers in the region. In Kiryat Shmona, where the situation is even more severe, Kulna has shifted programming online with Zoom learning sessions and in-shelter activities.

The Aguda

• The Aguda, formally known as The Association for LGBTQ Equality in Israel, is Israel’s oldest national LGBTQ organization, a non‑profit advocacy and support group founded in 1975 that works to advance equality, combat discrimination, and provide services to the LGBTQ community nationwide.
• During Operation Roaring Lion, The Aguda’s “Someone to Talk To” Hotline, supported by Jewish Federations, demonstrated the value of sustained philanthropic investment by maintaining full operational continuity under emergency conditions. As the war unfolded, the hotline rapidly absorbed increased demand, providing immediate emotional support and stabilization to LGBTQ individuals across Israel—many of them first time callers—while operating remotely under security constraints. Prior investment in volunteer training, digital infrastructure, and cross organizational coordination enabled uninterrupted access to crisis listening, containment, and referral, even as anxiety, loneliness, and emotional distress sharply intensified nationwide.
• Long-term capacity building also enabled swift escalation from listening, to action in high risk cases, including suicide prevention, emergency shelter placement, and urgent financial assistance. At the same time, hotline leadership prioritized volunteer resilience through proactive outreach and group support, ensuring staff well-being and service quality despite widespread personal and communal strain. Together, these measures allowed the hotline to remain a trusted, responsive point of care throughout the crisis—providing stability, safety, and connection when they were needed most.

Reshut Harabim

• Reshut Harabim, another iRep grantee, is a Jerusalem-based network of over 40 Israeli-Judaism organizations and 25 communities working to promote a pluralistic, tolerant, and accessible public sphere in the capital. In recent weeks, the organization has provided support across multiple cities and strengthened Jerusalem-based partners, so they have the resources and infrastructure needed to sustain community life under extreme conditions. It has also kept Beit Reshut Harabim operational (including its functioning bomb shelter) to enable safe programming and ongoing work. In parallel, Reshut Harabim is preparing for longer-term needs and “the day after,” helping civil-society organizations plan for recovery, resilience, and the rebuilding of communal life once the immediate emergency subsides.

Jewish Federations continues to monitor the situation on the ground very closely and will report as needed.

Israel & the United States at War with Iran
Special Update from Israel

April 13, 2026

Prepared by and sent from Jewish Federations of North America's Israel Office 

• Ceasefire between Iran and Israel + the US holding, even as negotiations break down
• Fighting with Hezbollah continues as talks between Israel and the Lebanese Government begin
• Unrelenting rocket attacks on Israel’s north continue
• US Blockade on the Strait of Hormuz is in place

Jewish Federations Webinar
Wednesday, April 15 at 1pm ET 

Join Jewish Federations of North America for a timely briefing on the Iran ceasefire, ongoing tensions in Lebanon, and the impact of weeks of disruption on Israeli society, from families running to shelters to reservists called up. Featuring Col. (Ret.) Miri Eisin with expert insight on what’s next.

Ceasefire

• The US‑brokered ceasefire between Israel and Iran has continued to hold formally, but senior US, Israeli, and Iranian officials have repeatedly warned that it remains extremely fragile.
• US‑Iran negotiations held in Islamabad, Pakistan, over the weekend ended without agreement after more than 20 hours of talks. The negotiations broke down principally over Iran’s refusal to commit to abandoning uranium enrichment and nuclear weapons capability. Iranian negotiators said US demands were excessive.
• The collapse of the talks immediately heightened uncertainty and triggered renewed economic and security fallout across the region. In response to the breakdown, President Trump announced that the US Navy has begun blockading Iranian ports and intercepting vessels connected to Iranian toll collection in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump warned Iran that failure to comply with US demands would lead to broader military action, including strikes on infrastructure, stressing that the United States would not tolerate what he described as “maritime extortion.” Some media reports said US President Donald Trump is considering resuming limited strikes inside Iran in parallel with the maritime blockade.
• Reports suggest that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed deep skepticism toward US‑led diplomacy with Tehran, warning that halting pressure now could allow Iran to reconstitute military and nuclear capabilities. Israeli officials have emphasized that Israel was not a party to the ceasefire talks themselves and has not committed to broad de‑escalation beyond the Iranian front.
• President Donald Trump also said that negotiations have not yet collapsed. Still, he stressed that Washington would not tolerate prolonged ambiguity or violations, suggesting that the ceasefire remains conditional rather than open‑ended.
• Oil prices surged following the US announcement that it would impose a naval blockade on Iranian ports after US‑Iran talks collapsed. US crude rose roughly 8 percent to about $104 per barrel.
• Read: What this War has Proven

The War with Hezbollah

• Over the past several days, the war between Israel and the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon has intensified, despite the ongoing ceasefire with Iran. Both Israel and the US have made it clear that the agreement with Iran does not include Lebanon, even as Iran argues that it was part of the deal. Israeli media have reported that President Trump has asked Israel to reduce the intensity of attacks against Hezbollah, and that Prime Minister Netanyahu has agreed to this request.
• Northern Israel absorbed sustained rocket fire from Lebanon, with large barrages triggering repeated sirens across the Galilee, Upper Galilee, and western border communities. Dozens of rockets and drones crossed into Israeli territory over the past several days, with a number evading interception and striking residential areas, causing damage to homes, power infrastructure, and public buildings. Emergency services treated multiple civilians for shrapnel injuries and blast‑related trauma, and at least one IDF reservist was seriously wounded, while additional residents were treated for anxiety after prolonged sheltering.
• The ongoing attacks have caused widespread disruption in northern cities and towns, reinforcing assessments that Hezbollah retains the capacity to inflict civilian harm despite continued Israeli strikes on launch sites and command infrastructure.
• In response, Israeli military operations against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon and the Beirut area have also intensified.  Airstrikes have continued against rocket launch sites, command infrastructure, and senior operatives. Lebanese authorities reported mounting civilian displacement and damage to infrastructure.
• IDF ground forces uncovered and destroyed Hezbollah infrastructure, including an underground tunnel that was located and demolished by a combat engineering unit yesterday. In a separate incident earlier in the week, troops killed a Hezbollah operative emerging from a tunnel shaft and seized weapons, including explosives, rockets, RPGs, and grenades.
• Israeli leaders have repeated that military pressure on Hezbollah would continue until rocket fire and cross‑border threats are fully neutralized, emphasizing the restoration of long‑term security to northern Israel and preventing Hezbollah from regrouping during any diplomatic pause.
• Alongside the fighting, Israel moved in recent days to open a diplomatic track with Lebanon, approving direct talks it said were aimed at disarming Hezbollah and stabilizing the northern border. Talks are being held in Washington with US mediation, led by Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter. In addition to an end to the fighting, media reports suggest that the aim is to disarm Hezbollah and begin talks on a peace treaty between Israel and Lebanon.

Israel's Home Front

• Home Front Command guidelines were updated following the ceasefire, allowing a return to full activity across most of the country, including reopening schools, while communities along the northern conflict line remained under restricted activity with schools closed.
• Out of more than 10,000 residents displaced at some point since the start of the operation, approximately 6,500 residents whose homes were damaged by missile strikes or interception debris are still living in hotels or community housing solutions.
• Since the ceasefire took effect, overall alert levels declined nationwide, and nearly all alerts continued to be concentrated in northern border communities, with more than 550 alerts issued in the first three days after the ceasefire began.
• According to Israel’s Finance Ministry, the direct cost of the war has now reached approximately $9.7 billion.
• The Health Ministry reported a gradual return of the healthcare system to routine operations, with most hospitals resuming above‑ground activity. However, two hospitals in northern Israel continued operating in fortified emergency settings. A survey conducted by Maccabi Healthcare Services (a leading HMO) found significant deterioration in the public’s mental and functional health one month into the operation, including widespread difficulties with concentration, daily functioning, and emotional resilience, with roughly 30 percent of respondents reporting a need for professional mental health support. Data analysis based on mobile behavior patterns similarly showed sustained elevated stress and depression indicators, with no measurable improvement following the ceasefire.
• Israel’s Health Ministry reported that 7,693 people had been hospitalized since the war began on February 28, including civilians and soldiers. As of today, 104 people remain hospitalized, with two in critical condition, 13 in serious condition, 31 in moderate condition, and 58 listed in good condition. The Ministry noted that some injuries were indirect, including those sustained while en route to shelters.
• Israel fully reopened its airspace and resumed regular operations at Ben Gurion Airport after the US‑Israel‑Iran ceasefire took effect. The Transportation Ministry said flight restrictions were lifted and terminal services, including duty‑free shops, reopened. Israeli carriers El Al, Arkia, and Israir began gradually expanding flight activity, while approvals were formally issued to foreign airlines and international aviation regulators.
• Several foreign airlines announced plans to resume service to Israel in the near future. Ethiad Airlines has said that it will recommence flights this week. Greek low-cost carrier Bluebird Airways became the first European airline to resume operations, including daily Tel Aviv–Athens flights yesterday, and plans to increase frequency later in the week. Hungarian low‑cost carrier Wizz Air said it reopened ticket sales for Tel Aviv routes starting April 25, initially flying to Budapest and gradually adding additional destinations, in line with international safety guidelines. Czech airline Smartwings also announced it would resume regular Tel Aviv flights from April 15, operating seven weekly services while continuing to monitor the security situation, as larger European and US carriers delayed their returns.
• Flight operations also resumed at Herzliya Airport and Ramon Airport near Eilat. A decision on reopening Haifa Airport was deferred pending updated security assessments, particularly given continued fighting with Hezbollah. Since the start of the operation, approximately 294,000 Israelis entered the country and 268,000 exited, with most movement occurring through land crossings until air traffic normalized.
• On Sunday, April 12, the Israeli Government’s Advisory Committee on Senior Appointments, chaired by former Supreme Court President Asher Grunis, approved Maj.-Gen. Roman Gofman as the next director of the Mossad. Following the committee’s decision, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed the appointment, setting Gofman’s five-year term to begin on July 2.

The Jewish Agency for Israel

• The Jewish Agency’s Roaring Lion Emergency Fund continued to provide direct support to victims of attacks, with 1,135 grants approved and an additional 487 applications in process. Total disbursements reached approximately $1.3 million and provided direct financial assistance to 14 municipalities.
• In parallel, Amigour, a Jewish Agency subsidiary, advanced upgrades to public shelters, completing renovations on 146 shelters out of 448 requests submitted.
• Special emphasis remained on northern Israel, where targeted respite programs were expanded for vulnerable populations. A total of 453 elderly individuals and families with children with disabilities from Kiryat Shmona, Tzfat, Maalot, Nahariya, and the Matte Asher region participated in five‑day Pesach and post‑Pesach retreats. In addition, a new program for high‑school students was launched in border communities within roughly 1.25 miles of Lebanon, with 90 11th and 12th graders from Marom HaGalil and Kiryat Shmona attending short educational and respite programs in Nitzana and Jerusalem that combined exam preparation, resilience workshops, and time away from daily security disruptions.
• More detailed data on municipal aid, small‑business support, and volunteer activity was made available through the Jewish Agency’s Emergency Dashboard.

Irgun Nechei Zahal | Beit Halochem

• Jewish Federations-supported Irgun Nechei Zahal is the State of Israel’s official organization responsible for the long‑term rehabilitation and support of IDF wounded veterans. They provide physical, psychological, vocational, and social services through their nationwide Beit Halochem centers. The organization has been operating for decades under government mandate and supports tens of thousands of wounded soldiers and their families across Israel.
• When Operation Roaring Lion began, Irgun Nechei Zahal was able to respond immediately because the infrastructure, partnerships, and trust built through past investments were already in place. Systems developed during Swords of Iron —hospital-based outreach, a national hotline, transportation and housing solutions, and family support frameworks—were rapidly reactivated and scaled to meet new needs. What supporters funded in previous emergencies became the backbone of today’s response, ensuring wounded soldiers and their families received seamless support from the moment of injury through recovery.

Jewish Federations continue to monitor the situation on the ground very closely and will report as needed.

Israel & the United States at War with Iran
Special Update from Israel

April 10, 2026

• The Ceasefire between Iran and Israel + the US is holding.
• Fighting with Hezbollah continues, as Lebanon and Israel announce ground-breaking direct talks.
• IDF Sgt. Aviad Elhanan Wolansky, 21, was killed in fighting in the north.

Join us on Wednesday, April 10 at 1 pm ET for Israel at War: Ceasefire with Iran, Israel and Hezbollah, Israeli Society after Roaring Lion, a webinar with Col. (Ret.) Miri Eisin. Click here to register. 

Ceasefire

• Israel, Iran, and the United States entered a declared two‑week ceasefire following weeks of direct military confrontation, brokered through US-led diplomacy and confirmed publicly by President Donald Trump.
• The agreement is explicitly time‑limited and conditioned on Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz and halting attacks on Israeli, US, and regional targets, while the US and Israel suspend strikes inside Iran.
• Both Washington and Jerusalem emphasized that the ceasefire is intended as a pause for negotiations rather than a comprehensive end to hostilities, with talks expected to begin shortly under international mediation. The US negotiating team will be led by Vice President JD Vance.
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Israel’s support for the ceasefire, stressing that it was coordinated with the United States and subject to strict Iranian compliance. Netanyahu emphasized that Israel had achieved its key military objectives against Iran’s strategic capabilities but made clear that the truce does not apply to other arenas, particularly Lebanon.
• Israeli opposition figures sharply criticized the agreement, arguing that the ceasefire left core strategic goals unmet. Opposition leader Yair Lapid said the deal failed to neutralize Iran’s nuclear and missile programs and warned it would allow Tehran time to regroup, while other critics across the political spectrum accused the government of ending the campaign without clear, enforceable gains.
• Iran, for its part, declared the ceasefire a diplomatic and strategic success, but in one area of contention, warned that it would withdraw from the agreement if Israel continued military activity in Lebanon. Tehran specifically said that it views continued Israeli operations against Hezbollah as a potential violation of the ceasefire framework, despite President Trump confirming that the agreement does not include Lebanon. Iranian officials also stated that the agreement did not constitute an end to the war and that Iranian forces remained on full alert.
• President Trump described the ceasefire as a major breakthrough, saying it prevented further regional escalation and created an opening for broader negotiations. Trump characterized Iran’s proposals as a “workable basis” for talks and said US military objectives had been met, while warning that renewed Iranian attacks would prompt a severe response.
• The agreement also leaves unresolved the issue of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile. The Trump administration has stated that Iran will be required to remove or relinquish its enriched uranium as part of any durable agreement and that the United States does not accept Iran retaining enrichment capabilities.
• Gulf states cautiously welcomed the halt in US‑Iran fighting, viewing the ceasefire as a step toward reducing the immediate risk of regional escalation while remaining skeptical about its durability. Officials in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other Gulf countries publicly supported de‑escalation and stressed the importance of protecting maritime security and energy infrastructure, particularly in and around the Strait of Hormuz.

War Concluded?

• After 38 days of fighting, including multiple daily missile attacks, MOST Israelis have enjoyed two quiet nights since Wednesday. Nonetheless, as noted, Israelis in the country’s north remain under significant fire, and restrictions in those areas remain in place.
• President Donald Trump ordered US air, and ground forces to remain deployed around Iran, describing the posture as “armed monitoring” and warning of a “bigger, and better, and stronger” response if the ceasefire is breached.
• A total of 37 soldiers and civilians have been killed in Israel since the Iran war began. In addition, 7,232 civilians have been injured in the current war. Of those injured, 40 are in serious condition, 249 sustained moderate injuries, and 6,943 were classified as lightly injured. 
• A total of 5,365 residents have been displaced: 3,381 evacuees are currently housed in 36 hotels—primarily in Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak, Jerusalem, Haifa, Be’er Sheva, Dimona, and Arad—while an additional 1,984 evacuees are being housed in community settings. Overall, 45 localities have been evacuated to hotels. Government and municipal authorities continue to address housing damage and to provide interim solutions for residents left without permanent shelter.
• During Operation “Roaring Lion,” Israeli forces fired approximately 36,000 munitions, compared with 3,700 munitions during Operation “Rising Lion” last June — nearly a tenfold increase in scope and intensity. In total, more than 11,000 American strikes and 5,000 Israeli strikes hit Iran during the campaign.
• As part of the campaign against Iran’s missile program, roughly 1,200 of an estimated 2,500 ballistic missiles were either destroyed or launched, with Israeli officials assessing that Iran’s ability to produce new missiles has been severely degraded. 
• While most of Israel’s population centers have now experienced two missile-free days as a result of the ceasefire with Iran, the country’s northern communities continued to be targeted by multiple rocket and drone attacks, triggering regular sirens and forcing populations to dash to shelters.

The War with Hezbollah

• Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has continued over the past several days despite the US‑Iran ceasefire, with cross‑border exchanges intensifying rather than subsiding.
• Overnight, Hezbollah also succeeded in firing rockets at central Israel, triggering sirens in Tel Aviv and surrounding areas.
• On Thursday afternoon, Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that groundbreaking direct talks between Israel and the Lebanese Government would begin immediately in Washington. Israel’s team will be led by its ambassador in the US, Yechiel Leiter. According to the sides, the talks were aimed at disarming Hezbollah, ending Israeli strikes, and working towards a peace treaty between the two countries. Following the announcement, the Israeli currency strengthened to a twenty-year high (against the US Dollar).
• Israeli strikes killed 220 Hezbollah operatives yesterday, the majority of whom were identified as command‑level figures, marking one of the deadliest single days for the organization during the current fighting. This largest wave of strikes against Hezbollah, codenamed “Eternal Darkness,” included 50 fighter jets dropping 160 bombs on 100 targets across Beirut, the Beqaa Valley, and southern Lebanon within ten minutes.
• An IDF soldier was killed in fighting in southern Lebanon. The military announced that Sgt. Aviad Elhanan Wolansky, 21, from Jerusalem, was fatally wounded when a Hezbollah anti‑tank missile hit his unit’s tank north of the Litani River. Several other soldiers were wounded in the same incident.
• Ali Yusuf Harshi, the nephew and personal secretary of Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem, was killed in an IDF airstrike in central Beirut on Wednesday. According to the military, Harshi was a close advisor involved in managing Qassem’s office and security.
• Separately, the IDF reported overnight strikes on two key crossings along the Litani River used by Hezbollah to transport weapons into southern Lebanon, as well as around 10 additional targets, including weapon depots, rocket launchers, and Hezbollah facilities.
• Hezbollah resumed rocket and missile fire into northern Israel shortly after the truce was announced, striking army positions and communities in the Upper Galilee and along the border.
• Israel responded with expanded airstrikes and ground operations in southern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah command posts, weapons depots, cross‑border transfer routes, and senior operatives. Israeli officials stressed that the ceasefire with Iran does not apply to Hezbollah.

Israel's Home Front

• The ceasefire led to immediate adjustments in Israel. The IDF Home Front Command announced a significant easing of emergency restrictions, allowing a quick return to routine activities in most parts of the country while maintaining readiness. 
• Schools and other educational institutions returned to regular classes yesterday morning across the country, except in the far north. (In Israel, the Pesach holiday concluded on Wednesday evening.)
• The Education Ministry announced the extension of state‑subsidized summer programming by three additional weeks following five weeks of school closures due to the war with Iran. The program, which typically serves kindergarten through third grade, will now run for roughly six weeks and expand to include students through sixth grade. A new summer academic catch‑up program will also be launched for middle‑school students, focusing on addressing learning gaps created during the prolonged school disruption. The initiative is estimated to cost approximately $242 million.
• Separately, the IDF Home Front Command announced that wartime restrictions would be lifted across most of Israel starting Thursday, allowing schools to reopen and resume normal operations for the first time since February 28.
• Most restrictions on public gatherings, remaining close to shelters, and workplace limits and controls were also lifted in most parts of the country. Authorities emphasized that the changes are conditional and subject to ongoing security reassessments as the ceasefire evolves.
• In communities along the Lebanon border, the Upper Galilee, Golan Heights, and parts of the Haifa Bay area, educational activities were restricted to protected spaces, and gathering sizes and workplace operations remain limited.
• Ben Gurion Airport fully reopened at midnight on Wednesday night. It began preparations for significantly expanded operations, with Israeli carriers greatly increasing flight capacity and foreign airlines expected to return gradually, pending security assessments. Nonetheless, European carriers said they would not be returning to Israel until at least April 24.

Jewish Federations continue to monitor the situation on the ground very closely and will report as needed.

Israel & the United States at War with Iran
Special Update from Israel

April 6, 2026

Prepared by and sent from Jewish Federations of North America's Israel Office 

• Day 38 of the US/ Israel War with Iran
• Four civilians killed by rocket fire targeting Haifa
• One IDF soldier fell in Lebanon
• Iranian intelligence chief eliminated
• A total of 36 soldiers and civilians have been killed in Israel since the war began

Missile and Rocket Fire

• An Iranian ballistic missile struck a residential building in Haifa overnight, causing the partial collapse of several floors and triggering a prolonged search-and-rescue operation. Rescue teams recovered the bodies of four victims from the rubble, while searches continued for two additional people reported missing. The strike also seriously wounded an 82‑year‑old man and injured several others, including a 78‑year‑old woman, a 38‑year‑old woman, and a 10‑month‑old baby. Authorities said the missile’s warhead did not detonate on impact, with the damage instead caused by the force of the strike itself; had it exploded, the destruction would likely have been far more extensive. The Haifa area was targeted again in subsequent salvos later in the night, causing additional damage and lightly injuring four more people.
• Over the past week, Israel continued to be targeted by missile and rocket fire across multiple regions, with the heaviest activity in the north and central areas. Hezbollah launched repeated large rocket barrages from Lebanon toward the Upper Galilee, Western Galilee and Haifa area, including salvos of more than 100 rockets in a single day. 
• In parallel, Iran fired several waves of ballistic missiles at Israel, including its largest salvo in weeks, with around 10 missiles launched toward central Israel and Jerusalem on April 1; most were intercepted, but impacts and interception debris caused damage and injuries in Rosh HaAyin, Petah Tikva, Bnei Brak and nearby communities, including children wounded by shattered glass from a cluster‑munition warhead.
• An elderly woman in Tel Aviv was seriously injured after falling while rushing to a shelter during a missile attack. Magen David Adom said the 90‑year‑old woman was unconscious and in serious condition. The injury was classified as indirect and not caused by a direct missile impact. Medical teams treated her at the scene before hospitalizing her.
• In central Israel overnight, at least two people were wounded, including a 34‑year‑old woman in Petah Tikva who was seriously injured by missile fragments, while a man in his 30s was lightly hurt by glass shards in Tel Aviv. Magen David Adom confirmed the missile carried a cluster bomb warhead, dispersing bomblets over a wide area. Rescue forces responded to multiple impact sites across the center of the country.
• The Health Ministry reported that 163 people were taken to hospitals over the previous 24 hours due to the fighting with Iran and Hezbollah. One person was listed in serious condition, four in moderate condition, and 153 in good condition, with five treated for anxiety. Since the start of the war on February 28, a total of 7,035 people have been hospitalized, including civilians and soldiers, with 130 still receiving inpatient treatment. Some injuries were caused by falls while rushing to shelters.

The War with Hezbollah

• Over the weekend, IDF Sgt. First Class Guy Ludar, 21, of the Commando Brigade’s Maglan Unit, was killed during an operation in the village of Shebaa when he was struck by friendly fire amid an arrest raid; another soldier was seriously wounded in the same incident. Several other soldiers were wounded in separate anti‑tank missile, drone, and small‑arms incidents during the week.
• The IDF said three Hezbollah operatives were killed in southern Lebanon in recent days during close‑quarters combat. The military said the operatives were responsible for the March 30 clash in the village of Beit Lif that killed four soldiers from the Nahal Brigade’s Reconnaissance Unit. The slain soldiers are Capt. Noam Madmoni, Staff Sgt. Ben Cohen, Staff Sgt. Maxsim Entis, and Staff Sgt. Gilad Harel. The IDF said intelligence verification confirmed the identities of the Hezbollah gunmen after the engagement. 
• Fighting with Hezbollah, marked by ground clashes in southern Lebanon and expanded Israeli operations, has intensified over the last week. Hezbollah also launched drones and anti-tank fire at Israeli forces operating across the border, while Israeli ground troops engaged in firefights in southern Lebanon, killing a number of Hezbollah operatives. In response, Israel expanded air and artillery strikes across southern Lebanon and deeper targets, hitting rocket launchers, weapons depots, and command centers. The IDF also continued preparations to widen a security buffer zone along the border. 
• The IDF has now killed approximately 1,000 Hezbollah operatives, including the commander of Hezbollah’s southern front, since the fighting began.

The War with Iran

• An IDF airstrike in Tehran overnight killed Majid Khademi, the chief of intelligence of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iranian state media confirmed Khademi’s death, identifying him as head of both the IRGC Intelligence Organization and its Intelligence Protection Organization
• Supported by Israel, US forces carried out a high‑risk combat search‑and‑rescue operation in Iran over the past weekend, successfully recovering both crew members of an F‑15E Strike Eagle that was shot down by Iranian air defenses on April 3. The pilot was rescued within hours of ejecting, while the second crew member, who was the aircraft’s weapons systems officer, remained hidden for nearly two days in mountainous terrain before being extracted by US special operations forces in a complex nighttime mission involving dozens of aircraft and a CIA‑led deception effort.
• Today, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to thank him on behalf of the American people “for unprecedented assistance to US military and intel agencies who conducted a historic rescue mission of our air crew in Iran.” Huckabee said that the IDF and the Mossad were “helpful partners in the mission."
• Over the weekend, the United States struck and collapsed the central span of a newly built suspension bridge, reportedly a 450-foot‑high structure valued at roughly $400 million, that links Tehran and Karaj. A US military source said the strike was intended to disrupt supply routes used to move drone components and missiles to Iranian units launching attacks on US and Israeli forces. President Trump said that “the biggest bridge in Iran comes tumbling down, never to be used again,” and warned that “much more” would follow if no settlement is reached.
• The United States also attacked the former US Embassy in Tehran, which had become a gathering point for Revolutionary Guards and Basij fighters. This is the same building in which 52 Americans were held by the regime for 444 days during the 1979 hostage crisis.
• President Trump also issued a renewed ultimatum to Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, repeating that failure to do so would trigger US strikes on Iranian civilian infrastructure, including power plants and bridges. Trump said that if Iran did not comply, “they won’t have any power plants and they won’t have any bridges standing,” framing the demand as a final deadline after several earlier extensions tied to purported negotiations. He set a deadline for Tuesday evening, April 7, at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.The IDF, together with the US military, continued to launch waves of airstrikes against the Iranian regime's infrastructure sites. Iranian media reported that
• The IDF, together with the US military, continued to launch waves of airstrikes against the Iranian regime's infrastructure sites. Iranian media reported thatone airstrike overnight hit a residential building near Eslamshar, southwest of Tehran, killing at least 13 people. Iranian outlets also reported gas outages in parts of Tehran following a strike that affected infrastructure near Sharif University.
• Read The NYT: The War Is Going Better Than You Think.

Israel's Home Front

• More than 200 residents have been newly evacuated from their homes in central and northern Israel, bringing the total number of displaced residents to approximately 6,700, with further increases expected following the strike in Haifa.
• The IDF Home Front Command has kept most nationwide wartime restrictions in place, with only limited, highly localized easing and frequent reassessments tied to ongoing Iranian missile fire. Roughly 86% of Israel’s population are now under restricted activity. On April 4, the Home Front Command extended the existing guidelines through at least Monday night, meaning schools remained closed in most of the country, with educational activity permitted only in select areas where an adequate shelter could be reached in time.
• Talk of broader school reopenings continued, but has not yet materialized nationwide. After the Pesach vacation, reopenings are expected to be partial, regional, and dependent on local authority decisions, protected spaces, staffing, and transportation. 
• There has been only a small increase in outbound air traffic passenger capacity at Ben Gurion Airport, raising the cap to 100 passengers per departing flight, while overall flight frequency and scheduling was also increased to two flights per hour. Incoming flights were permitted at higher capacity, but departures, routing, and airline schedules continued to be constrained by security directives.
• The Bank of Israel left interest rates unchanged at 4%, warned of inflationary pressures, lowered growth forecasts to 3.8% for 2026 under continued fighting, and projected a budget deficit of 5.3% of GDP.
• Maj. (Res.) Asaf Dagan, an Israeli Air Force reservist who died by suicide in October 2024, was officially recognized as a fallen IDF soldier. His family said the decision followed a long legal and public campaign and acknowledged that his death was linked to service‑related PTSD. The High Court had previously ruled that he should receive a military funeral but be buried in a civilian cemetery. The Defense Ministry said each such case was reviewed individually under the revised policy.

Global and Diplomatic Developments

• US-Iran diplomacy over the past week moved in parallel with escalating threats as President Donald Trump sent sharply mixed signals about a possible off‑ramp. Trump repeatedly said talks were underway and claimed they were “going very well,” writing that Washington was “getting very close” to finishing the war, while also warning Tehran to “get serious soon, before it is too late.” At the same time, he issued public ultimatums tied to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, threatening to strike Iranian infrastructure and saying that if no deal were reached, “we’re blowing up the whole country,” including bridges and power plants.
• Behind the scenes, Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt all intensified mediation efforts, shuttling US proposals to Tehran and discussing a possible short‑term ceasefire framework. However, Iranian officials continued to deny direct negotiations publicly and insisted that any agreement must include guarantees against renewed attacks.
• Iran and the US received a proposal brokered by Pakistan outlining a two‑phase plan to end hostilities, according to a source familiar with the talks. The framework included an immediate ceasefire followed by negotiations on a broader settlement, with the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as an initial step. Iranian officials said they were reviewing the proposal but rejected the idea of a temporary ceasefire under pressure.
• The United Arab Emirates said any US‑Iran agreement must guarantee access through the Strait of Hormuz. The UAE warned that a deal failing to address Iran’s nuclear program and missile capabilities would be destabilizing.
• Iran’s deputy foreign minister accused President Trump of threatening war crimes over statements about striking civilian infrastructure.
• Tensions between Washington and Europe sharpened over the past week as President Trump pressed NATO allies to take responsibility for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that European economies depend far more heavily on the waterway than the United States. Trump publicly criticized European governments for refusing to send naval forces to help secure shipping, telling allies they should “take the lead” in protecting oil flows and warning that the US was under no obligation to police the strait on their behalf.
• European leaders, including those in Germany, France, and the UK, pushed back, saying the Iran war was not of their making and declining to join military operations, even as Britain convened talks with dozens of countries—largely without US participation—to explore diplomatic and political steps to restore freedom of navigation. Meanwhile, Trump, angered by European comments and actions, questioned NATO’s usefulness and said he was considering withdrawing from the alliance.

The Region

• Iran has continued to carry out sustained missile and drone attacks on multiple regional countries in recent days. Gulf states, including Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, reported repeated interceptions of Iranian drones and ballistic or cruise missiles, with several strikes and debris impacts damaging energy infrastructure, airports, and industrial sites, and causing injuries. 
• Iranian attacks also targeted Iraq, including drone strikes near oil fields, Baghdad International Airport, and facilities in Iraqi Kurdistan, while US and coalition air defenses intercepted additional launches across the Gulf; shipping was also affected, with tankers struck or damaged in Qatari and Iraqi waters.
• The UAE said its air defense systems were actively intercepting missiles and drones targeting the country. Authorities reported that debris from an interception injured a Ghanaian national in the Musaffah industrial area of Abu Dhabi, with moderate injuries reported. In Fujairah, officials said a drone approaching from Iran toward a telecommunications building prompted an emergency response, though no injuries were reported. Kuwait’s army also said it was working to intercept missiles and drones fired toward its territory.

Jewish Federations and Partners

The Jewish Agency for Israel

• Jewish Agency subsidiary Amigour, working with the Israeli government, handled damage assessments for approximately 500 apartments nationwide and 99 public buildings, primarily in Beit Shemesh, Arad, and Dimona. Amigour has also renovated damaged apartments on behalf of the government.
• Under the Jewish Agency’s Roaring Lion Fund for victims of Iranian attacks, 1053 cases have been approved and 427 are still in process, with allocations now totaling approximately $1.3 million.
• Passover seders were held at two absorption centers: 180 participants attended the seder in Karmiel and 200 in Jerusalem at Ulpan Etzion. These were in addition to model seders and holiday activities held for children at all absorption centers in the period leading up to the holiday.

Hillel Israel

• Hillel Israel is supported through iRep (Israel Religious Expression Platform), a coalition of Jewish Federations that works to advance religious pluralism in Israel by supporting civil society organizations, building public awareness, and strengthening dialogue between Israeli and North American Jewish leadership on issues of religion and state.
• Hillel Israel is part of the global Hillel network that supports Jewish students through community-building, education, and engagement on campuses across Israel, including many students recently serving or returning to reserve duty.
• In recent weeks, even with campuses closed and much activity shifting online, staff have remained deeply connected with students. They have moved several leadership programs to online platforms so students can continue to learn and benefit from community support.
• Hillel has hosted two Zoom mifgash sessions (including a partnership with the ANU Museum) and continued mifgash-style exchanges with international Hillels and the Matanel Global Leadership Fellowship. Together, these touchpoints aimed to provide students a consistent space to connect, share experiences, and feel the support of the wider Jewish community.

Kolenu

• Kolenu, also supported through iRep, is the newly unified Religious-Zionist, liberal-Orthodox movement formed through the merger of Ne’emanei Torah Va’Avodah and Kolech; it is grounded in Torah, ethics, gender equality, and social responsibility.
• In recent weeks, Kolenu has prepared the upcoming Shabbat of Resilience (to be held on April 18) by meeting with participating communities across the country to shape the Shabbaton’s content. This planning is meant to ensure the experience responds meaningfully to communities’ needs. The initiative is designed to create a restorative, unifying Shabbat that offers renewed spiritual resilience at a moment of heightened national strain.

Jewish Federations continue to monitor the situation on the ground very closely and will report as needed.

Israel & the United States at War with Iran
Special Update from Israel

March 30, 2026

Prepared by and sent from Jewish Federations of North America's Israel Office 

• Day 31 of the US/ Israel War with Iran
• Twenty-eight people have been killed in Israel during Operation Roaring Lion, including six IDF soldiers who fell in Lebanon.
• The Houthis have joined the war, launching missiles at Israel

The War with Hezbollah

• An IDF soldier was killed during fighting with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon over the weekend. The military identified him as Sgt. Moshe Yitzchak HaCohen Katz, 22, an American-Israeli member of the Golani Brigade's reconnaissance unit from Petah Tikva. He was killed during a firefight with Hezbollah operatives.
• Katz, who was buried last night, was an oleh chadash (new immigrant) from the Chabad community in New Haven, Connecticut. According to the IDF, troops engaged a group of gunmen, killing several of them in the exchange. Greenberg’s father, Yaron, said his son “always pushed himself forward with determination, with love, with a good heart,” while his sister, Noa, said the family’s world was “destroyed” when they were informed of his death. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “Moshe, of blessed memory, immigrated to Israel from the US, enlisted in the Paratroopers Brigade, and fought bravely in defense of the homeland. On behalf of all citizens of Israel, we embrace Moshe’s family in their difficult hour and wish a swift and full recovery to our fighters who were wounded in the same incident. May his memory be a blessing.”
• Additionally, a few hours ago, it was announced that 19-year-old Liran Ben Tzion from Holon fell in battle in Lebanon. According to the IDF, an anti-tank missile struck a tank of the 9th Battalion, killing Ben Zion and seriously injuring another soldier. Ben Zion is the sixth soldier to be killed following the IDF’s renewed offensive against Hezbollah.
• Last Thursday, IDF Sergeant Aviad Elchanan Volansky, 21, from Jerusalem, was killed when an anti-tank missile struck a tank belonging to the Golani Brigade’s combat team. Four additional IDF soldiers were lightly injured in the attack. Aviad was the cousin of Elhanan Klein, who was murdered by terrorists shortly after October 7, 2023. He was named after his uncle, who was killed in a 2002 terrorist attack in the West Bank.
• Three IDF soldiers were seriously wounded and several others moderately injured in Hezbollah attacks and related incidents in southern Lebanon in recent days. The IDF said two soldiers were hit by an anti‑tank guided missile, while another was seriously wounded in a drone strike near Israeli forces. One additional soldier was moderately injured in what the military described as an operational accident. All injured troops were evacuated to hospitals and their families were notified.
• In recent days, fighting between Israel and Hezbollah intensified in southern Lebanon, with the IDF expanding ground operations and carrying out sustained air and artillery strikes. Israel announced last night that troops had arrived at the Litani River and are now operating ten kilometers inside Lebanon.
• The military said it struck and destroyed dozens of Hezbollah weapons depots, launch sites, and command positions, and reported killing numerous operatives, including members of the terror group’s elite Radwan Force. Israeli troops operated in multiple villages near the border, conducting successful searches for weapons and dismantling infrastructure used by Hezbollah. Hezbollah continued to fire rockets, drones, and anti‑tank missiles toward northern Israel, triggering repeated sirens in communities including Haifa and the Galilee, while Israel intercepted several aerial threats.
• Israeli airstrikes were also reported in Beirut’s southern suburbs after evacuation warnings were issued, with footage showing smoke rising from Hezbollah‑controlled areas. Lebanese authorities reported significant casualties and displacement in southern Lebanon as fighting continued, while UNIFIL confirmed that a projectile strike killed one peacekeeper and wounded others near one of its positions. The IDF said its operations were aimed at degrading Hezbollah’s ability to launch attacks and at pushing hostile forces away from the border area.

Missile and Rocket Fire

• Over the past several days, Iranian missile fire caused one civilian fatality in central Israel and left multiple others injured, alongside significant property damage.
•  A 52‑year‑old man from Ashdod was killed in Tel Aviv on Saturday, after being struck by shrapnel from a submunition during a ballistic missile barrage from Iran. The victim, identified as Vyacheslav Vidmant, had been working as a municipal security guard at evacuated buildings damaged in earlier strikes and was not inside a protected space when the sirens sounded. Emergency services said several additional submunitions landed across the area, damaging buildings and vehicles.
• In the same wave of attacks, multiple civilians were wounded in central Israel and the Jerusalem corridor. A ballistic missile penetrated Israel’s air defenses and struck near the community of Eshtaol, just outside Bet Shemesh, injuring at least 13 people. Most of the injured were reported to be in light condition, with some treated for shock. Homes and vehicles in the area sustained extensive damage, and rescue teams carried out searches to ensure no one was trapped.
• Today, debris from an intercepted missile struck an industrial building and a fuel tanker at the Bazan oil refinery in Haifa, Israel’s Fire and Rescue Service said. No casualties were reported, and Energy Minister Eli Cohen said production facilities were not damaged and fuel supply was unaffected. Firefighters identified a direct hit on a tanker parked on the periphery of the site, causing heavy smoke from a nearby structure, and worked to prevent the fire from spreading while searching for trapped individuals. A senior firefighter said the tanker contained benzene that was not considered dangerous and that it was expected to take several hours to put out the blaze.
• Elsewhere, additional civilians were injured by shrapnel and debris from missile interceptions in southern Israel, including in the Bedouin town of Kuseife. Emergency services reported treating several people for light injuries caused by falling fragments following interceptions.
• Last Thursday, Uri Peretz, 43, a father of four from Nahariya, was killed before he was able to take shelter. A man in his 50s was seriously wounded, and 13 others were lightly injured by shrapnel in the incident.
• Yemen’s Iran‑backed Houthi movement joined the war in recent days, launching ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones toward Israel from Yemeni territory. No major damage or injuries were reported. Houthi officials said the strikes were carried out in support of Iran and Hezbollah and warned that operations could expand to maritime routes, including the Bab el‑Mandeb Strait, a key global shipping chokepoint.
• Civilian fatalities from missile hits remained thankfully relatively limited. Still, the number of injuries continues to grow, with many caused by shrapnel, debris, or while attempting to reach shelter during repeated sirens. Authorities reiterated that missile barrages during this period included cluster munitions, which scatter submunitions over wide areas and complicate rescue and clearance efforts.
• Multiple ballistic missile launches from Iran toward southern Israel were detected throughout the morning, including four in one hour, triggering repeated sirens in Beer Sheva, the Negev and the southern West Bank. The IDF said the missiles were intercepted and no injuries were reported in those incidents. Sirens also sounded in Haifa following a rocket salvo fired from Lebanon and in Eilat due to suspected hostile drones. The military later said it intercepted two drones launched from Yemen by the Iran-backed Houthi group.
• Siren activity has continued to intensify in northern Israel, with the number of alerts there now surpassing those in central Israel. Warning times were extended in dozens of northern communities, including an increase in the city of Nahariya.

The War with Iran

• In recent days, Israeli and US forces carried out repeated large‑scale strikes on Iranian military and regime infrastructure, with a focus on Tehran and key weapons facilities. The IDF said it struck ballistic missile production and storage sites, air defense systems, and multiple temporary command centers in the Iranian capital, describing the operation as a wide‑scale wave of attacks
• Iranian and international media reported explosions and fires at military, energy, and industrial sites in cities including Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan, and Karaj, with power outages reported in parts of the capital following damage to electricity infrastructure. US officials said American forces continued joint operations targeting missile capabilities and regime assets.
• US President Donald Trump claimed that many targets in Iran had been destroyed over the past day and said the US had struck thousands of sites since the war began.
• Trump also said he was weighing the risks to US troops in considering a special ground operation to seize approximately 1,000 pounds of enriched uranium from Iran. He also said a deal to end the war could come soon, while threatening severe consequences if Iran rejected US demands.The USS Tripoli and its Marine Expeditionary Unit have arrived in the Middle East from Japan, including the forces on the USS Boxer and reinforcements from the 82nd Airborne. This marks the largest US military deployment to the region in over 20 years.
• Iran executed two men convicted of ties to the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, accusing them of planning armed attacks in Tehran using improvised launchers. Iran’s judiciary did not provide details on when the men were arrested.

Israel's Home Front

• Israel’s Health Ministry reported that 232 people were hospitalized over the previous 24 hours due to injuries related to the war with Iran, bringing the total number of hospital admissions since February 28 to 6,008. Among those treated in the past day, two were listed in serious condition, eight in moderate condition, and 215 in good condition, with seven treated for anxiety. The ministry said 121 people remained hospitalized nationwide. The figures included both civilians and soldiers.
• The IDF Home Front Command again extended wartime restrictions until at least Saturday night. Gatherings are capped at 100 people indoors and 50 outdoors in those areas. In the rest of the country, educational activities remained suspended, and gatherings were limited to 50 people. A further assessment was scheduled for Saturday evening. Roughly 86% of Israel’s population remain under restricted activity conditions.
• Around 6,100 residents from 47 local authorities are currently displaced from their homes and staying in hotels or community‑based housing after damage from missile strikes.  More than 350 were evacuated in recent days, primarily from Eshtaol in the Jerusalem area.
• Flights to and from Israel remain heavily disrupted, with Ben Gurion Airport operating on a very limited basis of just one flight per hour, and Israeli airlines extending cancellations of regular flights into April. Since the outbreak of the war, approximately 188,000 Israelis have returned and about 150,000 have departed, while land crossings have seen increased traffic following tightened aviation restrictions. Changes in Egyptian and Jordanian policies in recent days have further complicated travel via land crossings, including higher costs at the Taba crossing to Egypt, and the suspension of Israeli flights via Aqaba in Jordan.
• The Knesset approved the 2026 state budget by a vote of 62–55, preventing the collapse of the government and early elections. This is the first time in nearly two decades as prime minister that Prime Minister Netanyahu succeeded in passing a state budget in an election year, effectively securing the government until at least September, making this Israel’s longest‑serving government since 1969.
• The approximately $271 billion budget is the largest in Israel’s history and includes a record defense allocation of more than $45 billion, alongside additional long‑term and income‑dependent expenditures. The final vote followed more than 14 hours of debate, repeated interruptions due to missile sirens, and last‑minute amendments that allocated hundreds of millions of dollars to priorities of Haredi parties.
• IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir called the alleged assault of a CNN crew by reservists in the West Bank a grave ethical incident and said it violated IDF norms. Following an investigation, the IDF removed the Netzah Israel Battalion from operational activity in the West Bank and placed it in reserve duty pending retraining. The military said the soldiers involved made inappropriate remarks and that Military Police were examining allegations of physical violence.

Global and Diplomatic Developments

• Spain closed its airspace to US aircraft involved in strikes on Iran, expanding earlier restrictions that barred American forces from using jointly operated military bases. The move requires US planes to bypass Spanish airspace when flying to Middle East targets, with limited emergency exceptions, as Spanish officials said the country would not participate in what they described as a unilaterally initiated war.
• Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he wanted US President Donald Trump to clarify the objectives of the war with Iran and called for de‑escalation. Speaking in Australia, Albanese said greater certainty was needed regarding how the conflict was being prosecuted.
• Trump said Iran had agreed to allow 20 additional oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, describing the move as a gesture of willingness to negotiate. He said the vessels would begin transiting the strait in the coming days, though the figures had not been independently verified. Trump also said Iran had agreed to most of the US demands in a proposed deal, but Iran had not formally responded.

The Region

• Iranian missiles and drones struck Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, damaging refueling aircraft and wounding 10–12 U.S. personnel, some critically.
• In recent days, Iran has launched repeated missile and drone attacks against several Arab neighbors, targeting military facilities, energy infrastructure, and transport hubs in the Gulf. Projectiles and drones were fired toward Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait, with several strikes or falling debris damaging oil refineries, gas facilities, ports, and industrial zones, including sites in Bahrain and the UAE.
• Gulf states said the vast majority of the attacks were intercepted by air defense systems, though some facilities were temporarily shut and injuries were reported in isolated incidents. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar reported intercepting missiles and drones, activated civil defense alerts, and publicly condemned the attacks, while refraining from direct retaliation. Bahrain declared force majeure at one of its refineries following damage from an Iranian strike, and regional airspace and energy operations were disrupted as governments placed forces on high alert.
• Arab leaders publicly condemned Iranian missile and drone attacks while signaling a preference for restraint, alongside warnings that continued strikes could prompt a response. Saudi Arabia described the attacks on Gulf energy and civilian infrastructure as unacceptable and said its patience was limited, while emphasizing its right to defend its territory and interests. Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain issued statements condemning the strikes and said their air defenses had intercepted most incoming threats, while stopping short of announcing direct military retaliation.
• Several Gulf governments said they were coordinating closely with allies on air defense and security measures, as officials across the region warned that further Iranian attacks on civilian or energy targets would not go unanswered.

Jewish Federations and Partners

The Jewish Agency for Israel

•  Amigour, a Jewish Agency subsidiary, continued renovation of damaged apartments on behalf of the government, with work underway or completed in 463 apartments, including 160 in Be’er Sheva and 79 in Beit Shemesh.
• Through the Jewish Agency’s Roaring Lion Fund, a total of 934 grants were approved and 413 remained in process, with total allocations reaching approximately $1.1 million.
• The Jewish Agency launched a new Matriculation and Resilience Program for students living 0–1.2 miles from Israel’s northern border in partnership with Habaita - another Federation grantee. The initiative targets approximately 1,500 11th–12th-grade students across nine municipalities, including Kiryat Shmona, Shlomi, and Metula, combining respite retreats, intensive preparation for the matriculation exams in math and English, and resilience-building activities. In addition, the program offered full scholarships to Jewish Agency pre‑army academies, enabling eligible students to participate in leadership and personal development programs without financial barriers.

The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC)

• JDC expanded its emergency response during the past week, as missile attacks continued across Israel. More than 5,300 residents from 44 municipalities were displaced, with Arad and Dimona (see video) added to the list of hard‑hit cities receiving targeted support. In these two cities, over 1,000 residents were evacuated to hotels, including large numbers of older adults and young children; JDC delivered approximately 1.2 tons of essential supplies, supported evacuees in hotels (including a nursing home that absorbed 50 elderly evacuees), replenished emergency and rescue equipment, provided flexible municipal funding, and deployed additional community caseworkers.
•  JDC also began intake under its All the Way Home (Ad HaBayit) initiative for displaced families from Beit Shemesh and Be’er Sheva, with up to 60 of the most vulnerable households in each city receiving individualized assistance with housing, benefits, and recovery. Watch here.
•  Nationwide, JDC distributed 10,000 activity kits for older adults across more than 30 municipalities, deployed large resilience kits in northern communities, and provided sensory kits for children with disabilities. More than 170 community caseworkers continued supporting vulnerable populations, while work advanced to connect up to 500 public shelters to Wi‑Fi. In parallel, JDC strengthened longer‑term services, including opening a new Alon Center for Men in southern Israel to expand access to mental health and crisis support.

Machon Shittim

• Machon Shittim is supported through iRep (Israel Religious Expression Platform), a coalition of Jewish Federations that works to advance religious pluralism in Israel by supporting civil society organizations, building public awareness, and strengthening dialogue between Israeli and North American Jewish leadership on issues of religion and state.  In recent weeks, the organization expanded its cultural and community-strengthening initiatives to support Israelis spending prolonged periods in shelters. It refreshed and reissued its “Shabbat in the Shelter” materials as part of this effort. The project provides accessible Shabbat content designed to bring calm, connection, and shared spirit to families and communities sheltering for long hours. The content has already reached thousands of people digitally, with highly appreciative feedback from individuals and community leaders.

Krembo's Wings

•  Krembo’s Wings, supported by Jewish Federations, is an Israeli youth movement that brings together children and teens with and without disabilities for weekly social and educational activities in an inclusive, accessible framework. Founded in 2002, it operates branches across Israel and is built on a model of shared leadership, where all participants take part as equal members of the movement, fostering friendship, belonging, and social inclusion.
• During Operation Roaring Lion, Krembo’s Wings leveraged prior grant investments to maintain—and quickly adapt—its nationwide infrastructure, ensuring continuity and stability for youth with and without disabilities amid acute disruption. Between February 28 and March 16, the movement coordinated with 75 local authorities, delivered 250+ online meetings, resumed in-person activities in 25+ branches, and conducted 100+ individualized home visits for youth with disabilities—demonstrating resilient operations at scale.
• Youth leaders continued to run inclusive, values-based programming, community volunteering, and peer-connection activities, strengthening belonging and emotional resilience under emergency conditions.

Panim

• Panim is a national umbrella organization supported by Jewish Federations’ iRep, representing more than 60 nonprofit organizations working to strengthen Jewish-Israeli identity, culture, and pluralism across the country.
• In recent weeks, Panim has supported affected communities through the Tzomechet Shuv framework by accompanying northern communities, delivering cultural and educational activities in bomb shelters, and maintaining online programming for those unable to gather in person. Staff have also supported evacuated families in hotels by organizing Kabbalat Shabbat gatherings and children’s programming to provide stability and emotional support during displacement. In parallel, Panim is developing a new south–north pairing initiative so volunteers can accompany evacuees in hotels and extend peer support rooted in shared experience.

Jewish Federations continue to monitor the situation on the ground very closely and will report as needed.

Israel & the United States at War with Iran
Special Update from Israel

March 24, 2026

Prepared by and sent from Jewish Federations of North America's Israel Office 

• Day 25 of the US/ Israel War with Iran
• Trump suggests an agreement may be at hand. Israel skeptical
• Most flights to and from Israel are halted

Jewish Federations of North America have completed an additional round of emergency allocations, of more than $1.4 million, for urgent needs arising from the current war. For the full report, see here.

Briefing: Israel & the United States at War with Iran
Thursday, March 26 at 1pm ET

Join us for a special briefing on the rapidly unfolding conflict involving Israel, the United States, and Iran. We’ll be joined by Dr. Einat Wilf for timely insight and analysis on the latest developments and what they may mean for the region and the Jewish community worldwide.

The War with Iran

• US President Donald Trump said that “very good and productive” indirect contacts with Iran via mediators had been held, and would center on reopening and guaranteeing free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, halting Iranian attacks on regional shipping, and moving toward a broader cessation of hostilities, while the US would pause strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure. He said the talks could lead to a “complete and total resolution,” and indicated that any agreement would also address Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities, including the possible removal of enriched uranium from Iran. He said that Israel would be “very happy” with the results. Trump stressed that the pause on targeting Iran’s power plants was conditional, and that military pressure would resume if Iran failed to follow through, framing the potential deal as coercive diplomacy backed by continued US and Israeli military operations.
• Trump said he was postponing the planned US strikes on Iran’s power plants and energy infrastructure after he issued — and then suspended — a 48‑hour ultimatum demanding Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said the decision followed the indirect talks, and he ordered a five‑day pause on attacks tied to the ultimatum, while stressing the delay was conditional and could be reversed if talks failed. The original threat had warned that the US would “obliterate” Iran’s power plants if Tehran continued to restrict shipping through the strait, a move that had sharply disrupted global energy markets.
• According to numerous reports, Vice President JD Vance will be joining U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in Pakistan to pursue further indirect talks with Iranian officials, specifically Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi, with Islamabad serving as both mediator and summit venue.
• Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he spoke with President Trump and that any emerging agreement with Iran would need to protect Israel’s vital security interests, while stressing that Israel would continue military operations as talks proceeded. Netanyahu said Trump believed recent US‑Israeli military gains could be leveraged into an agreement that achieved the war’s objectives, but emphasized that Israel was still striking Iran’s missile, nuclear, and military infrastructure and would not pause pressure on Tehran based on diplomatic timelines alone.
• The Washington Post reported that Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was injured, isolated, and largely unresponsive, according to intelligence assessments shared by Israeli and US officials. Despite his apparent incapacitation, officials said Iran’s remaining clerical leadership and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had moved quickly to consolidate control and maintain regime stability. Both Israel and the United States assessed that Mojtaba Khamenei was still alive, but intelligence indicated that repeated attempts by senior Iranian officials to meet him in person had failed, reportedly due to security concerns and his condition.
• Israel’s air force carried out waves of strikes in Iran that hit ballistic missile storage facilities and multiple regime headquarters. The military said it struck two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence headquarters and a headquarters of Iran’s Intelligence Ministry in Teheran, along with weapon storage sites and air defense systems. Overnight, the IDF said it struck more than 50 targets in northern and central Iran, including sites used to store and launch ballistic missiles.
• Despite talk of negotiations, US military deployments in the region continued unchanged, including the arrival of Marine forces and amphibious strike groups amid planning for a possible ground operation to seize Iran’s Kharg oil island, and Israeli officials said coordination and operational plans with the US remained intact, with strikes continuing as planned and no shift in American war posture.
• Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were described as “moving closer” toward actively joining the fight against Iran, after Riyadh allowed US forces to use an air base within its borders. A US source told media that it was “only a matter of time” before Saudi Arabia entered the war. Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said last week that its patience for Iranian attacks “is not unlimited.”
• The IDF said it has struck more than 3,000 targets across Iran since the start of Operation Roaring Lion. According to the Associated Press, Israel used Iran’s own domestic surveillance infrastructure to locate and kill Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at the opening of the war, exploiting an extensive network of street cameras originally deployed for internal repression. Intelligence officials briefed on the operation said Israeli cyber units had penetrated much of Tehran’s traffic‑camera system years earlier, streaming live footage to servers in Israel and using algorithms to map the routines, routes, and security patterns of senior Iranian officials. That long‑term intelligence picture allowed planners to prepare the strike well in advance and execute it quickly once it was confirmed that Khamenei and other top leaders were present at the leadership compound, turning a tool of regime control into a decisive operational vulnerability.

Missile and Rocket Fire

• Over the past 24 hours, 2,943 rocket and drone alerts were recorded nationwide. The highest concentration of alerts continued to be along the northern border, including 143 alerts in Misgav Am, alongside elevated alert activity in the Tel Aviv–Ramat Gan area.
• An Iranian ballistic missile hit Tel Aviv overnight, injuring four people lightly and causing significant damage. Medics described arriving within minutes to heavy destruction, fire, and smoke. Security officials said the missile that impacted the central Tel Aviv location carried about 2,200 pounds of explosives, damaging buildings and vehicles. The warhead significantly damaged three buildings but caused no serious injuries because most residents took cover in a nearby bomb shelter.
• Missile parts also fell in Rosh Ha’ayin, east of Tel Aviv, causing damage without reported injuries.
• Lawmakers in the Knesset were forced to leave the wartime plenum chamber to take shelter after an early warning of an Iranian ballistic missile attack targeting Jerusalem and central Israel. The debate in the chamber was halted during the alert period, as legislators ran to shelters.
• On Sunday, Iran attempted to strike the joint U.K.–U.S. base at Diego Garcia with two ballistic missiles, but both failed to reach their target. One missile malfunctioned during flight, while the second was intercepted by a U.S. naval vessel, causing no damage. The attempted attack nonetheless marked a significant escalation, as the missiles traveled roughly 2,500 miles, far exceeding Iran’s previously declared self‑imposed range limit of 1,200 miles, a distance that would place large parts of Western Europe within potential strike range.
• Yesterday, Hezbollah fired a barrage of about 30 rockets toward the Haifa Bay area, with the military saying most were intercepted and there were no immediate reports of impacts in residential areas. Sirens sounded in Acre and the Krayot suburbs of Haifa, and eyewitnesses reported seeing multiple interceptions over the area. Magen David Adom said it did not receive reports of injuries from that barrage. Sirens also sounded in several towns near the Lebanon border amid a suspected drone attack.  Separately, sirens sounded in parts of the Western Galilee amid rocket fire from Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The War with Hezbollah

• Israel struck seven areas of Beirut’s southern suburbs overnight. The strikes followed an evacuation warning that had been reiterated for Beirut’s southern suburbs ahead of strikes on Hezbollah sites.
• Israel also carried out a series of airstrikes in recent days, targeting bridges over Lebanon’s Litani River. The first attack took place on March 13, when the Israeli Air Force struck the Zrariyeh (Zarieh) Bridge, which the IDF said Hezbollah had been using to move fighters, rockets, and equipment from northern to southern Lebanon
• The campaign has since expanded significantly, with Israeli strikes hitting multiple crossings, including the Qasmiyeh Bridge, a major artery linking southern Lebanon to the rest of the country, after Defense Minister Israel Katz publicly ordered the military to destroy all Litani River bridges used for Hezbollah activity. Israeli officials said the bridges were targeted to prevent Hezbollah from transporting weapons and operatives south of the Litani, an area Israel has long sought to keep free of the group’s military presence, and to disrupt supply routes ahead of an expanded ground campaign.
• Lebanese leaders condemned the strikes as a major escalation, warning that destroying the bridges would sever southern Lebanon from the rest of the country and could signal preparations for a deeper Israeli ground operation, while Israel framed the attacks as part of a broader effort to push Hezbollah forces northward and protect Israeli communities along the border.
• Public criticism of Hezbollah is reportedly increasing within Lebanon, including among members of the Shi’ite community, as more citizens openly question the group’s actions and the risks of operating within civilian areas amid ongoing fighting with Israel, according to a Lebanese affairs analyst who described the shift as “cracks in the fear mechanism.” While opposition remains limited and no large-scale protests have emerged, a growing number of voices—particularly on social media and in interviews—are expressing criticism that would have been rare in the past, with some of it now reaching local and international platforms.

Israel's Home Front

• Pre‑Passover day-camps were authorized to reopen in some cities, including Jerusalem and Haifa, after municipalities received special approval, with programs operating only in facilities with shelters or relocated to protected sites. Large parts of central Israel and higher‑risk regions remained under tighter restrictions, with full educational activity still suspended and public life operating on a reduced footing.
• Strict limits on all public and private gatherings—generally up to 50 people where shelters are available—remain in place.
• Air travel in and out of Israel tightened further in recent days as Ben Gurion Airport operated under sharply reduced capacity amid continued missile threats. Beginning yesterday, authorities limited airport activity to one landing and one takeoff per hour, with outbound flights capped at approx 50 passengers per plane, down from earlier limits, while inbound repatriation flights continued without passenger caps. Only Israeli carriers — El Al, Arkia, Israir, and Air Haifa — maintained limited operations, largely focused on repatriation and essential routes, as most foreign airlines extended suspensions, with major US and European carriers postponing returns until April, May, or later. Several airlines canceled large blocks of Passover‑period flights, and Israeli carriers warned that the restrictions effectively prevented normal commercial aviation, prompting some to shift operations to alternative hubs in Cyprus, Jordan, and Egypt.
• Since the start of Operation Roaring Lion, 4,834 people were injured, including 161 in moderate or severe condition and 243 treated for anxiety or psychological trauma. Close to 5,000 residents from around 40 municipalities were displaced from their homes and housed in hotels or community‑based accommodations.
• Home Front Command has re‑tightened civilian activity restrictions beginning March 22, returning several regions to a reduced‑activity status. Advance warning alerts were further limited, particularly at night, in an effort to reduce alert fatigue among civilians.
• The Education Ministry announced exam accommodations, including a 20% reduction in required material and 15% additional time for matriculation exams.
• As of March 22, nearly 5,000 displaced residents remained in hotels or community housing, while more than 800 people had returned home following completion of repairs. Property damage and displacement since mid‑March affected communities, including Dimona, Arad, Kiryat Shmona, Kfar Vradim, Nahariya, and the Modi’in region.
• Population Authority data showed that since the start of the operation, approximately 143,000 Israelis entered Israel and about 102,500 left, with a shift over the past week in which departures exceeded arrivals.

War Costs

• According to the Taub Center for Social Policy, the cumulative cost of Israel’s fighting with Iran — covering the April 2024 missile attack, Operation Rising Lion in June 2025, and the current war — was driven by three main components: direct military spending, lost economic output, and property damage.
• Direct military costs, including interceptor missiles, munitions, flight hours, and reserve duty, totaled an estimated $1.1–$1.35 billion during the 2024 missile attack and about $5.4 billion during Operation Rising Lion, roughly 1% of annual GDP.
• In the current conflict, the IDF carried out more than 4,200 sorties and deployed over 10,000 munitions within two weeks, compared with 1,500 sorties and 3,700 munitions during Rising Lion, with overall direct war costs now expected to reach approximately $8.1 billion. The government approved an emergency $700 million allocation, an additional $8.6 billion for the 2026 defense budget, and a special reserve of $3.5 billion, funding that required a 3% across‑the‑board cut to civilian ministries — including $50 million from education, $38 million from health, $24 million from welfare, and $160 million from transportation — while raising the deficit ceiling from 3.9% to 5.1% of GDP, adding roughly $270 million a year in interest payments.
• Lost economic output formed the second major cost. During earlier crises, nearly 1 million workers were absent from the labor force, contributing to a 5% GDP contraction instead of expected growth. The 12 days of Operation Rising Lion led to the absence of about 500,000 workers and a 2% quarterly GDP loss. The Finance Ministry estimated that the first week of Operation Roaring Lion alone cost about $2.4 billion, including roughly $270 million from the shutdown of the education system. With the emergency continuing and the education system operating only partially, similar losses were expected to recur on a weekly basis.
• The economic impact was expected to intensify further as reserve mobilization expanded from 260,000 troops toward a potential record 450,000, representing nearly the full reserve force.
• The third major cost component was property damage. After Operation Rising Lion, nearly 50,000 compensation claims were filed, with total damage estimated at $1.35–$2.7 billion. In the current war, damage appeared lower so far, with about 13,000 claims submitted to the Property Tax Authority, indicating reduced — though still significant — destruction to civilian property and infrastructure.

Global and Diplomatic Developments

• President Trump suggested that a diplomatic resolution could involve political change in Tehran, indicating that the United States was open to the emergence of a new Iranian leadership as part of ending the war. Speaking after announcing the pause on strikes against Iran’s power plants, Trump said that if talks succeeded, the outcome could include a “very serious form of regime change.” Several reports noted that Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, was the Iranian official in touch with the United States, and being considered as a possible new ruler. The Speaker explicitly denied that any negotiations were taking place and accused Washington of using “fake news” to manipulate oil and financial markets.
• Israeli officials said the chances of a US‑Iran agreement remained very small, despite President Trump’s public comments about progress, citing wide gaps over both US and Iranian demands. According to officials and sources involved in mediation, Washington continued to insist on limits to Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs and guarantees of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran demanded American compensation and binding assurances that the US would take no further military action.
• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for an immediate end to hostilities in the Middle East, and said a negotiated solution was of “utmost importance.” Speaking in Canberra alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, she said the situation was critical for global energy supply chains and that societies were already feeling knock-on effects in gas and oil prices.

The Region

• A US strike in western Iraq hit a base in Anbar province tied to the Iranian proxy, Popular Mobilization Forces, killing seven fighters and wounding 13.
• Iran expanded its campaign against Gulf states with missile and drone attacks across the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, striking airports, energy infrastructure, and residential areas aligned with US interests.
• In the UAE, Iranian drones and missiles caused damage at Dubai International Airport and ignited fires near hotels and industrial zones, while Abu Dhabi temporarily shut its Ruwais refinery following drone impacts.
• Bahrain reported missiles and drones hitting Manama, including a residential building, which killed one woman and wounded several others, while Saudi Arabia and Kuwait said their air defenses intercepted multiple incoming missiles and drones aimed at oil facilities and military sites.
• Iran also targeted regional shipping and energy routes, with multiple commercial vessels struck or damaged in the Persian Gulf and near the Strait of Hormuz. At least three merchant ships from Thailand, Japan, and the Marshall Islands were hit by projectiles or drones north of Oman and off the UAE coast, prompting warnings from maritime security authorities and raising insurance and shipping risks. Iranian officials publicly threatened to halt oil exports from the Gulf entirely, saying vessels linked to the US, Israel, or their partners would be treated as legitimate targets.
• Iran launched missiles at US‑linked military bases and civilian sites in Kuwait, the UAE, Bahrain, and Iraq, while also firing toward Saudi Arabia’s eastern region and the Al‑Kharj area near Riyadh. Kuwaiti authorities confirmed strikes near the Ali Al‑Salem Air Base, while Bahrain reported damage to hotels and residential buildings in Manama. In Iraq, Iran also struck Kurdish opposition targets, warning Baghdad’s Kurdish regional government against hosting hostile forces near the Iranian border.

Jewish Federations and Partners

Some Jewish Federations partner updates:

The Jewish Agency for Israel

• Through the Jewish Agency’s Roaring Lion Fund, emergency grant-making continued to expand, with approximately $900,000 allocated. A total of 749 grants were approved, and an additional 505 grant applications remained in process.
• The Agency’s subsidiary, Amigour, continued to address immediate food insecurity by distributing 11,204 food baskets to affected individuals and households. Shelter infrastructure support was also advanced, through ongoing renovation of protected spaces, with 80 public shelters completed and an additional 85 shelter renovations in process through Amigour.
• Jewish Agency–supported volunteers maintained large‑scale community volunteering efforts, with 420 participants from young adult and teen programs active nationwide. Volunteers included university students, Shinshinim, and mechinot participants assisting in absorption centers with children’s educational continuity, supporting Holocaust survivors with shopping and online engagement, conducting cleanup at missile impact sites, and providing agricultural support.
• Watch this new Jewish Agency video showing Jews across the world standing with Israel right now.

The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC)

• To address heightened vulnerability, JDC expanded community‑based casework services, deploying staff to locate and support seniors and people with disabilities affected by displacement and isolation, and to connect them with social services. The scale of need exceeded the initially planned five cities, requiring program expansion to additional municipalities.
• JDC increased frontline welfare capacity in northern communities, deploying nine community caseworkers to Zarzir, Ma’ale Yosef, Mateh Asher, and Hatzor HaGlilit, with four additional caseworkers approved for rapid deployment. The program provided individualized support to older adults, people with disabilities, and at‑risk residents navigating displacement, service access, and continuity of care.
• JDC launched housing stabilization support for displaced families through its “All the Way Home” program in Beit Shemesh, assisting 60 highly vulnerable families over a seven‑month period in partnership with the municipal welfare department. This expanded ongoing emergency housing support for an additional 60 families in Be’er Sheva affected by the war.
• Following a direct missile strike in the Arab-Israeli town of Zarzir, JDC implemented a comprehensive emergency response in the highly vulnerable community, supporting residents displaced from damaged homes with essential supplies, rescue equipment, caseworkers, and first‑responder training.
• Through its Mashiv HaRuach (Frontline Cities) initiative, JDC delivered targeted community support across northern municipalities, including emergency assistance to families whose homes were hit in Nahariya, shelter‑based respite and childcare programming in Nahariya and Karmiel, and tailored activities for children, families, and homebound older adults in Ma’alot‑Tarshiha.
• Ahead of Passover, JDC distributed emergency shelter activity kits across northern Israel, with 200 kits planned and 70 already delivered, supporting children, older adults, and people with special needs during prolonged shelter stays.

Early Starters International

• Early Starters International is a Jewish Federation-supported, early‑childhood organization focused on children ages 0–6 and their caregivers, specializing in trauma‑informed, mobile interventions in crisis settings. It operates rapid‑deployment models like “Early on Wheels” to bring developmental, emotional, and caregiver support directly into evacuation sites and affected communities during emergencies.
• During Operation Roaring Lion, Early Starters International built on prior philanthropic investment to rapidly deploy mobile early-childhood response programs, providing support to displaced children and their families. Using established field teams, partnerships, and the “Early on Wheels” model, the organization created safe, structured environments in evacuation settings and affected communities. Earlier funding enabled immediate scale-up—trained staff, mobile equipment, and coordinated service delivery with local authorities—so young children received consistent emotional stabilization and developmental support during acute disruption, while caregivers gained practical tools to manage stress and maintain routines.

Jewish Federations continue to monitor the situation on the ground very closely and will report as needed.