
Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-03-13 at 12:02
About this episode
Zarzir strike warhead intact civilians injured
Trump war strategy questioned amid Iran clash
Meet Yocheved Aliyah student balancing war life
The time is now 12:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
In Direct Israel-Iran Clashes, the Israeli military says the ballistic missile that struck Zarzir likely reached its target because the warhead remained intact after what the army describes as a successful interception. The IDF says the warhead apparently did not explode because the missile itself came apart on its own prior to being hit by an interceptor, resulting in the warhead hitting the northern town and injuring dozens of civilians. The military also noted that Iran has fired nine missiles at Israel over the past two days, a sharp drop from earlier in the war, and that such a lull could bring mobility relaxations as of Saturday night. On the offensive, the IDF says it has dropped more than 10,000 bombs during the conflict to date, and it says attacks are now being developed using real-time intelligence rather than being limited to pre-selected targets. In the north, the IDF is reinforcing the Lebanese front, moving the Paratroopers Brigade and elements of the 98th Division as part of the Northern Command buildup. The force buildup is part of broader efforts to strengthen border defences as the conflict extends.
More than 100 ambassadors and diplomats attended a UN security briefing, with the message that if Israel had not acted in time, Iran would have become the world’s largest missile power by 2027.
Another launch to central Israel is reported, underscoring that attacks against the country continue, even as other fronts show signs of pressure.
In US Military Role, a prominent opinion piece argues that Trump’s explanations for the war with Iran have shifted and offer few concrete answers. The author says the president has described his orders as driven by gut instinct, but there is no public evidence to confirm that rationale or determine whether the target was the United States or Israel. The piece notes ongoing disputes over war powers in Congress, reports of limited advance briefings, and a lack of formal constitutional authorization cited for the war. As the second week of fighting ends, the author contends that Trump has yet to spell out a clear strategy, goals, or an endgame, leaving allies and voters seeking a more durable justification for the conflict.
In Regional Impacts, UAE foreign ministry officials say Iran must halt attacks on its neighbors before mediation can proceed. Lana Nusseibeh, a senior UAE diplomat, says neighboring states were shocked by Iran’s attacks and stresses that diplomacy will only work once the guns go quiet. She expresses confidence that the war could end in a negotiated settlement and indicates mediation would require Tehran to stop firing first. Nusseibeh noted that Iranian officials gave no warning the UAE was a target when she visited Tehran for talks aimed at finding a diplomatic path two weeks before the latest hostilities, and she suggested that the tipping point for a diplomatic breakthrough will depend on Iran’s restraint.
In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, sirens sounded across central Israel as Iranian missiles were identified and intercepted. Shrapnel from an intercepted ballistic missile fell in central Israel, sparking a fire, with additional fragments reported in the Tel Aviv area. First responders were dispatched, and police reported no injuries at the central site, while Magen David Adom said it had not recorded casualties and had teams activated at multiple locations. Earlier in the day, Lebanon-based strikes wounded two people in northern Israel—one a 50-year-old woman with shrapnel wounds and the other a 60-year-old man hurt by the shockwave of an explosion. In total, about 58 people were reported wounded in the earlier rounds of the Iranian missile barrage, with firefighting teams responding along the affected zones.
In US Policy Concerning Israel, an opinion piece argues that the current debate over the war with Iran has shifted beyond battlefield tactics to whether the American public truly understands why the United States is fighting at all. The author contends that while a military strategy may exist, the narrative to sustain long-term public support has not been fully built. The piece recalls historical patterns of mobilizing a nation during large-scale conflicts and cautions that without a coherent explanation of aims, public backing could wane.
In Uplifting News, stories from the home front highlight the resilience of women who are sustaining families, communities, and institutions amid ongoing uncertainty from the Iran crisis. The feature follows women balancing work, motherhood, and national service while navigating daily life during wartime. One profile focuses on Yocheved, a 24-year-old law student at Bar-Ilan University who recently made aliyah and is navigating the disruption to her studies and plans as the conflict continues, illustrating the strength and perseverance shaping daily life across Israel.
Thank you for tuning in to this Israel Today: Ongoing War Report update.
I'm Noa Levi. Stay safe and informed.
Keep in mind that this AI-generated report may contain occasional inaccuracies, so consult multiple sources for a comprehensive view. Find the code and more details in the podcast description.
SOURCES
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-889868
https://t.me/JewishNews24/51191
https://t.me/beholdisraelchannel/72466
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-889676
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-889867
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-889869
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-889706
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-889763
Get every episode summarized
Each time Israel Today: Ongoing War Report publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.
Email me new episodesFree for 3 shows. No card needed.
Hosts & guests
Transcript ready
69 searchable segments. Every word is indexed and playable.
Full transcript
Israel Today: Ongoing War Report — Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-03-13 at 12:02. Machine-transcribed; use the interactive transcript above to jump the player to any line.
President Barack Obama. Virginia, we are counting on you. Republicans want to steal enough seats in Congress to raid the next election and wield unchecked power for two more years. But you can stop them by voting yes by April 21st. Help put our elections back on a level playing field and let voters decide not politicians. Vote yes by April 21st. Paid for by Virginians for fair elections. The time is now 12.01pm in New York. I'm Noah Levi and this is the latest Israel today, ongoing war report. In direct Israeli-Ran clashes, the Israeli military says the ballistic missile that struck Zazia likely reached its target because the warhead remained intact after what the army describes as a successful interception. The IDF says the warhead apparently did not
explode because the missile itself came apart on its own prior to being hit by an interceptor, resulting in the warhead hitting the northern town and injuring dozens of civilians. The military also noted that Iran has fired nine missiles at Israel over the past two days, a sharp drop from earlier in the war and that such a lull could bring mobility relaxations as of Saturday night. On the offensive, the IDF says it has dropped more than 10,000 bombs during the conflict to date, and it says attacks are now being developed using real-time intelligence rather than being limited to pre-selected targets. In the north, the IDF is reinforcing the Lebanese front, moving the paratroopers brigade and elements of the 98th division as part of the northern command buildup. The force buildup is part of broader efforts to strengthen border defenses as the conflict extends. More than 100 ambassadors and diplomats attended a UN security briefing, with the message that if Israel had not acted in time, Iran would have become the world's largest
missile power by 2027. Another launch to Central Israel is reported, underscoring that attacks against the country continue, even as other fronts show signs of pressure. In U.S. military role, a prominent opinion piece argues that Trump's explanations for the war with Iran have shifted and offer few concrete answers. The author says the president has described his orders as driven by gut instinct. But there is no public evidence to confirm that rationale or determine whether the target was the United States or Israel. The piece notes ongoing disputes over war powers in Congress, reports of limited advanced briefings, and a lack of formal constitutional authorisation cited for the war. As the second week of fighting ends, the author contends that Trump has yet to spell out a clear strategy, goals, or an endgame, leaving allies and voters seeking a more durable justification for the conflict. In regional impacts, UAE foreign ministry officials say Iran must halt attacks on its neighbours before mediation can proceed. Lana Nussebe, a senior UAE diplomat,
says neighbouring states were shocked by Iran's attacks and stresses that diplomacy will only work once the guns go quiet. She expresses confidence that the war could end in a negotiated settlement, and indicates mediation would require Tehran to stop firing first. Nussebe noted that Iranian officials gave no warning the UAE was a target when she visited Tehran for talks aimed finding a diplomatic path two weeks before the latest hostilities. And she suggested that the tipping point for a diplomatic breakthrough will depend on Iran's restraint. In the conflict with Iran and its regional proxies, Sirens sounded across central Israel as Iranian missiles were identified and intercepted. Shrapnel from an intercepted ballistic missile fell in central Israel, sparking a fire, with additional fragments reported in the Tel Aviv area. First responders were dispatched, and police reported no injuries at the central site. While Major David Adom said it had not recorded casualties, and had teams activated at multiple locations. Earlier in the day,
Lebanon-based strikes wounded two people in northern Israel. One a 50-year-old woman with Shrapnel wounds, and the other a 60-year-old man hurt by the shockwave of an explosion. In total, about 58 people were reported wounded in the earlier rounds of the Iranian missile barrage, with firefighting teams responding along the affected zones. In U.S. policy concerning Israel, an opinion piece argues that the current debate over the war with Iran has shifted beyond battlefield tactics to whether the American public truly understands why the United States is fighting at all. The author contends that while a military strategy may exist, the narrative to sustain long-term public support has not been fully built. The piece recalls historical patterns of mobilizing a nation during large-scale conflicts and cautions that without a coherent explanation of aims, public backing could wane. In uplifting news, stories from the home front highlight the resilience of women who are sustaining families, communities, and institutions amid ongoing uncertainty
from the Iran crisis. The feature follows women balancing work, motherhood, and national service while navigating daily life during wartime. One profile focuses on Yoshevd, a 24-year-old law student at Baril and University who recently made a lea and is navigating the disruption to her studies and plans as the conflict continues, illustrating the strength and perseverance shaping daily life across Israel. Thank you for tuning into this Israel today, ongoing war report update. I'm Noah Levi. Stay safe and informed. Keep in mind that this AI-generated report may contain occasional inaccuracies, so consult multiple sources for a comprehensive view. Find the code and more details in the podcast description. Forget everything you had planned for this weekend because you are sitting on your couch and winning from the comfort of your own home. I'm here with SpinQuest where you could play
hundreds of slot games, all of the table games you love, and you could even win real cash prizes. New users, $30 coin packs are on sale for 10 at SpinQuest.com. SpinQuest is a free-to-play social casino. Boydware prohibited. Visit SpinQuest.com for more details. President Barack Obama. Virginia, we are counting on you. Republicans want to steal enough seats in Congress to raid the next election and wield unchecked power for two more years, but you can stop them by voting yes by April 21st. Help put our elections back on a level playing field and let voters decide not politicians. Vote yes by April 21st.
More episodes
More from Israel Today: Ongoing War Report

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - September 7, 2026, 02 PM Eastern
Israel Today: Ongoing War Report

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - September 7, 2026, 01 PM Eastern
Israel Today: Ongoing War Report

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - September 7, 2026, 12 PM Eastern
Israel Today: Ongoing War Report

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - September 7, 2026, 11 AM Eastern
Israel Today: Ongoing War Report