Israel-Iran War Day 35
April 03, 2026
3 minutes ago
IDF cannot disarm Hezbollah, which would require Lebanon takeover, officials say
Haaretz
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Israel-Iran War Day 35
April 03, 2026
3 minutes ago
A missile barrage from Iran struck northern Israel, wounding one person lightly in Kiryat Ata and causing damage in the area, authorities said.
At least six impact sites were identified in Haifa and Kiryat Ata following the barrage, which the military said included several missiles, among them a cluster munition.
Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said a man in his 70s was lightly wounded in Kiryat Ata. Several vehicles caught fire and a building was damaged, it said.
In Haifa, a road was damaged in the strikes.
IDF officials said they would be unable to disarm Hezbollah, as doing so would require occupying all of Lebanon, adding that only the Lebanese state could disarm the group.
In the coming days, the IDF plans to present the political leadership with a proposal to establish a "security zone" in southern Lebanon, reaching 2–3 kilometers from the Israeli border. Under the plan, no military outposts would be built in the area, and most civilians living in its villages would be evacuated to prevent friction between troops and the civilian population.
The officials added that a potential cease-fire in Iran should not be linked to a halt in fighting in Lebanon, which is expected to persist. The military aims to ensure that Hezbollah operatives do not return to villages within the security zone. It remains unclear whether the army plans to completely demolish all homes in the area or allow residents to return at a later stage.
The military estimates that Hezbollah still possesses several thousand rockets, mostly short-range. So far, the IDF says, few operatives have been seen in the villages closest to the border, but infrastructure used by the group and weapons have been found. Some of these were not uncovered throughout the war in Lebanon that began in late 2023, while others were added later, indicating Hezbollah's efforts to rebuild.
Two men from the ultra-Orthodox West Bank city of Modi'in Ilit have been charged with filming the home of a senior reserve officer for Iranian agents, according to an indictment.
The defendants, Israel Levkovich, 20, and Orel Makitan, 25, are accused of recording footage of the home of a lieutenant colonel in the reserves. In addition, the two are charged with documenting travel routes to various cities in Israel, as well as a route leading to the district court in Lod.
Levkovich and Makitan are suspected of providing their handlers with a photo of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and giving them false information about the image.
In return, the indictment said, the two received more than $1,000, which was transferred to their digital wallets.
Prosecutors said in a detention request that the defendants were aware the foreign agents were hostile to Israel.
2 hours ago
Israel's Health Ministry said that 6,594 wounded people have been evacuated to hospitals since the start of the war, with 125 currently hospitalized.
Of those hospitalized, two are in critical condition, 14 are in serious condition, 24 are in moderate condition and 79 are lightly wounded, according to the statement.
The ministry added that 148 wounded people were admitted to hospitals over the past 24 hours, including four in moderate condition and 108 in light condition.
An Israeli drone manufacturer said Friday that an Iranian missile strike caused significant damage to its manufacturing facility in Petah Tikva, central Israel.
Veloryx, which operates in the homeland security sector, said it is assessing the extent of the impact on its subsidiary Aerosol's operations.
Aerosol develops, manufactures and operates drone systems for defense and government clients in Israel and abroad. According to the company, its annual revenue ranges between 15 million and 20 million shekels ($4.7 million to $6.3 million).
Veloryx, formerly known as Aquarius, recently signed an agreement to acquire a controlling stake in Aerosol for 35 million shekels ($11.1 million). Its stock has risen 133% since the start of the year and 75% since the beginning of the war.
Iran on Friday said it shot down an F-35 fighter jet. A statement by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran's elite military force, said the fighter jet was shot down over Iranian airspace by a new, advanced defence system.
There was no initial confirmation of the incident from the United States, which has been waging war against Iran alongside Israel since February 28.
The IRGC said the F-35 was the second to have been shot down.
"Due to the complete destruction of the aircraft, there is no information regarding the fate of the pilot," the statement said. It is unlikely that the pilot survived, the IRGC said.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has recently dismissed Iranian reports of successful takedowns of US fighter jets.
On Thursday, the command denied that one of its planes was shot down over the Iranian island of Qeshm in the south of the country. The F-35 jet, manufactured by the US company Lockheed Martin, is one of the most advanced fighter aircraft in the world.
There have been no confirmed cases to date of an F-35 being shot down in an armed conflict.
4 hours ago
The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) said it had closed the Mina al-Ahmadi after it was struck in a drone attack early Friday. The facility is one of the most important oil refineries in the country and in the entire Gulf region.
Fires broke out at the facility following the strike, no injuries were reported,
the refinery, KUNA, the state news agency, reported, citing KPC.
Mina al-Ahmadi was temporarily shut down two weeks ago after being targeted by attacks.
Israel's Channel 12 reported that there were at least 10 sites being investigated by emergency services.
The IDF is expected to finish taking control of territory eight to 10 km from the border within the next week, in a move that would diminish Hezbollah's firing capabilities.
CNN's sources, after reviewing the US intelligence assessment, determined that Trump's two-or three-week prediction for ending the war was wholly unrealistic.
Debris from intercepted threat hits Abu Dhabi gas facility Debris from an intercepted aerial threat struck gas facilities in Abu Dhabi’s Habshan area, forcing a temporary halt to operations and sparking a fire, authorities said. The Abu D