Overview

• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu compared the second postponement of his son Avner’s wedding to the sacrifices of war, invoking Britain’s WWII Blitz and calling his wife a ‘hero’.
• His remarks at a missile-damaged Soroka Hospital drew sharp criticism from hostage families and Knesset members who accused him of being tone-deaf and called him a ‘borderless narcissist’.
• Since June 13, Israel has carried out surprise airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear and military sites, prompting Iranian missile and drone reprisals against Israeli cities.
• The exchanges have killed at least 24 Israeli civilians and more than 263 Iranian civilians, with dozens injured in hospital and infrastructure strikes.
• The White House said President Trump will decide within two weeks whether to provide direct US military support to Israel.