LTV News Flash – July 13, 2026

Welcome back to ILTV on the hour. I'm Lidar Lazi coming to you live from Israel with all of the recent updates from out of the region. Here are the latest developments. The military confrontation between the United States and Iran continues as American forces launched a new round of strikes on Iranian military targets early this morning. And the Islamic regime responded Monday with missile fire towards Gulf and Arab states, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and even Jordan. The U.S. military says it carried out a fresh wave of precision strikes across southern Iran, targeting air defense systems, missile and drone sites, radar installations, Revolutionary Guard naval assets and other military infrastructure. Central Command said the operation was designed to degrade Iran's ability to attack commercial shipping, stressing that Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz, and that U.S. forces will continue to ensure freedom of navigation through the strategic waterway. The strikes followed Iran's attack on a commercial container ship in the strait, in which was set ablaze, leaving one crew member missing. Over the weekend, Tehran also launched missiles towards U.S. military facilities in the Gulf region, including targets in Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan and Kuwait. President Donald Trump said the United States had hit them hard, adding that Iran had agreed to a diplomatic understanding before reversing course. Tehran condemned the latest U.S. strikes, saying they have rendered futile months of diplomatic efforts and accused Washington of destabilizing the region. For now, Israel has remained out of the direct exchange of fire, but Iran has previously warned that if American strikes continue, Israel could also become a target as the regional crisis continues to deepen. And moving on to Gaza, where the U.S.-led International Stabilization Force for post-war Gaza is taking another step forward, with the arrival of the first Kosovo troops in Israel as preparations continue for a multinational security mission. A small delegation of Kosovo soldiers has arrived in Israel to join planning for the International Stabilization Force, which is expected to help maintain security in Gaza following the war. The Board of Peace, which is coordinating the U.S.-led effort, said the Kosovo contingent joins Moroccan personnel who arrived last month as the multinational force continues to take shape. Albania and Kazakhstan are also expected to contribute troops, though Israel must first complete the necessary legal and political arrangements before their deployment can move forward. Kosovo's defense minister called the mission a major milestone for his country, saying its NATO-trained security forces are ready to help promote stability, security and humanitarian efforts in Gaza. The Board of Peace is currently establishing a logistics hub in southern Israel to support the force, while a base inside Gaza has yet to be built. Officials say preparations are continuing as the international mission moves closer to deployment. And meanwhile, the IDF says it has destroyed a Hamas weapons production site in Gaza City that was being used to rebuild the terror group's military capabilities. According to the military, Hamas operatives had been manufacturing weapons components at the facility in violation of the ceasefire agreement. The IDF said the site was struck while several Hamas terrorists were inside, actively advancing and preparing terror attacks against Israeli troops and civilians. And separately, the IDF says it has eliminated two Hamas terrorists in separate precision airstrikes in the northern Gaza Strip after determining they posed an immediate threat to Israeli forces. And in other news, in politics, Israel will go to the polls on October 27, 2026, after the Knesset confirmed that the current government will complete its full four-year term before dissolving. Knesset legal adviser Sagida Fik announced that Parliament will formally dissolve this Friday, with the election date remaining as set by law. And that's all the time we have at this hour. I'm Lidar Lazi. Thanks for watching and see you here on ILTV every hour.