I’m writing to share important updates from the region as well as J Street’s statements and resources from this past week. As a reminder, you can always find our most recent statements here.

There will be no news digest next Friday in observance of Passover. We’ll be back in your inbox on April 10. I invite you to reach out to your J Street Public Affairs staff with any questions.

All the best,
Lily

—
Lily Adelstein
She/Her
Deputy Director of Government Affairs, J Street
Cell: 202-699-2701

This week on j street

Statement

Joint Statement by J Street and the Muslim Public Affairs Council On Rejecting Antisemitism and Islamophobia – and Ending Endless Wars

Word on the Street LIVE

Former Nuclear Negotiator & Pentagon War Planner Weighs in on War with Iran

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Word on the Street: Jeremy Ben-Ami

Is It Possible to Talk Honestly About This War Without Feeding Antisemitism?

Word on the Street

Stacey Abrams on How We Take Back Power

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Expert Analysis

The Hezbollah Front of the Iran War and Potential Israel-Lebanon Talks

U.S. Can Only Confirm About Third of Iran’s Missile Arsenal Destroyed

The United States can only determine with certainty that it has destroyed about a third of Iran’s vast missile ‌arsenal as the U.S. and Israeli war on the country nears its one-month mark, according to five people familiar with the U.S. intelligence…The assessment, which has not been previously reported, shows that while most of Iran’s missiles are either destroyed or inaccessible, Tehran still has a significant missile inventory and may be able to recover some buried or damaged missiles once fighting stops. The intelligence stands in contrast to President Donald Trump’s public remarks on Thursday that Iran had “very few rockets left”.

Pentagon prepares for massive “final blow” of Iran war

The Pentagon is developing military options for a “final blow” in Iran that could include the use of ground forces and a massive bombing campaign, according to two U.S. officials and two sources with knowledge. Why it matters: A dramatic military escalation will grow more likely if no progress is made in diplomatic talks and, in particular, if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. Some U.S. officials think a crushing show of force to conclude the fighting would create more leverage in peace talks or simply give Trump something to point to and declare victory. Between the lines: Iran also has a say in how the war ends, and many of the scenarios under discussion would risk prolonging and intensifying the fight rather than bringing it to a dramatic conclusion.

Israel Plans to Control Large Parts of Southern Lebanon, Defense Minister Says

Israel’s defense minister said on Tuesday that the country’s military plans to expand the territory under its control in southern Lebanon, suggesting it was ramping up its ground offensive against the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah. In a statement, the minister, Israel Katz, said Israel will retain control of the territory south of the Litani River, which runs a few miles from the Israeli-Lebanese border at its closest point and is 15 to 20 miles away at its farthest. The river has long served as a geographic boundary in conflicts between Israel and Hezbollah.

Sidelined by War With Iran, Gaza Residents Remain in Limbo

As the effects of the American and Israeli war with Iran rippled across the Middle East, people in one corner of the region, Gaza, were feeling sidelined, stuck in a kind of limbo. The fighting has set back the already slow progress toward a more peaceful reality in postwar Gaza. Israel briefly closed all the crossings into Gaza. Now only one cargo crossing is operating. The sole crossing for people entering or leaving the territory — including patients seeking medical treatment abroad — was closed for nearly three weeks after the war with Iran broke out on Feb. 28. It reopened last week for limited numbers of passengers… The next stages of President Trump’s 20-point peace plan, which was endorsed by the U.N. Security Council, appear to have stalled. A committee of Palestinian technocrats meant to replace the Hamas administration has still not entered Gaza, and an international stabilization force intended to bring security has yet to materialize.

Palestinian Man Shot Dead, 14 Wounded in West Bank Settler Raids as Five New Outposts Established in One Night

A Palestinian resident of East Jerusalem was killed and 14 Palestinians were wounded in three separate settler attacks that occurred on Thursday following the establishment of five new outposts in the West Bank, four of them in Area A, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent… According to the NGO Kerem Navot, “Establishing four outposts in Area A is unprecedented by any measure, and shows the extent to which the State of Israel has lost control not only over settlers in the West Bank, but also over the army, the police and other authorities meant to enforce the law.”

Iran’s missiles pierce Israel’s defenses, raising doubts about interceptors

[F]aith in Israel’s state-of-the-art air defenses has been shaken. In incidents about three hours apart on Saturday night, Iranian missiles directly hit two civilian neighborhoods in Arad and Dimona, blowing out the windows of Azran’s home and many of his neighbors’. More than 115 people were injured, authorities said, including 11 seriously. Israel’s military has not explained what went wrong. The strikes have raised questions about whether Israel may be running short of interceptors and revived concerns that the military may need to conserve expensive interceptors to defend vital targets over a sustained period. Dimona, which is home to a sensitive nuclear facility, presumably ranks among those vital targets.

32 Outposts, 10 Miles of Ground Barrier: IDF Builds New Border Line Inside Gaza. Here’s How It Looks

The separation line between the Israel Defense Forces and Hamas in the Gaza Strip – the Yellow Line – is becoming entrenched as a physical border. In recent months, the IDF has established new outposts along the line, carrying out infrastructure work and transferring equipment and facilities, according to an analysis of recent satellite images. At the same time, the army is implementing a large-scale engineering project: constructing a ground barrier stretching for many kilometers along the line. The separation line leaves more than half of the Strip in IDF hands, and there is currently no detailed mechanism regulating a withdrawal from it.

Opinion | Israel cannot live securely on force alone

“As Israel and the U.S. wage an all‑out air war against Iran, many are already questioning whether this conflict was wise, and whether it will truly topple the Iranian regime or stabilize the Middle East. After more than 25 years in Israel Defense Forces field command and staff roles, I am not shy about the imperative of power. But I also know that force alone cannot give Israelis the peace and security they deserve. And furthermore, that overreliance on force is likely to provide less — not more — security.”

Opinion | America Has No Good Options in Iran

“Three weeks into the joint U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, the outlines of a familiar and dangerous pattern are emerging. The current conflict may for now be significantly different than American wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, or Vietnam—it has not yet drawn in U.S. ground forces in great numbers. But the Iran war shares a deeper strategic reality with these predecessors. Washington is once again fighting a weaker regional power without having clear objectives, a defined theory of victory, and a viable exit strategy.”

J STREET GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS NEWS DIGEST | March 27, 2026