Israeli security forces have located a man who was reported missing after voluntarily entering a Palestinian village in northern Judea and Samaria, according to a joint statement issued by police, the military, the Shin Bet and the Israel Prison Service.

The man, a 53-year-old resident of the northern settlement of Ariel, was found safe, security officials said.

Authorities did not disclose which Palestinian village the man had entered or where he was ultimately located.

Security forces from the various agencies began searching for the man overnight, according to an earlier statement. Police said the operation included a police helicopter as well as Metzada, the Israel Prison Service’s elite unit.

Meanwhile, WAFA, the Palestinian Authority’s official news agency, reported that Israeli forces entered the towns of Kifl Haris and Qira on Thursday morning. Both towns are located near Salfit, a larger Palestinian city situated adjacent to Ariel.

According to WAFA, Israeli forces deployed across several areas of the two towns while surveillance drones operated overhead.

The circumstances surrounding the man’s disappearance and his subsequent discovery were not immediately detailed by the security services.

Iran-aligned Houthi forces have seized the strategic Yemeni port city of Mocha, moving the group closer to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and potentially strengthening its ability to threaten one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes. The takeover came as Saudi-backed Yemeni forces reported advances in other parts of the country.

Houthi forces entered Mocha, a Red Sea port located less than 50 miles from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, after government troops withdrew from the area overnight. The development followed claims by Saudi-backed Yemeni forces on Wednesday that they had achieved major battlefield successes across northern and central desert regions and had breached Houthi defensive positions.

However, the apparent government advances in the desert may have masked a broader strategic shift. Rather than attempting to hold exposed desert territory, the Houthis appear to have repositioned their forces toward the more strategically important western coastline. By Thursday morning, Houthi fighters had taken control of Mocha after government forces withdrew in large numbers, effectively trading desert territory for a coastal position that could give the group greater leverage over shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb and additional means of pressuring Saudi Arabia.

A former Yemeni military official told i24NEWS that government claims of progress in the desert were “actually a cover for their losses on the coastline.” “It’s really bad,” he said, arguing that reversing the situation would require greater Saudi involvement and the activation of the Mecca Accord, potentially bringing Turkey and Pakistan into the conflict.

The latest escalation comes as the prospect of a renewed full-scale confrontation between the Houthis and Saudi-backed forces grows, raising fresh concerns that Yemen’s fragile UN-brokered truce, which has largely held since 2022, could collapse.

Known as the “Gate of Tears,” the Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a crucial maritime corridor connecting the Gulf region with the Mediterranean and Asian markets and carries significant volumes of crude oil and fuel. Houthi control or influence along the coast could threaten the shipping routes used by Gulf energy producers such as Saudi Arabia, potentially adding to disruptions caused by Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The Houthis claimed Wednesday that Saudi airstrikes targeted Jawaf, Marib, Saada, Taiz and al-Hodeidah provinces, although Saudi authorities did not confirm the reported strikes.

Saudi civil defense authorities announced an all-clear Thursday following a fourth emergency alert within 24 hours in Khamis Mushait. The Saudi-led coalition said Houthi attacks on Tuesday wounded at least 73 people across four southern Saudi cities, marking one of the most significant Houthi attacks since the US-Israeli war on Iran began in February.

The Trump administration is preparing to issue $500 rebate payments to as many as 1 million Americans who officials say were charged too much for their Obamacare coverage, according to Axios.

The payments are expected to be delivered by direct deposit to eligible recipients across 30 states before the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The administration intends to highlight the rebates alongside savings it says are coming from Trump’s tax-cut legislation and prescription drug plan.

The initiative also reflects a broader element of Trump’s approach to reshaping the health care system: providing financial assistance directly to Americans to help cover insurance costs rather than directing those dollars to health insurers. Trump is also expected to discuss the rebates during a Wednesday night speech at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas.

According to administration officials, the rebate program would draw on approximately $500 million in excess fees that were paid by Affordable Care Act recipients who were allegedly overcharged by insurers during the Biden administration. Officials say the excess money was subsequently returned to the government.

“That money was over-collected and just sitting there” a U.S. official told Axios.

Administration officials say the refunds would be available to Obamacare enrollees who do not receive premium assistance through the program.

Officials specifically identified Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Delaware, New Hampshire, Texas, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Michigan, Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri as states with relatively large populations of people expected to qualify for refunds.

The planned payments represent a new use of Obamacare by Trump, who unsuccessfully sought to repeal the law during his first presidential term. The administration now intends to use the program as part of its broader health care agenda while seeking to navigate a difficult midterm election environment shaped by voter concerns about high prices and the war in Iran.

The money has a longer policy history. In 2023, the Biden administration proposed directing fees from the same fund toward providing no-cost contraception for people with ACA insurance plans that did not include contraceptive coverage.

Republicans in Congress opposed that proposal, arguing that the fees were intended to maintain the Obamacare exchanges and that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services did not have the authority to redirect the funds to another purpose. The Biden administration eventually withdrew the proposal.

Following the 2024 election, some Republican congressional policy staffers who had opposed the Biden administration’s contraception proposal joined the Trump administration.

The Trump administration subsequently lowered some of the fees in an effort to reduce premiums. Officials said the administration then determined that a substantial amount of money remained available for a rebate program as Trump began advancing a new health care proposal.

“It’s time for Congress to pass President Trump’s Great Healthcare Plan, which will finally begin prioritizing people instead of insurance company profits by sending billions in taxpayer-funded health care dollars directly to Americans to help them better afford health coverage and care,” a U.S. official said.

Belaaz has learned that more than 100 yeshiva bochurim subject to the draft and classified as ‘IDF deserters’ were arrested while attempting to travel to Uman for Rosh Hashanah. Most were arrested at Ben Gurion Airport.

This week alone, the peak travel period for Uman, 60 yeshiva-bochurim have been arrested and transferred to Prison 10, the official military prison.

Breslov rabbanim had instructed yeshiva students at risk of arrest not to travel to Uman this year, but a significant number went anyway.

According to IDF estimates, hundreds succeeded in leaving Israel via indirect routes. The army plans to arrest them upon their return after Rosh Hashanah.

Jewish leaders describe heightened anxiety over antisemitism and security threats while urging Jewish communities to remain united during the Yamim Noraim

As Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur approach, Jewish congregations throughout the United States are prepare amid a backdrop of heightened concern about antisemitism and growing disagreements within the Jewish community. Rabbis say many worshippers are uneasy about their safety and increasingly divided over Israel, but they are also seeking to preserve the spiritual significance and traditions of the season.

“Jews feel extremely precarious right now,” said David Ingber, founder and spiritual leader of Romemu in New York City.

Ingber said a significant portion of his congregation is politically liberal and critical of Israeli policies, including its conduct in Gaza. At the same time, he said, many are deeply troubled by increasingly forceful claims that Israel should not exist as a Jewish state.

“Most of us see Israel as an ancestral homeland,” he said. “What’s disconcerting, we’re being told our own sense of history is illegitimate.”

Ingber said the anxiety is being compounded by antisemitic and anti-Israel rhetoric emerging from the political right, alongside longstanding anti-Zionist positions among portions of the political left. Taken together, he described the current environment as exceptionally troubling.

“it is the worst uptick of antisemitism we’ve seen in my lifetime.”

“There’s a sense of absolute vulnerability,” he added. “We’re not sure where we belong.”

Preparing for threats during the Yom Tovim

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins at sundown Friday and continues through nightfall Sunday. Yom Kippur follows a week later and is regarded as the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. This year, Yom Kippur begins at sunset on September 20 and ends after nightfall on September 21.

With large numbers of Jews expected to gather in synagogues, the Secure Community Network has expanded its efforts to help Jewish institutions prepare for possible attacks. The organization, which advises Jewish communities across North America on security, has conducted webinars and in-person training focused on responding to active threats.

“Hope is not a strategy,” said Michael Masters, the SCN’s national director and CEO. “It’s about preparation, training individual members of the community, getting everyone engaged.”

Masters said protecting Jewish institutions has become increasingly complicated because threats are coming from a broader range of domestic and international actors. Those identified by security officials include Iranian proxies as well as white supremacists operating in the United States.

“People are looking for who is the enemy, and it’s not an easy answer who’s behind the increase of anti-religion hate crime,” he said.

Several violent incidents targeting Jewish institutions or communities have occurred in the United States this year. They include an August attack at a Manhattan synagogue, a March vehicle-ramming incident at a temple in West Bloomfield, Michigan, and a January synagogue arson attack in Jackson, Mississippi.

Israel debate adds another layer of tension

While Jewish leaders from across the political spectrum have condemned attacks against Jews, disagreements over Israel and the wars in the Middle East continue to divide American Jewish communities. A recent survey conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that roughly three in 10 US Jews believe Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians.

Israel has rejected allegations that it is committing genocide in Gaza. Israeli officials maintain that the military seeks to reduce civilian casualties and argue that Hamas places civilians at risk by operating in populated locations and using sites such as homes, hospitals, mosques and schools.

Intra-Jewish divisions are a major concern

Masters said developments in the Middle East can influence the security situation facing Jewish communities in the United States.

“But more broadly, the community understands this threat is the continuation of well over 3,500 years of threat,” he added. “It’s fundamentally about hatred of the Jewish community.”

Masters also pointed to attacks against Christian churches as evidence that religious institutions beyond the Jewish community are facing security concerns. He said that shared vulnerability could create opportunities for different faith communities to cooperate.

He likewise suggested that security efforts could help bridge some of the divisions among American Jewish denominations.

“Our adversaries do not distinguish between Orthodox, Reform, Conservative,” he said. “We would be very wise to understand that as a community we are strongest when we stand as one.”

Ingber said the Jewish community must find ways to remain connected despite major disagreements over Israel and other issues.

“We should create a space to hold differences, to be together with all of our differences,” he said. “There is a grave danger of schism around the Jewish people and its relation to the State of Israel. It’s being weaponized.

“Rabbis will have to try to speak into this space,” he added. “You don’t want to get up in the High Holy Days and speak of division.”

Jewish groups seek $1 billion for security

With the High Holy Days approaching, major Jewish organizations are urging Congress to substantially increase federal security assistance for religious institutions and other nonprofit organizations. They are calling for $1 billion in funding three times the current level to help organizations strengthen their physical security.

Nathan Diament, executive director of the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center, is among those supporting the increase. The center represents the country’s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization.

Writing for Jewish News Service, Diament noted that annual funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program has risen from $10 million in 2004 to $300 million in 2026. Despite that increase, however, he argued that available funding remains far below demand. Last year, only about 20% of more than 8,000 nonprofit applicants received grants.

“With the High Holy Days around the corner, millions of American Jews will attend synagogue with a sense of trepidation… because sitting in synagogues for hours at a time makes us think about the attacks that have occurred.”

For Jewish communities preparing to observe some of the year’s most important religious days, the challenge is therefore twofold: maintaining the openness and spiritual character of synagogue life while confronting an increasingly complicated security environment and profound disagreements over Israel.

Despite those pressures, rabbis and Jewish security officials say preparation, community cooperation and a willingness to remain connected across political and denominational differences will be essential as congregations gather for the High Holy Days.

Military says Palestinian Authority officers exceeded their jurisdiction after establishing a roadblock in Area C and detaining an armed Israeli reservist

The Israeli military said Wednesday that it had detained three Palestinian Authority police officers accused of unlawfully establishing a roadblock in Area C of Judea and Samaria, where they allegedly detained and assaulted an Israeli reservist who was off duty.

The incident occurred on August 23, when the Israeli man, a resident of a Judea and Samaria settlement who was carrying a weapon, was stopped by Palestinian Authority officers on a road near the Palestinian town of Beitunia. The officers allegedly assaulted him during the encounter.

“They broke my glasses and phone and took the car key. They also took my weapon, forced me out of the car, and beat me,” the reservist told the Ynet news site after the incident.

According to the reservist, the Palestinian officers placed him in their patrol vehicle and drove in the direction of Ramallah. During the journey, they permitted him to speak by phone with an Israeli Civil Administration officer. He was subsequently transferred to Israeli forces.

The military said the roadblock had been established in Area C, a portion of Judea and Samaria that is designated under full Israeli civil and security control.

The Israel Defense Forces said the Palestinian Authority officers had “overstepped their authority to operate in these areas,” while Israeli security officials “described the incident as a serious overreach by the [PA] security forces, endangering the life of the Israeli civilian and using aggressive and severe force against him.”

The IDF said the three Palestinian officers were detained this week because of their alleged involvement in both the roadblock and the assault. The officers were being questioned by the Shin Bet, according to the military.

“The IDF maintains security coordination in accordance with the directive of the political leadership. At the same time, the IDF will not tolerate any deviation from procedures,” the military added.

The arrests come amid a broader escalation of violence in Judea and Samaria in recent months. Much of the violence has involved attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, while Palestinian attackers have also carried out several assaults against Israelis, including a stabbing on Monday.

Satellite imagery indicates a sharp increase in construction activity during 2026 at Iran’s deeply buried Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site, according to a CNN report. The development comes as the United States is reportedly working on capabilities to strike the facility, which experts believe could withstand some of the most powerful bunker-busting weapons.

U.S. President Donald Trump has again threatened to attack Iran’s “Pickaxe Mountain.” Israeli intelligence reportedly believes that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has moved thousands of centrifuges to the site. CNN reported Wednesday afternoon that construction activity there has accelerated significantly during 2026, based on satellite imagery from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) obtained by the network.

The CNN report said the construction surge has taken place amid the war. A team of experts examined satellite imagery covering a six-year period. “Pickaxe Mountain” is a nuclear facility that has remained untouched during the two most recent wars involving Iran. The site is located in the Zagros Mountains, near Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility, and Iran has spent the past six years excavating an underground complex deep beneath the mountain. Experts estimate that the facility could be capable of withstanding even the most powerful bunker-busting bombs.

According to CSIS experts, the underground facility was “likely designed to be a safe haven for Iran’s nuclear program.” The report also said there are indications that the United States is developing ways to attack the site, even though U.S. military forces concentrated on other categories of targets during the war that began February 28 and has now continued for six months.

CNN further reported that, only four days before the launch of Operation Epic Fury, the director of the Pentagon’s program for evaluating weapons for weapons of mass destruction signed a $1.2 million “emergency contract” to “repair a unique subterranean test facility at White Sands Missile Range” in New Mexico. The objective was to conduct a “live-fire test designed to validate classified capabilities against rapidly emerging threats.”

Three sources told CNN that the planned test was connected to the war in Iran. The sources specifically cited the need to develop a capability for attacking the deeply underground facilities that Iran has excavated at its greatest depths.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Mount Hermon in Syria alongside Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Tamir Yadai. Netanyahu was briefed by Northern Command chief Maj.-Gen. Rafi Milo and 210th Division commander Brig.-Gen. Yair Palai on IDF operations in the area.

The Prime Minister Scouting Out Syria With Binoculars

Speaking from the mountain ahead of Rosh Hashanah, Netanyahu said Israel currently has “absolute control” over the area and will not allow “any terrorist army to establish itself on our border.” He added that Israel’s main remaining task is to defeat the “terrorist regime in Iran,” saying, “We are very close to it,” before wishing Israelis and IDF soldiers a happy new year.

Egypt is preparing to establish its first major artificial intelligence data center, with plans for an eventual 200-megawatt facility valued at approximately $1 billion and powered by technology from Nvidia.

The initiative, announced Wednesday by Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology Raafat Hindi, comes as the United States and China compete to expand their influence over artificial intelligence infrastructure and technology markets across the Middle East and Africa.

The project is expected to begin with a 20-megawatt data center costing about $200 million during its first three years. The initial phase will be developed through a partnership involving Vodafone Business, Elsewedy Electric, and Cassava Technologies, Nvidia’s primary partner on the African continent.

Nvidia, the US-based technology giant and the world’s most valuable publicly traded company, has emerged as a central player in the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence.

Its graphics processing units, or GPUs, are installed in specialized data centers around the globe and provide much of the computing power required to train advanced AI systems.

Cassava Technologies said the Egyptian facility will “leverage Nvidia accelerated computing technologies.”

The announcement follows growing competition between Washington and Beijing over Egypt’s AI infrastructure. Before Chinese President Xi Jinping made his first visit to Egypt in a decade last week, Bloomberg reported that China’s Huawei had proposed building a data center in the country. The proposal reportedly led the United States to encourage a competing initiative involving American technology companies Nvidia, AMD, and Microsoft.

During Xi’s visit, he and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi agreed to “expand cooperation” in artificial intelligence and technology. However, the two countries did not announce any specific agreements resulting from the discussions.

One week ago, on the day after Xi departed Cairo, Egyptian Communications Minister Hindi met with an unidentified “US consortium of data center developers,” according to Egyptian state media. The report said Egypt was seeking international partnerships with the goal of becoming a “regional data center hub.”

The expansion of AI infrastructure has progressed more slowly across Africa than in many other parts of the world. One significant obstacle has been the unreliable or underdeveloped electricity infrastructure in several African countries.

AI-focused data centers require enormous quantities of electricity, with their power consumption potentially reaching five times that of conventional data centers.

Egypt, which has the largest population among Arab countries and ranks as Africa’s second-largest economy, has itself faced persistent challenges in meeting its energy needs, including a longstanding electricity shortfall.

New York officials, farmers and businesses are assessing the potential economic effects of new Canadian tariffs as the ongoing trade dispute between the United States and its northern neighbor enters another phase.

The Canadian government put retaliatory tariffs into effect Tuesday following the Trump administration’s decision in July to impose 50% tariffs on certain Canadian goods. The Canadian measures cover a range of products, including steel, aluminum, lumber and other materials, with the Canadian government describing the response as “dollar for dollar” against U.S. tariffs.

The Trump administration has said its tariffs are intended to address what it considers longstanding trade-policy concerns involving Canada.

The economic implications are unfolding as the tariff dispute also becomes part of the political discussion ahead of the November midterm elections.

Gov. Kathy Hochul criticized the latest developments Tuesday and argued that the tariffs could add pressure to consumers and businesses.

“Remember how he promised to lower costs on day one? It’s not exactly happening,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday, hitting at President Donald Trump over the latest developments in the trade war.

Hochul also said the measures could affect farmers, businesses and families across the state.

“Once again New York’s small farmers and businesses and working families are caught in the crossfire and it’s insane,” Hochul said.

Alex Jacquez, of the left-leaning economic think tank Groundwork Collaborative, told Spectrum News 1 that the effects of the Trump administration’s 50 percent tariffs on Canadian goods imposed last month are beginning to emerge.

Canada’s response expands the number of products potentially affected, with possible consequences for several industries in New York and elsewhere.

“Up to a thousand products worth $27.6 billion, including steel and aluminum, furniture, clothing, dairy and cheese, appliances and seafood,” Jacquez said.

Jacquez said Canada’s measures could have particular implications for the dairy sector.

“That is going to hit New York hard and dairy farmers who are already being hit hard with increased cost, you look at diesel, you look at fertilizer, you look at the input cost for machinery it is only going to make it harder to keep things above board,” Jacquez said.

New York’s construction industry is also evaluating the potential effects. The sector was already dealing with tariffs on Canadian cement imposed last month, while the latest Canadian measures include additional construction-related materials such as lumber, steel and aluminum.

Mike Elmendorf, president and CEO of the Associated General Contractors of New York, said uncertainty can present challenges for contractors because projects are often priced and contracted before material costs are known with certainty.

“When you get into these tit-for-tat trade wars at the end of the day, one thing you can be sure of is everyone is going to lose,” he said. “In many cases contractors may not have an ability to recover when all of a sudden they’re facing significantly higher material costs because tariffs land after they have bid or started a project.”

The potential effects could be particularly relevant to rural parts of upstate New York, where agriculture and other industries maintain significant economic activity. Assemblyman Michael S. Cashman, chair of the Assembly’s U.S.-Canada Relations Taskforce, called on Congress Tuesday to address the dispute.

“This is not abstract. These tariffs and retaliatory tariffs are going to be felt by New York families, farmers, workers and businesses and ultimately by Americans across the country. I continue to call on Congress to intervene, protect New York and protect America, and get us back to normal trade relations with our closest ally before this trade war causes even more damage.”

Republican state Sen. George Borrello of Western New York offered a different assessment of the potential effects of the tariffs.

While Democrats have raised concerns about the consequences for rural communities, Borrello argued that tariffs can help address what he views as unequal access to the Canadian market for New York dairy farmers.

“They want to have access to the American market, the largest market in the world for things like steel, dairy products, wood, lumber, and they don’t want us to have the same access to their market,” Borrello said.

The tariff dispute is also emerging as an issue in New York’s gubernatorial campaign. Republican Bruce Blakeman, Hochul’s opponent, has repeatedly declined to provide a detailed position when asked about the potential effects of tariffs on New York.

With the economic effects still developing and the trade dispute continuing, tariffs are expected to remain part of the policy debate in New York and in campaigns across the state.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States would continue targeting Iranian oil tankers if Iranian forces make further attempts to attack US Navy vessels, according to remarks made during a visit to Colombia.

The comments came as several developments were reported across the region, including an Iranian missile attack targeting Jordan, US strikes on Iranian oil tankers, and discussions involving South Korea and France over security and navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump Comments on German State Election

US President Donald Trump described the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party’s performance in a German state election as a major victory for the country’s populist movement.

“Wow! The Populist Party in Germany just had a really big night,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Trump also criticized Germany’s “absolutely horrible Immigration rules.” The AfD, which has expressed opposition to Germany’s immigration policies, won the election in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt.

Jordan Reports Iranian Missile Attack

Jordanian air defenses intercepted 18 of 20 ballistic missiles launched from Iranian territory, according to Jordan’s state news agency, citing the country’s armed forces.

The remaining two missiles landed in unpopulated areas, and authorities reported no casualties.

Jordanian authorities said monitoring and assessment efforts were continuing following the attack.

Rubio Says US Will Continue Targeting Iranian Tankers

Rubio said the United States would respond to further Iranian attempts to strike American naval vessels by targeting additional Iranian oil tankers.

“Iran continues to try to hit US naval ships, and for every time they do that or try to do that, they’re going to lose tankers,” Rubio told reporters during a visit to Colombia.

His remarks followed a US announcement that American forces had destroyed five Iranian oil tankers.

US Military Says Five Iranian Tankers Were Destroyed

US Central Command said American forces struck five Iranian oil tankers after Iran targeted a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles on two occasions in recent days.

CENTCOM said the American vessel “successfully evaded the attempted Iranian attacks and continued to patrol regional waters. No American personnel were harmed.”

The US military described the tanker strikes as a response to the attempted attacks on the American warship.

Iran Warns Tanker Crews

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy warned crews aboard oil tankers near ports in Kuwait and Bahrain to leave their vessels, saying the ships could be targeted in response to US strikes on Iranian tankers.

The warning was broadcast by Iranian state television. Iranian authorities accused Kuwait and Bahrain of hosting US forces and assisting in the American attacks.

The IRGC told tanker crews to leave their vessels whether they were anchored or docked, warning that the ships “will be targeted.”

Iranian Missiles Intercepted Over Jordan

Video footage filmed from Israel showed Iranian missiles being intercepted over Jordan following the Iranian attack.

The missile launches came after the reported US strikes on Iranian oil tankers. At the time of the report, there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage resulting from the missile barrage.

South Korea Clarifies Talks on Strait of Hormuz

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung discussed the Strait of Hormuz with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday.

South Korea’s presidential office said the discussions concerned possible contributions to international efforts to maintain security and freedom of navigation in the waterway, rather than a potential deployment of South Korean troops.

National security adviser Wi Sung-lac said South Korea’s review of a possible role in those efforts was not connected to US investment discussions.

He also said Iran had requested clarification regarding reports about a possible South Korean role.

Continued Military Exchanges

The latest developments follow a series of military actions involving the United States and Iran, including attacks involving naval vessels, oil tankers and ballistic missiles.

US officials have described the strikes on Iranian tankers as responses to attempted attacks on American naval forces. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has warned of possible retaliation against vessels in the region.

The developments come as regional governments continue monitoring the situation and assessing potential risks to shipping and security around the Strait of Hormuz.

A statement from the home of the Belzer Rebbe, Rav Yissochar Dov Rokeach shlit”a, announced that the Rebbe’s condition has improved significantly, and according to the current plan, he is expected to be released from the hospital tomorrow, Wednesday.

The statement urged the public to continue increasing their tefillos for the Rebbe’s complete recovery, Yissochar Dov ben Miriam.

Moshe Feiglin of the Zehut party — set to return to the Knesset after forging a political alliance with Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party

Belaaz spoke with him at the Knesset for an exclusive interview ahead of the elections.

In the interview, Feiglin addresses the changes he’s demanding as part of the alliance, lays out his solution on the draft law (chok hagiyus), and weighs in on whether he’d join a Netanyahu-led coalition as a former Likud member.

A New York-area nonprofit that has served as a financial intermediary for several prominent anti-Israel activist organizations has suffered a dramatic decline in revenue amid lawsuits, congressional scrutiny and increased attention to its activities, according to recently filed tax records.

The Westchester People’s Action Coalition Foundation, commonly known as Wespac, is a progressive nonprofit based in Westchester County, north of New York City. Founded in 1974, the organization says its mission is to support “work toward peace, justice, and a sustainable environment.”

In recent years, Wespac became a fiscal sponsor for organizations including National Students for Justice in Palestine, Within Our Lifetime and the Palestinian Youth Movement. Under fiscal sponsorship arrangements, a nonprofit receives and administers donations for organizations that do not themselves have nonprofit status.

Wespac’s revenue grew substantially in recent years, climbing from $139,901 in 2019-2020 to almost $4 million in 2023-2024. Tax records indicate that contributions increased sharply following the outbreak of the Gaza war.

Much of Wespac’s spending has apparently involved funds directed toward other organizations. In its previous filing, the nonprofit reported its own expenses at $142,539 while listing more than $1.7 million in grants, including money described as involving “custodial responsibility for funds granted to various organizations.”

The organization has one paid employee, whose reported salary is $62,500.

Scrutiny Intensifies After October 7

The activities of organizations connected with Wespac drew increased attention following Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza.

According to reporting cited in the original article, Wespac-affiliated groups praised the Hamas attack, organized events involving support for terrorist organizations, and staged demonstrations targeting medical institutions, museums, memorials, transportation centers and holiday events.

After protests involving organizations it had sponsored, Wespac became the target of lawsuits filed in at least five US courts.

Republican lawmakers also called for investigations by the Internal Revenue Service and New York attorney general, alleging that the organization supported terrorism. Federal law prohibits tax-exempt organizations from providing support to terrorism.

The Justice Department filed a statement of interest last year in litigation involving Wespac.

At the same time, the article notes that authorities have not made findings that Wespac itself engaged in illegal activity.

In January 2025, Wespac appealed to supporters for financial help, warning, “The threat to Wespac’s survival is real.”

The organization also wrote: “WESPAC’s work has taken on enormous significance since October 7, 2023, as the injustice of apartheid has turned to genocide in Gaza,” the email said. “The well-funded forces of darkness are now waging legal warfare against us.”

Revenue Falls From Nearly $4 Million to $1.26 Million

Wespac’s latest IRS filing, covering September 2024 through August 2025, provides a picture of the nonprofit’s worsening finances.

Revenue fell from approximately $3.98 million to $1.26 million — a 68% decline — with the largest reductions coming from contributions and grants.

The organization recorded a $202,598 deficit for the period, compared with a $279,210 surplus the year before.

At the same time, legal costs rose dramatically. Expenses for legal services increased from only $1,400 in 2022-2023 to nearly $200,000 in the latest reporting year.

Wespac’s staff and board also became considerably smaller, falling from eight members in 2022-2023 to three.

Changes to Fiscal Sponsorships

The financial pressure appears to have coincided with changes involving several organizations previously sponsored by Wespac.

National Students for Justice in Palestine had directed donations through Wespac at least through 2024, according to archived versions of its website. A court filing from 2025 said Wespac had begun to “disassociate itself” from the group after a demonstration that blocked traffic near Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and subsequently led to litigation.

National Students for Justice in Palestine later stopped using its previous donation page and began accepting contributions through Zeffy. It was unclear whether the organization had established another fiscal sponsorship arrangement.

Within Our Lifetime also stopped accepting donations through its website.

The Palestinian Youth Movement, meanwhile, said it was receiving donations through Honor the Earth, a Montana-based nonprofit. Wespac’s previous tax filing reported a $1 million contribution to the Palestinian Youth Movement through Honor the Earth — the largest contribution listed in that filing.

Wespac Still Reported Millions in Transfers

The newest filing nevertheless showed that Wespac continued to handle funds connected with anti-Israel organizations.

The filing listed $14,158 to Amplify Palestine and $124,663 to United Palestine Appeal. It also reported $120,684 in fiscal sponsorship funds directed to a Chicago law firm that has represented anti-Israel organizations.

Amplify Palestine says it originated with Adalah-NY, which had previously operated as one of Wespac’s fiscally sponsored organizations.

The Anti-Defamation League has reported that Wespac at one point sponsored at least 15 anti-Israel activist organizations, substantially more than the number associated with any other cause.

Its donors have included progressive philanthropic organizations such as the Sparkplug Foundation, Tides Foundation and Solidaire Network.

How Fiscal Sponsorship Can Obscure Funding

Fiscal sponsorship allows groups that lack their own nonprofit status to receive tax-deductible donations and grants through an established nonprofit. As a result, those groups do not necessarily have to submit the same public financial disclosures required of independent tax-exempt organizations.

The arrangement can make it difficult to determine exactly how money moves through the organizations involved. Fiscal sponsors are not necessarily required to publicly identify every project for which they collect funds, and best practices recommend greater disclosure of fiscal sponsorship relationships.

Another potential layer of complexity comes from donor-advised funds. These charitable accounts allow donors to contribute assets, receive an immediate tax deduction and later recommend grants to nonprofit organizations.

In transactions involving such funds, money can move from an individual donor to a donor-advised fund, then to a fiscal sponsor such as Wespac, and ultimately to the sponsored project.

Because donor-advised funds generally do not publicly identify individual donors in their filings, public records may reveal only the transfer between the donor-advised fund and fiscal sponsor without identifying the original contributor or ultimate sponsored project.

Philanthropic Adviser Says Wespac Is “In Trouble”

Doug White, a philanthropic adviser and author of five books on nonprofits, said Wespac’s latest filing suggested that the organization was “in trouble.”

He pointed to declining programming and grants, rising legal costs, the reported deficit and falling donations as evidence of financial strain.

White also suggested that the shrinking board could indicate that members were “deserting the ship as it sinks.”

He had previously criticized Wespac over what he described as insufficient transparency surrounding its fiscal sponsorship arrangements.

White said he is sympathetic both to Israel and to the Palestinian cause and supports peace efforts in the Middle East.

“I would like to see Wespac succeed based on what they say their mission is,” he said. “But if they’re straying from it, they’re starting to fund organizations that are really, in a sense, terrorist organizations, that is something I feel very strongly against.”

The article cites National Students for Justice in Palestine as an example. Shortly after Hamas’s October 2023 attack, while the organization was still sponsored by Wespac, it issued a “toolkit” that described the Hamas assault as a “historic win,” praised “the resistance,” and encouraged demonstrations supporting the attack while presenting it as a “struggle for national liberation.”

White summarized his assessment of Wespac’s situation bluntly:

“They’re in trouble. That’s kind of my bottom line assessment,” White said.

Kamran Hekmati, a 70-year-old Jewish Iranian-American businessman and public official from Great Neck, New York, has been released on bail from Tehran’s Evin Prison, but remains in Iran under a travel ban that prevents him from returning home to his family on Long Island.

A source familiar with the matter tells Belaaz exclusively that Hekmati’s release came at the request of Qatar.

Belaaz has learned that in the lead-up to the release, there was quiet engagement involving Jewish communal figures and Qatari officials, part of a broader diplomatic effort that ultimately helped secure Hekmati’s bail.

Hekmati immigrated to the United States as a teenager more than 55 years ago and has been a U.S. citizen for decades. He traveled to Iran in May 2025 to visit aging family members, was arrested in Tehran that July, and was later sentenced by an Islamic Revolutionary Court to four years in prison.

Among the charges cited against him was a 2012 trip to Israel to attend his son’s Bar Mitzvah; Iranian prosecutors later added allegations that he had met with Mossad agents abroad.

Hekmati operates a jewelry business in Manhattan’s Diamond District and serves on the Village of Great Neck Estates Zoning Board of Appeals. He is also battling aggressive bladder cancer, making his continued confinement and his lack of access to his doctors in the United States, a pressing humanitarian concern.

In March 2026, the U.S. State Department designated Hekmati as “wrongfully detained” under the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act. Members of Congress, including Rep. Tom Suozzi and Rep. Claudia Tenney, have pressed the administration to secure his release on humanitarian grounds.

While Hekmati is now out of Evin Prison, he remains under an Iranian exit ban and cannot yet return to the United States. Diplomatic efforts are continuing to lift the travel restrictions and allow him to return home for medical treatment.

After 23 years, Belzer Member of Knsesset Harav Yisrael Eichler has also been ousted from the Yahadut HaTorah (UTJ) party list and will not run in the upcoming elections, set to take place in 50 days.

The decision was made in recent days, joining the ousters of veteran MKs Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev.

In Eichler’s place, Elyakim Stark is expected to enter as the Belz representative. Stark is close with the son of the Belzer Rebbe and has managed Belz’s affairs behind the scenes.

Ahead of Rosh Hashanah, in keeping with tradition, the Western Wall Heritage Foundation has removed the prayer notes placed between the stones of the Kosel over the past six months, transferring them for dedicated genizah in accordance with Halacha

Photo credit: Western Wall Heritage Foundation

Over the past year, tens of thousands of notes arrived from 140 countries around the world, among them are also moving requests for peace sent from nations hostile to Israel, alongside notes placed by world leaders, IDF soldiers, Israeli citizens, and tourists.

Kotel Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, accompanied the removal and offered a special Tefila for the unity of the Jewish people and for the acceptance of the prayers contained within the thousands of notes.

The notes were removed using gloves and disposable wooden implements, preserving both the sanctity of the site and the personal contents of each note. They were collected in specially designated sacks and will be buried together with worn sacred texts as part of the genizah.

Photo credit: Western Wall Heritage Foundation

The Foundation notes that hundreds of prayer notes are submitted daily through its website, in addition to the hundreds of thousands placed in person by daily visitors year-round. Particularly striking are the notes sent through the website by citizens of countries hostile to Israel, including Iran, Yemen, Iraq, Qatar, Lebanon, Pakistan, Sudan, Jordan, Egypt, and Kazakhstan – carrying heartfelt requests and prayers for peace, reconciliation, and ties between peoples.

Photo credit: Western Wall Heritage Foundation

Beyond the US, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Ukraine, and Canada, notes arrived from far more unexpected places too — India, South Africa, Indonesia, Taiwan, Jamaica, Kenya, and Nigeria — a testament to just how far the magnetic pull of the Kosel reaches, and how many hearts and souls, from every corner of the world, turn toward that one Wall.

Photo credit: Western Wall Heritage Foundation

Photo credit: Western Wall Heritage Foundation

Adidas has apologized following criticism over a promotional campaign in Israel that featured Shalev Biton, a former Israel Defense Forces soldier who lost a leg in 2021. The campaign promoted the company’s Single Shoe service, which allows amputee athletes to purchase only one running shoe. Calls for a boycott emerged after Biton was included in the local advertising effort.

“We recognize that an image used in a recent local activation by the local team has raised concerns and strong reactions. It was never our intent to cause offense and we apologize for anyone affected,” the company said in a statement from its global headquarters, apparently distancing itself from the campaign by Adidas in Israel.

“We acknowledge the concerns that have been raised and are taking the feedback seriously,” it said.

Biton was among 10 disabled athletes featured on posters displayed at Adidas stores throughout Israel. He lost his leg while serving with the IDF’s Nahal infantry brigade.

The injury occurred on May 12, 2021, during the conflict with Hamas known as Operation Guardian of the Walls. An anti-tank missile launched from Gaza struck the military vehicle Biton was traveling in on the Israeli side of the border, leaving him seriously wounded. Staff Sgt. Omer Tabib, another soldier in the vehicle, was killed in the attack.

The campaign featuring Biton was limited to Israel and was not part of an international Adidas advertising campaign. The Hebrew-language video that drew criticism also did not reference Biton’s military background or explain the circumstances in which he lost his leg.

Pro-Palestinian activists nevertheless criticized Adidas for featuring Biton, pointing to the large number of amputees in Gaza including children resulting from the current war.

Some of the criticism also contained inaccurate claims, including allegations that Biton had taken part in the current fighting in Gaza, participated in “genocide,” or lost his leg while serving in Gaza in 2021.

In its statement addressing the controversy, Adidas emphasized its broader regional efforts, saying: “Across the Middle East, Adidas has a long-standing commitment to the communities we serve, working alongside athletes, teams and sporting communities throughout the region as well as supporting people and communities in need through product donations.”

The company added: “We will continue to listen, learn and work to ensure that our actions reflect the inclusive values we stand for,”

Adidas also said it is expanding its Single Shoe service beyond Israel, with plans to make it available “across Europe, Asia and the Middle East, including the UAE, Palestine, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Egypt.”

The promotional video posted by Biton had disappeared from his Instagram account by Sunday. Before its removal, the footage had circulated widely across social media, drawing both criticism of Adidas and expressions of support for Biton.

The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led forces attacked southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and kidnapping 251.

Israel maintains that it seeks to minimize civilian casualties and has accused Hamas of operating from within civilian areas, thereby putting civilians at risk.

Volkswagen plans to repurpose one of its German factories for defense manufacturing, with the Osnabrueck facility set to produce equipment for Israeli defense company Rafael after vehicle production ends next year.

The German automaker said Monday that it intends to sell the Osnabrueck plant to Tel Aviv-based Aurelius Capital, together with the German state of Lower Saxony, a major Volkswagen shareholder. The initial agreement calls for the facility to manufacture components for an air defense project involving Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

“These plans involve the potential manufacture of systems and components for air defense systems for Germany and Europe,” Volkswagen said, adding the cooperation could pave the way for further such deals.

“With today’s agreement, we are taking an important step towards opening up a new industrial future for the site,” Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume said. “Volkswagen stands by its responsibility for Osnabrueck.”

Volkswagen, which has been dealing with weak demand and mounting competitive pressures, announced in 2024 that it would end vehicle production at the northwestern German facility by 2027.

The agreement is expected to safeguard at least 1,200 jobs at the plant, according to Volkswagen’s works council.

The future of four additional Volkswagen factories in Germany remains uncertain as the automaker confronts intense competition from Chinese manufacturers and the costly transition toward electric vehicles.

Volkswagen operates 10 brands, including Audi, Porsche and Seat. Management and labor representatives reached an agreement last week to eliminate another 50,000 positions across the group, bringing the number of jobs expected to disappear in the coming years to approximately 100,000.

Under the proposed arrangement, Aurelius would acquire a majority stake in the Osnabrueck facility in partnership with Lower Saxony.

“Osnabrueck brings with it something that cannot be built from scratch: many years of experience with demanding products, precise manufacturing processes and high-quality, well-coordinated teams and a strong tradition,” Aurelius Capital’s Tomer Jacob said.

Aurelius identifies cybersecurity, drone technology and satellite systems among the areas in which it invests.

The Osnabrueck deal could provide a model for other Volkswagen facilities facing an uncertain future as the company undertakes its largest restructuring to date. Volkswagen has warned that as many as four German plants could ultimately be closed or converted to other uses if alternative operations cannot be established amid weak demand, elevated production costs and increasing competition from China.

Repurposing automotive facilities for defense manufacturing is gaining momentum across Europe. Other companies, including Rheinmetall and Continental, are also pursuing plans to adapt industrial capacity for defense-related production.

An Israeli man in his 20s was seriously wounded Monday morning in a stabbing at a farming outpost in the West Bank. The Palestinian suspect later died after troops located him during a manhunt and shot him when, according to the military, he attempted to attack the soldiers with a knife.

The attack occurred at the Maoz Yehuda settlement farm near the northern West Bank village of Usarin. The Israeli victim sustained injuries to his chest, back and shoulders, according to the Ynet news site.

Rescuers Without Borders said the Palestinian arrived at the outpost in a vehicle, prompting the Israeli man to approach him and speak with him. The emergency service said the suspect then attacked the Israeli repeatedly with a knife, continuing “until his knife broke.”

The victim, who was later treated at Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva, gave an account that was consistent with the initial description of the attack. He said the assailant first asked him where his firearm was and then stabbed him. By late Monday morning, the victim remained in moderate-to-serious condition.

Following the stabbing, the Palestinian suspect escaped from the scene. Footage circulated by Hebrew-language media appeared to show the vehicle speeding away from the area. Investigators also recovered the suspect’s cellphone after it apparently fell during his flight.

Following an extensive search, soldiers located the suspect near the village of Idhna. The military said he attempted to stab the troops and was subsequently shot and killed by a company commander from the 411th Artillery Battalion.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commended the soldiers involved in tracking down the suspect, declaring: “No terrorist has a safe haven.”

Netanyahu added: “We will continue to eliminate terrorists, pursue those who send them, and destroy the terrorist infrastructure in Judea and Samaria,” using the biblical term commonly employed by Israel for the West Bank.

He further warned: “Anyone who tries to threaten Israel and its citizens will pay a heavy price.”

Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, described the stabbing as “very severe.” He urged the government to launch “a broad military operation, to go house to house gathering up weapons and crushing terrorist infrastructure.”

Defense Minister Israel Katz reiterated the government’s stated approach to the West Bank, saying: “Our policy in Judea and Samaria is clear: To fight Palestinian terrorism with strength, to develop and strengthen Jewish settlement, and to preserve security.”

Katz also argued: “Terrorism in Judea and Samaria is at its lowest point in decades,” and said, “and we will take all necessary steps to ensure that terrorism does not return to raise its head again.”

Katz threatens ‘full-scale war’ if PA launches Oct. 7-style attack

Katz subsequently issued an unusually stark warning concerning the Palestinian Authority, which administers portions of the West Bank under the framework established by the Oslo Accords.

He said that if the Palestinian Authority “launches, or we know with certainty that they are preparing to launch, a terror attack in the form of October 7 against IDF forces and Jewish settlement,” he and Netanyahu have ordered preparations for a “full-scale war” against the PA.

The remarks came despite the Palestinian Authority’s longstanding security coordination with Israel, and it was not immediately clear what specifically prompted Katz to issue the threat.

Katz said that if Israel were confronted with a “reality of years-long intifada, as has occurred in the past,” the government would respond with a “comprehensive campaign… including eliminating senior officials [and] removing residents from the cities and towns from which terror activities are carried out.”

He said such an operation would additionally involve “the IDF remaining in the cleared-out territory — just as we’ve done in the security zones in Gaza and Lebanon, and as we’ve also done in the refugee camps in Jenin and northern Samaria,”

The comments came amid continuing violence across the West Bank, where clashes involving Palestinians, Israeli settlers and Israeli forces have intensified.

Palestinian reportedly killed in separate West Bank clash

In a separate incident Sunday night, a Palestinian man was reportedly killed during a confrontation involving residents of a West Bank village, Israeli settlers and IDF troops.

Ynet reported that residents of Haje, located east of Qalqilya, threw stones at a drone that Israeli settlers had flown over the village.

According to the report, the settlers subsequently entered the village to retrieve the drone, leading to a confrontation with local residents.

The IDF said soldiers were sent to the area after receiving reports of a “confrontation” between Palestinian residents and Israeli settlers.

“The troops acted to disperse the confrontation and to take the Israeli civilians out of the village,” the army said.

The military later reported that “Later, a violent disturbance developed, including stone-throwing at the forces by Palestinian rioters,” and said troops initiated a “suspect arrest procedure” that involved “firing into the air and then firing at key instigators.”

Omar Muhammad Tubasi, 20, was killed by gunfire during the confrontation, according to the official Palestinian Authority news agency Wafa, which cited the PA Health Ministry.

The IDF said its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident was continuing.

West Bank violence has risen considerably in recent months. Much of the reported violence has involved attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, although Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis have also occurred.

Critics have accused the Israeli government and the IDF of tolerating, encouraging or failing to adequately prevent attacks by Israeli civilians against Palestinians. Israeli authorities have repeatedly emphasized their efforts to combat terrorism and maintain security throughout the West Bank.

On Monday morning, a terrorist infiltrated the Ma’oz Yehuda outpost in Samaria, located in Area B, and stabbed an Israeli civilian who was near a Ranger-type vehicle.

The victim, around 20 years old, managed to move himself from the scene before receiving treatment. Security forces launched an immediate manhunt for the attacker.

MDA paramedic Aviel Mamalia, who treated the victim at the scene, described the response: “When we arrived at the scene we saw a young man about 20 years old, fully conscious, with multiple stab wounds on his body. We provided him with initial medical treatment together with an IDF medical team, and he was evacuated to the hospital in moderate-to-serious condition.”

Forces subsequently located the terrorist’s vehicle. During the pursuit, the terrorist attempted to stab IDF fighters as well, at which point the company commander shot and neutralized him.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded following the terrorist’s neutralization: “No terrorist has a hiding place. I commend our heroic fighters who pursued contact and neutralized the terrorist who carried out the attack in Samaria. I wish a complete and speedy recovery to the farm owner who was wounded in the attack. We will continue to eliminate terrorists, pursue those who send them, and destroy terror infrastructure in Judea and Samaria. Anyone who tries to threaten the State of Israel and its citizens will pay a heavy price.”

Defense Minister Israel Katz laid out a broader response plan: “Our policy in Judea and Samaria is clear — to pursue Palestinian terror with force, to develop and strengthen Jewish settlement, and to maintain security stability. Terror in Judea and Samaria is currently at its lowest level in decades, and we will take all necessary steps to prevent terror from rising again.” Katz added that Israel “will not allow a return to the reality of a prolonged intifada as in the past,” and instead will open “a comprehensive campaign against the Palestinian Authority and all terror infrastructure in Judea and Samaria” — including targeting senior operatives, evacuating residents of towns and villages from which terror attacks are carried out, eliminating terrorists, destroying terror infrastructure, and maintaining an IDF presence in evacuated areas. “Exactly as we did in the security zones in Gaza and Lebanon,” he said. “We will not allow a return to the reality of October 7, and we will ensure the security of Israel’s residents and communities everywhere.”

Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, said: “A very serious attack. I expect a full encirclement of the area, a broad military operation, going house to house to collect weapons, and dismantling the infrastructure of terror supporters. I stand behind our IDF soldiers and command, and we are praying for the wounded man’s recovery.”

This article will be updated as more details become available.

Avigdor Liberman, one of the veterans of the political scene after years in junior roles, is this time aiming to capture the role of Prime Minister of Israel — and he is laying the groundwork for it.

Sunday evening, Liberman held a campaign rally, at which he was introduced to the hall as “the next Prime Minister of the State of Israel,” and all the speeches presented him as the next Prime Minister of Israel.

Liberman has said in closed conversations that he has all the experience necessary to serve as Prime Minister — and that after Bennett and Lapid, who each held the role, this time it’s his turn.

On paper, Liberman refuses to declare that he supports Eisenkot for the role of Prime Minister after the elections, but says that after the elections he will deal with the matter.

In practice, Liberman plans to demand the premiership under any circumstance, positioning his party as the one that will be the deciding factor. If Eisenkot is chosen, he will demand a rotation on the premiership, on the grounds that Eisenkot does not yet have experience. And if Netanyahu comes close to a majority, Liberman will agree to complete a government for him — on condition that he goes first in the rotation for Prime Minister.

The removal of Members of Knesset R’ Moshe Gafni and R’ Uri Maklev from the Yahadut HaTorah party list brings the party, after years, to finally bring in new and younger forces.

Belaaz presents the new names:
According to the finalized arrangements: heading the party will be MK Yaakov Asher, in second place Yitzchak Pindrus, and in third place Moshe Rosenthal, who currently serves as a driver for Hagaon Reb Landau and works for the Bnei Brak municipality.

In fourth place is Yehuda Weisfish of Ichud Bnei HaYeshivos, close with Harav Moshe Hillel Hirsch. Today, Weisfish’s father sadly passed away.

Belaaz has learned that Harav Hirsch called him after the levaya and asked him to take the position, which he agreed to.

In fifth place is Dudi Zelts, currently deputy mayor of Beitar Illit, who previously served as an assistant to MK Yaakov Asher.

Dudi Zeltz

Israeli police and military forces say they discovered a rocket during an overnight operation targeting a Hamas network in the West Bank village of Aqqaba.

The raid was carried out by officers from the police’s elite Yamam counterterrorism unit alongside IDF troops, following intelligence from the Shin Bet concerning Hamas activity in the area.

According to the police and military, the operation resulted in the detention of 10 suspected Hamas operatives. During a search of one site, Yamam personnel reportedly found a rocket that did not have a launcher.

Authorities say one of those detained subsequently directed the forces to additional weapons, including an assault rifle and a substantial quantity of explosive material.

The suspects were transferred to the Shin Bet for questioning, while police sappers destroyed the seized weapons, including the rocket at the location, according to the statement.

Israeli authorities say Palestinian terror groups have made multiple efforts in recent years to develop and fire improvised rockets from the West Bank toward Israeli communities and other targets inside Israel, although those efforts have achieved little or no reported success.

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, Indonesia and Pakistan have jointly condemned remarks by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir concerning proposals to facilitate the departure of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

In an Arabic-language statement, the ministers “strongly condemn” remarks by Ben Gvir and Katz “regarding the displacement of the Palestinian people from the Gaza Strip, and what they contained in terms of proposing plans and mechanisms aimed at forcibly expelling Palestinians from their land,” according to the statement.

“These statements and provocative proposals represent a flagrant violation of the principles of international law, including international humanitarian law, and a direct threat to the legitimate and inalienable rights of the Palestinian people,” the statement adds.

The joint condemnation follows a proposal unveiled by Ben Gvir on Thursday that seeks to remove the overwhelming majority of Gaza’s Palestinian population from the territory through what he described as “voluntary emigration.” His proposal includes the creation of a dedicated government ministry and comes as he says he hopes to pursue the initiative if the governing coalition remains in power following elections scheduled for late October.

Ben Gvir’s proposal was announced one day after Katz said Israeli plans intended to facilitate large-scale emigration from Gaza were still being considered, despite having been “frozen” by US President Donald Trump. Trump had initially proposed relocating Gaza’s approximately 2.3 million residents in February 2025. Katz said Israel was prepared to facilitate departures by land, sea and air, while acknowledging that no countries had so far agreed to accept Gazans in the numbers envisioned by the proposal.

With political parties intensifying their campaigns ahead of the elections, any attempt to implement such plans would likely encounter significant international opposition.

More than 1,300 doctors left Israel for periods of at least a year between 2023 and 2025, according to new research from Tel Aviv University based on data from Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics.

The study found that approximately 1,370 physicians departed the country during those three years, nearly twice the number recorded during the preceding decade.

Researchers analyzed information from population registries alongside medical licensing records, according to reports in Hebrew-language media.

The data shows that 416 doctors left Israel in 2023, followed by another 530 in 2024. Preliminary figures for 2025 suggest that roughly 419 physicians departed the country during that year.

The trend was reported across every major medical specialty, including pediatrics, ophthalmology and dermatology, as well as among physicians from different regions throughout Israel.

According to Ynet, the number of doctors who left the country is comparable to the entire medical workforce of a large hospital.

The researchers cautioned that spending at least a year overseas does not necessarily mean that a doctor has permanently emigrated. However, they noted that temporary periods abroad can often develop into long-term relocation. The study was conducted by Prof. Itai Ater, Prof. Nitzan Bergman and Doron Zamir.

“Israel is losing its best people,” Ater says. “The departure of nearly 1,400 doctors translates directly into longer wait times, less effective medical care, and ultimately severe harm to our quality of life.”

Undercover Shin Bet operatives reportedly entered Gaza disguised as humanitarian workers, distributing food and beverages to unsuspecting market vendors, according to a KAN News report. The operation was part of the intelligence-gathering effort that preceded the recent capture of Mu’in al-Arabid, Hamas’s head of internal security in the Gaza Strip.

According to KAN, the Israeli operatives created several small-scale humanitarian aid initiatives and began selling products to local residents. The Gazans then resold those goods in markets throughout the area. After developing relationships with shopkeepers and other vendors, the Shin Bet personnel persuaded some of them to help track the movements of individuals, including al-Arabid.

KAN sources said the Gazans did not discover that they had unknowingly assisted the Shin Bet until after al-Arabid was captured.

The IDF and Shin Bet confirmed Tuesday night that their forces had captured Hamas’s head of internal security in Gaza. The operation represented one of the deepest and most significant high-level captures inside the Strip in an extended period.

The official announcement did not explicitly state that Gaza-based anti-Hamas gangs were instrumental in the mission. However, it appeared to allude to their involvement by referring to Shin Bet “special forces.”

Shin Bet built local relationships to gather intelligence

According to sources cited by KAN, Shin Bet personnel took the place of their Gazan customers in a local market one day before the capture operation. They concealed their weapons inside the vendors’ stalls and retrieved them when the operation got underway before leaving the area.

The sources said the Shin Bet operatives themselves spent only one or two days physically operating in the market. Much of the intelligence used in the mission was reportedly obtained through relationships the agents had established with local residents.

The Gazans questioned following the operation said they had no knowledge of the planned capture, according to the KAN report.

Netanyahu and Katz emphasize al-Arabid’s Hamas role

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz both highlighted the significance of al-Arabid within Hamas. Netanyahu said al-Arabid had played an important role in overseeing the concealment of more than 250 Israeli hostages following the October 7, 2023, attack.

A Palestinian source in Gaza, however, told the Post that the captured man was responsible for Hamas’s internal security apparatus only in the Gaza City area. If accurate, that would place him closer to a mid-level Hamas official rather than one of the organization’s top national security figures.

The source also said an anti-Hamas faction participated in the operation and claimed that Hamas was attempting to “downplay the incident” while “its internal security forces are actively pursuing militias supported by Israel.”

The wording of the final IDF and Shin Bet statement appeared to place al-Arabid somewhere between the competing descriptions: portraying him as a significant Hamas figure, but apparently not as senior as Netanyahu and Katz had suggested.

The Prime Minister’s Office released PM Netanyahu’s full schedule from October 7, 2023, offering the most detailed public accounting yet of his movements during the critical early hours of the war, and reigniting political criticism over how long it took him to convene with military leadership.

According to the released timeline, Netanyahu was first woken at 6:29 a.m. by his Military Secretary with news of an attack from Gaza. A second call came 15 minutes later, at 6:44 a.m., during which Netanyahu reportedly pressed for answers on why intelligence had failed to flag the massive assault, asked whether a broad reserve call-up would be necessary, and floated the possibility of targeting Hamas’s senior leadership immediately.

It wasn’t until 7:30 a.m. — over an hour after first being alerted — that PM Netanyahu left for the Kirya, the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, once his security convoy was ready. En route, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant briefed him by phone, telling him the IDF still lacked a clear picture of what was unfolding. Netanyahu responded by ordering a situational assessment in the underground command bunker, to be run under his own leadership.

The Prime Minister arrived at the Kirya around 8:00 a.m. Forty minutes later, Gallant huddled with IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar to piece together a clearer intelligence picture ahead of briefing Netanyahu directly.

Between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m., Netanyahu received a stream of intelligence updates and field reports from his Military Secretariat. But it wasn’t until 9:55 a.m. — nearly three and a half hours after he was first alerted — that he convened his first full situational assessment in the bunker, joined by Gallant, Halevi, Bar, the deputy IDF chief, the head of the National Security Council, and the head of Military Intelligence.

At that meeting, Netanyahu ordered a full sealing of the border to block hostages from being taken into Gaza and prevent further infiltration, overruled the IDF’s recommendation for a partial reserve mobilization in favor of a full call-up, and directed the formal declaration of war along with preparations for a possible northern front.

The session closed with a smaller security huddle between Netanyahu, Gallant, and Halevi.

Chareidi Member of Knesset Moshe Gafni has been accompanied in recent months by a tight security detail from Shin Bet Unit 730, due to a credible threat on his life originating from Iran, Belaaz News can reveal.

MK Moshe Gafni serves as chairman of Degel HaTorah and as deputy chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee. He resides in Bnei Brak.

Notably, the Knesset has its own security unit, known as Unit “Oz,” tasked with protecting MKs under threat. In this case, however, Gafni is being guarded by Shin Bet’s Unit 730. The unit normally responsible for protecting the Prime Minister and the President.

This choice of security detail reflects the severity of the threat against Gafni, who has reportedly been asked to alter his daily routine, Belaas is told.

Sources reveal to Belaaz that security personnel now sweep any venue in advance of his arrival, and Gafni has been asked to change the location where he regularly withdraws cash from an ATM, among other adjustments.

Iranian forces reportedly struck three oil tankers moving through the Strait of Hormuz along with three vessels linked to the United States, according to a claim by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Tehran said the attacks were carried out in response to US strikes against three Iranian oil tankers earlier Saturday.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) has not publicly confirmed the reported Iranian attacks.

The IRGC also issued a warning to vessels operating in the strategic waterway, saying ships should avoid routes that Iran has not authorized.

“Do not be deceived by the ‘terrorist’ US military and refrain from any suspicious movement aimed at passing through unauthorized waterways,” the IRGC Navy said in a statement carried on Iranian state TV. “Otherwise, you will be targeted.”

Later, the IRGC said it had launched ballistic missiles at a US aircraft carrier and a destroyer, Reuters reported. Washington has not confirmed that claim.

Iran responds after US strikes on three tankers

The reported Iranian retaliation followed US attacks on three Iranian oil tankers earlier Saturday, according to CENTCOM.

One of the tankers was reportedly hit near Kharg Island, an important center for Iran’s oil exports. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said four US missiles struck a tanker in the area.

According to CENTCOM, the American strikes came after the IRGC fired ballistic missiles toward two US Navy vessels.

“Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost – taking out three of yours,” said Admiral Brad Cooper, head of CENTCOM.

Iran subsequently warned that its military response against American naval forces could escalate following the US attacks.

“If the evil, insecurity and harassment of Iranian ships and the naval blockade of Iran continue, the strikes of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s armed forces against US military vessels in the region will be more severe than before, and there is a possibility of their expansion,” Iran’s military command said in a post on state media.

A shakeup has struck the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party. After more than thirty years, MK Moshe Gafni has been removed from the Knesset list and will not run in the upcoming elections.

MK Uri Maklev has also been removed alongside him.

Taking Gafni’s place at the head of the party will be Yaakov Asher, while Yitzchak Pindrus will remain in the Knesset. Additional new names are expected to join the list shortly. On Motzei Shabbos, Rav Dov Landau reached out personally, sending letters to MKs Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev, thanking them warmly for their years of activity carried out in complete deference to the Gedolei Yisrael, particularly their leadership in the struggle for the status of bnei yeshivos, which they conducted with outstanding dedication and to the credit of the Torah leadership.

However, due to the need for a refresh among the Knesset members, the two veteran MKs will be stepping down to make way for new representatives.In addition, Rav Landau asked Gafni, as chairman of Degel HaTorah, to continue serving as chairman of the national movement.

Belaaz was first to report last week that such a letter was being drafted by the Gedolim — a report that has now been confirmed with tonight’s official announcement.

Gafni has served in the Knesset since the days of Rav Shach and was the longest-serving member among the current MKs.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has sharply criticized British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband after Miliband alleged that Israel was preventing medicine from reaching Gaza and described children as dying while awaiting essential medical care.

Huckabee accused the British government of having “lost it” and claimed that its position reflected what he characterized as antisemitism. His comments came after Miliband released a video describing concerns raised during a meeting about Gaza’s healthcare situation.

In the video, Miliband said he had been briefed about “medicines being blocked” from entering Gaza and about “children dying while waiting for vital life-saving treatment.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry rejected those allegations, saying there are no restrictions on the entry of medicines into Gaza. The ministry argued that Miliband was aware of Israel’s position and accused him of relying on what it described as inaccurate accounts rather than verified facts.

“If the Foreign Secretary were interested in facts rather than stories, he would know that there are no restrictions whatsoever on the entry of medicines into the Gaza Strip, and that no medicines are being blocked,” the Foreign Ministry wrote on X.

The ministry also said that 22,500 tons of medical supplies had entered Gaza since the October 2025 ceasefire. According to the ministry, approximately 200 Palestinians had also left Gaza for medical treatment during the two weeks preceding its statement.

Israel further pointed to Britain’s participation in the International Gaza Support Center, a US-led coordination mechanism based in Kiryat Gat that is involved in facilitating humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

“The UK is a member of the International Gaza Support Center, which facilitates the delivery of medical aid to the Gaza Strip,” the Foreign Ministry said.

The dispute is unfolding amid an increasingly strained relationship between London and Jerusalem. Miliband, who became foreign secretary in July, has called for a “comprehensive reset” in Britain’s approach to Israel, while the two governments have clashed over Israeli settlement policy in the West Bank.

Tensions have particularly intensified over Israel’s controversial E1 settlement project. The proposed development would connect Jerusalem with the Ma’ale Adumim area and, according to critics, could significantly complicate the possibility of territorial continuity between major Palestinian population centers.

Israel has reportedly considered removing British representatives from the International Gaza Support Center as tensions with London increase. British officials have warned that such a move could interfere with international efforts to improve conditions in Gaza.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has also warned that Israel “will act against” Britain if London proceeds with measures targeting Israeli settlements, saying Israel has “tools” available to respond.

British media have reported that Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s government is considering restrictions on trade involving goods produced in Israeli West Bank settlements. Such measures would form part of Britain’s response to the E1 development.

Britain has already imposed sanctions and entry restrictions on Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

The Kiryat Gat coordination center has consequently become another point of contention. Britain maintains that its representatives are working there at the request of the United States and alongside Israel, international partners and UN agencies to support implementation of the US-backed postwar framework for Gaza.

The British delegation’s position has come under increasing pressure. An Israeli source familiar with the matter said Jerusalem was considering expelling British officials from the center along with additional measures against London.

Israel previously announced a similar move involving Dutch representatives, with Sa’ar saying in August that the Netherlands would lose its participation at the center following what he described as a series of “anti-Israel measures.”

The E1 project itself remains at the heart of the broader diplomatic dispute. Supporters of the expansion have openly argued that it would help prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, while opponents contend that construction in the area could make a contiguous Palestinian state considerably more difficult to achieve.

The Israeli government recently opened bids for seven residential compounds containing 1,234 housing units in E1, following approval the previous year for approximately 3,400 additional units.

Miliband previously described the project as “unacceptable and destructive” and said Britain was preparing a “comprehensive set of measures” in response, including possible sanctions against individuals involved in what Britain considers illegal settlement expansion.

Sa’ar responded by accusing the British government of taking a “patronizing” approach and argued that its policies were contributing “to a massive wave of antisemitic hatred and attacks against the British Jewish community” while damaging relations between Britain and Israel.

The latest dispute over Gaza’s medical supplies therefore comes against a much wider deterioration in UK-Israel relations, with humanitarian policy, settlement construction and possible economic measures increasingly becoming intertwined in the diplomatic confrontation.

Palestinian journalist Rula Jebreal came under fire Friday after referring to US House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries as an “AIPAC monkey,” prompting accusations that her language was racist.

Appearing on New York Times columnist Wajahat Ali’s left-wing podcast “The Left Hook,” Jebreal discussed the meaning of Jeffries’ first name before criticizing his political positions.

“He is a bought and paid by AIPAC monkey,” she said, before adding, “with all due respect and I don’t mean it in a racist way.”

Jebreal continued her criticism by portraying Jeffries as someone who simply carries out the wishes of others.

“He is just basically an errand boy, and we’re done and tired,” Jebreal continued.

Jeffries, a Democrat, has received substantial political contributions associated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the prominent pro-Israel lobbying organization, over the course of his political career.

After Jebreal made the remark, Ali sought to address the racial implications of the language, saying that “using ‘monkey’ to anyone black… has terrible racial connotations, but I think you caught yourself and said that you didn’t mean it with any racial animosity.”

Jebreal subsequently explained that her use of the word “monkey” was intended as a reference to Japan’s traditional “three wise monkeys,” associated with the phrases see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil. The term, however, has a long history as a racist insult directed at Black people.

Her explanation did not prevent criticism from Black members of Congress, who condemned the wording.

“To be clear, there isn’t a non-racist way to call Leader Jeffries, a Black man, a ‘monkey’ or ‘errand boy,’” the Congressional Black Caucus posted on X. “We have to stop platforming and trafficking in anti-Black racism, whether it’s on the political right or the left.”

New York Representative Ritchie Torres, a prominent congressional supporter of Israel, likewise criticized Jebreal’s comments in a post on X.

“Calling a Black man a ‘monkey’ is racist. Full stop,” he wrote. “If Wajahat Ali and Rula Jebreal were on the far right, no one on the far left would have any trouble condemning them for dehumanizing a Black man in racist terms.”

Jeffries has not publicly commented on Jebreal’s remarks.

Jebreal, who was born in Haifa and holds both Israeli and Italian citizenship, is a longtime critic of Israel and its policies toward Palestinians.

Following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack, which Jebreal has described as a war crime, she has repeatedly accused Israel of genocide, ethnic cleansing and apartheid.

Israel Defense Forces commandos detained five Palestinians during an operation in the West Bank town of Qabatiya on Friday. The military said the suspects were allegedly preparing to carry out a terrorist attack.

According to the IDF, Duvdevan Commando Unit troops entered Qabatiya before dawn after receiving intelligence from the Shin Bet about a five-member Palestinian cell. The military said the suspects “who planned to carry out an attack against Israeli civilians and security forces.”

The commandos apprehended the five suspects “less than 10 minutes” after entering the locations where they were believed to be hiding, according to the IDF. The detainees were subsequently transferred to the Shin Bet for questioning.

No injuries were reported in the operation.

The IDF said troops also conducted searches of the suspects’ residences and discovered an assault rifle, ammunition and military equipment that had allegedly been concealed by the men.

In a separate operation, the military said it completed a 48-hour counterterrorism campaign in and around Nablus, in the northern West Bank. The operation resulted in the arrest of 10 Palestinian suspects and the seizure of equipment allegedly used to manufacture weapons.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commended the military’s Nablus operation, saying, “I congratulate our forces on a successful operation in Samaria [the biblical name for the northern West Bank], in which they destroyed dozens of workshops for the production of weapons, seized dozens of weapons, and arrested wanted individuals involved in terrorism.”

The IDF said troops operating under Shin Bet direction “searched hundreds of locations, questioned dozens of suspects and arrested more than 10 wanted individuals.”

Military forces reportedly destroyed more than 30 lathes believed to have been used in weapons production. Troops also confiscated rifles, handguns and ammunition during the operation.

Tensions and violence in the West Bank have risen significantly in recent months. Much of the violence has involved attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, although Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis have also occurred. Critics have accused the IDF and the government led by Netanyahu of tolerating or encouraging violence carried out by Israelis against Palestinians.

Iran Fires Missiles Toward Jordan as Israel Expands Strikes in Lebanon

Ballistic missiles reportedly targeted a U.S. base in Jordan, with interceptions visible from northern Israel, as Israeli forces carried out another round of strikes in southern Lebanon

Lebanese media reported Friday evening that two people were killed during a new series of Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, while Iran separately launched ballistic missiles toward Jordan in an escalation that led to interceptions being observed from northern Israel.

According to Lebanese reports, two people traveling on a motorcycle were killed when a strike hit the village of Roumine. Additional strikes were reportedly carried out in the Nabatieh area and Al-Fawqa. Soon afterward, people near the Sea of Galilee recorded footage of interceptions taking place in the sky.

Interceptions Seen Over the Sea of Galilee

The Israeli military said the interceptions occurred over Jordan, although their trajectory made them appear to observers in northern Israel as though they were directly overhead.

Iranian media initially reported a “powerful explosion in Jordan.” Iran’s Fars News Agency and Saudi outlet Al Hadath subsequently reported that missiles had been launched toward a U.S. base in the kingdom.

The Israeli strikes in Lebanon took place as diplomatic contacts with the Lebanese government continued.

Only one day earlier, five prisoners had been released and returned to Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Lebanese authorities were searching for the remains of former leaders of the country’s Jewish community who were abducted and murdered by terrorist organizations during the 1980s.

Operation on Ali Taher Ridge

The latest Israeli strikes in Lebanon also came amid the IDF’s ongoing operation on the Ali Taher Ridge, a strategically important Hezbollah stronghold in southern Lebanon.

On Thursday, following a Reuters report that Iran had threatened to “respond forcefully” to Israeli activity on the ridge, the IDF disclosed details about the operation and its objectives. Israeli security officials said that while IDF forces had trapped dozens of Hezbollah terrorists inside the underground complex, there was no evidence supporting Iran’s assertion that members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had also been trapped there.

Israeli troops located openings that Hezbollah terrorists could potentially use to escape the underground complex. The forces monitored those exits and blocked Hezbollah attempts to provide assistance to those remaining inside from outside the facility.

Hezbollah initially attempted to move equipment to its personnel inside the complex. However, security officials said conditions became increasingly difficult as the operation progressed, putting additional pressure on the organization.

During the fighting, Israeli forces positioned around the exits exchanged fire with Hezbollah terrorists attempting to flee the complex. According to the IDF, dozens were killed. The military said its forces gained operational control through ambushes, attacks on tunnel shafts, grenades, drones and other strikes.

Iranian officials have continued to claim that dozens of Iranians and Lebanese remain trapped at the site. The IDF, however, said Thursday that its clearing operation against Hezbollah’s underground infrastructure on Ali Taher Ridge had been completed and that every terrorist inside had either been killed or escaped.

“The operation to neutralize the underground infrastructure that was cleared of terrorists is continuing, and once it is completed, the IDF will redeploy in a renewed defensive posture,” the military said.

According to the IDF, the underground complex included command centers, weapons storage rooms, generators, living quarters, showers and a kitchen. The facilities enabled Hezbollah forces to carry out combat operations while remaining underground for prolonged periods.

The military described the site as “strategic infrastructure built over two decades, financed and planned by the Iranian terror regime.”

Ballistic missiles reportedly targeted a U.S. base in Jordan, with interceptions visible from northern Israel, as Israeli forces carried out another round of strikes in southern Lebanon

Lebanese media reported Friday evening that two people were killed during a new series of Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, while Iran separately launched ballistic missiles toward Jordan in an escalation that led to interceptions being observed from northern Israel.

According to Lebanese reports, two people traveling on a motorcycle were killed when a strike hit the village of Roumine. Additional strikes were reportedly carried out in the Nabatieh area and Al-Fawqa. Soon afterward, people near the Sea of Galilee recorded footage of interceptions taking place in the sky.

Interceptions Seen Over the Sea of Galilee

The Israeli military said the interceptions occurred over Jordan, although their trajectory made them appear to observers in northern Israel as though they were directly overhead.

Iranian media initially reported a “powerful explosion in Jordan.” Iran’s Fars News Agency and Saudi outlet Al Hadath subsequently reported that missiles had been launched toward a U.S. base in the kingdom.

The Israeli strikes in Lebanon took place as diplomatic contacts with the Lebanese government continued.

Only one day earlier, five prisoners had been released and returned to Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Lebanese authorities were searching for the remains of former leaders of the country’s Jewish community who were abducted and murdered by terrorist organizations during the 1980s.

Operation on Ali Taher Ridge

The latest Israeli strikes in Lebanon also came amid the IDF’s ongoing operation on the Ali Taher Ridge, a strategically important Hezbollah stronghold in southern Lebanon.

On Thursday, following a Reuters report that Iran had threatened to “respond forcefully” to Israeli activity on the ridge, the IDF disclosed details about the operation and its objectives. Israeli security officials said that while IDF forces had trapped dozens of Hezbollah terrorists inside the underground complex, there was no evidence supporting Iran’s assertion that members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had also been trapped there.

Israeli troops located openings that Hezbollah terrorists could potentially use to escape the underground complex. The forces monitored those exits and blocked Hezbollah attempts to provide assistance to those remaining inside from outside the facility.

Hezbollah initially attempted to move equipment to its personnel inside the complex. However, security officials said conditions became increasingly difficult as the operation progressed, putting additional pressure on the organization.

During the fighting, Israeli forces positioned around the exits exchanged fire with Hezbollah terrorists attempting to flee the complex. According to the IDF, dozens were killed. The military said its forces gained operational control through ambushes, attacks on tunnel shafts, grenades, drones and other strikes.

Iranian officials have continued to claim that dozens of Iranians and Lebanese remain trapped at the site. The IDF, however, said Thursday that its clearing operation against Hezbollah’s underground infrastructure on Ali Taher Ridge had been completed and that every terrorist inside had either been killed or escaped.

“The operation to neutralize the underground infrastructure that was cleared of terrorists is continuing, and once it is completed, the IDF will redeploy in a renewed defensive posture,” the military said.

According to the IDF, the underground complex included command centers, weapons storage rooms, generators, living quarters, showers and a kitchen. The facilities enabled Hezbollah forces to carry out combat operations while remaining underground for prolonged periods.

The military described the site as “strategic infrastructure built over two decades, financed and planned by the Iranian terror regime.”

Rabbis visit the White House, pictured on West Colonnade, Thursday, September 3, 2026. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian)

Rabbis wait to meet with President Donald J. Trump in the Roosevelt Room, Thursday, September 3, 2026. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian)

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A man armed with a knife was shot and killed by NYPD officers on the Brooklyn Bridge early Friday after he allegedly charged toward them, according to sources. The deadly encounter disrupted the morning commute.

The shooting comes just three days after NYPD officers were forced to shoot and kill a knife-wielding woman in Times Square who allegedly charged at police after attacking two people, one of whom was fatally wounded.

Police were responding to a report involving a person in distress when they encountered the armed man, who sources said had climbed onto the bridge’s cables.

According to sources, the man suddenly moved toward the officers with the knife, prompting police to open fire. He was fatally struck in the shooting. The NYPD had not immediately released an official account confirming the circumstances.

The incident led authorities to shut down the Brooklyn Bridge’s pedestrian walkway Friday morning as police investigated the shooting.

All lanes carrying traffic toward Brooklyn were closed at approximately 4:15 a.m. and were still blocked around 7:30 a.m., according to 511NY.

The NYPD urged the public to stay away from the area and cautioned commuters to anticipate delays “due to ongoing police activity.”

Few additional details were immediately available as the investigation continued.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz says fear of the Democratic Party’s growing progressive wing is making bipartisan cooperation increasingly difficult, particularly on permitting reform.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, argued that the Democratic Party’s growing progressive movement is making it harder for lawmakers from both parties to work together on permitting reform and other issues where bipartisan agreement might otherwise be possible.

“That dynamic is dangerous right now because they are terrified of the extreme left. Finding a middle ground on ideological issues right now is … the prospects for success, particularly between now and election day, are not high,” Cruz said at an energy summit hosted Thursday by the Club for Growth and Arnold Ventures.

“Schumer is truly terrified right now,” he added, referring to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Cruz’s comments highlight the potential impact of the progressive surge ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, particularly on Democratic leaders in Congress who may be trying to balance traditional party priorities with pressure from an increasingly influential left-wing faction.

“They’re in the middle of a revolution,” Cruz said. “Their problem is that they’re very driven by their interest groups. They’re captured by their activists.”

Cruz made the remarks while speaking at an energy affordability summit hosted by the Club for Growth, a free-market organization that promotes limited government. Permitting reform was a major focus of the gathering, an issue where Republicans and Democrats have identified areas of potential common ground.

Although lawmakers continue to disagree over the scope of regulatory changes and how aggressively permitting rules should be revised, participants emphasized that bipartisan efforts to reduce bureaucratic obstacles could make it easier to develop energy projects across the United States.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright pointed to nuclear power as one area where Republicans and Democrats could potentially find common ground. He argued that regulatory barriers have slowed the development of nuclear energy, despite its growing importance as an alternative to fossil fuels.

“We have built three new nuclear reactors in like the last 40 years. It went quickly from: we didn’t even know about the technology, to 20% of U.S. electric generation from nuclear reactors,” Wright said.

“We created the Nuclear Regulatory Commission… in the name of safety, no malintent. But since that creation, we’ve built almost no reactors in the United States since. If it’s so uncertain and so long to permit something, it’s just not worth investing in. That’s awful! Nuclear is just an awesome energy technology.”

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, said much of the permitting debate has focused less on partisan disputes and more on the practical question of how reforms could actually be implemented.

“There’s a lot of conversations going on not about who’s going to fight with whom or who is going to take credit for it, but rather what is the mechanics of getting it done,” Moreno said at the Club for Growth event.

Moreno also argued that successful permitting reform could deliver benefits that appeal to lawmakers across the political spectrum.

“When it comes to permitting reform, if we can actually pull this off, Scott, what does it mean? It means lower energy prices for all Americans, us taking better care of our environment, being good stewards for the next generation. Those are worthy goals that should unite all of us, and I’m hopeful that we can get that done,” Moreno said, speaking to conservative commentator Scott Jennings, who moderated the event.

Despite the optimism expressed by several participants, including Cruz, the Texas senator cautioned that the influence of progressive lawmakers and activists within the Democratic Party could make bipartisan negotiations more difficult.

“It is not the case that every Senate Democrat is a Marxist or Islamist. What is the case is that every Senate Democrat is terrified of the Marxists and Islamists. Because that’s where the energy is in their party, that’s where the power is, that’s where the money is; it’s where the young people are. I think Mamdani is the single most powerful Democrat in the country,” Cruz said, referring to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Mamdani, a self-described socialist, has become a prominent figure on the Democratic Party’s left. Since his rise to power earlier this year, several candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America have won significant primary contests, including races in which longtime Democratic incumbents were defeated.

Among the notable contests was the New York race involving socialist candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier, who defeated Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., a longtime member of Congress and former chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

In Colorado, another socialist candidate, Melat Kiros, defeated Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., who had represented her district for three decades.

Cruz argued that the growing strength of progressive candidates is creating additional pressure on Democratic lawmakers who might otherwise be inclined to cooperate with Republicans.

He said that political pressure makes it increasingly difficult for Democrats to distance themselves from the party’s progressive activists and candidates.

Cruz also questioned whether Democratic leaders are prepared to challenge the momentum of the party’s left flank.

“Look, Schumer is known for a lot of things but acts of principle and courage are not among them,” Cruz said.

Authorities spent Thursday and Friday trying to ease concerns over chemicals released into the Mediterranean roughly a kilometer (0.6 miles) from Israel’s southern coastline. The substances were used in an effort to combat an algae outbreak that had previously brought five of the country’s six desalination facilities to a standstill.

According to Channel 13, the Water Authority initially carried out the operation without publicly announcing it, dispersing a mixture of substances, including substantial amounts of copper sulfate from the air over a roughly nine-kilometer (5.6-mile) section of coastline.

Following the disclosure, the Health Ministry ordered a temporary suspension of fishing in the affected area. Officials stressed, however, that no confirmed danger had been identified and said the restriction was being imposed strictly as a precaution while additional information was gathered. Authorities did not prohibit people from eating fish.

The Energy and Water Ministry said in a statement that “the targeted dispersion of authorized substances in the sea was carried out with the approval of the interministerial Committee [for granting permits to dump substances] led by the Environmental Protection Ministry and the Health Ministry. The substances do not endanger bathers; environmental monitoring is currently underway in the area, and results are expected soon.” The ministry also said that drinking water remained “completely safe for drinking and household use without any concern.”

The Environmental Protection Ministry said the Health Ministry had examined the substances both before and during deliberations by the interministerial committee. According to the ministry, the committee authorized “targeted activity, within a defined time and space, and subject to special and stringent conditions.”

It added: “The approval included restrictions on the location and method of substance dispersion, environmental monitoring and documentation, continuous tracking of current directions, and immediate cessation in the event of flow toward the shore or a risk of harm to wildlife.”

Officials said the substances had been released in carefully controlled amounts and were selected because they would rapidly disperse and break down in seawater. Any additional treatment, the ministry said, would be “professionally evaluated based on findings” and could only proceed after receiving a new permit.

But Prof. Nadav Davidovitch, who heads the School of Public Health at Ben-Gurion University, criticized the response, saying that “the revelation regarding the dispersion of toxic substances near Israel’s coasts as a response to the algae crisis is further testimony to ongoing helplessness and crisis management in a firefighting mode, rather than a broad, in-depth vision that must focus on prevention and preparedness. Our growing reliance on desalinated drinking water brings numerous challenges, both in routine times and emergencies, certainly in light of climate change and the need to account for various environmental impacts.”

Davidovitch also warned that “neglect of the marine environment and the failure to address the root causes of pollution come back to bite us like a boomerang.”

Desalination has become a central component of Israel’s water system, supplying approximately 80 percent of the country’s potable water.

The recent algae outbreak had forced five desalination facilities to close in an unprecedented shutdown. The algae was carried northward by ocean currents and waves originating near Egypt’s Nile Delta.

All of the affected facilities had returned to full operation by Thursday.

The shutdown had previously led local authorities to suspend irrigation and other nonessential public-space water uses across the country. Water supplies to agricultural communities in southern Israel were also temporarily curtailed as officials worked to manage the disruption.

Last night’s meeting at the White House was, on the record, purely symbolic — but the Rebbes who met with the President, including the anti-Zionist Satmar Rebbes, presented the American president with a letter demanding his intervention on the issue of the draft and the fact that U.S. citizens holding dual citizenship are unable to leave Israel.

The letter delivered to the President was initiated by Chotzvei Chomas — the Aid Organization for Deserters, a resource and counseling center headed by Shimon Sheeska.

President Donald J. Trump meets with Rabbis for Rosh Hashanah, Thursday, September 3rd, 2026, in the Oval Office at the White House. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

The letter, dated September 3, 2026, was signed by all the Rebbes before being submitted to the President. It reads:

“In the name of tens of thousands of Jews living in Israel today, we write to ask for your help in a matter of the greatest importance to us.”

The letter continues, thanking the President for the kindness he has shown the Jewish people even before taking office, and states: “It is in light of this longstanding relationship that we plead for your intervention on behalf of 100,000 students attending yeshivos and rabbinical seminaries in Israel. There is no need for us to explain to you the unique way of life of charedi Jewry, commonly known here in the United States as the ultra-Orthodox community.”

President Donald J. Trump meets with Rabbis for Rosh Hashanah, Thursday, September 3rd, 2026, in the Oval Office at the White House. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

“For close to two centuries, students attending recognized religious schools and training to become ordained ministers have been exempt from conscription into the U.S. Army. For more than seventy-five years, a similar exemption existed in Israel. It was recently revoked—a step that has had a devastating effect on the charedi community,” the letter states.

They add: “It seems inconceivable that, in the Land of Israel, the religious liberties of Jews are being denied. Tragically, however, this is the case. Tens of thousands of G-d-fearing students, whose only desire is to continue living according to the traditions of their forefathers—going all the way back to the Patriarchs—are living in genuine fear.”

The letter states: “As we write these words, dozens of students are incarcerated in military prisons for refusing to enlist. Every charedi Jew of draft age walks the streets with trepidation and goes to sleep at night knowing that he may be arrested at any time—solely because of his religious beliefs.”

On the issue of dual citizens, the Rebbes write: “They are unable to leave the country for any reason, including to seek shelter elsewhere. It is our understanding that thousands of American citizens who hold dual citizenship are unable to return home.”

The letter closes with a direct appeal: “Mr. President: Not since the days of the Founding Fathers has the world seen a leader so determined to defend religious freedom. You will go down in history alongside Thomas Jefferson and George Washington for your courageous efforts to help Jews throughout the world practice their faith in tranquility.

We respectfully ask you to direct your administration to take up this matter with the highest echelons of the Israeli government and urge its leaders to follow your example by protecting, rather than persecuting, the religious liberties of ultra-Orthodox Jews.”

The letter was signed, “With profound gratitude and our warmest blessings.”

President Donald J. Trump meets with Rabbis for Rosh Hashanah, Thursday, September 3rd, 2026, in the Oval Office at the White House. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

South Korea is preparing to send troops to the Strait of Hormuz as part of an international effort to safeguard the crucial waterway and maintain the flow of maritime traffic, according to reports from South Korean media.

The government is expected to present a motion to the National Assembly seeking parliamentary approval to deploy South Korean forces outside the country.

South Korean officials told JTBC News that they were “reviewing deployment plans” aimed at helping stabilize the Strait of Hormuz and safeguard South Korean commercial shipping. The government also indicated that it expects lawmakers to approve the motion without significant delay.

Even if the legislation advances quickly through parliament, the final vote is expected to coincide with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s anticipated trip to the United Nations General Assembly, scheduled for September 18-28, according to the Korean East Asia Daily (Dong-A Ilbo).

Despite preparations for a potential deployment, Seoul has yet to determine the precise scope of the mission, including which military assets would be sent and how many personnel would participate.

South Korea already maintains an anti-piracy naval presence in the Gulf of Aden, where its forces have operated since 2009 as part of efforts to counter threats from Somali pirates.

US President Donald Trump called on South Korea as early as March to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz. Before the strait was closed, South Korea sourced roughly 70% of its oil imports from the Middle East, underscoring the strategic importance of the waterway to the country’s energy security.

The potential deployment comes amid worsening relations between Israel and South Korea. Tensions increased after President Lee criticized the detention of activists from the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, including prominent South Korean activist Kim Ah-hyun.

Relations also came under further strain in April, when Israel’s Foreign Ministry strongly criticized President Lee after he shared a video that purported to depict Israeli troops torturing and killing a Palestinian child. Lee said the actions of the IDF were “no different from the Jewish massacre” carried out by the Nazis. His comments were made on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Ambassador Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, President Trump’s Special Envoy on Combating Antisemitism, was seen Thursday leaving the home of Emirati ruler Mohamed bin Zayed (MBZ) in the UAE, Belaaz has learned.

A source tells Belaaz that Kaploun met with several ministers during the visit and toured the Abrahamic House synagogue.

The visit comes on the heels of his ongoing efforts with the Saudi government to change its curriculum and remove antisemitic rhetoric.

When asked for a comment, Kaploun’s office told Belaaz they do not discuss the ambassador’s travel itinerary with the press.

A delegation of Rabbanim met with President Trump at the White House Wednesday in what attendees are calling a historic meeting.

Before the Oval Office sit-down, the group met in the Roosevelt Room with Jewish White House council Will Scharf and White House Jewish liason Martin Marks.

Belaaz is told Vice President Vance made a surprise stop-by during that time, where he praised raising large families. Vance’s visit came shortly after Vance held his first White House press briefing in over 40 days, where he addressed recent criticism on his friendship with Tucker Carlson and refused to call out the antisemite.

During the Oval Office meeting, the Rebbes thanked President Trump for the First Step Act and for administration efforts on expanding access to IVF treatment.

Belaaz is told Jared Kushner and Secretary of State Marco Rubio both attended the meeting between President Trump and the Rebbes.

Sources describe the atmosphere as warm, with President Trump laughing with the delegation at points. The Satmar Rebbe Reb Zalman Leib asked the president to keep “our brothers in Israel” in mind, Belaaz was told.

Belaaz is further told that the Bobover Rebbe’s gabbai was initially not permitted into the Oval Office. After Kushner received a call or message from billionaire Bobov donor Izzy Englander, Kushner stepped out himself and brought the gabbai in.

Belaaz had the honor to speak with BMG Rosh Yeshivah HaGaon Reb Malkiel Kotler Shlita following his meeting with President Trump. Reb Malkiel shared that the conversation with the President was light and calm, with laughing throughout, and that the Rabbanim presented President Trump with thank-you letters.

Israel released five Lebanese detainees on Thursday in a move aimed at advancing efforts to bring back the remains of leaders of Lebanon’s former Jewish communities, according to an announcement by the Prime Minister’s Office.

The five detainees were arrested in recent months. The move follows a similar step taken a year ago, when Israel released five Lebanese detainees captured during fighting in Lebanon as part of negotiations with the Lebanese government.

The Prime Minister’s Office said the five individuals released Thursday are civilians and have no affiliation with Hezbollah. They were detained during fighting, but were not identified as members of the Iran-backed organization.

Israel-Lebanon talks reportedly include return of Jewish remains

The reported prisoner release comes amid negotiations between Israel and Lebanon over a possible exchange involving Lebanese detainees and the remains of Jews buried in Lebanese cemeteries.

On August 10, the Hezbollah-linked Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported that Israel and Lebanon were discussing a “civilian prisoner exchange deal.” According to the report, Israeli officials had raised the possibility of transferring the remains of Jews buried in Lebanese cemeteries to Israel.

The issue reportedly emerged during talks concerning Lebanese prisoners and detainees held by Israel. The discussions focused in particular on individuals Israel considers civilians whose ties to Hezbollah were unclear, but who were nevertheless detained because they were viewed as posing a danger to IDF forces.

Israeli representatives reportedly highlighted what Al-Akhbar characterized as a substantial number of Jewish remains located in cemeteries in Beirut and Sidon.

Sources familiar with the negotiations told The Jerusalem Post that the latest round of discussions between Israel and Lebanon was “positive.” Israeli and Lebanese military representatives participated in the talks, which were held in Rome.

Idan Kweller and Shir Perets contributed to this report.

Clalit, which provides healthcare services to more than half of Israel’s population, has secured an order of more than one million injectable influenza vaccines for the coming season, along with 25,000 nasal-spray doses. The nasal vaccine is designated for children and young adults between the ages of two and 49. Supplies are scheduled to arrive in Israel in several shipments during September and October, and Clalit plans to begin administering vaccines as soon as the first shipment is received.

The vaccination campaign will initially operate through designated vaccination centers and larger clinics. As more doses become available, vaccinations will be expanded to Clalit clinics throughout the country. The gradual rollout is intended to prioritize early protection for people considered most vulnerable to serious complications from influenza.

Ronen Nudelman, Clalit’s deputy director general and head of the community division, said the healthcare provider is prepared to carry out another extensive vaccination campaign. He noted that close to one million Clalit members received flu vaccinations during the previous winter, including approximately 55% of members aged 65 and above.

Nudelman explained that the speed of this year’s campaign will be determined by the arrival of vaccine shipments. Once each delivery reaches Israel, the doses will be rapidly allocated among vaccination centers and Clalit clinics across the country.

Sefy Sobel Roitblat, Clalit’s head of community nursing and director of its influenza vaccination campaign, warned that influenza can result in serious health complications, including pneumonia and hospitalization. She described vaccination as a well-established and effective way to lower the risk of illness and severe complications. Roitblat added that early vaccination gives the immune system sufficient time to develop protection before influenza activity generally increases during the winter, while reducing the likelihood of infection by approximately 40% to 60%.

Dr. Bat-Sheva Gotsman, an infectious disease specialist and Clalit community consultant, cautioned against treating influenza as a minor illness. She pointed to research indicating that the risk of suffering a heart attack may increase sixfold during the first week following an influenza infection, while the risk of stroke can also rise. Gotsman said influenza can occasionally trigger inflammation of the heart muscle and noted that vaccination may provide cardiovascular benefits in addition to protecting against respiratory disease.

Clalit recommends influenza vaccination for the general population beginning at six months of age. The recommendation applies broadly across age groups, with vaccination intended to provide protection ahead of the winter flu season.

Members of Clalit Mushlam who have a prescription from a physician can also obtain the antiviral drug Tamiflu at Clalit pharmacies with a 50% subsidy.

Hezbollah is believed to have established an underground command facility and stockpiled weapons inside the Ali al-Taher ridge, a strategically important position overlooking large parts of southeastern Lebanon.

Iran has warned the United States that it would respond with a large-scale attack if Israel launches a full-scale assault on the Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, according to Reuters. Three officials familiar with the warning said Iranian military personnel are believed to be deployed alongside Hezbollah fighters in the area.

The warning, reportedly issued in August, highlights Iran’s ongoing and direct role in ground operations in southern Lebanon.

The Ali al-Taher ridge is considered a key Hezbollah position, with the group believed to have constructed an underground command center and weapons storage facilities there. Its elevated position provides a strategic view across southeastern Lebanon, making it a major flashpoint in the continuing Israel-Hezbollah conflict.

Hezbollah has publicly maintained that it controls the ridge and would resist any Israeli attempt to advance on the position. The group has referred to a “facility” at the site but has not disclosed additional information. Israel’s military, meanwhile, has taken control of territory south of the ridge and has designated the area as one of its “primary operational focuses.”

Two regional officials who were briefed by Iranian authorities told Reuters that the warning was transmitted through Oman, which has previously played a mediating role. The officials also said that more than a dozen members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including at least two senior officers, were deployed alongside Hezbollah fighters at the ridge.

A third official said the warning was conveyed around the middle of August and claimed that pressure from Washington had contributed to Israel postponing an assault on the ridge. A White House official rejected the claim, stating, “this is not accurate.”

Israel’s Maariv newspaper, citing a military source, reported that Israeli authorities assess that no IRGC personnel remain at the ridge. The report also said some Hezbollah fighters may have died after running short of supplies. Israel has reportedly sought to isolate the position, intercepting drone deliveries carrying food and water in an attempt to make the site “uninhabitable.”

Even with Iran’s warning, a Lebanese source and a senior Lebanese security official said Israel could still launch an operation to seize the ridge in the coming weeks. Hezbollah has warned that a major assault on Ali al-Taher would constitute a return to full-scale war and could trigger missile attacks against communities in northern Israel.

The delegation of Rebbes and Rosh Yeshiva is set to meet with President Trump at the White House on Thursday, in what would be the first meeting of its kind for this administration.

Thursday’s official White House daily guidance lists a 12:30 PM closed-press meeting in the Oval Office — the same time slot the delegation is expected there.

Belaaz has learned the delegation will travel in Thursday itself, rather than arriving the night before and staying over.

The Rabbanim will first sit down in the Roosevelt Room with senior White House officials, including Jewish liaison Martin Marks and Staff Secretary Will Scharf. They will then join together for a brief meeting with the President in the Oval Office

Several sources — both inside the White House and within the Jewish community — described the meeting to Belaaz as largely ceremonial, framed as an opportunity to thank the President for his support of the Jewish people and to underscore Jewish community backing ahead of the midterms.

Belaaz has learned that the invite list drew some frustration from pro-Israel and Zionist organizations over which Rebbes were included. Sources say the delegation was told in advance not to raise the ongoing IDF draft-arrest crisis with the President during the meeting. Some attendees may still raise personal requests — including a pardon for a jailed individual.

Belaaz has also learned the meeting was pushed for by New York Congressman Mike Lawler, who has been working to help secure Jewish community support ahead of the midterms.

The Skverer Rebbe of New Square is not expected to attend due to his age; his eldest son will attend in his place.

This is a developing story.

Shin Bet chief David Zini made a special visit Tuesday night to Chabad World Headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights during his trip to the United States, where he toured the facility and spoke with Bochurim and others at the headquarters.

One source told Belaaz that Zini asked why Jews living in the United States choose to remain there rather than make aliyah to Israel. The conversations also touched on people who work or learn, as well as Moshiach and shlichus.

Zini’s visit came during a U.S. trip that included high-level security meetings, including a meeting with FBI Director Kash Patel.

Despite visiting 770, sources told us that Zini did not meet with any official Chabad representative.

A dramatic shakeup is underway in the United Torah Judaism party, as party rabbis Rav Landau and Rav Hirsch signed a letter in recent hours thanking MK Moshe Gafni for his service and asking him to end his term in the Knesset. Multiple sources confirmed the development to Belaaz.

Gafni, one of the longest-serving members of Knesset, was first appointed to his role in the days of Rav Shach and has served for over 30 years. MK Uri Maklev is also expected to retire alongside him.

Yaakov Asher, who previously served as mayor of Bnei Brak, is expected to be appointed party chairman in Gafni’s place. Younger representation is set to take their place in the Knesset.

Israeli defense technology company AITAN has emerged from stealth with $41 million in fresh funding, aiming to expand its combat-tested robotic warfare technology internationally. The latest investment brings the company’s total capital raised to $54 million.

Modern robotic weapons must be manufactured at scale, delivered even when supply chains are disrupted, and continuously modified as battlefield conditions evolve. Beyond individual machines, militaries are increasingly seeking interconnected autonomous systems capable of communicating, coordinating and operating together as a unified force.

AITAN is positioning itself at the center of that transformation, betting that the future of warfare will increasingly depend on robotic forces and that nations developing those capabilities will want greater control over the underlying technology.

The company unveiled its strategy Wednesday under the banner of “Robotic Sovereignty-as-a-Service,” alongside a $41 million funding round intended to support international expansion and additional development of its autonomous weapons technology. Deep33 and Dell Technologies Capital co-led the financing, which also included participation from Coinbase, Pinterest board member Gokul Rajaram, Bling Capital founder Benjamin Ling and Scribble Ventures’ Kevin Weil.

The new funding raises AITAN’s total financing to $54 million.

From Unit 8200 to the Battlefield

AITAN says the technology behind its pitch has already undergone extensive use by the Israel Defense Forces and Israeli national security organizations. According to the company, its robotic platforms have logged more than 500,000 combat hours since 2023 across missions involving unmanned systems, command and control, swarming, edge AI and autonomous operations.

That operational exposure has provided AITAN with a rare real-world testing environment: a conflict in which robotic systems have progressed from experimental tools to increasingly important components of battlefield operations.

“Three years later, with our technology already having a significant operational impact on the ground, the time is right to expand our reach and bring these capabilities to Israel’s allies around the world,” said Udi Oster, AITAN’s co-CEO.

AITAN was founded by Oster and Daniel Almog, Israeli and American entrepreneurs who first met while serving as officers in the IDF’s elite Unit 8200. The two subsequently moved into the technology sector and founded Tapingo, an online food-ordering marketplace that was later acquired by Grubhub.

The events of Oct. 7, 2023, ultimately drew both founders back into the defense sector.

Their longtime friend and former colleague, Or Levy, was kidnapped from the Nova music festival, where his wife was killed. Oster’s younger brother, Eitan, was subsequently killed while serving as a captain in the Egoz commando unit during Israel’s ground operation in Lebanon.

AITAN was named in his memory. The name also references the Hebrew word “eitan,” which means resilience.

“When the Swords of Iron War broke out, it was clear to us that our sole objective was to help our friends and family members win and return home safely, whether from captivity or from the battlefield,” Oster said.

AITAN’s founders contend that the conflicts of the past three years have highlighted a major weakness in conventional approaches to military robotics. Unlike traditional weapons, robotic platforms cannot simply be bought, stored and expected to remain effective for years without modification.

Their hardware, software and artificial-intelligence systems must evolve alongside the battlefield.

Supply-chain disruptions can make an otherwise capable platform difficult to sustain, while new enemy tactics can rapidly render existing software ineffective. Operating hundreds or thousands of individual robots also introduces another challenge: coordinating them so that they function as a cohesive force rather than as isolated machines.

AITAN says its technology is built around those challenges, emphasizing mass production, resilience in contested environments and the ability of military customers to develop and maintain their own robotic and AI capabilities.

The company calls this approach “robotic sovereignty,” describing a model in which allied nations can build and operate autonomous combat systems without relying on an overseas supplier for every technological update or battlefield adjustment.

Building a Role in Israel’s Defense Industry

AITAN says it has already established itself within several significant Israeli defense programs.

The company recently secured a joint contract to develop the command-and-control platform for the IDF’s next-generation attack-drone fleet. It has also received critical design contracts involving major robotic weapons systems.

According to AITAN, its technology is being developed by military veterans and reservists with operational backgrounds, enabling battlefield experience and feedback to be incorporated directly into subsequent generations of its systems.

That practical experience is a central part of AITAN’s argument that Israel holds a distinctive advantage in military robotics.

“Israel is one of the only places in the world with the combat experience and flight hours to develop robotic weapon systems at scale,” said Lior Prosor, a general partner at Deep33. “That gives AITAN a difficult-to-replicate advantage and a significant opportunity to bring that capability to allied nations.”

For investors, however, AITAN’s opportunity extends beyond individual drones, ground robots or other autonomous platforms.

The broader investment thesis centers on a future military environment built around networks of autonomous machines. Under that model, different robotic systems could operate through shared command-and-control infrastructure while increasingly making decisions at the edge, close to active combat zones.

“We believe Physical AI will be one of the most important technology shifts of the coming decade,” said Yair Snir, managing director at Dell Technologies Capital. “But first, we need to solve the challenge of coordinating highly complex autonomous systems in challenging real-world environments.”

Snir said AITAN had recognized early that the future of defense would involve “intelligent networks of disparate systems operating together.”

AITAN plans to use the $41 million financing to advance its technology, enter additional international markets and expand its workforce worldwide.

Although the company is only now publicly emerging from stealth, AITAN is portraying itself as a company shaped by a battlefield where autonomous systems have already become increasingly significant and as a potential supplier of the technology and infrastructure allied militaries will need for the next phase of warfare.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Two civilians were killed and six others injured after Russian aerial attacks struck a city in central Ukraine overnight and into Wednesday, according to local officials. The Kyiv and Odesa regions were also heavily targeted in the latest wave of Russian strikes.

The aerial campaign has grown increasingly intense as Russia’s war against Ukraine moves deeper into its fifth year. Despite the escalating attacks, the battlefield across eastern and southern Ukraine has remained largely stalemated, while U.S.-backed diplomatic efforts to secure a settlement have so far failed to establish a clear route toward peace.

The confrontation took another turn Tuesday night when Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued sharply contrasting warnings about what could come next.

Zelenskyy cautioned international airlines against assuming Russian airspace was safe, pointing to Ukraine’s expanding campaign of long-range drone strikes inside Russia. He said the pressure was designed to force Moscow toward negotiations and warned that “Russian airspace will effectively be closing.”

Putin responded by accusing Zelenskyy of “state terrorism” and declared: “We don’t negotiate with terrorists.”

Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, a government agency, rejected Putin’s accusation, arguing that the Russian president was attempting to redirect responsibility for the conflict away from Moscow.

“A state that itself unleashed this war, that daily commits terror against Ukrainian civilians and destroys cities, is again trying to portray itself as a ‘victim,’” the center said.

The dispute comes as both sides continue to signal that they are prepared to intensify their military pressure rather than ease it. Ukraine has increasingly relied on long-range drones to strike targets inside Russia, while Moscow continues its extensive missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

Russian Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin sought to downplay concerns about the effect of Ukrainian drone operations on aviation, saying Russian authorities are continuously taking steps to strengthen flight safety.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran launched attacks against U.S.-aligned countries in the Gulf early Wednesday, following overnight American military strikes that Iranian authorities said killed people attending a wedding celebration.

The renewed hostilities brought an end to roughly a month of relative calm between Washington and Tehran and intensified concerns over how the conflict can be brought to an end. The war has pushed oil prices higher, disrupted markets around the world and created growing political difficulties for President Donald Trump’s Republican Party as the November midterm elections approach.

Tensions have been building since the weekend, when U.S. forces struck Iranian rocket launchers on an island in the Strait of Hormuz. The American military said the launchers were intended to be used to deploy mines into the strategically important waterway. Iran responded with missile attacks against U.S. military installations in Jordan, but those missiles were intercepted.

The prolonged confrontation is placing additional strain on American military capabilities while pressure on the Trump administration grows in Washington. Iran, meanwhile, is confronting severe economic difficulties, including a weakening currency. Hamidreza Azizi, a senior Iran analyst at the Crisis Group, said neither government can sustain the current situation indefinitely while remaining caught between open warfare and a ceasefire.

“At some point, one of the sides may see a need to escalate in order to break this cycle,” he cautioned. “So that could bring the two sides to a point that they have been trying to avoid until now, which is a full-scale war.”

Gulf nations intercept Iranian attacks

Iranian drones were also launched toward Kuwait late Tuesday, with Kuwaiti defenses intercepting them. A day earlier, the United Arab Emirates reported that it had stopped an Iranian drone over its territorial waters.

Bahrain, home to a major U.S. naval installation, said its air-defense systems intercepted incoming Iranian fire early Wednesday. Bahrain’s military accused Tehran of carrying out “attacks targeting civilians” in a statement.

Kuwait’s government communications center separately reported that an Iranian drone struck a residential complex in the capital shortly after dawn, triggering a fire. Authorities said firefighters brought the blaze under control and reported no deaths or injuries.

Mohsen Rezaei, the recently appointed head of Iran’s powerful Supreme National Security Council, issued a defiant warning on X, promising that Tehran’s evolving approach to warfare, diplomacy and economic resistance would undermine its opponents.

“You will soon see that Iran’s new strategy on the battlefield, in diplomacy, and in confronting the economic blockade will shatter your foundations,” Rezaei said.

The latest exchanges underscore the growing danger that the conflict could expand beyond direct U.S.-Iranian hostilities and increasingly draw neighboring Gulf states into the fighting. With military resources under pressure, Iran facing worsening economic conditions and tensions rising across the region, the possibility of a broader confrontation remains a central concern.

Leaked records reportedly reveal a covert Moscow-Tehran effort to develop ramjet technology for hypersonic cruise missiles capable of threatening U.S. warships

Russia has secretly assisted Iran in developing hypersonic cruise-missile technology in what the Financial Times described as “one of the most dramatic transfers of strategic military technology from Moscow to Tehran.” An extensive investigation by the newspaper, based on leaked correspondence, travel documents and an examination of military patents, reportedly uncovered details of the program. The initiative began in 2023 and continued even as the United States and Israel conducted military campaigns against Iran.

According to the investigation, the classified effort, known as Project C430L, brought together specialists to help Iran develop a new weapons capability intended to threaten U.S. aircraft carriers, which have been deployed intermittently in the region as well as other naval vessels operating in the Middle East.

“This is the transfer of highly sensitive strategic military technology the kind the Iranians have been trying to obtain for decades,” said Fabian Hinz, an expert on Iranian missiles and a senior analyst at Conflict Armament Research. “A program like this requires political approval from the highest levels in Russia.”

At the heart of the project is the development of a ramjet propulsion system. Such engines allow cruise missiles to travel at several times the speed of sound. By combining extreme speed with low-altitude flight, hypersonic cruise missiles can potentially shorten the window available for air-defense systems to detect, track and intercept them.

Hypersonic missiles generally travel at speeds of at least five times the speed of sound. They can also be highly maneuverable and precise, and some are capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Roughly seven years ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly announced the development of the Kinzhal, or “Dagger,” saying the weapon could strike targets almost anywhere in the world while penetrating U.S. air defenses. Russia has subsequently used the Kinzhal during its war in Ukraine.

The Financial Times reported that Iran has succeeded in developing the propulsion technology involved in the project, although there is currently no evidence that an Iranian hypersonic cruise missile has been deployed operationally. Jim Larson, a former CIA analyst specializing in Iran, said: “This technology would give Iran a strategic weapons system that could threaten U.S. Navy vessels.”

Russian experts reportedly helped Iran overcome technical hurdles

Leaked correspondence reviewed by the newspaper reportedly shows that discussions surrounding the project continued through the summer. While military cooperation between Russia and Iran has been widely documented, C430L is described as evidence of what the report calls a “deeper interaction” because Moscow was not simply providing finished equipment. Instead, Russian assistance reportedly gave Iranian engineers the practical expertise needed to develop the weapons system themselves.

The effort was reportedly coordinated by Rosoboronexport, Russia’s state-owned arms exporter, together with NPO Mash. The United States sanctioned NPO Mash in 2014.

According to the investigation, senior Russian officials and engineers traveled to Iran even before the project’s formal contract was signed in November 2023. Correspondence reportedly shows Russian specialists examining the performance of a system Iran had already developed and providing technical assistance to improve it. In April 2025, a proposal was reportedly made to send a 24-member Russian delegation to Iran for technical consultations connected to the project.

Hinz emphasized the importance of transferring expertise rather than simply providing hardware. “Russia has focused on this technology for a long time. People tend to think cooperation like this means sending blueprints, complete missiles or parts of them, but bringing in a 60-year-old engineer who can fly over and solve problems on the ground is an enormous asset.”

The newspaper reported that cooperation under Project C430L continued into 2026. Neither Iran nor Russia responded to requests for comment regarding the allegations.

Putin and Iran maintain close ties despite U.S. pressure

The revelations come amid continued high-level engagement between Moscow and Tehran. Earlier Tuesday, Putin met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who thanked the Russian leader for his support and told him: “We appreciate your supportive position. The powers do not have the right to attack other countries and violate international frameworks and laws.” Putin, meanwhile, said Russia would continue its trade relationship with Tehran despite the “military-political situation.”

The developments also follow an unusual visit to Russia by CIA Director John Ratcliffe last week. U.S. media organizations, including The Wall Street Journal and Politico, reported that Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow to warn Russian officials against attacking NATO and against providing further assistance to Iran. Officials cited by Politico said the trip was aimed at persuading Moscow to scale back its economic and military support for Tehran.

Washington presses Moscow as military cooperation deepens

A British official who spoke to the outlet said Ratcliffe raised the issue after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened tougher sanctions against countries that continue maintaining economic ties with Iran. According to the official, Ratcliffe made clear that Washington expects Russia to halt the transfer of weapons and defense technology to Iran and urged Moscow not to “overreact” if U.S. sanctions affect Russia.

U.S. reports did not establish whether Ratcliffe held a personal meeting with Putin. President Donald Trump characterized the CIA director’s trip as “semi-routine.” The previous known visit by a CIA director to Russia occurred in November 2021, shortly before Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

NBC reported last month that Russia was continuing to send shipments of ammunition to Iran through a protected and relatively isolated maritime route across the Caspian Sea. The reported cargo included TNT and components used in drones. Although transfers along the route had previously been documented, the U.S. network reported that the volume of material moving between the two countries was larger than previously understood. The Caspian Sea has long served as an important strategic transportation corridor linking Russia and Iran, in part because the United States has no military presence there.

The latest revelations add to a growing body of reporting about the deepening military and strategic relationship between Moscow and Tehran. Russia has also reportedly provided Iran with satellite imagery and drone technology since the beginning of the war with Israel, along with information about the locations of military targets. The reported assistance was intended to help Tehran target U.S. forces, including warships and aircraft. One official who spoke with The Washington Post at the time described the effort as “a fairly comprehensive effort.”If you want, I can also turn this into a more dramatic geopolitical-news style, a professional Reuters/AP-style version, or a more SEO-focused version with a punchier headline and subheadline.

In one week from today, party lists must be submitted ahead of the Knesset elections. On the right-wing bloc, a large number of parties are running that won’t manage to pass the electoral threshold. The fear is that they’ll burn right-wing votes, bringing down the right’s rule and Netanyahu’s government along with it.

Just last week, former Brigade General Ofer Winter presented his own Knesset list, one that eats into right-wing votes and creates a scenario where Bezalel Smotrich’s party fails to pass the threshold — costing the Netanyahu bloc 4 seats in a possible coalition.

In response, the prime minister called on Smotrich over the weekend to unite with Itamar Ben Gvir to prevent votes from being thrown away — but Ben Gvir refused.

Today, Smotrich announced a merger between his party and for Likud member Moshe Feiglin’s Zehut party. The merger is meant to guarantee that Religious Zionism passes the threshold, boosting the right-wing bloc’s chances of winning the election.

In the week remaining before the list-submission deadline closes, more mergers within the right-wing bloc are expected, aimed at securing Netanyahu’s victory in the election.

Sara Netanyahu, wife of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, ignited a political firestorm Monday night after suggesting in a Channel 14 interview that Democrats party chairman Yair Golan may have known in advance about the October 7th massacre.

Netanyahu said Golan was “dressed and ready” in southern Israel in the early morning hours of Oct. 7 — before her husband, the prime minister, was informed of the attack. Pressed directly on whether she believed there was a “betrayal from within,” she demurred: “I don’t want to talk. I don’t know. Let there be a real commission of inquiry.”

Golan, a former IDF deputy chief of staff, has said he rushed to the Gaza border area that morning after learning of the attack, arriving armed and alone to help evacuate wounded from the Nova festival massacre site.

Golan’s attorneys sent a cease-and-desist letter Tuesday demanding Sara Netanyahu issue a public apology within 24 hours and agree to a financial settlement to be donated to Nova survivors. Absent that, the letter warns, Golan will file a defamation suit seeking no less than NIS 2.5 million. The letter argues the interview comments were not legitimate political criticism but “defamatory and false remarks” casting Golan as “a partner to an act of betrayal,” timed ahead of the upcoming election.

Sara Netanyahu responded with her own warning letter, rejecting Golan’s demands and instead demanding he apologize to her within 24 hours — threatening a NIS 1 million suit of her own over his public statements and a separate incident at a hair salon.

Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed the controversy Tuesday evening in a video posted to social media: “There was no betrayal on October 7th — and my wife didn’t say that either.”

Somaliland’s President, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, is expected to travel to Washington in the coming days for his first official visit to the United States since assuming office. The trip comes several months after Israel became the first United Nations member state to formally recognize Somaliland as an independent country.

The planned visit is being viewed as a significant development in Somaliland’s long-running campaign to secure wider international recognition. The territory broke away from Somalia in 1991 and has operated independently for decades, maintaining its own government and institutions despite lacking broad diplomatic recognition.

Israel formally recognized Somaliland in December 2025, opening the door to rapidly expanding relations between the two sides. In June, President Abdullahi traveled to Israel in a landmark visit, where he met with President Isaac Herzog and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana.

Somaliland has also opened an embassy in Jerusalem, further underscoring its growing diplomatic ties with Israel.

Despite Israel’s recognition, the possibility of Washington following suit remains uncertain. Following the Israeli announcement, Donald Trump said he was not prepared to recognize Somaliland immediately and wanted to examine the issue before making a decision. President Abdullahi’s upcoming Washington visit could give Hargeisa an opportunity to make its case directly to U.S. officials and advocate for American recognition.

Somaliland’s geographic position makes it particularly important from a strategic perspective. Located in the Horn of Africa near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and major Red Sea shipping routes, the territory occupies a position of potential significance for U.S. and regional security interests.

Somaliland and Israel have already signaled plans to deepen cooperation across a range of sectors, including security, agriculture, water management, healthcare and economic development. A successful diplomatic outreach to Washington could further elevate Somaliland’s international profile and strengthen its campaign for formal recognition.

Defense Minister Israel Katz says a senior Hamas operative was captured in Gaza shortly before his remarks, following a reported raid by an Israeli-supported Palestinian militia in Gaza City that was conducted with Israeli aerial assistance.

Katz did not disclose the identity of the detainee or provide additional operational details. However, an Israeli security source said the individual captured was allegedly the head of Hamas’s internal security apparatus.

Speaking from the Gaza border community of Netiv Haasara, Katz said that “even as we stand here, the activity of our forces in Gaza City continues at all times.”

Katz described the capture as part of Israel’s broader effort to actively pursue Hamas operatives rather than wait for potential threats to emerge.

“A short while ago, a senior Hamas terrorist was arrested. This is our policy: We do not wait for threats, we pursue Hamas terrorists, thwart them, and destroy their terror infrastructure,” Katz says.

The reported capture comes amid continuing Israeli military activity in and around Gaza City, as operations against Hamas figures and infrastructure remain ongoing.

President Donald Trump announced a new set of agreements Monday with international pharmaceutical companies and smaller biotechnology firms, expanding his administration’s campaign to reduce healthcare costs for Americans.

The latest agreements involve nine companies, including Astellas, BeOne Medicines, CSL, BridgeBIO, Sun Pharmaceutical, Teva and UCB.

According to Trump, the companies have agreed to provide medications to state Medicaid programs at most-favored-nation prices. During an Oval Office event attended by executives from the companies, Trump characterized the arrangements as “a tremendous discount, which should bring down the cost of your medical care by tremendous amounts.”

Americans continue to pay substantially more for prescription drugs than patients in other developed countries, in many cases nearly three times as much. Trump has been pushing pharmaceutical manufacturers to bring U.S. prices closer to the amounts paid for the same medicines abroad.

The newly announced agreements expand on deals the administration reached beginning last year with 17 of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, Eli Lilly and Amgen. Under those arrangements, drugmakers agreed to reduce prices toward levels paid in other developed nations under the administration’s “most-favored-nation” pricing approach.

Those earlier agreements also included reductions for certain federal healthcare programs and provisions allowing some medicines to be sold directly to consumers through a Trump-branded website. In exchange, participating pharmaceutical companies received tariff relief.

Smaller drugmakers have been slower to join

Small and midsize pharmaceutical companies have been more reluctant to participate in the administration’s drug-pricing initiative, according to previous Reuters reporting.

A Reuters report published in June found that Astellas was the only company among that group to have publicly confirmed that it had applied for the Medicaid pricing program at the time. Executives at companies including Ionis Pharmaceuticals had indicated that they saw limited financial incentives for participating.

The financial impact of the new agreements remains uncertain. It is not yet known how much the arrangements will ultimately save either the government or patients. Medicaid already receives substantial discounts from drug manufacturers under existing federal law, while most Medicaid beneficiaries have relatively low out-of-pocket prescription costs.

The White House has staged several prominent events with pharmaceutical executives this year to showcase its efforts to lower healthcare expenses. The campaign comes as the administration seeks to emphasize affordability ahead of the midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress.

The administration has estimated that its broader drug-pricing initiative including the earlier agreements with major pharmaceutical manufacturers could reduce federal and state spending by $64.3 billion over the next decade. That projection, however, remains speculative.

Most major facilities halted as authorities prioritize drinking water; only Hadera remains operational among six large plants

Most of Israel’s privately operated desalination facilities have been temporarily taken offline after unusually high seawater turbidity caused by recent weather conditions disrupted the filtration process, according to the Water Authority.

The shutdowns began Saturday, but officials did not publicly disclose the disruption until Monday. The resulting reduction in available freshwater has affected agricultural supplies across southern Israel, with water deliveries to farms in the Ramat Negev Regional Council suspended entirely.

The desalination plants in Hadera and Eilat remain operational, along with 20 smaller facilities operated by national water company Mekorot.

The Water Authority said the country’s national water system remains stable and that Mekorot has increased production from every available source.

“According to current estimates, some of the desalination facilities will resume operations soon,” the authority said. “Professional teams are closely monitoring water quality and are prepared for every scenario, with the goal of returning all facilities to operation as soon as the seawater becomes clearer.”

High turbidity makes desalination difficult because suspended particles in seawater can clog filtration membranes and interfere with the plants’ ability to process water.

By Monday afternoon, Hadera was the only one of Israel’s six major desalination plants still producing water.

The Ashkelon and Ashdod facilities were shut down Saturday, followed by the Sorek and Palmachim plants, which stopped operating Sunday afternoon or during the overnight hours.

“There is hope that Sorek B will begin operating soon because the samples from there look good,” Water Authority Director-General Yehezkel Lifshitz said.

The Hadera desalination facility produces approximately 120 million to 130 million cubic meters of water each year.

Despite the widespread shutdowns, the facilities are expected to resume production once seawater turbidity returns to acceptable levels.

Together, the major facilities currently offline have an annual production capacity of roughly 750 million cubic meters, not including Sorek B at full capacity. As a result, only an estimated 15% to 17% of normal annual desalination production is currently operating.

The timing of each plant’s restart could vary even among facilities located relatively close to one another because their seawater intake points differ in both depth and location.

Southern Israel faces the greatest impact

Southern Israel is experiencing the most significant effects because its water network has less capacity to move supplies from other regions of the country.

With available supplies constrained, authorities are giving priority to household drinking water rather than agricultural and landscaping needs.

Officials are also working to increase water production from the Sea of Galilee and from groundwater wells to help offset the reduced desalination capacity.

Northern Israel has experienced considerably less disruption because the region depends more heavily on the Sea of Galilee and groundwater rather than desalinated water.

Farmers who primarily use treated wastewater have also been largely spared from the restrictions. The measures are focused mainly on southern agricultural operations that depend on freshwater, including water produced through desalination.

The Eshkol Regional Council issued an urgent notice to farmers, asking them to immediately cut back on freshwater use for irrigation and landscaping.

“Following disruptions at national desalination facilities caused by the rains, there is interference with the national water supply,” the council said.

“Farmers and those responsible for landscaping are asked to immediately reduce all use of fresh water for agriculture and gardening. Treated wastewater may still be used.”

The council cautioned that continued agricultural consumption of freshwater could place additional pressure on supplies needed for household use and drinking.

In the Ramat Negev Regional Council, authorities have gone further, suspending freshwater deliveries for agricultural purposes entirely.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Monday that Russia and Israel had spread and amplified disinformation surrounding last month’s mass influx of migrants into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta.

Sánchez pointed to research conducted by the European External Action Service, the European Union’s diplomatic arm, and said it was “evident” that both countries had seized on the crisis as an opportunity to attack his government.

He said the alleged disinformation campaign was connected to Spain’s wider disputes with Moscow over the war in Ukraine and with Jerusalem over the wars in Gaza and the broader Middle East.

The remarks follow the arrival of tens of thousands of migrants from Morocco into Ceuta in late July, in what became one of Spain’s most serious migration crises in years. Spanish authorities estimated that roughly 49,000 migrants entered the enclave within a 24-hour period. Madrid subsequently characterized the incident as a violation of Spanish territorial sovereignty.

The episode also produced broader political repercussions across Europe. Italy threatened to suspend parts of its Schengen arrangements with Spain, while accounts from migrants alleging that Moroccan police had encouraged people to cross into Ceuta intensified political anger in Madrid and raised concerns in other European capitals.

Sánchez’s allegations against Israel come as relations between Madrid and Jerusalem have deteriorated sharply.

Spain recognized a Palestinian state in 2024 and has since become one of Europe’s most vocal critics of Israel’s conduct of the Gaza war. Sánchez has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, advocated restrictions on weapons and fuel shipments to Israel, and urged other European Union countries to suspend the bloc’s free-trade agreement with Israel. Israel has firmly rejected the genocide allegation and has repeatedly accused Sánchez’s government of adopting an anti-Israel agenda.

The dispute intensified after Sánchez said Spain did not possess the military capabilities including nuclear weapons and aircraft carriers needed to compel Israel to stop its operations in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office responded by accusing Sánchez of making a “genocidal threat.” Spain subsequently summoned Israel’s top diplomat in Madrid and dismissed the accusation as false and defamatory.

More recently, Israel removed Spain from a U.S.-backed civilian-military coordination center in Kiryat Gat. The Israeli Foreign Ministry cited what it described as the Sánchez government’s “anti-Israel obsession” and said Madrid could no longer make a constructive contribution to the initiative.

Sánchez’s latest comments add another layer to the increasingly bitter dispute between Spain and Israel. By placing Israel alongside Russia, the Spanish prime minister is alleging that both governments sought to capitalize on the Ceuta migration crisis to advance their political interests and undermine Madrid.

Israel and Greece have signed a €3 billion ($3.48 billion) defense agreement that will see Israel develop a multilayered air-defense network for Greece, according to Israel’s Defense Ministry.

Under a separate €26 million agreement, Israel will also provide Greece with Drone Dome systems designed to detect, track and neutralize unmanned aerial threats.

The agreements represent one of the most significant defense initiatives ever undertaken jointly by the two countries and officially launch the implementation of Greece’s planned “Achilles’ Shield” air and missile defense network.

The project is expected to be completed in approximately 35 months.

The agreement was formally signed by procurement officials from Greece’s Defense Ministry and SIBAT, the International Defense Cooperation Directorate within Israel’s Defense Ministry.

Greece is seeking to establish a comprehensive defense network capable of addressing a broad range of threats, from small drones and unmanned aircraft to cruise missiles and ballistic missiles.

Under the agreement, Athens plans to connect systems already in its arsenal with advanced Israeli platforms, including Spyder, Barak MX and David’s Sling, as well as Patriot batteries and other defensive capabilities.

At the center of the initiative will be a unified network allowing radars, sensors, command-and-control infrastructure and interceptors to exchange information and coordinate responses. The system will enable military operators to determine which defensive capability is best suited to each incoming threat.

An advanced command-and-control platform featuring artificial intelligence capabilities is expected to serve as the network’s central component.

The system will gather data from multiple radars and sensors, assess potential threats and help determine which layer of the defense network should respond.

That capability has become increasingly important as militaries confront increasingly crowded airspace filled with relatively inexpensive drones and other unmanned systems. Deploying an expensive interceptor against every low-cost drone can be both financially burdensome and operationally inefficient.

The integrated network is therefore designed to assign the most appropriate defensive measure to each threat, while preserving more advanced and costly interceptors for targets that demand them.

The agreement also includes a major industrial component for Greece, with approximately 12 Greek companies expected to participate in the project. Their combined involvement is valued at more than €700 million, representing roughly 25% of the overall project.

For Athens, the objective is to make the initiative more than simply a purchase of foreign defense technology. Greece also wants the project to promote technology transfers, strengthen domestic expertise and expand the capabilities of its own defense industry.

A major issue during negotiations involved Greece’s access to the source code for software running the network.

Such access could provide Athens with greater autonomy in maintaining, modifying and upgrading the system over the long term. The issue has become increasingly significant as countries negotiate major acquisitions involving sophisticated weapons and defense technologies.

Monday’s agreement represents another milestone in the rapidly expanding defense relationship between Israel and Greece.

For Greece, the project is intended to create a modern and integrated defensive architecture capable of responding to an evolving threat landscape in which missiles and drones are playing an increasingly prominent role.

For Israel, the deal represents another major international defense export and further deepens strategic cooperation with Greece, one of its key partners in the eastern Mediterranean.

U.S. President Donald Trump shared an AI-generated video on social media that he claimed depicted Iran’s major oil hub of Kharg Island being destroyed, but an Iranian energy official dismissed the claim as “laughable” as fighting between the two countries resumed after a pause that began in July.

Hours after Trump’s post appeared, there was no independent evidence indicating that Kharg Island had actually been attacked.

“Trump’s tweets are laughable and conditions in Kharg are calm and appropriate,” said Hamid Bovard, chief executive of Iran’s state-run National Iranian Oil Co.

Bovard said oil production and related operations on Kharg had continued without interruption. He added that workers were repairing damage from earlier attacks while also carrying out modernization projects, according to Nournews, a semi-official Iranian outlet associated with the country’s top security body.

“Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!! President DJT,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account on Sunday, offering no additional explanation or details.

Reuters analyzed the video accompanying Trump’s post and determined that the footage was most likely synthetically generated. Software designed to identify AI-manipulated imagery indicated that the dramatic explosion sequences had probably been created digitally.

Kharg Island is a critical component of Iran’s energy infrastructure. Before the war began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on February 28, the island handled roughly 90% of Iran’s oil exports. A successful attack on the facility could therefore severely disrupt international energy flows while placing additional strain on Iran’s economy.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran did not want war but would respond forcefully to any attack.

“We will never remain silent in the face of any aggression and will respond decisively to the aggressors,” state media quoted him as saying on Monday before his planned trip to Kyrgyzstan.

It remained unclear whether Pezeshkian made those remarks before or after Trump published his claim about Kharg Island.

Iran also launched retaliatory attacks following an earlier U.S. strike on rocket launchers located on Larak Island, roughly 660 km (410 miles) east of Kharg. Iranian media reported that Tehran attacked two U.S. bases in Jordan, while Iran’s army said it struck the UAE’s Al Minhad air base early Monday.

The United Arab Emirates, however, rejected reports that its air base had been attacked, with its defense ministry describing the claims as false.

Iran’s foreign ministry said the attacks in Jordan were directed at U.S. facilities that had been used to support and launch the operation against Larak.

Iran’s army separately said its drone strike against the UAE air base targeted locations housing U.S. military personnel and helicopters. It described the operation as retaliation for casualties suffered during the Larak attack.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards also used air-defense missiles to bring down a U.S. drone that crashed into waters in the Gulf, according to the Mehr news agency, which cited a statement from the elite military force.

Iranian state television reported that a supertanker caught fire and was forced to stop completely after striking two naval mines in the southern portion of the Strait of Hormuz. The report cited a statement from the Revolutionary Guards.

The renewed fighting on Sunday came after several weeks during which the Trump administration had increasingly relied on economic pressure against Tehran and companies doing business with Iran, while placing less emphasis on direct military action.

U.S. Prepares More Sanctions Against Iran

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday that Washington was likely to announce additional secondary sanctions every week as part of an effort to intensify pressure on Tehran, with banks expected to be among the first targets.

“We’re starting with the banks, and we’re telling the banks it’s not okay to have Iranian money and to aid the regime,” Bessent said in an interview.

After the United States on Friday sanctioned branches of Egypt’s Banque Misr in the United Arab Emirates over alleged financial connections to Iran, Bessent said Washington could next move toward completely excluding a financial institution from the dollar-denominated global financial system.

“You’re going to see a lot more of these every week,” Bessent told Reuters ahead of a meeting involving finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of 20.

A U.S. official said the strikes against Larak represented the first known U.S. military action against Iran since late July. The official said U.S. forces targeted launchers on the small island, which sits in the Strait of Hormuz near the strategically important port of Bandar Abbas and overlooks major shipping routes entering and leaving the Gulf.

“Islamic ⁠Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz,” the official said.

U.S. Central Command said in a statement that American forces had carried out “limited, precise” strikes against Iranian Revolutionary Guard personnel involved in laying mines. CENTCOM said those forces represented an “imminent threat” in the strait but did not provide further operational details.

Jordanian state television reported that the country’s armed forces intercepted eight missiles that entered Jordanian airspace. A Fox News reporter separately said on X that nearly all of the incoming missiles had been intercepted.

The latest threats to maritime traffic have already affected commercial shipping. Data showed that the number of clearly visible commodity-carrying vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz fell to about five per day over the weekend.

The actual number of ships using the waterway may have been greater because some vessels have turned off their automatic identification systems in an effort to avoid becoming targets.

The Revolutionary Guards said the supertanker that caught fire after striking mines had attempted to navigate the waterway illegally. According to a statement carried by Iranian state television, the Guards did not identify the vessel or its crew.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned that other ships violating its mandatory transit rules could face the same consequences.

Trump said last week that all mines in international waters in the Strait of Hormuz had either been removed or detonated. He also warned Iran that any vessel attempting to deploy additional mines would be destroyed.

Although Trump has repeatedly maintained that the Strait of Hormuz remains open, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards navy rejected that assertion as “an obvious lie” and reiterated that ships cannot pass through the waterway without Iranian authorization.

Before the current blockade, the Strait of Hormuz carried almost one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. Iran, meanwhile, remains the third-largest producer within the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Niger’s military forces said they had retaken a strategically important airbase in the capital on Sunday, one day after mutinous troops launched an attack. The incident represents the latest challenge to military ruler Abdourahamane Tiani as his government struggles to confront a persistent jihadist insurgency.

The assault highlighted growing strains within Niger’s armed forces, which have endured repeated battlefield setbacks while fighting al-Qaeda-linked groups and Islamic State affiliates operating across the region.

Explosions and gunfire were reported throughout Niamey early Saturday, including in areas surrounding the military airbase and the presidential complex. Three security sources told Reuters on Sunday that government forces had regained control of the airbase following several hours of fighting.

By Sunday, residents described the capital as largely peaceful. Aircraft continued to fly overhead, while authorities removed roadblocks that had been put in place during the unrest.

The airbase forms part of the same complex as Niamey’s civilian airport. It houses military aircraft and drones, along with a counterterrorism unit belonging to the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), the regional alliance comprising Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.

Russian and Italian military personnel are also based at the facility.

Viktor Voropaev, Russia’s ambassador to Niger, said Saturday that Africa Corps, the Kremlin-controlled paramilitary organization, had been asked to assist in efforts to neutralize the mutineers in Niamey.

Niger’s presidential office said Algeria also provided assistance, sending four fighter jets, a transport aircraft, and a refueling tanker that arrived on Sunday.

Airbase had already faced two jihadist attacks in 2026

Saturday’s assault was not the first attack against the airbase this year. The facility had previously been targeted in January by a regional Islamic State affiliate and again in June by a regional al-Qaeda affiliate.

Niger’s state media reported late Saturday that “hundreds of disaffected soldiers” had participated in the assault. According to the report, fighting continued for several hours as forces loyal to military leader Tiani attempted to restore government control.

State media also broadcast footage that purported to show mutineers surrendering, although Reuters said it had not independently verified the report.

Three security sources said the Presidential Guard mobilized to defend Tiani. The military ruler himself had made no public appearance as of Sunday morning.

Niger, a major West African producer with significant uranium, oil, and gold resources, has been under military rule since July 2023, when a coup removed President Mohamed Bazoum from power.

Sahel military governments face mounting jihadist threat

Tiani, along with the military leaders governing neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali, has struggled to demonstrate significant progress in the fight against jihadist groups.

An Islamic State affiliate has carried out repeated deadly attacks against Niger’s military in the country’s southwest. One assault earlier this month left 18 soldiers dead.

The mutiny reportedly involved troops stationed in Niamey as well as soldiers from Ouallam, Tera, and Dosso. Those areas have suffered significant military losses during the country’s ongoing fight against insurgents.

Security officials and analysts say dissatisfaction among frontline troops is increasing, potentially creating an additional threat to Tiani’s government beyond the jihadist insurgency itself.

Since taking power, Tiani’s government has reduced its reliance on Western partners, strengthened its relationship with Russia, and withdrawn from the regional Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc.

The latest unrest comes as Niger’s authorities expand their control over the country’s uranium industry. The government has seized assets belonging to French nuclear company Orano. Niger had previously been an important source of nuclear fuel for Europe, supplying approximately 15% of Orano’s uranium at full production capacity.

The combination of persistent jihadist violence, military casualties, internal discontent, and shifting international alliances now presents Tiani’s government with multiple security and political challenges.

A passenger ferry overturned shortly after departing from Northern Cyprus, prompting an emergency rescue operation. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether anyone was killed or injured in the incident.

“Around 100 passengers have been evacuated and taken to shore,” the transport minister of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Erhan Arikli, tells local television.

Arikli says the ferry was “taking on water” as rescue teams worked to assist those aboard.

Officials have not yet determined the ferry’s total passenger count. The vessel had departed from the Northern Cyprus port of Kyrenia and was traveling toward the Turkish port of Tasucu when it capsized.

Television footage from Turkey showed the ferry overturned in the sea, with passengers wearing life jackets gathered on top of its orange hull. The weather appeared calm and sunny, while several other vessels could be seen nearby helping with the rescue effort.

The TRNC is recognized as a state only by Turkey and administers the northern third of Cyprus. The island has remained divided since 1974.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir released footage Sunday morning showing a recent visit to Damon Prison, where he toured a security wing and spoke with female prisoners.

According to a statement from Ben-Gvir’s office, the prisoners were female Islamic Jihad terrorists.

During his visit, Ben-Gvir entered the cells and heard prisoners complain about what they described as harsh conditions and the removal of benefits that had previously been available to them, according to associates of the minister.

Ben-Gvir responded to them, “Our hostages did not have shampoo and did not have these conditions. I am proud that we succeeded in reducing the conditions for terrorists to the barest of bare minimums. The prison kindergartens are over.”

The minister said the purpose of his visit was to personally observe how the government’s policy was being implemented inside the prison. “I heard the prison officers and also the complaints of the terrorists. We are not apologizing; anyone who harms Israeli civilians will not receive a kindergarten in prison. Terrorists, both male and female, will receive the minimum required by law, and nothing beyond that,” he said.

In a post on X/Twitter accompanying the video of his exchange with the prisoners, Ben-Gvir reiterated his position, writing that “The ‘whining’ of the terrorists about the conditions in the prisons doesn’t work on me – our hostages had no conditions at all.”

Ben-Gvir has repeatedly used prison conditions to underscore his policy

The Damon Prison footage follows earlier remarks by Ben-Gvir that generated controversy over his approach to detainees and prisoners.

In May, Ben-Gvir visited the Port of Ashdod alongside prison officials, police, and IDF forces while flotilla activists were being detained. During the visit, he declared, “The kindergarten is over,” and continued, “Anyone who acts against the State of Israel will find a determined country. The people of Israel live.”

Additional footage from that visit showed the national security minister waving an Israeli flag while addressing the detained activists. “They came with a lot of pride, as great heroes. Look how they look now,” Ben-Gvir said, while gesturing toward activists who were handcuffed on the ground. He then called out, “Not heroes and nothing else, supporters of terror.”

Ben-Gvir also addressed the activists directly, shouting, “Welcome to Israel, we are the ones in charge,” before adding, “I say to Prime Minister Netanyahu, give them to me for a long time. Give them to us for the terrorists’ prisons.”

At another point, a flotilla activist shouted “Free Palestine” and resisted as security forces moved against her. After the forces pushed her to the ground, Ben-Gvir responded, “Good job.” He later called to police officers, “Do not be affected by their shouting.”

KATHMANDU — Authorities in Nepal are warning residents to prepare for the possibility of additional flooding after more heavy rain, as officials in China continue to reveal the extent of the devastation on the Tibetan side of the border.

Five days after a glacier collapse unleashed enormous volumes of water and buried communities throughout the region in mud, rescue teams in Nepal were still facing major obstacles reaching some of the hardest-hit areas. Meanwhile, the scale of the disaster continued to become clearer.

“The disaster here is overwhelming,” Ferrin Cole, an operations director at the U.S.-based Crisis Response International, told NBC News on Sunday. “The flood that came down that mountain just wiped out cities. We’re going in as fast as we can to get people the help that they need.”

Cole said his team was preparing to assist survivors and search for people who remain unaccounted for, but warned that operating in the thick mud presented serious hazards.

“The longer that death and mud are together, diseases breed, and so we’re always just aware of that,” he added.

The State Department said Saturday that roughly 100 Americans are among those reported missing in Nepal and China’s Tibet region.

Nepal’s death toll has climbed to 752, while more than 2,500 people remain missing, including 592 foreign nationals, according to the country’s disaster agency. The Nepal Tourism Board said 261 foreign nationals have so far been rescued.

China has separately reported 16 deaths and 546 missing people in Tibet, among them 261 foreign nationals. Authorities have not established how many of those reported missing in the two countries may be the same individuals.

Families searching for missing relatives could be forced to wait a considerable amount of time for definitive answers. Many bodies were swept considerable distances downstream and recovered in extremely poor condition. Nepal’s morgues have been overwhelmed, while authorities are gathering DNA samples in an effort to identify victims and notify their families.

In Chitwan district, where numerous bodies have been recovered, police officer Anil Thapa told Reuters that “more than half” of the bodies found were “beyond recognition.”

“Many have no visible faces. In some cases, only hands or legs remain,” the officer added.

The rescue and recovery operation is facing another threat from a lake created by a landslide above a border checkpoint that is now overflowing. At the same time, additional rainfall has caused rivers in Nepal to rise, leading officials to issue new warnings for people living near waterways.

Nepal’s Flood Alert system reported Sunday that significant rainfall had been recorded across several watersheds in Gandaki Province and warned that water levels were “expected to rise.”

“Therefore, people living in riverside areas are requested to adopt caution,” it said on X.

For people already affected by the disaster, however, repeated warnings have become difficult to process as they continue to live under the threat of another flood.

“Sometimes they say a flood is coming, then we have to run again to higher ground, even at night. There is also rain,” Govind Shreshta, a resident of Galchhi, told Associated Press. “It’s really difficult for me. I have a 72-year-old father and 70-year-old mom. I must carry them and I am exhausted. It’s going on like this for those who are still alive.”

China’s state-run broadcaster CCTV reported Sunday that the disaster reflects a broader pattern of glacier-related catastrophes affecting the region. It said the avalanche reached China’s Gyirong Port only minutes after the event occurred.

“The disaster was caused by glacier instability resulting from the long-term effects of climate warming,” said Chinese state media.

“It struck suddenly, with a large peak flow, high speed, severe destructive force and a wide impact area,” the report added. “These are also new and significant characteristics of cryosphere-related disasters emerging across the Tibetan Plateau and surrounding regions.”

Scientists and analysts are expected to need more time to establish exactly what triggered the mudslide and flooding. However, climate change is increasingly being viewed as a potential contributing factor.

The Himalayan region, spanning Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bhutan, China and Afghanistan is considered one of the areas of the world most exposed to climate change. Temperatures there are increasing more rapidly than the global average, accelerating the loss of glaciers and potentially making an already disaster-prone landscape even more unstable. Flooding, landslides and earthquakes are all recurring hazards in the region.

The suspected collapse of a melting glacier generated such powerful ground movement that seismic monitoring equipment initially identified the event as a magnitude-4.4 earthquake.

The U.S. Geological Survey subsequently revised the estimate to the equivalent of a magnitude-5.2 earthquake. It also reported that another seismic event occurred about three hours later, measuring the equivalent of a magnitude-4.2 earthquake. According to the USGS, debris and floodwaters generated by what it described as a “slope failure” traveled approximately 62 miles.

“We will not be able to attribute 100% that this is because of climate change, because these changes have been happening” over a long period of time, Neera Shrestha Pradhan, an expert at Nepal’s International Center for Integrated Mountain Development, said on Friday. But climate change might be breaking a threshold, she said, and “maybe that might be one of the causes of this happening.”

Janis Mackey Frayer, Dawn Liu and Sunil Pandey reported from Kathmandu, Nepal. Freddie Clayton reported from London.If you want, I can also make this more dramatic and publication-ready, with a sharper news-style lead and shorter paragraphs while still preserving all quotes verbatim.

Six prominent Rabbanim were invited by the White House to a pre-Rosh Hashanah meeting with President Trump: the Skverer Rebbe, both Satmar Rebbes (Reb Aharon and Reb Zalman Leib), the Bobov-48 Rebbe, the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey, and BMG Rosh Yeshiva Rav Malkiel Kotler, the only Litvish Rabbi invited.

The special meeting is set to take place this coming Thursday, September 3rd, in the Oval Office at 12:30 PM.

Belaaz has confirmed that White House Jewish liaison Martin Marks personally placed the calls and worked on arranging the meeting for several months.

According to a source who spoke with Belaaz, the White House initially planned to allow only one gabbai to accompany each Rebbe into the Oval Office, but later reversed course. As of this moment, each Rebbe will enter alone and speak with President Trump for as little as two minutes. A roundtable is also being worked on.

A source says that the meeting is part of a White House push, ahead of the midterms, to strengthen ties with the Jewish community.

That format has already shaken the guest list. Belaaz is told that the Skverer Rebbe, 85, has already canceled, specially after the White House floated the idea of no gabbaim entering the meeting; his older son will most likely attend in his place. The Bobov-48 Rebbe, the only Bobover Rebbe invited, has also canceled for now and will possibly send a son as well.

Belaaz is also told that Satmar’s Reb Aharon confirmed his attendance, but a source says he threatened to pull out after learning the meeting would run only two minutes; the White House has since considered extending his slot to five minutes. Reb Zalman Leib has not yet responded and can possibly send a son as well.

The Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey is currently in Israel and said he will respond upon his return.

A separate source tells Belaaz that l gabaim and askanim of a specific rebbe, who was not invited, are hurt by the exclusion, and are working to get him added to the list.

A Jewish community activist tells Belaaz that Rebbes may very likely leave disappointed regardless: “The question is who will sit near President Trump, how do you decide? Initially they wanted Reb Aharon Teitelbaum to sit near the President.”

Another source says Bobov may withdraw entirely if the event amounts to little more than a midterm-season photo op, calling that outcome potentially embarrassing. “The whole thing is shaky,” one askan said. He added that the compressed format — one-on-one, no gabbai, and as brief as a two-minute meeting — leaves little room for any of the Rabbanim to raise a substantive request with the President. For the Skverer Rebbe, that constraint compounded with concerns about entering alone at 85 without a gabbai.

This is a developing story. Belaaz will update as details are confirmed.

LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed apologized Saturday for remarks he made following the March attack on Temple Israel in suburban Detroit, telling members of the state Democratic Party’s Jewish caucus that he regretted how he addressed the incident.

El-Sayed spoke to the Jewish caucus during the party’s nominating convention in Lansing. His appearance came as he continues efforts to rebuild relationships with Jewish voters following his Democratic primary victory earlier this month.

The former county health director was questioned about comments he made after an attempted attack targeting the preschool at the West Bloomfield synagogue. At the time, he had said, “Hurt people hurt people,” while attempting to place the incident within a broader political context.

Looking back on those remarks, El-Sayed acknowledged Saturday, “I made a mistake.”

“If my statement caused pain, I’m sorry. It was not what I intended to do,” El-Sayed continued. Referencing the first of two statements he had made about the attack, he added: “We issued a statement, of course, condemning it, and that just should have been it, full stop.”

El-Sayed had initially condemned the attack before issuing a second statement that discussed Israel’s war against Hezbollah in Lebanon. That statement noted that the individual responsible for the synagogue attack had lost family members in an Israeli airstrike. His decision to introduce that context drew criticism from many Jewish voters, some of whom viewed his remarks as an attempt to explain or justify the violence.

During Saturday’s meeting, El-Sayed maintained that discussing broader circumstances surrounding an attack can have value, but said such a discussion should not have been introduced while people were still experiencing immediate pain.

He explained that those broader “conversations” could take place “in the fullness of time.”

“Sometimes you can’t really see context in the moment of acuity or pain,” he said. “The intention for me was not to trample that pain. It was not to discount it. It was not at all to justify any sort of domestic terrorism. That’s wrong, full stop.”

The apology came after a Jewish Democrat attending the meeting directly questioned El-Sayed about his earlier comments. His outreach to Jewish voters has intensified since his primary victory, and he is scheduled to participate in another Jewish caucus event Sunday honoring Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, with congressional nominee Jeremy Moss also expected to attend.

Both Nessel and Moss have publicly clashed with El-Sayed over issues involving Israel and the Jewish community.

El-Sayed has made several other adjustments to his campaign messaging in recent days. He has softened some of his previous criticism of Israel during campaign appearances and publicly distanced himself from Hasan Piker, the far-left political streamer who was once aligned with the campaign and has faced accusations of antisemitism.

Later Saturday, El-Sayed accepted the Democratic nomination in a speech that contained only an indirect reference to American military support for Israel. He said, “It shouldn’t be this hard to pay your taxes and know that that money’s going to be spent on you, and your kids, and your schools, instead of being dropped in the form of a bomb on somebody else, and their kids, and their school.”

Despite the apology, the atmosphere among roughly 30 Jewish Democrats attending the caucus meeting remained cautious. The gathering included a delegate who said his daughter and grandson were inside Temple Israel during the attack.

“Our safety as Jews in America relies on, I think, what’s said by public figures, and how they present themselves in public, and how they advocate for Jews in public,” the delegate said shortly before El-Sayed addressed the controversy.

El-Sayed also faced questions about his position on the two-state solution, a longstanding component of Democratic foreign-policy discussions concerning Israelis and Palestinians. Asked whether he would support that framework as a senator, he declined to endorse it outright and instead emphasized a process focused on rights and self-determination.

“It’s incoherent to start with a solution and say, ‘Figure out how to work here,’” El-Sayed said. “To me, it’s about starting with a process and saying, ‘How do we dignify equal rights to peace, dignity and self-determination for Palestinian people and Jewish Israelis alike?’”

He said he remains open to a two-state arrangement if Israelis and Palestinians themselves choose that path.

“It’s incoherent to start with a solution and say, ‘Figure out how to work here,’” El-Sayed said. “To me, it’s about starting with a process and saying, ‘How do we dignify equal rights to peace, dignity and self-determination for Palestinian people and Jewish Israelis alike?’”

He added that he would consider a two-state outcome “if that’s what a free Palestinian and free Jewish Israeli people decide.” But he also argued, “Our country, under the guise of a two-state solution, has been aiding, arming and abetting a government that wants to foreclose on the possibility of a second state.”

That position generated concern among some attendees, even though several Jewish Democrats welcomed his apology over the Temple Israel remarks.

Rebecca Kasen, a Jewish Democrat from the Lansing area who attended the meeting, said she appreciated El-Sayed taking responsibility for his earlier comments.

“I really liked him apologizing for misspeaking. We’ve all made comments that we regret later on,” Kasen told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “I was less comfortable with what he said about not supporting a two-state solution.”

Still, Kasen said the apology changed her overall impression of the candidate. She indicated that she was more prepared to support him than she had been before the meeting.

“I was probably a more reluctant voter for him” beforehand, she said. That had changed: “Instead of just going to vote now, I am going to be enthusiastically voting for him.”

The controversy surrounding El-Sayed is unfolding as Michigan’s Senate contest takes on heightened national importance. With control of the Senate potentially at stake in the 2026 midterm elections, Jewish Democrats in the state are facing increased attention over how they view their party’s candidates.

Some longtime Jewish Democratic voters have considered supporting Republican Senate candidate and former Rep. Mike Rogers, while disagreements over Israel and antisemitism have produced tense moments within the state Democratic Party.

At the convention, Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit, the Democratic nominee for state attorney general, addressed the Jewish caucus and emphasized the significance of electing a Jewish Democrat to the office.

“We’re going to win and keep the attorney general’s office in the hands of a Michigan Jewish Democrat.”

Notably absent from the convention was Dana Nessel, the state’s highest-ranking Jewish elected official. Nessel had previously announced that she would skip the gathering because she feared becoming the target of antisemitic harassment.

Earlier in the week, Nessel reiterated her concerns about El-Sayed’s Temple Israel comments during an interview with The Atlantic and said she hoped he would eventually retract or clarify them.

Nessel’s son, Zach Nessel, who serves as secretary of the state Jewish Democratic caucus, told members that his mother stayed away because of “agitators” who had confronted her at the party’s spring endorsement convention.

Attendance at Saturday’s Jewish caucus gathering was reportedly below one-third of the level recorded at the spring convention.

Zach Nessel also criticized the state Democratic Party for not acting quickly enough to remove protesters from that earlier gathering. He told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that members of the Jewish community within the party “have a right to be concerned.”

“I think the Democratic Party needs to put more work into addressing their concerns,” Zach Nessel said. “But I think that can’t happen without showing up.”

Moss, a Michigan state senator who has become involved in another dispute connected to El-Sayed, was seen at Saturday’s convention but did not participate in the Jewish caucus programming.

Another El-Sayed ally who spoke to the caucus was Amir Makled, a University of Michigan Board of Regents candidate. Makled has represented members of the university’s pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel encampment movement, which played a role in the removal of a Jewish, pro-Israel incumbent at an earlier party convention.

During his remarks to Jewish delegates, Makled did not address previous social media activity that included sharing posts from far-right antisemitic conspiracy theorist Candace Owens and material praising Hezbollah figures.

In a later speech at the party convention, Makled referred indirectly to his involvement with the campus demonstrations, saying Michigan “will never have a university where students are punished simply because their speech makes the powerful uncomfortable.”

Between meetings with candidates, Jewish caucus members discussed their concerns about the approaching midterm elections and the political challenges facing their community.

Many said they remained deeply focused on protecting democracy and election security from what they viewed as Republican threats and considered Democratic efforts to regain Senate control important.

At the same time, some participants acknowledged that persuading Jewish voters to unite behind the Democratic ticket could prove difficult because of El-Sayed’s positions and those of other candidates on the slate.

Michigan has an estimated Jewish population of about 100,000, while the Senate contest is being closely contested in polling. That combination could make Jewish voters particularly significant in a race where relatively small shifts in support could matter.

One attendee summarized the dilemma facing the group by asking:

“How do we unify our community to put the country first?” one attendee asked the group. “I have a hard time doing that.”I preserved the supplied quotations verbatim, but there is one accidental repeated quotation in the source material’s two-state-solution section; I can also produce a cleaner publication-ready version with that duplication removed and the article tightened further.

A US federal judge has ruled that immigration laws used by the Trump administration to revoke visas and pursue deportation proceedings against noncitizen college students over pro-Palestinian advocacy and criticism of Israel violate the Constitution.

In a sharply worded decision, US District Judge Noel Wise of San Jose, California, criticized the State Department and Department of Homeland Security for using federal immigration provisions to pursue deportation against noncitizens because of speech and political views the government sought to discourage.

Wise, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, emphasized that freedom of expression, including the right to criticize government officials and government policies, is an important indicator of a democratic society.

“That strength is diminished when members of our society, citizens and noncitizens alike must self-censor and ‘behave’ or suffer the government’s retaliation,” she said.

The State Department and Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Wise’s decision examined actions taken by the Trump administration beginning in March 2025, when officials began revoking visas and detaining noncitizens involved in pro-Palestinian or anti-Israel activism on college campuses. The crackdown began with the arrest of Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, who is separately challenging efforts to deport him.

The arrests subsequently became central to a lawsuit filed in August 2025 by The Stanford Daily, Stanford University’s student newspaper. The publication argued that some of its student-visa-holding writers had stopped covering pro-Palestinian demonstrations and Middle East-related issues because they feared consequences under the administration’s immigration policies.

Attorneys for the newspaper contended that two sections of the Immigration and Nationality Act used by the administration to revoke student visas and pursue deportations violated the First and Fifth Amendments when applied to constitutionally protected expression.

The provisions gave Secretary of State Marco Rubio authority to determine that a noncitizen was deportable if, in his personal judgment, that individual’s conduct “compromises a compelling foreign policy interest.” The provisions also gave him broad authority to revoke visas.

Wise sided with the newspaper, concluding that when a person’s speech serves as the basis for revoking a visa and pursuing deportation, “the government is singling out that speech for disfavored treatment based on its viewpoint or content.”

Conor Fitzpatrick, whose Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression represented The Stanford Daily, welcomed the decision in a statement, saying the ruling “proves that free speech isn’t a privilege, but the inalienable right of every man, woman, and child.”

The ruling echoes a decision issued last year by US District Judge William Young in Boston. Young likewise concluded that the administration had violated the Constitution by implementing a policy aimed at revoking visas, arresting, detaining and deporting foreign students and faculty members involved in pro-Palestinian advocacy.

Wise also warned that the government’s approach could eventually extend beyond pro-Palestinian activism to other forms of expression that officials find objectionable. She cautioned that “targets may include anyone in the United States who exercises their freedom of speech to simply express opinions the government does not like.”

“This downward spiral is antithetical to our Constitution that recognizes our right to speak freely,” she wrote. “Here you can simultaneously hate the content of a person’s speech and love the country that cherishes the freedom to allow it.”If you want, I can also make this more forceful and newspaper-like, more neutral and Reuters-style, or more concise for a news website while keeping the quotations unchanged.

A mother and her two children were struck by a vehicle in the parking lot of NPGS in Jackson, NJ, Friday late morning, prompting first responders to declare a mass casualty incident (MCI).

Tragically, one of the children, an 8 month old infant, did not survive.

The Tzibur is asked to Daven for the mother and daughter Golda Chana bas Leah Shaindel, and Rochel bas Golda Chana.

Belaaz reached out to the Jackson Township Police Department for comment. A representative said the department is not releasing any information on the incident at this time.

Belaaz will update as soon as official information becomes available.

The IDF carried out a targeted airstrike Friday in Jenin, in Samaria, killing Qais Bitawi, identified by Israeli security forces as a senior Hamas commander, along with two accomplices.

Qais Bitawi On The Hilltops Outside Jenin with his Weapon

The operation was conducted jointly by the IDF, Yamam, Shin Bet and Military Intelligence. Bitawi was accused of directing, funding and carrying out attacks while maintaining ties with Hamas networks in Gaza and abroad.

The IDF Footage from the Air Strike.

The strike took place as part of Operation Iron Wall, launched in early 2025 across northern Judea and Samaria, including Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas, to dismantle armed networks such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

As part of the operation, Israeli forces have established semi-permanent military outposts in cleared refugee camps, marking the longest continuous Israeli troop deployment in northern Judea and Samaria in decades.

King Harald V of Norway has died peacefully at the age of 89, ending his 35-year reign. The Royal Palace confirmed his death at Rikshospitalet in Oslo as Norway lowered flags to half-mast.

His son, Crown Prince Haakon, immediately became King Haakon VIII, beginning a new era for the Norwegian monarchy. Harald was widely respected as a unifying national figure, particularly after the 2011 terrorist attacks and through his famous speeches promoting unity and inclusion.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said: “A whole nation is in mourning. King Harald loved Norway, and Norway loved its King.”

A chemical storage tank at a Washington state paper mill had been declared “not fit for continued service” roughly 10 months before it ruptured in May, killing 11 workers in one of the deadliest U.S. workplace accidents in recent years, according to a federal report released Friday.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board’s latest findings concerning the May 26 tank failure in Longview are part of an investigation that remains underway. The rupture sent a massive volume of caustic liquid through the facility with enough force to blow out walls. Investigators said they have not yet determined exactly what caused the tank to fail.

According to the board, the inspection contractor recommended that Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company conduct internal examinations of the tank and make repairs to its shell. No such work was carried out between the contractor’s July 2025 inspection and the May 2026 disaster.

A request for comment was sent to Nippon Dynawave. An individual who answered the telephone at the company’s Longview facility declined to comment, while a separate message seeking a response was left with the company.

During an external inspection in July 2025, the contractor discovered “significant thinning” in the lower sections of the tank, with portions falling below the minimum thickness considered safe, the federal report said. That minimum threshold is used to determine whether a tank can safely withstand the pressure created by its contents while also supporting its own weight.

The same contractor returned to examine the tank’s exterior in October 2025 and again in February 2026. Both inspections concluded that “large portions of the tank remained thinner than the calculated minimum safe wall thickness.”

“The company also did not remove the tank from operation or derate the tank for reduced service,” the board said.

The May rupture released an estimated 900,000 gallons (3.4 million liters) of white liquor, a highly caustic chemical mixture used in the papermaking process to break down wood. The substance can cause severe chemical burns. Eleven workers died, while several other people and a firefighter were injured.

The July 2025 inspection documentation included in the federal update classified the situation as “Priority 1: Not fit for continued service unless corrected,” and warned of a “high likelihood/consequence of failure (or) critical code/standard deficiency.”

“Owner should plan to have an internal inspection performed in order to determine the extent of the required repairs. It’s likely that the entire shell course should be replaced,” the inspection excerpt says.

The inspection was performed by Applied Technical Services LLC. The federal report did not explain why the contractor had been hired to conduct the examinations.

The tank failed only minutes after workers began arriving at the mill at about 7 a.m., according to investigators.

The sequence of events began several hours earlier. At approximately 2 a.m., a vessel known as a digestor was taken offline so repairs could be performed. That stopped the normal transfer of white liquor from the tank into the digestor, but the chemical continued flowing into the tank. By about 6:20 a.m., the tank was nearing its capacity. It ruptured less than an hour later.

The released chemical first inundated the courtyard, crushing vehicles and damaging part of a nearby building. It then spread into lower levels of surrounding buildings, where employees had gathered for morning meetings.

Eight workers inside the electrical maintenance shop and another worker in the courtyard were killed. Five employees and a foreman in the mechanical maintenance shop managed to escape, but two others in that area died after being exposed to the chemical. Two of those who survived suffered serious chemical burns.

The company contacted its medical emergency response team after the incident but failed to tell responders that white liquor had been released, the report said. One emergency team member entered a pool of the chemical while attempting to rescue a worker, believing the liquid was water. The responder suffered serious chemical burns.

Earlier in the week, the Washington Department of Ecology notified Nippon Dynawave of 35 environmental violations. The state agency is responsible for overseeing the facility’s air and water permits as well as compliance with environmental waste regulations.

The Chemical Safety Board emphasized that its investigation has not been completed. The agency said its full conclusions and findings will be presented in its final investigative report.

The United States appears to be gaining the upper hand in the battle for the Strait of Hormuz, with U.S. officials saying American military operations have significantly reduced Iran’s ability to control the vital waterway.

The strait has been one of Iran’s most important sources of leverage since the war began in late February. What started as a campaign to weaken Iran’s missile capabilities and dismantle its remaining nuclear program has increasingly become a broader struggle over one of the world’s most critical energy routes.

U.S. officials say the changing situation in Hormuz could represent a major turning point in the conflict. They believe increased shipping through the waterway could gradually ease pressure on global energy markets while potentially giving Washington greater leverage in negotiations with Tehran.

“That sucker is open. The Iranian response is very mild. They don’t want us to go back at them. That’s the whole ball game. The rest doesn’t matter,” President Trump told Axios in a phone interview on Thursday.

When the war began, the Strait of Hormuz remained open and oil continued flowing normally to international markets. Brent crude was trading at roughly $72 a barrel at the time.

Two Israeli officials said the decision to close the waterway was initiated by then-commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, General Alireza Tangsiri.

Iran announced within the first 72 hours of the war that it was closing the strait and warned that tankers attempting to pass through would be attacked. Israeli and U.S. officials said Tangsiri also ordered naval mines to be placed in the Traffic Separation Scheme, the main international shipping route through the strait.

Tangsiri was killed three weeks later in an Israeli airstrike in Bandar Abbas, Iran.

The combination of attacks on commercial vessels and the threat posed by naval mines brought shipping through the strait to a near standstill. Brent crude subsequently climbed as high as $126 a barrel.

Rising U.S. gasoline prices and mounting pressure on global energy markets were among the factors behind Trump’s decision to agree to a ceasefire on April 8. The economic disruption was also a central element of the pressure Iran had sought to impose.

Reopening the strait became a key part of a U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding signed two months later. But the waterway never returned completely to normal, and the agreement eventually collapsed.

After the MOU fell apart, the U.S. military began a unilateral effort to restore access through the strait. Working with the United Arab Emirates, American forces began escorting ships through the southern channel while providing air protection and intercepting Iranian drones and cruise missiles.

A two-week U.S. bombing campaign also weakened the IRGC’s ability to attack vessels moving through the waterway. At the same time, Navy divers, SEALs, underwater and surface drones, and private contractors participated in an extensive operation to locate and remove mines.

The United States also restored a blockade of Iranian ports.

Although shipping and oil exports remain well below pre-war levels, U.S. officials say conditions in the strait have improved substantially. Iran has lost much of its previous control, while American forces now effectively control most of the waterway.

Iranian forces continue to fire at ships, but their ability to hit vessels accurately appears limited. A U.S. official said only 2% of ships that passed through the strait over the past month were struck.

More than 200 mine-like objects have been removed from the main shipping lane. U.S. officials say just 11 were confirmed to be actual mines, with only a few having been properly deployed.

Traffic through the southern channel has also increased in recent weeks. U.S. officials say between 20 and 30 tankers are now passing through each night, carrying an average of 9 million to 10 million barrels of oil. That represents approximately half of the pre-war volume.

“We achieved a major milestone in the Strait of Hormuz. Internationally recognized sea routes in the strait are free of Iranian sea mines. Bottom line: Today international shipping lanes are open and momentum is building,” CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said in a video posted Thursday night.

Despite the U.S. assessment, some oil analysts and tanker-tracking companies remain skeptical about the reported shipping volumes. U.S. officials maintain that outside estimates are undercounting the amount of traffic moving through the strait.

Reports of oil tankers being struck by projectiles have also continued to raise questions about the safety of commercial shipping, even as Washington maintains that the route is becoming increasingly secure.

The U.S.-backed effort to restore energy shipments is showing signs of gaining momentum. The UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait have already joined the operation, while Saudi Arabia is expected to participate as well.

U.S. officials are also hoping Qatar will soon begin sending liquefied natural gas tankers through the U.S.-protected route.

Washington hopes to expand the main shipping channel by the middle of September so that at least 50 ships can travel into and out of the Gulf each night. The longer-term objective is to restore oil exports to between 60% and 70% of pre-war levels.

Meanwhile, signs of renewed diplomatic activity are emerging. Two regional sources told Axios that Iran has shown greater interest in negotiations in recent days.

The commander of Pakistan’s army traveled to Tehran on Sunday in an effort to revive mediation between Washington and Tehran. Oman’s foreign minister later visited Tehran to discuss the Strait of Hormuz.

Qatar’s prime minister, whose country has played a major mediating role between Iran and the United States, also traveled to Tehran on Thursday at Iran’s request, according to the regional sources.

Iran has publicly maintained its existing negotiating position, calling on the United States to implement the MOU and agree to terms for reopening the strait.

Trump, however, says he is not currently interested in negotiating with Iran.

“I don’t want to meet, they do. In fact, they are begging to make a deal,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday.

Despite Trump’s public position, White House envoy Steve Witkoff continues to communicate with Qatar and other intermediaries.

U.S. negotiators are examining whether the blockade, broader economic pressure campaign and growing American influence over the Strait of Hormuz can force Iran to moderate its demands.

U.S. officials believe the changing balance of power in the waterway has strengthened Washington’s position ahead of any future negotiations.

The Trump administration also views the June 17 MOU, which partly addressed the Strait of Hormuz, as no longer relevant. Separate discussions between Oman and Iran over new arrangements for managing the waterway are likewise being treated by U.S. officials as a secondary matter.

For now, the battle over Hormuz appears to be shifting in Washington’s favor, with the United States seeking to turn increased control of the strategic waterway into both an economic advantage and greater leverage over Iran.

Seven protesters accused of defacing US President Donald Trump’s Turnberry golf resort in Scotland last year could receive tougher sentences if convicted, after prosecutors alleged that the offenses were linked to a “terrorist connection.”

The defendants, who were activists with the now-banned Palestine Action group, were charged last year with criminal damage after allegedly spray-painting pro-Palestinian messages on walls at the resort. The graffiti included the slogans “Free Gaza” and “Free Palestine,” along with insults directed at Trump.

One of the golf course greens was marked with the words “Gaza is not for sale,” while sections of the course were also dug up.

According to an indictment released by the Scottish courts service on Friday, the seven defendants “did maliciously dig up turf on the golf courses,” used weedkiller on fairways and greens, and painted “political and offensive slogans on the grass.”

Prosecutors said they would seek tougher sentences if the defendants are convicted, arguing that the alleged crimes were “aggravated by reason of having a terrorist connection.” The seven accused are scheduled to make their first court appearance on Monday.

Palestine Action was formally banned under Britain’s terrorism laws in July 2025, following an escalation in its campaign against defense companies linked to Israel, particularly Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest defense contractor. The government imposed the ban shortly after activists broke into the Royal Air Force’s Brize Norton base in June 2025 and damaged two military aircraft.

Under the UK’s Terrorism Act, belonging to or supporting the protest organization is a criminal offense that can carry a prison sentence of up to 14 years.

The United States also designated Palestine Action as a terrorist organization on Wednesday, following Britain’s move, as part of the Trump administration’s campaign against what it describes as “far-left extremists.”

The campaign group Defend Our Juries said the seven defendants could face substantially longer prison terms if convicted and subjected to terrorist-related sentencing provisions, despite not being formally charged with terrorism offenses.

“It’s now all too clear why the White House has designated Palestine Action as a global terror organization, alongside al Qaeda,” a spokesperson for the group said. “It’s because members of Palestine Action upset the president in March 2025 by making a mess of his golf course.”

Founded in 2020, Palestine Action became increasingly prominent through major demonstrations and acts of vandalism after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on Israel triggered a two-year war in Gaza. The organization says its objective is to end “global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime.”

The United Kingdom’s Supreme Court said last month that it would hear an appeal challenging a lower court decision that upheld the legality of the government’s ban on Palestine Action.

By July 2026, approximately 3,000 people had been arrested in Britain for displaying signs supporting Palestine Action.

In June, a judge sentenced four activists to prison after they raided an Elbit facility near Bristol in 2024 and caused more than £1 million in damage. During the incident, one of the activists struck a police officer twice in the back with a sledgehammer, leaving her with a fractured spine.

Human rights organizations and prominent supporters have criticized the punishment as excessive.

Several days later, Britain’s Court of Appeal upheld the government’s prohibition of Palestine Action, ruling that the organization “overtly promoted unlawful violence amounting to terrorism.” Huda Ammori, the group’s co-founder, is now seeking to challenge the ban’s implementation before the UK Supreme Court.

“The news that the defendants could face terror sentencing, and that Trump is now following Britain’s lead by banning Palestine Action in the US should be the final nail in the coffin of this ban, which has become one of the most extreme attacks on free speech and the right to protest in modern British history,” she said in a statement.

The IDF and Shin Bet carried out targeted strikes in Khan Younis, eliminating two Hamas Nukhba operatives who infiltrated the Re’im base during the October 7 massacre. One of those killed, Razeq Sahil Suleiman Abu Shahma, previously served as Yahya Sinwar’s bodyguard.

The IDF said the terrorists were recently working to rebuild Hamas’s capabilities and advance attacks against Israeli troops and civilians, violating the cease-fire. Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said the pursuit of October 7 terrorists “continues.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly stressed that Israel will not allow Hamas to rebuild or return to the pre-October 7 reality, saying, “There will be no return to the state of affairs prior to October 7.”

DEVIGHAT, Nepal (AP) — Rescue crews continued searching Thursday for hundreds of people still unaccounted for along the Nepal-China border after a catastrophic surge of water and mud, reaching several stories high, tore through communities a day earlier.

Videos from the disaster showed people fleeing as powerful floodwaters engulfed them, destroying buildings and sweeping away bridges. Police said at least 353 people had died, while more than 1,300 remained missing, among them dozens of foreign nationals and pilgrims. Hundreds more people have been forced from their homes throughout the Himalayan region.

Rescue crews were still searching Thursday for hundreds of people missing near the Nepal-China border after devastating floods and mudflows ripped through several communities.

The steep terrain and green valleys beneath the Himalayan range — which contains many of the world’s highest mountains — face a particularly high risk of floods and landslides. Climate change has contributed to increasingly rapid glacier melt and other changes in the region.

Photographs from Nepal’s badly affected Nuwakot district showed mud covering what appeared to be the second floors of buildings after the torrent swept through. Debris was left dangling from trees and power lines, vehicles were buried beneath mud and wreckage, and survivors were seen covered in mud and visibly shaken.

Nirajan Paudyal, a journalist based in Kathmandu, said he was deeply concerned about his parents and other family members living in the small village of Soley in the district.

“There is no update till now. I fear there won’t be any update,” Paudyal said.

The disaster has underscored the growing dangers facing communities in the Himalayas as extreme flooding continues to threaten populated valleys and remote mountain communities.

A second commercial oil tanker was hit in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, intensifying concerns over shipping security as Iran and Oman continued discussions about how the strategic waterway could be managed.

The latest incident comes as the United States prepares to send the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group to the Middle East for a deployment expected to last at least seven months.

Second tanker struck in Strait of Hormuz

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization (UKMTO) said an oil tanker near Oman was struck by an unidentified projectile. The impact sparked a fire aboard the vessel, but the blaze was later extinguished.

“Local authorities have reported a tanker has been hit by an unknown projectile causing fire to the vessel which has since been extinguished,” the organization wrote in its warning.

UKMTO said all members of the crew were accounted for and reported safe, with no environmental damage reported following the incident.

“All crew are reported as safe and accounted for and there has been no report of environmental impact,” the warning continued.

Authorities were investigating the circumstances surrounding the attack. UKMTO urged ships operating in the area to exercise caution and notify the organization about suspicious activity.

“Authorities are investigating. Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO,” the message concluded.

The incident marks the second reported strike against a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz this week. On Monday, another projectile hit the engine room of a tanker sailing under the Liberian flag.

Qatar seeks to ease U.S.-Iran tensions

Against the backdrop of the attacks, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani is expected to travel to Tehran on Thursday for diplomatic talks aimed at reducing tensions between Iran and the United States.

Doha said the visit is intended to “discuss ways to de-escalate tensions and create the conditions conducive to dialogue.”

Qatar has acted as an important intermediary between Washington and Tehran during the conflict. The country also played a significant role in diplomatic efforts that produced a memorandum of understanding between the two countries in June, although that agreement has since expired.

U.S. prepares new military deployment

The developing maritime crisis comes as the U.S. military moves toward another major deployment in the region.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group is expected to arrive in the Middle East in the coming weeks and remain deployed for a minimum of seven months, adding another major American naval presence to an already tense region.

Meanwhile, crude oil prices remained near $82 per barrel Thursday. Prices have declined for three consecutive days as the conflict has entered what has been described as a less kinetic phase.

Iran and Oman discuss control of key waterway

Iran and Oman are continuing negotiations over an arrangement to jointly manage the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important shipping routes.

Officials affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced Wednesday that an agreement had been reached, although discussions surrounding the proposed arrangement were continuing.

The strait remains a critical passage for global energy shipments, making any disruption there a major concern for international markets and commercial shipping.

Washington intensifies economic pressure on Tehran

The United States is also expanding its economic campaign against Iran through Operation Economic Outcast, a strategy focused on restricting Iranian access to revenue.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has compared the effort to an “economic D-Day,” with Washington targeting Iranian income streams including revenue connected to oil smuggling.

The latest campaign follows the Trump administration’s earlier Maximum Pressure strategy, which sought to restrict Iran’s economic resources and prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.

According to an opinion analysis by Victoria Coates, the administration’s new sanctions strategy is intended to increase pressure on Tehran and strengthen Washington’s leverage in negotiations over a potential nuclear agreement.

“This is an excerpt from an opinion article by Victoria Coates.”

Azerbaijan caught between regional powers

The conflict is also creating challenges for Azerbaijan, which borders Iran and maintains close military ties with Israel.

Azerbaijan has officially maintained a neutral position, but tensions with Tehran have increased amid concerns over Baku’s cooperation with Israel and its reliance on Israeli military equipment.

Iranian drones struck the Nakhchivan exclave along the countries’ shared border in March. One drone reportedly hit the passenger terminal at Nakhchivan International Airport, while another landed near a school in the village of Shakarabad on March 5.

At the same time, Azerbaijan must manage relationships with Turkey and Russia while continuing efforts toward a peace agreement with neighboring Armenia.

International law and security researcher Farid Shukurlu told the Jerusalem Post that the tensions are rooted in Tehran’s actions rather than public sentiment in Azerbaijan.

“Even though Azerbaijan’s position was formally neutrality, the country was still targeted by the IRGC in the Nakhchivan enclave.”

Shukurlu also pointed to the expanding defense relationship between Baku and Jerusalem.

“The military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel is at an all-time high.”

With commercial vessels facing renewed threats in the Strait of Hormuz, diplomatic efforts underway and additional U.S. military forces preparing to enter the region, the crisis continues to carry significant consequences for shipping, energy markets and the broader Middle East security environment.

The Trump administration is considering a sweeping new round of tariffs on semiconductors, a move that is already unsettling the U.S. technology sector as companies struggle to secure enough advanced chips to meet the explosive demand created by artificial-intelligence data centers.

One proposal being examined would significantly broaden the range of technology products covered by the tariffs. The duties could extend beyond semiconductors to products that depend on them, including laptops, gaming consoles and the servers packed into data centers. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick supports an approach that would link foreign companies’ access to tariff relief to commitments to expand semiconductor manufacturing in the United States, according to four people familiar with the discussions.

Officials are also considering gradually introducing the new tariffs, according to those people. However, the proposal remains under development and could change substantially before the administration settles on a final framework.

The individuals familiar with the discussions were granted anonymity because they were describing private government deliberations.

The prospect of additional chip tariffs is particularly concerning for U.S. technology companies because the industry is already facing tight supplies of advanced semiconductors. Demand has surged as companies pour money into the construction of data centers designed to support artificial-intelligence systems.

Industry advocates say they support President Trump’s objective of expanding semiconductor manufacturing inside the United States. But they point out that advanced chip factories require billions of dollars and can take many years — potentially decades — to construct and bring fully online. In the meantime, American companies remain highly reliant on Asian suppliers, including Malaysia, South Korea and Taiwan. Taiwan alone accounts for more than 90 percent of the world’s most advanced semiconductor production.

The dispute highlights a fundamental tension within the administration’s technology strategy. Efforts to rebuild America’s semiconductor industry could collide with Trump’s ambition to make the United States the global leader in artificial intelligence. While tariffs are intended to encourage manufacturers to move production to the United States, technology companies warn that taxing imported chips could make the hardware needed for the AI boom more expensive and potentially force companies to reconsider planned data-center projects.

“This data center buildout, in scale and dollars, has been compared to building the transcontinental railroad,” said Jonathan McHale, digital policy chief at the Computer and Communications Industry Association, which counts major tech companies such as Amazon, Google and Meta as members. “Anytime you add to the cost and decrease predictability you make it more difficult to invest, and you are putting that in jeopardy.”

The White House defended the administration’s use of trade policy as a way to strengthen domestic manufacturing.

“Reshoring semiconductor manufacturing is a top priority for President Trump, whose policies have already secured hundreds of billions of dollars of investments in this key sector,” said White House spokesperson Kush Desai. “The Trump administration remains focused on delivering more investments and economic relief for the American people while safeguarding our national security.”

The Commerce Department did not answer multiple requests for comment.

Technology companies have responded with an aggressive lobbying campaign aimed at persuading the Trump administration to narrow the expected tariffs. Industry representatives want the new measures to more closely resemble duties announced by the president earlier this year, which included broad exemptions for data centers and other domestic applications and therefore limited their effect on the sector.

Industry representatives and lobbyists have also held increasingly frequent meetings with senior administration officials since the beginning of summer. Among those involved is Commerce Undersecretary Jeffrey Kessler, who oversees the department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, as well as Lutnick.

Lobbyists are warning that tariffs could slow the rapid expansion of data centers by making it more difficult for American companies to obtain the enormous quantities of semiconductors required to power the AI industry. The timing is especially concerning because U.S. technology giants are already engaged in a record-breaking spending surge on artificial intelligence, committing hundreds of billions of dollars to massive data-center campuses while competing for scarce, expensive advanced chips.

“This may be the single dumbest way imaginable to pursue American dominance in AI,” said one tech official from a major industry group that also served in the first Trump administration. “It’s like kneecapping yourself at the starting line.”

Several lobbyists came away from their discussions believing Kessler was more receptive to the industry’s concerns. However, they also emphasized that Lutnick has the final say and that Kessler was unlikely to substantially oppose his preferred approach.

“Every conversation is some version of: ‘Please, tread carefully. You don’t understand how much demand is coming, or how little capacity we have to meet it,’” said the tech official.

More recent discussions have become less encouraging for the technology industry, according to three people familiar with the matter. Administration officials have indicated that they may abandon exemptions similar to those included in the January tariffs. Those exemptions previously covered data centers, research and development, startups, consumer applications, civil industrial uses and public-sector projects, along with “other uses” that the Commerce secretary determines would strengthen the U.S. supply chain.

Instead, Commerce officials have increasingly argued in private conversations that the tariffs must apply more broadly to companies in order to pressure semiconductor manufacturers into expanding production within the United States.

Under the framework favored by Lutnick, the United States would establish a duty-free allowance for a specified quantity of imported chips. That allowance would be connected to the amount of semiconductor production companies commit to establishing domestically. The approach could create a widening mismatch between the number of chips eligible for tariff-free entry and the much larger quantities American businesses actually require, according to four people familiar with the proposal.

People briefed on the discussions said Commerce officials have not yet determined the exact tariff rates or several other important details. One proposal would establish different tariff rates and import quotas for individual countries, with separate guidance applying to major semiconductor manufacturers in each nation, according to four people familiar with the matter.

Most semiconductors and related components used by American companies come from Asian trading partners. Beyond the goal of expanding advanced chip manufacturing in the United States, administration trade hawks are also concerned about the national-security risks created by U.S. dependence on Taiwanese semiconductor production in the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

“Getting supply chains de-risked is one of the central geopolitical questions of our lifetime,” said Michael Sobolik, a senior fellow at the right-leaning Hudson Institute think tank and a former aide to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). But Sobolik added, “It’s going to be really expensive to, at scale, build a lot of these chips in the United States, because there are a lot of other cheaper places in the world where you can do that.”

Technology lobbyists and economists say the consequences could extend well beyond data-center construction. Tariffs would increase the price of imported semiconductors used by U.S. companies to manufacture servers, computers, televisions and other electronics. The measures could also hurt American chip designers such as Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices, which depend on overseas manufacturers to produce their semiconductors.

The tariffs could also put companies such as Apple at a competitive disadvantage in overseas markets. Foreign manufacturers could purchase identical chips without paying the U.S. duties, while semiconductor suppliers in allied countries might have greater incentives to pursue customers in China.

Sujai Shivakumar, an economist who leads the Renewing American Innovation program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said tariffs alone cannot solve the United States’ semiconductor-production problems. Building a competitive domestic industry requires far more than making imported chips more expensive.

“Higher tariffs can change relative prices, but in themselves, they don’t produce more skilled technicians,” Shivakumar said. “They don’t shorten the permitting timelines. They don’t expand reliable power and water infrastructure. They don’t create qualified suppliers.”

One technology-sector representative emphasized that the industry does support expanding semiconductor manufacturing in the United States.

“The data center industry would love to have a strong domestic semiconductor manufacturing industry, and we’re here to support that on-shoring,” the person said. “But the volume and scale of manufacturing of advanced node chips and memory chips is just not where it needs to be.”

The proposal to connect tariff exemptions with domestic investment resembles a trade agreement Trump reached with Taiwan in January. That arrangement allows Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., which manufactures chips designed by U.S. companies such as Apple and Nvidia, to bring certain chips into the United States without tariffs.

For now, however, that arrangement covers only a limited portion of the advanced chips required by the market. TSMC has pledged $265 billion toward its Arizona facilities, representing the largest foreign direct investment in U.S. history. Even after the facilities are fully built, however, the company expects only about 30 percent of its most advanced manufacturing capacity to be located in Arizona, with much of that capacity still years away.

One person from the trade and technology sectors who regularly meets with senior Trump administration officials estimated that establishing sufficient domestic chip-manufacturing capacity would take more than five years. That timeline is substantially longer than the phase-in periods Trump has used for previous tariffs, suggesting that major technology companies could face higher costs long before U.S. production can fill the gap.

“The math literally just does not work,” said the tech representative. “The volume they’re talking about granting duty-free wouldn’t cover the hyperscalers alone, let alone the rest of the industry. Those are chips we physically can’t buy here, because the capacity doesn’t exist yet.”

Nickolay Mladenov, Director-General of the Board of Peace, announced that Hamas agreed to surrender its weapons and transfer the security and civilian authorities under its control to a transitional Palestinian administration, as part of the roadmap tied to President Trump’s Gaza peace plan.

Under the framework, Hamas would hand civilian governance and security functions to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) — a transitional body established under UN Security Council Resolution 2803 and overseen by the Board of Peace. The plan calls for phased disarmament of Hamas and other armed factions, verified by an International Verification Committee, alongside a phased Israeli military withdrawal.

Addressing the UN Security Council, Mladenov said: “For the first time, Hamas and the armed factions in Gaza have agreed to hand over their weapons and to transfer full governing authority—civilian and security—to a transitional administration recognized by the United Nations. We now have the opportunity to dramatically improve life in a sustainable way for Palestinians in Gaza; to provide durable security for Israelis; and to move from a conflict that has destabilized the region to an environment that offers peace, prosperity and economic opportunity for the entire Middle East.”

In an earlier post on X announcing the agreement, Mladenov wrote: “Today, agreement has been reached on the decommissioning of weapons and civilian transition in Gaza. It took months of very difficult negotiations to get here. There were several points when I did not believe we would make it.”

A Hamas negotiator, Ghazi Hamad, said the group would not implement any step of the deal unless Israel first fulfills its own obligations under the agreement.

Analysis: Implementation has stalled in the weeks since the announcement. Israeli officials have raised concerns over how “heavy” versus “light” weapons are defined for disarmament purposes — with reports indicating Hamas considers Kalashnikov rifles “light weapons” not subject to surrender under the current terms. Prime Minister Netanyahu has voiced frustration with the Board of Peace’s handling of the process, and reconstruction and Israeli troop withdrawal remain on hold pending further progress.

Nearly all Democratic members of the US Senate have called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take steps to address what they described as a “surge” in violence involving settlers in the West Bank, while also raising concerns about arrests of Palestinians by Israeli security forces.

A letter sent to Netanyahu and reviewed by Reuters was signed by 45 of the Senate’s 47 Democrats. The lawmakers cited what they characterized as increasing levels of “fatal violence by settlers.”

The senators also asked Israel to increase investigations into the deaths of nine American citizens whom they said [have been killed] by Israeli settlers or Israeli security forces in the West Bank since 2022.

The letter said the “significant surge” in violence in recent weeks had been accompanied by “a large-scale response by Israeli security forces, mass arrests of Palestinians, and reported attacks by settlers on mosques.”

The letter comes amid continuing disagreements between the Israeli government and Democratic lawmakers in Washington over developments in the West Bank. Some Democrats have also called for changes to US military assistance to Israel in connection with its conduct during the wars in Gaza and Iran. Polling has meanwhile indicated that a majority of Democratic voters hold unfavorable views of Israel.

In April, 40 of the Senate’s 47 Democrats voted for measures that would have blocked certain weapons sales to Israel. The measures did not pass.

The letter was drafted by Senators Adam Schiff of California, Cory Booker of New Jersey and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. Schumer has historically been a prominent congressional supporter of Israel. Schumer and Schiff are Jewish, while Booker has longstanding ties to the Jewish community.

The senators asked Netanyahu to provide clear instructions to Israeli police and military personnel to prevent violent confrontations in the West Bank and to intervene when violence occurs “regardless of the perpetrators.”

They also called on the Israeli government to stop approving additional settlements and construction of “illegal outposts in the West Bank.” The lawmakers further urged the government to take steps toward removing existing outposts, citing previous attacks on Palestinians associated with some of the sites.

The Israeli government provides some financial assistance to agricultural outposts and has continued settlement development in the West Bank. Supporters and opponents of settlement expansion have offered differing views about its broader political implications, including its relationship to the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state.

Reports of settler attacks and harassment have increased in recent months. The number of prosecutions has remained limited, while critics have accused the Israeli military and Netanyahu government of failing to do enough to prevent or prosecute such incidents.

On Sunday, settlers near the recently dismantled Kochav Yair outpost, close to Jannatah in the southern West Bank, were filmed during an altercation involving activists and journalists. IDF troops were present at the scene but did not arrest any of those involved, according to the report.

On Friday, a Palestinian teenager was shot and killed by the coordinator of a settlement security squad after settlers entered an area near Sa’ir, a Palestinian village farther south. The incident followed a confrontation between settlers and Palestinians.

US President Donald Trump has made limited public comments about the situation in the West Bank.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has referred to extremist settlers as “Israeli terrorists.” Earlier this month, he told Reuters that people involved in the reported siege of two homes in the northern West Bank village of Qusra could face US sanctions. Huckabee has also defended Israeli settlements more broadly, saying that those involved in violence are “unsettlers” who do not represent the wider settlement movement.

Nearly all Senate Democrats on Wednesday called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take stronger measures against what they described as a “surge” in violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, while also raising concerns about large-scale arrests of Palestinians by Israeli security forces.

A letter sent to Netanyahu and reviewed by Reuters was signed by 45 of the 47 Democrats in the Senate. The lawmakers pointed to rising levels of “fatal violence by settlers.”

The senators also urged Netanyahu’s government to intensify investigations into the deaths of nine American citizens who, according to the lawmakers, have been [killed] by Israeli settlers or Israeli security forces in the West Bank since 2022.

According to the letter, the “significant surge” in violence in recent weeks has prompted “a large-scale response by Israeli security forces, mass arrests of Palestinians, and reported attacks by settlers on mosques.”

The letter represents another indication of increasing tensions between Israel’s government and congressional Democrats over the Israeli approach to the West Bank. Within the Democratic Party, lawmakers have also increasingly called for restrictions on US military assistance to Israel over its actions in the wars in Gaza and Iran. Recent polling has found that a large majority of Democratic voters hold unfavorable views of Israel.

In April, 40 of the Senate’s 47 Democrats voted in favor of measures seeking to block certain weapons sales to Israel, although the efforts ultimately failed.

The letter was prepared by Democratic Senators Adam Schiff of California, Cory Booker of New Jersey and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, who has historically been among Israel’s strongest supporters in Congress. Both Schumer and Schiff are Jewish, while Booker has maintained longstanding relationships with the Jewish community.

The senators called on Netanyahu to give explicit orders to Israeli police and military personnel to prevent violent confrontations in the West Bank and intervene when they occur “regardless of the perpetrators.”

They also urged Israel to halt approvals for additional settlements and construction of “illegal outposts in the West Bank” and called for existing outposts to be dismantled. The lawmakers said such sites have been repeatedly linked to attacks against Palestinians.

The Israeli government provides some financial assistance to agricultural outposts and has pursued broader settlement growth across the West Bank. Supporters and opponents of the policy have both described settlement expansion as connected to efforts to prevent the creation of a Palestinian state.

Violence by Israeli settlers has increased in recent months, accompanied by frequent attacks and harassment. Prosecutions remain uncommon, while critics have accused the Israeli military and Netanyahu government of tolerating, or even encouraging, such violence.

On Sunday, settlers near the recently dismantled Kochav Yair outpost, close to Jannatah in the southern West Bank, were filmed attacking activists and journalists. IDF soldiers were reportedly present but did not arrest any of the alleged attackers.

On Friday, a Palestinian teenager was shot and killed by the coordinator of a settlement security team after settlers illegally entered an area near Sa’ir, a Palestinian village farther south. The incident followed a confrontation between the settlers and Palestinians.

US President Donald Trump has made relatively few public comments about the situation in the West Bank.

His ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has condemned extremist settlers as “Israeli terrorists.” Earlier this month, Huckabee told Reuters that individuals involved in the siege of two homes in the northern West Bank village of Qusra could potentially face US sanctions. At the same time, he has defended Israeli settlements more broadly, arguing that those responsible for violence are “unsettlers” and do not represent the wider settlement movement.

The IDF said it struck and demolished a structure in the Jabalya area of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday that Hamas had allegedly been using as an ambush position and weapons storage site. The military announced the operation on Wednesday, saying the site was used by Hamas terrorists to prepare attacks and maintain weapons capabilities.

According to the IDF, the structure stood roughly 50 meters from the Yellow Line, about 70 meters from Kamal Adwan Hospital, and approximately 170 meters from a school. The military said the location illustrated what it described as Hamas’s continued use of civilian and humanitarian infrastructure for military purposes, which the IDF said violates both the ceasefire agreement and international law.

The structure was destroyed after several terrorists were killed, the military said. According to the IDF, the Hamas operatives had been preparing to attack Israeli troops while also working to restore the organization’s military capabilities from the site.

The IDF said it took measures intended to reduce the potential danger to civilians during the operation. Those measures included the deployment of precision-guided munitions and aerial surveillance to identify and monitor the target.

IDF, Shin Bet Strike Hamas Weapons-Production Commander

The operation follows a recent joint action by the IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), which resulted in the death of terrorist Ismail Abu Pul. The military identified Abu Pul as a commander at a Hamas weapons-production facility and said he was involved in manufacturing explosive charges and anti-tank missiles for the organization.

The strike that killed Abu Pul took place in the Al-Maghazi area of Gaza. The IDF said the weapons-production facility was located near an aid distribution site operated by an international organization.

The military described the attack on the production facility as another example of what it characterized as Hamas’s use of civilian infrastructure to facilitate and carry out attacks against IDF forces operating near the Yellow Line as well as against Israeli civilians.

US President Donald Trump has submitted to Congress a proposed civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, while making clear that Washington will only proceed if Riyadh also normalizes relations with Israel, a US administration official told Reuters on Tuesday.

According to the official, the agreement was finalized in July and would permit American companies to provide Saudi Arabia with civilian nuclear technology. The administration formally transmitted the agreement to Congress on Monday.

Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Washington had not immediately responded to a request for comment.

It remains uncertain how submitting the nuclear agreement to Congress, which has 90 legislative days to review it, is expected to help Trump secure the broader diplomatic objectives he has attached to the pact.

“The president’s position has not changed that the agreement will only move forward if Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords,” the US official said in an email, referring to the US-backed normalization agreements established between Israel and Arab and Muslim-majority countries.

The Abraham Accords were negotiated during Trump’s first presidency and resulted in normalization agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco in 2020 and 2021.

Just days after the nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia was reached in July, Trump reiterated that normalization with Israel would be required before the nuclear pact could take effect. Trump had also pursued a similar agreement with Riyadh during his first term.

Trump’s decision to impose that condition after the agreement was signed came amid criticism from Israel and its supporters, who had expressed concern that the administration was moving ahead without formally linking the nuclear arrangement to Saudi-Israeli normalization.

An official familiar with the matter previously told The Times of Israel that the nuclear agreement signed in July did not contain language requiring Saudi Arabia to establish diplomatic relations with Israel.

Former President Joe Biden had likewise sought a civilian nuclear agreement with Riyadh and favored connecting such a deal to Saudi normalization with Israel. In 2023, diplomats believed the two countries were approaching a possible normalization agreement, but Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the subsequent Gaza war dramatically altered the diplomatic environment.

Saudi Arabia has insisted that it must first receive an irreversible pathway toward Palestinian statehood before it will recognize Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, however, has firmly rejected that demand.

The nuclear agreement is set to remain in effect for 30 years and envisions the construction of AP1000 reactors. The multibillion-dollar project could provide a major commercial opportunity for Westinghouse, which is jointly owned by Canada-based Cameco and Brookfield Asset Management.

The agreement has drawn criticism from some Democratic lawmakers and nuclear nonproliferation advocates because it does not prohibit Saudi Arabia from enriching uranium or reprocessing spent nuclear material. Both activities can potentially provide pathways toward producing nuclear weapons. In its 2009 civilian nuclear agreement with Washington, the United Arab Emirates accepted restrictions on those activities that have since been described as the nuclear “gold standard.”

The Trump administration maintains that the Saudi agreement contains the nonproliferation safeguards required under US law.

By formally initiating the congressional review process, Trump has created the possibility that lawmakers could ultimately permit the nuclear agreement to advance even without the normalization and proliferation conditions he has publicly emphasized, said Henry Sokolski, head of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center.

“This is hardly ideal if you’re serious about no enrichment and recognition of Israel,” Sokolski said.

WASHINGTON — Rabbi Moshe Margaretten, President of the Tzedek Association, met with United States Attorney General Todd Blanche on Tuesday afternoon at the Department of Justice.  

The high-level meeting marks the first time Tzedek leadership has met with Blanche since his confirmation as the 88th Attorney General, though the organization previously held several meetings with him during his tenure as Deputy Attorney General.

Tzedek tells Belaaz that Blanche himself extended the invite to Margeretten.

During the session, AG Blanche expressed gratitude to Tzedek for their strong support during his Senate confirmation process, specifically thanking them for the formal letter sent to President Trump endorsing his nomination to lead the Justice Department.

Belaaz is told that the discussion focused on key criminal justice policy initiatives, including expanding First Step Act Implementation and additional justice reform legislation that Tzedek is actively advancing in coordination with the DOJ.

DEARBORN, Mich. — Nearly a quarter-century after the Sept. 11 attacks, a Smithsonian-affiliated museum in Michigan continues to center its 9/11 exhibits and anniversary programming on discrimination and government actions taken afterward, while devoting comparatively less attention to the nearly 3,000 Americans killed in the attacks, according to a review by Fox News Digital.

The Arab American National Museum (AANM) in Dearborn features an exhibit contending that Arab Americans “suffered two-fold as a result of the tragic events of September 11th,” pointing both to the attacks themselves and what the museum characterizes as unfair treatment by the U.S. government in their aftermath. Since opening, the museum has repeatedly organized events examining what it describes as discriminatory effects stemming from America’s post-9/11 response.

The AANM has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and operates as an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian itself has come under increasing criticism from conservative lawmakers, who have accused the institution of allowing political considerations to shape its presentation of American history.

One exhibit placard focuses on the government’s detention of immigrants investigated for potential terrorist connections following 9/11, stating that “virtually none were charged” with terrorism.

“The Arab American community suffered two-fold as a result of the tragic events of September 11th. As with all Americans, they suffered the horror and grief. However, Arab Americans were unfairly held responsible, yet not a single Arab American was found guilty of any connection to September 11th,” the placard states.

On Sept. 11, 2001, 19 al Qaeda terrorists seized control of four passenger aircraft. Two were flown into New York City’s World Trade Center and another struck the Pentagon. Passengers and crew members aboard United Flight 93 resisted the hijackers, resulting in the aircraft crashing into a field in Pennsylvania. The attacks claimed 2,977 lives and prompted the largest investigation in FBI history.

Another museum placard says Arab Americans encountered tougher immigration enforcement following the attacks, asserting that some were “deported for minor visa violations or petty offenses which previously would have been overlooked.”

According to a Justice Department inspector general report, immigration authorities detained 762 noncitizens on immigration charges during the 11 months following 9/11 as part of the FBI’s terrorism investigation. Some had overstayed visas or entered the United States illegally. The watchdog concluded that certain detainees who had no terrorism connections were subjected to harsh treatment and unnecessarily restrictive detention conditions.

The broader public response to the attacks was more nuanced, however. President George W. Bush repeatedly urged Americans not to blame Muslims for the terrorist attacks. Subsequent polling also indicated that views toward Muslim Americans improved during the immediate aftermath. Pew Research Center data showed the percentage of Americans expressing favorable views of Muslim Americans climbed from 45% in March 2001 to 59% in November, two months after the attacks.

The AANM’s focus on discrimination and law-enforcement practices affecting Arab and Muslim communities also extends into its annual programming surrounding the 9/11 anniversary.

Each year, the museum hosts a “solidarity” town hall that frequently emphasizes criticism of America’s response to the attacks. The event’s online description does not reference the deaths caused by the attacks, instead saying it “offers a safe space for communities to reflect and engage in dialogue about the harmful prejudices that Arab and Muslim (and anyone perceived to be Arab or Muslim) individuals face on both an individual and systemic level.”

A 2018 town hall examined “how communities of color have been targeted through the frame of national security and profiled as violent threats.”

The following year’s annual town hall, which received support from the National Endowment for the Arts, focused on allegations that “institutions and communities of color have been infiltrated” by law enforcement and that leaders within those communities were “targeted” after 9/11.

The AANM opened in 2005, partly in response to heightened scrutiny of Arab Americans following the World Trade Center attacks. Over the course of its existence, the museum has received more than half a million dollars from the NEH for exhibits and educational initiatives. It also received a $385,000 Department of Housing and Urban Development grant that helped expand the museum in 2013. Additional HUD funding totaling more than $500,000 was awarded between 2017 and 2019, while the State Department provided at least $50,000 between 2016 and 2017, according to the museum’s annual reports.

Dearborn is also an important political hub in Michigan heading into one of the nation’s most closely watched Senate contests this year. Approximately 54.5% of the city’s residents are of Middle Eastern or North African descent. Socialist-aligned Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed received significant backing from Dearborn earlier this month.

The museum’s exhibits and programming address issues beyond its portrayal of America’s post-9/11 response.

On Sept. 10, the day before the 25th anniversary of the attacks, the AANM is scheduled to screen “Seeds for Liberation.” The film portrays Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack as part of a decades-long Palestinian “struggle” and situates the attack within a larger history of “anti-imperialist and decolonial movements.”

During a visit earlier this month, Fox News Digital also found an area of the museum devoted to artwork criticizing Israel’s alleged “occupation” of Palestinian territory. One piece displays the word “wall” in stylized lettering and accuses the Israeli government of maintaining a system of “apartheid.”

The broader installation alleges that Israel has targeted civilians during military operations, restricted Palestinians’ access to basic necessities and improperly occupied territory.

One placard displayed alongside a sculpture claims Israel has killed more than 2,000 Palestinian children since Sept. 29, 2000, citing the organization If Americans Knew (IAK).

The sourcing of that claim has generated controversy. Several pro-Palestinian organizations have separated themselves from IAK amid allegations involving antisemitism and connections to White supremacists, accusations the organization has rejected. IAK also runs a news website that has published material disputing Hamas’ classification as a terrorist organization.

Another sculpture features a placard quoting Defense of Children International Palestine (DCIP), which the Israeli government designated as a terrorist organization in 2021. DCIP and human rights organizations have challenged that designation.

Visitors can also find Palestinian-themed items in the museum’s gift shop, including magnets and key chains shaped like maps, coloring books intended to help children “explore Palestinian heritage” and keffiyehs.

Smithsonian affiliates such as the AANM operate independently while maintaining formal relationships with the Smithsonian. Those partnerships can provide access to artifact loans, educational materials and consultations with Smithsonian experts.

The Smithsonian has faced growing pressure in recent months from Republican lawmakers and President Trump over allegations that its museums promote left-leaning ideological perspectives through their exhibits. Officials have warned that the institution could face funding reductions if it fails to address what the Trump administration describes as anti-American bias.

The United Nations on Tuesday strongly criticized Israel’s warning that civilians could be evacuated from parts of Gaza where kites, drones and balloons are launched toward Israel, calling the language used by Israeli officials deeply troubling.

“On the threat of expulsion due to children’s kite flying, I hope we can all agree that this is outrageous,” UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva.

Israel warned Hamas on Sunday that it would intensify military operations in Gaza if launches of kites, drones and balloons toward Israel continued. The warning followed a recent rise in such incidents, although Hamas has rejected claims that it was responsible.

Israeli media reported that four kites were discovered in communities close to the Gaza border on Saturday, while the army intercepted another on Sunday. The developments brought the number of kites recovered in the area in recent days to roughly 10.

Channel 12 reported Monday that nine kites had been sent from Gaza toward IDF troops during June. The incidents were reportedly not made public at the time and did not prompt an Israeli military response.

The latest incidents have brought back memories of previous waves of incendiary kites and balloons launched from Gaza, some of which caused extensive fires across southern Israel.

Israeli military officials reportedly believe Hamas was responsible for the latest launches. The kites did not contain explosives and may have been intended to gauge how Israel would react.

“Israel warns Hamas that if the launches toward Israel do not stop immediately, the IDF will act to intensify strikes against those responsible for the launches and evacuate populations from areas from which kites, drones and balloons are launched,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said Sunday in a joint statement.

Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim rejected the Israeli accusations, saying the kites were “launched from Gaza by children searching for their innocent childhood amid the rubble.”

In another statement, Hamas accused Israel of treating the kite launches as a “pretext” to carry out airstrikes in central Gaza on Sunday. The Hamas-linked civil defense rescue service said three people were killed in those strikes.

The UN spokeswoman said the latest warning was part of what she described as a broader pattern of threatening statements by senior Israeli officials.

“We continue to see unacceptable rhetoric coming from the highest level of the Israeli authorities, showing utter contempt for international human rights and humanitarian law, and advocating and inciting violence amounting to atrocity crimes,” she said.

Katz has faced similar criticism before. He recently drew condemnation after saying that the IDF was “here to stay” in southern Lebanon and was “destroying all the houses” there.

The administration of US President Donald Trump quickly criticized those remarks. A State Department official said Katz’s comments appeared inconsistent with assurances from Jerusalem that Israel had no territorial ambitions in Lebanon.

Human rights organisations say forced military recruitment in Russia has surged since mid-August, fueling concerns that the Kremlin could be preparing another mobilisation campaign following September’s elections.

Russian security services are reportedly detaining civilians in public places and pressuring them to sign military contracts, as growing evidence points to preparations for a potential new recruitment drive for the war in Ukraine.

In mid-August, the Russian human rights organisation Idite lesom received 14 appeals from people who said security forces had detained them and coerced or pressured them into signing military contracts at police stations or military enlistment offices.

The organisation, which assists Russians seeking to avoid participation in the war, said the increase began on August 10th. “There were only isolated round-ups in July, now we are at a peak,” Ivan Chuvilyaev, a representative of the project, told Euronews.

Reported incidents have emerged across Russia, from Novorossiysk to Birobidzhan. Men have allegedly been stopped on the street under the guise of document checks or accusations such as drinking in public, while others were detained at their workplaces or while travelling home.

The Penza region has recorded similar cases since mid-June. During that period, Idite lesom also documented seven instances involving conscript soldiers who were allegedly pressured or forced to sign contracts with Russia’s Defence Ministry.

Prisons have also become part of the recruitment effort, according to Chuvilyaev. He said representatives of Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service have been looking for potential contract soldiers in detention centres and prisons.

At the same time, civilian recruiters are reportedly approaching financially vulnerable people, including debtors and unemployed individuals, through job postings, recruitment agencies and personal networks.

“If someone has money problems, the recruiters will find them,” he said. “People realise what they have got into only when they are already at the front.”

Idite lesom says more than 80,000 people have sought assistance from the organisation since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.

Mobilisation after the elections?

Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have repeatedly warned that Moscow could announce another mobilisation campaign after September’s State Duma elections.

Western intelligence sources cited by the Wall Street Journal said Russia conducted mobilisation-readiness exercises in the Kaliningrad region last month. The drills reportedly included preparations involving accommodation, food supplies and weapons for residents.

Russian state media separately reported exercises in the same region in July, saying they were intended to practise responses to drone attacks.

Organisations assisting Russians who want to leave the country have also reported a substantial increase in inquiries since mid-July.

“It is reminiscent of the situation in 2022, early 2023,” a coordinator with the German human rights initiative inTransit, who requested anonymity, told Euronews.

“The threat of mobilisation keeps cropping up like a refrain in a large number of requests. People are afraid that they will not be able to leave later if they do not do it now,” the inTransit coordinator said.

“They also fear that they may be forced to sign a contract, even if they resist, or the signature may be forged on their behalf.”

The coordinator said people facing investigations, including politically motivated cases, have also described pressure from prison officials or investigators to sign military contracts and go to war. Some reportedly remain outside detention facilities but are subject to travel restrictions or house arrest.

The concern is spreading beyond Russians traditionally targeted by the Kremlin, such as journalists, human rights advocates and anti-war activists. According to the coordinator, more people without such backgrounds are now considering leaving the country.

Requests from Russians seeking to travel to Georgia and Armenia, where they can enter without visas, and then pursue legal residence in the European Union through ordinary procedures have risen sharply.

Leaving Russia has become more difficult since the Unified Register of Military Records was introduced in May 2025. Once an individual receives a summons and is entered into the system, restrictions on international travel can become considerably harder to avoid.

“There is a high likelihood that their departure will also be restricted from Belarus,” the inTransit coordinator said.

“Now people understand that, in the event of a new mobilisation wave, they may simply be left with no way to leave and will find themselves locked in.”

Moscow bleeding troops

Ukraine’s General Staff and the US-based Center for Strategic and International Studies estimate that Russian military losses since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022 have reached roughly 1.4 million personnel. CSIS estimates that as many as 450,000 Russian troops may have been killed.

The think tank estimates that Russia has been losing more than 30,000 personnel each month in 2026, approximately 3,000 more than the estimated 27,000 new contract soldiers it recruits monthly.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe said on 15 July at a defence forum in Pennsylvania that the average life expectancy of a newly recruited Russian soldier on the Ukrainian front is between 20 and 30 minutes.

The Kremlin has generally avoided providing a full account of Russia’s battlefield losses.

Russian officials, meanwhile, have rejected claims that another mobilisation is being prepared. “We do not need mass mobilisation at the moment; it is neither planned nor expected,” Russia’s permanent representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, said on Friday. He added, “As far as I know.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday dismissed reports of mobilisation preparations, describing them as efforts to “stir up the situation ideologically” within Russia.

Russia announced a “partial” mobilisation on 21 September 2022. No official decree formally terminating that mobilisation has been issued.

The Sanzer Rebbe of Boro Park, Harav Boruch Halberstam, zt”l, was niftar tonight at age 70 after a prolonged illness.

A descendant of the Divrei Chaim of Sanz and son-in-law of the Kosson-Kozova Rebbe, he was known as a pillar of hachnasas orchim in Boro Park, opening his doors to hundreds.

Canada is preparing to unveil retaliatory tariffs against the United States on Tuesday, following a dramatic deterioration in relations Monday. President Donald Trump warned Canadian leaders to “fall in line” or risk consequences “far WORSE” than the tariffs already in place, while Prime Minister Mark Carney accused the Trump administration of attempting to subordinate Canada.

Trump also threatened to impose new 50% tariffs on Canadian automobiles, auto parts and steel. Carney, meanwhile, said Washington’s trade demands indicated an effort to “destroy our major industries,” including Canada’s auto, steel and aluminum sectors.

Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne and three other Cabinet ministers are expected to announce Ottawa’s response Tuesday morning. Earlier Monday, Carney suggested Canada may no longer respond to U.S. tariffs on a dollar-for-dollar basis, saying the government could instead pursue more selective measures designed to shield Canadian workers and companies.

“An attitude at the negotiation table that Canada is a subsidiary of the United States” is “not something we’re going to accept,” Carney said.

Speaking in French, Carney delivered an even more forceful assessment of the failed negotiations.

“We learned during the negotiations that the Americans want to destroy our major industries, including autos, steel and aluminum,” Carney said. “That was one of the main reasons we said no. It was a bad deal.”

The increasingly hostile rhetoric highlights the depth of the deterioration in relations between the two longtime allies. The latest escalation follows Carney’s decision late Friday to end trade discussions with the Trump administration, prompting Trump to activate threatened 50% tariffs the following day on roughly $20 billion in Canadian products.

The United States and Canada maintain one of the world’s largest trading partnerships, with supply chains closely connected across the automotive, energy, agricultural and manufacturing sectors. A prolonged tariff confrontation could therefore impose significant costs on companies, employees and consumers in both countries.

Carney also questioned whether the United States could still be counted on as a dependable economic partner. He said Canada was increasingly finding trustworthy partners “everywhere in the world, except in the United States. Except in the United States. And Russia.”

The looming Canadian response marks another major escalation in a trade dispute between the two neighboring countries, as Ottawa seeks to protect domestic industries while Washington presses for concessions from one of its closest economic partners.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has condemned rhetoric suggesting that American Jews could face violence because of their support for Israel, saying there is “zero justification” for threats against Jews as antisemitism continues to rise.

The New York Democrat appeared to be responding to recent remarks by Hasan Piker, a prominent left-wing political streamer and surrogate whose commentary has previously drawn accusations of antisemitism. During a livestream last week, Piker blamed Jews for contributing to antisemitism and referred to Israel as the “Jewish ISIS.”

“If Jews in America keep putting this idea out there that they are singularly invested in Israel, eventually someone’s going to come around and take action, not against the State of Israel, mind you, but against American Jews,” Piker said.

Piker also accused Jews of reinforcing the antisemitic trope of dual loyalty and argued that Israel contributes to Islamophobia.

“You’re running around basically tying your entire identity to a country that inevitably will be seen as, basically, Jewish ISIS, and you’re saying, as Jews, ‘This is all we care about.’ You’re making antisemitism worse,” he said.

In a statement, Jeffries rejected the suggestion that American Jews bear responsibility for potential violence against them, calling the argument dangerous and antisemitic.

“The malicious claim that American Jews are inviting violence against themselves is dangerous and antisemitic.”

“There is zero justification for threats against the safety of our Jewish brothers and sisters at a moment of rising hate. We will fight the cancer of antisemitism with the fierce urgency of now,” Jeffries says, without directly identifying Piker in his statement.

Jeffries is the highest-profile Democrat to publicly criticize Piker over his latest remarks.

Piker has also become a visible presence in left-wing Democratic political circles, including campaigns involving New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.

Halie Soifer, who leads the Jewish Democratic Council of America, likewise criticized rhetoric that could be interpreted as legitimizing threats against Jews because of Israeli government actions.

“We can’t create a permission structure for the targeting of Jews due to the actions of Israel, which is antisemitic, and there can be no place for rhetoric normalizing violence in our politics.”

“All Democrats should separate themselves from Piker. He’s a gift to Republicans,” she says.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir both delivered statements today after the wreck of the Altalena was located off Israel’s coast, but their separate appearances hinted at friction on the Israeli right over the government’s future direction.

Ben-Gvir and Netanyahu at the scene of a September 8, 2025 terror shooting in Jerusalem that killed six Israelis and wounded more than a dozen.

Netanyahu emphasized unity, recalling how Irgun commander Menachem Begin ordered his fighters to stand down even as they came under fire, refusing to let the Altalena affair spiral into civil war. Netanyahu held up “civil war – never” as the central lesson, stressing that unity is Israel’s strength.

Netanyahu viewing a museum display about the Altalena affair—the 1948 confrontation where the IDF shelled an Irgun arms ship. Photos: Ma’ayan Toaf, GPO

Ben-Gvir, appearing separately with Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, struck a sharper political edge. After Netanyahu avoided a joint appearance to skip being photographed with him, Ben-Gvir said Begin “knew well the taste of persecution – the taste of people not wanting to be photographed with you on the same stage,” subtly likening his own treatment to Begin’s.

June 1948: The Altalena burns off Tel Aviv after being shelled by Israeli forces during a dispute over weapons.

While Netanyahu has given no indication he intends to abandon his current right-wing coalition, his emphasis on unity has fueled speculation that he could eventually seek a broader, more centrist government that leaves Ben-Gvir and the harder right outside.

Turkey is currently viewed by Israel as a “rival and not an enemy,” Israeli security officials said Sunday, while cautioning that Ankara’s status could change as the strategic landscape across the Middle East continues to evolve.

Israeli security assessments indicate that Turkey is working to consolidate a Sunni regional axis that would, among other objectives, take an adversarial position toward Israel.

Israeli officials rejected denials from both Syria and Turkey concerning warnings issued ahead of a recent strike, saying the warnings were disregarded by the parties involved. After extensive evaluation and following recommendations from Israeli intelligence and the Israel Air Force, officials said the decision was ultimately made to conduct the strike as a message while taking measures to avoid casualties. IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir was also involved in pushing for the course of action.

Security officials said Israel’s post-October 7 policy remains focused on detecting emerging threats and neutralizing them as early as possible. That approach is also being applied to developments involving Syria and Turkey, with Israeli security agencies closely tracking the evolving situation to ensure that potential threats do not take shape through alternative channels.

Israel closely watching Lebanon-Syria developments

Israeli security officials said Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is believed to harbor deep hostility toward Hezbollah and Iran. According to Israeli assessments, he may eventually seek retaliation against both groups for the deaths of Syrian forces during the civil war under former president Bashar Assad, despite publicly adopting a more moderate tone and expressing an interest in peaceful relations.

Officials said Israel is consequently paying close attention to the evolving relationship between Lebanon and Syria. The goal, they explained, is to prevent strategically important areas from deteriorating into lawless spaces that could eventually pose a security threat to Israel.

At the same time, Israeli security officials indicated that Turkey is seeking avenues to approach Israel’s borders not only through Syria but potentially through other routes, including the Gaza Strip.

Israel’s security establishment is monitoring those efforts and working to prevent them from advancing. Some of the activity is being addressed through diplomatic channels, including efforts involving the United States and other allied countries.

Israel-Syria negotiations suspended following military strike

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said Sunday that negotiations with Israel had been suspended following the Israeli strike in Syria, with no date currently established for their resumption. Speaking to Reuters, al-Shaibani said Damascus’ immediate objective is to halt Israeli military strikes and that confidence-building measures would be necessary to move toward that goal.

The Syrian foreign minister also argued that after Assad was ousted in 2024, “Israel tried to maintain its security through brute force and it did not succeed.” He said Washington is seeking to persuade Israel to return to negotiations, adding, “It is very difficult to bet on Israel, but Syria had very high hopes of building stable relations with its neighbors.”

Al-Shaibani further said the two sides had “agreed on paper on almost everything” earlier this year as part of discussions over a potential security arrangement. The proposed framework would establish several security zones inside Syrian territory near Israel, including a buffer area in which only UN personnel would be present, alongside other zones where Syrian forces could operate with different levels of deployment.

However, he maintained that “we have not seen that Israel has the genuine desire to reach an agreement.”

The competing positions underscore the increasingly complicated security environment surrounding Israel, Syria, Lebanon and Turkey. While Israel continues to describe Turkey as a rival rather than a direct enemy, Israeli officials are signaling that changing regional alliances and Ankara’s expanding influence could force a reassessment of that designation.

Lebanese security officials believe the recent wave of Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon may represent more than a series of limited operations and could instead be intended to prepare the ground for a wider military campaign, according to a report by Asharq al-Awsat published Monday.

According to the report, the IDF has concentrated its attacks on strategic ridgelines overlooking nearby villages and towns, along with a key transportation route extending farther into Lebanese territory. The reported objective is to isolate strategically important areas and restrict the movement of personnel between them.

Lebanese sources in Beirut said strikes targeting residential buildings, infrastructure, and roads in the affected areas appear designed to establish a buffer zone and separate Hezbollah strongholds from surrounding areas. They said the activity could be part of preparations for a possible expansion of the fighting.

The reports come alongside accounts of increased Israeli ground activity. Lebanese news outlet Elnashra has also reported growing concern in Beirut that the situation could develop into a significant security escalation.

According to an analysis published by the outlet, Lebanese officials believe Israel’s upcoming election campaign may also be influencing recent military developments. Their assessment is that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could take a more aggressive approach and intensify military operations in an effort to demonstrate security achievements to the Israeli public.

Israel’s political campaign increasingly highlights regional threats

Lebanese reports say Israel’s political discourse is placing substantial emphasis on threats from Iran, Hezbollah, and Turkey. Lebanese commentators argue that this focus could make Israel less inclined to pursue compromises.

Political and security officials in Beirut also believe the approach is reflected in Israel’s tougher position during diplomatic contacts, as well as in increased military pressure intended to strengthen Israel’s position at the negotiating table.

Meanwhile, Lebanese reports describe negotiations between Israel and Lebanon as remaining deadlocked. According to Lebanese sources, Israel is not under immediate pressure to secure a diplomatic breakthrough and instead appears to favor continuing military pressure.

The Lebanese reports also say US involvement in the negotiations is primarily aimed at keeping communication channels open and preventing the situation from deteriorating into a full-scale confrontation.

Taken together, the assessments from Beirut connect the military developments along the Israel-Lebanon border with the continuing diplomatic impasse. Lebanese officials and commentators cited in the reports warn that the combination of intensified military activity, tougher negotiating positions, and political considerations inside Israel could raise the possibility of further escalation.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore warned last year that everyone except the super-rich was “getting hosed” by President Donald Trump’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill. Yet a year after the legislation became law, the Democratic governor is publicly promoting one of its major provisions.

This month, Moore announced a new Maryland initiative designed to expand health care access for people living in rural communities, saying “Marylanders’ ability to access affordable and quality health care should not depend on their zip code.” The effort is being supported by $168 million in federal funding Maryland received this year through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the same legislation Democrats fought to block and that represents Trump’s most significant legislative accomplishment of his second term.

The legislation passed Congress exclusively with Republican support. Among its provisions was the creation of the five-year, $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program, which provides states with federal funding to strengthen rural health care. Maryland is initially putting $80 million of its allocation toward expanding primary care, mental health and dental services in rural communities.

“This $80 million allocation is another step in our administration’s commitment to investing and expanding innovative initiatives to drive health outcomes for Maryland’s rural communities, leaving no one behind,” Moore said in an Aug. 10 statement. His statement did not identify the One Big Beautiful Bill as the source of the funding.

Democratic governors, much like their counterparts in Congress, mounted strong opposition to Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. They criticized provisions extending Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, ending enhanced pandemic-era Obamacare subsidies and imposing new Medicaid work eligibility rules. The Congressional Budget Office estimates those Medicaid changes could result in 7.8 million people losing health coverage by 2034.

The $50 billion rural health program helped win support from some Republican lawmakers who were concerned about the legislation’s Medicaid reductions, which are projected to total $911 billion over a decade, as well as the potential consequences for rural hospitals.

Democratic governors continue to argue that the rural health funding will not make up for the broader effects of the Medicaid changes, especially with the new work requirements scheduled to begin in 2027. Nevertheless, they have eagerly publicized federal rural-health money arriving in their states while generally avoiding any praise for the Trump legislation that created the program.

“This investment allows Hawaii to finally close the distance between rural communities and the care they deserve,” Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, a Democrat, said earlier this year. He was announcing $189 million in federal rural health funding for Hawaii, which will be used to expand access to quality primary care outside Honolulu.

Green had offered a much darker assessment when the legislation passed in July 2025. “These next few years won’t be easy, but we are mobilizing now to respond, protect our people and make sure Hawaii can weather what’s coming,” Green said in a joint statement with Hawaii’s Democratic congressional delegation.

Connecticut Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont similarly praised the $154 million his state is receiving in 2026 through the Rural Health Transformation Program, describing it in March as a “landmark federal grant.” That came after he warned the previous year that the Big Beautiful Bill Act would have “devastating impacts on millions of Americans for years to come.”

“Rural Connecticut has unique challenges, and its residents deserve the same access to high-quality care and support as anyone who lives anywhere else,” Lamont said in March. “This investment allows us to tackle those challenges head-on.”

White House Accuses Democratic Governors of Taking Credit for Trump Program

Every state in the country, regardless of whether it is led by a Democrat or Republican, applied for and received money through the Rural Health Transformation Program. First-year awards ranged from $147 million for New Jersey to $281 million for Texas, with the grants distributed in December 2025.

The White House has accused Democratic governors of attempting to claim credit for a program contained in legislation they repeatedly criticized and sought to defeat.

“Every single Democrat voted against the Rural Health Transformation Fund, and Democrat governors spent months blasting the bill that created it,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement to USA TODAY. “Democrat governors have no right to now try to take credit for ‘securing’ rural health dollars that they had nothing to do with, these investments are solely thanks to President Trump and Republicans.”

The Republican criticism echoes an argument previously made by President Joe Biden’s administration against GOP lawmakers who voted against Biden’s 2021 infrastructure law but later appeared at ribbon-cuttings for projects financed by the legislation.

To qualify for rural health funding during the program’s five-year lifespan, states were required to submit plans detailing how they would improve rural access to care, modernize hospitals and technology, and introduce new medical innovations in underserved areas.

“Rural Arizonans have waited too long for healthcare that meets them where they are, and we’re changing that,” Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said in March when she unveiled her state’s rural health program and website. Arizona received $167 million under the federal initiative. Hobbs described the effort as “a signal that help is on the way.”

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs greets supporters during the opening of Copper State Victory’s first coordinated Democratic campaign office in Tucson, Arizona, U.S., July 12, 2026.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, another Democrat, said the $193 million his state received in federal funding during 2026 is enabling Pennsylvania to move ahead with its “plan to improve rural health care, attract and retain a skilled workforce, promote long-term, sustainable access, support the growth of innovative care, and foster technological innovation.”

At the same time, Democratic governors maintain that the new rural-health funding will not compensate for expected Medicaid losses in the years ahead. They also point to reductions in food stamp funding and other changes to the social safety net contained in the Big Beautiful Bill Act.

“Governor Hobbs has been clear that the partisan Washington budget will have devastating impacts on the people of Arizona and that the RHTP is a bandaid on a gaping wound created by the federal government,” said Christian Slater, a spokesman for Hobbs. “But the governor will unapologetically fight for every dollar she can to protect Arizonans from the federal government’s attacks on affordable and accessible healthcare.”

Cathryn Vaulman, Lamont’s communications director, said the Rural Health Transformation Program “cannot come close to offsetting the harm caused by Congressional Republicans’ cuts to healthcare, food assistance, and other benefits in H.R. 1.” She added that the federal money “nevertheless provide important resources to strengthen rural health care in those communities.”

Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made a similar argument last December when she said her state’s $173 million 2026 allocation “will support access to health care for rural communities across Michigan as we deal with funding shortfalls caused by federal Medicaid cuts.”

Even as Maryland accepts the federal rural health money, Moore’s spokesman Ammar Moussa emphasized that the governor remains opposed to Trump’s broader legislation.

“Taking advantage of one worthwhile provision does not change the governor’s view of a law that makes deep cuts to Medicaid and will cause close to 200,000 Marylanders to lose health coverage,” Moussa said. “But once Congress passed the law, Governor Moore was never going to leave federal resources on the table that can help Marylanders.”

RN Michelle McVey demonstrates infant care in the emergency room at Coffey County Hospital in Burlington, Kansas, U.S., February 19, 2026.

Will Medicaid Cuts Outweigh the Rural Health Funding?

Medicaid provides coverage to 16.1 million people living in rural areas, representing roughly one in four rural adults, according to KFF, an independent health care research organization.

A KFF analysis estimates that Medicaid spending in rural communities will fall by approximately $137 billion as a result of Trump’s legislation. That means the $50 billion rural health program would cover only about one-third of the projected reduction. States with significant rural populations that expanded Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act are expected to experience some of the largest decreases in federal Medicaid spending.

The White House disputes those calculations, arguing that rural hospitals receive only about 7% of Medicaid funding. Administration officials say reductions tied to the legislation stem from work requirements that they argue are broadly popular and intended to ensure Medicaid primarily serves people who qualify for the program.

White House officials also argue that the $50 billion rural health initiative was created to address long-standing problems in rural health care caused by decades of population decline, rather than to replace Medicaid funding reduced by Trump’s legislation.

Colorado, under Democratic Gov. Jared Polis, is another example of a Democratic administration moving forward with money created by the law it opposed. In June, the state began accepting applications from organizations seeking to help implement its rural health strategy after Colorado received $200 million in first-year funding.

The state is focusing its efforts on 29 rural counties with high rates of chronic illness and 23 frontier counties where residents have limited access to specialized services, including behavioral health, obstetrics and gynecology.

“By taking advantage of every opportunity to reduce healthcare costs and support rural communities Colorado can increase access to the care we need to thrive, in urban and rural communities,” Polis said.

Eric Maruyama, a spokesman for Polis, nevertheless reaffirmed the governor’s opposition to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. He said the legislation “does significant harm” through reductions in food assistance and Medicaid and by allowing enhanced ACA subsidies to expire.

“It also ripped an immediate billion dollar hole in our state budget,” Maruyama said. “Congress nevertheless passed the law, and Colorado will not leave federal funding on the table, especially given the enormity of the cuts to services the law creates.

The Altalena, the Irgun ship at the center of one of the most painful episodes in Israel’s founding, has been located on the Mediterranean seabed 78 years after it sank. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu announced the discovery Monday.

The ship was found intact at 12:30 a.m. Monday, at a depth of 503 meters west of Israel’s coast, during a maritime search operation using specialized sensors and advanced survey systems. The expedition, launched at Eliyahu’s initiative and led by Roni Sadeh, director of the Marine Mapping Division at the Survey of Israel, followed months of planning.

The Altalena arrived off Israel’s coast in June 1948 carrying immigrants, Irgun fighters, and weapons, weeks after the state’s founding. Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, seeking to consolidate a single national military under government control, ordered the weapons transferred to the newly formed IDF. When the Irgun refused, fighting broke out, and an IDF unit shelled the ship. Irgun commander Menachem Begin ordered his men not to fire back, a decision credited with preventing the confrontation from escalating into civil war. Sixteen Irgun members and three IDF soldiers were killed.

“Tonight we are closing a historical circle on one of the most painful and formative events in the history of Israeli society,” Ben-Gvir said. Eliyahu called the discovery “a defining moment for our national memory.”
Sadeh said the team reached the wreck at over 500 meters “thanks to advanced technologies and the intensive work of a professional and dedicated team at sea.” Officials said further findings and documentation from the site would be presented at a press conference.

NEW YORK CITY — Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks, New York City officials continue their painstaking effort to identify nearly 3,000 people who died at the World Trade Center. Now, investigators have achieved a historic milestone.

For the first time, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the NYPD Detective Bureau have used forensic investigative genetic genealogy to formally identify a 9/11 victim. The approach combines DNA analysis with genealogical research to trace family connections.

The newly identified victim was an adult woman whose family has chosen not to disclose her identity publicly. She is the 1,651st person killed in the attacks to be formally identified.

“It’s a breakthrough,” Dr. Jason Graham, the city’s chief medical examiner, told ABC News. “I’m delighted to be able to say that we’ve now applied new methods to the World Trade Center identification efforts, and we have a new identification for the first time in 25 years using new methods, forensic investigative genetic genealogy.”

A quarter-century ago, such an achievement would have been difficult to imagine because the technology and methodology needed to conduct this type of investigation were not yet available.

“The technology really wasn’t there,” said NYPD Det. Gregory Paduoano. “There’s a lot of good future with genealogy.”

Forensic investigative genetic genealogy has previously helped law enforcement resolve decades-old unidentified-person cases and other long-standing cold cases. More recently, New York City’s medical examiner’s office and police department began applying the technique to the continuing effort to identify World Trade Center victims.

“We already can see that it’s promising,” said Dr. Jennifer Odien, a forensic anthropologist in the medical examiner’s office. “Not every case is going to be able to go through genetic genealogy, but we do have DNA profiles that are not matching to our reference samples, so that’s the group right now that we’re focusing on and that hopefully is going to yield more positive results.”

Odien said investigators have identified 47 DNA profiles that could potentially be suitable for identification through genetic genealogy.

Those cases account for only a small portion of the approximately 1,100 World Trade Center victims who remain unidentified 25 years after the attacks. Despite the passage of time, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has maintained its commitment to continuing the search for answers for the victims’ families.

“The World Trade Center was the largest mass murder in the history of the United States, and it represents also the most complex forensic identification effort in our history,” Graham said. “And being able to apply new innovations to that identification work is a remarkable way that we can keep our commitment to the families.”

WASHINGTON — As public anxiety over artificial intelligence grows, Democratic politicians who may seek the White House in 2028 are increasingly confronting a political problem: how to criticize the technology’s costs and risks without embracing the sweeping restrictions proposed by Senator Bernie Sanders.

Mr. Sanders, an independent from Vermont who has long challenged the influence of large corporations, has called for a halt to the development of artificial intelligence, urging the executives of leading technology companies to “stop building machines that humans cannot control.”

Axios asked nearly 20 Democrats considered potential presidential contenders whether they supported Mr. Sanders’s proposal. Only one directly answered the question.

The reluctance reflects a broader uncertainty within the Democratic Party about how aggressively to confront an industry that has become central to the American economy and to the competition with China, even as concerns about job losses, electricity prices, energy consumption and the risks posed by increasingly capable A.I. systems grow.

The political stakes are rising.

Democratic strategists worry that the party could be caught unprepared in 2028 if voters turn their frustration with artificial intelligence infrastructure into a broader political movement. At the same time, Republicans who once enthusiastically promoted A.I. companies and the construction of the data centers needed to power them have begun repositioning themselves as skeptics.

The issue is particularly acute around data centers, enormous facilities that consume vast quantities of electricity and water. Communities across the country have increasingly questioned whether the economic benefits justify the infrastructure demands and higher utility costs.

When asked whether they supported Mr. Sanders’s call to halt A.I. development, none of the potential Democratic candidates embraced the proposal. Yet almost none directly criticized his position, either.

The most pointed response came from Rahm Emanuel, the former mayor of Chicago, who is viewed as a possible 2028 contender.

“This is talking around a problem instead of trying to solve it. A pause is fine — but then what?”

Mr. Emanuel said the purpose of a pause should be to develop a broader strategy rather than simply delay construction.

“The real question,” Emanuel said, “is how the time it buys gets used to build a comprehensive plan that meets America’s energy needs instead of masking them.”

He has called for changes to the permitting process and for major technology companies, known as hyperscalers, to finance upgrades to the energy infrastructure required to support their facilities.

About half of the potential Democratic contenders contacted by Axios did not respond, including former Vice President Kamala Harris, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Only two potential Democratic presidential candidates, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Representative Ro Khanna of California, have expressed support for some form of a data-center pause.

A Democratic Opening

For Democratic strategists, the hesitation presents both a problem and an opportunity.

Adam Carlson, a progressive pollster, said Democrats had been too cautious about the issue.

“It’s a big strategic error for the Democratic Party writ large not to be the one that’s owning this,” he said.

He warned that Republicans could seize the issue before Democrats do.

“What if JD Vance comes out and is the first major presidential candidate to support a data center moratorium, other than AOC?” Carlson asked. “That’s a huge miss. And then everyone who comes out after is going to be seen as slow to the punch against JD Vance.”

The concern comes as candidates competing in this year’s midterm elections have moved faster than their potential presidential counterparts.

Republicans and Democrats running for office in states where data-center development has become controversial have increasingly endorsed temporary pauses or restrictions. A recent Fox News poll found that 70 percent of voters opposed construction of an A.I. data center in their community.

Mike Rogers, the Republican nominee for Senate in Michigan, has endorsed a one-year moratorium on new data centers. Amy Acton, the Democratic candidate for governor of Ohio, has called for a “conditional moratorium.” Stacy Garrity, the Republican nominee for governor of Pennsylvania, supports a “pause.”

The positions reflect a rapid change in the politics of an industry that only recently enjoyed broad bipartisan enthusiasm.

From Embrace to Skepticism

Several Democratic governors and senators who have been reluctant to endorse a full moratorium have nevertheless adopted tougher rhetoric toward data centers.

In Pennsylvania, Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration has criticized “irresponsible” data centers. In Illinois, Gov. JB Pritzker has revoked tax incentives for the facilities, reversing earlier positions.

A spokesman for Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona said there should be “no data centers in communities that don’t want them.”

The offices of Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey pointed to legislation they support that would require data centers to cover the costs of the energy infrastructure they require.

“Americans should not have to pay higher electric bills and other costs to subsidize the data centers being built by the richest corporations on the planet,” Van Hollen said.

Senator Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut, has also expressed skepticism about the direction of the industry.

His office pointed to a Substack essay about a recent trip to Silicon Valley, where Mr. Murphy wrote that he “could divine very few ‘American values’ (juxtaposed against ‘Chinese values’)” guiding the development of A.I.

“Any talk about ethical or moral AI is just whitewash,” Murphy’s post said.

The Progressive Challenge

Ms. Ocasio-Cortez and Mr. Khanna have gone further than most of their Democratic colleagues, making opposition to data-center expansion a central part of their positions on A.I.

Mike Casca, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez’s chief of staff, said that AOC is “leading the data center moratorium bill in the House.” He declined to comment on Mr. Sanders’s proposal to halt A.I. development itself.

Mr. Khanna said he supported a pause on data-center construction in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin — “places where these centers have been shoved down the throats of communities.”

His position represents a shift from his earlier stance.

Mr. Khanna did not directly address Mr. Sanders’s proposal for a broader halt to A.I. development. He said he had recently discussed artificial intelligence with Pope Leo and believed the technology “must be developed in accordance with the principles” of the pope’s first encyclical on the subject.

Mr. Carlson suggested that some potential presidential candidates might simply be waiting.

The Nov. 3 midterm elections could provide a clearer indication of whether opposition to data centers has become a durable political force before candidates begin defining their positions for the 2028 presidential campaign.

Republicans Face Their Own Reversal

The political unease extends beyond Democrats.

Until recently, many Republicans and Democrats defended data-center construction as an economic opportunity. The facilities bring tax revenue to local governments, create construction jobs and provide work for organized labor.

The logic was straightforward: If the technology was going to be developed anyway, politicians reasoned, their communities should benefit from the investment.

But opposition has grown strong enough that some Republicans are reconsidering their earlier enthusiasm.

That creates an uncomfortable political dynamic for the party because President Trump and his administration have been among the most prominent advocates of artificial intelligence and the infrastructure required to expand it.

For Democrats, meanwhile, the challenge is to distinguish themselves without appearing hostile to technological innovation or American competitiveness.

Sanders Was Early

Mr. Sanders’s proposal may still sound unusually sweeping, but his record on A.I. suggests that some of his positions can move from the political margins toward the mainstream.

He was the first member of Congress to endorse a data-center moratorium late last year. At the time, most Democrats questioned about the proposal rejected it.

The political landscape has since changed.

Candidates from both parties running in the 2026 elections are now advocating state-level pauses on data-center construction. New York has enacted a one-year moratorium on hyperscaler data centers.

And even within the technology industry, there have been signs of caution. OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman announced last week that the company had temporarily paused some technological training.

The question confronting Democrats now is not simply whether artificial intelligence should be embraced or resisted. It is whether the party can develop a political language for governing a technology that is rapidly changing the economy before voters, Republicans or events force the issue for them.

For Mr. Sanders, that debate has already begun. For many of the Democrats who may seek the presidency in 2028, the harder question is how long they can avoid taking a side.

Central Elections Committee chairman Noam Sohlberg says Shin Bet chief David Zini has told the panel that the agency has no intelligence indicating any attempt to harm Gadi Eisenkot, the former minister and IDF chief whose Yashar party is ahead in most opinion polls before the October 27 election.

Sohlberg’s remarks follow a Channel 12 report from yesterday stating that Zini had rejected a request to assign an armed security detail to Eisenkot.

“The Shin Bet director says there is no intelligence on harm to Eisenkot — and he is the professional authority on this issue,” Sohlberg says, emphasizing that the Central Elections Committee is “not authorized” to intervene in the matter.

“If there are alerts on any kind of intention to harm the head of the Yashar party, the Shin Bet head will inform me,” he adds.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has publicly described his disagreements with former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, saying he believes some of Fedorov’s recent actions — including participation in large-scale demonstrations and appeals for elections — were misguided. The comments marked the first detailed public account from Zelenskyy about the dispute that led to Fedorov’s removal.

Zelenskyy also pointed to concerns surrounding defense expenditures and said inaccurate information from the Defense Ministry played a role in an uncomfortable exchange with U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the use of Starlink inside Russia.

The Ukrainian president disclosed figures indicating that Kyiv is facing an increasingly serious shortage of Patriot air-defense missiles, which are crucial for intercepting Russian ballistic missiles. Deliveries from Western partners have dropped over the last three years while Russia has stepped up its missile attacks.

Despite those difficulties, Zelenskyy pointed to Ukrainian advances on the battlefield. He said Ukrainian forces have nearly retaken the entire Dnipropetrovsk region, with Russian forces retaining control of only roughly 10 square kilometers.

Zelenskyy made the comments during a two-hour meeting with journalists on Saturday that was conducted off the record. A transcript of the discussion was released publicly Sunday.

Zelenskyy gives first detailed account of Fedorov’s dismissal

The wide-ranging discussion touched on Ukraine’s military situation, efforts to defend against Russian ballistic missiles, the status of peace talks, government budget pressures and the political controversy that followed Fedorov’s dismissal.

“I really had and still have a very positive attitude toward Mykhailo. We have been through a lot together. But I believe that he himself goes, or is pushed, into the wrong things,” he said.

Fedorov had become a prominent figure in Ukraine’s government and was widely associated with efforts to modernize the armed forces while expanding the military’s use of technology and drones. He was removed from his post last month after reportedly clashing with Ukraine’s senior military leadership.

His dismissal sparked demonstrations that continued for several weeks but ultimately did not persuade the government to reverse the decision. Fedorov subsequently released a video message in which he called for elections.

Zelenskyy said he attempted to find a way for Fedorov to remain involved in government, presenting him with four possible alternatives. According to Zelenskyy, Fedorov declined each of the proposals.