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Iran transferred thousands of uranium enrichment centrifuges to a heavily fortified underground complex inside Pickaxe Mountain last autumn, according to an Israeli intelligence assessment shared with the United States, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday, citing Israeli and American officials.

According to the report, Israeli intelligence concluded that the relocation occurred after the June 2025 war, during which Israeli and U.S. forces carried out strikes against Iran’s three principal nuclear facilities. The findings were reportedly passed along to Washington following the operation.

An Israeli military official familiar with the campaign told The Wall Street Journal that the previous strikes failed to adequately address infrastructure connected to Iran’s nuclear weapons program. The official said additional military action remains necessary, particularly against the underground facility at Pickaxe Mountain.

The report also said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been urging President Donald Trump to authorize another round of large-scale attacks aimed at hindering Iran’s nuclear ambitions and preventing Tehran from rebuilding damaged facilities.

The United States has already stepped up its military campaign over the past ten days, and President Trump has suggested that Pickaxe Mountain—located roughly one mile south of the Natanz nuclear complex—could become a future target.

Neither Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi nor the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) responded to requests for comment, according to the report. The White House instead pointed reporters to comments the president made in media interviews last week.

During one of those interviews, with radio host Hugh Hewitt, President Trump appeared to suggest that the underground facility could soon come under attack.

“Pickaxe is a possible target for a nice big fat shot right in the front door. And I think that maybe you’ll see that,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

President Trump is expected to decide within days whether to dramatically expand the U.S. military campaign against Iran, with American forces already repositioning personnel and equipment in preparation for the possibility of a broader offensive, according to senior U.S. officials.

Fox News reported Monday that the White House is considering a significant escalation of the conflict, though administration officials stressed that no final decision has yet been made.

If President Trump authorizes a wider military operation, officials said the campaign would be substantially larger than the nine-night series of precision strikes that began on July 7 and largely focused on Iranian military targets near the Strait of Hormuz.

Until now, U.S. forces have deliberately avoided attacking targets in or around Tehran and have refrained from striking Iran’s nuclear facilities. One official indicated that policy could quickly change if the administration decides to resume full-scale combat operations.

“That could change if there is a return to full-scale war operations,” the official said.

According to Fox News Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is preparing to reinforce its military presence in the region with additional tactical aircraft, including F-16 and F-35 fighter jets, along with KC-135 aerial refueling tankers capable of supporting an expanded air campaign.

Officials said some military assets have already begun moving into the Middle East, describing the deployments as precautionary steps while senior leadership awaits a final order from the White House.

“That is some of the movement that is occurring, but it is preparatory ahead of a final decision,” the official said.

As part of those preparations, aerial refueling aircraft are reportedly being relocated to Israel from other bases in the region. Officials believe Israeli military airfields would provide greater protection for the aircraft than installations in Persian Gulf countries if the conflict expands and Israel joins the operation.

“All of that is being discussed and debated right now,” the official said, adding that Israel would likely participate “if Trump decides to significantly widen the war.”

Meanwhile, American military operations continued Monday, as U.S. forces carried out strikes against Iranian military targets for the tenth consecutive night.

Earlier in the day, President Trump warned Iran against carrying out any additional attacks on American troops, promising overwhelming retaliation if U.S. servicemembers are killed.

“Every time Iran kills an American Soldier they will pay for that killing many times over!” Trump declared.

The president added that the directive has already been communicated to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Daniel Caine, and “every Leader in the Military.”

{Matzav.com}

Degel Hatorah MK Yaakov Asher says the chareidi parties can no longer take their alliance with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and the Likud for granted, declaring that the political partnership will have to be earned after the next election. In a wide-ranging interview, Asher also argued that recent legislation concerning the yeshivah world should not be viewed as a success, sharply criticized Religious Zionist leaders, and insisted that Israel’s legal establishment—not politics alone—is preventing a solution to the draft crisis.

Asher rejected the notion that last week’s passage of the Basic Law on Torah study and the law freezing certain arrests constituted a major victory for the chareidi parties.

“The definition of this legislation as an ‘achievement’ is a mistaken one. This legislation was passed only because the draft law—the central issue, the law regulating the status of Torah learners—did not pass. The draft law, as everyone likes to call it, failed. We know what we have gone through over the past two years on this issue. People may tend to forget, but it all began with Edelstein when Gallant was still serving as defense minister.”

He said the controversy over the draft law predated the war and was only intensified by the conflict.

“The issue began before the war, and of course the war did not make things any easier. But I agree with you—in this Knesset term, after the last election, we came in with a feeling of complete euphoria. We kept adding everything we wanted into the coalition agreements. Every good thing that needed to be included was included.”

According to Asher, the coalition then lost valuable time by focusing on judicial reform instead of resolving the draft issue.

“But unfortunately, the significant part of the beginning of this term was devoted to judicial reform. Nobody imagined what would emerge from the Kaplan Street protests and everything that followed. Nobody imagined it—not even Likud. In hindsight, with the benefit of hindsight, Likud made a mistake by trying to do everything at once.”

Turning to Deputy Supreme Court President Justice Noam Sohlberg, Asher accused the judge of allowing his personal worldview to shape his legal decisions regarding the chareidi community.

“Here we have a conservative judge today—Justice Noam Sohlberg—but he has had ideological disagreements with us from the very beginning. He uses his judicial office to educate us according to the values with which he educates his own children.”

Asher continued, “He is a human being, not an angel. Sohlberg is not an angel, and Amit certainly is not an angel. Clearly, he comes from a place of deep conviction. Anyone who is not chareidi and is not connected to our faith, our guidance and the outlook of our gedolim has difficulty understanding us.”

He added, “Especially after the longstanding dispute between the Religious Zionist community and the chareidi community over religion and state became public, I can appreciate him personally—he is not motivated by hatred or anything like that—but he comes with his own ideology. People do not become angels when they put on a judicial robe. He disagrees with us because he was raised on the teachings of different rabbanim.”

Asked whether the chareidi parties themselves bore responsibility for the failure to pass a draft law, Asher acknowledged mistakes had been made across the political spectrum.

“First of all, there is no such thing as saying we didn’t fail. There are always failures. And you know what? It wasn’t only us who failed—and I’m not saying this to provoke anyone—everyone failed. The entire atmosphere failed. We were all caught up in this.”

He argued, however, that the current struggle extends beyond ordinary politics.

“Now I’ll explain the difference between the situation we’re in today and ordinary politics. We are no longer conducting normal politics. Our battle is not political. We haven’t suddenly become less talented or less capable.”

“There is a political arena, and mistakes may have been made there that need to be corrected. But the arena we’re in now is not political. These are completely different rules. We’re facing judges and legal advisers. This is no longer simply a political question.”

Asher concluded that only sweeping legal reforms would enable elected officials to implement policy.

“Therefore, it may be that we have to understand that different methods will be required, and perhaps there is no alternative but a profound change in the entire legal outlook of the State. When someone like Gil Limon or the attorney general issues a legal opinion with judicial force, even if you bring 95 Knesset members—including the left-wing opposition—to vote with you, it won’t matter if they’ve decided they want to stop you.”

Addressing Prime Minister Netanyahu directly, Asher said his party has significant grievances with the premier’s handling of the issue.

“We have serious complaints against Netanyahu. Nevertheless, when we look at reality, we see that in this same legal arena in which we are struggling—they are struggling as well.”

“But from our perspective, we certainly have complaints that our partnership became something taken for granted when it never should have been. In certain cases it became one-sided. Beyond that, the rules of the game have changed. You can pass confidence votes, win committee majorities and do whatever you want, but in the end you run into a legal opinion that stops everything.”

He specifically argued that Netanyahu waited too long to remove Yuli Edelstein as chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

“There is no doubt there were many points along the way when deadlines were missed. In my opinion, Netanyahu should have replaced Yuli Edelstein much earlier, and perhaps we would have been in a different place today. They kept delaying things and saying, ‘Let’s get over this hurdle and then the next one.’ The same thing happened with Gallant. There were other steps that could have been taken.”

Asher then delivered one of his sharpest political assessments.

“There is no doubt that we have a serious trust problem with this bloc—with Likud, with the person leading it, and with the various parties such as Religious Zionism.”

He also launched a blistering attack on leaders and activists within the Religious Zionist camp.

“I don’t like making generalizations because there are many knitted-kippah people who sat on the committee, fought for their yeshivos, and endured the same embarrassment and public shaming that we did because they are chardalim.”

“But the political leadership of Religious Zionism absolutely betrayed the bloc it always claimed to represent. I told Smotrich’s people just last week: ‘Without us, who is going to take you? The left views you as messianic extremists and a danger to the state. They want to close your yeshivos for different reasons. Today we’re the ones on the skewer; tomorrow it will be you. Who will defend you? So why are you suddenly acting so self-righteous?'”

He continued by criticizing coalition partners who, in his view, abandoned commitments made before entering government.

“There is nothing more hypocritical than becoming finance minister or absorption minister—like Ofir Sofer—because of a coalition agreement that explicitly states that the first thing we are seeking is to regulate the status of bnei yeshivah, and then distancing yourself from it.”

Responding to claims that the war fundamentally changed the political reality, Asher argued that such reasoning should apply consistently.

“But if the war changed everything, then let’s also reconsider whether we should establish settlements and invest so much money there. This partnership includes the Likud right, the Religious Zionist הציבור and the chareidi ציבור. If we cannot understand what is most precious to one another, then why does this partnership exist at all?”

Looking ahead to the next election, Asher made clear that Degel Hatorah is not committed in advance to any political camp.

“No one knows what will happen after the election or what political earthquakes may or may not occur. But one thing is certain: we are no longer automatically with anyone. Our bloc is Torah and our deepest commitment is to Torah. Without Torah this country will be destroyed. Whoever wants us as partners will have to come and join us.”

Asked whether that means the party could negotiate with figures such as Gadi Eisenkot if Netanyahu fails to secure 61 seats, Asher replied that every option remains open.

“I already explained—we are not coming into this attached to any bloc. We are our own bloc. We will go with whoever knows how to accommodate our needs, and it is also possible that we won’t go with anyone.”

He noted that while Degel Hatorah and Shas do not always agree politically, they remained united throughout the battle over the draft issue.

“There are differences between us and Shas, and this is not the first or the last. Nevertheless, on the issues of the Torah world and the draft law we worked shoulder to shoulder—both politically and under the guidance of the gedolei Yisrael. Rav Dov Lando gave his instructions to us, the members of Degel Hatorah, and that is the path we follow.”

When asked whether he had spoken recently with Naftali Bennett, Asher dismissed the idea with sarcasm.

“Naftali Bennett? Why, am I bored or something? Look, Bennett is the kind of person who, if he needs you on a certain day, will sing chassidishe songs to you. On another day, when he needs campaign headlines, you’ll hear him launch harsh attacks against the chareidi public. In my opinion, he is not worthy of leadership or even serious attention. He is simply trying to recycle old ideas and live off headlines. We had a relationship with him in the past, but in truth we had a much better relationship with Ayelet Shaked than with him.”

He added, “I’m not afraid of anything. Right now there is a competition between Bennett, Lapid and Liberman over who can issue the harshest attacks against the chareidim. The broader public sees the emptiness of it all.”

Asher also dismissed concerns that the unresolved status of yeshivah students could weaken the electoral strength of the chareidi parties.

“Anything can happen, but history has a good memory. Before the last election people also claimed that chareidim would vote for Bennett, join Likud or support Ben Gvir. In the end we learned one thing: only chareidim truly care about the chareidi interest. Everyone else clucks from the sidelines. When the court froze the arrests law, none of our partners on the right came to defend us. But when the communications law was challenged, everyone rushed to speak out.”

Finally, Asher dismissed the newly formed “Chareidi Public” faction in Beit Shemesh, suggesting outside forces were attempting to reshape chareidi politics.

“I have more than a feeling that this is one of the first signs of people sitting in their kibbutzim or their villas in Savyon or Herzliya Pituach who are operating various individuals.”

“I don’t know, and I’m not accusing anyone personally, but anyone who wants to help should simply come and help. I can show you the list of people who contact me every day: avreichim from Chazon Ish Kollel and Ponevezh Kollel, alongside people working in high-tech, accountants and lawyers. These are our people, and we help them both personally and publicly. We are facing an enormous challenge—a legal battle during wartime while people are being killed—and it is an extremely complex and sensitive situation.”

{Matzav.com}

MK Sharren Haskel on Monday urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, and the Interior Minister to declare New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani persona non grata and permanently prohibit him from entering Israel, arguing that his actions warrant the extraordinary measure.

Haskel, who until last week served as Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister, said Mamdani’s rhetoric and public campaign against Israel extend well beyond ordinary political disagreement. She contended that his conduct threatens Israel’s security interests, fuels antisemitism, weakens Jewish communities worldwide, and seeks to erode Israel’s legitimacy in the international arena.

Her appeal comes in the wake of a series of statements and actions by Mamdani, including his public call for the arrest of Prime Minister Netanyahu during the Prime Minister’s visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

In her letter, Haskel also pointed to Mamdani’s continued support for boycotts targeting Israel, as well as what she described as his ongoing efforts to delegitimize the Jewish state and its institutions.

The lawmaker called on the Israeli government to take three immediate actions:

• Review all intelligence and legal material collected regarding Zohran Mamdani.

• Invoke the authority granted under Israel’s Entry into Israel Law to designate him persona non grata.

• Bar him from entering the country or receiving any official access, citing what the letter describes as his consistent efforts to act against Israel and its democratically elected leadership.

“Israel is a democracy that values freedom of expression,” Haskel stated. “At the same time, every democracy has the responsibility to protect its sovereignty and democratic institutions.”

“An individual who uses international platforms to call for the arrest of Israel’s elected leaders and actively campaigns to delegitimize the Jewish state should not enjoy the privilege of entering Israel. We must adopt a policy of zero tolerance toward those who systematically work against the State of Israel and the Jewish people.”

The full text of Haskel’s letter states:

“Mr. Prime Minister, Foreign Minister,

“As a Knesset Member and former Deputy Foreign Minister, I follow Zohar Mamdani’s activities and statements with great concern. His actions go way beyond legitimate criticism. He crosses red lines. He directly harms national security, the global Jewish community, and Israel’s international image. He emboldens those who hate Jews.

“My diplomatic experience taught me the difference between free speech and subversive incitement. Looking closely at Mamdani’s conduct reveals a worrying picture. He provocatively demanded the arrest of Israel’s Prime Minister at the UN General Assembly in New York. He also systematically promotes boycotts and damages the legitimacy of Israel and its institutions.

“Israel is a democracy that values free speech. We have zero obligation to welcome those who actively undermine our foundations and attack our government symbols. We must make it clear that such actions carry a heavy price.

“Therefore, I demand the following:

“* Immediately review all intelligence and legal files on Zohar Mamdani.

“* Declare him Persona Non Grata in Israel, using your authority under the Entry into Israel Law and international law.

“* Block all access or assistance to anyone acting so blatantly against Israel and its leaders.

“People who use global platforms to call for the arrest of Israeli leaders lose any right to visit here. We must enforce zero tolerance against anyone actively hostile to our state and the Jewish people.

“Sincerely, MK Sharren Haskel”

{Matzav.com}

Jewish businessman Jona Rechnitz was reportedly assaulted Monday morning near Beverly Hills in what witnesses described as a violent attack carried out by two men armed with baseball bats.

Authorities have launched an investigation and are searching for the suspects.

According to eyewitnesses, Rechnitz and his son, both of whom were wearing yarmulkas, were approached after two hooded men exited a black Hyundai Elantra near the intersection of Clark Drive and Whitworth Drive. The assailants allegedly attacked Rechnitz with bats before fleeing the area.

Emergency medical personnel treated Rechnitz at the scene. He was later seen with a bandage wrapped around his left hand following the attack.

A community safety alert said that the suspects exited a black Hyundai Elantra near the intersection of Clark Drive and Whitworth Drive, assaulted the adult victim, and then escaped.

{Matzav.com}

Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg is calling on the United States to dramatically escalate its strategy in Iran, arguing that American ground forces should be deployed to seize key strategic locations and that the current U.S. negotiating team should be replaced with tougher, more experienced wartime negotiators.

Appearing Monday on Fox News’s “America Reports,” Kellogg said the conflict has entered a new phase and requires an entirely different American approach, beginning with the officials handling diplomacy.

“Look, there’s about five things we ought to be doing right now, because the war has changed right now in Iran. One on negotiations, I would change out our negotiations team,” Kellogg said on Fox News’s “America Reports.”

Kellogg argued that negotiations conducted during an active war should be led by seasoned professionals rather than individuals whose backgrounds are outside the national security arena.

“You do not — have — or need real estate guys to be talking about negotiation during the middle of a war, and when you do bring a negotiations team back, it ought to be a real hardcore son …. that is just sitting on the ground and can really do it well,” he added.

He also maintained that air power by itself will not be enough to secure victory, despite recent surveys indicating that the prolonged conflict has lost favor with many Americans.

“You’re going to need ground troops to do something. That doesn’t mean they go all the way to Tehran,” Kellogg added. “Then I’m not advocating that at all. But you could take a couple key strategic targets, that gives the president leverage and controls their economy.”

The war is now nearing the five-month mark, bringing with it growing diplomatic fallout for the United States. The fighting has strained ties with longtime allies, rattled global markets, and fueled rising oil and gasoline prices.

Military operations also intensified over the past week. American forces completed a nine-day series of strikes against Iranian targets on Sunday, marking the latest escalation in the conflict.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed Monday that two oil tankers it labeled as “deviant” exploded while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. According to Iran’s state-run Fars News Agency, the IRGC said the vessels had attempted to enter and leave the strategic waterway using what it described as an “unsafe route.”

Separately, the Pentagon on Monday identified two U.S. troops killed in last week’s Iranian attack in Jordan. The service members were named as 1st Lt. Tyler Feehan and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales. Officials said Gonzales was killed in action on Friday, while Feehan was killed the following day.

{Matzav.com}

Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia, the longtime Sinaloa cartel leader who helped found the criminal empire alongside Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, was sentenced Monday to life in federal prison after expressing remorse for the violence and destruction tied to his decades at the helm of one of the world’s most notorious drug trafficking organizations.

Before U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan imposed the mandatory sentence in Brooklyn federal court, the 76-year-old cartel boss addressed the courtroom, acknowledging the suffering caused by his criminal career.

“I am here to say I’m sorry for the harm I caused, and the example I set,” the elderly kingpin said before learning his fate in Brooklyn federal court. “I accept my punishment. I am not here to ask for compassion.”

In addition to the life sentence, Judge Cogan ordered Zambada to surrender $15 billion in criminal proceeds, one of the largest forfeiture judgments ever imposed in a narcotics case.

Federal prosecutors, however, acknowledged during the proceedings that none of the cartel leader’s vast fortune has yet been recovered.

Zambada admitted his role in directing the Sinaloa cartel for more than three decades, pleading guilty last August to operating the criminal enterprise from 1989 until his dramatic capture on July 24, 2024. Prosecutors have said he was lured aboard an aircraft by Joaquin Guzmán Lopez, a son of El Chapo, who allegedly deceived him before the plane landed in Texas, where he was arrested.

Authorities said the cartel flooded the United States with enormous quantities of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl over the years. During Zambada’s leadership—first as El Chapo’s chief lieutenant and later as the cartel’s top leader—more than one million Americans died from drug overdoses, according to federal prosecutors.

Investigators also accused Zambada of maintaining his grip on power through corruption and violence, alleging that he bribed public officials throughout Mexico while commanding a heavily armed criminal organization complete with its own security force and teams of assassins responsible for murders, kidnappings, and torture.

Because Zambada pleaded guilty to participating in a continuing criminal enterprise and racketeering conspiracy, federal law required a life sentence. Judge Cogan said he fully agreed with that outcome regardless of the statutory mandate.

“The law says it’s gotta be life… I have no problem with that,” the judge said as Zambada, with slicked-back white hair, sat solemnly at the defense table in a tan jail outfit and listened to the proceeding through a Spanish interpreter.

When invited to speak, Zambada read a prepared statement in which he reflected on the consequences of his actions and accepted responsibility for the devastation they caused.

“my actions caused harm—real harm—to individuals, families and communities.”

He went on to describe the environment in which he was raised, while insisting that it could not excuse the choices he ultimately made.

“I grew up in an environment where violence and crime seemed normal, but now I know that’s no excuse,” the septuagenarian drug baron added. “If there’s one thing I can say that has value today, it’s this: the violence must end. In Mexico and elsewhere affected by this type of crime, too many lives are lost, too many families are destroyed, and too many young people are trapped in a cycle that leads only to prison or death. No one wins in a war like this.”

Prosecutors noted that Zambada’s decision to plead guilty spared him from facing a capital trial. The Justice Department had previously warned that it would seek the death penalty if the case proceeded before a jury.

Following the sentencing, Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said the punishment brought an end to one of the most notorious criminal careers in modern history.

“Ismael Zambada Garcia spent nearly four decades poisoning American communities to make billions of dollars in profit and ordering the murders of anyone who stood in his way. Today, that chapter closes for good,” said Joseph Nocella, Jr, the head of the Brooklyn US Attorney’s Office, in a statement.

Zambada’s longtime partner, El Chapo, is also serving a life sentence in federal prison after his 2019 conviction for leading the Sinaloa cartel and overseeing a massive drug trafficking network that shipped billions of dollars’ worth of narcotics into the United States.

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration announced Monday that it will levy a 50% tariff on selected Canadian imports, saying the move is necessary to counter what it described as discriminatory trade policies that disadvantage American businesses and workers.

The new duties will apply to certain products imported from Canada and are scheduled to take effect on Aug. 19 under the authority of the Tariff Act of 1930.

Administration officials contend that Canada’s existing tax structure unfairly penalizes U.S. automakers, resulting in a sharp drop in American vehicle exports while providing an edge to competing foreign manufacturers.

“I find that it is necessary and appropriate and in the public interest to impose an additional ad valorem duty of 50 percent on certain products of Canada,” the order said.

“The United States, U.S. businesses and workers, and U.S. commerce suffer from Canada’s discriminatory, unequal, and unreasonable tariff scheme.”

{Matzav.com}

Large-scale demonstrations broke out Monday evening in Yerushalayim and Beit Shemesh as hundreds of protesters rallied against the arrest of yeshivah bochurim accused of draft evasion. Protesters blocked major roads, set fires on the Yerushalayim light rail tracks, and disrupted traffic throughout several key areas, prompting a large police response.

The protests, led by members of extremist chareidi factions, centered on Bar-Ilan Street and Chaim Bar-Lev Boulevard in Yerushalayim, as well as Yehuda HaNasi Boulevard in Beit Shemesh. The road closures caused significant traffic congestion, forcing many motorists to seek alternate routes.

According to Israel Police, demonstrators threw objects at security forces, blocked roadways, and refused repeated orders to disperse. After a police commander issued formal warnings instructing the crowds to leave and the protesters failed to comply, officers began using crowd-control measures to disperse the demonstrations.

Police officers from the Yerushalayim District, together with Border Police personnel, continued operating at multiple locations throughout the evening in an effort to clear the protesters, reopen the blocked roads, and restore public order.

Authorities urged the public to avoid the affected areas until the demonstrations conclude and advised drivers to use alternate routes due to the ongoing road closures and traffic disruptions.

{Matzav.com}

The Israeli government has decided not to appear independently before the High Court of Justice to defend the recently enacted law freezing the arrests of chareidi draft evaders, a move that leaves the state’s position to be represented solely by the attorney general, who is expected to oppose the legislation.

According to the report, Shas chairman Aryeh Deri decided that the government would not seek separate legal representation during the High Court proceedings challenging the law. As a result, the government’s own position will not be presented independently before the justices.

The attorney general is widely expected to align with the petitioners challenging the law and argue against the legislation, meaning the law’s supporters will not have a separate government advocate presenting their case before the court.

A similar decision was reportedly made by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi regarding petitions challenging the Communications Reform Law. Although Karhi declined to request independent legal representation, the deputy attorney general reportedly offered, on his own initiative, to allow the government separate representation. Karhi ultimately rejected the proposal.

The government is taking a different approach, however, in the legal battle over legislation significantly limiting the authority of the attorney general. In that case, the government is expected to request separate legal representation and actively defend the law before the High Court. The details were first reported by i24NEWS correspondent Avishai Grinzaig.

The developments come after the High Court issued a temporary injunction blocking implementation of the law freezing the arrests of chareidi draft evaders. As a result, the legislation has not yet taken effect, and arrests of draft evaders are continuing under the existing legal framework.

The court also issued an order to show cause, requiring those defending the legislation to explain why the law should not be struck down.

In separate proceedings, the High Court likewise issued a temporary injunction suspending provisions of the Communications Reform Law that had been scheduled to take effect immediately.

By contrast, Supreme Court Justice Ofer Grosskopf declined to freeze the law concerning the attorney general’s status, noting that the legislation is not scheduled to take effect until January 2027.

{Matzav.com}

Khalil al-Hayya, the newly installed leader of Hamas and longtime deputy to Yahya Sinwar, has made clear that the terrorist organization’s objectives remain unchanged, openly calling on the Arab world to arm Hamas so it can carry out the destruction of Israel.

While some diplomatic circles have attempted to portray al-Hayya as a potential intermediary, his own public statements paint a vastly different picture. His rhetoric underscores his longstanding commitment to Hamas’ military campaign against Israel and his close ties to Iran.

Al-Hayya is one of Hamas’ most senior veteran leaders. For years he served as the right-hand man to Yahya Sinwar and played a central role in strengthening the organization’s strategic alliance with Tehran. His ideology is rooted in Hamas’ Islamist doctrine, viewing the group as the operational arm of those seeking Israel’s destruction.

In a recently circulated video, al-Hayya appealed directly to the Arab world, declaring: “Give us money, weapons and airplanes, and we will save you the trouble and eliminate the Zionist entity. We swear to the nation: We will eliminate the occupation from the land of Palestine.”

His remarks have drawn renewed attention in Israel to concerns that Hamas has not moderated its goals despite months of war and international diplomatic efforts.

For many in Israel, al-Hayya’s rise to the top of Hamas is viewed as further evidence that hopes of a postwar arrangement with the terrorist group remain unrealistic. Rather than signaling any shift in policy, his statements reinforce Hamas’ continued commitment to armed conflict and the destruction of Israel.

His appeal effectively calls on the broader Arab world to finance and equip Hamas while the organization carries out the fighting itself. To many Israeli observers, the speech serves as another reminder that Hamas’ leadership continues to openly embrace violence as its primary strategy and has given no indication of abandoning its longstanding objective of eliminating the Jewish state.

{Matzav.com}

A newly released State Department report contends that the Cuban government has spent years developing relationships with American activist organizations that can be mobilized to oppose U.S. policy, pointing to a recently published protest blueprint as evidence of what it describes as Havana’s growing influence inside the United States.

At the center of the report is the “National Rapid Response Plan,” issued in June by the National Network on Cuba, a coalition of more than 60 U.S.-based organizations. According to the State Department, the coalition maintains close ties to the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), a Cuban government agency sanctioned in June over allegations that it supports Cuban intelligence operations.

The plan outlines a strategy for launching “coordinated nationwide actions” within 24 hours of either a U.S. military strike against Cuba or the “imminent threat” of such an attack. It states that its objective is to make it “politically and materially costly for the U.S. government to wage war on Cuba.”

Because the document has been publicly posted online, the State Department cites it as an example of what it says is Cuba’s broader effort to organize and activate sympathetic groups operating within the United States.

“The National Network on Cuba’s “materials reveal the continuing reach, coordination and sophistication of Cuba’s subversive capabilities on American territory,” the State Department report claims.

The report places particular emphasis on six organizations: ICAP, the National Network on Cuba, Code Pink, the People’s Forum, the Democratic Socialists of America, and the National Lawyers Guild.

Under the rapid-response plan, demonstrations would begin at 6 p.m. local time on the same day if U.S. military action occurred before 3 p.m. Eastern. If military action began after that time, protests would instead be held at 6 p.m. local time the following day.

Participants are instructed to gather at locations including federal buildings, courthouses, post offices, military installations, recruiting centers, ICE detention facilities, and ICE field offices. The plan also suggests major sporting venues hosting high-profile events as optional protest sites.

The report comes as the Trump administration continues to increase pressure on Cuba amid discussions about possible military intervention or regime change. President Trump has previously suggested a “friendly takeover” of Cuba and said in May that “it looks like I’ll be the one that does it” when asked about intervention. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the administration favors diplomacy while continuing to leave military options available.

According to the protest plan, demonstrations outside immigration facilities would “connect Cuba solidarity to anti-ICE/immigrant defense work happening nationwide.”

The document also directs activists to a database maintained by Black Alliance for Peace that, according to the State Department, identifies 1,335 military and law enforcement sites throughout the Western Hemisphere. The organization describes the map as a resource to help activists “strategize how and where to organize and agitate.”

The National Network on Cuba prominently features the plan on its website as part of its “No War on Cuba” campaign, alongside calls for rallies, banner drops, caravans, teach-ins, and additional protest activities.

State Department officials characterize the plan as a contemporary example of Cuba’s longstanding effort to cultivate American organizations sympathetic to Havana’s interests.

According to the report, the National Network on Cuba represents more than 60 organizations and works closely with ICAP. The Cuban government agency is headed by Fernando González Llort, a former member of Cuba’s Wasp spy network, which infiltrated exile organizations and gathered intelligence on U.S. military facilities in South Florida during the 1990s. González served 15 years in a U.S. prison before returning to Cuba.

The report identifies ICAP as the centerpiece of Cuba’s international influence campaign, alleging that it coordinates more than 2,000 solidarity organizations across over 150 countries.

Officials at the Cuban Embassy in Washington were not immediately available to comment on the report.

The report highlights six organizations it says illustrate the overlap between Cuba’s international outreach and American activist movements. While ICAP is a Cuban government entity, the National Network on Cuba is a U.S.-based coalition advocating closer relations with Havana.

The remaining organizations are all based in the United States. Code Pink is identified as an anti-war activist group, the People’s Forum as a New York political education and organizing center, the Democratic Socialists of America as a socialist political organization, and the National Lawyers Guild as a progressive legal association.

Code Pink, the Democratic Socialists of America, and the National Lawyers Guild’s Cuba Committee are all listed as members of the National Network on Cuba, along with the Communist Party USA and numerous other organizations.

The report does not specify the precise role each organization played in drafting or implementing the rapid-response plan. Instead, it argues that their interconnected relationships, joint campaigns, and delegations provide Cuba with access to an extensive activist network in the United States.

State Department officials note that the Democratic Socialists of America has organized several trips to Cuba, including a 2023 delegation whose members met privately with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and sought to establish formal communication with Cuban government ministries. At the same time, the report acknowledges that the Democratic Socialists of America was neither created nor directed by Cuban intelligence, stating that its support for Cuba is rooted primarily in ideology.

The report also describes the People’s Forum as a key organizing hub linking advocacy for Cuba with anti-ICE and pro-Palestinian activism. According to the report, the organization has served as the fiscal sponsor of the Venceremos Brigade, which has brought American activists to Cuba for decades, and has organized delegations that met with senior Cuban officials.

The report further states that both Code Pink and the National Lawyers Guild have participated in Cuba-related delegations and campaigns opposing the U.S. embargo. It also notes that the National Lawyers Guild adopted a 2026 resolution committing to work alongside the National Network on Cuba and the broader Cuba solidarity movement.

Although the report levels significant allegations, it does not announce sanctions or legal action against any of the U.S.-based organizations. Much of the report relies on publicly available documents, organizational materials, and previously published reporting. Its overarching conclusion is that Cuba views espionage, political advocacy, and ideological influence as interconnected elements of a long-term strategy directed against the United States.

The administration has significantly expanded economic pressure on Cuba throughout 2026. In January, President Trump signed an executive order authorizing tariffs on imports from countries supplying oil to Cuba, and in May imposed additional sanctions targeting foreign entities involved in key sectors of the Cuban economy, supplementing the longstanding U.S. trade embargo.

Separately, Code Pink has come under federal scrutiny through an investigation involving Neville Roy Singham, the husband of Code Pink co-founder Jodie Evans and a major financial supporter of the organization. A federal grand jury in Manhattan is reportedly examining potential foreign-agent registration and tax violations connected to Singham’s network.

Code Pink itself has not been publicly identified as a target of that investigation, and no criminal charges have been announced.

The Treasury Department has also requested information from Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin concerning a March humanitarian convoy to Cuba as officials review possible sanctions violations. Code Pink has denied any wrongdoing, saying the delegation delivered humanitarian aid to the island amid worsening shortages.

{Matzav.com}

Thousands of Gerer chassidim gathered Monday evening outside the gates of Israel’s Military Prison 10 for a mass tefillah rally and protest led by the Gerer Rebbe, following the arrest of a talmid of Yeshivas Sefas Emes. The demonstration was held in protest of what organizers described as an affront to Torah and a desecration of Heaven’s honor. United Torah Judaism chairman MK Yitzchak Goldknopf was also in attendance.

Ahead of the rally, Rabbi Itche Meir Tauman, director of the Gerer beis medrash, circulated a recorded message urging members of the kehilla to participate. He said, “With Hashem’s help, all those who fear the word of Hashem are called to a gathering of prayer and outcry on Monday night, Parshas Va’eschanan, at 9:30 p.m. outside Military Prison 10, to protest the humiliation of Torah and the desecration of Heaven’s honor.”

The protest was organized following the arrest of Yeshivas Sefas Emes student Yisrael Reuven Fine, who was jailed after appearing at the military draft office on three consecutive days in an effort to resolve his draft status.

According to sources within the Gerer kehilla, Fine’s original draft appointment was scheduled for last Monday. He reported as instructed but mistakenly arrived at the Yerushalayim draft office instead of the Haifa office where he had been directed to appear.

Officials in Jerusalem redirected him to Haifa, but by the time he arrived there, the office had already closed for the day. He was instructed to return the following morning.

Fine returned to the Haifa draft office on Tuesday as directed. According to those close to him, however, his paperwork was not processed, and he was once again sent home with instructions to return on Wednesday.

When he appeared for the third consecutive day, military officials informed him that because two days had elapsed since his original draft date, he had been classified as a draft evader and was immediately arrested.

The rally marked the second major demonstration organized by the Gerer kehilla outside Military Prison 10 in approximately one month to protest the arrests of bnei yeshivah. The previous gathering was also led by the Gerer Rebbe and drew thousands of participants, who davened Minchah, recited Tehillim, and cried out over the continued imprisonment of yeshivah bochurim.

{Matzav.com}

Lawmakers from Degel Hatorah, the Knesset faction within the United Torah Judaism party, sharply rebuked Israel Tax Authority Director Shay Aharonovich on Monday after he halted the processing of war compensation claims submitted by residents of Bnei Brak, calling the move an unjust act of collective punishment against an entire city.

The dispute erupted after Aharonovich informed Bnei Brak Mayor Chanoch Zeibert that the Tax Authority’s Compensation Fund would suspend services for local residents until the municipality publicly condemned the recent attack in the chareidi media.

In a strongly worded letter, the MKs wrote, “We were shocked to see your decision to stop handling the claims of families who lost their homes or whose property was damaged during the Swords of Iron war as a form of collective punishment just because of a single incident that occurred in their city.”

They continued, “Is there any other city in Israel where you would dare issue such a decision? All the more so when it is directed at a specific community, raising serious concerns of collective blame.”

The lawmakers further argued that complaints from Bnei Brak residents about lengthy delays in receiving compensation had been mounting even before the recent attack. They accused the Tax Authority of using the assault on its employees as a pretext to deflect attention from what they described as longstanding administrative failures.

The letter concluded with a demand that Aharonovich immediately rescind the decision, keep political considerations out of the Compensation Fund’s work, and promptly resume services for Bnei Brak residents whose homes and property were damaged during the war.

Despite the escalating public confrontation, the standoff appeared to ease Sunday night when senior officials from the Israel Tax Authority met with representatives at Bnei Brak City Hall, where both sides reached an understanding.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, delivered a scathing rebuke of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday after the mayor suggested he would seek the arrest of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu during his planned September visit to New York. Danon addressed the issue during a special session of the UN General Assembly commemorating Nelson Mandela International Day, accusing Mamdani of aligning himself with those who defend terrorism rather than those battling it.

During his address, Danon condemned Mamdani for what he described as a pattern of anti-Israel conduct, pointing to efforts by a New York City official to meet with Iran’s UN delegation, Mamdani’s public comments concerning the Hamas terrorist organization, and his repeated criticism of Israel. Danon stressed that the mayor’s threats against Netanyahu are entirely without legal foundation.

Ambassador Danon said: “Mr. Mamdani, you have chosen collaboration with terror. I have news for you: Your threat has no legal basis. It’s only a political theatre designed to excite your radical base and distract from your failures in running this city. The person who should be arrested is you, Mr. Mamdani, for siding with terrorists.”

The latest confrontation follows an interview published by The New York Times, in which Mamdani reiterated his belief that Netanyahu should face prosecution before the International Criminal Court.

In that interview, Mamdani said, “I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague. He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court.”

Mamdani also revealed that he has been consulting with New York City legal officials about whether a municipal government has the authority to detain a visiting foreign leader. He added, “Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that’s what we will do, but we won’t be writing our own laws to that end.”

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday forcefully criticized comments made by Maran Rav Dov Landau regarding IDF soldiers, particularly members of the Religious Zionist community who wear knitted yarmulkas.

Netanyahu praised the dedication of all Israeli soldiers and rejected the remarks as unacceptable.

“I strongly reject the shocking statements made against IDF soldiers from the Religious Zionist community. IDF soldiers – religious, secular, and charedi – leave their homes, their jobs, and their families, and risk their lives to defend the State of Israel, its citizens, and the entire Jewish people.

“They deserve profound appreciation, gratitude, and full support from every segment of the public, and certainly also from the Torah world,” Netanyahu said.

Standing firmly behind Rav Landau, the Degel HaTorah faction issued a statement Monday defending his comments. “The words of the great Torah sages are the holiest of holies for the Jewish people, and we live by their guidance.” The party also called on the public to refrain from hastily interpreting or criticizing the statements of the gedolim.

The controversy erupted after remarks by Rav Landau, released Sunday night, in which he voiced an unusually sharp criticism of government officials and Religious Zionist leaders advocating that bnei yeshivah enlist in the IDF.

“Will it not be so? The decrees come from another source. There are wicked people here – what can be done? There are wicked people, including among those who wear knitted kippot. I am referring to those Religious Zionists who insist that people must enlist. I would ask them, according to their own way of thinking – though they have no consistent position at all – if the state sends people, soldiers, for the sake of the country’s honor, and they are killed, is that also permissible? That is outright murder. Therefore, they are inciting murder – that is what they are doing.”

Rav Landau further argued that Religious Zionist leaders who encourage military service are promoting what he described as “actual murder,” asserting that soldiers are dispatched into battle “not only for the sake of saving lives, but also for the honor of the state.”

{Matzav.com}

A former U.S. Army soldier has been taken into custody after authorities say he set off fireworks and ignited a fire Monday morning outside a Lower Manhattan federal building that houses an immigration court and several government agencies. Federal investigators say the suspect arrived heavily armed and are treating the case as an act of anti-government extremism.

The suspect, identified as 43-year-old Andrew Arrabaca, previously served as a mechanic responsible for maintaining Patriot missile systems in the U.S. Army. He is currently in custody and has already been questioned by investigators, according to James Barnacle, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office.

Speaking at a news conference, Barnacle said Arrabaca “came armed with bad intentions” and was carrying multiple weapons, including a pellet gun, knives, a hammer, and a machete. Investigators also said he fired between five and seven pellets from an airsoft rifle in the direction of the building.

“He is an anti-American, anti-government extremist,” Barnacle said.

Security footage showed the suspect being tackled by a security officer moments after flames erupted outside one of the entrances to the federal complex at 26 Federal Plaza. He was immediately taken into custody at the scene.

The federal building at 26 Federal Plaza has become a frequent site of demonstrations targeting the immigration policies of President Donald Trump’s administration.

According to a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation, the suspect was carrying anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) materials at the time of his arrest. The individual spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation remains ongoing.

The Department of Homeland Security said the suspect was an “anti-ICE rioter” and alleged that the incident unfolded at approximately 8:20 a.m., when he launched fireworks outside the building before pouring what investigators believe was gasoline on the entrance steps and setting them ablaze.

DHS also reported that officers recovered what appeared to be two pellet guns from the suspect’s bag.

Authorities said one bystander was struck by debris from the fireworks, suffering a minor graze, while the security officer who subdued the suspect sustained minor injuries during the arrest. The New York City Fire Department reported that one person was transported to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

“What occurred outside 26 Federal Plaza this morning was deeply disturbing,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a social media post. “I’m relieved no one was seriously injured and that a suspect is in custody.”

Mamdani added that his administration is coordinating with law enforcement and will assist the federal investigation. The FBI said the case is being handled by its New York Joint Terrorism Task Force.

The federal complex houses several government offices, including the FBI’s New York field office, as well as the immigration court where federal agents have conducted numerous high-profile arrests of migrants immediately after their court appearances.

Images and video from the scene showed flames and heavy smoke rising from the sidewalk outside the building, while law enforcement officers restrained the suspect before leading him away in handcuffs.

{Matzav.com}