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A harrowing new interview broadcast by Channel 12 on Monday offered the public its first full look into the ordeal endured by 22-year-old Israeli hostage Alon Ohel, who survived months of beatings, starvation, and psychological torment in Gaza. From the moment of his abduction, Ohel said he fought to stay alive by holding onto a quiet certainty that he would one day return. “I knew I would come back to my mother in the end,” he said.

Ohel explained that even as his captors stripped him of basic human freedoms, he clung to the one thing they could not touch. “In Gaza, they took away my freedom of movement, freedom and liberty, but not my ability to choose,” he said. He drew strength from the words of fellow hostage Eli Sharabi, who became a protective presence throughout their captivity: “To break is okay, but never lose hope.”

He described the chaos that erupted at the Nova festival as the attack began. What started as rockets turned into gunfire. “We thought it would end, but then we heard Kalashnikovs. You just wait for your death,” he recalled. In the middle of the horror, he witnessed Aner Shapira heroically throwing grenades out of a shelter until he was killed. Ohel said one of the blasts may have caused the wound to his eye.

After being overpowered, Ohel said he was shoved violently into a vehicle and taken across the border. “They threw me like a sack of potatoes into a truck… I said to myself: ‘Am I dreaming?'” he recounted. The hostages were dragged through a hospital and then hidden in a private home, where their injuries were sewn shut without anesthesia and strict silence was imposed. “They tore me from reality and put me in hell,” he said.

He described long stretches of hunger, isolation, and misery. “Chained like an animal, eating like a dog. You’re not a person there,” he said. Their daily rations were barely enough to survive. “We ate a pita and four spoons of peas a day. Sometimes, only dry dates. You look at yourself and see a corpse.”

Despite the conditions, Ohel formed a deep bond with Sharabi. “From the first moment, we connected,” he said. After injuring his own hand out of despair, Sharabi held him tightly. “Eli hugged me, it was a father’s hug.” The two pledged to hold on for the sake of the people waiting for them at home. Often chained to one another, “We did everything together,” he said, surviving bombings and repeated transfers between tunnels.

During one phase of hostage exchanges, Ohel was torn from Sharabi and left behind. “All my fears came true,” he said. The guards became harsher, and he described disturbing encounters, including sexual harassment. “He came to wash me in the shower… he touched me,” Ohel said. “Luckily, it didn’t go further.”

As negotiations dragged and Hamas feared bad publicity, his captors began offering slightly improved meals and even handed him an English copy of Harry Potter. “I skipped the last chapter. I told myself: ‘This is not my end.'”

Eventually he was moved above ground to southern Gaza, where he suddenly recognized another hostage from his army service. They were told to write letters to their families. “I wrote that I love them, that I’m alive and breathing, and that they’re my strength to survive.”

One day, Hamas commander Izz al-Din al-Haddad entered and signaled an abrupt change. “You’re leaving,” he told them. Ohel was then transferred to the Red Cross, whose representative apologized and admitted the organization had done nothing to help. Only when the vehicle doors opened and he saw IDF reservists did he feel the nightmare lifting. “You see who fights for you. It kills you,” he said.

Reunited with his family, Ohel tried to maintain composure until he learned that Sharabi’s entire family had been murdered on October 7. The news crushed him. “I knew them,” he said, overcome with emotion.

Looking back on his journey through darkness, Ohel described a hard-won inner rebirth. “For two years, I was a dead person. I prayed for someone to rescue me. But I discovered I’m strong. I’m not a victim. I take what I went through and grow from it. I’m going to take on this world.”

{Matzav.com}

The White House said Monday that a Navy admiral ordered a second strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean Sea and insists that a September attack that has come under bipartisan scrutiny was lawful. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt offered a justification for the Sept. 2 strike after lawmakers from both parties […]

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In the months after October 7th, as Israel reeled from loss, shock, and pain, thousands turned to OneFamily, Israel’s national organization assisting victims of terror and war for nearly 25 years.  Faced with an avalanche of need, the organization had to greatly – and immediately – expand the number of volunteers and coordinators. In a beautiful show of resilience, healing, and bravery, many who have been on the receiving end of OneFamily’s care stepped up to help the newly bereaved.

OneFamily’s therapeutic, financial, and emotional assistance is designed to accompany people through every stage of grief and rebuilding. It is a testament to the success of this commitment, that those once shattered by loss are now reaching out to help others.

Turning Pain into Purpose

Yael Shevach’s husband, Rabbi Raziel Shevach was murdered in a 2018 terror attack near their home in Havat Gilad. A mohel, rabbi, and senior paramedic, he was also a loving husband and father to six children. 

“During shiva, OneFamily came to visit,” Yael says. “They told me that when everyone else goes home, they would stay. And they did. Every step of the way.”

At first, it wasn’t easy for Yael to accept help. “I was raising six kids alone. I was in survival mode. I didn’t know what I needed, or what my kids needed, and I didn’t like having to accept help. But OneFamily kept reaching out, suggesting babysitting, inviting us to retreats. They didn’t give up, and they knew what we needed more than I did. Our first step in  OneFamily was when my kids wanted to attend OneFamily camp. They came home glowing.”

Over time, Yael came to appreciate what the organization understood her needs before she did, and just how much help her family truly needed. She described how supported she felt, especially during COVID. “The whole country felt isolated. Everyone. But they made sure my children knew they weren’t alone.”

“OneFamily is completely unique in that they never made me feel like they were giving and I was receiving. They don’t just have a ‘menu of services’ that they offer people. They act like family—you help your loved ones with what they need, when they need it. That’s what OneFamily does. They accompany you, not as a case, but as a person.” 

After October 7th, Yael began visiting newly bereaved widows, just as others once did for her. Soon after, OneFamily formalized a new role for her as a “milava,”  a special liaison to widows.

“I see this as a personal mission, a way to help others and express my profound gratitude to OneFamily,” she explains. “This is not just an organization to me. It’s home.” 

Yael brings a rare emotional fluency to her work. “OneFamily never made me feel pitied. They didn’t just provide help. They walked with me, and I want to do the same for others. We are healing together.”

From Grief to Giving

When Lazar Amitai’s wife was killed in a terrorist attack in Gush Katif 25 years ago, he suddenly became a single father to four young children. During the shiva, OneFamily representatives visited and quietly promised to return “after everyone else has gone home.” And they did.

“Someone from OneFamily called and got to know us,” Amitai says.”My kids started going to OneFamily camps, traveling with them, and attending special Shabbatons. They were hooked. It gave them so much support.” 

As his children grew up and built their own lives, Amitai felt called to give back. After October 7th, OneFamily urgently needed more coordinators to serve the influx of bereaved families. Lazar trained to become a regional coordinator for Israel’s south.

“Every time I meet a grieving family, I start by just listening. Then I give hugs. Only then do I explain what OneFamily can do to help,” he explains. “And every time I feel like I’m giving them what I received.”

One recent case weighed heavily on him: four siblings, aged 12 to 20, who lost their mother on October 7th, were being raised by their father—until he died in a car accident. “So many pieces in their situation require navigating bureaucracy and giving emotional support in a sea of change and tragedy. I can often connect with families more closely and earlier because of my own story. People know I’m not just anybody. I’m one of them.”

Though offered compensation, Amitai does not accept a salary. “I do it out of gratitude,” he says. “My experience gives me a unique ability to help others, and I need to use it.”

A Mother’s Mission

For Cheryl Mandel, OneFamily became her anchor after her son, Lieutenant Daniel Mandel, was killed in Nablus in 2003. At her first OneFamily event, Cheryl met co-founder Chantal Belzberg.

“I met her at a large event where OneFamily had a booth. I told Chantal my story and she started to cry,” Cheryl recalls. “I couldn’t believe that someone who spends every day hearing such stories could still care so deeply. That moment told me this organization was something different.”

What started with yoga classes and quiet companionship became a decades-long bond. “I met other bereaved mothers who were slowly rebuilding. Over time, I found that I could do the same,” Cheryl says. 

Cheryl began going abroad on behalf of OneFamily, speaking on Israel’s Memorial and Independence days, two of the hardest days of the year for any mother of a fallen soldier. That led to additional speaking opportunities abroad where as a native English speaker, she could share Daniel’s story and advocate for the organization.

“When I speak abroad, I’m not just sharing Daniel’s memory. I’m giving voice to 25,000 bereaved mothers who can’t travel or speak for themselves. I consider it a privilege.”

Cheryl has also taught art and dance at OneFamily events over the years. “OneFamily has helped members of my family each in their own way,” she notes. “I would do anything for them as a way to express my gratitude.”

Now two decades into her own journey through grief, Cheryl reflects: “Some of the people who supported me – my yoga teacher, my massage therapist – were also bereaved parents. They found a way to give back. I followed their example.”

The Power of a Lifelong Embrace

The stories of Shevach, Amitai, and Mandel reflect a truth OneFamily has seen time and again: healing deepens when compassion is shared.

“When someone who has lived through tragedy walks into a shiva house or speaks to a newly bereaved parent, something powerful happens,” says OneFamily CEO Chantal Belzberg. “It’s not just empathy – it’s credibility. They show that life can go on, that love and purpose can return.”

Over the last two decades, dozens of current staff members, volunteers, and group leaders have come from within OneFamily’s community of survivors. It is the most profound measure of success imaginable, demonstrating the successful management of grief to growth,  developing new roles and acts of purpose and meaning over time. 

Belzberg adds: “These are people who were once on the receiving end. They still need and receive support, but now they are the ones leading the way…like members of a family, which is really what we are.”  

To contact OneFamily Fund, reach out to Naomi Nussbaum at (646) 289 8600.

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A high-ranking figure in the Israeli Finance Ministry’s budget division has concluded that the newly introduced proposal dealing with chareidi conscription is unlikely to boost enlistment and may actually shrink the number of bnei yeshiva entering the army, Channel 12 reported.

This evaluation was submitted to Miri Frenkel Shor, the legal advisor of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. As Channel 12 described it, the budget team argues that the legislation scraps the only tools that have ever had real influence—namely the financial penalties affecting yeshiva support and childcare assistance—while at the same time padding the enlistment statistics by counting chareidim who take on civilian national service instead of military service.

The Finance Ministry has consistently maintained that without serious consequences for avoiding the draft, nothing changes. In a written submission to the same Knesset committee earlier this year, Yogev Gardos, who heads the ministry’s budget department, stressed that consequences would only work if they hit families where it matters financially, last “over a long period of time,” and cannot be sidestepped through outside assistance.

Gardos noted that options on the table for sanctions include withholding daycare support, cutting yeshiva funding, restricting discounts on National Insurance Institute payments, removing housing benefits, and canceling reduced municipal taxes.

He also emphasized that any penalties must be directed at the individual who avoids the draft, not tied to general enlistment quotas. If they are based on group performance, he explained, the motivation to enlist disappears entirely.

These same concerns were raised again in a 16-page analysis the ministry sent to the Defense Ministry in December, along with a follow-up internal memo circulated a few days later.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu held a phone call on Monday to discuss Gaza.

“The two leaders stressed the importance and obligation of disarming Hamas and demilitarizing the Gaza Strip, and discussed expanding the peace agreements,” the prime minister’s office wrote.

It added that Trump invited Netanyahu to meet at the White House “in the near future.” At press time, the White House had not released a readout of the call.

It’s not clear what peace agreements the two leaders discussed, but earlier on Monday Trump wrote that there was a “historic opportunity” for “peace in the Middle East” under Syria’s new president.

“It is very important that Israel maintain a strong and true dialogue with Syria, and that nothing takes place that will interfere with Syria’s evolution into a prosperous state,” Trump wrote.

“The new president of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is working diligently to make sure good things happen, and that both Syria and Israel will have a long and prosperous relationship together,” he added.

The message followed a meeting earlier on Monday between Trump’s special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, and al-Sharaa in Damascus.

Israel has continued to carry out counter-terrorism raids in south Syria, with an Israel Defense Forces commander saying over the weekend that “the IDF will continue to stand as a barrier between residents and the enemy, and will be the first to identify, respond and defend.”

Syria’s government has objected to the raids even as it has increased cooperation with the United States on countering ISIS, with Syria joining the U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition after al-Sharaa’s visit to the White House in November.

On Sunday, U.S. Central Command and the Syrian Ministry of Interior announced the elimination of 15 weapons-storage sites belonging to ISIS in southern Syria.

The “combined operation” included airstrikes and controlled ground detonations across Rif Dimashq province, destroying “over 130 mortars and rockets, multiple assault rifles, machine guns, anti-tank mines and materials for building improvised explosive devices” to ensure “gains made against ISIS are lasting and the group is not able to regenerate or export terrorist attacks to the U.S. homeland and around the world,” according to Admiral Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander.

He added that the coalition will “continue to aggressively pursue ISIS remnants in Syria.” JNS

{Matzav.com}

A son of notorious Mexican drug kingpin “El Chapo” pleaded guilty Monday to U.S. drug trafficking charges, months after his brother entered a plea deal. Known locally in Mexico as the “Chapitos,” or “little Chapos,” Joaquin Guzman Lopez and his brother, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, are accused of running a faction of the Sinaloa cartel. Federal […]

Channel 12 reports that those closest to Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu are pushing back hard against claims that his recent request for a presidential pardon was some sort of tactical first step toward admitting wrongdoing. His associates insist unequivocally: “The prime minister will not admit guilt… The pardon request is not an ‘opening stance.’”

According to the network, the formal request was already drafted last Thursday. Over Shabbos, the Netanyahu family wrestled with the decision, weighing whether submitting it would be the right move in the middle of a heated courtroom fight.

In the end, both trusted advisers and his wife, Sara Netanyahu, encouraged him to move ahead. The report describes their view of the request as “a win-win situation,” no matter how President Isaac Herzog responds.

People involved in the discussions outlined their thinking this way: If Herzog decides to issue a full pardon, the entire indictment collapses and the years-long legal saga is over. If Herzog signals he’d only consider it in exchange for a confession, Netanyahu’s circle can argue that he is being pressured into a false admission outside the boundaries of normal legal process. And if Herzog turns it down entirely, they can claim publicly that the prime minister humbled himself to request clemency, yet the legal system — “mobilizing to convict him at any cost” — refused him even that.

Channel 12 further reports that Netanyahu raised the pardon request during his call this evening with President Donald Trump. The president, who has already conveyed his view that Herzog should clear Netanyahu, expressed his support for the move.

{Matzav.com}

Bomb threats were emailed Monday to three district offices belonging to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, prompting swift law-enforcement action and renewed alarm over the escalating climate of political hostility. Schumer said the threatening messages carried the subject line “MAGA” and claimed that the “2020 election was rigged.” The threats targeted his offices in Rochester, Binghamton, and on Long Island.

“Local and federal law enforcement responded immediately and are conducting full security sweeps,” Schumer said in a statement. “Everyone is safe, and I am grateful for their quick and professional response to ensure these offices remain safe and secure for all New Yorkers.”

He emphasized again what he has stated repeatedly over the years: “As I have said many times, these kinds of violent threats have absolutely no place in our political system. No one—no public servant, no staff member, no constituent, no citizen—should ever be targeted for simply doing their job.”

Schumer was alerted earlier in the day by law-enforcement officials about the threatening emails. The Post has reached out to his team for copies of the messages.

The incident comes at a time when the security of elected officials has become a central concern on Capitol Hill. Just weeks ago, Schumer asked the US Capitol Police to offer “special protection” to Sens. Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin after a video they recorded urging service members to “refuse illegal orders” triggered backlash. President Trump accused them of “seditious behavior” and said they had attempted to undermine military authority.

In response to the overall rise in threats, the House has expanded its security program, including a $20,000 monthly allowance for members to cover private protection and the rollout of a “Mobile Duress Program” to give lawmakers urgent-alert capabilities.

Concerns about personal safety have already pushed several lawmakers to bow out. Reps. Jared Golden and Marjorie Taylor Greene both cited security worries when announcing that they would leave the House — Golden after completing his term, Greene stepping down next month.

These developments add to a broader pattern of violent incidents involving public figures over the past 18 months, including the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania targeting Trump, the shooting of Minnesota state legislators in June, the arson attack on Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and the assassination of conservative leader Charlie Kirk.

{Matzav.com}

Federal authorities have arrested a 20-year-old Sarasota, Florida, grocery store employee who investigators say was circulating bomb-making instructions in encrypted neo-Nazi group chats and drafting plans for a livestreamed domestic terror attack. Lucas Alexander Temple — who prosecutors say operated online under the aliases “Devilwaffen999” and “Micah Fischer” — was taken into custody on Nov. […]

NOW: Rav Meilich Biderman shlit”a leading Tefillos at Chatzos by the Bas Ayin’s kever in Tzfas. Footage via R’ Yehuda Kaszirer of Bikur Cholim of Lakewood.

For many children, the experience of getting their first pair of glasses is an inevitable milestone, the first in a lifetime of visits to the eye doctor. But what if those lenses could actually help preserve the child’s vision and reduce the chances for more serious eye problems in adulthood? That’s the promise of a […]

POTUS: “I want to just pay my respects to the National Guard and those two incredible people. One is no longer with us — one is looking down… We have another one who is fighting for his life.”

Secretary Noem: “We think up to 100,000 people came in under ‘Operation Allies Welcome’… they have to be vetted before we allow them to get on a plane and come to the United States of America… that wasn’t done by Joe Biden.”

Federal officials have accused New York state of freeing nearly 7,000 undocumented migrants with criminal records since President Trump entered office — all without alerting immigration authorities — while more than 7,000 others remain behind bars across the state, the NY Post reports. The Department of Homeland Security outlined the situation in a sharply worded letter sent Monday to Attorney General Letitia James.

According to DHS, every individual referenced in the letter is shielded by New York’s sanctuary policies. Federal authorities are now insisting that the state turn these offenders over for removal, arguing that state officials have repeatedly failed to notify ICE even when dealing with migrants accused of serious crimes.

The correspondence sent from Washington details how thousands of migrants have cycled through the criminal justice system — in some cases on bail, parole, or outright release — despite ICE detainers intended to transfer them to federal custody.

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons stressed the seriousness of the issue in his letter, stating: “These are people who are not only in the country illegally, but who have committed additional crimes, including heinous crimes like murder, rape, possession of child pornography, armed robbery, and many others.”

Documents obtained by The Post highlight 6,947 undocumented migrants with active ICE detainers who were released back into the community since Jan. 20. Their collective criminal histories include attempted murder, thousands of assaults, and hundreds of crimes ranging from burglaries and robberies to drug trafficking, weapons violations, and sexual predatory offenses.

New York’s sanctuary laws prohibit local agencies from coordinating with ICE, meaning that instead of being transferred to federal custody, these individuals were routinely allowed to walk free. As Lyons put it: “Virtually all Americans agree that people like this should be swiftly removed from the United States when they leave New York’s custody and not be returned to our streets to wreak havoc on law abiding citizens.”

The letter also notes that 7,113 additional detainees currently incarcerated in New York jails and prisons have ICE detainers outstanding. DHS tallied their combined offenses at 148 homicides, 717 assaults, 134 burglaries, 106 robberies, 235 dangerous drug offenses, 152 weapons offenses, and 260 sexual predatory crimes.

This latest warning follows an earlier letter issued to James on Sept. 15 — one DHS says received no response. The new correspondence includes an attachment listing a dozen individuals with severe criminal backgrounds who were recently freed by New York authorities despite active ICE holds.

Among those cited was Anderson Smith Satuye Martinez, identified as a Crips gang member with a prior assault conviction. He was arrested on Aug. 19 for weapons and drug offenses, released despite the detainer, and only later taken back into custody when ICE tracked him down in the Bronx on Sept. 11.

ICE also rearrested Jose David Hernandez Hernandez, who had previously faced allegations of rape, strangulation, and assault. Local authorities released him as well, but he is now in federal custody pending the conclusion of deportation proceedings.

Another case highlighted in the letter involved Alexander Moreno Montoya, a repeat offender with charges that include assaulting a police officer, weapons possession, and cocaine possession. He, too, was released from Rikers Island on March 17 despite an ICE detainer, then located by ICE agents on July 7 and removed from the United States.

In its closing line, the DHS letter presses the state attorney general directly: “Please confirm whether the State of New York plans to honor detainers on these aliens or whether each of these barbarians will someday walk the streets of New York again.”

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin reinforced that message, telling The NY Post: “Attorney General James and her fellow New York Sanctuary politicians are releasing murderers, terrorists, and …. predators back into our neighborhoods and putting American lives at risk.” She added: “We are calling on Letitia James to stop this dangerous derangement and commit to honoring the ICE arrest detainers of the more than 7,000 criminal illegal aliens in New York’s custody. It is common sense. Criminal illegal aliens should not be released back onto our streets to terrorize more innocent Americans.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump on Sunday defended his use of the word “retarded” to describe Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a remark that has drawn condemnation across the political spectrum but which Trump insisted was justified, claiming there is “something wrong” with the Democratic governor. The exchange unfolded aboard Air Force One during a press Q&A, after […]

A West Virginia National Guard member who was shot last week in a brazen daytime attack in Washington, D.C., remains in serious condition but showed positive signs by giving a thumbs-up that he could hear a nurse’s question and wiggling his toes, Gov. Patrick Morrisey said Monday. Morrisey said the family of 24-year-old U.S. Air […]

Speaking before global defense leaders at the International DefenseTech Summit in Tel Aviv, Brig. Gen. Benny Aminov, who heads the Defense Ministry’s Military R&D division within DDR&D, revealed that Israel has reached a major milestone in its battle against hostile unmanned aircraft. He reported that “drone challenges at Israel’s borders are moving toward a solution – we have achieved a technological breakthrough in enemy drone detection.”

Aminov described rapid progress on the next phase as well, explaining that “we are now working on interception solutions using drone-based systems that enable response to swarm scenarios while accelerating the development of new directed-energy weapons.” These capabilities are being designed specifically to cope with complex, fast-moving threats that traditional defense systems struggle to manage.

He emphasized that modern aerial dangers require a complete rethinking of how Israel adapts and deploys new tools, noting that “the issue of low-altitude threats is an example of a challenge that requires our defense establishment to change its operational approach fundamentally – responding within compressed timeframes, ensuring spiral development, accelerating testing during the development process, and bridging small defense-tech companies with major defense contractors.”

According to Aminov, Israel’s adversaries are constantly shifting their tactics, pushing the defense establishment to stay ahead. As he put it, “our enemies continue to evolve in this learning competition. This drives us to develop robust solutions, and it is here that directed-energy weapons demonstrate their unique strength. Their distinctive characteristics enable us to address even the unknown unknowns – threats we don’t yet know we face.”

The summit itself highlighted how combat experience and field lessons are shaping Israel’s next generation of military technology, as experts and innovators displayed cutting-edge work in areas expected to influence global defense strategies for years to come.

Among the high-profile attendees were Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram, Director General of the Defense Ministry; Brig. Gen. (Res.) Dr. Daniel Gold, head of DDR&D; Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Prof. Isaac Ben-Israel, who chaired the conference; Brig. Gen. Benny Aminov; Avi Berger, who leads DDR&D’s Space Program Office; Maj. Gen. (Res.) Nitzan Alon of Elements Venture Capital; Michael Dodd, U.S. Assistant Secretary of War for Critical Technologies and Acting Deputy Director of the Defense Innovation Unit; Dame Fiona Murray of MIT; Shaun Maguire of Sequoia Capital; Dr. Christian Steinborn of Rheinmetall AG; Francois Chopard of Starburst; along with numerous additional senior military, academic, and industry figures from Israel and abroad.

{Matzav.com}

Starting February 1, anyone flying within the U.S. without a REAL ID or another approved form of identification will have to pay a $45 non-refundable fee for TSA to verify their identity. REAL ID has technically been required since May, but travelers were only getting warnings until now. The TSA says the fee is meant […]

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday defended his Treasury chief against opposition claims that she misled the public and the markets about the state of the public finances before last week’s budget. Starmer said “there was no misleading” in the run-up to Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves’ tax-hiking budget, which the government hopes […]

Israel’s Transportation Minister Miri Regev unveiled an aggressive new enforcement plan on Monday aimed at curbing the mounting death toll on the nation’s roads, where 422 people have already lost their lives this year.

At the center of the initiative is a dramatic hike in penalties for motorists caught handling a mobile device behind the wheel. Under the proposal, drivers would be slapped with a 10,000-shekel fine, issued on the spot by police officers, with no preliminary legal process required. Regev’s office emphasized that the goal is to send a clear message about the severity of distracted driving.

Officials noted that repeat offenders will face even harsher consequences. If a driver is caught a second time within a short window, authorities would be able to impound the vehicle, pending a judge’s approval.

This represents a substantial jump from the current punishment structure, which imposes a 1,000-shekel fine along with eight points on the driver’s license.

The plan is now headed to the Economic Affairs Committee for deliberations, after which it is expected to be forwarded to the Knesset for a vote. The ministry indicated that the upgraded sanctions will likely extend beyond cellphone violations, targeting additional high-risk behaviors such as crossing a solid white line, ignoring red lights, and operating a vehicle under the influence.

{Matzav.com}