Israeli airstrikes hit a Hamas training compound in the Ein al-Hilweh refugee camp near Sidon on Tuesday evening, in what Lebanese outlets described as an unusually deep strike into the area. Minutes after the initial reports surfaced, the IDF confirmed that its aircraft had targeted terrorists operating at the site.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry announced that fifteen people were killed and many more wounded. Hamas, however, issued a denial, claiming in an official statement that “it was a soccer field where children were playing at the time of the strike.”
Lebanese media reported heavy Hamas security around the area inside the Ein al-Hilweh camp following the attack, as operatives worked to keep civilians away. One unverified report from Lebanon said more than twenty individuals were inside the targeted building and that the facility had been used for gatherings of senior Hamas figures.
According to additional Lebanese media coverage, the strike was aimed at a group that had just exited the Khaled Ibn al-Walid Mosque in the camp and was preparing to board vehicles parked nearby when the attack occurred.
In its formal statement, the IDF said the Air Force had struck terrorists operating “in a military compound used by the terror organization’s operatives for training and instruction to plan and execute terror routes against IDF forces and the State of Israel.” The spokesman added that precautionary steps were taken ahead of the strike “to reduce the chance of harming civilians, including the use of precision munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence.”
The IDF stressed that it is acting consistently against Hamas’s foothold in Lebanon and “will continue to act forcefully against terrorists of the Hamas terror organization wherever they operate.”
Military correspondents in Israel added further context. Yossi Yehoshua reported that dozens of Hamas members—mostly lower-level operatives—had gathered at the compound and were involved in preparations for future terror attacks. Intelligence assessments indicated that the site served as a coordination hub for local Hamas cells in Lebanon.
Journalist Itay Blumental noted that the IDF had been planning to strike the compound for some time, but only on Tuesday did the operational conditions align. Once surveillance confirmed the presence of numerous terrorists, a fighter jet carried out the strike. According to early assessments, those killed were relatively low-ranking operatives.
This was the fourth Israeli strike in Lebanon on Tuesday. Around 16:50, Lebanese media reported a drone strike in the village of Blida in the south. Earlier, at about 10:00, another UAV strike was reported on a vehicle in Bint Jbeil. In the morning hours, a drone reportedly targeted an excavator in Blida as well, marking a full day of ongoing military activity in southern Lebanon.
{Matzav.com}
In a landmark moment for Orthodox Jewish representation in American politics, Michelle Weiss clinched the mayoralty of University Heights, Ohio, setting a national first as an orthodox Jewish woman elected to lead a U.S. municipality.
Weiss, who has spent years cultivating a reputation as a pragmatic Republican voice in a predominantly Democratic suburb of Cleveland, centered her bid on cooperation over partisanship. Her message of unity, coupled with her long record of public service, helped her secure the community’s confidence.
With 15 years on the city council and six more as deputy mayor, Weiss entered the race as a familiar and steady presence in local government. Her election stands out not only for its political significance but for breaking new ground—no other orthodox Jewish woman is known to have held a comparable mayoral role in the United States.
At the outset of her campaign, she spoke of her deep bond with the city. “I love University Heights – my husband and I raised our children here and now watch our grandchildren grow,” she said. “I feel a debt of gratitude to the city and a commitment to make a difference.”
Her platform highlighted her reputation as someone ready to “reach across the aisle” to build consensus. Throughout the campaign, she emphasized strengthening infrastructure, promoting commercial growth, and safeguarding the needs of longtime residents. Weiss is scheduled to take office on January 1, 2026.
{Matzav.com}
Speaking to attendees at the Tikva Jewish Leadership Conference, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz offered a rare glimpse into the strategic thinking guiding Washington’s expectations for how the Gaza conflict must ultimately conclude, Channel 12 News reported.
Waltz described the administration’s view of the crossroads bluntly. “Here are the choices: it was either Hamas, or it was the IDF in perpetuity (in the Gaza Strip). And if it was the IDF in perpetuity, then frankly I don’t think we had a way of expanding the Abraham Accords, which is the number one objective of this administration.”
His comments underscored a central tension in US policy: while Hamas remaining in control of Gaza is wholly unacceptable, the White House is equally unwilling to endorse a long-term Israeli military and civil presence there. A sustained IDF role, he stressed, would directly interfere with the administration’s diplomatic ambitions—particularly its push to broaden the Abraham Accords.
Waltz went on to credit the architects of the original regional breakthroughs, saying, “You don’t get that unless you have President Trump, his team – Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Marco Rubio and people in there fighting the good fight,” pointing to the individuals he believes laid the groundwork for any further regional realignments.
{Matzav.com}
A Brooklyn court case that has shaken an entire community took another dramatic turn when Miriam Yarimi accepted a plea agreement that sharply reduced her potential prison time. Judge Danny Chen approved the deal, granting a sentence of three to nine years after Yarimi pleaded guilty to manslaughter, according to court filings.
Prosecutors, who had pressed for a far steeper penalty, are preparing a detailed submission ahead of her Wednesday sentencing. They intend to outline why they believe Yarimi’s punishment should be closer to the 15-year maximum they originally requested.
The tragedy unfolded in March, when Yarimi’s Audi A4 hurtled down Ocean Parkway and smashed into an Uber before spiraling toward Natasha Saada and her four young children. Two of the children, Diana, 7, and Deborah, 5, were killed instantly, while 4-year-old Philip suffered devastating injuries.
“The lives of Natasha Saada and her young daughters were stolen by the callous choices of a chronically reckless driver on Ocean Parkway,” said Eric Gonzalez, district attorney for Brooklyn. “Though the proposed sentence falls short of the maximum we sought, it will still send a clear message that reckless driving that ends in tragedy will be met with serious penalties.”
The wreck rattled south Brooklyn’s Jewish community, where residents had long voiced fears about speeding along Ocean Parkway but say this disaster underscored how quickly disaster can strike.
Yarimi, known for her work as a wigmaker and even advertising it with the vanity plate “WIGM8KER,” had no valid license at the time of the crash. She had amassed an astonishing 93 traffic violations, among them 20 speeding offenses that together brought more than $10,000 in fines, records indicate.
Her behavior in the moments after the collision added another disturbing layer. First responders reported that Yarimi made erratic and alarming remarks, insisting she was “possessed” and “had the devil in me,” according to sources. A criminal complaint states she told officers, “The devil’s in my eyes. I’m haunted inside. I didn’t kill anyone. I didn’t hurt anyone. Prove it. Show me proof.”
{Matzav.com}The office of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas issued a fierce denunciation on Monday night, insisting that Israel bear full accountability for what it characterized as a direct provocation by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The uproar followed Ben-Gvir’s declaration that Abbas should be arrested and that senior PA figures should be assassinated if the United Nations advances recognition of a Palestinian state.
In its announcement, the PA leadership said it viewed Ben-Gvir’s remarks as nothing less than an open call to harm Abbas and other senior officials. The statement blasted what it described as “dangerous incitement” and argued that such rhetoric fuels violence, emboldens would-be attackers, and encourages Israeli civilians to target Palestinian Arabs, their communities, and their sacred sites.
The PA Chairman’s Office urged Washington and the broader international community to intervene, asserting that global pressure is needed to halt what it labeled a reckless escalation from the Israeli government. According to the statement, this kind of language only ratchets up instability, fans hostility on the ground, and drags the region further from any realistic attempt to restore negotiations.
Ben-Gvir ignited the controversy during the opening of his Otzma Yehudit faction meeting on Monday, where he took aim at a UN Security Council proposal that includes the phrase “a path to a Palestinian state.” He claimed the concept keeps resurfacing in different formats and is once again being pushed forward.
Linking diplomatic advocates of statehood to terrorism, Ben-Gvir argued that those promoting such political moves are the very same players who support violence. He dismissed the notion of Palestinian nationhood as a project for a “fabricated people,” asserting that its champions hope to erect it “upon the ruins of the State of Israel.” He also tied the idea to the October 7th attackers, accused its supporters of paying stipends to terrorists, and claimed that those who deny the Holocaust share the same objective of establishing a Palestinian state.
Ben-Gvir then pressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take decisive steps against the Palestinian Authority. He declared that Abbas “and his terrorist associates” should not be shielded from consequences. If the UN proceeds with recognition, Ben-Gvir insisted Israel must respond with targeted action against top PA leaders and order Abbas’ arrest, suggesting that a prison cell in Ktzi’ot Prison is already waiting for him.
{Matzav.com}
Saudi Arabia’s leadership signaled a massive expansion of its financial footprint in the United States, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman telling President Donald Trump that the kingdom will boost its expected investments from $600 billion to about $1 trillion. The dramatic increase reflects strong confidence in the direction of the U.S. economy and Trump’s aggressive focus on economic growth.
Their conversation at the White House on Tuesday began with Trump applauding the already-announced $600 billion commitment. But he wasted no time in urging the crown prince to go even further. “Because he’s my friend, he might make it a trillion, but I’m gonna have to work on him,” Trump said.
Mohammed bin Salman did not hesitate to meet the challenge. He told Trump that Saudi Arabia would raise its investment target to $1 trillion, a pledge he then restated publicly. According to Al Jazeera, the crown prince affirmed that the previously unveiled $600 billion plan “will increase to $1 trillion.”
Trump, prodding him to confirm the leap, asked: “You’re telling me now the $600 billion will be $1 trillion?” The crown prince answered plainly: “Definitely.”
Al Jazeera also highlighted a social-media message quoting the crown prince: “We will announce an increase in our investments in the United States to reach approximately one trillion dollars.”
The original initiative called for hundreds of billions to flow into American energy ventures, infrastructure projects, security cooperation, and technology partnerships over a four-year span. Some of that funding is already translating into major agreements—from multibillion-dollar weapons purchases to advanced AI-related deals as Saudi-aligned firms partner with chipmakers and cloud providers to construct data centers and artificial-intelligence hubs.
The exchange underscored Trump’s signature approach to global diplomacy, one that pairs political alliances with demands for tangible economic rewards inside the United States.
Saudi advisers have maintained that the enormous spending reflects their confidence in Trump’s tax and regulatory reforms, predicting they will unlock substantial opportunities for both the kingdom’s sovereign wealth entities and private-sector investors.
For the crown prince, the move fits neatly into his Vision 2030 blueprint, which seeks to broaden Saudi Arabia’s economic base beyond oil. Yet the bulk of this expanded investment is expected to pour into U.S. production facilities, energy infrastructure, construction, and frontier technology.
Uncertainties remain about the timeline for deploying a full trillion dollars and about how much of the total will come from public versus private Saudi sources.
Still, the understanding forged between Trump and Mohammed bin Salman points to a potentially transformative chapter in the relationship between Washington and Riyadh.
{Matzav.com}
