Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez avoided giving a straight answer when pressed on whether Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer should relinquish his leadership role after multiple Democratic senators sided with Republicans on a vote to reopen the government.
When asked directly on Wednesday if Schumer ought to step down as the party’s leader in the Senate, Ocasio-Cortez delivered a lengthy reply that skirted the issue entirely. “I think what’s important is that we understand that…a leader is a reflection of the party, and Senate Democrats have selected their leadership to represent them,” she said, according to the Washington Examiner’s Rachel Schilke.
The New York lawmaker went on to broaden her remarks, saying, “And so the question needs to be bigger than just one person. We have several Senate primaries this cycle. I know I’m being asked about New York. That is years from now. …We actually do have Senate elections this year, and my hope is that people across this country actually participate in their primary elections in selecting their leadership.”
Her comments came as Schumer faced a wave of internal backlash after eight Democratic senators broke ranks and joined Republicans in supporting a procedural measure on Sunday night that allowed a continuing resolution to advance — effectively paving the way to end the government shutdown.
Those who crossed the aisle included Sens. Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Jacky Rosen of Nevada, and Tim Kaine of Virginia. They were joined by Catherine Cortez Masto of New Mexico, Angus King of Maine, and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, all of whom previously voted to move the House-approved funding measure forward.
By siding with Republicans, the eight Democrats abandoned efforts to secure a guaranteed continuation of enhanced Obamacare premium subsidies first enacted during the pandemic. In exchange, they accepted a verbal commitment from Senate Republican leader John Thune to hold a vote on the subsidies “no later than the second week in December.”
In an interview with Breitbart News prior to the shutdown on October 1, Senate Republican Conference Chair Tom Cotton accused Schumer of precipitating the crisis out of fear that Ocasio-Cortez might challenge him for his seat. “Chuck Schumer is shutting down the government because he’s terrified of a primary from AOC. His actions are disgraceful,” Cotton said.
After Sunday’s vote, Cotton renewed his criticism, blasting Schumer as “a disgrace” who put “his deranged hatred for President Trump ahead of serving the public.”
The internal Democratic rift over the spending deal has reignited tensions within the party, with progressives and moderates once again clashing over leadership and strategy — while Ocasio-Cortez continues to keep her distance from directly confronting Schumer’s standing at the top.
{Matzav.com}
Israeli officials confirmed Wednesday that Hamas possesses complete information about all four hostages whose bodies are still in Gaza. The report, released by Kan 11 News, cites senior sources familiar with the situation who said the terror group maintains detailed knowledge about each of the deceased.
According to those sources, the intelligence extends beyond Hamas itself, encompassing data about captives held by the Islamic Jihad group as well. This revelation underscores the complexity of the hostage situation and the overlapping control among militant factions inside Gaza.
The officials underscored that Israel’s stance remains firm: no half measures or partial deals will be accepted regarding the recovery of the fallen. “They must all be brought back – down to the very last one,” the sources declared, calling for increased diplomatic and security pressure on Hamas to achieve that outcome.
At the same time, efforts are reportedly being made to locate and retrieve the bodies through coordination involving Hamas representatives and the International Red Cross. These steps are said to form part of the broader framework addressing both captives and missing individuals from the war.
Separately, Asharq Al-Awsat reported earlier in the day that among the four, one of the deceased hostages is currently held by Hamas, another by Islamic Jihad, and two more are believed to be located in Israeli-controlled territory east of the Yellow Line.
{Matzav.com}
Hamas and Islamic Jihad announced Thursday afternoon that they will release the body of a deceased hostage later in the evening, saying the handover is set for 8:00 PM.
According to the joint statement, the remains were recovered in the Morag region, located just north of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.
At present, the terrorist groups in Gaza are holding the bodies of four Israeli hostages — Dror Or, Meni Godard, Ran Gvili, and Sudthisak Rinthalak — whose families have been waiting in anguish for their return.
Officials cited by Kan 11 News on Wednesday confirmed that Hamas possesses complete information concerning all four of the deceased hostages whose bodies remain in Gaza.
The same sources added that these details are not limited to those in Hamas custody but also cover hostages held by Islamic Jihad.
Government officials stressed that no deal should move forward without the recovery of every last body, calling for intensified diplomatic and military pressure to ensure their return. “They must all be brought back – down to the very last one.”
{Matzav.com}
Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed concern on Wednesday that escalating unrest in the West Bank could endanger the fragile truce in Gaza. “Certainly there’s some concern about events in the West Bank spilling over and creating an effect that could undermine what we’re doing in Gaza,” Rubio told reporters. He added that while he hopes the tensions will not disrupt the ceasefire, he does not expect them to do so either.
Rubio commended Israeli leaders who have spoken out against the violence, noting the statements made by President Isaac Herzog and senior IDF officials condemning the latest attacks. Their remarks followed a massive assault by dozens of Israelis who torched Palestinian farmland and factories between Nablus and Tulkarem.
In contrast, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition have remained silent, prompting accusations that the government is quietly tolerating the attacks. The violence has become an almost daily occurrence, raising alarm among international observers.
Rubio’s measured comments marked one of the few times the Trump administration has addressed settler violence directly. Although he stopped short of outright condemnation, his acknowledgment signaled growing unease within Washington over the situation.
When Trump first took office, he reversed a policy imposed a year earlier by then-president Joe Biden, signing an executive order to end sanctions targeting extremist settlers and related organizations. Since then, settler raids — including attacks on Christian villages — have persisted.
In July, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, an ordained pastor, visited one of the affected villages and urged Israeli authorities to prosecute those responsible. “Those targeting the village must be brought to justice,” he said. However, despite his call, not a single indictment has been filed.
Accountability within Israel’s law enforcement remains limited. The commander of the police division overseeing the West Bank is under investigation for allegedly ignoring settler crimes to gain favor with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. Despite the inquiry, the officer has been allowed to resume his duties.
Authorities detained four suspects linked to Tuesday’s large-scale arson attack, but by the following day, three had already been released. The IDF and police have traded accusations over who bears responsibility for failing to stop the violence, while some security sources quietly blame the government itself, citing ties between extremist settlers and certain ministers.
The Trump administration, meanwhile, has moved to reduce international scrutiny of the issue. A G7 statement released Wednesday offered only a vague pledge to “continue to maintain attention on the situation in the West Bank,” a softer tone than that taken under Biden, when a similar communiqué condemned settlement expansion and urged restraint from all sides.
As Rubio’s press briefing ended, new reports emerged of another assault — this one in the village of Sinjil, north of Ramallah. Armed settlers allegedly fired at a civilian guard, injuring a young man in the foot. The Sinjil Municipality blamed the attack on “settlers who are supported by the occupation army,” describing it as part of an ongoing wave of aggression.
Meanwhile, a Channel 12 investigation revealed that police probes into Jewish nationalist violence have sharply declined under Ben Gvir’s leadership. The number of investigations has dropped by 73% since 2023, even as settler attacks have hit record highs. Only 60 cases have been opened this year, compared to 150 in 2024 and 235 the previous year — a striking disparity as the violence continues unchecked.
{Matzav.com}
A newly revealed document shows that three months before the Simchas Torah/Oct. 7 massacre, then–Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar sent a written warning to Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, urging him to take steps to restore deterrence against Hamas. Despite the stark warning, no discussion on the matter was ever held in the Prime Minister’s Office.
According to a report aired Wednesday night on Channel 12, the classified document — titled Shin Bet Strategic Policy for 2024 — outlined Bar’s concern over a growing erosion of Israeli deterrence and called for proactive measures in Gaza. In the report, Bar defined “rebuilding deterrence in the field to reverse the current trend” as one of the service’s top objectives for the coming year.
Bar’s memorandum, submitted in June 2023, three months before the October 7 massacre, recommended that Israel initiate “preemptive rounds against Hamas, expand targeted killings, maintain constant readiness, and treat preparedness for a large-scale confrontation as the organization’s top priority.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu annotated the document with the remark, “Not a Shin Bet directive,” implying that strategic decisions were his alone to determine. No follow-up meeting or formal review of the recommendations took place.
In response to the revelations, the Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement downplaying the significance of the memo. “Regarding the document, the Shin Bet director sent a ten-page memorandum on July 3, 2023, summarizing his recommendations for directives and operational directions for 2024,” the statement read. “In the document, the Shin Bet chief presented five key challenges: the Arab sector, internal societal division in Israel, the Shiite-Palestinian axis, the collapse of the Palestinian Authority, and ‘Jewish terrorism.’”
The statement continued: “As part of his recommendations on these issues, the Shin Bet director referred to Gaza only in one paragraph, suggesting the need to strengthen and stabilize the Strip by addressing the issue of labor permits, halting incitement from Judea and Samaria, and curbing smuggling. Beyond that, the document contained no reference to any offensive action by Hamas.”
The disclosure raises new questions about the government’s handling of intelligence warnings in the months leading up to the October 7 atrocities — and about whether critical calls for preventive measures were ignored.
{Matzav.com}
