The Kremlin responded on Monday to a report by The Wall Street Journal, which claimed that Iran had provided Russia with short-range ballistic missiles. In its response, the Kremlin emphasized that Iran is considered a partner of Russia, and the two nations continue to strengthen their dialogue across various sectors.
The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed officials from the U.S. and Europe, reported that Iran had supplied Russia with short-range ballistic missiles.
When asked about the report, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged having seen it but suggested that not all such reports are accurate.
“Iran is our important partner, we are developing our trade and economic relations, we are developing our cooperation and dialog in all possible areas, including the most sensitive ones,” Peskov stated during a press briefing.
Since the Russian military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, relations between Tehran and Moscow have grown significantly closer, with Iran providing Russia with its Shahed drones to aid in the conflict.
However, reports suggesting Iran has sent missiles to Russia are nothing more than “psychological warfare,” according to senior Revolutionary Guards’ commander Fazlollah Nozari, who made the statement on Monday as reported by Iranian state media.
The United States warned last Friday that if Iran were indeed supplying ballistic missiles to Russia, it would represent a significant escalation in the ongoing war in Ukraine.
{Matzav.com}
Israel Defense Forces troops operating in the Hebron area foiled an attempted vehicular assault on Sunday night, according to the military.
Soldiers fired on a vehicle after it attempted to run over an IDF force operating near Khursa. The vehicle’s occupants were arrested, the IDF said. No soldiers were injured.
The incident came only a day after a terrorist rammed his vehicle into a police car at a gas station outside the town of Eli in Shomron. The patrol car was empty, and nobody was injured.
The Security Cabinet, which is responsible for defense-related decisions and composed of senior ministers, gathered on Sunday to discuss the recent escalation of violence in Yehuda, Shomron and the Jordan Valley.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has urged Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu to add the total defeat of terrorist forces in Yehuda and Shomron to Yerushalayim’s official goals in the war against Hamas.
Earlier on Sunday, three civilian security guards at the Allenby Bridge border crossing in the Jordan Valley were killed in a terrorist shooting. The terrorist drove a truck to the crossing from the Jordanian side, before exiting the vehicle and firing at the border guards.
A week earlier, three police officers were killed in a shooting near the Tarqumiya checkpoint, some 7.5 miles northwest of Chevron in Yehuda.
The next day, Israeli forces neutralized a car bomb near the entrance to the town of Ateret in Binyamin. The 100-pound explosive was intended to detonate while a school bus was passing by, security officials believe.
On Aug. 30, terrorists linked to Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah movement carried out a twin car bombing in the Gush Etzion area of Yehuda, wounding two Israeli soldiers and a security guard.
In the first half of 2024, Yehuda and Shomro saw more than 500 terrorist attacks each month on average, according to figures published on Aug. 1 by Rescuers Without Borders.
During that period, first responders recorded 3,272 terrorist acts in the region, including 1,868 cases of rock-throwing, 456 fire-bombings, 299 attempted bombings and 109 shootings.
Terrorists murdered 14 people and wounded more than 155 others in Yehuda and Shomron between January and June, the rescue group said.
(JNS)
There’s no evidence that a well-known beluga whale that lived off Norway’s coast and whose harness ignited speculation it was a Russian spy was shot to death last month as claimed by animal rights groups, Norwegian police said Monday. The tame beluga, which was first spotted in 2019 not far from Russian waters with a harness reading “Equipment St. Petersburg,” was found floating at the Risavika Bay in southern Norway on Aug. 31. Experts examined the carcass at a nearby harbor, after lifting it with a crane. Animal advocate groups OneWhale and NOAH last week filed a police report saying that the animal’s wounds suggested it was intentionally killed. OneWhale founder Regina Haug said when she saw the carcass, she “immediately knew he had been killed by gunshots.” That’s not the conclusion so far from veterinarians. Police said that the Norwegian Veterinary Institute conducted a preliminary autopsy on the animal, which was become known as “Hvaldimir,” combining the Norwegian word for whale — hval — and the first name of Russian President Vladimir Putin. “There are no findings from the autopsy that indicate that Hvaldimir has been shot,” police said in a statement. Most of the animal’s visible wounds were “completely superficial” with one of them “somewhat deeper” but not fatal or affecting vital organs, police said. An x-ray found no projectiles and no indication that the wounds could have been caused by gunshots, the statement said. However, a stick about 35 centimeters (14 inches) long and 3 centimeters (1 inch) wide was found wedged in the animal’s mouth, and its stomach was empty and its organs had broken down, police said. No further details were given. “There is nothing in the investigations that have been carried out to establish that it is human activity that has directly led to Hvaldimir’s death,” said Preede Revheim, head of the North Sea and environment section of the police in South Western Norway. Revheim said that police will not be actively investigating the case and that the final autopsy report will released later this month. The two animal rights groups said Monday they’re not satisfied with the preliminary results and want the police investigation to continue, offering 50,000 kroner ($4,661) for any tips that could reopen the case. The 4.2-meter (14-foot) long and 1,225-kilogram (2,700-pound) whale was first spotted by fishermen near the northern island of Ingoeya, not far from the Arctic town of Hammerfest. Its harness, along with what appeared to be a mount for a small camera, led to media speculation that it was a “spy whale.” Over the years since 2019, it was seen in several Norwegian coastal towns and it became clear it was very tame and enjoyed interacting with people. Experts say the Russian navy is known to have trained whales for military purposes. Media reports also have speculated that the whale might have been trained as a therapy animal. (AP)
A bridge collapsed and a bus was swept away by flooding in Vietnam on Monday, raising the death toll in the Southeast Asian country to at least 64 from a typhoon and subsequent heavy rains that also damaged factories in export-focused northern industrial hubs, state media reported. Nine people died on Saturday after Typhoon Yagi made landfall in Vietnam before weakening into a tropical depression. The rest died in the floods and landslides that followed on Sunday and Monday, state media VN Express reported. The water levels of several rivers in northern Vietnam were dangerously high. A bus carrying 20 people was swept into a flooded stream by a landslide in mountainous Cao Bang province on Monday morning. State media said four bodies were recovered from the bus and one person was rescued alive. The others were still missing. In Phu Tho province, rescue operations were continuing after a steel bridge over the engorged Red River collapsed Monday morning. Reports said 10 cars and trucks along with two motorbikes fell into the river. Some people were pulled out of the river and taken to a hospital, but at least 10 people were still missing. Nguyen Minh Hai, who fell into the flooded river, told state Vietnam Television, “I was so scared when I fell down. I felt like I’ve just escaped death. I can’t swim and I thought I would die.” Pham Truong Son, 50, told VN Express that he was driving on the bridge on his motorcycle when he heard a loud noise. Before he knew what was happening, he was falling into the river. “I felt like I was drowning at the bottom of the river,” Son told the news outlet, adding that he managed to swim and hold on to a drifting banana tree to stay afloat before he was rescued. Dozens of businesses in Haiphong province haven’t resumed production because of extensive damage to their factories, state newspaper Lao Dong reported. It said the roofs of several factories were blown apart and water seeped inside, damaging finished goods and expensive equipment. Some companies said they still didn’t have electricity on Monday and that it would take at least a month to resume production. Parts of Haiphong and Quang Ninh provinces were still without power on Monday. The two provinces are industrial hubs, housing many factories that export goods, including EV maker VinFast and Apple suppliers Pegatrong and USI. Authorities are still assessing the damage to factories, but initial estimates showed that nearly 100 enterprises were damaged, resulting in millions of dollars in losses, the newspaper reported. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited Haiphong city on Sunday and approved a $4.62 million package to help the port city recover. Typhoon Yagi was the strongest typhoon to hit Vietnam in decades when it made landfall Saturday with winds up to 149 kph (92 mph). It weakened Sunday, but the country’s meteorological agency warned that continuing downpours could cause floods and landslides. On Sunday, a landslide killed six people including an infant and injured nine others in Sapa town, a popular trekking base known for its terraced rice fields and mountains. Overall, state media reported 21 deaths and at least 299 people injured from the weekend. Skies were overcast in the capital, Hanoi, with occasional rain Monday morning as […]
Dear Matzav Inbox,
I’ve been following the letters on Matzav.com about the supposed overpricing in kosher supermarkets with great interest. While I can’t claim to know the exact markup or whether these stores are indeed overcharging us, there’s a broader issue that needs addressing.
Why are we putting all the blame on supermarkets? Are they really the only ones taking advantage of our wallets? Let’s take a step back and look at the bigger picture.
Consider the high-end makeup artists charging $2,000 for a set number of faces at a wedding. Whether you need one face or five, you’re stuck with that exorbitant fee. How is this not just plain price gouging? It’s not just a matter of supply and demand—it’s a matter of taking advantage of people’s simchos.
And what about wedding hairstylists who demand hundreds of dollars for each head? This is inflating prices to levels that are simply unreasonable. Is this not a form of exploitation?
Let’s not overlook the musicians and singers who charge thousands upon thousands of dollars for their services. The fees they demand often seem detached from reality.
Jewish clothing stores are another example. The markups on their clothes are often so high it makes you wonder if they’re pricing us out of the market entirely. How is this different from the issues we see in supermarkets?
We shouldn’t forget other service providers as well. Caterers with hidden fees, event planners with inflated charges—the list goes on. All these vendors seem to have no qualms about squeezing every last penny from us.
Yes, we should be vigilant about prices in our grocery stores. But let’s not fixate solely on supermarkets when there are so many other areas in our kehillos where people are getting ripped off just as badly, if not worse.
If we’re going to hold supermarkets accountable, we need to apply the same scrutiny to all the other vendors who are equally, if not more, guilty of overcharging.
Sincerely,
Tired of Being Ripped Off
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Over the last 15 years, a new approach and method of limud Hashas has been nurtured and developed in Eretz Yisroel at Reshet Kollelei Shas Yiden. This phenomenon has captured the imagination and electrified lomdei Hatorah throughout the world, and has earned the avid support of Gedolim across the Torah spectrum. Shas Yiden in UK & USA Shas Yiden not only grew from 6 avreichim metzuyonim to 122 avreichim geonim in five kollelim across Eretz Yisroel but, in response to repeated requests from abroad, a Shas Yiden kollel was first established in the UK, in Stamford Hill, London. The Shas Yiden reputation soared in this location and their first Annual Siyum Hashas with Gedolei Torah in attendance reflected the grandeur of those in Yerushalayim. This foray into Chutz La’aretz has been followed by a long-awaited opening of a Shas Yiden kollel in Flatbush, NY. The Eretz Yisroeldike bren of learning the entire Shas has already had a significant local impact and is a source of inspiration to the local Flatbush kollelim. The incredible devotion to limud gantz Shas and its completion within a year by each avreich at Shas Yiden has encouraged many others to try and emulate this broader study of Shas. This elevated level of Torah study at Shas Yiden and the ability of the avreichim geonim to face public oral farheren by world recognized Gedolei Torah, together with monthly tests on 225 blatt, is nothing short of remarkable. Shas Yiden has truly raised the bar in the study of Shas. Our unique system of learning, the tight demanding regimen and the motivation emanating from Eretz Yisroel has truly placed Shas Yiden in a Torah league of its own. In the Words of Maranan Hageonim Sar Hatorah, רשכבה”ג Maran Hagadol Harav Chaim Kanievsky, זצ”ל – Nasi, Shas YidenI tested them, I know them throughout Shas – a Yissachar-Zevulun pact with Shas Yiden is the most mehudar partnership Rosh Hayeshiva, רשכבה”ג Maran Hagadol Harav Gershon Edelstein, זצ”לShas Yiden has raised the bar of Torah learning in both depth and clarity, and its unique method of ameilus in Torah The Sanzer Rebbe, שליט”אA first in 2000 years of Jewish history – never before a Torah institution where ALL the avreichim know kol Hashas kulo, Rashi and Tosfos b’al peh Over 1.6 Million Blatt at Shas YidenThis Year Alone! With each of the 122 avreichim geonim at Shas Yiden required to complete a minimum of 13,555 blatt per year, you are helping support some 1,654,000 blatt! At the most recent farheren, the reaction of the Gedolei Torah conducting the testing to the prowess of the Shas Yiden was simply one of amazement at the breadth and detailed knowledge and all-encompassing mastery of Shas – remarking: “They know it like others know Ashrei Yoshvei!” The joy of the avreichim geonim and their clear love of Torah electrifies each farher. (To see the different farheren in action, please click on our website: www.shasyiden.com.) It is no wonder that the overall reaction to the Shas Yiden Network is that in its 15 years it has certainly revolutionized and raised the bar in the learning and mastery of Shas. Caring for the Avreichim Families Despite the difficulties of these last few years, Covid etc., Shas Yiden has made sure to keep our commitment to each […]
According to figures released by the Israeli Defense Forces, approximately 7,000 Hezbollah rocket launchers have been destroyed since the major preemptive attack carried out on August 25, as reported by Yisroel Hayom.
Israel launched this extensive offensive in Lebanon as a direct response to Hezbollah’s planned retaliation for the assassination of senior military leader Fuad Shukr, who was killed in late July.
Since the start of the operation, hundreds of airstrikes have been executed, significantly weakening Hezbollah’s military power. Current IDF estimates suggest that nearly 20% of the terror group’s short-range rockets have been rendered useless. Although earlier reports indicated Hezbollah possessed around 180,000 rockets, Israeli intelligence now believes that prior to the August 25 assault, Hezbollah had only 40,000 short-range and 5,000 medium-range rockets.
“The IDF is very focused on the fight against Hezbollah,” stated Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi during a recent tour of the northern border. “I think that the number of attacks over the past month, the militants killed, the rockets destroyed, the infrastructure destroyed, is very significant.”
The Israeli military has also made strides in dealing with Hezbollah’s drone threat, which had intensified in recent months. Advanced interception systems have been stationed along the border to better counter drone attacks.
On the ground, it’s believed that only a few hundred Hezbollah fighters remain near the border, down from more than 2,400 before October 7, 2023. Israeli defense sources credit the assassinations of key Hezbollah figures, such as Shukr, for disrupting the group’s leadership and command structure.
Despite these achievements, Israeli officials acknowledge that launching a full-scale operation in Lebanon remains a challenge, primarily due to the diminished element of surprise and the strain on forces engaged in both the southern and northern sectors. However, if cease-fire talks fail, Israel might have no choice but to prioritize the northern front as its main battlefield.
{Matzav.com Israel}
A new report has revealed that on the eve of the Supernova music festival, held on October 7 near the Gaza border, security professionals repeatedly sought information from senior IDF)commanders about potential terror threats from Gaza but were rebuffed. According to Channel 12, Deputy Superintendent Nivi Ohana of the Ofakim police station, who oversaw security for the event, specifically asked the military about the risk of a terrorist infiltration but received no response. The report highlighted how security concerns were mounting in the days leading up to the festival, with communications between police and military officials expressing unease. Despite these concerns, IDF Southern Command eventually approved the festival’s continuation on October 7. This decision came even as senior military officers were monitoring potential threats from Hamas along the Gaza border. The attack on the festival began early on October 7, amid rocket fire from Gaza. More than 364 attendees were killed, and over 40 were taken hostage by Hamas, many of whom remain in captivity. Despite multiple security requests for increased military presence at the festival, the army opted for “spatial security” instead of deploying soldiers on the ground. As Hamas terrorists breached the Gaza border, private security forces and police at the festival attempted to hold off the attackers. The report detailed the heroic efforts of the outgunned security personnel, who fought with handguns against Hamas terrorists armed with assault rifles and grenades. By the time reinforcements arrived later in the day, Hamas had already overrun the site, establishing a command post and capturing hostages. Footage of the massacre aired by Channel 12 depicted the brutality of the attack, showing terrorists dragging and killing festival-goers. The report further highlighted the failure of Israel’s security forces to anticipate the massacre, with police officers and military commanders failing to communicate effectively before and during the attack. The delay in IDF forces reaching the festival site allowed Hamas terrorists to continue their assault for hours. Amid growing calls for accountability, pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to establish a state commission of inquiry into the government’s handling of the October 7 attacks. Survivor groups and families of victims have launched their own independent investigations, seeking answers and demanding action to prevent future tragedies. The IDF has initiated internal probes, with the military already acknowledging significant failures in responding to the mass invasion of terrorists that led to the deadly attack on civilians. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Hyperloop, a new form of mass transit involving capsules whizzing on magnetic fields through depressurized tubes, has achieved significant liftoff in the northern Netherlands, a company developing the technology said Monday. A test vehicle was levitated and zipped through a tube at a testing facility for the high-speed transit system once promoted by Elon Musk. “So today, with the first successful test, we were able to levitate the vehicle, also turn on the guidance system and the propulsion system,” Marinus van der Meijs, the technology and engineering director at hyperloop company Hardt, told The Associated Press late last week before Monday’s formal announcement. The European Hyperloop Center’s 420-meter (460-yard) tube is made up of 34 separate sections mostly 2½ meters (more than eight feet) in diameter. A vacuum pump sucks out the air to reduce the internal pressure. That reduces drag and allows capsules to travel at high speeds. Hyperloop developers aim to have capsules speeding through tubes at up to 700 kph (435 mph). Its backers say it’s far more efficient than short-haul flights, high-speed rail and freight trucks, but it will involve significant investment in infrastructure. So far, in the limited space offered by the test center, the speed has been modest. Once the capsule was in place in the tube, “we launched it with an acceleration similar to that of a metro, up to a top speed of about 30 kph (18 mph), about 100 meters (more than 300 feet) in the pipe,” Van der Meijs added. Even so, it’s a milestone that required some careful conducting. “The most difficult things that we are doing now is to test all of these functions together. Levitation, propulsion, guidance, all of those functions we are now capable of executing as an orchestra, making them work together,” said Roel van de Pas, commercial director of Hardt Hyperloop. Musk first proposed the idea more than a decade ago, suggesting it could shuttle passengers the nearly 400 miles (645 kilometers) between Los Angeles and San Francisco in 30 minutes. Since then, teams around the world have been working to bring the idea to fruition. “To deliver Hyperloop as a mobility system, we have a very complicated puzzle which requires technology, which requires policy, which requires public-private collaboration, and that is what is needed most,” Van de Pas said. “At Hardt, we are ready for passenger operations by 2030.” Some analysts are skeptical. When the hyperloop test facility opened in March, Robert Noland, distinguished professor at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University, told The Associated Press that building the necessary infrastructure is too costly, calling it “another example of policymakers chasing a shiny object.” In 2016, Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, signed a deal with Los Angeles-based Hyperloop One to study the potential for building a hyperloop line between the city-state and Abu Dhabi, the Emirati capital. The announcement of the deal took place atop the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, with a panoramic view of the skyline of the futuristic city-state serving as both a backdrop and a sign of Dubai’s desire to be the first to rush toward the future. But like many flashy announcements in the city-state, the hyperloop idea faded in recent years with no track being built. Hyperloop One shut down […]
JetBlue announced that it will change its onboard maps on all carriers to comply with U.S. guidelines for the Middle East, after facing public outrage over labeling Israel as “Palestinian Territories”. In a statement to Ynet, JetBlue apologized for the error and assured that no one on the team was involved in drawing or labeling the map. The company explained that the map app was provided by a third-party company and that they were not previously aware of the issue. JetBlue says it has decided to switch to a new map vendor and has asked the current vendor to adjust the onboard map to align with the U.S. government’s map guidance for the region. The changes will be made as quickly as the technology allows. This incident is not the first time JetBlue has faced accusations of anti-Israel bias. In April, a Jewish passenger was removed from a flight after complaining about a flight attendant wearing a “Free Palestine” pin on his uniform. JetBlue apologized at the time and announced a policy change. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The Hezbollah terror group launched drones early morning, targeting the Israeli city of Nahariya in the north of the country. One of the drones directly struck the 14th floor of a residential building. Thankfully, there were no injuries. Police were dispatched to the site immediately.
Footage from the scene reveals that part of the missile landed near the building’s entrance, igniting a fire in the nearby bushes.
In a statement, the police said: “Israel Police are currently managing the scene of the fall of a weapon in Nahariya. Initial reports indicate that the scene of the strike is an apartment building, with no reports of injuries at this time.”
“Police officers and sappers from the Beach District are isolating the scene of the strike and searching for additional remnants, in order to remove the danger to the public,” the statement added.
The IDF provided further details: “Following the sirens that sounded in the area of the Western Galilee regarding a hostile aircraft infiltration, two suspicious aerial targets were identified crossing from Lebanon into Israeli territory.”
“One of the aerial targets fell in the area of Nahariya. No injuries were reported.”
Another Hezbollah drone was intercepted over the Mediterranean Sea, close to the Nahariya shoreline.
Later, Galilee Medical Center reported that four people, two men and two women, had arrived at the hospital suffering from shock following the strike. All four were treated in the emergency room.
Shachar, a resident of Nahariya whose apartment was hit, recounted the frightening experience on Galei Zahal: “I ran to the bomb shelter, I didn’t manage to close the door and everything exploded around me. It was all smoke and fire, I don’t know what I’ll do now.”
Avi, another resident who lives near the affected building, shared his account with Yisroel Hayom: “I was at home during the siren and I went right into the bomb shelter. After two minutes I heard a loud ‘boom’ and then a continued stream of sirens, and after about ten minutes I came out onto my balcony and I saw that the building next to ours was hit. It’s lucky that no one was physically hurt and it was just property. I heard about these explosive UAVs in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and now they are here with us, in Nahariya, in Israel.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
One day after a Jordanian terrorist murdered three Israeli border guards at the Allenby Bridge border crossing, Amman’s foreign ministry on Monday denounced “harm to civilians for any reason” while accusing Israel of “escalatory steps” that provoked the shooting attack.
“The Ministry stressed Jordan’s firm position in rejecting and condemning violence and targeting civilians for any reason, and calling for addressing all causes and escalatory steps that generate it,” said the official statement, which came some 14 hours after the terrorist attack.
Spokesman Sufyan Qudah stressed Amman’s “repeated warnings of the consequences of the continued Israeli aggression on Gaza, the dangerous escalation against the Palestinian people in the occupied West Bank, and the attacks on Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, and the repercussions of this on the entire region.
“Preliminary investigations confirmed that the incident, in which the shooter was also killed, was an individual act,” the ministry said.
Three civilian guards at the crossing in the Jordan Valley were killed in Sunday’s shooting, which took place around 10 a.m. The gunman, who the Israel Defense Forces said was a Jordanian national, was killed.
“This is a difficult day,” Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu said on Sunday. “An abhorrent terrorist murdered three of our citizens in cold blood at the Allenby Bridge. On behalf of the government and myself, I send condolences to the families of those who were murdered.”
All three land crossings between the Jewish state and Jordan were closed following the attack, Israeli authorities announced. The Allenby Crossing (known is Jordan as the King Hussein Bridge), Yitzchak Rabin Crossing (near Eilat, known in Jordan as the Wadi Araba Crossing) and Jordan River Crossing (near Beit She’an, known in Jordan as the Sheikh Hussein Bridge) were reopened for passenger crossing on Monday.
On Sunday evening, thousands of Jordanians rallied in support of the slain terrorist in Amman. According to local reports, protesters hoisted signs that read in Hebrew, “Death to Israel.”
The protesters also chanted, “Mohammed Deif is still alive,” in reference to the commander of the “military” wing (the Al-Qassam Brigades) of the Hamas terrorist organization who was killed in a July 13 Israeli Air Force strike, and set off fireworks in celebration of the shooting attack.
Israel signed a peace treaty with Jordan in 1994, but the kingdom has a majority Palestinian population and its government has taken an increasingly hostile tone since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 massacre of some 1,200 people in southern Israel and the ensuing war in the Gaza Strip.
On Nov. 1, Jordan recalled its ambassador to Israel and told Israel not to return its ambassador to Amman. Jordan’s foreign ministry said that the move was a protest against the “raging Israeli war on Gaza, which is … causing an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.” JNS
{Matzav.com Israel}
The U.S. government’s road safety agency wants the auto industry to design new vehicles including i ncreasingly large SUVs and pickup trucks so they reduce pedestrian deaths and injuries. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday that it’s proposing a new rule setting testing and performance requirements to minimize the risk of pedestrian head injuries. The rule would cover all passenger vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds or less, but it’s is aimed largely at big SUVs and pickups, which have grown in size and hood height over the years, causing blind spots for drivers. NHTSA said pedestrian deaths increased 57% from 2013 to 2022, from 4,779 to 7,522. The agency says the rule would save 67 lives per year. Data show that nearly half of all pedestrian deaths when hit by the front of a vehicle are most common for SUVs and trucks. The proposed rule, required by Congress in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, would set test procedures to simulate head-to-hood impact as well as requirements to reduce the risk of head injuries. Human-like head dummies that simulate children and adults would be used in testing, NHTSA said in a prepared statement. “We have a crisis of roadway deaths, and it’s even worse among vulnerable road users like pedestrians,” NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman said in the statement. “This proposed rule will ensure that vehicles will be designed to protect those inside and outside from serious injury or death.” Messages were left Monday seeking comment from automakers and the industry’s main trade association. The infrastructure law required NHTSA to make U.S. regulations match a global pedestrian safety rule, with a regulation that would focus on vehicles made uniquely for the U.S. market. Through August, SUVs and trucks of all sizes accounted for almost 79% of new vehicles sales in the U.S., according to Motorintelligence.com. Last year, an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study found that vehicles with higher, more vertical front ends raise risks for pedestrians. The research arm of the insurance industry found that pickups, SUVs and vans with a hood height greater than 40 inches are about 45% more likely to cause deaths in pedestrian crashes than cars and other vehicles with a hood height of 30 inches or less and a sloping profile. The authors also questioned whether wider pillars holding up roofs of the larger vehicles make it harder for drivers to spot people walking near the corners of vehicles. Consumer Reports found in 2021 that elevated vehicle hoods also obstructed driver views of pedestrians crossing before them. The magazine and website found that pickup truck hood heights have risen 11% since 2000. The hood of a 2017 Ford F-250 heavy-duty pickup was 55 inches off the ground, as tall as the roofs of some cars. Consumer Reports said it measured visibility for 15 new vehicles, including full-size trucks. Due to height and long hoods, it found that front blind spots in some trucks were 11 feet longer than some sedans and 7 feet longer than many popular SUVs. Automakers and the public can comment on the proposal for 60 days, after which NHTSA will draw up a final regulation. (AP)
At least 14 people were killed and 43 wounded, six critically, in a series of Israeli airstrikes in northwestern Syria late Sunday, according to Syrian state media.
The SANA news agency reported that Israel had targeted several military sites around Masyaf in the Hama countryside. According to Reuters, which cited two regional intelligence sources, among the sites hit was the Scientific Studies and Research Center, known as CERS or SSRC, a major military research center for chemical weapons. The center is believed to house a team of Iranian military experts, according to the report.
According to Israel, it is used by Iranian forces to manufacture precision surface-to-surface missiles.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a U.K.-based war monitor aligned with the Syrian opposition, there were four attacks in less than three hours, targeting military sites west of Hama where “where Iranian militias and experts are stationed to develop weapons in Syria,” and a floating object off the coast of Baniyas.
Saudi news channel Al-Hadath reported that three rounds of attacks were carried out against five pro-Iranian militia sites in rural areas around Hama.
Israel rarely admits to attacks on Syrian territory, although in February Israel revealed that it had attacked more than 50 targets belonging to Hezbollah and other Iran-backed terror groups in Syria since Oct. 7.
JNS
Foreign Minister Yisroel Katz has issued a stern warning to the Palestinian Authority, stating that he may “break and dissolve” the PA if it proceeds with aggressive actions against Israel at the United Nations, according to his office’s statement to The Times of Israel.
This warning followed the PA’s submission of a draft resolution to the UN General Assembly. The resolution demands that Israel comply with the rulings of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, which is the highest judicial authority of the UN. The resolution is scheduled for a vote next week, as reported by Israel’s UN mission.
Recently, Katz spearheaded a discussion regarding Israel’s strategy in response to the PA’s push for this vote, according to the Foreign Ministry’s communication with The Times of Israel.
The draft resolution includes provisions for an Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories within six months, halting settlement activities, facilitating “the return of Palestinians to their land,” imposing sanctions on high-ranking Israeli officials, and preventing arms sales to Israel if those arms might be used in Palestinian territories.
Additionally, the draft calls for the prohibition of establishing any new embassies in Jerusalem.
Katz has directed that actions be coordinated with the US and other Israeli allies to oppose the resolution. He has also instructed the Foreign Ministry to devise a range of responses to counter the PA, tailored to the resolution’s final form.
Katz has advised Israeli diplomats, including UN Ambassador Danny Danon, to clearly communicate to US, European, and UN officials that if the PA’s proposal succeeds, Israel will impose “severe sanctions” against the PA, which might involve halting all forms of communication.
“If the Palestinian Authority acts against Israel in complete contradiction to the commitments it undertook in the interim arrangements that were signed, Israel will act in the same way and stop all cooperation with the PA and bring about its dissolution,” Katz stated.
On Sunday, UN Ambassador Danny Danon criticized the draft, asserting that its approval would be “a reward for terrorism and a message to the world that the barbaric massacre of children, the rape of women, and the kidnapping of innocent civilians is a profitable move.”
“Let it be clear,” he added. “Nothing will stop nor deter Israel in its mission to bring back all the hostages and defeat Hamas.”
The ICJ’s decision from July 19 was advisory and not legally binding. Similarly, General Assembly resolutions lack binding authority; however, there is concern that such a resolution could escalate, leading to pressures for arms embargoes and the blacklisting of Israeli settlements.
The ICJ’s July ruling concluded that Israel’s settlement policy in the West Bank breaches international law and that Israel has effectively annexed significant portions of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which it formally annexed in 1980, due to the persistent aspects of Israeli control.
The court’s ruling included directives for Israel to end its control over these territories, halt new settlement activities, “repeal all legislation and measures creating or maintaining the unlawful situation” — particularly those that “discriminate against the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory” — and to provide reparations for any harm caused by its “wrongful acts.”
Furthermore, the court decreed that all UN member states are required not to acknowledge any changes in the status of these territories and are to avoid aiding or supporting Israel’s administration of these areas. They must also ensure that any impediment to the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination is removed.
{Matzav.com}
House Republicans on Sunday issued a scathing report on their investigation into the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, blaming the disastrous end of America’s longest war on President Joe Biden’s administration and minimizing the role of former President Donald Trump, who had signed the withdrawal deal with the Taliban. The partisan review lays out the final months of military and civilian failures, following Trump’s February 2020 withdrawal deal, that allowed America’s fundamentalist Taliban enemy to sweep through and conquer all of the country even before the last U.S. officials flew out on Aug. 30, 2021. The chaotic exit left behind many American citizens, Afghan battlefield allies, women activists and others at risk from the Taliban. But House Republicans’ report breaks little new ground as the withdrawal has been exhaustively litigated through several independent reviews. Previous investigations and analyses have pointed to a systemic failure spanning the last four presidential administrations and concluded that Biden and Trump share the heaviest blame. Texas Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, who led the investigation as chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the GOP review reveals that the Biden administration “had the information and opportunity to take necessary steps to plan for the inevitable collapse of the Afghan government, so we could safely evacuate U.S. personnel, American citizens, green card holders, and our brave Afghan allies.” “At each step of the way, however, the administration picked optics over security,” he said in a statement. McCaul earlier in the day denied that the timing of the report’s release ahead of the presidential election was political, or that Republicans ignored Trump’s mistakes in the U.S. withdrawal. Biden came to office determined that “we’re getting the hell out of there, irrespective of conditions on the ground” in Afghanistan, McCaul told CBS’s “Face the Nation.” House Democrats in a statement said the report by their Republican colleagues “cherry-picked witness testimony to exclude anything unhelpful to a predetermined, partisan narrative about the Afghanistan withdrawal” and ignored facts about Trump’s role. The more than 18-month investigation by Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee zeroed in on the months leading up to the removal of U.S. troops, saying that Biden and his administration undermined high-ranking officials and ignored warnings as the Taliban seized key cities far faster than most U.S. officials had expected or prepared for. “I called their advance ‘the Red Blob,’” retired Col. Seth Krummrich said of the Taliban, telling the committee that at the special operations’ central command where he was chief of staff, ”we tracked the Taliban advance daily, looking like a red blob gobbling up terrain.” “I don’t think we ever thought — you know, nobody ever talked about, ‘Well, what’s going to happen when the Taliban come over the wall?”’ Carol Perez, the State Department’s acting undersecretary for management at the time of the withdrawal, said of what House Republicans said was minimal State Department planning before abandoning the embassy in mid-August 2021 when the Taliban swept into Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital. The withdrawal ended a nearly two-decade occupation by U.S. and allied forces begun to rout out the al-Qaida militants responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. The Taliban had allowed al-Qaida’s leader, Osama bin Laden, to shelter in Afghanistan. Committee staffers noted reports since the U.S. withdrawal of the group rebuilding in Afghanistan, such as a U.N. report […]
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant made his way into the Gaza Strip on Sunday, where he conducted a situational briefing in the area of Netzarim.
While there, Gallant met with reservists who are now on their third round of service since the conflict began. He praised their dedication and significant role in the ongoing efforts. “Our mission in Gaza is clear: to both dismantle Hamas and secure the return of the hostages. We are fully committed to this goal and will use every resource at our disposal.”
Gallant also emphasized the broader scope of the conflict, stating, “At the same time, we’re keeping a close watch on the entire battlefield. As you engage here in Gaza, we are also preparing for potential developments in the north. A shift in the focal point of action could occur swiftly, and it might involve you as well on very short notice. We are ready for all scenarios.”
He went on to say, “We will continue to exert pressure here, weakening and ultimately destroying Hamas. We will target and take down key figures like Mohammed Sinwar and Yahya Sinwar—no one is beyond our reach. Those who think otherwise should consider the fate of Marwan Issa and Mohammed Deif. They, too, believed they were untouchable, but they were wrong. They paid the price, and others will follow. We will see this mission through,” Gallant concluded.
During his visit, Gallant received an update from the commanders on recent operations aimed at widening the security corridor for troops and conducting raids on Hamas positions throughout Gaza City.
{Matzav.com Israel}
Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu made it clear at the beginning of the cabinet meeting on Sunday evening that the current arrangements concerning the Har Habayis will remain unchanged. He emphasized that there will be no alterations to the existing policies regarding this sacred site.
In a statement from his office, it was conveyed that “the Prime Minister repeated his directive that the ministers of the government not go up to the Har Habayis without his prior approval through his military secretary.” This directive underscores the need for coordination and approval before any ministerial visit to the Har Habayis.
Last month, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, along with Minister Yitzchok Wasserlauf, made a visit to the Har Habayis on the Tisha B’Av.
On Sunday morning, MK Yitzchok Kroizer, who is also a member of Otzma Yehudit, ascended to the Har Habayis. His visit adds to the ongoing discussions and activities surrounding the site.
Kroizer expressed his hopes and prayers for the success of Israeli soldiers stationed in the northern regions, Judea and Samaria, and the Gaza Strip. He stated, “We pray for the success of our soldiers in the north, in Judea and Samaria and in the Gaza Strip in the face of our enemy in all places, and for the speedy rescue of the hostages, our dear brothers and sisters who are in the Gaza Strip, healthy in body and spirit, and that they return with a great victory over our enemy.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
The likelihood of a phased hostage-ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, based on Israel’s May proposal, is “close to zero,” according to a report by Israel’s Channel 12 on Sunday. Citing unnamed sources within the Israeli security establishment, the report noted “very broad pessimism” among Israeli negotiators, as talks have stalled despite initial optimism. The U.S., which had previously indicated plans to introduce a new bridging proposal within days, is now seen as unlikely to do so, further dampening hopes of an agreement. Israeli negotiators reportedly grew increasingly frustrated, having believed that an agreement between Israel and the mediators would be conveyed to Hamas. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s insistence on maintaining control over the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border—a position not included in Israel’s May proposal—has been blamed for stalling progress. Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar reportedly hardened his stance in response. The situation was worsened when Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that in addition to opposing an IDF withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor, he also objected to a withdrawal from the Netzarim Corridor and the release of Palestinian prisoners convicted of murder. According to Channel 12, Smotrich’s remarks essentially “wiped out” the May proposal. A senior Israeli negotiator informed the families of hostages that even the first phase of the proposed deal—a six-week ceasefire in exchange for the release of women, children, and elderly hostages—was unlikely to materialize. “The only way forward is to end the war,” the negotiator reportedly told them. The stalled negotiations have raised concerns of further escalation, especially in northern Israel, where hostilities with Hezbollah could intensify in the absence of a deal. The Biden administration, initially optimistic, is reportedly less hopeful now, with U.S. officials expressing “significant pessimism” after Hamas increased its demands, including the release of 100 additional prisoners serving life sentences. U.S. mediators are urging Qatar and Egypt to explore the limits of Hamas’s demands before any new proposals are presented. The stalled talks come amid growing pressure from hostage families, who have launched daily protests outside the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, urging the government to prioritize a deal. The situation has also sparked protests in Washington, where families of hostages are demanding more action from Israeli officials stationed in the U.S. Currently, 97 hostages are believed to remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 33 individuals confirmed dead by the IDF. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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