IDF Chief of Staff LTG Eyal Zamir spent Sunday with senior military leadership conducting a situational assessment in the Gaza Division. Among those joining him were Southern Command head MG Yaniv Asor, Gaza Division Commander BG Barak Hiram, 252nd Division Commander BG Yehuda Vach, brigade leaders from across the sector, and other key officers.
Following the meeting, Zamir led a tour of the Rafah region, where he examined current conditions on the ground and assessed the army’s readiness for potential operational shifts. The visit included a detailed review of the latest security developments across multiple fronts, with a focus on maintaining defensive strength, neutralizing remaining threats, and sustaining preparedness for rapid offensive maneuvers if needed.
“The IDF operates in a changing reality and is contending with challenges across various arenas. In the Gaza Strip, we maintain operational control of more than 50% of the area, without controlling the civilian population. The Yellow Line serves as a security line, and we continue operating to prevent Hamas’ resurgence by holding key areas as well as the entrances to the Gaza Strip,” Zamir stated.
The Chief of Staff emphasized that flexibility and readiness remain key. He said, “Simultaneously with the current operational process, we must be prepared for a rapid transition to a large-scale activity to establish operational control of areas in the Gaza Strip, if required. Our troops continue operating along the Yellow Line to clear the area and eliminate terrorist strongholds.”
Reinforcing the Southern Command’s mandate, Zamir added that “the Southern Command will continue operating decisively to carry out the mission of eliminating terrorists and dismantling underground terrorist infrastructure sites, while strictly maintaining security for our troops.”
Zamir reiterated the IDF’s strategic objective of fully dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities. “We will continue to insist that the Hamas regime will not exist on the other side of the border. Even if this requires time, we will persist in the mission of dismantling Hamas and demilitarizing the Gaza Strip, achieving this either through an agreement or through military means,” he declared.
Addressing the ongoing investigations into the October 7th atrocities, Zamir said, “In the past week, we have focused on the inquiries into the events of October 7th. I established the expert committee upon entering my position as Chief of the General Staff out of full commitment to the truth and a desire to lead a deep process of learning and implementation of lessons. We owe this to the IDF, and I owe this to you – the commanders. We will not fear the implications; everything is for advancing the IDF toward growth, learning, and progress.”
He concluded by saluting the dedication of IDF personnel throughout the war effort. “We will remember the events of October 7th for eternity, but also the significant achievements in all arenas. Ahead of us is still the mission of conducting the inquiry of the entire war. This is a heroic war, and its achievements are yours and thanks to you. I, and the entire people of Israel, appreciate you for your actions and for the achievements throughout the war.”
{Matzav.com}
Security forces from the Judea and Samaria District, alongside IDF and Border Police units, concluded their post-event review following the Chayei Sarah weekend gatherings in Chevron and at the Meoras Hamachpeilah.
Authorities estimated that roughly 26,000 visitors came to the holy city over Shabbos, prompting a large-scale security deployment. Forces worked around the clock to ensure order, regulate traffic, and swiftly handle any security-related incidents, operating in close coordination with local municipalities and national agencies.
Shabbos saw a brief security scare when gunfire was reported within Chevron. A volunteer from a rapid response unit discharged a warning shot into the air, after which police, IDF soldiers, and Border Police personnel quickly secured the area. Officers from the Yehuda district later tracked down the vehicles suspected of involvement and apprehended two individuals connected to the incident.
Over the course of the weekend, security forces detained 13 more people suspected of various offenses, including assault, violence, trespassing, disorderly conduct, and harassment. Investigators later released some of the detainees under limited conditions based on case-specific considerations.
In addition to maintaining order, police implemented preventive measures, conducting approximately 150 enforcement operations to prevent alcohol-related disturbances and protect public safety throughout the event.
{Matzav.com}
Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, rosh yeshiva of Slabodka, ruled that it is permissible to use kosher computers inside a beis medrash for the purpose of writing divrei Torah under specific conditions.
The ruling came during a visit last week by the mashgiach ruchani of Yeshivos Be’er Yaakov and Mishkenos HaTorah, Rav Moshe Dovid Lefkowitz, who came to the home of Rav Hirsch to discuss several matters currently relevant to the yeshiva world.
During the meeting, Rav Lefkowitz raised the question of using computers in a beis medrash, referencing an earlier takkanah that had prohibited their use. That policy had been instituted in his own bais medrash, Heichal Moshe, under the direction of Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman and Rav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz, his father.
Given technological changes in recent years — and the fact that computers have become the primary tool for many avreichim to record their Torah insights — the mashgiach asked whether the takkanah could be modified to allow limited use of kosher devices for Torah purposes only.
Rav Lefkowitz emphasized that such a change could only be made with the approval of the gadol hador, telling Rav Hirsch, “To alter a takkanah established by gedolim requires the authority of the Rosh Yeshiva himself.”
After careful deliberation, Rav Hirsch responded clearly: computers that are used solely for writing chiddushei Torah, and that bear a visible and distinctive label confirming they are entirely disconnected from any form of internet access, may indeed be used within the beis haknesses or beis medrash.
Following the decision, Rav Lefkowitz drafted the updated takkanah in writing. Rav Hirsch then signed it alongside him, formally authorizing the new policy for the community.
{Matzav.com}President Trump said that the much-anticipated $2,000 “tariff dividend” checks for American citizens will indeed arrive — just not yet. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, he explained that the payments won’t be distributed in time for the upcoming holiday season, but are instead planned for next year as part of his broader 2026 agenda.
“It will be next year. The tariffs allow us to give a dividend. We’re going to do a dividend and we’re also going to be reducing debt,” Trump said while en route to Mar-a-Lago, emphasizing that the funds collected through his sweeping trade tariffs will directly benefit American families.
However, the timeline and execution of the program remain uncertain. The administration faces multiple hurdles — both legal and legislative — before the checks can become reality. Several Republicans in Congress have voiced reservations, urging the president to prioritize deficit reduction rather than rebate payments.
Adding to the complications is an ongoing Supreme Court case that could derail the initiative. The justices recently heard oral arguments questioning whether Trump’s “trafficking” and “reciprocal” tariffs, enacted under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), were legally justified. If the Court rules against him, Trump hinted that his team would explore other options. “Then I’d have to do something else,” he said.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently offered some insight into how the rebates might be structured. “Well, there are a lot of options here that the president’s talking about a $2,000 rebate and those — that would be for families making less than, say, $100,000,” Bessent told “Fox & Friends.” But he quickly walked back the figure, clarifying that “it’s in discussion” and “we haven’t” set any firm limits yet.
The proposal, first unveiled earlier this month, included Trump’s pledge to exclude “high income people” from the benefit, though he has not yet defined where that income cutoff will fall.
Trump introduced the idea shortly after a majority of Supreme Court justices expressed deep skepticism over his use of IEEPA to impose tariffs — a law that no prior president has used for that purpose. Since early in his second term, Trump has invoked IEEPA to levy targeted tariffs on nations across the globe, despite the statute’s lack of explicit mention of duties.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol data, IEEPA-related tariffs have generated about $90 billion in revenue between their introduction and September 23. When combined with other tariffs not being challenged in court, the total intake reached nearly $196 billion for fiscal year 2025 through the end of August.
Since many of these tariffs were not in place at the start of the fiscal year, administration officials believe the total revenue could climb even higher if they remain active for a full year.
Yet distributing the proposed $2,000 checks would be expensive. Erica York, vice president of federal tax policy at the Tax Foundation, estimated that if eligibility were capped at individuals earning under $100,000, the plan would cost about $300 billion. For comparison, pandemic-era relief proposals offering similar payments were projected to cost roughly $464 billion, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
If the Supreme Court ultimately overturns the IEEPA tariffs, Trump could be forced to refund billions in collected duties — a scenario that would complicate both his financial and political plans heading into 2026. How such a refund would be implemented, however, remains unclear.
{Matzav.com}
President Donald Trump announced plans to file a massive lawsuit against the BBC, accusing the network of twisting his words from January 6, 2021, in a documentary that he says defamed him. Speaking aboard Air Force One on Friday, Trump told reporters that the suit will likely be filed “probably sometime next week” and could seek damages “anywhere between a billion and 5 billion dollars.”
The president made the remarks during a flight to Florida, with Reuters correspondent Nandita Bose and BBC journalists reporting the conversation. According to Trump, the publicly funded broadcaster manipulated a portion of his January 6 speech in a way that falsely portrayed him as encouraging violence — a claim he says he will bring up personally with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the weekend.
“The BBC’s conduct was so severe,” Trump said, emphasizing that the edit amounted to an intentional distortion of his words. He noted that the broadcaster’s public explanation fell far short of accountability for the harm caused to his reputation.
The BBC admitted that the way it edited Trump’s speech “created the mistaken impression that President Trump had made a direct call for violent action.” The corporation released a statement through its press office saying it “regrets the error” and extended a personal apology to Trump. However, despite acknowledging the mistake, the BBC said through Reuters that it sees “no legal basis for a lawsuit” and will neither retract the documentary beyond its correction nor pay damages.
Trump’s attorneys had given the network until 5 p.m. Eastern time Friday to comply with three demands: a full retraction, a formal apology, and at least $1 billion in compensation. Those terms were laid out in a letter obtained earlier in the week by multiple outlets, including The Times and The Daily Telegraph, citing sources close to Trump’s legal team.
After receiving the BBC’s official reply, Trump’s advisers said the response left no option but to proceed with litigation. Senior campaign officials confirmed that lawyers have been preparing filings in both federal and state courts in Florida for several days.
The controversy surrounding the BBC’s “Panorama” program has already shaken the organization’s top leadership. On Sunday, BBC Director General Tim Davie and Head of News Deborah Turness resigned, admitting that the incident had damaged public confidence in the broadcaster’s editorial integrity.
Trump said those resignations prove the magnitude of the wrongdoing and reinforce his case. “It shows how serious this was,” he said, adding that accountability at the highest level strengthens his argument for damages.
{Matzav.com}
Fifteen years after a horrific assault on a young chareidi girl in Yerushalayim, a breakthrough in DNA evidence has led to the indictment of a 42-year-old man from the Shuafat refugee camp. The suspect, Shwaki Shamasna, was charged in the Yerushalayim District Court on Sunday with two separate incidents of serious offenses against minors — one from 2010 and another from 2025.
The indictment, filed by Attorney Mirit Levy-Hasson of the Yerushalayim District Attorney’s Office, details that in April 2010, a six-and-a-half-year-old girl was playing outside her home with a friend when the suspect approached them in his car. He asked the child questions about her friend’s family and then followed the two girls as they entered the building’s stairwell. There, he allegedly grabbed the young girl from behind, lifted her, and committed a grave act of abuse. The case went unsolved for more than a decade.
In September 2025, prosecutors say the same man assaulted another minor, a 15-year-old girl walking in Beit Shemesh with her baby brother. The suspect reportedly exited his vehicle, grabbed her forcefully, and fled only after she screamed for help, prompting nearby passersby to rush to her aid.
During the investigation into the Beit Shemesh attack, forensic samples linked the suspect to the earlier Yerushalayim case. According to the prosecutor, “The child’s clothing was examined in a forensic laboratory, where cells matching a single male profile were identified. After the suspect was recently investigated for other serious offenses against minors and his DNA was added to the database, a match was immediately found to the sample taken from the victim’s clothing in the 2010 incident.”
The indictment accuses the defendant of committing indecent acts under aggravated circumstances. The prosecution has requested that he remain in custody until the end of legal proceedings.
A court-ordered gag prohibits publication of any details that could identify the victims.
{Matzav.com}
Israel’s government voted on Sunday to push forward the establishment of what it described as an “independent” commission of inquiry into the catastrophic events of October 7. The panel will reportedly be granted full authority to investigate and is expected to be structured in a way that, according to officials, will reflect the “broadest possible public consensus.”
Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu will head the ministerial team tasked with defining the commission’s mandate, a process that must be completed within 45 days. Once the committee’s framework is finalized, it will begin examining the failures that led to the deadly Hamas assault.
The decision immediately sparked outrage among opposition figures. Gadi Eisenkot, the Yashar party leader and former minister, lashed out at the move, declaring, “The October 7th government, whose leaders are the only ones who refuse to take responsibility for the worst disaster in Israel’s history and are unfit to serve in any leadership role, is establishing a whitewashing and backroom-deal committee. It is unacceptable that those responsible for the failure are the ones deciding its makeup and mandate under the pretense of broad consensus. It is clear that all of this stems from fear and panic over the results of a real, independent investigation. Establishing a state commission of inquiry according to the law is the first step toward healing and repair – and we will make it happen. We will not give up. Our very future depends on it.”
Tensions also surfaced inside the cabinet room. As ministers debated how the inquiry should be structured, Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs told Minister Orit Strock, “In the end, there will be a commission, and we need to think about how to approach it.” Strock voiced her agreement, saying she backed the establishment of an investigative body.
Echoing that sentiment, Minister Gideon Sa’ar argued that the political echelon should not be part of the commission. He emphasized that “the composition should exclude the political echelon, to create a model that earns public trust.”
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir pressed for the inclusion of legal officials among those scrutinized. “Those being investigated should not become the investigators,” he warned, insisting that figures within Israel’s legal establishment must also face questioning.
Ben-Gvir reminded the cabinet that before the Hamas assault, intelligence leaders—including the heads of the Shin Bet and Military Intelligence—believed Hamas was sufficiently deterred. He also pointed to the Attorney General’s refusal to approve tougher conditions for detained terrorists, arguing, “She must also be investigated. No one should be immune.”
Education Minister Yoav Kish added his support for ensuring that any commission ultimately formed would be one that enjoys the confidence of the Israeli public, stating that the inquiry must be structured “to secure broad public support.”
{Matzav.com}
Tensions flared at Sunday’s cabinet meeting when Minister Orit Strock confronted Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu over the ongoing ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza.
“How much longer will the ceasefire last?” Strock pressed. Netanyahu’s reply — “I don’t know” — drew an incredulous reaction. “What do you mean, ‘I don’t know’?” she shot back. The Prime Minister then explained, “At the moment, we are working to end the first phase; we have three more hostages to return.”
Unappeased, Strock responded sharply, insisting, “We did not go to war just to bring back the hostages.” Netanyahu countered, outlining the broader objectives of the campaign. “We have to ensure that the Gaza Strip is being demilitarized and (Hamas) is being disarmed, including the tunnels; for this purpose, we agreed to the creation of an international force, but countries are not excited to join. We can not give up on this stage. Hamas seemingly agrees; we will hold the rest of the discussion in the cabinet.”
Strock pushed further, asking, “About how long will this take? Weeks?” Netanyahu refused to commit to a timeline. “You can’t ignore the fact that we conducted an intense war on seven fronts. You can’t quantify how much time is left,” he said.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich later weighed in with a pointed question of his own, challenging the Prime Minister: “If you return to fight in Gaza in two months, how will you have a commission of inquiry?”
The exchange highlighted growing frustration within parts of the coalition over what some see as a lack of clarity and direction regarding Israel’s next steps in Gaza.
