An earthquake was felt widely in the Los Angeles area Thursday morning. The U.S. Geological Survey reported a preliminary 4.7 magnitude quake centered 4 miles (7 kilometers) north of Malibu. The temblor was about 7 miles (11 kilometers) below the surface, USGS said. The jolt was felt as far as 45 miles (72 kilometers) away in Orange County where some people reported their lamps swaying and other items moving in their homes. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said fire authorities are surveying the city. There were no immediate reports of injuries. The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services said it was actively monitoring the quake and checking for any damage. A number of quakes have hit the area this year. A 4.4 magnitude earthquake in August was felt from the Los Angeles area all the way to San Diego, swaying buildings, rattling dishes and setting off car alarms. Rene Vasquez, manager at The Country Kitchen breakfast place in Malibu, said the shaking lasted a few seconds and kitchen staff ducked outside as a precaution, but there was no damage. “It wasn’t that bad,” Vasquez said. “Thank God nothing fell.” People took to social media to post they were awakened by a jolt early Wednesday, including several celebrities who posted on X. Paris Hilton wrote on X “That #Earthquake was scary,” and Khloe Kardashian posted “Damn that was a big one.” The quake comes as the region has been dealing with three major wildfires burning east of Los Angeles that torched dozens of homes and forced thousands to evacuate. The blazes erupted amid a blistering heat wave that has just subsided. (AP)
The Ukrainian government has issued to appeals in two days urging Breslover chassidim not to travel to Uman for Rosh Hashanah, citing grave security concerns. “We recommend pilgrims to consider the security situation in our country and refrain from visiting Uman,” urged Igor Taburets, governor of the Cherkasy Regional Military Administration on Wednesday. “Regular Russian attacks and damage to civilian objects, provocations are Ukrainian everyday life, unfortunately.” The Ukrainian statement emphasized that Uman lacks sufficient air raid shelters to accommodate the anticipated travelers, and that the country’s martial law, curfew, and movement restrictions would impact chassidim. “Russia’s ongoing full-scale military aggression against Ukraine poses real threats to people’s lives and safety,” the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday, “[and] makes it impossible to guarantee the safety of foreign citizens on the territory of Ukraine.” The minister warned that there is a “regime of martial law which provides for a number of additional regulations, including restrictions on freedom of movement, a curfew and enhanced patrols, a ban on holding mass events and gatherings, as well as the application of coercive measures against persons who will not comply with the established restrictions.” The US State Department has also issued a travel warning, advising citizens against going to Rebbe Nachman’s kever for the Yom Tov. Despite the warnings, up to 50,000 chassidim are expected to at least try to make it to Uman for Rosh Hashana. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The Kremlin expressed displeasure on Wednesday over the frequent mention of Vladimir Putin’s name during the U.S. presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, asking that he not be involved in their political disputes.
Dmitry Peskov, President Putin’s spokesperson, addressed this concern a week after Putin made a playful comment suggesting a preference for Harris over Trump. This statement led the White House to respond, advising Putin to refrain from commenting on the upcoming November election.
Peskov told reporters that while the Kremlin had not closely watched Tuesday night’s debate, they had kept up with media reports covering it.
“Naturally, we noticed that both candidates referenced our president and our country. It’s obvious that the U.S., regardless of which party the candidates represent, maintains an unfriendly stance towards Russia,” Peskov remarked.
He continued, “Putin’s name is being used as a tool in the internal political battles of the U.S. We strongly disapprove of this and hope they will stop involving our president.”
{Matzav.com}
Austrian security forces carried out raids against 72 alleged Islamic extremists this week ahead of the 23th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in the United States, citing the potential for copycat violence on the date of the plane hijackings that killed nearly 3,000 people. The raids occurred across the European country on Tuesday, before Wednesday’s anniversary, because the 2001 tragedy remains symbolic for extremists and has inspired copycat attempts, the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence said Thursday in a statement. Authorities thwarted an attempted attack last year on anniversary at the Vienna central station, and the risk remains high on the date around the world, it said. Tuesday’s raids came a month after authorities foiled a plot to attack planned Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna which were then canceled. Austrian officials said the main suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian man, was inspired by the Islamic State group and sought to kill tens of thousands of fans. The 19-year-old had allegedly uploaded to the internet an oath of allegiance to the current leader of the Islamic State group. Authorities said they also found Islamic State group and al-Qaida material at the home of a second suspect, who is 17. The actions on Tuesday included raids on several prisons in Austria, as well as interrogations of suspects and seizures of digital devices such as cellphones to look for evidence of radical Islamic propaganda. Franz Ruf, Austria’s director general for public security, appeared to reference the Taylor Swift plot in the statement, saying the last few weeks have shown the importance of cooperation between security agencies to counter extremism. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner also called for stronger powers for investigators to be able to root out such plots. Currently, Austrian officials often rely on other countries — such as for the Swift concerts, where the CIA discovered the information — because unlike some foreign intelligence services, Austria can’t legally monitor text messages. (AP)
A tech billionaire performed the first private spacewalk hundreds of miles above Earth on Thursday, a high-risk endeavor reserved for professional astronauts — until now. Tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman teamed up with SpaceX to test the company’s brand new spacesuits on his chartered flight. The daring spacewalk also saw SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis going out once Isaacman was safely back inside. This spacewalk was simple and quick — less than two hours — compared with the drawn-out affairs conducted by NASA. Astronauts at the International Space Station often need to move across the sprawling complex for repairs, always traveling in pairs and lugging gear. Station spacewalks can last seven to eight hours. Isaacman emerged first from the hatch, joining a small elite group of spacewalkers who until now had included only professional astronauts from a dozen countries. “Back at home, we all have a lot of work to do. But from here, it sure looks like a perfect world,” Isaacman said as the capsule soared above the South Pacific. Cameras on board caught his silhouette, waist high at the hatch, with the blue Earth beneath. The commercial spacewalk was the main focus of the five-day flight financed by Isaacman and Elon Musk’s company, and the culmination of years of development geared toward settling Mars and other planets. All four on board donned the new spacewalking suits to protect themselves from the harsh vacuum. They launched on Tuesday from Florida, rocketing farther from Earth than anyone since NASA’s moonwalkers. The orbit was reduced by half — to 460 miles (740 kilometers) — for the spacewalk. This first spacewalking test involved more stretching than walking. Isaacman kept a hand or foot attached to it the whole time as he flexed his arms and legs to see how the spacesuit held up. The hatch sported a walker-like structure for extra support. After roughly 10 minutes outside, Isaacman was replaced by SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis to go through the same motions. Gillis bobbed up and down in weightlessness, no higher than her knees out of the capsule, as she twisted her arms and sent reports back to Mission Control. Each had 12-foot (3.6-meter) tethers but did not unfurl them or dangle at the end unlike what happens at the space station, where astronauts routinely float out at a much lower orbit. More and more wealthy passengers are plunking down huge sums for rides aboard private rockets to experience a few minutes of weightlessness. Other have spent tens of millions to stay in space for days or even weeks. Space experts and risk analysts say it’s inevitable that some will seek the thrill of spacewalking, deemed one of the most dangerous parts of spaceflight after launch and reentry but also the most soul-stirring. This operation was planned down to the minute with little room for error. Trying out new spacesuits from a spacecraft new to spacewalking added to the risk. So did the fact that the entire capsule was exposed to the vacuum of space. There were a few glitches. Isaacman had to manually pull the hatch open instead of pushing a button on board. Before heading out, Gillis reported seeing bulges in the hatch seal. Scott “Kidd” Poteet, a former Air Force Thunderbird pilot, and SpaceX engineer Anna Menon stayed strapped to their seats […]
Rav Gershon Ribner, rosh kollel of Kollel Nesivos Hatorah and son-in-law of Rav Shneur Kotler, has succeeded in applying classical Talmudical analysis and methodology to understanding all areas of Yiddishkeit, bringing out its profundity and sense.
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A vehicle exploded in Ramle a short while ago. Authorities say it is a criminal incident, and not terrorism. There are a few patients seriously injured.
The Pentagon’s unusual decision to keep two Navy aircraft carriers stationed in the Middle East for the past several weeks has now come to an end, with the USS Theodore Roosevelt en route back to the U.S., according to American officials.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had previously directed the Roosevelt to extend its mission briefly, staying in the area until the USS Abraham Lincoln could arrive sooner. The Biden administration had bolstered the U.S. military’s presence in the region to help protect Israel from potential threats posed by Iran and its allied forces, as well as to ensure the safety of U.S. personnel.
Military leaders in the Middle East have consistently maintained that having a U.S. aircraft carrier, along with its accompanying fleet, provides a strong deterrent, especially against Iran. Since the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza began following the October 7 attack by the terror group, there has been a consistent carrier presence in the region, with occasional periods where both carriers were deployed simultaneously.
However, prior to the events of last fall, the U.S. had not maintained such a large naval presence in the region for several years.
{Matzav.com Israel}
North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea on Thursday, its neighbors said, days after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to put his nuclear force fully ready for battle with its rivals. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the missiles launched from North Korea’s capital flying 360 kilometers (about 220 miles) before landing in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed officials to ensure the safety of ships and aircraft, but there were no reports of damage. The reported fight distances suggest the missiles were designed to attack targets in South Korea. In a trilateral phone talks, diplomats from South Korea, Japan and the U.S. condemned the launches that they said threatens regional and international peace. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command separately reaffirmed that the U.S. security commitment to South Korea and Japan remains “ironclad.” The launches were North Korea’s first public weapons firing activities in more than two months. On July 1, North Korea claimed to have tested a new tactical weapon capable of delivering a “super-large” 4.5 ton-class warhead. In a Monday speech marking his government’s 76th foundation anniversary, Kim said he would redouble efforts to make his nuclear force fully ready for combat with the United States and its allies. Kim made such a pledge saying North Korea faces “a grave threat” because of what he called “the reckless expansion” of a U.S.-led regional military bloc. Kim has made similar vows numerous times, but his latest threat came as outside experts believe North Korea could carry out a nuclear test explosion or long-range missile test-launches ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November to boost its leverage in future dealings with the U.S. On Sunday, North Korea’s state media published a photo of Kim inspecting a 12-axel vehicle that would be the the country’s biggest missile launch platform. That sparked speculation that the North could be developing a more powerful intercontinental ballistic missile designed to strike the U.S. mainland. Commercial satellite images indicate that North Korea’s northeastern nuclear test site incurred minor damage from heavy summer rains in recent weeks and that no notable recent work was detected at its tunnels, 38 North, a North Korea-focused website, said an analytical piece published Wednesday. Thursday’s launches also came after North Korea flew hundreds of huge balloons carrying rubbish toward South Korea for five straight days through Sunday. Since 2022, North Korea has sharply ramped up its weapons testing activities in part of its efforts to perfect its capabilities to launch strikes on the U.S. and South Korea. The U.S. and South Korea have responded by expanding military drills that North Korea calls invasion rehearsals. Last month, Kim had still held off from missile tests or other provocative military demonstrations as the United States and South Korea conducted large-scale summertime military exercises. North Korea has previously performed missiles tests to protest other major U.S.-South Korean military training. Prior to the U.S.-South Korean exercises, Kim staged a big ceremony in Pyongyang to mark the delivery of 250 nuclear-capable missile launchers to frontline military units and called for a ceaseless expansion of his country’s nuclear program. The Aug. 4 event added to concerns about Kim’s pushes to deploy battlefield nuclear weapons along the tense border with South Korea. […]
Officials from the Yahadut Hatorah/United Torah Judaism (UTJ) Party conveyed a message to Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu on Wednesday night, emphasizing that the party expects him to manage the coalition properly and advance the chareidi draft law, as outlined in the coalition agreements.
They stressed that “without a draft law, there is no point in bringing forward a budget.”
On Tuesday, Housing Minister and UTJ chairman Yitzchok Goldknopf had personally communicated a similar warning to Netanyahu.
According to sources close to the Housing Minister, Goldknopf explicitly told Netanyahu, “There is no point in bringing a state budget to a vote without a draft law.”
This message follows ongoing talks in the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee regarding the draft law. Last week, Goldknopf was present at the committee’s meetings, a move interpreted as an effort to “accelerate the process of passing the draft law.”
After the committee discussions, the minister reaffirmed, “If there is no draft law, there will be no government, not even for [Benny] Gantz.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris expressed her dismay on Wednesday regarding the death of Aysenur Eygi, a US citizen, during a protest near Shechem (Nablus). Harris described the incident as “unacceptable” and affirmed that the United States will push for clarity from Israel on the matter.
“The killing of Aysenur Eygi is a horrific tragedy that never should have happened. Doug and I are keeping her family and loved ones in our prayers. Aysenur was peacefully protesting in the West Bank — standing up against the expansion of settlements — when her young life was senselessly cut short. No one should be killed for participating in a peaceful protest. The shooting that led to her death is unacceptable and raises legitimate questions about the conduct of IDF personnel in the West Bank. Israel must do more to ensure that incidents like this never happen again,” said Harris in her official statement.
Harris acknowledged Israel’s preliminary investigation into the situation, which suggested that the death was the result of an accidental error by the IDF. “Israel’s preliminary investigation indicated it was the result of a tragic error for which the IDF is responsible. We will continue to press the government of Israel for answers and for continued access to the findings of the investigation so we can have confidence in the results. There must be full accountability,” she added.
In concluding her remarks, Harris made it clear that the US would hold any parties responsible for fueling violence in the West Bank accountable. “The United States will continue to hold accountable anyone in the West Bank — Israelis and Palestinians — who stokes violence and undermines peace and stability,” she emphasized.
The IDF, on Tuesday, shared the results of their internal investigation concerning the Friday incident, which resulted in Eygi’s death. According to their findings, it is believed that Eygi was unintentionally struck by stray gunfire that had not been aimed at her but was instead directed at a key figure in the riot.
The riot itself occurred at Beita Junction, where a large group of Palestinian protesters were involved in violent acts, including burning tires and throwing rocks at Israeli security forces.
President Joe Biden also weighed in on the tragedy. Initially, when asked about Eygi’s death, he responded, “Apparently, it was an accident, ricocheted off the ground, and just hit by accident. I’m working that out now.” However, by Wednesday, Biden issued a more pointed statement, expressing his condemnation of the event.
“I am outraged and deeply saddened by the death of Aysenur Eygi. Aysenur was a recent US college graduate. She was also an activist whose idealism led her to travel to the West Bank to peacefully protest the expansion of settlements. The shooting that led to her death is totally unacceptable,” Biden’s statement read.
Biden further commented on Israel’s role, saying, “Israel has acknowledged its responsibility for Aysenur’s death, and a preliminary investigation has indicated that it was the result of a tragic error resulting from an unnecessary escalation. The US government has had full access to Israel’s preliminary investigation and expects continued access as the investigation continues so that we can have confidence in the result. We will continue to stay in close contact with Israeli and Palestinian authorities regarding the circumstances that led to Aysenur’s death.”
Biden also underscored the importance of ensuring such incidents are prevented in the future, calling for accountability. “There must be full accountability. And Israel must do more to ensure that incidents like this never happen again,” he added.
Addressing the broader situation in the West Bank, Biden pointed to the ongoing cycle of violence and placed blame on both sides. “The violence in the West Bank has been going on for too long. Violent extremist Israeli settlers are uprooting Palestinians from their homes. Palestinian terrorists are sending car bombs to kill civilians. I will continue to support policies that hold all extremists – Israelis and Palestinians alike – accountable for stoking violence and serving as obstacles to peace,” Biden concluded.
{Matzav.com Israel}
By Rabbi Yair Hoffman What follows will probably be a rather controversial topic. The author invites comments because it may make for some serious differences in halachic observance. One such difference involves the many details in the Mitzvah of Sukkah. This article can be divided into three parts. The first part of this article is a social behavior observation that few people will find controversial. It involves whose view is followed. Part I ERETZ YISROEL OBSERVANCE Generally speaking, Torah observant Jews living in Eretz Yisroel observe one of three Tefach measurements: 1] Rav Chaim Na’eh zt”l 8.0 centimeters or 3.15 inches 2] The Chazon Ish zt”l 9.6 centimeters or 3.78 inches 3] A Combination 8.0 CM and 9.6 CM whichever is more stringent for each halachic topic. Very few Torah observant Jews living there, give significant weight to the view of Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l that the tefach is 3.54 inches or 9 centimeters. AMERICAN OBSERVANCE Many Torah observant Jews living in America considered Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l as the Posaik of America. As such, these different communities gave more weight to the view of Rav Feinstein than that of the two other Poskim. Of course, many communities also employed some sort of combination – mostly Rav Moshe and Rav Na’eh – whichever is more stringent for each halachic topic, or even all three views whichever is more stringent for each halachic topic. Part II Do we assume that the general population of Jews living in the time of the first Bais HaMikdash observed halacha? Most specifically, do we assume this to be true in terms of Tumah and Tahara? I would like to assume that most Torah observant Jews in both America and Eretz Yisroel would agree to that supposition. Next – Do we assume that the general population of Jews living in the time of the first Bais HaMikdash liked to save money? Let’s assume that they did. Most of us put away the milk container back into the refrigerator after we make our coffee in order to avoid bacterial contamination of the milk. Although there are debates between the Rambam and the Rash (not the Rosh) as to the nature of impurity when dealing with an opening less than a Tefach – the vast majority of commentaries understand that when the opening of a storage vessel is less than a tefach in width and length and thus circumference – the impurity is either prevented or limited in some way. It seems pretty clear that if the opening of the containers were larger than that of a Tefach – it would subject the contents of the containers to the dangers of becoming Tameh – spiritual contamination. Part III – The Archaeology A number of years ago, archaeologists measured the circumference of various ceramic containers during the time of Dovid HaMelech. They discovered that all of them – without exception – had openings between 3.48 and 3.53496 inches. See https://huji.org.ar/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Karasik-et-al-2020.pdf. This discovery is uncanny. The top figure is exactly that which Rav Moshe Feinstein zatzal says! Why this may be controversial is that some may argue that archaeology has no place in terms of the determination of halacha. Others of course argue with this idea – including some major Poskim of the last generation. Another issue is whether the […]
The Postal Service’s new delivery vehicles aren’t going to win a beauty contest. They’re tall and ungainly. The windshields are vast. Their hoods resemble a duck bill. Their bumpers are enormous. “You can tell that (the designers) didn’t have appearance in mind,” postal worker Avis Stonum said. Odd appearance aside, the first handful of Next Generation Delivery Vehicles that rolled onto postal routes in August in Athens are getting rave reviews from letter carriers accustomed to cantankerous older vehicles that lack modern safety features and are prone to breaking down — and even catching fire. Within a few years of the initial rollout, the fleet will have expanded to 60,000, most of them electric models, serving as the Postal Service’s primary delivery truck from Maine to Hawaii. Once fully deployed, they’ll represent one of the most visible signs of the agency’s 10-year, $40 billion transformation led by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who’s also renovating aging facilities, overhauling the processing and transportation network, and instituting other changes. The current postal vehicles — the Grumman Long Life Vehicle, dating to 1987 — have made good on their name, outlasting their projected 25-year lifespan. But they’re well overdue for replacement. Noisy and fuel-inefficient (9 mpg), the Grummans are costly to maintain. They’re scalding hot in the summer, with only an old-school electric fan to circulate air. They’re have mirrors mounted on them that when perfectly aligned allow the driver to see around the vehicle, but the mirrors constantly get knocked out of alignment. Alarmingly, nearly 100 of the vehicles caught fire last year, imperiling carriers and mail alike. The new trucks are being built with comfort, safety and utility in mind, by Oshkosh Defense in South Carolina. Even tall postal carriers can stand up without bonking their heads and walk from front to back to retrieve packages. For safety, they have airbags, 360-degree cameras, blind-spot monitoring, collision sensors and anti-lock brakes — all of which are missing on the Grummans. The new trucks also have a feature that became common in most cars more than six decades ago — air conditioning. And that’s key for drivers in the Deep South, the desert Southwest and other areas with scorching summers. “I promise you, it felt like heaven blowing in my face,” Stonum said of her first experience working in an air-conditioned truck. Richard Burton, another driver, said he appreciates the larger payload area, which can accommodate bigger packages, and the fact that he can stand up and doesn’t have to crouch, helping him avoid back pain. The old trucks also had a habit of breaking down in traffic, he added. Brian Renfroe, president of the National Letter Carriers Association, said union members are enthusiastic about the new vehicles, just as they were when the Grummans marked a leap forward from the previous vehicles, old-school Jeeps. He credited DeJoy with bringing a sense of urgency to get them into production. “We’re excited now to be at the point where they’re starting to hit the streets,” Renfroe said. The process got off to a rocky start. Environmentalists were outraged when DeJoy announced that 90% of the next-gen vehicles in the first order would be gas-powered. Lawsuits were filed demanding that the Postal Service further electrify its fleet of more than 200,000 vehicles to reduce tailpipe emissions. […]
President Biden briefly wore a red “Trump 2024” hat during a visit to a fire station in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday, sparking a mix of reactions from supporters and critics. “I’m proud of you now….” said the Trump supporter who handed Biden the hat, according to video obtained by conservative influencer Benny Johnson. Shortly after, Biden posed with a group of children donning pro-Donald Trump attire in a photo op at a Pennsylvania firehouse on Wednesday, September 11. The president appeared awkward as he stood in the middle of about 16 kids, many donning shirts in support of Trump. The White House acknowledged the incident, saying that Biden wore the hat “as a gesture” of bipartisanship, following his remarks on the country’s unity after 9/11. “At the Shanksville Fire Station, @POTUS spoke about the country’s bipartisan unity after 9/11 and said we needed to get back to that,” said White House senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates. However, supporters of the Republican nominee were less than convinced with that explanation, with the Trump War Room account posting, “Kamala did so bad in last night’s debate, Joe Biden just put on a Trump hat.” The incident occurred in Somerset County, a heavily Republican area, where Biden had earlier participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial to United Airlines Flight 93. Ironically, during Tuesday night’s debate, Trump mentioned sending a “MAGA” hat to Vice President Kamala Harris, saying, “Everything that she believed three years ago and four years ago is out the window. She’s going to my philosophy now.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
On Wednesday evening, the Hamas terror organization expressed its willingness to establish an “immediate” ceasefire with Israel in Gaza, citing an earlier proposal from the United States, according to Reuters. The Hamas terrorist group emphasized that it is ready to proceed without additional demands from any party.
In a public statement, Hamas disclosed that its negotiators, led by senior figure Khalil al-Hayya, held discussions with mediators on Wednesday. The talks involved Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and Egypt’s intelligence chief, Abbas Kamel, and took place in Doha.
A source familiar with the matter told Axios’ Barak Ravid that after the discussions in Doha, Qatari and Egyptian mediators sensed a possibility of introducing a fresh bridging proposal next week, crafted by the US, Qatar, and Egypt.
The United States has consistently pushed for a framework that includes both a ceasefire and the release of hostages, which President Joe Biden initially outlined in May. However, Hamas has repeatedly turned down every plan offered.
The Washington Post revealed last week that US officials have been collaborating with Egypt and Qatar to finalize a definitive “take it or leave it” agreement. Yet, on Saturday, the same newspaper reported that US representatives announced they had “indefinitely delayed” presenting the final proposal.
According to the Post, the latest challenge arose when Hamas unexpectedly demanded that Israel free high-profile terrorists in exchange for humanitarian prisoners.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, addressing the situation on Tuesday, minimized the pessimism surrounding a potential hostage deal. He mentioned that the US intends to put forward a new proposal “very soon.”
During a joint press conference in London with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Blinken was questioned about the ongoing talks regarding the ceasefire and hostage situation and whether the negotiations had reached an impasse. He was also asked if any guarantees could be provided to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the Philadelphi Corridor and whether Israel’s security would be maintained, even if Israeli forces were not stationed there.
“On the ceasefire, here’s what I can tell you: More than 90 percent of the issues have been agreed, decided. So we’re down to a handful of issues – not even a handful of issues – that are hard but fully resolvable, in our judgment. And as we’ve said before, when you get down to the last 10 percent, the last 10 meters, those are, almost by definition, the hardest ground to cover. But we believe that these are fully resolvable,” Blinken responded.
“Right now, we’re working intensely with our Egyptian and Qatari counterparts to work together to bridge any remaining gaps. And in the coming time, very soon, we’ll put that before the parties and we’ll see what they say,” he added.
{Matzav.com Israel}
The Pentagon announced on Thursday that the USS Theodore Roosevelt is returning to the US after arriving in the Middle East in July due to concerns over the Iranian threat to Israel in response to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. The Washington Post reported that the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, which arrived in the Gulf of Oman a few weeks ago, will remain in the area as a deterrent to Iran. U.S. commanders in the Middle East claim that “the presence of U.S. aircraft carriers and their accompanying warships is an effective deterrent in the Middle East,” especially against Iran. For several months earlier this year, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower was deployed in the Red Sea to assist Israel and serve as a deterrent against the Houthis. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Hamas issued an unexpected statement on Wednesday attributed to Yahya Sinwar, the group’s leader in Gaza, offering congratulations to Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on his disputed re-election.
In the announcement, Sinwar “congratulates President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on the renewed trust of the Algerian people in him as President of Algeria.” He emphasized “Tebboune’s support for the Palestinians” and linked his congratulations to what Hamas refers to as the “Al-Aqsa flood,” a reference to the deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
“Sinwar reiterates his appreciation of the Algerian role in supporting the Palestinian people and defending their rights in international forums,” the statement added. The reference to the October 7 attack in this diplomatic context indicates Hamas’ intention to keep this event central to its narrative, despite the severe consequences the conflict has had for the people of Gaza.
Since the outbreak of the war, Sinwar has only made one formal statement in October 2023, in which he offered an “immediate release of prisoners” in exchange for all Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. Israeli intelligence believes he is hiding in Gaza’s tunnel network to avoid targeted strikes.
This message also marks the first public statement since Sinwar assumed the role of head of Hamas’ political bureau, following the mysterious elimination of Ismail Haniyeh at the end of July.
{Matzav.com Israel}
Hamas has reaped at least half a billion dollars from humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip, according to a report by Channel 12 on Tuesday. Approximately 200 aid trucks enter Gaza daily, intended to provide relief to the civilian population. However, Channel 12’s Almog Boker reported that the terror group has turned this aid into a key revenue stream by seizing the supplies and selling them to the local population, using the profits to fund recruitment and operations. “It’s actually become the main oxygen pipeline for the terrorist organization,” Boker said, noting that Hamas has added 3,000 terrorists to its payroll in northern Gaza through these illicit profits. The revelation has sparked widespread condemnation in Israel from across the political spectrum, with public anger reignited following the murder of six Israeli hostages last week. Protest group Tzav 9 has led the charge against the Israeli government’s decision to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, arguing that aid is directly benefiting Hamas. “There is no logic in bringing the trucks directly to the hands of Hamas terrorists,” the group said in a statement. “No aid should go in until the last hostages return.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged Hamas’s exploitation of aid at a press conference on September 4, saying that while Israel has cut off other financial streams for Hamas, humanitarian aid remains a critical source of funds for the terror group. “We’re choking them. But there’s one thing they have, which is the distribution of food,” Netanyahu said. He accused Hamas of stealing aid, hoarding it, and selling it at inflated prices to Gazans. While Netanyahu promised that Israel would eventually cut off Hamas’s ability to profit from humanitarian aid, he did not provide a timeline for when this would happen. The Israeli government has faced pressure from the Biden administration to allow aid into Gaza. President Joe Biden had pledged that aid would stop if it fell into Hamas’s hands, but the U.S. continues to push for the flow of aid despite admitting that Hamas seizes a significant portion of it. On June 14, the U.S. State Department sanctioned Tzav 9, calling it “a violent extremist Israeli group” for blocking and damaging humanitarian convoys. The State Department stated that the aid is crucial to preventing further humanitarian crises in Gaza. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The United States and Britain pledged nearly $1.5 billion in additional aid to Ukraine on Wednesday during a visit to Kyiv by their top diplomats as Ukrainian officials renewed their pleas to use Western-provided missiles against targets deeper inside Russia. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced more than $700 million in humanitarian aid, while British Foreign Secretary David Lammy confirmed that his country would provide another $782 million in assistance and loan guarantees. Much of the effort was aimed at bolstering the energy grid that Russia has repeatedly pounded ahead of an expected difficult winter. Blinken and Lammy traveled together to the Ukrainian capital on a rare joint tour to underscore their commitment to the country in its war. Air-raid sirens sounded repeatedly during the visit, causing delays in their schedule and forcing them to cancel a wreath-laying ceremony. Blinken said he would bring the discussion with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the missiles “back to Washington to brief the president.” Blinken said U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will “no doubt” talk about the issue when they meet Friday in Washington. “Speaking for the United States, we have adjusted and adapted as needs have changed, as the battlefield has changed. And I have no doubt that we’ll continue to do that as this evolves,” Blinken told a news conference. The diplomatic visit unfolded as Russia’s bigger and better-equipped army bears down on Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region and conducts aerial attacks on cities across the country using missiles, glide bombs and drones that claim many civilian casualties. Lammy said the 2 1/2-year conflict is at a “critical” juncture following Ukraine’s daring incursion last month into Russia’s Kursk region. “We convey the deepest condolences for the shocking attacks that we have seen, over the loss of civilian life, particularly women and children — horrific, barbaric, unbelievable,” Lammy said. But relations between Ukraine and its Western partners have been increasingly strained by Kyiv’s repeated appeals for the West’s authorization to use long-range weapons from the United States and other allies to strike targets deeper inside Russia. That issue took on added urgency after Russia’s latest reported acquisition of ballistic missiles from Iran, but Western leaders have so far balked at Ukraine’s request, fearing that, if granted, it could escalate the war. Biden has allowed Ukraine to fire U.S.-provided missiles across the border into Russia in self-defense, but has largely limited the distance they can be fired. Zelenskyy said he hoped for changes to those limitations. “Let’s count on some strong decisions, at least,” he said. “For us, it’s very important.” He said he hoped to speak to Biden later this month, noting that U.S. military and financial support is crucial. “We rely heavily on it, and frankly, we can’t prevail without it,” Zelenskyy said. However, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin last week pushed back on the idea that long-range strikes would be a game-changer. “I don’t believe one capability is going to be decisive, and I stand by that comment,” Austin said at a meeting of allied military leaders in Germany. The Ukrainians have other means to strike long-range targets, he added. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told Lammy he hoped an agreement on using long-range assets “for strikes on the territory of our enemy” could be […]
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