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A reservist in the Israel Defense Forces was seriously wounded on Wednesday after Hezbollah and Hamas terrorists fired dozens of rockets and anti-tank missiles at a kibbutz in the Upper Galil.

“A reserve soldier serving in the town’s security department was seriously wounded as the result of an anti-missile strike in the Dan area. The soldier was taken to a hospital for medical treatment,” the IDF said.

Chaifa’s Rambam Medical Center said the 39-year-old victim suffered a chest wound from missile shrapnel. “After undergoing a series of tests, the patient is currently being taken to the operating room. His condition is classified as serious,” a hospital spokesperson said in a statement.

According to the IDF, Lebanese terrorists launched some 60 missiles at the Jewish state within one hour on Wednesday afternoon. At least some of the projectiles were launched by the Lebanese branch of Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades “military” wing, the terror organization announced.

In response, IDF artillery and attack drones hit terror targets in Southern Lebanon, the military announced in a post on X.

“A force of the [IDF’s 810th] ‘Mountain Brigade’ identified and attacked an observation post of the terrorist organization Hezbollah in the Shuba area of Southern Lebanon,” the army said.

Meanwhile, Lebanese media reported that an Israeli drone launched an attack on a motorcycle in the Tyre area. One Hezbollah terror operative was killed in the aerial attack, according to the local reports.

Earlier on Tuesday, the IDF said that an Israeli Air Force aircraft killed two Hezbollah terror operatives in Southern Lebanon’s Mis al-Jabal area. In addition, IAF fighter jets struck rocket launchers in the border town of Marwahin and in Rachaya Al Foukhar, the statement confirmed.

At the same time, IDF artillery targeted Hezbollah terror infrastructure in the areas of Naqoura and Aita al-Shaab in Southern Lebanon.

Iran-backed Hezbollah has attacked Israel nearly daily since Oct. 8, firing thousands of rockets, missiles and drones across the border. It has killed more than 40 people and caused widespread damage. Tens of thousands of Israelis remain internally displaced due to the violence.

Two IDF soldiers were lightly wounded when Hezbollah suicide drones landed on Monday near the western Galil border town of Shlomi.

The terror group took responsibility for at least six attacks on Monday, including a drone attack that hit a residential building in Nahariya. Two homes were damaged; no casualties were reported in the incident.

Overnight on Tuesday, IAF jets attacked 30 or so terror targets, including launchers and “military” infrastructure, throughout Southern Lebanon.

Following a situational assessment with the IDF’s General Staff Forum on Monday, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi stressed that the military is “ready for any mission that will be required” by the political echelon.

“The IDF operates strongly in the north and is at a high level of readiness with prepared operational plans,” he said, adding that the Hezbollah attack on the Nahariya high-rise was “a serious incident.”

August was the most intense month in the conflict between the IDF and Hezbollah so far, with more than 1,300 attacks on the Jewish state.

Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s deputy secretary-general, has warned Yerushalayim against expanding its operations against the terror group.

“War with Hezbollah does not return the displaced; it increases their numbers,” the top terrorist told local media. “If we face a war, we will respond with an even harsher one, and we will not abandon the field.”

(JNS)

ABC News moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis dedicated their Tuesday evening to scrutinizing former President Donald Trump’s statements while essentially giving Vice President Kamala Harris a pass. Throughout the night, Muir and Davis challenged Trump on a range of issues, including abortion, the situation with migrants in Ohio, crime rates, the 2020 election, the January 6th events, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Trump was confronted multiple times by Muir and Davis over his denials of established facts, while Harris’s statements were left largely unchallenged. NPR defended the lack of scrutiny toward Harris, asserting that the reason for the extensive fact-checking was not indicative of bias but rather due to the numerous falsehoods in Trump’s comments.

WATCH:

Here are some examples where Muir and/or Davis fact-checked Trump or clarified his statements:

Abortion

When questioned about why women should trust him on abortion, Trump gave an extended response.

“They [Democrats] even have, and you can look at the governor of West Virginia, the previous governor of West Virginia, not the current governor, who’s doing an excellent job, but the governor before,” Trump said, confusing West Virginia with former Virginia Democrat Governor Terry McAuliffe.

“He said the baby will be born and we will decide what to do with the baby. In other words, we’ll execute the baby.

“And her vice presidential pick [Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz], which I think was a horrible pick, by the way, for our country, because he is really out of it. But her vice-presidential pick says abortion in the ninth month is absolutely fine. He also says execution after birth – it’s execution, no longer abortion, because the baby is born, is OK.

“And that’s not OK with me.”

Davis responded: “There is no state in this country where it is legal to kill a baby after it’s born.”

However, it was Davis who was mistaken in her challenge on behalf of Harris. In 2019, Senate Democrats blocked the Born-Alive Survivors Protection Act, with only three of the 50 Senate Democrats supporting healthcare for babies born after a failed abortion.

Migrants in Springfield, Ohio

Trump claimed that migrants in Springfield were “eating the dogs. The people that came in. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating — they’re eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame.”

Muir promptly clarified: “I just want to clarify here, you bring up Springfield, Ohio. And ABC News did reach out to the city manager there. He told us there have been no credible reports of specific claims of pets being harmed, injured, or abused by individuals within the immigrant community.”

When Trump asserted he had seen reports on TV about migrants eating pets, Muir responded: “I’m not taking this from television. I’m taking it from the city manager.”

Trump countered: “Maybe he said that, and maybe that’s a good thing to say for a city manager, but the people on television are saying the dog was eaten by the people that went there.”

“Again the city manager said there was no evidence,” Muir retorted.

“We’ll find out,” Trump replied with a defiant nod.

Crime

Trump claimed that crime “in this country is through the roof. And we have a new form of crime. It’s called migrant crime. And it’s happening at levels that nobody thought possible.”

Muir answered: “President Trump, as you know, the FBI says overall violent crime is coming down in this country.”

Trump responded, “Excuse me, the FBI defrauded” Americans.

“They were defrauding statements,” Trump insisted.

2020 Election

When asked if Trump conceded losing the 2020 election, he explained, “I said that sarcastically. You know that. It was said, ‘Oh, we lost by a whisker.’ That was said sarcastically.”

“I did watch all of these pieces of video,” Muir replied. “I didn’t detect the sarcasm.”

Trump reiterated his stance that the election was not conducted fairly, arguing that his legal challenges were dismissed on a technicality of “lack of standing” rather than a lack of evidence.

Jan. 6 and Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Regarding January 6, 2021, Trump claimed Pelosi had rejected his request for 10,000 National Guard troops. Muir responded: “The question was about you as president, not about former Speaker Pelosi.”

Ukraine-Russia War

Muir asked Trump twice if he thought it was in the U.S.’s best interest for Ukraine to prevail in the war. Trump replied: “I think it’s in the U.S. best interest to get this war finished and just get it done; all right? Negotiate a deal, because we have to stop all of these human lives from being destroyed.”

Muir and Davis did not correct Harris when she claimed Trump had referred to “very fine people” on both sides of the Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally in 2017, where white supremacists and Neo-Nazis were present. In reality, Trump was addressing people protesting the removal of a Gen. Robert E. Lee statue.

The moderators also failed to correct Harris’s erroneous statement that Trump was connected to Project 2025. “Number one, I have nothing to do, as you know, and as she knows better than anyone, I have nothing to do with Project 2025,” Trump said. “That’s out there. I haven’t read it. I don’t want to read it, purposely. I’m not going to read it.”

Harris was also not corrected for her false claim that no U.S. troops are currently in combat zones, despite their deployment in Iraq and Syria.

Harris’s mischaracterization of Trump’s comments on potential post-election violence and his stance on IVF was also left unchallenged. “Excuse me, I have to respond: Another lie; it’s another lie,” Trump interjected. “I have been a leader on IVF which is fertilization.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday presented Congress’ highest honor — the Congressional Gold Medal — to 13 U.S. service members who were killed during the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, even as the politics of a presidential election swirled around the event. Both Democrats and Republicans supported the legislation to posthumously honor the 13 U.S. troops, who were killed along with more than 170 Afghans in a suicide bombing at the Abbey Gate at Kabul’s Airport in August 2021. President Joe Biden signed the legislation in December 2021. On Tuesday, the top Republican and Democratic leaders for both the House and Senate spoke at a somber ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda, hailing the lives and sacrifices of the service members. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called on the lawmakers gathered to “ensure the sacrifices of all our servicemembers were not in vain.” “We must care for them and their families and defend the values of freedom and democracy they so nobly fought for,” Schumer, a New York Democrat, said. But rather than a unifying moment, the event took place against the backdrop of a bitter back-and-forth over who is to blame for the rushed and deadly evacuation from Kabul. Johnson, a Louisiana Republican and ally of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, scheduled the ceremony just hours before the first debate between Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris. “They lost their lives because of this administration’s catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan,” Johnson said at a news conference minutes before the ceremony. Then as the speaker opened the ceremony, he took another jab at how the Biden administration has defended its handling of the final months of America’s longest war. “To the families who are here, I know many of you have yet to hear these words, so I will say them: we are sorry,” Johnson said. “The United States government should have done everything to protect our troops, those fallen and wounded at Abbey Gate deserved our best efforts, and the families who have been left to pick up the pieces continue to deserve transparency, appreciation and recognition.” Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee also released a scathing investigation on Sunday into the withdrawal that cast blame on Biden’s administration and minimized the role of Trump, who had signed the withdrawal deal with the Taliban. White House national security spokesman John Kirby on Monday criticized the House report as partisan and one-sided and said it revealed little new information as well as contained several inaccuracies. He noted that evacuation plans had started well before the pullout and the fall of Kabul “moved a lot faster than anyone could have anticipated.” He also acknowledged that during the evacuation “not everything went according to plan. Nothing ever does.” “We hold ourselves all accountable for that,” he said of the deaths. Top military and White House officials attended the ceremony Tuesday, including Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough and Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr. the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Pentagon reviews have concluded that the suicide bombing was not preventable, and that suggestions troops may have seen the would-be bomber were not true. Regardless, Trump has thrust the withdrawal, with the backing from some of the families of the Americans killed, into the center of his campaign. Last month, his […]

President Joe Biden says there was no question who won Tuesday’s presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

“Wasn’t even close,” he wrote in a post on X.

The 81-year-old ostensibly handed the baton to his vice president after a disastrous performance in a debate against Trump in June called into question his cognitive abilities.

According to a CNN snap poll, 63 percent of those watching the Philadelphia debate thought Harris had come out on top.

“America got to see tonight the leader I’ve been proud to work alongside for three and a half years. Wasn’t even close,” Biden wrote. “VP Harris proved she’s the best choice to lead our nation forward. We’re not going back.”

{Matzav.com}

Former President George W. Bush outlines for the first time in a new documentary how events unfolded for him following the 9-11 attacks. In the National Geographic Channel special, “George W. Bush: The 9-11 Interview,” the former President talks about the chaotic moments after the attacks and the reasoning behind decisions he made that day. Bush reflects on being told about the attacks while visiting schoolchildren in Florida and the difficulty in getting accurate information in what he calls “the fog of war.”  He also talks about returning to the White House to address Americans in the hours after the terrorist attacks. Fearing a possible psychological boost for al-Qaeda, Bush said he, quote, “damn sure wasn’t going to give it from a bunker in Nebraska.” The former President recalls the emotional visit to Ground Zero just three days after the World Trade Center Towers were destroyed. He describes “a palpable bloodlust” among workers in the ruins who were encouraging him to retaliate against those behind the attacks.

On Wednesday the IDF announced that Staff Sergeant Geri Gideon Hanghal was killed in the truck ramming attack earlier in the day at the Givat Asaf Junction in the Binyamin region.

Hanghal, from Nof HaGalil, was 24 years old. He served in the 90th Battalion (“Nahshon”) of the Kfir Brigade.

The terror attack happened when the driver of a large gas tanker truck smashed into a bus stop.  The terrorist was identified as Ail Deif Allah, age 58, a resident of the village of Rafat, southwest of Ramallah.

{Matzav.com}

First came space tourism. Now comes an even bigger thrill for the monied masses: spacewalking. The stage is set for the first private spacewalk Thursday. Tech billionaire Jared Isaacman will pop out of the hatch of his orbiting SpaceX capsule, two days after blasting off from Florida on a chartered flight that lifted him and his crew higher than anyone since NASA’s moonwalkers. He partnered with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to buy a series of rocket rides and help develop brand new spacesuits. SpaceX is the first private company to attempt a spacewalk, until now the domain of just 12 countries. There’s a reason why it’s such a niche and elite group: Spacewalking is considered the most dangerous part of any flight after launch and reentry, and demands extensive training. “Spacewalks are a whole different entire ballgame than just strapping into a rocket and riding it, getting some zero-g time and coming back,” said retired NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy. Cassidy knows firsthand about the dangers of spacewalking: He was working outside the International Space Station in 2013 when his partner, Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano, almost drowned. Parmitano’s helmet filled with water from his cooling garment, and he barely made it back inside in time. Another 30 minutes that day and “the answer might be different,” Cassidy said. Cassidy worries there’s “a slippery slope” where the wealthy could try to jump to the front of a spacewalking line with minimal training. Risk and disaster analyst Ilan Kelman of University College London said it’s “appropriate and inevitable” that non-professionals will end up performing spacewalks. But he anticipates fatalities along the way. “We can and should do plenty to reduce the risk,” said Kelman. “We must be entirely honest with anyone participating, especially the low chance of rescue when something major goes wrong.” This spacewalk attempt won’t be like what routinely happens at the International Space Station where astronauts float out to do repairs. Isaacman and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis will venture just barely outside the capsule as they soar about 450 miles (more than 700 kilometers) above Earth. Their orbit was initially twice that high, but reduced for the spacewalk. Besides being new to spacewalking, the crew of four will test suits fresh off the factory floor. All will be exposed to the vacuum of space since the Dragon capsule, unlike larger space vehicles, lacks an airlock. For Isaacman, throwing away the cabin atmosphere and then restoring it is the riskiest part of the endeavor. “You can’t afford to get anything wrong along that journey or you sidetrack it,” Isaacman said. “We’re going out just long enough to do what we need to do to get the data.” The bulk of their training over the past two years has focused on the spacewalk, the highlight of their planned five-day flight. SpaceX put considerable preparation and testing into the capsule and suits, said SpaceX’s Bill Gerstenmaier, a former NASA manager. For safety, Isaacman and Gillis will always keep a foot or hand on the capsule or the ladder-like support that they’ll position above the hatch. They will be tethered to 12-foot (3.6-meter) lines, but there will be no dangling at the end of them. The duo will take turns emerging from the hatch, each spending 15 to 20 minutes outside as they flex […]

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu on Tuesday established a new forum for managing the war effort with seven members including himself. The new forum comes some three months after, following the exit from the unity government of National Unity Party leader Benny Gantz, the premier dissolved the War Cabinet set up after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack

Discussions on the war have continued to take place in a small forum that includes Netanyahu and three other former War Cabinet members.

The ministers participating in the new forum are Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Shas Party Chairman Aryeh Deri, Foreign Minister Israel Katz, Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Notably absent is National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. A source told Kan News political reporter Michael Shemesh that Netanyahu snubbed Ben-Gvir in favor of Smotrich because he trusts the Religious Zionism Party head not to leak information from the meetings and he wants to try to convince Smotrich to support an agreement to free the hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The ministers will receive security briefings from Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and other senior members of the security establishment as the war against Hamas in Gaza nears its first anniversary and other fronts opened by Iran’s regional terrorist proxies remain volatile, especially Hezbollah in the north, but also in Judea and Samaria. JNS

{Matzav.com Israel}

Former President Donald Trump lashed out at ABC News, accusing the network of rigging Tuesday’s presidential debate and labeling it a “dishonest news organization.” In an early morning call to Fox & Friends on Wednesday, Trump expressed frustration with the moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis, accusing them of unfairly fact-checking his arguments while giving Vice President Kamala Harris a pass. “It was 3-to-1, it was a rigged deal as I assumed it would be,” Trump told Fox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade when asked about his debate performance, which has been widely panned, including by conservative pundits. Trump argued that the moderators focused on correcting him while ignoring inaccuracies from Harris. “Every time I spoke and my stuff was right, they would correct [me],” Trump said, adding that he felt Harris was not held to the same standard. Trump also criticized what he described as a media bias in favor of Harris, claiming the press had consistently provided her with favorable coverage. “When you looked at the fact they were correcting everything and not correcting with her… the press is so dishonest in this country it’s amazing,” he said. He pointed to several instances, such as his remarks on Charlottesville, that he claimed were wrongly fact-checked by ABC News. Despite his grievances, Trump insisted that he performed well under the circumstances. “I thought I did a great job. It was 3-on-1,” he said, referencing the moderators and Harris. “That’s okay, I have had worse odds in my life. I have had it before. But never so obvious.” Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) didn’t mince words when describing former President Donald Trump’s performance in Tuesday night’s presidential debate, calling it a “disaster.” Speaking to The Bulwark’s Tim Miller in the post-debate spin room, Graham expressed disappointment in Trump’s preparation and suggested the former president fire his debate team. “He appeared unprepared,” Graham said, echoing the sentiments of commentators across the political spectrum, many of whom declared Vice President Kamala Harris the clear winner of the debate in Philadelphia. Trump, known for his sharp exchanges, struggled to land his usual blows as Harris baited him into defensive responses, leading many to question his debate strategy. Graham was not alone in his criticism. Fox News senior political analyst Brit Hume also weighed in, saying, “Let’s make no mistake. Trump had a bad night. We just heard so many of the old grievances that we all know aren’t winners politically.” A voter panel on Fox News overwhelmingly declared Vice President Kamala Harris the winner of the debate, criticizing former President Donald Trump for what many saw as a lack of strategy in his performance. The debate, which marked the first face-off between Harris and Trump, came just under two months before election day. According to a focus group conducted by Fox News Digital, a majority of voters—12 out of 17—felt that Harris outperformed Trump. The panel, which included Democrats, Independents, and Republicans, largely pointed to Trump’s struggle to land new attacks on Harris, as well as his reliance on familiar rhetoric from past campaigns. “Trump was so bad, he’s just like an old suit from like 1987 right now. He just repeats himself,” one participant said, capturing the frustration of several voters who accused Trump of failing to adapt to a new political opponent. […]

The adopted son of Rabbi Moshe Azman, the Rav of Kyiv’s Brodsky shul and Ukraine’s chief rabbi, has lost his life in combat against Russian forces. Rabbi Azman announced the devastating news on Twitter, saying that a levaya would be held for his son, Matityahu (Anton) Samborski hy”d, at the Central Synagogue. Samborski, whom Rabbi Azman adopted in 2002 at the age of 11, had been officially listed as missing in action in late July. In an earlier Facebook post, Rabbi Azman shared that he had given his son the Hebrew name Matityahu, in honor of Yehuda HaMaccabee.

When vice presidential candidate Tim Walz exclaimed, “Ope,” at a recent rally, he made millions aware of a seemingly Midwestern word for oops. It is one of dozens of regional U.S. sayings, phrases and colloquialisms that make sense in one part of the country but might leave visitors scratching their heads. Read on for a fun, coast-to-coast trip on how Americans refer to everyday things using different words, phrases and slang. The origin of regional US sayings, expressions and words Regional slang and expressions often encompass colloquialisms, idioms and dialects unique to specific areas. For instance, how Americans use plural second-person pronouns varies across the country. These linguistic characteristics are influenced by history, culture and geography, leading to regional variations. “Y’all” is commonly used in the South and “you-all” can be heard in Kentucky and parts of Florida. The phrase “you guys” is prevalent in the Northeast and you’ll hear “yinz” in Western Pennsylvania, in and around Pittsburgh. Need to express that something was awesome? In New England, you would say, “wicked,” and on the West Coast you might exclaim, “gnarly.” If something is considered delicious in Hawaii, you would add “ono” to your sentence. And in the Midwest, if something is messed up or askew, you might use the term “cattywampus.” Regional phrases for food and drink When it comes to the different sayings Americans use to describe the same things, local brands and businesses may have influenced the terms people use. This is especially true when it comes to regional terms for food. Take soda versus pop versus Coke. “There are different regional names for fizzy drinks,” explained Grant Barrett, linguist, lexicographer and co-host of “A Way with Words,” the national radio show about language. Most Midwesterners call it pop, he explains, but an area in and around St. Louis, Missouri, calls it soda – not pop – because a soda bottling company used the term to advertise their business. “Likewise, you’ll find that Coke is the generic term used in the South because Coca-Cola is based in Atlanta.” There is a similar business connection to the Boston word for a carbonated drink. For years, New Englanders used the regional term tonic. Technically, a tonic is something you drink to make yourself feel better. In Massachusetts, a company invented a tonic – a drink with supposed medicinal qualities – with the brand name Moxie. Surprisingly, the term tonic stuck and not Moxie as a generic word like Coke is in the South. Other regional food sayings Sodas aren’t the only food products with regional name variations. This was something that Sage Scott learned when she moved to the Midwest for college and had to start asking for pop. Also, Scott always called a supper baked in a glass or ceramic dish that you might bring to a potluck a casserole. Then she learned about the term “hotdish.” “Hotdish isn’t a warning about burning yourself as you prepare to fill your plate with food but a generic term for casserole,” explained Scott, who writes the Everyday Wanderer blog. When craving a sandwich on a long, baguette-like bun filled with meat, cheese and vegetables, would you order a hoagie, sub, hero or grinder? The convenience store chain Wawa, headquartered near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, sells hoagies at its branches in the mid-Atlantic and Florida. Jersey Mike’s and […]

Sky News presenter Belle Donati has parted ways with the Comcast-owned broadcaster following a controversial comparison made during an interview with Israeli UN ambassador Danny Danon, where she likened Israel’s military actions in Gaza to the Holocaust.

In the interview, Donati examined some of Danon’s public comments and writings regarding the Swords of Iron conflict, asserting that one of his statements advocated for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza. Danon countered this claim, clarifying that his writings had only referred to voluntary emigration.

Donati then remarked, “The sort of voluntary relocation of many Jewish people during the Holocaust, I imagine.”

Danon immediately condemned her comments on air, calling them “pure antisemitism.” He later took to social media, posting a letter in which he demanded an apology from both Donati and Sky News.

The network quickly issued an apology, delivering an on-air statement: “In an interview earlier today with Israeli politician Danny Danon, a Sky News presenter made a comparison between Mr Danon’s comments on Israel’s war with Hamas and the treatment of Jewish people in the Holocaust.”

They continued: “Sky News recognized the complete inappropriateness of this comparison and the offensive nature of those comments. Sky News would like to apologize unreservedly for the comparison and to Mr Danon personally for making the comparison.”

{Matzav.com}

The IDF announced on Wednesday evening that an IDF soldier was killed in the ramming attack near Beit El in Binyamin on Wednesday morning. He was identified as Staff Sgt. Geri Gideon Hanghal, H’yd, 24, from Nof HaGalil. He served in the Nachshon Battalion of the Kfir Brigade. The terrorist who committed the horrific attack, ramming a fuel tanker into a bus stop, was shot and neutralized by a civilian and IDF soldiers. He survived the shooting and was evacuated, fully conscious to Shaare Tzedek Hospital, where he is now being treated by Israeli medical staff. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

A man about 20 years old was critically wounded in a terrorist truck-ramming attack near the Jewish community of Beit El in Samaria on Wednesday morning.

Magen David Adom said that its medics and paramedics were treating the wounded pedestrian on the scene after he was hit by the truck near the Givat Assaf Junction. The vehicle was a gas tanker that smashed into a bus stop, the MDA said, adding that he was found unconscious with multiple systemic injuries.

The Israel Defense Forces said that the terrorist was neutralized on the spot and that soldiers were manning road blocks in the area. He was named as Ail Deif Allah, 58, a resident of the Palestinian village of Rafat, southwest of Ramallah.

The terrorist was evacuated in serious condition to Hadassah Medical Center on Mount Scopus in Jerusalem.

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu paid a visit to the Jordan Valley on Wednesday amid a sharp rise in terrorism throughout Judea and Samaria, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

On Monday, Israeli security forces arrested three members of a Palestinian terrorist cell that planned to attack Israelis “in the immediate time frame.”

Police arrested one of the suspects after pulling him over on the busy Route 6 highway near the Horeshim interchange.

The interchange is located near several cities in Israel’s densely-populated coastal plain.

After Shin Bet officers questioned the suspects, security forces arrested two more members of the terrorist squad at their homes in Bani Na’im, a Palestinian town some five miles east of Hebron in Judea.

A day earlier, three Israeli security guards at the Allenby Bridge crossing in the Jordan Valley were killed in a terrorist shooting.

The victims were named as Yohanan Shchori, 61, a father of six from Ma’ale Efraim; Yuri Birnbaum, 65, from Moshav Na’ama north of Jericho; and Adrian Marcelo Podsmeser, from the city of Ariel in Samaria.

On Sept. 1, three Israeli police officers were killed in a drive-by shooting near the Tarqumiya checkpoint, some 7.5 miles northwest of Hebron in Judea.

They were identified as Ch. Insp. Arik Ben Eliyahu, 37, from Kiryat Gat, who is survived by his wife and three children; Command Sgt. Maj. Hadas Branch, 53, from Moshav Sde Moshe, who is survived by her husband, three children and granddaughter; and 1st Sgt. Roni Shakuri, 61, from Sderot, who is survived by his wife, daughter and granddaughter.

Shakuri’s other daughter, 1st Sgt. Mor Shakuri, 29, was killed in Sderot on Oct. 7 while fighting Hamas terrorists attempting to take control of the city’s police station. JNS

{Matzav.com Israel}

The post-pandemic spike in U.S. inflation eased further last month as year-over-year price increases reached a three-year low, clearing the way for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates next week. Wednesday’s report from the Labor Department showed that consumer prices rose 2.5% in August from a year earlier, down from 2.9% in July. It was the fifth straight annual drop and the smallest such increase since February 2021. From July to August, prices rose just 0.2%. Excluding volatile food and energy costs, so-called core prices rose 3.2% in August from a year ago, the same as in July. On a month-to-month basis, core prices rose 0.3% last month, a slight pickup from July’s 0.2% increase. Economists closely watch core prices, which typically provide a better read of future inflation trends. For months, cooling inflation has provided gradual relief to America’s consumers, who were stung by the price surges that erupted three years ago, particularly for food, gas, rent and other necessities. Inflation peaked in mid-2022 at 9.1%, the highest rate in four decades. A key reason for last month’s drop in overall inflation was the third decline in gas prices in the past four months: Average gas prices fell 0.6% from July to August and are down 10.6% from a year ago. Used cars fell 1% last month. Measured from a year earlier, used car prices have tumbled 10.4%. Grocery prices were unchanged from July to August, extending a cooling in food costs even though they remain much higher than they were three years ago. Over the past year, grocery prices have ticked up just 0.9%, similar to the pace of pre-pandemic food inflation. Federal Reserve officials have signaled that they’re increasingly confident that inflation is falling back to their 2% target and are now shifting their focus to supporting the job market, which is steadily cooling. As a result, the policymakers are poised to begin cutting their benchmark interest rate from its 23-year high in hopes of bolstering growth and hiring. A modest quarter-point cut is widely expected next week. Over time, a series of rate cuts should reduce the cost of borrowing across the economy, including for mortgages, auto loans and credit cards. The latest inflation figures could inject themselves into the presidential race in its final weeks. Former President Donald Trump has heaped blame on Vice President Kamala Harris for the jump in inflation, which erupted in early 2021 as global supply chains seized up, causing severe shortages of parts and labor. Harris has proposed subsidies for home buyers and builders in an effort to ease housing costs and backs a federal ban on price-gouging for groceries. Trump has said he would boost energy production to try to reduce overall inflation. Still, the cost of rents and housing rose faster from July to August than they had the previous month, a big reason why core inflation ticked up. Fed officials, who are watching housing costs closely, expect them to cool more consistently in the coming months. According to the real estate brokerage Redfin, the median rent for a new lease rose just 0.9% in August from a year earlier, to $1,645 a month. But the government’s measure includes all rents, including those for people who have been in their apartments for months or years. It takes […]

Two Israel Defense Forces soldiers were killed and seven were wounded, all of them seriously, when an Air Force helicopter crashed in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday night.

The fatalities were named as Sgt. Maj. (res.) Daniel Alloush, 37, from Tel Aviv, and Sgt. Maj. (res.) Tom Ish-Shalom, 38, from Moshav Nes Harim.

Both served in the Israeli Air Force’s elite Unit 669.

According to a preliminary military probe, the UH-60 Black Hawk crashed en route to Rafah to bring a medical team to evacuate a seriously wounded soldier.

“It appears that the crash was not caused by enemy fire, and the cause is still being investigated,” the IDF said.

There have been no changes to IAF activities over the Gaza Strip.

The death toll among Israeli troops since the start of the IDF ground incursion in Gaza on Oct. 27 now stands at 340, and at 706 on all fronts since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 massacre, according to official military data.

Additionally, Chief Inspector Arnon Zamora, a member of the Border Police’s Yamam National Counter-Terrorism Unit, was fatally wounded during a hostage-rescue mission in Gaza in June, and civilian defense contractor Liron Yitzhak was mortally wounded in May. JNS

{Matzav.com Israel}

Hours after meeting in person for the first time, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump crossed paths again as they attended commemoration events this morning marking the 23rd anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

WATCH:

In a moving ceremony held this week (Sunday) at MDA’s headquarters in Ramla, a mobile intensive care unit MICU and five new ambulances dedicated to the memory of MDA volunteers who fell during the “Iron Swords” war were inaugurated. An anonymous donor made the generous donation with the assistance of Israeli Friends Association of MDA. Each ambulance and MICU has the name of a fallen volunteer inscribed on it to commemorate their memory and continue the life-saving legacy they lived by. The ceremony, led by MDA volunteer Miri Bohadana, was attended by the bereaved families. These six ambulances join 29 ambulances donated in recent months, each commemorating one of the 29 MDA employees and volunteers who fell, totaling 35 ambulances dedicated to the memory of 35 MDA staff and volunteers who have fallen from October 7th until today. Here are the names of the MDA volunteers who fell and in whose memory the new ambulances or intensive care units were dedicated:   IDF soldier and MDA volunteer, Sergeant Major (Res.) Omer Smadga, 25, from Ganot Hadar, who fell in combat in the Netzarim corridor in the central Gaza Strip on June 20, 2024. Omer began his journey with MDA as a youth volunteer at the Netanya MDA station in 2015 and saved many lives during his shifts in ambulances. He also contributed significantly to COVID-19 testing activities and assisted Covid-positive patients during the pandemic that began in Israel in 2020.   MDA volunteer Michel Nisenbaum, 59, volunteered with MDA since 2015 in the Tzochar – Ofakim region. On the morning of October 7, he left his home to rescue his 4-year-old granddaughter who was at the Re’im base with her father, a career officer in the Gaza Division. After a few minutes, contact with Michel was lost. His family later saw a video released by Hamas showing his driver’s license, MDA volunteer ID, and other documents. Michel was initially listed as missing and later reported to have been abducted to Gaza. His body was recovered by IDF forces from Gaza.   IDF soldier and MDA trainee-volunteer, Staff Sergeant (Res.) Moti Rave, 37, fell in combat in Rafah on July 25, 2024, during an operational activity in the sector. The day after his death, before news of his death was released for publication, a ceremony was held for the completion of Stage 1 of MDA’s paramedic course, during which Moti was supposed to receive his certificate. During the ceremony, MDA received a request to send an ambulance to deliver the sad news to his family. MDA staff were dispatched immediately, and only later did his course mates and MDA teams in the South Hebron Hills realize they were going to his home and that Moti had fallen in battle. At the ambulance dedication ceremony, Moti’s family received his EMT course completion certificate.   MDA volunteer Lior Rudaeff, 61, from Nir Yitzhak, began his journey with MDA over 20 years ago. He fell on October 7 and his body was abducted to Gaza. Lior operated an MDA ambulance and provided medical services to residents of the kibbutz and surrounding communities. He was also a safety and traffic officer and a very prominent figure in the community. Over the years, he saved many lives, including treating casualties under fire on the day of […]

An IDF reservist was severely injured in a Hezbollah anti-tank missile strike on Kibbutz Dan in northern Israel on Wednesday afternoon. No siren was sounded before the impact. IDF and emergency forces rushed to the scene and evacuated the victim to the hospital. The IDF responded with artillery fire at southern Lebanon. Earlier on Wednesday, the IDF eliminated a Hezbollah terrorist and wounded a second one in a drone strike in southern Lebanon. More than 60 rockets have been fired into Israel so far today. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken sought to temper negative expectations about the likelihood of a deal to release hostages, indicating that the United States will be putting forward a new plan “very soon.”

During a press briefing in London alongside British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Blinken responded to questions about whether negotiations for a ceasefire and a hostage agreement had reached an impasse. He was also asked if he could offer any guarantees to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the Philadelphi Corridor and whether Israel’s security would be ensured, even if Israeli forces were no longer stationed there.

“As for the ceasefire, here’s what I can tell you: Over 90 percent of the points have been settled. So we’re left with just a small number of issues – not even a full handful – that are tough but, in our view, entirely solvable. And as we’ve mentioned before, when you get to the final 10 percent, the last bit, that’s often the most difficult stretch to overcome. However, we are confident these matters can be resolved,” Blinken said.

“Right now, we are working closely with our counterparts in Egypt and Qatar to try to close any remaining gaps. Soon, we will bring this proposal to the involved parties, and we’ll see their response,” he continued.

“There’s a clear, shared interest across the region in concluding this ceasefire,” Blinken added. “It’s obviously in Israel’s interest to bring its hostages back. It’s also in its interest to ease tensions in Gaza. It could potentially provide opportunities to de-escalate the situation in the north with Hezbollah and Lebanon, something that a Gaza ceasefire would help facilitate. It’s also beneficial in terms of stabilizing the Red Sea region with the Houthis. And, crucially, it could open doors that might significantly impact Israel’s long-term security, including the possibility of normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia.”

Last week, The Washington Post revealed that the U.S. has been in discussions with Egypt and Qatar to finalize what’s described as a “take it or leave it” agreement.

However, the same outlet reported on Saturday that U.S. officials have decided to “indefinitely delay” presenting the finalized proposal.

According to The Post, a major stumbling block has emerged due to Hamas unexpectedly demanding the release of prominent terrorists in exchange for humanitarian prisoners.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Blinken emphasized that both Israel and Hamas need to agree on the remaining issues to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza.

During a news conference in Haiti, Blinken stated that “nearly 90%” of the ceasefire agreement concerning Gaza is in place, though significant gaps remain, particularly regarding the Philadelphi Corridor.

The U.S. has been advocating for a ceasefire and hostage release framework that President Joe Biden first introduced back in May. However, Hamas has consistently rejected all versions of the plan that have been offered.

{Matzav.com}