Feed aggregator

The Israel Defense Forces released a never-before-seen picture on Thursday showing the slain body of Yahya Sinwar, marking one year since IDF soldiers killed the Hamas terrorist mastermind in the Gaza Strip.

The photo shows former IDF Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, former Operations Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Oded Basiuk and Gaza Division chief Brig. Gen. Barak Hiram standing near Sinwar’s body on Oct. 17, 2024, a day after he had been killed in southern Gaza.

The image was made public as part of a set of iconic photos taken by IDF photographers during the war, which will be displayed as part of an exhibition at the Yitzhak Rabin Center in Tel Aviv starting on Sunday.

“A year since humanity was freed from the master of the flood of evil,” tweeted Avichay Adraee, head of the Arab Media Branch in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.

“Goodness cannot be defeated—and justice, no matter how delayed, will prevail. To hell, and what a miserable fate awaits you, Sinwar,” added the military spokesman.

Sinwar was the mastermind behind the terrorist attacks in Israel’s south on Oct. 7, 2023, during which around 1,200 people, primarily civilians, were murdered; thousands were wounded; and 251 were kidnapped.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry posted on X on Sunday a handwritten letter penned by Sinwar revealing the Oct. 7 massacre “wasn’t chaos, but choreography.”

“Terrorists were ordered to film the slaughter of civilians, soldiers and families—not for documentation, but as a psychological weapon to terrorize Israelis and inspire extremists,” the ministry stated.

“This wasn’t a ‘spontaneous uprising.’ It was a scripted campaign for the destruction of Israel—planned, rehearsed and executed,” the MFA said.

On Oct. 11, The New York Times published further details about the memo, which was found by a special unit of the IDF in May 2025.

The unit found the six-page memo on a computer in a tunnel complex used by Mohammed Sinwar, the brother of Yahya, who briefly headed Hamas after his brother’s death before being killed in October 2024.

Sinwar’s document called for Hamas terrorists to target IDF soldiers and civilian communities, as well as to broadcast the violent acts to spread fear among Israelis and destabilize the country, the Times reported.

The Hamas memo ordered Palestinian gunmen to enter civilian towns in Israel and set them on fire “with gasoline or diesel from a tanker.”

It sought maximum shock value, urging fighters to “stomp on the heads of soldiers.” It also ordered “opening fire on soldiers at point-blank range, slaughtering some of them with knives, blowing up tanks.”

The anniversary of Sinwar’s killing on Thursday coincided with Israel’s national day of mourning for the military and civilian victims of Oct. 7.

The Hamas-led massacre was “monstrous in every sense of the word,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared in remarks at a state memorial ceremony for fallen IDF soldiers, calling the Oct. 7 attacks a “merciless killing of infants, children, adults, the elderly.”

The leader of the Jewish state added that “if those killers could have done it, they would have slaughtered each and every one of us.”

The IDF’s official death toll since the Oct. 7 attacks stood on Thursday afternoon at 916, while hundreds more Israeli civilians were murdered in the massacre and subsequent attacks. JNS

{Matzav.com}

Julie, the mother of freed hostage Bar Kuperstein, spoke with Army Radio on Thursday about the horrors her son endured during captivity in the Gaza Strip. She described a harrowing ordeal of torture and abuse, including prolonged starvation and repeated beatings. “He sat across from me and told me everything, and I just cried—realizing how strong he is. He came back a hero.” “They went through horrific abuse and torture. They were starved in a terrible way — even animals aren’t treated like that.” She added that Bar told her, “They beat me, but I didn’t feel it—my body was frozen.” She explained that he trained himself to disconnect from the pain. Bar told her that the captors stayed nearby and at certain hours would flash lights to send messages. Bar understood that if food didn’t arrive at those times, he might not eat at all that day. “He told me, ‘Ima, I got used to living with just a little food.’ When your stomach hurts and there’s no food—those are truly unbearable moments.” The mother added that every time a Hamas member was killed or a relative’s house was hit, the captors would react violently: “They would come and beat them mercilessly, torturing them. There were really terrible times. I’d rather not go into details.” She said her son chose to sleep as much as possible as a coping mechanism: “He really slept for hours. That’s what kept him sane.” Despite the harsh conditions, Julie emphasized her son’s spirit of helping others even in captivity: “Bar was always helping people—he’s extremely handy. He fixed the electricity, the latrine, and a water trench. He even created a place in the tunnel where they could sit alone when things got hard.” She said that during his time in captivity, Bar decided to donate the 200 shekels he’d left in his wallet at home, as an act of tzedaka to save his life. Julie also revealed that her family had to hide the fact that Bar had served as a combat soldier in the Nachal Brigade. He told his captors he was an ambulance medic. “He told us it didn’t matter to them whether someone was a soldier or not—they treated everyone horribly.” She said that during captivity, her son drew closer to religion and requested tzitzis when he returned. “I was shocked. He had emunah, he was traditional, but not like this. He saw the Arabs praying and fasting, and thought that if they do that, then he also wants to be close to the Borei Olam.  He recited Shema Yisrael many times, davened, and said a perek Tehillim he knew by heart. He had a dialogue with the Borei Olam.” Watch Bar’s moving reunion with his disabled father: (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Tensions are mounting among key Gulf states that once positioned themselves as stabilizing forces in the Middle East. In recent weeks, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain — long viewed as the pragmatic wing of the Arab world — have found themselves increasingly sidelined in President Donald Trump’s Gaza reconstruction plan, even as they publicly back his push to end the war. According to multiple Arab diplomatic sources, the three states support Trump’s peace framework and the disarmament of Hamas, but are deeply frustrated by the growing role of Qatar, their regional rival and a longtime patron of Islamist movements, including the Muslim Brotherhood. They fear that Washington’s expanding defense ties with Doha — now a central player in the postwar negotiations — risk undermining efforts to deradicalize Gaza and may allow Hamas to quietly reemerge. “It’s a mistake to rely on Qatar,” a Saudi diplomatic source told Yisrael Hayom. “Excessive Qatari involvement in the next stages of the plan will cause it to collapse. Qatar’s interests are different — it will try to ensure that Hamas remains in the picture.” While wary of Doha’s influence, the moderate Gulf states are expected to contribute heavily to Gaza’s reconstruction, largely in alignment with Israel’s position. They insist that any rebuilding effort must include full disarmament of Hamas and that the Palestinian Authority (PA) can only return to Gaza after sweeping reforms — including new leadership, financial transparency, and a program of de-radicalization in schools and media. Saudi and Emirati officials say they have already begun educational reforms in their own countries, toning down anti-Israel rhetoric in textbooks and state media. “We want to create a generation that knows coexistence,” one Gulf education official said. But the Gulf coalition is also pressing Israel for reciprocal political steps, including a credible path toward a two-state solution. “Normalization with Israel remains on the table,” the Saudi source emphasized, “but it will not happen within months. It’s a long road that requires seeing the agreement implemented in full — including Israel’s commitments to the PA and serious negotiations toward a two-state solution.” The source added that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition — which includes several right-wing ministers who oppose Palestinian statehood — must “decide whether they support annexation or a real solution that will eventually bring calm.” While the final hostages’ release has been completed under the U.S.-brokered deal, Israeli and regional officials remain deeply pessimistic about the next phase. Few in Jerusalem believe Hamas will willingly surrender its weapons or relinquish control of Gaza, despite the terms of the Trump peace plan. In recent days, Hamas’s internal violence — including the massacre of a rival clan, public executions of alleged collaborators, and armed parades — has fueled fears that the group is consolidating power, not ceding it. Security sources confirmed that in several areas near IDF-controlled zones, Israeli troops have intervened to prevent Hamas revenge killings. “The reality is that Hamas is not demilitarizing — it’s regrouping,” an Israeli defense official said. “If that continues, it could unravel the entire postwar framework.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Thousands gathered in Yerushalayim for the hakafos shniyos celebration held in the beis medrash of the Gerer rosh yeshiva, Rav Shaul Alter, where an uplifting atmosphere of Simchas Torah joy filled the air. Among the distinguished participants was Yerushalayim Mayor Moshe Leon, who was honored with reciting Mizmor Lesodah, symbolizing gratitude for the return of the hostages.

Mayor Leon, who participates annually in the hakafos shniyos at Rav Alter’s court, chanted the kapitel with heartfelt emotion and a melodic voice, displaying his well-known skill as a chazzan. His participation this year carried added significance: last year, he had been called upon to recite Lamenatzeach, Ya’ancha Hashem b’yom tzara, a tefillah for salvation in times of distress. Now, following the hostages’ return to their families, he was given the honor of reciting a kappitel of thanksgiving instead.

During the hakafos, Rav Shaul delivered an impassioned address filled with spiritual depth and insight. “We were privileged to witness a ‘shmaychel’ — a smile from the Ribbono shel Olam — with the return of the captives to their homes,” he said. “We saw the fulfillment of the promise ‘v’shavu mei’eretz oyev’ — they have returned from the land of the enemy. But now we must long for the seifa of that verse: ‘v’shavu banim ligvulam’ — that we all return from captivity and do teshuvah. We are all, in truth, captives — in the hands of the yetzer hara. May we merit to be freed and return to our Creator.”

The moving celebration took place in the Heichal HaTefillah hall on Rechov Ki Tov, which had been used by Rav Alter’s kehilla during the Yamim Noraim and was graciously made available by philanthropist Rabbi Yechezkel Lev, founder of the Arzei project.

The hakafos shniyos were marked by tremendous joy, unity, and spiritual elevation, attended not only by Rav Shaul but also by his brother, Rav Yaakov Meir Alter and Rav Daniel Chaim Alter, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Ner Yisrael, both of whom participated with visible simchah, with Rav Daniel Chaim also delivering words of inspiration.

The event concluded with exuberant dancing and singing, reflecting both gratitude for Divine kindness and a heartfelt yearning for the ultimate redemption, when, as Rav Shaul expressed, “we will all return home, not only from physical captivity, but from the captivity of the yetzer hara, to our Father in Heaven.”

{Matzav.com}

Troubled by clashes between agents and the public, a judge on Thursday said she will require federal immigration officers in the Chicago area to wear body cameras, and she also summoned a senior official to court next week to discuss an enforcement operation that has resulted in more than 1,000 arrests. U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis said she was a “little startled” after seeing TV images of street confrontations that involved tear gas and other tactics during an immigration crackdown by President Donald Trump’s administration. “I live in Chicago if folks haven’t noticed,” Ellis said. “And I’m not blind, right?” Separately, hours later, a federal appeals court ruled against the Trump administration and said a lower court’s temporary ban on deploying the National Guard to assist immigration officers in Illinois would stay in place while the government pursues an appeal. Community efforts to oppose U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have ramped up in Chicago, where neighborhood groups have assembled to monitor ICE activity and film incidents involving agents. More than 1,000 immigrants have been arrested since September. An immigration enforcement building in Broadview, outside Chicago, has been the site of regular protests. The Trump administration has tried to deploy Guard troops, in part to patrol at the Broadview location, but the strategy was halted on Oct. 9 for at least two weeks by a different federal judge. Ellis last week said agents in the area must wear badges, and she banned them from using certain riot control techniques against peaceful protesters and journalists. “I’m having concerns about my order being followed,” the judge said. “I am adding that all agents who are operating in Operation Midway Blitz are to wear body-worn cameras, and they are to be on,” Ellis said, referring to the government’s name for the crackdown. U.S. Justice Department attorney Sean Skedzielewski laid blame with “one-sided and selectively edited media reports.” He also said it wouldn’t be possible to immediately distribute cameras. “I understand that. I would not be expecting agents to wear body-worn cameras they do not have,” Ellis said, adding that the details could be worked out later. She said cameras would provide evidence to back up how agents handle confrontations with protesters. Ellis said the field director of the enforcement effort must appear in court Monday. Gov. JB Pritzker praised the judge’s ruling, saying the government’s statements about arrests and other incidents, including last month’s fatal shooting of a suburban Chicago man, have often been inaccurate. “They clearly lie about what goes on,” he told reporters. “It’s hard for us to know right away what the truth is.” In 2024, Immigration and Customs Enforcement began deploying about 1,600 body cameras to agents assigned to Enforcement and Removal Operations. At the time, officials said they would be provided to agents in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington, Buffalo, New York and Detroit. Other Homeland Security Department agencies require some agents to wear cameras. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has released body-camera video when force has been used by its agents or officers. Earlier this week, a Cook County judge barred ICE from arresting people at courthouses in Chicago and the suburbs.

In anticipation of the upcoming yahrtzeit of Rav Meir Shapiro zt”l, the visionary founder of the Daf Yomi, which will be marked on 7 Cheshvan, there is already great excitement and widespread response. Following the tremendous success and overwhelming participation at last year’s hilula, which drew thousands of participants and dozens of Daf Yomi shiurim, preparations are well underway for this year’s event.

Dozens of Daf Yomi shiurim have already reserved their places for this year’s hilula, which will once again take place in large tents set up near the tziyun at Har Hamenuchos. Participants representing all segments of Klal Yisroel are expected to take part in these shiurim, which are given by maggidei shiur who teach regularly throughout the year and ascend to the tziyun on the yahrtzeit to express gratitude to the founder of Daf Yomi.

Rav Meir Shapiro, who left this world without children, famously remarked that he did, in fact, have two “children”: Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin and the Daf Yomi. The yeshiva was destroyed during the Holocaust, but the Daf Yomi lives on for generations, continuing to spread Torah and unity across the world.

Last year’s hilula left a deep impression, as people from across the religious spectrum came together to participate in the learning sessions. Visitors were awed by the sight of the main tent, the “Merkaz HaDaf HaYomi,” whose façade was designed as a replica of the historic Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin building in Poland.

The organizers of HaDaf HaOlami, who oversee the entire initiative, report that immediately after last year’s hilula, they received numerous requests from additional Daf Yomi groups wishing to deliver their shiurim at the Har Hamenuchos site on the yahrtzeit. In response, the organization has spent the entire year preparing for this expanded event, ensuring comfortable and secure accommodations for all participating shiurim.

Several new tents have been added to the complex, with careful coordination to maintain all necessary permits and safety measures. The organizers expressed their deep appreciation to the Yerushalayim Municipality for its invaluable assistance, as well as to the Cemetery Council for its ongoing support in ensuring that the entire hilula proceeds smoothly and respectfully.

{Matzav.com}

Passengers at two airports thousands of miles apart were jolted Tuesday when loudspeakers and screens suddenly blared pro-Hamas messages and insults aimed at President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — in a coordinated cyberattack that spanned international borders. The incidents occurred at Harrisburg International Airport in Pennsylvania and Kelowna International Airport in British Columbia, where stunned travelers captured videos of the unauthorized broadcasts echoing through terminals and flashing across flight-information monitors. Officials say the digital break-ins targeted both public-address and display systems, briefly disrupting operations but not flight safety. At Harrisburg, an “unauthorized user” accessed the airport’s PA network and played a recorded political message, according to airport spokesperson Scott Miller. The system was shut down within minutes, and police searched one boarding aircraft “out of an abundance of caution.” No threats or explosives were found, and the plane departed safely. Kelowna airport reported a nearly identical breach. In a statement shared with CNN, officials confirmed a third party accessed both audio and visual systems, displaying slogans such as “Free Palestine.” The messages were removed, flight data restored, and investigations launched with help from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Transport Canada. No group has claimed responsibility. However, cybersecurity experts say the attacks resemble a wave of pro-Palestinian hacktivist operations that have surged since the 2023 Israel-Gaza war. Collectives linked to “Dark Storm Team” and “OpIsrael” have claimed hundreds of intrusions on transportation, financial, and government networks across North America and Europe — exposing growing vulnerabilities in cloud-based airport infrastructure. The FBI and Canadian authorities are now investigating. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

VIDEO: Thousands of Yidden are streaming through the Viznitzer Beis HaChaim in Monsey throughout the Yahrtzeit of the Ribnitzer Rebbe ZT”L. The Yahrtzeit is being coordinated by YF Productions, with Chaverim of Rockland volunteers assisting in managing the large crowds and maintaining order.

A heartbreaking tragedy struck the Toldos Aharon community in Yerushalayim with the passing of little Hindy Zelikovitz a”h, who drowned in a bucket of water at her grandmother’s home in the Batei Ungarin neighborhood.

The 18-month-old child was released for burial after intensive efforts by community activists. Her petirah marks another devastating blow for the family, as Hindy was born six months after the passing of her father, Rabbi Yisroel Aryeh Zelikovitz z”l, a young avreich from Toldos Aharon who succumbed to illness at the age of 27 this past Teves. He left behind his young widow and a five-year-old son.

Rabbi Zelikovitz’s life was one of remarkable strength and perseverance. He endured years of serious illness, frequently hospitalized, yet never ceased his learning or his devotion to his family. Even during his hospital stays, he would arrange chavrusah sessions in the hospital shul, determined to maintain his seder limud.

Several months after his passing, his widow gave birth to twins—a boy and a girl—who entered a world without their father, whom they would never know.

Earlier this evening, baby Hindy tragically drowned in a pail of water at her grandmother’s home. Following the intervention of community leader Rabbi Shimon Shisha and other Toldos Aharon activists, her body was released for burial.

The levayah is being held tonight, and she will be laid to rest on Har Hamenuchos.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is suing the Trump administration for imposing a $100,00 annual fee for new H-1B visa applications, claiming the fee is unlawful and would significantly harm U.S. businesses. In a federal lawsuit filed Thursday in Washington D.C., the Chamber asks the court to declare that President Donald Trump exceeded the executive branch’s authority by imposing the fee and bloc federal government agencies from enforcing it. H-1B visas are meant for high-skilled jobs that tech companies find hard to fill and are primarily associated with tech workers from India. Big tech companies are the biggest user of the visa, and nearly three-quarters of those approved are from India. But there are critical workers, like teachers and doctors, who fall outside that category. The Trump administration announced the fee last month, arguing that employers were replacing American workers with cheaper talent from overseas. Since then, the White House has said the fee won’t apply to existing visa holders and offered a form to request exemptions from the charge. In its lawsuit, the Chamber argues that the new fee violates the immigration laws that govern the H-1B program, including the requirement that fees be based on the costs incurred by the government in processing visas. “The President has significant authority over the entry of noncitizens into the United States, but that authority is bounded by statute and cannot directly contradict laws passed by Congress,” according to the complaint, which names the Department of Homeland Security, the State Department and their respective cabinet secretaries as defendants. Prior to Trump’s proclamation imposing the new fee, most H-1B visa applications cost less than $3,600, according to the Chamber. “If implemented, that fee would inflict significant harm on American businesses, which would be forced to either dramatically increase their labor costs or hire fewer highly skilled employees for whom domestic replacements are not readily available,” according to the complaint. The new fee is scheduled to expire after a year, but could be extended if the government determines that is in the interest of the United States to keep it. Historically, H-1B visas have been doled out through lottery. This year, Amazon was by far the top recipient of H-1B visas with more than 10,000 awarded, followed by Tata Consultancy, Microsoft, Apple and Google. Geographically, California has the highest number of H-1B workers. Critics say H-1B spots often go to entry-level jobs, rather than senior positions with unique skill requirements. And while the program isn’t supposed to undercut U.S. wages or displace U.S. workers, critics say companies can pay less by classifying jobs at the lowest skill levels, even if the specific workers hired have more experience. (AP)

BREAKING: Former National Security Adviser John Bolton has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly mishandling classified information.

President Trump on Hamas killing Gazans: “I’m looking at what’s happening… we have a commitment from them, and I assume they’re going to honor that commitment… if they behave, good. If they don’t behave, we’ll take care of it.”

NY AG Letitia James: “I want everyone to know I am totally innocent.”

A federal grand jury issued an indictment Thursday against John Bolton, who once served as President Trump’s national security adviser, accusing him of improperly handling classified material by sending highly sensitive government documents using his personal AOL email account.

According to the indictment, Bolton knowingly transmitted information pertaining to crucial foreign policy issues while corresponding with individuals outside the administration after he left his White House position.

Bolton, who is 76 years old, held the role of national security adviser under President Trump from April 2018 until September 2019, when he was dismissed from the post.

If found guilty, Bolton could be sentenced to as much as ten years in prison for each charge tied to the unauthorized sharing of classified information.

{Matzav.com}

In a stern message posted on Truth Social, President Donald Trump issued a blunt warning to Hamas, saying: “If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them.” The post capped a swift 48-hour flip in the president’s stance after he initially appeared to endorse — albeit temporarily — Hamas’s summary executions of rival gang members and alleged collaborators. On Tuesday Trump said he had given Hamas “approval for a period of time” to carry out those actions, claiming the group was targeting some “very bad gangs.” By Wednesday, however, U.S. military leadership in the region publicly urged Hamas to halt attacks on “innocent Palestinian civilians.” At the White House, the president repeated his hardline posture while addressing the ongoing delays in returning the bodies of hostages. “It’s a tough neighborhood, we know that. We have a commitment from them, and I assume they’re going to honor that commitment. I hope they do, and I understand they brought back some additional bodies today,” Trump told reporters. He continued, warning that U.S. patience would not be indefinite: “It’s a tough situation. They brought back bodies today, as you probably know. But they also said they’re going to behave. We’re going to find out if they behave. If they behave, good. If they don’t behave, we’ll take care of it.” The president’s comments signal renewed pressure on Hamas as talks and returns of remains remain stalled.