Years before the onslaught of October 7, Hamas was quietly assembling a broad, methodical intelligence apparatus aimed squarely at Israel’s military infrastructure. Israeli assessments now indicate that the terror group mobilized roughly 2,500 operatives to collect, refine, and analyze data in a way that would ultimately allow them to carry out one of the most devastating attacks in Israel’s history.
Military officials say the groundwork stretches back to 2018, when Hamas began monitoring Israeli soldiers on an unprecedented scale. Analysts believe the organization systematically tracked close to 100,000 servicemembers on social media, gathering digital traces and piecing together patterns of behavior, movement, and unit affiliation.
The group’s methods went far beyond scrolling through public feeds. In a report aired by military correspondent Doron Kadosh on Galai Tzahal, it was revealed that Hamas operatives deployed armies of fake “avatar” profiles—crafted through advanced social-engineering techniques—to infiltrate private accounts, conversations, and even closed WhatsApp groups used by young Israelis entering combat units.
What followed was a relentless intelligence-production cycle. Hamas assembled daily briefings on troop movements, Iron Dome placements, operational rotations, and deployments between sectors. By cross-matching thousands of snippets—everything from a parent posting pictures at a discharge ceremony to TikTok clips filmed on bases—they created an extraordinarily detailed picture of IDF installations. Their files included the placement of cameras, the angles of rear gates, the layout of barracks and armories, and the location of readiness rooms.
This mountain of intelligence was then transformed into practical training tools. Hamas constructed precise 3D models and full physical replicas of IDF posts along the Gaza border. They also obtained advanced simulation software, enabling Nukhba units to rehearse infiltration scenarios with virtual-reality headsets that mirrored the real bases down to minute details.
Israeli security officials had been aware that Hamas was experimenting with mock bases, but not of the depth or accuracy involved. One senior officer admitted, “We never imagined how accurate they were,” while an Air Force officer added, “Hamas knew the base better than I did – even though I served there for many years.”
{Matzav.com}Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed back hard this weekend against mounting skepticism surrounding the contentious 28-point peace outline for the Ukraine War, asserting that the document originated in Washington and reflects a balance of perspectives from both Kyiv and Moscow. “The peace proposal was authored by the U.S. It is offered as a strong framework for ongoing negotiations,” Rubio said. “It is based on input from the Russian side. But it is also based on previous and ongoing input from Ukraine.”
The doubts that erupted after the plan surfaced last week only intensified when analysts pointed out that the text appeared to have been translated from Russian, prompting questions about who actually drafted it. That backdrop made Saturday’s developments especially jarring, as members of a bipartisan Senate delegation — including Sen. Mike Rounds — told reporters after meeting Rubio at the Halifax International Security Forum that the Secretary of State had indicated the document resembled a Russian wish list.
Those claims triggered a swift rebuttal from the State Department. Spokesperson Tommy Pigott rejected any suggestion that Moscow had produced the proposal, stressing that such allegations were “blatantly false,” though he offered no clarification for the contradictions coming from Capitol Hill.
The plan itself continues to stir unease. Under its terms, Ukraine would be required to relinquish the Donbas region entirely — territory Russia has been unable to conquer outright despite more than ten years of conflict. The framework also calls for Ukraine to commit to staying out of NATO, reduce its armed forces by roughly one-third, and grant sweeping amnesty to all wartime participants, which would effectively shield Russian personnel from war-crimes charges. Meanwhile, the proposal asks little from Moscow in return.
Reports have indicated that special envoy Steve Witkoff helped spearhead the initiative, working with both Ukrainian and Russian interlocutors. Once the details became public, major European powers quickly voiced misgivings. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized that any legitimate accord must meet core principles. “Any credible and sustainable peace plan should first and foremost stop the killing and end the war, while not sowing the seeds for a future conflict,” she stated. She continued by laying out the fundamental conditions: “First, borders cannot be changed by force. Second, as a sovereign nation, there cannot be limitations on Ukraine’s armed forces that would leave the country vulnerable to future attack and thereby also undermining European security.” Her final point underscored Europe’s role in the region: “Third, the centrality of the European Union in securing peace for Ukraine must be fully reflected. Ukraine must have the freedom and sovereign right to choose its own destiny. They have chosen a European destiny.”
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk added another layer of uncertainty by openly demanding clarity about authorship. “Together with the leaders of Europe, Canada and Japan, we have declared our readiness to work on the 28-point plan despite some reservations,” he wrote on X. “However, before we start our work, it would be good to know for sure who is the author of the plan and where was it created.”
The debate unfolded against the backdrop of President Trump’s recent sit-down with Volodymyr Zelensky, after which Trump suggested that ending the war along the existing battle lines could be the most realistic path forward. The White House has since defended the 28-point framework as a plausible route to cease-fire negotiations. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated that stance last week. “President Trump has made it very clear since day one, and even on the campaign trail, that he wants to see this war come to an end. He has grown increasingly frustrated with both sides of this war, Russia and Ukraine alike, for their refusal to commit to a peace agreement,” she said. She added, “It’s a good plan for both Russia and Ukraine, and we believe that it should be acceptable to both sides, and we’re working very hard to get it done.”
Kyiv, however, has publicly bristled at the steep concessions demanded of Ukraine. Zelensky, speaking through a translated statement, framed the choice as existential. “We are facing one of the most dangerous periods in Ukrainian history, a choice between losing our dignity and freedom and losing US support,” he said. “We choose dignity. My answer is my oath of office. I did not betray Ukraine in Feb 2022 and we won’t betray in now.”
{Matzav.com}
In a pointed public message, Ponovezh Rosh Yeshiva Rav Berel Povarsky told media personality Yisroel Cohen that the proper response to critics of the yeshiva community is to emphasize that Torah study serves as the true protection of the Jewish nation.
The remarks came following a special gathering at the home of Rav Povarsky, which was attended by Rav Dov Landau and Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch. The meeting focused on safeguarding the status of yeshiva students amid the current political efforts surrounding the draft framework known as the “Bismuth outline,” which the Degel leadership agreed to allow to advance to the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
After the gathering concluded, Rav Povarsky spoke privately with Yisroel Cohen and articulated the full chareidi position on the issue. He stressed the principle that Torah is the spiritual protection of the Jewish people and the foundation of the nation’s survival.
During the conversation, the Rosh Yeshiva’s aide, Rabbi Yosef Strauss, introduced Cohen and noted his role in defending Torah learners in mainstream media. Rabbi Strauss asked the Rosh Yeshiva how such ideas should be conveyed to the broader public.
Rav Povarsky responded directly: “Tell them that the boys are not going to the army, but they are going to the place where they save the entire Jewish people. And that is very important.”
He went on to explain that the Jewish people, unlike nations such as the English or French, exist only through the merit of Torah, which has protected and sustained them for thousands of years.
Rav Povarsky concluded with a clear message of faith: “Hakadosh Boruch Hu loves the Jewish people, and everything is only in the merit of learning Torah.”
{Matzav.com}
WATCH:
Yerushalayim police have arrested a 14-year-old boy suspected of assaulting Knesset member Yoav Ben-Tzur and damaging his vehicle during a violent protest last week against the government’s advancing draft law.
Police said the arrest was made overnight following an operational and investigative effort by officers from the Yerushalayim District’s crime-fighting unit, led by the Lev HaBirah station. According to authorities, the teenager was apparently part of the demonstration that turned violent as activists protested the ongoing legislative process and the government’s plans for regulating the status of yeshiva students.
The suspect was taken to the Lev HaBirah police station for interrogation.
Police emphasized that the investigation is continuing, with officers working to locate additional individuals suspected of being involved in the assault. Evidence and testimonies are still being collected.
Officials condemned the incident in strong terms, stating that “this is a serious case in which criminal elements attempted to harm an elected official, and every tool available to law enforcement will be used to bring all those involved to justice.”
They added that “the Israel Police will continue to act firmly and with zero tolerance against lawbreakers and violence of any kind, including any attempt to harm public officials, disrupt public order, or endanger residents.”
{Matzav.com}
Republican New York City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino described President Donald Trump’s sit-down with Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani as nothing short of a strategic masterstroke, telling Newsmax that the encounter played out like “a well-played game of chess.”
Speaking on Newsmax’s “Finnerty” with guest host Todd Starnes, Paladino argued that Trump walked away positioned as the clear winner. In her view, Mamdani now faces a political squeeze in which he will either succeed — giving Trump indirect credit — or falter and bear the political repercussions alone.
Paladino said the tone inside the Oval Office earlier that day was a sharp departure from the blistering campaign rhetoric. Trump, she noted, “gave him every benefit of every doubt” and intentionally “set up Zohran to be that person that has to answer to his DSA [Democratic Socialists of America] base here in New York City.”
That moment, she said, now leaves the mayor-elect accountable to progressive supporters who expect him to uphold affordability promises and other campaign commitments, all while standing beside Trump in such a high-profile setting.
Although she does not think New York is on the brink of collapse, Paladino warned that the true measure of Mamdani’s leadership will come in the first few months of his administration. She summed up the dynamic bluntly: “He was like the child in the room and Trump was the president.”
The backdrop to Friday’s meeting is the bitter campaign season during which Trump had denounced Mamdani as a “communist” and threatened to cut federal funding if he prevailed. Despite that history, the two men held a notably cordial exchange at the White House, discussing affordability, public safety, and other key issues.
To Paladino, the meeting demonstrated Trump’s understanding of political leverage. By extending a gesture of goodwill, she said, he effectively boxed Mamdani into a difficult position — requiring federal cooperation while staying faithful to a progressive movement that expects sweeping change. “It isn’t negotiation. This is politics,” she said.
Looking ahead, she noted that the challenges for the incoming mayor revolve around whether he adheres to his ideological convictions or bends under broader expectations from Washington and New York’s wider electorate.
With Mamdani set to take office on Jan. 1, Paladino suggested that the White House appearance may be only the opening move in a long political game. She predicted that while Mamdani might surprise some skeptics on the right, Trump’s strategy will remain untouched. “He’s going to surprise conservatives all right, because he’s going to have to fall into line, otherwise suffer the consequences,” Paladino said.
{Matzav.com}
President Donald Trump said this weekend that he is willing to dispatch National Guard units to New York City if the situation warrants it, framing the option as part of his broader readiness to use federal forces to confront the country’s growing urban crime crises.
Speaking briefly with reporters, Trump emphasized that New York remains on his list for potential deployment. “If they need it. Right now, other places need it more,” he said, noting that decisions would be made based on where the urgency is greatest.
His comments reflect the same approach that has already led him to green-light Guard deployments and federal law enforcement activity in cities such as Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. Those moves align with his crime-focused platform, which prioritizes aggressive intervention in areas struggling with public disorder.
Domestic activation of the National Guard has historically been reserved for moments of major unrest or natural disaster, often triggered by a governor’s request or by local authorities unable to maintain control. In New York, however, state leaders and city lawmakers have made clear their opposition to federal intervention.
Back on Oct. 23, the New York City Council and a coalition of clergy held a press conference warning that the introduction of “military or federal teams” would “undermine public safety and the city’s economy.” Gov. Kathy Hochul has reportedly been in communication with Wall Street executives as she seeks to dissuade Washington from sending troops into the city.
The legal landscape surrounding Guard deployments differs across jurisdictions. In Washington, D.C.—which has no governor—the National Guard operates under federal command. That structure recently contributed to a court ruling deeming one such deployment “unlawful” because it exceeded the president’s statutory limits. In states like New York, by contrast, Guard control typically rests with the governor unless the units are federalized.
For that reason, any federal move to send troops into New York raises questions about state consent, the Guard’s appropriate role in policing, and the boundaries set by constitutional and statutory law. Legal scholars warn that placing Guard members into a civilian law-enforcement role without specific authorization may violate those restrictions.
From a policy perspective, Trump’s latest remarks suggest he is prepared to extend the model he used in D.C. to other large Democratic-run cities—setting the stage for another potential clash between federal and state authorities over law-and-order strategy.
{Matzav.com}
