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IDF striking terrorists infrastructure in Zeitoun and Shejaiya in Gaza city.

Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman MK Boaz Bismuth is advancing a dramatic proposal to draft chareidim under a temporary emergency regulation, sidestepping the lengthy legislative process. The outline, revealed by Walla reporter Yehuda Schlesinger, would apply for just one year and allow the IDF to recruit according to its needs—without setting quotas, enacting a new law, or imposing sanctions.

The initiative aims to quickly address the military’s manpower shortage, bypassing what Bismuth sees as an impractical path of passing long-term legislation in the immediate future. Instead, the regulation would function as a stopgap until a more permanent law is crafted in the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

The plan relies on the use of emergency regulations, an uncommon tool within the government, typically reserved for urgent security situations. These powers permit actions beyond what current law provides and eliminate the need for full Knesset approval.

At the same time, all enforcement measures against the chareidi public would be frozen. This includes halting the arrests of draft evaders, ending the practice of cutting yeshiva funding, and suspending all administrative and budgetary penalties.

Bismuth is expected to present the proposal in meetings with both chareidi representatives and reserve officers. According to Walla, the chareidi side has accepted the principle of a regulation that allows enlistment based solely on the army’s requirements, but they refused to agree to specific numbers. Their approval is contingent on a complete freeze of sanctions throughout the regulation’s one-year term.

The draft outline does not spell out how large numbers of soldiers would actually be recruited. Instead, it draws on understandings reached with chareidi political parties prior to Israel’s strike on Iran. The only guideline included is the phrase “according to the army’s needs,” with no clear mechanism for implementation or oversight.

In addition, the temporary regulation makes clear that no punitive measures will be imposed on chareidim who do not enlist. There will be no legal enforcement, no arrests, and no withdrawal of financial support from those who choose not to report for service.

{Matzav.com Israel}

The IDF said joint operations with Shin Bet over the past month in Gaza eliminated numerous terrorists, including senior Hamas and Nukhba figures such as Taleb Abu Atiya, a commander involved in the October 7 infiltration, and a Hamas Zeitoun Battalion deputy platoon commander linked to ambushes, attacks on Israeli soldiers, and recruitment efforts.

Last night, the IDF targeted two engineering vehicles in southern Lebanon that were rebuilding Hezbollah infrastructure in violation of the Israel-Lebanon agreement.

TEHILLIM: Please daven for Chaya Rochel bas Yehudis Leeba, a young Lakewood girl who is undergoing major surgery this morning.

WOAH! MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough blasts Democrats for Chicago’s crime-riddled Labor Day Weekend: “I think JB Pritzker should do something radical: He should pick up the phone and call the President because the ‘nothing to see here’ move isn’t working.”

President Donald Trump suggested he is open to reviving long-shuttered “insane asylums” as part of his sweeping anti-crime agenda, reviving a controversial debate over mental health care and public safety. In an interview with the Daily Caller released Monday, reporter Reagan Reese asked Trump whether the federal government should reopen psychiatric institutions for people with “serious mental illness.” “Yeah, I would,” Trump replied, pointing to New York and California as examples of states that once had large asylum systems. “They released them all into society because they couldn’t afford it. You know, it’s massively expensive. But we had, they were all over New York. I remember when I was growing up, Creedmoor… Bellevue… and they were closed by a certain governor. They released them into society, and that’s what you have. It’s a rough situation.” Many of those institutions, including Bellevue, were transformed into psychiatric hospitals or repurposed facilities after widespread criticism of abusive conditions and mistreatment of patients. Trump’s comments follow his recent push to remove homeless encampments from major cities. Earlier this month, he ordered the immediate clearing of Washington, D.C. encampments and deployed the National Guard after assuming control of the city’s police department. “The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post at the time. “We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

An Israeli man was violently assaulted by a group of roughly 20 pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles on Sunday, in an attack he says targeted him simply for being Jewish. The incident is the latest in a wave of violent confrontations tied to the war in Gaza spilling onto U.S. streets. The victim, 24-year-old Ariel Yaakov Marciano, moved to the United States earlier this year. He told Ynet he had come to Los Angeles for his cousin’s bar mitzvah when he and another Israeli, visiting from Las Vegas, were identified by demonstrators waving Palestinian and Mexican flags. Marciano, who wore a Star of David necklace, said the group recognized them as Israeli after hearing them converse in Hebrew. “One of them hit me from behind on the head, and I started bleeding,” Marciano recounted. “Others pushed me, tore the chain from my neck and when I pushed one attacker, they all jumped on me.” A video he posted to Instagram shows him bloodied and shaken, pleading with Israelis in Los Angeles to join him at the pier, saying he had been ambushed. Marciano said that as he attempted to make his way to a police station, shouting “God bless Israel,” he was pepper sprayed. He added that one assailant brandished a knife and warned him, “You’re lucky I don’t stab you.” He expressed concern for his companion’s family, noting that one of the man’s children suffers from muscular dystrophy and uses a wheelchair. “I don’t know what happened to them,” Marciano said. Marciano claimed police nearby did not intervene, saying the crowd was too large to control. “I can’t blame them,” he added, though his remarks highlight growing frustration among Jewish residents over perceived inaction from authorities. The assault comes just a week after another reported attack on Israelis in Los Angeles. In that incident, several men walking home from shul near Wilshire and Crescent Heights were confronted by a group demanding they chant “Free Palestine.” One man, Eyal Dahan—whose two sons serve in the IDF—replied, “Long live the IDF.” He was punched, his kippah knocked to the ground, and another man in his group was slashed on the hand. Dahan later identified one of Marciano’s alleged attackers as the same individual who assaulted him. “They’re paid $150 for three hours to protest. They’re very violent,” Dahan said. Marciano’s  cousin, Guy Illouz, was abducted by Hamas from the Nova music festival on October 7 and later killed in captivity. Another cousin was killed during Israel’s 2014 Operation Protective Edge. Yet Marciano insists he will not hide his Jewish identity. “I lost one cousin in this war and another in Operation Protective Edge. I won’t take off my Star of David,” he said. In a bizarre twist, hours after the attack, Marciano was dining in a restaurant when a stranger approached him and returned his stolen necklace. “He was a Chinese man who told me, ‘Here, this is yours.’ I don’t know how he found me, but the chain came back. I will keep wearing it.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

In an interview with the Daily Caller on Friday, portions of which were made public Monday, President Donald Trump spoke about a noticeable decline in support for Israel among younger Republicans and lamented how Israel’s once-formidable clout in Congress has weakened.

During the conversation, reporter Reagan Reese pointed to data from a Pew Research Center survey in March showing that half of Republicans under 50 now view Israel negatively, a jump from 35% just three years earlier.

Trump replied, “Yeah I’m aware of it. So, Israel is amazing… Look, nobody has done more for Israel than I have.”

He highlighted his administration’s stance toward Iran and reaffirmed his consistent backing of Israel. At the same time, he noted his astonishment at how the strength of pro-Israel advocacy has diminished. “Israel had the strongest lobby in Congress… Today, it doesn’t have that strong a lobby. It’s amazing.”

Trump attributed much of the change to the growing influence of left-wing members of Congress. “You have AOC plus three, and you have all these lunatics… They’ve changed it,” he said, referring to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her allies in “The Squad,” who are frequently outspoken against Israel.

He also brought up the October 7 Hamas attack, describing it as “a truly horrible day,” and condemned those who attempt to deny it.

“And you know, you have people that deny it ever happened, they’re deniers. You have people that deny the Holocaust ever happened. So, they’re gonna have to get that war over with. But it is hurting Israel. There’s no question about it. They may be winning the war, but they’re not winning the world of public relations, you know, and it is hurting them. But Israel was the strongest lobby 15 years ago that there has ever been, and now it’s, it’s been hurt, especially in Congress,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

The price of gold hit a new record and world shares were mostly lower on Tuesday after U.S. markets were closed for the Labor Day holiday. The spot price of gold, traditionally a haven for investors in times of uncertainty, climbed as high as $3,578.40 per ounce early Tuesday. That surpassed an intraday record of $3,509.90 an ounce set in April. It later slipped back a bit, gaining 1.1% to $3,549.10 per ounce. President Donald Trump’ s challenges to the U.S. Federal Reserve and other institutions have shaken faith in the U.S. dollar, prompting a shift into other investment options such as gold and silver, analysts say. The price of silver was up 1.8% at $41.46 an ounce on Tuesday, surpassing $40 an ounce for the first time since 2011. “That’s not just a price tick; it’s the market’s confession that faith in fiat is wobbling,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary. He noted that the price of the precious metal has nearly doubled since early 2023. Investors have been shifting away from U.S. Treasuries for years but that shift has accelerated this year due to worries over U.S. government debt, trade tensions and geopolitical risks, said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, a senior analyst at Swissquote Bank. In early European trading, Germany’s DAX dropped 1.1% to 23,767.08, while the CAC 40 in Paris was nearly unchanged at 7,707.09. In Britain, the FTSE 100 declined 0.4% to 9,158.78. The future for the S&P 500 lost 0.5% while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.4% lower. Since Wall Street was shuttered on Monday, analysts said traders also were still focusing on the potential implications of Friday’s ruling by a U.S. court against Trump’s higher tariffs on many countries around the world. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 picked up 0.3% to 42,310.49 as investors snapped up bargains following recent losses. An auction of 10-year Japanese government bonds was expected to test the stability of that market. Markets in China fell back from recent gains. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng shed 0.5% to 25,496.55, while the Shanghai Composite index lost 0.5% to 3,858.13. South Korea’s Kospi advanced 0.9% to 3,172.35, while the S&P/ASX 200 in Australia gave up 0.3% to 8,900.60. India’s Sensex rose 0.4% and the SET in Bangkok gained 0.4%. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled Friday, 7-4, that Trump went too far when he declared national emergencies to justify imposing sharply higher import taxes on almost every country on earth. The ruling largely upheld a May decision by a specialized federal trade court in New York, but it rejected part of that ruling striking down the tariffs immediately, giving the Trump administration time to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Updates on U.S. durable goods orders, manufacturing, jobless claims and other data that may provide insights into how the economy is holding up under the higher tariffs are due this week. European manufacturing data and a preliminary consumer price index reading for the countries using the euro also are on the agenda. In other dealings early Tuesday, U.S. benchmark crude oil gained $1.86 to $65.87 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, advanced $1.22 to $69.37 per barrel. The U.S. dollar rose to 148.54 Japanese yen from 147.18 yen. The euro fell to $1.1635 […]

A member of the International Association for “Genocide Scholars” (IAGS) has accused the organization’s leadership of pushing through a resolution labeling Israel’s actions as genocide without holding the group’s customary debate and using unreliable data, the Times of Israel (TOA) reported The International Association of “Genocide Scholars” (IAGS) passed a resolution on Monday claiming that Israel’s actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide. In response, Israel’s Foreign Ministry called the resolution “disgraceful.” “The statement of the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) is an embarrassment to the legal profession and to any academic standard,” a ministry statement said. “It is entirely based on Hamas’s campaign of lies and the laundering of those lies by others. The IAGS did not do the most basic task in research, which is to verify the information. It even manages to misrepresent what the ICJ has said.” “Above all, the IAGS has set a historic precedent – for the first time, ‘Genocide Scholars’ accuse the very victim of genocide—despite Hamas’s attempted genocide against the Jewish people, murdering 1,200 people, raping women, burning families alive, and declaring its goal of killing every Jew.” “Disgraceful,” the statement concluded. Sara Brown, a genocide scholar and an IAGS member for over 10 years, is also the American Jewish Committee’s regional director in San Diego. She said the resolution marked a troubling break from the association’s standard practice, with IAGS leaders issuing the resolution without holding a prior discussion on the matter. “The content of the resolution and the way it was forced through speak to an embarrassing absence of professionalism,” Brown said, noting that the measure relied on groups such as Amnesty International that broadened the definition of genocide to encompass Israel. Internal emails seen by TOA show that IAGS leadership initially promised a town hall to discuss the resolution but scrapped the plan days later. The association also barred dissenting opinions from its listserv and refused to disclose the names of those who drafted the text. Only 129 of the association’s roughly 500 members voted, Brown said. While members were notified in advance, many abstained because they did not feel qualified to weigh in. “That favors those activists seeking to advance a false narrative about Israel,” she said. Brown also raised concerns about the fact that the association recently expanded its membership, with almost no qualifications to become a member. Formerly comprised of mainly scholars, the association now includes activists and artists. “The appearance is that this was a unanimous vote on behalf of the entirety of the association. It was not, and they refused to have a transparent, critical discussion,” she said. “The leadership, in my opinion, had an agenda.” The result, Brown warned, is that the public will believe that “genocide experts agree.'” “No, we don’t, and we were deliberately silenced.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

The Trump administration is reviewing a proposal for Gaza’s reconstruction that would see the territory placed under American oversight for a decade while paying about one-quarter of its population to move elsewhere, according to a report released Sunday.

The Washington Post, citing unnamed officials involved in the process, said the framework was intended “to make real” US President Donald Trump’s stated goal of transforming Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

Under the blueprint, Gaza would fall under a US-managed trusteeship for roughly 10 years, “until a reformed and deradicalized Palestinian Polity is ready to step in its shoes,” according to the Post. The plan is outlined in a 38-page presentation for the so-called GREAT Trust — short for Gaza Reconstitution, Economic Acceleration and Transformation.

During this decade-long period, Gaza would be redeveloped into a lucrative hub for tourism and technology manufacturing, funded by both government and private-sector investors. Planned “mega-construction projects” include factories for electric cars, large-scale data centers, luxury beachfront hotels, and high-rise apartment towers.

At the same time, Palestinians would be offered incentives to leave the Strip. Those opting to relocate — either temporarily or permanently — would receive “a $5,000 cash payment and subsidies to cover four years of rent elsewhere, as well as a year of food,” according to the report.

The projections in the proposal estimate that roughly 25 percent of Gaza’s more than two million residents would accept relocation. Of those, about 75 percent — around 375,000 individuals — would likely move away permanently.

The financial calculations underpinning the proposal were prepared by a Washington-based team from the Boston Consulting Group, which has also worked with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation backed by both the US and Israel.

The consultants forecast that investors could see returns quadruple their initial outlays, with an estimated $100 billion in investments over the 10-year period. Their presentation also recommended further reducing expenses by encouraging greater emigration among Gazans and tapping into international aid.

According to the proposal, once Gaza “is demilitarized and deradicalized, the Trust will transfer authorities to an independent Palestinian Polity,” which in turn would “join the Abraham Accords” — the normalization pacts Trump facilitated between Israel and several Arab nations.

Neither the White House nor the State Department provided comment to the Post. BCG, for its part, said the trust plan was never formally authorized and that two senior partners involved in the modeling were later dismissed.

A source familiar with the project told the paper the draft was completed in April “with only minimal change since then.” The source also emphasized the framework is not “prescriptive, but is exploring what is possible.” The Financial Times first disclosed parts of the plan back in July.

The revelations come on the heels of Trump’s Wednesday meeting with top figures — including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, envoy Steve Witkoff, former UK prime minister Tony Blair, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner — to deliberate on ending the war in Gaza and planning for the future.

According to The Sunday Times, Blair — who has been advancing a postwar vision for Gaza for several months — told Trump at the gathering that residents “were desperate for new leadership and dreamt of becoming the next Dubai,” though the outlet did not identify its sources.

{Matzav.com}

Curtis Sliwa, the colorful creator of New York City’s Guardian Angels anti-crime patrol group, ran for mayor four years ago and wound up losing to Democrat Eric Adams by almost 40 percentage points. This time around, the red beret-wearing Republican believes the math may be more in his favor. Even in an overwhelmingly blue city, the 71-year-old hopes that with three polarizing candidates splitting the Democratic vote, he can maintain the support he secured last time while picking up backers from the other side of the aisle with his message that he’s best positioned to fight crime. Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old state lawmaker and democratic socialist, is the Democratic nominee after upsetting former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the primary. Cuomo, who resigned as governor four years ago after harassment allegations, is running as an independent. Meanwhile, Adams, wounded by a federal bribery case and the Trump administration’s extraordinary intervention to drop the charges, skipped the primary altogether and is instead campaigning for a second term as an independent. “Zohran obviously is very unique. He’s way to the left, but then again, Cuomo and Adams, listen to the way they talk. They’re Zohran-lite,” Sliwa told The Associated Press. “I will be the alternative.” Even if he doesn’t win, Sliwa might play the spoiler. While some Mamdani critics have urged Sliwa to drop out and throw his support behind someone with a better chance of beating the Democratic nominee, Sliwa says that isn’t happening. ‘Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang’ Sliwa is hoping to ride to victory on crime, an issue that helped Adams, a former police captain, win the pandemic-era 2021 election. This year’s Democratic primary was dominated by discussions of New York’s high cost of living, but Sliwa believes crime is “beginning to creep up and almost be equal” to other issues voters care about. Sliwa’s Guardian Angels — a band of beret-wearing citizens — patrolled graffitied subway cars and the rough-and-tumble streets starting in the late 1970s, when crime was rampant. The city, by every measurable metric, has gotten much safer. So far this year, the city has had its fewest shooting incidents and shooting victims in decades. Crime is down this year in nearly every category, according to police. But in Sliwa’s telling, crime is “exploding.” In the Bronx, “blood is pouring from the streets.” The “madams and pimps” on the outskirts of Queens need to be arrested and the “Johns” should be named and shamed. When women ride the subway, they get “perved on,” Sliwa said. If the crime stats won’t paint the picture, Sliwa is happy to. As Sliwa spoke with a small gaggle of journalists on a street corner at a recent campaign stop, he illustrated an argument about the statistics by forming his hand into a gun — a “9 millimeter,” he said — and pointed it at his surprised spokesperson. “Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!” he said. In another interview, he recounted how, in 1992, he was shot multiple times in what prosecutors later said was an attempted mob hit. Sliwa had been blasting Gambino crime family boss John Gotti on the radio. The mob boss’s son, John “Junior” Gotti, was charged with ordering the shooting, but multiple juries deadlocked and prosecutors eventually gave up the case. ‘Still trying, still striving’ Sliwa, like President Donald Trump, has […]

WhatsApp is preparing a significant update that will allow people to connect with others using usernames rather than phone numbers, a change that mirrors the approach of Telegram and similar platforms. The capability was first noticed in the Android beta version 2.25.24.22 and is anticipated to be released more widely in the near future.

This adjustment is expected to reshape how users interact on WhatsApp, making it possible to begin chats without disclosing a phone number while still preserving the app’s hallmark encryption and privacy protections.

Each user will be able to create a distinct username, which must include at least one letter, follow a minimum length rule, and comply with WhatsApp’s formatting guidelines. These requirements are designed to avoid duplication, impersonation, or confusion between accounts. People can choose to display their username openly or keep it private, but once created, usernames will remain searchable within WhatsApp.

The new function will appear in the chat tab, where a username can be typed into a designated search bar. WhatsApp will then scan its directory for potential matches, even when the searched individual isn’t saved as a contact. If a match is found, the profile name and photo (when visible) will appear, letting the user open a chat immediately without needing a phone number. All conversations started this way will operate like normal WhatsApp threads, including support for media files, documents, voice notes, and complete message history—while staying fully end-to-end encrypted.

To give users more control over their privacy, WhatsApp will introduce a “Username Key.” This unique code must be provided before someone can send a first message. Even if a username is discovered, no contact can be initiated unless the person has this key. The feature is optional, functioning like advanced privacy settings seen on other social platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.

Using a username will not be compulsory, as those who prefer the traditional phone-number system can continue as usual. To limit misuse and spam, WhatsApp will employ monitoring tools that identify suspicious behavior, automatically blocking and reporting accounts that engage in unwanted messaging in violation of its policies.

Although the feature has not yet been officially launched, its presence in beta testing signals that it is nearing completion and could be introduced to all WhatsApp users in the months ahead.

{Matzav.com}

Army Radio published a report revealing details about Hamas’s propaganda, psychological, and influence apparatus, which until this week was led by the spokesman of its military wing, Abu Obeida, who was assassinated on Shabbos. Hamas’s propaganda and psychological operations network numbers about 1,500 terrorists. Abu Obeida was the architect of this system, significantly expanding it over the past decade. During Operation Protective Edge, it included about 400 terrorists; since then, it has quadrupled in size. About 1,000 propaganda operatives are embedded within Hamas’s combat units. Each brigade and battalion has a dedicated propaganda officer who reported directly to Abu Obeida and oversaw psychological operations. Under them were field operatives responsible for filming propaganda footage “in the field.” In recent years, Abu Obeida led a major procurement campaign, equipping these operatives with GoPro cameras, protective cases, carrying cases, and batteries. Every battalion and brigade ran its own “propaganda operations room,” where video editors created Hamas propaganda clips. Footage of terror squad attacks on IDF soldiers filmed by the propaganda operatives was transmitted in real time, ensuring footage reached the operations room even if the operatives were wounded or killed. The guiding principle was clear: the footage was more valuable than the warfare itself. The IDF has repeatedly targeted these propaganda facilities during the war, but Hamas continually relocates them to schools and hospitals, since all that is required is a laptop and internet connection. Another 400 propaganda terrorists are stationed in operations rooms across the Gaza Strip, some working as video editors for propaganda clips, and some serving as “monitors,” tracking and listening to Israeli media, analyzing public discourse trends in Israel, and proposing psychological influence strategies in accordance with their findings. Abu Obeida personally oversaw every Hamas military campaign in recent years. No Hamas military move in recent years—from the launch of thousands of rockets at Israel before Protective Edge and Guardian of the Walls, the “March of Return” riots, and of course, October 7—was advanced without his approval of the accompanying propaganda plan. Security officials commented, “Hamas understands that its power lies in its asymmetry to Israel—in how it tells the story. That is one of its most effective weapons, which is why it invests so heavily in it. There is no Hamas operation today without an integrated propaganda component.” Abu Obeida also personally directed Hamas’s psychological warfare concerning the hostages. He was a key planner of the hostage videos, shaping every aspect in order to influence Israel’s decision-making process—who appeared, what they said, and how they were filmed. He often surrounded himself with hostages, complicating IDF efforts to target him. Israeli intelligence officials finally identified an opportunity to strike him last week without risking the lives of hostages. Abu Obeida personally orchestrated the hostage release ceremonies. He attended the events, personally briefing the hostages before they went on stage about what to say and do (he knew Hebrew well). It was also his twisted mind that was behind the cynical “release certificates” and macabre “gifts” handed to hostages during those ceremonies. Most recently, Abu Obeida devised a plan to stop the IDF’s entry into Gaza City for the upcoming Gideon’s Chariots B operation using psychological warfare tactics involving the hostages to pressure Israel’s government and security cabinet. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

The death toll from a major earthquake in eastern Afghanistan passed 1,400 on Tuesday, with more than 3,000 people injured, Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban government spokesman, said on social platform X. Rescuers are scrambling in a “race against time” to reach the mountainous and remote area devastated by Sunday’s powerful 6.0 magnitude earthquake, a U.N. official said, warning of an exponential rise in the number of casualties. The quake struck in several provinces, causing extensive damage. It flattened villages and trapped people under the rubble of homes that were constructed mostly of mud bricks and wood and were unable to withstand the shock. Rough terrain is hampering rescue and relief efforts, forcing Taliban authorities to send in dozens of commandos to evacuate the injured from places inaccessible by helicopter and other transport. The casualty figures provided by the spokesman, Mujahid, were just for Kunar province. “We cannot afford to forget the people of Afghanistan who are facing multiple crises, multiple shocks, and the resilience of the communities has been saturated,” Indrika Ratwatte, the U.N.’s resident coordinator for Afghanistan, told a media briefing on Tuesday. He urged the international community to step forward. “These are life and death decisions while we race against time to reach people.” It is the third major earthquake since the Taliban seized power in 2021, and the latest crisis to beset Afghanistan, which is reeling from deep cuts to aid funding, a weak economy, and millions of people forcibly returned from Iran and Pakistan. Ratwatte said that when the walls of wooden and mud homes collapse, the roof falls on to the occupants, causing injury or death. While the area was low-density, the earthquake struck when everybody was asleep. “If you were to model it based on what has happened before, clearly there’s no question that the casualty rate is going to be rather exponential,” he said. The Taliban government, which is only recognized by Russia, has appealed for assistance from foreign governments and the humanitarian sector. However, help for Afghanistan is in short supply due to competing global crises and reduced aid budgets in donor countries. There is also opposition toward the Taliban government’s restrictive policies on Afghan girls and women, including a ban on them working for nongovernmental organizations. Earlier this year, the U.S. gutted aid money to Afghanistan, partly due to concerns that money was going to the Taliban government. Kate Carey, who is the deputy head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Afghanistan, said more than 420 health facilities had closed or were suspended due to the “massive reduction” in funding, with 80 of them in the eastern region, the heart of Sunday’s quake. “The consequence is that the remaining facilities are overwhelmed, have insufficient supplies and personnel, and are not as close to the affected populations as the more local facilities at a time when providing emergency trauma care is needed in the first 24 to 72 hours of the earthquake response,” said Carey. (AP)

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of seeking the elimination of Palestine during an interview with Al-Arabiya and Al-Hadath on Monday, declaring that Israel “wants to destroy all of Palestine.”

He claimed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not interested in the establishment of a Palestinian state. “Netanyahu does not want a fully-fledged Palestinian state,” Abbas said, while also charging that the prime minister is “determined to continue the genocide of the Palestinian people.”

Abbas reminded viewers that the Palestinians already made a major concession decades ago. “We recognized Israel since 1988, yet it [Israel] still prevents the establishment of a Palestinian state,” he said.

Turning to the question of Gaza, Abbas insisted that the Palestinian Authority is prepared to assume control of the territory. He stated, “We are ready to take over Gaza’s governance and we have the capabilities for it. We have no objections to Arab or international partnerships in managing Gaza.”

He also noted the growing international momentum in support of Palestinian recognition. “One hundred and forty-nine countries have recognized the Palestinian state. Several heads of states have told me they intend to recognize Palestine,” Abbas said.

These remarks came just weeks before the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session scheduled for later this month. Abbas and other senior Palestinian representatives, however, were barred from participating after the United States revoked their visas.

Prior to the American decision, Abbas had considered unilaterally declaring the Palestinian Authority a state. In his Monday interview, he said his intention is to “go to the UN for full membership for Palestine.”

Abbas further addressed the situation in Lebanon, expressing support for President Joseph Aoun’s initiative to remove weapons from Palestinian refugee camps in the country. The Jerusalem Post has previously suggested that such disarmament could set a precedent for Aoun’s administration to eventually target Hezbollah’s arsenal.

“Withdrawing weapons from Palestinian camps is a step towards protecting Lebanon,” Abbas said. “I want a normal relationship with Lebanon and for it to maintain its unity and security. I will not be the cause of disrupting the Lebanese state’s project. Palestinian weapons will remain a trust with the Lebanese state.”

{Matzav.com Israel}02

Belgium has declared that it will move forward with recognizing a Palestinian state while simultaneously placing strict sanctions on Israel, citing the worsening humanitarian disaster unfolding in Gaza.

The announcement was delivered Monday evening by Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot, who sharply criticized Israel’s conduct in Gaza, saying it constitutes a breach of international law and obligations to prevent genocide.

“The humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached catastrophic proportions. Israel’s actions, violating international law and its responsibilities, have forced us to take decisive steps to pressure the Israeli government and the Hamas terrorists,” Prevot wrote. He made clear that the sanctions were not meant to target the Israeli public, but rather to hold Israel’s leadership accountable and compel adherence to international and humanitarian law.

Belgium’s package of 12 sanctions includes halting the import of products originating from Israeli towns in Judea and Samaria, suspending public contracts with Israeli firms, and scaling back consular services for Belgian citizens residing in settlements deemed illegal. The government has also barred several hardline figures, including Israeli ministers and violent “settlers,” from entering Belgium, officially branding them “persona non grata.”

Prevot added that Belgium would push for EU-level actions against Israel, including freezing the EU-Israel association agreement as well as pausing joint research projects and technical cooperation efforts.

In addition, Belgium announced its intent to grant official recognition to “Palestine” as a state, aligning with the coordinated initiative led by France and Saudi Arabia, who plan to advance recognition at the upcoming UN General Assembly. “This gesture is a clear condemnation of Israel’s expansionist policies, including its settlement programs and military occupations,” Prevot stated.

He clarified that the recognition would only take place once Hamas releases all hostages and no longer maintains governing authority in Palestinian territories. Belgium also pledged to assist in rebuilding “Palestine” while at the same time bolstering its fight against antisemitism, enlisting both law enforcement agencies and Jewish community leaders in the effort.

Belgium was one of 26 nations that signed a joint statement in July calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, expressing grave concern about the deteriorating humanitarian crisis and accusing Israel of imposing severe restrictions on humanitarian relief.

That same month, Belgian officials detained two Israeli nationals attending the Tomorrowland music festival and questioned them on suspicions of involvement in war crimes in Gaza.

The arrests were prompted by a complaint filed by the Hind Rijab Foundation, an organization dedicated to pursuing legal cases against IDF personnel internationally.

{Matzav.com}

Families who lost loved ones in two crashes of Boeing 737 Max jetliners may get their last chance to demand the company face criminal prosecution Wednesday. That’s when a federal judge in Texas is set to hear arguments on a U.S. government motion to dismiss a felony charge against Boeing. U.S. prosecutors charged Boeing with conspiracy to commit fraud in connection with the crashes that killed 346 people off the coast of Indonesia and in Ethiopia. Federal prosecutors alleged Boeing deceived government regulators about a flight-control system that was later implicated in the fatal flights, which took place less than five months apart in 2018 and 2019. Boeing decided to plead guilty instead of going to trial, but U.S. District Chief Judge Reed O’Connor rejected the aircraft maker’s plea agreement in December. O’Connor, who also will consider whether to let prosecutors dismiss the conspiracy charge, objected to diversity, equity and inclusion policies potentially influencing the selection of an independent monitor to oversee the company’s promised reforms. Lawyers representing relatives of some of the passengers who died cheered O’Connor’s decision, hoping it would further their goal of seeing former Boeing executives prosecuted during a public trial and more severe financial punishment for the company. Instead, the delay worked to Boeing’s favor. The judge’s refusal to accept the agreement meant the company was free to challenge the Justice Department’s rationale for charging Boeing as a corporation. It also meant prosecutors would have to secure a new deal for a guilty plea. Resolving ‘a difficult and complex’ case The government and Boeing spent six months renegotiating their plea deal. During that time, President Donald Trump returned to office and ordered an end to the diversity initiatives that gave O’Connor pause. By the time the Justice Department’s criminal fraud section briefed the judge in late May, the charge and the plea were off the table. A non-prosecution agreement the two sides struck said the government would dismiss the charge in exchange for Boeing paying or investing another $1.1 billion in fines, compensation for the crash victims’ families, and internal safety and quality measures. The Justice Department said it offered Boeing those terms in light of “significant changes” Boeing made to its quality control and anti-fraud programs since entering into the July 2024 plea deal. The department also said it thought that persuading a jury to punish the company with a criminal conviction would be risky, while the revised agreement ensures “meaningful accountability, delivers substantial and immediate public benefits, and brings finality to a difficult and complex case whose outcome would otherwise be uncertain.” Judge O’Connor has invited some of the families to address the court on Wednesday. One of the people who plans to speak is Catherine Berthet, whose daughter, Camille Geoffrey, died at age 28 when a 737 Max crashed shortly after takeoff from Ethiopia’s Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. Berthet, who lives in France, is part of a group of about 30 families who want the judge to deny the government’s request and to appoint a special prosecutor to take over the case. “While it is no surprise that Boeing is trying to buy everyone off, the fact that the DOJ, which had a guilty plea in its hands last year, has now decided not to prosecute Boeing regardless of the judge’s decision is a denial of justice, a total disregard for the victims and, above all, a disregard for the judge,” she […]

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