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[Video below.] The symbolic clock at Hostages’ Square in Tel Aviv was stopped at 5:35 p.m. on Monday, marking the first time it ceased since it began running at the start of the war.

The event was organized by the Families Headquarters for the Return of the Hostages and followed the return of Ran Gvili, the final hostage who had remained in Gaza.

The ceremony opened with the entry of the code that brought the clock to a halt. It then continued with remarks from Shira Gvili, sister of Ran Gvili; Michel Illouz, father of Guy Illouz, who was killed while in captivity; Yael Adar, mother of Tamir Adar, who was killed defending Kibbutz Nir Oz; Segev Kalfon, who was abducted from the Nova music festival; and Malachi Shem Tov, father of released hostage Omer Shem Tov.

Captivity survivor Rom Braslavski told those gathered that the end of the countdown did not mean an end to struggle. “The clock may have officially stopped, but it hasn’t really stopped. We can officially say that one war has ended and that we have no hostages in Gaza. But now we’re moving from one war to another, much harder war: the war of rehabilitation, which is also very difficult to endure. I want to wish all those wounded by this war, whether soldiers, hostages, or myself, that we succeed in emerging from this cursed war, in rehabilitating ourselves, and doing everything necessary to restore our souls to what they once were.”
“I wish us all to complete this rehabilitation as we should. We’ve been through everything, and we’ll get through this too.”

Another captivity survivor, Segev Kalfon, reflected on seeing the clock while still held in Gaza. “I first saw this clock in footage that reached us in Gaza: a clock counting the hostages’ time not just in days but in minutes and seconds. That’s exactly how we felt, how every minute was an eternity and every second could be the last second we’d breathe.”
“When I saw photos of you from the square, standing here with our pictures, supporting our families and calling out in the clearest way ‘Until the last hostage,’ you were our light and hope. You were our strength, and no less than that, you were the strength of our families. For me, this is the time to say thank you. Thank you for being here for us. Special thanks I must give to the Hostages Families Forum. I see the connection the families have to this incredible place.”

Kalfon said the moment marked a turning point but not a conclusion. “Stopping the clock is a defining moment, but it’s not the end. It marks the completion of one critical and major phase in which all 255 hostages are no longer held by the abhorrent Hamas and its affiliates. Now 87 families of fallen hostages, including 46 who were kidnapped alive like me and murdered in captivity, these families, together with all of Israel, can turn to begin their rehabilitation process alongside us, the captivity survivors. Because this is grief that touches all of us, everyone who lost friends and brothers since October 7th,” Kalfon said.

Captivity survivor Elkana Bohbot addressed the crowd with gratitude, saying, “I have to tell you that you are the foundation of Israeli society. You are truly this nation’s soul. Really. I’m moved to stand here. Thanks to them, I received a photo of my son inside the tunnel. Thanks to you, we received hope, we received light, and we received faith that no one gave up on us. Ever. I love you all.”

Malachi Shem Tov, whose son Omer was released from captivity, spoke about the weight of the long countdown. “For 844 days, the clock kept running, counting every day, every minute, every second since our world stopped on October 7th. Thank God we can finally stop counting.”
“Thank you to all the people around the world, across every nation, who stood with us and raised our voices. Thank you to the Jewish Federations, the Jewish communities who supported us since day one, and the people of Israel who proved that this is our home. Thank you, President Trump, for making this day possible.”
“From the time we founded the Families Forum, we knew it wouldn’t be a happy ending for all the families. It is a bittersweet ending to our struggle to bring them all home. All the hostages have come home. We will always remember those who lost their lives on October 7th and after. We must never forget what happened on October 7th.”

Shira Gvili, speaking about her brother Ran, whose burial was scheduled for the following day, described the meaning of the moment. “This clock can be stopped and we can return and walk, breathe with relief, mourn, and tomorrow bring Ran to his eternal rest. In the last 844 days, I felt every minute, every split second in longing and anticipation for Ran. The world kept moving, but I wanted it to stop with us. And now he’s here, not as we wanted, hoped, and prayed, but he’s here. He and 86 other fallen hostages have been returned to Israel for burial, and he is the last.”
“This square is a special place. This square is so much more than asphalt. This square is the people, it’s you. Fellow hostage family members who embraced me warmly, staff and volunteers of the Hostages Families Forum who never gave up until the last hostage.”

Captivity survivor Yosef Haim Ohana said the presence of supporters gave meaning to survival. “If they had told me then that I would stand here when this clock stops, I would have spent those entire two years smiling. But not because I would have known I’d finish this alive. Rather because I would have known there would be people who would be here until the end and wouldn’t give up. Thank you for not giving up. It’s all thanks to you.”

Michel Illouz, whose son Guy was killed in captivity, said the clock’s silence would not end his grief. “Those seconds, days, and hours that we’re now finishing counting will never erase the hands of thought and sorrow for me and 45 other families whose loved ones were murdered in captivity. I will never be able to stop thinking and calculating the number of days that maybe Guy would have returned alive if an earlier deal had been made. Maybe then they could have come home alive. I will never be able to erase the image of my parting from my firstborn son Guy, who returned as a bag of bones. Unfortunately, I will have to live alongside the infinite pain with my enormous loss and ours as a nation.”

Yael Adar, mother of Tamir Adar, said the end of the countdown closed one chapter but opened another reckoning. “Today we turn off the clock counting the days that living and fallen hostages were held in Hamas captivity. We turn off the clock at the end of an inhuman chapter in which we fought for the return of the hostages, for social values of mutual responsibility, solidarity, concern for the helpless, and not leaving anyone behind.”
“But I will never stop counting the massacre, the lack of protection, the abandonment, and the breaking of the covenant between citizen and state. I will count these days until the end of my life, with every breath in which my Tamir is missing from this world.”
“On the day we stop the clock with emotion, with the return of the last hostage, I ask to remember the pain and loss of thousands of families who deserve a great embrace and eternal remembrance of the greatest failure in the state’s history. We must do everything to prevent the next failure. We turn off the clock with a prayer that we never have to turn it on again.”

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu responded to questions about the second phase of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza initiative, saying Israel’s political and security priorities would be fully safeguarded as the plan moved forward.

He said the government was concentrating on what he described as the final objectives of the war, stating, “Now we are focusing on completing the two remaining missions: dismantling Hamas’s weapons and demilitarizing Gaza of arms and tunnels.”

Netanyahu said he had reached a clear understanding with President Trump on how those goals would be achieved, warning that Israel would not compromise on outcomes. “As I agreed with President Trump… there are only two possibilities: either this will be done the easy way or it will be done the hard way, but in any case, it will happen,” he said. He rejected suggestions that Gaza could be rebuilt before disarmament, adding, “I am already hearing the statements that we will allow Gaza’s reconstruction before demilitarization. That will not happen.”

The prime minister also dismissed reports that foreign forces might be deployed in the enclave. “I am hearing that we will bring Turkish soldiers and Qatari soldiers into Gaza. That too will not happen,” he said.

Addressing claims that Israel would permit the creation of a Palestinian state in Gaza, Netanyahu spoke forcefully, saying, “I am hearing that I will allow the establishment of a Palestinian state in Gaza. That did not happen, and it will not happen.” He emphasized his long-standing position on the issue, stating, “I think all of you know that the one who repeatedly stopped the establishment of a Palestinian state is me, together with my colleagues in the governments I have led. Even today and tomorrow, we will not allow this.”

Netanyahu concluded by reiterating Israel’s security doctrine for the region, saying, “Israel will maintain security control over the entire area from the Jordan River to the sea, and that applies to the Gaza Strip as well.”

{Matzav.com}

President Trump said Tuesday that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will remain in her position, rejecting suggestions that she might resign as criticism mounts over her handling of recent deadly encounters involving federal agents.

Asked directly on the South Lawn of the White House whether Noem would step down, the president was unequivocal.

“No,” he told reporters.

“I think she’s doing a very good job.”

Noem has come under intense scrutiny following two fatal incidents involving federal officers. In public remarks, she described Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old armed nurse, and Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother, as domestic terrorists, language that sparked backlash across the political spectrum.

While the administration has since softened its tone, Noem will remain in office following an extended meeting with Trump late Monday evening at the White House, according to officials familiar with the discussions.

At the same time, Trump announced a series of moves that were widely viewed as shifting operational control away from Noem. On Monday, he revealed that border czar Tom Homan was being dispatched to Minnesota to manage the situation firsthand. Separately, Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, known for his aggressive leadership style, was instructed to return home from his post in the state.

Although Homeland Security Adviser Stephen Miller echoed Noem’s description of the two individuals, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt sought to draw a clearer line between the president and that characterization.

During Monday’s press briefing, Leavitt was asked whether Trump agreed with labeling Pretti a domestic terrorist.

“I have not heard the president characterize Mr. Pretti in that way,” she said. “However, I have heard the president say he wants to let the facts and the investigation lead itself.”

Even as the administration stepped back from the rhetoric, Trump publicly reaffirmed his confidence in his senior team. He praised Noem’s performance and included Miller on his trip to Iowa, where he is scheduled to deliver remarks focused on the economy.

Before leaving Washington, Trump also offered a positive assessment of Homan’s efforts in Minnesota.

“I hear that’s going very well,” he said, referring to Homan’s discussions with Gov. Tim Walz.

Homan’s assignment was intended to stabilize the situation both on the ground and in the political arena, as concerns spread within Republican circles over Noem’s response to the deaths and the scale of force used by federal authorities.

Trump also addressed the investigation into Pretti’s death, saying he expects a thorough and fair review and plans to monitor it closely.

“We’re doing a big investigation. I want to see the investigation. I’m going to be watching over it. I want a very honorable and honest investigation — I have to see it myself,” he said Tuesday while departing the White House for Iowa.

The fatal shooting of Pretti, which occurred Saturday during a confrontation with federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, is now under review by multiple agencies. The Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection are each conducting their own examinations of the incident.

{Matzav.com}

A federal judge in Minnesota has ordered the acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to personally appear in court and explain why he should not be held in contempt, escalating a clash over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations in the Twin Cities.

In a rare and sharply worded directive issued late Monday, Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz instructed ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons to come before the court “and show cause why he should not be held in contempt.”

The order underscores growing frustration from the bench over what Schiltz described as ICE’s repeated failure to comply with judicial release orders tied to Operation Metro Surge, a stepped-up enforcement initiative underway in Minneapolis and St. Paul. According to Politico, the judge stated flatly that “the court’s patience is at an end.”

Schiltz, who was appointed to the bench by President George W. Bush, ordered Lyons to appear in person on Friday to address why ICE did not release a detainee who had been ordered freed on Jan. 15 and instead kept him in custody for weeks afterward.

In his ruling, the judge accused ICE of repeatedly disregarding decisions issued by multiple Minnesota judges, leading to individuals being detained longer than courts authorized or transferred to other states in what he suggested may have been an effort to sidestep judicial oversight.

The administration’s aggressive enforcement posture has triggered a surge of emergency lawsuits from immigrants who allege they are being held unlawfully.

Minnesota federal judges have frequently ruled in favor of those plaintiffs, ordering releases and warning that the practices raise serious due process concerns.

U.S. District Judge Michael Davis, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton, has likewise criticized the administration, accusing it of pushing the legal system “to the breaking point.”

Supporters of the administration counter that judges are overstepping their role, arguing that the courts are being used to block immigration enforcement powers granted by Congress and grounded in the Constitution.

Operation Metro Surge was launched under President Donald Trump as part of a renewed effort to reverse years of weak enforcement and sanctuary-style policies adopted by Democrat-led states and cities.

The legal fight has sharpened amid heightened tensions following the fatal shooting of anti-ICE protester Alex Pretti during a federal operation, an incident critics have cited in calls to shut down enforcement actions altogether.

Several judges are now considering broader lawsuits that could significantly restrict or even suspend ICE activity in Minnesota.

The dispute between Schiltz and the administration has also spilled into related cases.

Earlier this month, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an unusual request from the Justice Department seeking approval for additional arrests connected to a disruptive anti-ICE protest at a St. Paul church.

That demonstration, which interrupted a Christian worship service, drew national attention after former CNN anchor Don Lemon was linked to the protest.

Schiltz denied prosecutors’ emergency request to detain two organizers accused of conspiring to violate civil rights, though he placed them under strict release conditions.

Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have said enforcement efforts will continue, emphasizing that interference with religious services and intimidation of worshippers will not be tolerated.

The intensifying showdown reflects a broader struggle between the Trump administration’s law-and-order agenda and a judiciary that has shown increasing willingness to intervene in immigration enforcement.

{Matzav.com}

Federal authorities were already familiar with Alex Pretti before Border Patrol officers fatally shot him in Minneapolis last weekend, and he had suffered a broken rib during a violent encounter with immigration agents roughly a week earlier, according to a report.

Pretti, who worked as an ICU nurse, told a friend that he witnessed ICE agents chasing what he believed was a family on foot during that earlier episode and stopped his car to intervene, CNN reported.

According to the source, Pretti pulled over, began yelling at the agents, and blew a whistle, prompting five officers to tackle him to the ground.

The friend told CNN that Pretti later said one of the agents leaned on his back during the scuffle, leaving him with a broken rib.

“That day, he thought he was going to die,” the source said, noting that agents ultimately released Pretti at the scene.

CNN reported that federal immigration officials had compiled information on Pretti in recent weeks, along with details on other anti-ICE protesters active in Minneapolis.

A memo circulated this month to agents deployed to the city instructed them to “capture all images, license plates, identifications, and general information on hotels, agitators, protestors, etc., so we can capture it all in one consolidated form,” according to the network.

While Pretti’s identity was known to federal agents, a source said it remains unclear whether his details were entered into or shared through the new intake system.

Authorities also have not determined whether Pretti recognized the agents he confronted on Saturday, or whether they recognized him from the earlier incident.

Video footage appears to show agents forcing Pretti to the ground before one officer removes a firearm from his waistband and another agent fatally shoots him.

The Department of Homeland Security has denied maintaining a database of suspected domestic terrorists.

“We do, of course, monitor and investigate and refer all threats, assaults and obstruction of our officers to the appropriate law enforcement,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told CNN, referring to a separate case involving a federal agent in Maine.

FBI Director Kash Patel has separately said his agency is probing encrypted Signal group chats that activists reportedly use to share information about ICE operations.

Such groups “create a scenario that illegally entraps and puts law enforcement in harm’s way,” Director Patel warned during an appearance on a conservative podcast on Monday.

{Matzav.com}

Trump: “I had a great conversation with the highly respected President of Syria…” “Tom Homan, as you know, is in Minnesota now. He’s meeting with the governor, and he’s meeting with the mayor later, and I hear that’s all going well”.

TRUMP: Gaza is going very well. We got the last hostage body back, and a lot of people thought that was impossible.

President Trump said he is happy with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and reflects on her contributions stopping illegal border crossings.

Trump on the investigation into Alex Pretti’s death: “We’re doing a big investigation. I want to see the investigation. I’m going to be watching over it. I want a very honorable and honest investigation — I have to see it myself.”

Dear YWN, (and also Dear Me, because apparently I’m one of those people) I am writing this letter to myself, and to every other genius who woke up this morning, looked outside at a city buried under snow, and still said the magic words: “Eh, I’ll just drive.” Friends, I learned the hard way, and […]

In the last months of World War II, Lola Kantorowicz tried her best to hide her pregnancy. She succeeded because most of the prisoners at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp had bellies that were distended and bloated from extended starvation. As she went into labor in March 1945, the Russians were advancing through Germany, and Bergen-Belsen […]

A complete and full teshuva in the handwriting and with the holy signature of the Admor Rabbi Yoel of Satmar, expressing strong words against appointing “rabbanim and dayanim who are ignorant, unfit, and have no knowledge whatsoever of Torah.”

Jewelry, furniture, trips, cash. Things you wish you had. Things you’d never allow yourself to buy. The KSH Auction is packed with everything you can dream of, and more.  Every ticket gives you a chance at winning the unforgettable.  But look a little closer. Every ticket is also food on a table. Every entry helps […]

The U.S. Air Force will hold a multi-day readiness exercise in the Middle East to showcase its ability to deploy, disperse, and sustain combat airpower across the Central Command region amid rising tensions with Iran over a potential U.S. strike.

Samsung is set to launch its Galaxy Z TriFold in the U.S. on January 30, with a starting price of $2,899.

NATO Maritime Command reported that the Italian Navy frigate ITS Virginio Fasan, part of NATO’s Standing Naval Maritime Group 2, has detected and is tracking the Russian Kilo-class submarine Krasnodar in the Mediterranean Sea.

As friction with Iran continues, the US military has announced the start of a major air exercise in the Middle East aimed at showcasing its ability to rapidly project and sustain airpower across the region.

US Central Command, through its air arm, the Ninth Air Force, confirmed that Air Forces Central will carry out what it described as a “multi-day readiness exercise to demonstrate the ability to deploy, disperse, and sustain combat airpower across the US Central Command area of responsibility.”

According to the command, “This exercise is designed to enhance asset and personnel dispersal capability, strengthen regional partnerships and prepare for flexible response execution throughout CENTCOM. It will serve as a way for AFCENT to validate procedures for rapid movement of personnel and aircraft; dispersed operations at contingency locations; logistics sustainment with a minimal footprint; and integrated, multi-national command and control over a large area of operations.”

AFCENT said the training will include US forces spreading out to a number of contingency sites, where they will “deploy teams to multiple contingency locations and validate rapid set-up, launch and recovery procedures with small, efficient support packages,” while also stressing that all actions will be carried out “with host-nation approval and in close coordination with civil and military aviation authorities, emphasizing safety, precision and respect for sovereignty.”

The exercise follows an announcement made a day earlier by the United States Central Command that the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, along with its escorting vessels, had reached the Middle East.

With the carrier strike group now in theater, the United States has significantly expanded its offensive and defensive capabilities in the region, providing President Donald Trump with additional military options as Iran’s regime faces international scrutiny over the killing of protesters.

Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania on Tuesday publicly pressed President Donald Trump to dismiss Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, accusing her of mishandling immigration enforcement actions tied to recent events in Minnesota.

In a post on X, the Democratic senator demanded Noem’s immediate removal, directly addressing the president and issuing a warning about repeating past leadership decisions. “.@POTUS @realDonaldTrump: I make a direct appeal to immediately fire @Sec_Noem,” Fetterman wrote, cautioning Trump not to repeat what he described as “the mistake President Biden made” by retaining what he called a “grossly incompetent” DHS secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, during deadly and controversial federal operations.

Fetterman’s remarks come as the national immigration debate intensifies following two fatal shootings involving federal agents in Minneapolis, including the death of Alex Pretti. The incidents coincided with the deployment of thousands of ICE, Border Patrol, and other DHS personnel under what the department has labeled “Operation Metro Surge,” which DHS has described as the largest immigration enforcement action ever undertaken.

The senator’s call to fire Noem reflects broader criticism from progressive lawmakers and advocacy groups. In recent days, several on the left have demanded her resignation or impeachment, along with disciplinary action against senior Border Patrol officials, after the shootings triggered protests across Minnesota and in other states.

Opponents of Noem contend that she has aggressively enforced federal immigration policies long opposed by Democrats but never overturned by legislation. They argue that such operations, particularly in sanctuary jurisdictions, should be reevaluated rather than escalated, warning that the current approach risks further unrest.

Republicans and conservative voices counter that congressional Republicans and GOP leaders at the state level have largely supported the enforcement surge. They argue that sanctuary policies expose federal agents to greater danger and leave the federal government with little choice but to take decisive action.

President Trump has continued to defend Noem and DHS efforts aimed at apprehending violent criminal aliens, but he is facing pressure from multiple sides. While some Republicans support the enforcement push, others have raised concerns about the optics and consequences of the Minneapolis operations and have called for independent reviews to assess tactics and accountability.

At the same time, the White House has indicated that it is reassessing DHS priorities following internal evaluations, with an emphasis on border security and criminal enforcement moving forward.

Despite Fetterman’s public demand that Noem be fired, she is expected to remain in her post for now, though her leadership is under intense scrutiny as criticism grows over her forceful enforcement strategy and public comments that have fueled opposition.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli journalist Amit Segal has disclosed previously unknown information about the intelligence and operational steps that ultimately led to the recovery of the body of fallen Israel Police officer Ran Gvili, Arutz Sheva reports.

According to the report, about three months ago IDF troops approached the head of the Southern Command seeking approval to extend the so-called Yellow Line to cover a Muslim cemetery where Gvili was later determined to have been buried. The soldiers argued that the area posed a serious operational threat to Israeli forces, and the request was approved.

At that stage, forces carried out activity inside the cemetery without any indication that Gvili might be buried there. While operating in the area, troops uncovered a terror tunnel running beneath the cemetery and subsequently destroyed it.

In the weeks that followed, updated intelligence evaluations increasingly pointed to the likelihood that Ran Gvili had indeed been buried at that location. After a series of coordination and planning measures, authorization was granted for an operation to recover his remains.

On Monday night, the Israel Security Agency revealed that roughly a month earlier, during a separate operation in southern Gaza City, Israeli forces detained a Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative. The suspect had taken part in combat activity against Israeli forces during the war and was brought in for questioning.

During his interrogation, the operative confessed to having been involved in moving Ran Gvili’s body between several sites and provided the names of others who knew where the burial had taken place. The intelligence obtained strengthened assessments that Gvili was buried in the al-Batsh cemetery in the northern Gaza Strip.

The ISA said that this intelligence directly enabled the recovery mission. As part of the operation, forces opened more than 700 graves and examined over 250 bodies before locating Ran. He was found inside a Shifa Hospital body bag, still wearing his police uniform, with his shoes and belt intact.

{Matzav.com}

Sen. John Fetterman who voted to confirm DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, is now urging President Trump to fire her.