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Israeli forces struck more than 40 Hezbollah terror infrastructure sites and killed over 100 terrorists belonging to the Iranian proxy in Southern Lebanon this weekend, the military said on Sunday.

Soldiers from the IDF’s 91st “Galilee” Division attacked military-use targets, weapons storage facilities, a launcher and additional infrastructure sites. The slain terrorists were operating near IDF soldiers.

“The infrastructure sites struck were used by Hezbollah terrorists to advance and carry out attacks against IDF soldiers operating in Southern Lebanon,” the army said. “The IDF will continue to operate against threats directed at Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers, in accordance with directives from the political echelon.”

Attacks on IDF troops continued throughout the day on Sunday, with the military reporting that the Israeli Air Force intercepted several rockets and drones launched toward “the area in which IDF soldiers are operating in Southern Lebanon.”

The statement added that in these cases, “in accordance with protocol,” no air-raid sirens were activated in nearby Israeli communities. Similar incidents were reported on Saturday night.

The terrorist group also continued to attack Israeli territory last night, with the IDF reporting that the IAF intercepted “several suspicious aerial targets” launched from Lebanon that did trigger air-raid sirens in several areas of northern Israel, including at Kibbutz Hanita. This was preceded a projectile launched from Lebanon that triggered alarms in the Kibbutz Bar’am area, striking in an open area with no injuries reported

Both incidents were violations of the terms of the ceasefire by Hezbollah, the IDF said.

Last night, the IDF said that it struck Hezbollah weapons storage facilities and a drone launch position, while earlier on Shabbos, the IDF hit two loaded and ready-to-use launchers in Southern Lebanon. “One of the launchers had previously fired toward IDF soldiers operating in Southern Lebanon, while another had launched rockets toward the State of Israel,” the military said.

Over the past week, the IDF’s 146th Reserve Armored Division destroyed some 70 terrorist targets and eliminated more than 30 terrorists, the army said on Sunday.

During one operation on Shabbos, a terrorist approached IDF soldiers, “posing an imminent threat,” it said, adding that “following the identification, the Israeli Air Force, guided by IDF soldiers, eliminated the terrorist and removed the threat.” JNS

{Matzav.com}

Ukraine is dramatically increasing production of unmanned ground vehicles as the country pushes to shift dangerous front-line logistics and evacuation work away from soldiers and toward robotic systems.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry said it intends to sign contracts for 25,000 unmanned ground vehicles during the first half of 2026, a sharp increase from previous years as Kyiv accelerates its investment in battlefield automation.

Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced the initiative after discussions with domestic defense manufacturers, describing the effort as part of a broader strategy to have robots eventually carry out all front-line resupply operations.

In an April 18 Facebook post, Fedorov wrote that “UGVs perform important logistics and evacuation tasks on the front line” and revealed that Ukrainian troops completed more than 9,000 robotic missions during March alone.

The ministry has now established a goal of making robotic systems responsible for 100% of front-line logistics missions, marking a major shift from traditional manned supply operations that have become increasingly vulnerable to Russian drone surveillance and attacks.

The planned procurement would represent a major jump from earlier production levels. Ukraine aimed for 15,000 ground robots in 2025 after managing to field only several hundred units in 2024.

According to Ukrainian officials, the Defense Procurement Agency has already finalized 19 agreements totaling 11 billion hryvnias, or approximately $250 million. Authorities have also started arranging contracts extending into 2027 in an effort to provide manufacturers with longer-term production stability.

Ukraine recently approved one of its newest robotic systems, the Bizon-L, under NATO cataloging procedures. The robot, capable of carrying payloads weighing up to 300 kilograms across distances of 50 kilometers, was formally cleared on April 23 for use by Ukrainian and allied forces.

Officials say NATO standardization could eventually allow the system to be exported and integrated with partner militaries.

The unmanned vehicles are designed for a range of battlefield tasks, including transporting ammunition, evacuating wounded troops, laying mines, and even participating directly in combat operations.

Ukrainian forces have reportedly experimented with mounting RPG-7 grenade launchers onto robotic platforms. Ukrainian media reports also described at least one machine-gun-equipped ground robot that allegedly maintained an infantry position by itself for roughly six weeks.

President Volodymyr Zelensky highlighted the expanding use of robotic systems during an April 14 speech marking Arms Makers’ Day. Zelensky said Ukrainian units conducted more than 22,000 unmanned missions over the previous three months and unveiled a goal of producing 50,000 ground robots during 2026.

Ukraine’s defense-tech sector has rapidly expanded since the war began. Officials say the number of companies involved in ground drone production has grown from none in 2022 to approximately 300 firms operating under Brave1, a state-supported military technology initiative focused on grants and battlefield testing.

The Defense Ministry has also introduced a digital procurement platform that allows military units to place direct orders with more than 280 domestic defense manufacturers.

Despite the rapid growth, significant obstacles remain.

A Ukrainian developer identified as “Flash” told Euromaidan Press that communications systems — rather than the robots themselves — remain the biggest challenge limiting large-scale deployment. According to the developer, electronic warfare continues disrupting the control signals needed to operate the vehicles effectively on the battlefield.

Ukrainian engineers are continuing work aimed at improving communications reliability, signal protection, and the overall survivability of the robotic systems under combat conditions.

{Matzav.com}

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is continuing to exert major influence over Tehran’s military and diplomatic strategy despite serious injuries suffered during the war, according to multiple people familiar with US intelligence assessments.

The reports mark one of the clearest indications yet from American intelligence sources that the 56-year-old cleric remains deeply involved in directing Iran’s response to the conflict and ongoing negotiations with the United States.

Sources familiar with the intelligence told CNN that Khamenei has been overseeing discussions tied to cease-fire efforts and talks involving the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz while operating from an undisclosed location.

According to those reports, Khamenei suffered severe physical injuries during US and Israeli strikes earlier in the war, including the loss of a leg and extensive disfigurement.

Despite those injuries, individuals close to his inner circle have reportedly described him as remaining mentally alert and actively engaged in high-level decision-making involving senior figures in the Islamic Republic.

The younger Khamenei has not appeared publicly or delivered any televised remarks since taking over leadership following the appointment as successor to his father in March.

Iranian state media has only broadcast written statements attributed to him three times since he assumed power.

Iranian officials, however, are rejecting reports suggesting the country’s new supreme leader remains in poor physical condition.

Khamenei “is now in complete health,” Mazaher Hosseini, head of protocol in the office of Iran’s supreme leader, said Friday.

“Thank God, he is in good health,” Hosseini told an Iranian crowd.

“The enemy is spreading all kinds of rumors and false claims. … He will speak to you when the time is right.”

Hosseini acknowledged that Khamenei had sustained injuries, saying “a small piece of shrapnel had hit him behind the ear,” while insisting the ayatollah is recovering well.

American intelligence sources, however, reportedly believe Khamenei suffered far more serious wounds, including severe burns affecting parts of his face, torso, arm, and one leg.

The reports also indicate that Khamenei has sharply limited his communications in an effort to avoid detection. He is reportedly avoiding electronic devices entirely and communicating either face to face with trusted officials or through handwritten and courier-delivered messages.

Although Khamenei is said to remain heavily involved in shaping Iran’s broader wartime strategy and negotiations, officials within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are believed to be overseeing much of the government’s day-to-day operational management inside Tehran.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Thursday that he recently held a lengthy in-person meeting with Khamenei, marking what appeared to be the first publicly reported direct encounter with the country’s ruler since the war began.

“What struck me most during this meeting was the vision and the humble and sincere approach of the supreme leader of the Islamic Revolution,” Pezeshkian gushed, according to Iranian state media.

{Matzav.com}

[COMMUNICATED]

There is a certain kind of language that keeps coming up when community members speak about Givat Hashalvah. Not the language of brochures or floor plans, but the language of people trying to describe why a place feels different. They talk about belonging. They talk about like-minded families. They talk about a community geared toward their lifestyle. And that may be one of the clearest signs yet of what this project is really trying to build.  

For many families considering life in Eretz Yisroel, the question is not only where to live, but how to live. Givat Hashalvah keeps returning to that distinction. The goal is not simply proximity to Yerushalayim, nor only a higher construction standard, nor only a stronger amenity package. It is the effort to bring those things together into a way of life that feels more aligned. Community members describe it as a place that understands what Americans are looking for, not in the sense of importing America, but in the sense of planning carefully for the rhythms, expectations, and daily dignity that matter to frum families.  

That thought process shows up in the details. Walking paths. Biking paths. Nearby fitness. Spaces to gather. Large windows opening out to the hills. A summit location that gives the project both presence and perspective. In another setting, those might read as amenities. Here, they begin to feel like part of a larger idea: that ruchniyus and gashmiyus do not need to compete with one another when a community is planned with intention. They can support one another. They can help create the kind of daily life people actually want to come home to.  

The setting adds another layer. Givat Hashalvah is close enough to Yerushalayim to remain connected, yet removed enough to offer quiet, air, and a sense of relief from the rush. Community members speak about that balance with unusual clarity. They are not looking for the center of the noise. They are looking for a real life near Yerushalayim, with the city still within reach and the home experience shaped by calm, scenery, and space. From the summit, the hills become part of the atmosphere, part of what residents will wake up to and live with every day.  

In that sense, Givat Hashalvah is not only making a real estate pitch. It is making a case for a different kind of neighborhood experience, one built around shared purpose, thoughtful planning, and a clearer sense of what a community can feel like when it is designed from the ground up. If the community members already speaking about it are any indication, that message is beginning to land.
Explore Givat Hashalvah → https://go.lyo.group/3LxM3tz

President Donald Trump said the United States is still waiting for Tehran’s formal response to a proposed framework aimed at ending the ongoing conflict, while warning that Washington is prepared to escalate military operations if negotiations collapse.

Despite continued tensions, a wider cease-fire between the US and Iran appeared to remain intact, two days after American forces struck two Iranian targets and the United Arab Emirates intercepted incoming Iranian drones and missiles.

The White House has been pressing Iran to move forward with negotiations as instability around the Strait of Hormuz continues threatening global shipping routes and broader diplomatic efforts.

Trump indicated that one possible next step could involve reviving “Project Freedom,” the US naval operation designed to escort commercial vessels through the strategically critical waterway.

“We may go back to Project Freedom if things don’t happen, but it’d be Project Freedom-plus, meaning Project Freedom plus other things,” he told reporters.

While Iran delayed delivering its answer to the latest American proposal, Britain announced new military deployments to the region. The UK Defense Ministry said the destroyer HMS Dragon would head toward the Middle East from the eastern Mediterranean, where British forces have already been helping defend allied assets against potential Iranian attacks.

A spokesperson for the British military described the deployment as “prudent planning” carried out within the framework of a “multinational coalition jointly led by the UK and France, to secure the Strait of Hormuz, when conditions allow.”

The British move followed France’s decision earlier in the week to send its carrier strike group into the southern Red Sea alongside Dutch and Italian naval vessels.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the operation with Britain “can help restore confidence among shipowners and insurers” and stressed that the coalition effort was “distinct from the parties to the conflict.”

Since the war erupted on Feb. 28, Iran has largely succeeded in disrupting activity in the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage responsible for roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil transportation.

In response, Trump announced a blockade initiative on April 12 and dispatched American destroyers to patrol the area, search for Iranian naval mines, and escort civilian shipping through the region.

Macron called for all blockades affecting the strait to end “immediately and without conditions.”

Trump signaled Friday that the next move belongs to Tehran.

“I’m getting a letter supposedly tonight. So we’ll see how that goes,” he said Friday en route to his Virginia golf club, where he is hosting the Saudi-backed LIV golf this weekend.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he hopes Iran responds constructively.

Rubio reportedly met in Miami with White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in an effort to continue advancing negotiations, according to Axios.

Diplomats have reportedly been working on a 14-point outline that would serve as the basis for broader peace discussions between Washington and Tehran.

Sources familiar with the talks described the emerging document as a brief one-page memorandum intended to establish the groundwork for a future comprehensive agreement.

According to reports, Iran’s proposed terms include guarantees against future military attacks, a withdrawal of American forces from the region, the release of frozen Iranian assets, and the removal of US sanctions.

Iran has also reportedly demanded compensation connected to the war, an end to strikes targeting Hezbollah-linked groups in Lebanon, and a new arrangement governing passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

The American proposal reportedly calls for Iran to halt nuclear enrichment activities for 12 years, surrender its highly enriched uranium stockpile, and accept a phased sanctions-relief plan tied to reopening the strait within 30 days.

However, major disputes remain unresolved, particularly surrounding Iran’s uranium reserves and whether Tehran would eventually be permitted to resume enrichment activities.

Meanwhile, US Central Command announced that American forces disabled two Iranian tankers attempting to move through the US-enforced blockade. Video released Friday on X showed the ships with smoke rising from their stacks.

CENTCOM said that since April 13, American forces have diverted 58 commercial ships and disabled four vessels in an effort to prevent maritime traffic connected to Iranian ports.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi sharply criticized Washington’s actions, writing on X: “Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure. Is it a crude pressure tactic?”

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that he believes the war in Ukraine could soon conclude, offering some of his most optimistic remarks yet about the conflict as diplomatic efforts continue behind the scenes.

“I think that the matter is coming to an end,” Putin told reporters inside the Kremlin while discussing the nearly four-year war.

The Russian leader indicated that the United States has shown interest in helping mediate a resolution, describing Washington in unusually warm terms during his remarks.

Putin referred to the US as a “partner” and “friend,” grouping it together with countries such as China and India while discussing international involvement in the conflict.

“Clearly, they have no need for this conflict, as they have many other priorities,” he said.

“But this is, first and foremost, a matter for Russia and Ukraine.”

Putin also addressed the possibility of face-to-face talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying he would agree to a meeting in a neutral location only after all major terms of a peace arrangement are finalized.

“This must be the final step, not some negotiations,” Putin said, according to state-run TASS news agency.

“I have never refused” to meet Zelensky, he claimed. “I am not proposing this meeting, but if someone proposes it, then let them come. Whoever wants to meet should come to Moscow, and we will meet.”

During his comments, Putin also criticized Western governments, accusing “globalist” leaders of breaking promises made after the collapse of the Berlin Wall by allowing NATO to continue expanding eastward and drawing Ukraine closer to the alliance.

The remarks came shortly after Russia concluded its annual Victory Day observances commemorating the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. This year’s events unfolded alongside a temporary three-day cease-fire between Russian and Ukrainian forces that was facilitated by Washington.

President Donald Trump expressed hope that the pause in fighting could help move the war toward a conclusion.

“Hopefully, it is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought War,” President Trump posted on Truth Social.

Trump also said the United States is prepared to dispatch senior officials to Moscow as part of renewed efforts to push negotiations forward.

“I would very much like to see the end of the conflict,” Trump told reporters during a press gaggle near the White House Saturday.

Despite the latest optimism, major disagreements remain unresolved. Negotiators are still divided over the future status and control of the disputed Donbas region, which continues to be one of the biggest obstacles to a broader settlement.

{Matzav.com}

The Dutch expedition cruise ship HV Hondius arrived in Tenerife early Sunday as authorities began removing passengers following a hantavirus outbreak that has already claimed three lives and triggered an international public health response.

The vessel docked at approximately 6:30 a.m. local time on the Canary Island after days of mounting concern over the spread of the rare Andes strain of hantavirus among travelers aboard the Atlantic voyage.

Spanish authorities immediately launched a tightly controlled disembarkation process. Travelers leaving the ship were ordered to leave their luggage behind and undergo medical evaluations before being permitted to exit in carefully managed groups.

“All the passengers remain asymptomatic,” Spain’s Health Minister Monica Garcia said during a Sunday morning news conference. “The entire operation is proceeding normally.”

The first group to leave included 13 Spanish tourists and one Spanish crew member, who departed by small boat several hours after the ship anchored offshore.

Images from the operation showed passengers dressed in blue protective gowns, surgical head coverings, and white face masks while carrying belongings sealed in plastic bags. Emergency personnel in hazmat gear escorted them onto buses that transported them directly to evacuation flights waiting at Tenerife Airport.

According to Spain’s Health Ministry, the Spanish nationals will be transported to a military hospital in Madrid, where they are expected to remain isolated in individual quarantine rooms under strict observation.

Officials emphasized that extensive precautions were put in place to ensure no interaction occurred between passengers from the ship and residents of the island.

The ship’s arrival had fueled anxiety among Tenerife residents in recent days, though officials from the World Health Organization said they believe the overall danger to the public remains limited. The agency said it continues to track developments closely.

The US State Department said 17 American passengers will be flown back to the United States aboard a repatriation flight before being transferred to a federal quarantine facility in Nebraska for further monitoring and evaluation.

British authorities are also arranging a special evacuation flight for UK citizens. Those passengers will reportedly be required to isolate for 45 days once they return home.

The outbreak turned the luxury expedition into a medical emergency weeks after the cruise first departed Argentina on March 20.

Health investigators believe the outbreak began after an elderly Dutch couple contracted the Andes strain while visiting Argentina. The husband later died aboard the ship. His wife became ill after leaving the vessel on St. Helena and later died after traveling to South Africa.

A German passenger also died during the outbreak.

The WHO said three additional passengers — from Germany, the Netherlands, and Britain — were evacuated to the Netherlands for treatment after becoming suspected cases. Swiss authorities separately confirmed that a former passenger tested positive after developing symptoms following departure from the ship.

Complicating containment efforts, 23 additional travelers had already returned to various countries around the world before learning they may have been exposed to the virus on April 23.

So far, only one of those individuals is believed to have become sick.

American health officials are now monitoring former passengers located in Georgia, California, and Arizona.

Passengers who remained aboard the ship have spent days undergoing questioning by health officials while waiting to determine whether symptoms emerge. Experts say the incubation period for the virus can last as long as eight weeks.

Hantavirus primarily attacks the respiratory system and can cause victims to suffocate as the illness progresses. While the disease is typically spread through exposure to infected rodent droppings, the Andes strain is unusual because it can also spread between humans.

Experts say transmission generally requires prolonged close contact and is far less contagious than illnesses such as COVID-19.

Patients often initially experience flu-like symptoms before the disease rapidly worsens. Survivors have described the illness as “torture.”

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a “Level 3” response designation tied to the outbreak, though officials stressed that the danger to the general public remains low.

A Level 3 designation is considered the agency’s lowest emergency response category and is used primarily to mobilize specialists to monitor developments and prepare contingency plans if conditions worsen.

{Matzav.com}

Chaos erupted last night outside the Yerushalayim residence of Brisk rosh yeshiva Rav Avrohom Yehoshua Soloveitchik after an individual allegedly released pepper spray and other irritants as hundreds of bochurim arrived for the rosh yeshiva’s weekly Chumash shiur, forcing the gathering to be canceled.

Witnesses said numerous participants began coughing and choking after the substance was sprayed in the stairwell of the building on Rechov Gesher Hachaim in the Mekor Boruch neighborhood.

According to attendees, the disturbance did not end there. The suspect allegedly sprayed additional gas toward the residence itself and hurled garbage and liquids onto the balcony of the home where the shiur was scheduled to take place.

Volunteers and participants distributed water and attempted to calm the situation as the effects of the spray slowly wore off. Despite those efforts, the disruption was severe enough that the weekly shiur could not proceed.

Those familiar with the situation said that the individual is a neighborhood resident who has repeatedly objected to the large crowds that gather each week for the shiur. They claimed that previous understandings had already been arranged, including the use of a separate private entrance to minimize disturbances, but alleged that the resident has continued to threaten and disrupt the gatherings periodically.

{Matzav.com}

A New York City Department of Education social worker who serves as her school’s anti-bullying liaison is facing accusations of antisemitism after allegedly posting insect images beneath a social media video showing Orthodox Jews celebrating Lag Ba’omer, according to a report by the New York Post.

The employee, Lauren Camiolo, works at Landmark High School in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. Critics said her repeated posting of beetle images in response to footage of Orthodox Jewish men dancing and celebrating echoed imagery historically used in Nazi propaganda.

Jewish advocacy figures sharply condemned the comparison of Jews to insects and warned that the imagery carried deeply antisemitic historical associations.

“That’s a very dangerous and antisemitic trope coming from Nazi Germany, where Hitler would categorize Jews as subhuman and insects. He said to restore Germany’s greatness, they had to exterminate the insects,” Karen Feldman said.

According to Department of Education records, Camiolo has worked for the DOE since at least 2020. Ironically, the DOE website lists her as the school’s “Respect for All” liaison, a role intended to combat bullying and discrimination.

Public salary records show she earned $115,665 in 2025.

The DOE’s Respect for All initiative is designed to combat harassment and help schools “foster and maintain safe learning environments that are supportive, inclusive, and free from discrimination, harassment, and intimidation of any kind,” according to the agency’s website.

“When a Jewish student faces discrimination or bias, they have no one to go to if their Respect for All liaison traffics in antisemitism… a lot of kids are hurting,” Feldman added.

Moshe Spern also condemned the posts.

“Hitler often called Jewish people insects and pests… This is a direct act of antisemitism. Too many educators use their political beliefs to hurt Jewish students and fellow educators,” Spern said.

David Bernstein, whose organization monitors issues in education, said the controversy raises broader concerns about school leadership and student safety.

“When the person responsible for ‘Respect for All’ expresses hostility toward Jews or white students, it raises serious concerns about both the educator and the school system in which she works,” Bernstein said.

The DOE’s official anti-bullying policy states: “Bullying and harassment have no place in any of NYC’s 1,800+ schools, regardless of anyone’s perceived race, color, age, creed, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship/immigration status, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, or weight.”

The report also highlighted numerous social media posts allegedly made by Camiolo criticizing Israel and making inflammatory comments regarding white people.

“Genocide bloodshed of women & children on holy land by colonizers in the name of God that they will never know,” she posted on Facebook March 18, 2025, over an image appearing to depict the Ten Commandments.

“Chosen people do not steal & harvest they create,” she posted on Facebook July 30, 2025.

“Zionism is cult a group of people incapable of thinking for themselves,” she wrote on Facebook on Oct. 20, 2025.

“Victim syndrome of white colonizers is an art how do you rationalize the blood of children,” she posted two days later.

“Three key success of #whitemediocracy colonization, genocide, & culture appropriation #Blackwomeninwhitefields,” she posted on Facebook in November 2024.

“Never trust a white woman,” she captioned a photograph showing former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton greeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Never forget white women owned slaves & had them raise their children.. don’t be fooled by white women fragility,” she posted on Facebook June 10, 2025.

When contacted by the New York Post, Camiolo allegedly threatened to involve law enforcement and accused the paper of harassment.

“I’m Jewish… I’m also biracial I’m going to the police now and showing them these messages for stalking and harassment… I fear for me and my sons [sic] safety,” she wrote.

Landmark High School currently enrolls only 294 students. Founded in 1994, the school allows students to graduate through written or oral project-based assessments rather than New York Regents examinations.

A source at the school described Camiolo as “unhinged.”

“Kids don’t want to talk to her, they say ‘she’s crazy,’ she’s very strident and self righteous and tells teachers they’re doing things wrong… a lot of people have issues with her conduct as a social worker,” the source said.

A Department of Education spokesperson condemned antisemitism and said the matter would be investigated.

“Hate has absolutely no place in our schools or our city, and we unequivocally condemn any behaviors that represent antisemitism, and any forms of intolerance and prejudice. Any staff members who exhibit these behaviors will be investigated and will be subject to discipline as appropriate,” the spokesperson said.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli officials are increasingly concerned that President Donald Trump may ultimately agree to a limited arrangement with Iran that would allow Tehran to preserve key elements of its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities while maintaining support for its proxy forces across the Middle East.

According to a report in Yisroel Hayom, senior Israeli officials view such a scenario as the “worst possible outcome” because it would fail to provide a comprehensive solution to the Iranian nuclear threat.

Israeli assessments reportedly conclude that any partial agreement reached between Washington and Tehran would not guarantee the removal of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles or prevent the regime from resuming uranium enrichment activities in the future.

Officials also fear that any monitoring mechanism imposed on Iranian nuclear facilities would likely be only partial and limited, falling short of the full guarantees Israel believes are necessary to ensure Iran cannot continue advancing its nuclear program.

The concerns come after Trump stated Saturday that he expects to receive an Iranian response “very soon” and said Tehran “still very much wants to reach a deal.”

The United States recently presented a revised proposal intended to secure a temporary and limited arrangement aimed primarily at halting the fighting through a framework agreement rather than a comprehensive peace accord.

According to Reuters, sources familiar with the negotiations said the new American initiative is based on a short-term memorandum of understanding rather than a final diplomatic settlement, underscoring the deep divisions that remain between the parties and suggesting that any agreement reached at this stage would likely be temporary.

The sources added that the proposed framework would unfold in three phases.

The first stage would involve a formal end to the war. The second would focus on resolving the crisis surrounding the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the American blockade. The third stage would open a 30-day window for broader negotiations over a more comprehensive agreement dealing with Iran’s nuclear program and related issues.

Whichever of the 13 candidates wins the free-for-all seeking the Democratic nomination in New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District, following the decision of Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) to retire after 12 years on Capitol Hill, becomes the overwhelming favorite to go to Washington.

That includes Dr. Brad J. Cohen, mayor of East Brunswick and a gynecologist, who is not shy about his support for Israel, as he faces a well-funded Egyptian American doctor, who has accused the Jewish state of genocide.

“I am a proud Jew,” Cohen told JNS. “I believe very much in the state of Israel and its right to exist. It’s critical to me that it remains a Jewish state in the Middle East.”

According to his mayoral biography, Cohen is “an active member of Congregation B’nai Tikvah, North Brunswick and East Brunswick Jewish Center.”

He has raised $424,371 for his campaign through March 31, second highest among the candidates, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

The top fundraiser is another doctor, Adam Hamawy, an Egyptian American, who has brought in $546,965. Hamawy treated injured Gazans in the war against Hamas after Oct. 7 and has accused Israel of “genocide.”

Sue Altman, a former state director for Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), has brought in $406,374. She lost the 2024 congressional election to Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-N.J.) in the nearby 7th District.

Hamawy has the endorsements of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), one of Israel’s sharpest critics on Capitol Hill, and former New York Democratic congressman Jamaal Bowman, who was ousted in 2024 after AIPAC spent $14.6 million to defeat him.

Another anti-Israel politician, Analilia Mejia won the Democratic nomination with only 29% of the vote in New Jersey’s 11th District and went on to win the House seat vacated by New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill. Hamawy might be able to do the same with a small percentage of the vote in the June 2 primary.

“You don’t need to get to 50 plus 1 to win the nomination,” Ben Dworkin. director of Rowan University’s Institute for Public Policy and Citizenship, told JNS. “A well-organized group can emerge victorious in that kind of political situation.”

Cohen doesn’t mention Israel on his campaign website. But Hamawy does.

“In 2024 and 2025, I went on medical missions to Gaza,” Hamawy’s site states. “What I witnessed was a genocide, paid for with American tax dollars and propped up by our foreign policy.”

He told the Washington Post that if candidates want “to get elected or re-elected this coming cycle, you’ll see more and more people being critical of Israel than in the past.”

Hanawy, who was a combat trauma surgeon in Iraq and treated Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), is being supported by a pro-Palestinian super PAC, American Priorities, which has said it would spend $2 million on the race, the New Jersey Globe reported.

“The fact that even a place like New Jersey with a strong, well-organized Jewish community is facing candidates who are openly criticizing mainstream Jewish organizations and Israeli policies in a different way than candidates used to is reflective of how much the ground has shifted,” Dworkin told JNS.

Cohe didn’t list Israel among his top issues in an interview with JNS. What’s most important, he said, was protecting democracy, affordability and affordable health care.

“It doesn’t say, ‘I don’t care about Israel.’ I told you, ‘I absolutely do,’” he told JNS. “But the focus should be on the United States and the issues that face voters in the 12th Congressional District.”

“This is an issue for a good number of people, but I don’t think it’s the central issue,” he said.

His name does not appear on a list of AIPAC-endorsed candidates, even though the pro-Israel group spent $2.3 million against former Democratic congressman Tom Malinowski, whom it previously endorsed, reportedly helping to elect Mejia.

Dworkin said that opposition to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has helped upend the traditional U.S. constituency for Israel.

“It’s a very challenging time for traditional, strong, pro-Israel Democrats right now,” he told JNS. “In the year 2000, it was totally different. And it’s 2026. You can’t can run campaigns from a Jewish community pro-Israel perspective like it was 25 years ago. You just can’t.”

Watson Coleman did not endorse a successor but said it shouldn’t be Cohen.

“I was disappointed when Brad Cohen called me ‘antisemitic,’ because that suggested to me that he had not really gotten to know who I was,” Watson Coleman told JNS.

“I’m very concerned that his feelings about Netanyahu and Israel are not consistent with what the 12th Congressional District believes is a fair attitude, that both Israelis and Palestinians should be able to live in peace and in prosperity and side by side,” she said.

“I don’t want to belabor that point, but that was what I was thinking, and I haven’t changed it,” the congresswoman told JNS.

Cohen told JNS that he never called Watson Coleman “antisemitic.”

“I didn’t say that,” he said. “I would never say that. I knew there have been people who’ve said that about her. But I didn’t call her ‘antisemitic.’”

Nor is he a Netanyahu hardliner, he said. In fact, he said, he supports a two-state solution in the Middle East.

“I’m a supporter of Israel,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean that I always agree with everything that Benjamin Netanyahu does, or any other prime minister.”

On April 13, Cohen posted about Yom Hashoah, Holocaust remembrance day, on social media.

“This day is deeply personal for me and my family,” he wrote. “My father-in-law was a Holocaust survivor. His strength, resilience and courage in the face of unimaginable evil are something I carry with me every day. His story is a reminder not only of the horrors of the past but of the responsibility we all share to stand up against hate in all its forms.”

“Remembering is not enough. We must act,” Cohen added. “That means calling out antisemitism and hate wherever we see it, supporting our communities, educating the next generation and refusing to be silent in the face of extremism.” JNS

Russia reportedly proposed supplying Iran with thousands of sophisticated drones capable of bypassing electronic jamming systems, along with operational training intended for use against American forces in the Middle East, according to a confidential intelligence document reviewed by The Economist.

The report suggests that Moscow may have considered expanding its support for Tehran beyond intelligence cooperation into more direct military assistance that could pose a serious threat to U.S. and allied assets in the Gulf region.

According to The Economist, Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency drafted a detailed 10-page proposal offering Iran 5,000 short-range fiber-optic drones, additional longer-range drones guided through satellite systems, and specialized training programs for drone operators.

The publication said the proposal included maps and operational diagrams highlighting strategic coastal regions and islands near the Strait of Hormuz.

Although there is no evidence confirming the proposal was ultimately implemented, intelligence officials in the region reportedly described the document as authentic and consistent with the increasingly close military relationship between Moscow and Tehran.

The revelations come amid growing concerns over the expanding alliance among Russia, Iran, and other anti-Western actors operating throughout the region.

Unlike traditional drones controlled through radio frequencies, fiber-optic drones are guided using ultra-thin cables trailing behind them, making them extremely resistant to electronic interference and jamming attempts. The technology has become a major component of the war in Ukraine, where Russian forces have reportedly used the systems with significant success.

The drones are capable of conducting precise attacks from distances exceeding 25 miles while providing operators with enhanced video feeds and remaining extremely difficult to detect electronically.

The report further stated that Russia proposed providing Iran with longer-range drones equipped with Starlink satellite terminals, technology Moscow has allegedly employed in Ukraine to bypass or target enemy air-defense systems.

According to The Economist, the proposal acknowledged that Starlink access in the Middle East could eventually be restricted or disabled, but argued the drones could still generate “disorder” among American military forces before such limitations took effect.

The document also reportedly included plans to recruit drone operators from among Iranian students studying in Russia, as well as Tajik nationals and members of Syria’s Alawite minority associated with the former Assad regime.

According to the report, the GRU assessed that American amphibious units and landing craft would be especially vulnerable to large-scale drone swarm attacks because of their relatively slow movement.

The proposal was reportedly written during the early stages of the conflict, when Russian and Iranian officials feared President Donald Trump might authorize ground operations against Iran, including a possible attempt to seize Kharg Island, one of Tehran’s most strategically important oil export terminals.

Even while recognizing the strain placed on Russia’s military resources by the war in Ukraine, the GRU reportedly argued that limited and deniable assistance to Iran could complicate any future American military operation without provoking a direct military confrontation between Washington and Moscow.

{Matzav.com}

Mahmoud Al-Habbash, a senior adviser to Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas, delivered an unusually harsh public condemnation of Hamas, accusing the terror group of placing its grip on power above the welfare and lives of Gaza civilians.

During an appearance on Al-Arabiya’s Mazeej Podcast on April 29, Al-Habbash sharply criticized Hamas’s behavior throughout the ongoing war. His comments were translated and published by the Middle East Media Research Institute.

“I am worried that Hamas’s top priority is to continue to rule Gaza, even over the skulls of children. I am worried that this is the case,” he said.

When asked whether there was evidence supporting that accusation, Al-Habbash pointed to what he described as Hamas’s continued abuse and intimidation of Gaza residents even amid widespread destruction and humanitarian suffering.

“Of course. Everything in Gaza indicates this. To this day, Hamas persecutes people, shoots people, beats people up, collects taxes from people, extorts money from people, arrests people and forces them to pay money… To this day! 70,000-100,000 martyrs, 200,000-300,000 injured people, and 80% of Gaza destroyed, and nobody [in Hamas] cares.”

Al-Habbash also blamed the October 7 Hamas massacre in southern Israel for triggering the devastation that followed in Gaza. Referring to the attack, he described the date itself as cursed.

“It is the accursed October 7 that brought us to this point.”

The senior Palestinian Authority official further argued that Hamas’s creation as an armed faction in Gaza helped pave the way for the rise of competing militant groups and the broader instability that has plagued the territory for years.

“The first militia that was formed in the Gaza Strip was Hamas. Therefore, it is only natural that there will be opposing militias and groups.”

Al-Habbash has previously called for a united Palestinian position demanding that Hamas relinquish control of Gaza.

At the same time, despite his recent criticism of Hamas, Al-Habbash has repeatedly made inflammatory statements against Israel over the years.

In 2017, he denounced Israeli security measures implemented after a terror attack on the Har Habayis, claiming the actions violated international agreements regarding Yerushalayim and its holy sites.

That same year, during a sermon attended by Abbas, Al-Habbash warned the United States against relocating its embassy from Tel Aviv to Yerushalayim, saying such a move would amount to a “declaration of war.”

In 2018, he compared Israeli restrictions surrounding access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque to tactics used by the Nazis.

Four years later, after Abbas accused Israel of carrying out “50 holocausts” against Palestinian Arabs, Al-Habbash defended the remarks and claimed that “all the leaders of the [Israeli] occupation joined together in attacking Abbas, because he is defending his people and he wants to remind the world of the massacres against them.”

In May 2024, Al-Habbash also warned that attacks similar to October 7 could happen again if the Palestinian issue is not resolved according to what he described as international legitimacy and United Nations resolutions.

“If the Palestinian cause will not be justly, comprehensively, and permanently resolved, at least on the basis of international legitimacy, at least on the basis of the UN resolutions, then October 7 can repeat itself 100 times, and perhaps even more seriously.”

{Matzav.com}

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In this episode, Rabbi Reinman discusses the continuing war with the Greeks and the diplomatic maneuvers of the Maccabees.

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 Chapter Forty-Four: Enemies and Allies

Even as the Maccabees cleansed and purified the Bais Hamikdash, the decrees of Antiochus banning the practice of Judaism remained in place. Before embarking on his campaign against the Parthians, Antiochus had not seen fit to fulfill his promise to rescind them. Perhaps he wanted to keep his options open until the results of the campaign became clear. They became clear quickly enough. Antiochus died, and the Parthians soundly defeated the Syrian army. Nonetheless, as long as the Jewish people were in control of their own land, the decrees were irrelevant.

Instability in the Seleucid Empire gave Judea a short period of respite. After the death of Antiochus IV, his ten-year-old son Antiochus V inherited the throne. Lysias, one of the generals who had fought against the Maccabees, was appointed regent. There were other pretenders to the throne, and Lysias had his hands full protecting the life of the young Antiochus and preserving the throne for him.

In 163 b.c.e., Lysias returned to Judea with a massive army of 20,000 infantry, 2,000 cavalry and dozens of war elephants. The Maccabee forces were defeated. Judah’s brother Elazar mistakenly thought he saw Lysias in a tower atop a huge elephant. He ran under it and plunged his  sword into its belly. The elephant collapsed on top of Elazar and killed him. The rest of the Maccabees did not fare much better. They withdrew in defeat and barricaded themselves in Jerusalem.

The Greeks besieged Jerusalem, but shortly afterward, Lysias received word that Philip, a rival for the throne, was attempting to seize power in the capital of Antioch. Alarmed, he informed Yehuda that, by his power as royal regent, he was rescinding the restrictions on Jewish religious practice. Then he took most of his army and hurried home. After returning to Antioch, Lysias ordered the execution of Menelaus, the extreme Hellenizer who had bought the office of Kohein Gadol from Antiochus IV, even though he was not a Kohein, and tyrannized the Hasidim. In effect, Lysias was granting the Jewish rebels the religious victory they were seeking in the hopes that Judea would thus be pacified, that it would remain a tax-paying part of the Seleucid Empire …..

Read full chapter and earlier chapters at www.rabbireinman.com.

{Matzav.com}

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A sharply worded post published by Tuvia Smotrich, brother of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, succeeded in putting into words a fear that has been quietly circulating within Israel’s right-wing camp for quite some time: the possibility that the chareidi parties, after the current crisis surrounding the draft law, may seriously begin considering cooperation with the left.

Smotrich warned of a scenario in which the chareidim would receive exemptions from military service, financial benefits, and continued autonomy regarding core curriculum studies, while in exchange allowing the left to advance diplomatic, judicial, and cultural policies far removed from traditional right-wing positions.

That concern deserves serious attention. But precisely for that reason, the full truth also needs to be acknowledged: the chareidim would not align with the left because of ideological affection for the left. They have not suddenly adopted left-wing values, joined the leftist camp, or forgotten the long political and cultural battles they fought against it for decades. If such a shift ever occurs, it would emerge not from ideological enthusiasm but from political frustration — after years in which the right grew accustomed to receiving chareidi support while repeatedly struggling to deliver on promises when it mattered most.

For years, leaders in Bibi Netanyahu’s Likud party, the Religious Zionist camp, and much of the broader right viewed the chareidi public as an automatic political partner. The chareidim would vote. The chareidim would help secure a governing majority. The chareidim would absorb public backlash. But when decisive moments arrived regarding the issues most important to them, they were often told to wait patiently, to show restraint, to understand the pressures of the courts, the military establishment, the media, and public opinion polls. Political loyalty, however, cannot remain one-sided forever.

The draft issue is not merely another coalition dispute or budgetary disagreement. For the chareidi public, the status of yeshiva students is a foundational question tied directly to the identity and survival of the Torah world. One may disagree with the chareidi position or criticize it, but it is unrealistic to expect chareidim to continue guaranteeing right-wing governments while parts of that same right increasingly speak about them as though they are a political burden to be embarrassed by.

That is precisely where the right’s greatest weakness lies. On one hand, the right demands unwavering loyalty from the chareidim and constantly reminds them that no right-wing government can survive without them. On the other hand, when the political cost arrives, many on the right recoil from media criticism, legal pressure, polling concerns, and opposition within parts of the Religious Zionist and Likud camps. The result is an impossible situation: the chareidim are expected to put the right in power, but they are not always given the feeling that the right is prepared to fight for them when necessary.

For that reason, Tuvia Smotrich’s warning should not be viewed solely as a threat about possible “betrayal” by the chareidim. It should also be understood as an internal indictment of a right-wing camp that does not always understand its own partners. If the chareidim eventually conclude that the left can provide clearer results on the draft issue while the right continues offering slogans without solutions, responsibility for that shift would not rest only with the chareidim. It would also fall on those who demanded their loyalty for years without always returning that loyalty with meaningful commitment.

The chareidi public is not searching for a home on the left. It does not naturally belong there, does not feel culturally comfortable there, and does not share many of the values promoted by that camp. But politics is not built solely on ideological identity; it is also built on practical results. If the right wants to preserve its alliance with the chareidim, it must stop treating them as guaranteed votes and begin treating them as partners whose concerns deserve respect, understanding, and protection.

The chareidim are not permanently owned by the right. They remained loyal for many years because the alliance was rooted in shared traditional, political, and cultural interests. But even natural alliances can weaken when one side feels it provides the majority, absorbs the criticism, and ultimately finds itself standing alone against the system. Political camps that fail to defend their partners should not be surprised when those partners begin searching for another address.

{Matzav.com}

A secret late-night meeting intended to explore a possible arrangement surrounding Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s trial reportedly devolved into a tense and emotional confrontation between Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Netanyahu ally Yaakov Berdugo.

According to a report by Channel 12 News, the meeting took place in an apartment in Shoham and lasted approximately two and a half hours. The discussion reportedly included shouting matches, banging on the table, and sharp exchanges over the possibility of a presidential pardon for Netanyahu and the political fallout surrounding the ongoing legal proceedings.

The report said Berdugo urged Herzog to move forward with a pardon for Netanyahu and told him: “Give a pardon, stop being a coward.” Herzog reportedly responded: “How can I give Netanyahu a pardon when he hasn’t even submitted a request?”

During the meeting, Herzog reportedly expressed frustration over criticism directed at him from across Israel’s political spectrum.

“You don’t understand that everyone hates me now, and partly because of you?” Herzog allegedly told Berdugo. “The left thinks I’m going to grant a pardon no matter what, I’m already considered suspect there, and you keep inciting the right against me nonstop on your program. What you brought us was not a request, and it has no chance of passing.”

Berdugo reportedly continued pressing Herzog, arguing that such a move was necessary to help heal divisions within Israeli society. At one point, he also raised concerns about the international and diplomatic consequences of continued political turmoil.

“Stop being afraid. Think about what will happen when you come to greet President Trump after he lands in Israel, and he doesn’t even shake your hand or say hello to you? Will that feel pleasant for you?” Berdugo reportedly told the president.

According to the report, the meeting was arranged after Berdugo launched a series of harsh media attacks against Herzog. The purpose of the discussion was reportedly to examine whether a plea agreement in Netanyahu’s trial could be advanced, but the atmosphere quickly turned into a fierce political and personal dispute.

Despite the tense exchange, Herzog later publicly called for efforts to advance a plea arrangement in Netanyahu’s legal cases. According to the report, the president told Berdugo at the end of the meeting that he intended to take active steps to move the process forward and even suggested bringing the relevant parties to the President’s Residence in an effort to quickly reach agreements.

As previously reported Thursday, Herzog and Berdugo held a secret nighttime meeting in an apartment in Shoham. Following the discussion, Herzog reportedly informed Berdugo that he planned to actively promote a plea agreement in Netanyahu’s trial and proposed inviting all relevant parties to the President’s Residence to attempt to finalize understandings.

The President’s Residence issued a statement afterward saying: “The president will meet with any party and do everything in his power to lower the flames within Israeli society. The president is determined to bring about a dialogue of agreements regarding Prime Minister Netanyahu’s cases.”

{Matzav.com}