The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed that it has been closely tracking a Russian intelligence vessel operating unusually close to American waters near Hawaii. The ship, identified as the Kareliya, was detected on October 29 just 15 nautical miles south of Oahu, prompting a swift response by Coast Guard aircraft and ships.
According to officials, a Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules aircraft from Air Station Barbers Point and the Cutter William Hart were deployed to monitor the Russian vessel, which is classified as a Vishnya-class signals intelligence ship. The Coast Guard said it conducted “a safe and professional overflight and transiting near the vessel,” ensuring U.S. maritime security remained intact.
“The U.S. Coast Guard routinely monitors maritime activity around the Hawaiian Islands and throughout the Pacific to ensure the safety and security of U.S. waters,” wrote Capt. Matthew Chong, chief of response for the Coast Guard Oceania District.
In its statement, the Coast Guard emphasized that all actions taken were in full accordance with international law. U.S. personnel, the statement noted, are “monitoring the vessel’s activities near U.S. territorial waters to provide maritime security for U.S. vessels operating in the area.”
“Working in concert with partners and allies, our crews monitor and respond to foreign military vessel activity near our territorial waters to protect our maritime borders and defend our sovereign interests,” Capt. Chong added.
The Kareliya belongs to the Vishnya-class, a fleet of large Soviet-designed intelligence-gathering ships built in the 1980s. According to the U.S. Army, seven of these vessels remain active within the Russian Navy. Each ship is equipped with advanced sensors designed to intercept and transmit signals intelligence through satellite communication systems.
Despite being built primarily for surveillance, the ships are not unarmed. The U.S. Army notes that they carry two AK-630 close-in weapon systems and SA-N-8 surface-to-air missile launchers intended for last-resort self-defense.
The Coast Guard’s Oceania District continues to coordinate with U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and other federal partners to monitor all foreign military activity near American maritime borders. Under international law, foreign naval vessels may legally operate in international waters beyond 12 nautical miles from a nation’s coastline — a limit the Kareliya stayed just outside of, though close enough to draw attention from U.S. forces.
{Matzav.com}
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Transportation Security Administration employees who kept the nation’s airports running during the record-breaking 43-day government shutdown were recognized in dramatic fashion on Thursday, as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem personally handed out $10,000 bonus checks to select agents.
The presentation took place at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, where Noem paused a press briefing to turn toward about a dozen TSA officers gathered behind her. Cameras captured her shaking each recipient’s hand before presenting them with envelopes containing their bonuses. “Exemplary service,” she said, describing the dedication of agents who continued working without pay.
According to an administration official cited by MSNBC, the bonuses weren’t limited to the Houston group. “Several thousand” TSA employees who received top performance ratings from their supervisors would also be rewarded with the same $10,000 check.
The bonuses came as federal workers were finally getting paid again after more than six weeks without paychecks. The move was intended both to acknowledge their loyalty and to boost morale following the historic shutdown that strained airport operations nationwide.
President Donald Trump reportedly pushed for similar recognition for air traffic controllers. As Breitbart News noted, he recommended a $10,000 payment for those who worked through the shutdown’s duration.
When Fox News host Laura Ingraham asked Trump how he planned to fund the gesture, he replied candidly, “I don’t know. I’ll get it from some place.” He then added, “I always get the money from some place, regardless. It doesn’t matter. We did a lot of — I do a lot of bonuses for people, because it’s really something that, it’s like the American way, when you think about it.”
An internal Department of Homeland Security memo later confirmed that the TSA bonuses distributed Thursday came from leftover funds from fiscal year 2025, allowing the department to honor the president’s directive without additional appropriations.
{Matzav.com}
Israeli security forces have arrested four residents of the Beit Safafa neighborhood in Yerushalayim who are accused of supporting the Islamic State terror organization (ISIS) and stockpiling weapons in preparation for what they called “the great war at the end of days” against Jews.
The Shin Bet security agency, working with the Yerushalayim District Police’s central investigative unit, launched a joint investigation in recent weeks following suspicions that the four men, all in their twenties, were affiliated with ISIS. Acting on intelligence from the Shin Bet, Jerusalem police detectives and Border Police officers arrested the suspects, who have been held for questioning with their detention repeatedly extended by court order.
According to findings from the investigation, the four suspects actively consumed large quantities of ISIS propaganda online, including gruesome videos and execution footage from the group’s battle zones abroad. Inspired by the material, they began planning to acquire military gear and weapons to prepare for what they described as “the great war at the end of days” targeting Jews.
Before their arrest, the suspects had already begun gathering supplies and had purchased a handgun. During interrogation, one of them reportedly admitted, “This is for the great war. I will use the gun against Jews or anyone who is not Muslim.”
During a search of one suspect’s property, investigators found a pistol hidden inside a chicken coop along with additional military equipment. The seized items were taken for forensic examination.
Upon completion of the investigation, prosecutors determined that there was sufficient evidence to charge two of the suspects. A prosecutor’s declaration has been filed against them, and indictments are expected soon. The other two remain in custody as the investigation continues.
In a joint statement, the Shin Bet and Israel Police reaffirmed their commitment to “continue acting with all security forces to thwart terrorism and protect the citizens of Israel.”
{Matzav.com}Israeli officials have reportedly approached senior members of the Trump administration, asking Washington to reassess the sale of advanced F-35 fighter jets to Turkey — a move reflecting growing Israeli concern over Ankara’s accelerating military buildup.
According to a report by i24 News, the Israeli representatives urged their American counterparts to review, and potentially revoke, the agreement enabling Turkey to acquire the U.S.-made stealth aircraft. The appeal comes amid rising tensions between Israel and Turkey, whose regional ambitions have expanded sharply in recent years.
Israel, which has long sought to maintain its qualitative military edge in the Middle East, views the F-35 as a cornerstone of its air superiority. Turkish acquisition of the same platform is seen in Jerusalem as a potential threat to that strategic advantage.
Thus far, Washington has not issued a definitive response to Israel’s request. However, based on the administration’s recent defense dealings, observers believe it is unlikely that the Trump White House will cancel the transaction.
For Israel, the issue underscores a broader concern: balancing its regional deterrence with the shifting alliances and rearmament efforts of neighboring powers — particularly a resurgent Turkey.
{Matzav.com}
Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu took sharp aim at French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, condemning his praise of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas during their recent meeting in Paris. Macron had referred to Abbas as a “prince of peace,” a label Netanyahu said could not be further from the truth.
“To bring in such a person, embrace him and say you’re the prince of peace is the opposite of reality – it’s false,” Netanyahu told Australian journalist Erin Molan on her podcast. “You cannot build peace on falsehoods. Sooner or later, these falsehoods crash on the rocks of Middle East reality.”
Netanyahu went on to outline what he described as the grim facts behind Abbas’s leadership, pointing to the Palestinian Authority’s continued policy of compensating terrorists and their families. “The reality is that the Palestinian leader Abbas, who was feted right now in Paris, pays terrorists to kill Jews. The more Jews they kill, the more they get paid. They take care of their families,” said Netanyahu.
Though the Palestinian Authority later rebranded the payments as “welfare support” and transferred them to an “independent” foundation, Abbas himself has repeatedly pledged to continue the program, stating he would not reduce it by “a single penny.”
The Israeli leader also highlighted Abbas’s decades-long rule—now stretching 21 years into what was originally a four-year term—and the ongoing glorification of terrorism in Palestinian media and education. “My advice to Macron is: learn the facts, stick to the facts, stick to realities and don’t try to escape it,” Netanyahu said. “When you look at the facts, the force for peace, the force for stability, the force for progress, is not the Palestinian Authority, but Israel.”
During his meeting with Abbas earlier in the week, Macron announced that France would help the Palestinian Authority draft a constitution for a future state. He explained that a joint committee would address “all legal aspects: constitutional, institutional and organisational.”
“It will contribute to the work of developing a new constitution, a draft of which President Abbas has presented to me, and will aim to finalise all the conditions for such a State of Palestine,” Macron declared.
Macron also lauded Abbas as a “partner for peace,” asserting that he has “consistently” condemned terrorism, including the Hamas atrocities of October 7. However, Abbas has yet to publicly denounce the massacre in Arabic.
Just weeks earlier, France spearheaded an initiative alongside Britain, Canada, and Australia to formally recognize a Palestinian state—drawing sharp criticism from both Israel and the United States. Washington and Jerusalem warned that such unilateral recognition amounts to rewarding Hamas rather than promoting genuine peace.
For years, the Palestinian Authority has pushed for countries to recognize “Palestine” in order to sidestep direct negotiations with Israel. While several nations have followed suit, these gestures remain largely symbolic, carrying little tangible diplomatic consequence.
{Matzav.com}
Russia has introduced its own draft resolution on Gaza to the United Nations Security Council, setting up a direct confrontation with the United States over how to shape the postwar future of the territory. The American-backed plan, which supports President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace framework, calls for a two-year transitional governing body and an international stabilization force to oversee recovery and security efforts.
Washington’s proposal, formally distributed last week to the 15-member Council, has already received backing from several key regional players. But Moscow quickly moved to challenge it, presenting an alternative version it described as being “inspired by the US draft” while offering what it claims is a more “balanced, acceptable, and unified approach toward achieving a sustainable cessation of hostilities,” according to a note circulated by Russia’s UN delegation.
The Russian document, reviewed by Reuters, mirrors parts of the American initiative but deliberately leaves out mention of the “Board of Peace,” the transitional administrative council envisioned by the United States. Instead, it asks the UN Secretary-General to explore possible options for a multinational stabilization force to operate in Gaza — a move seen by diplomats as Moscow’s attempt to reposition itself as a mediator in the conflict’s aftermath.
The United States, however, urged Council members to stay the course and adopt its resolution without delay, warning that further divisions could undermine the tenuous calm on the ground. “Attempts to sow discord now – when agreement on this resolution is under active negotiation – has grave, tangible, and entirely avoidable consequences for Palestinians in Gaza,” a US mission spokesperson said. “The ceasefire is fragile and we urge the Council to unite and move forward to secure the peace that is desperately needed.”
{Matzav.com}President Donald Trump has personally urged Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to take decisive steps toward normalizing relations with Israel, according to a report published Thursday by Axios. The conversation, which took place last month but had not been publicly disclosed, followed the Gaza peace summit in Egypt and marked one of the most direct appeals yet from the White House to the Saudi leader.
A senior U.S. official familiar with the call told Axios that Trump informed MBS he had successfully brought the Gaza war to an end and now expected Riyadh to advance toward formal relations with Jerusalem. In response, MBS reportedly expressed readiness to engage with the Trump administration on the issue. The Saudi embassy in Washington declined to comment on the report.
The White House views the upcoming Trump-MBS meeting as an opportunity to move closer to a normalization deal, though officials admit the two sides remain divided on several key points. U.S. diplomats hope the visit will generate enough goodwill to restart the process, which has been stalled since the Gaza war erupted.
For years, Saudi officials have maintained that recognition of Israel would depend on progress toward a Palestinian state. “We did all the things you asked for. Now, there are things President Trump wants, like normalization with Israel. So how are you guys going to move now in this direction?” a senior U.S. official summarized Washington’s stance.
Before Hamas’ October 7, 2023, massacre in Israel, normalization between Jerusalem and Riyadh seemed within reach. But after the attack and subsequent war in Gaza, the Saudis froze discussions, arguing that conditions were no longer suitable for rapprochement.
Trump, however, remains optimistic. In an interview last month, he reiterated his confidence that the Abraham Accords would soon expand to include additional Arab nations. “I hope to see Saudi Arabia go in, and I hope to see others go in. I think when Saudi Arabia goes in, everybody goes in,” the President said.
Sources told Axios that some of Saudi Arabia’s earlier demands have now been addressed and that Trump intends to present MBS with a U.S. security pledge during his Washington visit. While short of a formal defense treaty, the commitment could serve as a stepping stone toward one.
Trump administration officials also highlight that the final provisions of their Gaza peace framework include language suggesting a route to eventual Palestinian statehood. The plan notes that if the Palestinian Authority “faithfully” carries out reforms during Gaza’s rebuilding, there may arise “a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood,” along with a U.S.-led initiative to create “a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous co-existence.”
A former U.S. official with close ties to the Saudi leadership told Axios that MBS is likely to demand firm, visible commitments from Israel to justify any deal to his domestic audience, where public anger over the Gaza conflict remains high.
Despite active negotiations, U.S. officials caution that it is too early to know whether MBS’ upcoming White House visit will produce a breakthrough. For now, Washington’s message is clear: the administration has met many Saudi conditions — and it is looking for Riyadh to take the next step.
{Matzav.com}
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