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Chinese state-sponsored hackers penetrated computer systems belonging to some of the most sensitive institutions in the United States — including NASA, the Federal Reserve, the Justice Department and the US Senate — as part of a sprawling cyber campaign that has been operating for years, federal authorities revealed Wednesday.

The Justice Department and FBI announced that they have now disrupted the operation by seizing three internet domains critical to two sophisticated hacking platforms known as QScan and QTRouter. Because those domains were built directly into the platforms and were necessary for their operation, authorities said the seizures rendered both systems inoperable.

Court documents unsealed in the Southern District of California identified the group behind the operation as QTFY, which US authorities described as a Chinese state-sponsored hacking organization operating through Nanjing Xinjiuwei Network Technology Company, a China-based technology firm.

According to the Justice Department, QTFY provided hacking services to paying customers that included two of the Chinese government’s most powerful institutions: the Ministry of State Security, Beijing’s principal civilian intelligence agency, and the People’s Liberation Army.

The scope of the campaign extended across numerous branches and agencies of the US government. Federal authorities identified NASA, the Federal Reserve, the Department of Energy, the Justice Department, the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health and the US Senate as victims of QTFY computer intrusion activity.

The hackers also went far beyond government agencies. Court filings indicate that the operation targeted or compromised organizations in critical sectors including hospitals, telecommunications companies, power utilities, financial institutions and defense contractors, along with additional targets in the United States and South Korea.

The two platforms allegedly served different but complementary roles in the operation. QScan was designed to scour the internet for vulnerable systems and devices that could be compromised, allowing the hackers to build up a vast collection of infected machines around the world.

Those compromised devices could then be incorporated into QTRouter, an infrastructure that helped hackers conceal where their attacks were actually coming from. By routing malicious internet traffic through compromised devices located closer to intended targets, attackers could make their activity appear to originate from ordinary or legitimate local users rather than from China.

That capability allowed the hackers to disguise their origins while carrying out espionage and computer intrusions against sensitive targets, making the malicious activity considerably more difficult for defenders to identify and trace.

The campaign stretches back to at least 2018, according to the FBI and National Security Agency, which released a joint cybersecurity advisory Wednesday detailing indicators associated with QTFY’s malicious activities.

One of the incidents examined by investigators involved an attempted intrusion into NASA’s network in 2019. According to an FBI affidavit, the hackers attempted to exploit a vulnerability in the space agency’s systems, but the attack failed because NASA had already installed a patch correcting the weakness.

Attorney General Todd Blanche said the takedown was part of a broader federal campaign aimed at dismantling Chinese government-backed cyber infrastructure targeting American institutions.

“Federal law enforcement investigated and disabled the PRC’s malicious software, the latest in a series of technical operations to dismantle indiscriminate hacking activities sponsored by the People’s Republic of China,” Blanche said.

“State-sponsored malicious hackers preying on America’s critical infrastructure will be stopped and prosecuted. We are here to ensure security for the American people and will use every tool we have to keep that promise,” he added.

FBI Director Kash Patel characterized the action as the disruption of a global botnet and hacking platform used by Chinese state-sponsored cyber actors.

Authorities have not publicly disclosed the full extent of the information stolen from the compromised federal systems or the total damage caused by the campaign, leaving significant questions about precisely what the hackers were able to access.

Wednesday’s operation is the latest in a series of aggressive US actions against Chinese-linked hacking networks. In 2025, the FBI removed PlugX surveillance malware from more than 4,000 American computers after they were infected by the Chinese state-sponsored group known as Mustang Panda.

A year earlier, federal authorities dismantled a botnet containing hundreds of thousands of compromised internet-connected devices that officials said the Chinese-linked Flax Typhoon group had made available to Chinese government customers.

And in 2023, the FBI disrupted another botnet used by the Chinese state-sponsored Volt Typhoon hacking group to conceal cyber operations targeting critical infrastructure in the United States and other countries.

The latest revelations underscore growing US concerns over China’s use of private technology companies and contractors to conduct or facilitate cyberespionage on behalf of Beijing’s intelligence and military services.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding Wednesday’s announcement. Beijing has repeatedly denied US allegations that it sponsors malicious hacking operations.

{Matzav.com}

Mayor Zohran Mamdani maintained Wednesday that New York City’s new pied-à-terre tax will generate $500 million annually, even as city officials have dramatically reduced the number of properties potentially subject to the controversial levy.

“We continue to be confident in that assessment of what the annual revenue will look like,” Mamdani told reporters Wednesday.

His comments came after the city disclosed that the Department of Finance is sending revised notices to 10,800 property owners who must demonstrate that their New York City residences are their primary homes.

That figure represents a substantial drop from the approximately 17,000 notices initially mailed by the Department of Finance when the city began implementing the tax on high-end second homes late last month.

The rocky rollout has generated widespread confusion among property owners and prompted a major lawsuit challenging the tax. Court filings submitted Tuesday revealed the reduced number of notices and showed that city officials had once again extended the deadline for affected homeowners to seek exemptions.

The shrinking pool of potentially taxable properties is also fueling skepticism about whether the levy can actually produce the $500 million in annual revenue projected by city and state officials.

Jared Walczak, a senior fellow at the Tax Foundation, said the declining number of properties raises legitimate questions about the reliability of the original estimate.

“When you have a tax base that starts with 17,000 and continues removing properties by the thousands, there is every reason to believe that the estimate is too high and the city based it on incomplete and overreaching assumptions,” he said.

Walczak argued that officials have enough updated information to revisit their calculations rather than continue relying on the initial projection.

“This is doable — they could do a new estimate with knowledge of homes that come off the rolls. It’s not a hard calculation to make.”

The pied-à-terre surcharge emerged from Mamdani’s broader push for Albany to approve a series of “tax the rich” initiatives aimed at raising additional revenue for New York City.

Gov. Kathy Hochul resisted many proposals to impose additional taxes on wealthy New Yorkers but ultimately worked with state lawmakers to approve the pied-à-terre tax as a measure intended to strengthen the city’s troubled finances.

Under the legislation, the surcharge applies to one- to three-family homes valued at $5 million or more and to condominiums and cooperative apartments valued at at least $1 million when those properties are not occupied as their owners’ primary residences.

When Hochul promoted the proposal during the spring, her administration estimated that approximately 10,000 properties across New York City would be subject to the tax, producing an estimated $500 million annually.

An April analysis by City Comptroller Mark Levine, however, questioned whether the tax would come close to reaching that revenue target.

Levine’s analysis projected that approximately 11,000 properties would qualify and estimated that the city would likely collect between $340 million and $380 million annually — significantly below the $500 million figure.

Despite those projections, both Hochul and Mamdani have continued to stand behind the $500 million annual revenue estimate.

Pressed Wednesday about why the number of potentially affected properties had fallen so substantially, Mamdani said the original 17,000 notices were sent before city officials had access to residents’ 2025 income-tax filings.

“That is something that is typically released in February of the next calendar year,” he said. “The state has now provided us with early access to those filings.”

According to Mamdani, the updated tax information allowed the city to narrow the group of property owners receiving the latest round of notices, resulting in the smaller figure of 10,800.

Hochul, meanwhile, has largely distanced herself from the difficulties surrounding the tax’s implementation, maintaining that responsibility for carrying out the new law rests with the Mamdani administration.

The governor also made clear Wednesday that she does not support expanding the concept beyond New York City after some upstate Democrats floated the possibility of allowing municipalities elsewhere in the state to impose similar taxes on expensive second homes.

“I’m not interested in seeing it rolled out upstate. This was specifically intended to help the City of New York get through a financial crisis,” Hochul told reporters following an unrelated event.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance will headline the Republican Party’s midterm convention in Dallas next month, with the two-day gathering designed to showcase the administration’s record, promote GOP candidates in competitive races and sharpen the party’s case against Democrats ahead of November’s elections.

The convention will take place Wednesday, Sept. 9, and Thursday, Sept. 10, with Trump scheduled to appear on both days. Vance will deliver the featured address Wednesday evening, while Trump will headline the convention’s concluding night on Thursday.

The unusual midterm gathering is intended to put the Trump administration’s agenda at the heart of the Republican campaign. The Republican National Committee is billing the event as “a primetime showcase for President Trump’s success, candidates, and causes that have propelled the 2026 midterms to unprecedented focus.”

Republicans are expected to use the convention to portray Democrats as having moved sharply to the left, highlighting the rise of Democratic socialist candidates during the current election cycle.

Each evening will begin with a candidate showcase from 6 to 7 p.m., giving Republicans running in closely contested races an opportunity to introduce themselves to voters on a national stage.

Programming on the opening night will focus on several of the GOP’s major domestic priorities, including tax reductions, healthcare affordability, border enforcement, trade policy and expanding American manufacturing. The program will also feature “workers and everyday Americans.”

The second night will spotlight families that Republicans say have benefited from Trump administration policies, including eliminating taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security. The program will also feature Americans who had been imprisoned overseas and were subsequently freed, along with segments on border security and efforts to reduce prescription drug prices. A tribute will also be held for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Thursday’s program will additionally commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, with relatives of first responders expected to participate in the remembrance.

The schedule released by organizers did not include programming devoted to foreign policy or the war in Iran, which has faced significant public opposition.

Republicans will also seek to energize supporters of the “MAHA,” or Make America Healthy Again, movement. One planned segment is titled, “Chronic Disease & Corporate Capture: Breaking the hold of corporate interests on public health agencies and empowering families to Make America Healthy Again.”

Other portions of the convention will promote proposals prohibiting members of Congress from trading stocks. Trump has endorsed such a ban, even as critics have repeatedly accused him of financially benefiting from his presidency.

“Over two action-packed days, we will take Americans through the defining issues of our Party’s agenda and what is at stake in November,” RNC Chairman Joe Gruters said in a statement announcing the plans.

{Matzav.com}

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Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the accused architect of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and three alleged co-conspirators will finally face trial in 2028, a military judge ruled Wednesday, setting a date in a case that has languished for more than two decades.

The decision by Lt. Col. Michael Schrama came just two weeks before the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, which claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people and profoundly changed the United States and the world.

Mohammed, widely known as KSM and accused of serving as the chief planner of the attacks, has been held along with three other defendants at the U.S. military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, as the prosecution has faced years of delays and legal battles.

Mohammed has been in U.S. custody since 2003, when he was captured in Pakistan. The lengthy proceedings against him and the other defendants have repeatedly stalled, preventing the case from reaching a full trial despite the passage of more than two decades since the attacks.

Federal prosecutors had pushed for the proceedings to begin much sooner, asking the military court to schedule the trial for January 2027.

Schrama rejected that proposed timetable, instead setting June 5, 2028, as the date for the long-awaited trial to begin.

President Donald Trump’s effort to impose new requirements on mail-in voting cleared a major legal hurdle Wednesday when a federal judge lifted a nationwide injunction against the U.S. Postal Service, but a new lawsuit from nearly two dozen states has immediately put the fate of the rules back in question ahead of November’s midterm elections.

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Massachusetts removed the nationwide injunction that had prevented the Postal Service from carrying out key elements of Trump’s March executive order, eliminating one of the most significant legal barriers facing the administration’s election-related changes.

The decision came just two days after the Supreme Court lifted a separate injunction involving the same executive order. The high court, however, did not determine whether Trump’s policy itself is legally valid.

Instead, the justices concluded that the earlier lawsuit had been brought prematurely because the Postal Service had not yet completed the rule implementing Trump’s directive. The ruling specifically left states free to bring another challenge once the agency issued its final regulations.

That legal opening was quickly put to use on Wednesday.

A coalition consisting of 24 states and the District of Columbia filed suit challenging the Postal Service’s finalized rule, according to Axios. The states contend that the federal agency lacks the legal power to impose the requirements on elections administered by individual states.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro joined the latest challenge, announcing Wednesday that he was suing the Trump administration over what he described as an unconstitutional effort to alter election procedures and limit mail-in voting.

“Donald Trump does not run elections here in Pennsylvania — or in any state,” Shapiro said after Monday’s Supreme Court ruling, pledging that the legal challenge would continue.

The new lawsuit represents a significant shift in the litigation. Rather than attacking Trump’s executive order before the administration had put it into effect, the states are now directly challenging the Postal Service regulation created to implement it.

Trump signed the executive order on March 31, instructing several federal agencies to make changes involving the handling of mail ballots and expand federal involvement in election-related procedures.

Among its provisions, the order instructs the Department of Homeland Security to assemble and provide states with lists of confirmed U.S. citizens who will be at least 18 years old by the federal election and reside within each state. It also directs the Justice Department to prioritize investigations and possible prosecutions involving ballots allegedly cast by ineligible individuals and orders the Postal Service to establish additional requirements governing the processing and delivery of mail ballots.

Under the Postal Service’s finalized regulation, states would face requirements involving standardized designs for ballot envelopes as well as state-specific lists identifying individuals receiving mail ballots.

The Trump administration has characterized the measures as safeguards intended to bolster election security while improving the handling and tracking of ballots sent through the mail.

The states suing to stop the rule contend that the Postal Service has exceeded its authority and that the federal government is improperly inserting itself into election procedures traditionally overseen primarily by the states.

Litigation over the issue began soon after Trump issued the executive order.

Talwani initially blocked important portions of the directive in June. She subsequently issued a nationwide injunction in August barring the Postal Service from putting the mail-voting provisions into effect for the November midterms.

In a separate lawsuit filed by Pennsylvania and other states, the Supreme Court voted 6-3 on Monday to lift another injunction against the administration.

The majority concluded that the states had gone to court too soon because Trump’s executive order had not itself forced them to alter their election systems and the Postal Service had not yet finished developing its regulations.

At the same time, the Supreme Court made clear that states could return to court once the Postal Service completed the rulemaking process.

“If the Postal Service’s final rule harms the States, they may challenge that rule,” the Supreme Court said.

With the Postal Service rule now finalized, the states are doing precisely that, setting up another round of litigation as election officials move closer to important deadlines for November.

Several states are scheduled to begin distributing mail ballots in September, giving courts only a limited amount of time to address the latest lawsuit while leaving election officials uncertain about which procedures will ultimately govern the midterms.

Shapiro has maintained that Pennsylvania will continue using its existing mail-voting procedures for the 2026 midterms while the litigation plays out.

His position highlights the uncertainty that remains despite Wednesday’s ruling. Although the decision removes the current obstacle preventing the Postal Service from proceeding, it does not ensure that Trump’s new requirements will actually be in force when voters cast ballots in November.

Another injunction could once again halt implementation, while subsequent appeals could eventually return the dispute to the Supreme Court.

The rapidly approaching election calendar could also pose practical difficulties for state and local election officials if requirements are altered after ballots have already been prepared or sent to voters.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissenting from Monday’s Supreme Court decision, warned that the ruling could contribute to “pre-election chaos,” arguing that states and voters need certainty regarding the procedures that will apply during the election.

For the moment, the Trump administration has succeeded in removing a major judicial roadblock standing in the way of its mail-ballot initiative.

But with 24 states and the District of Columbia now mounting a fresh challenge to the finalized Postal Service regulations, the fight has simply shifted to a new legal battlefield — and whether Trump’s mail-ballot rules will ultimately govern the November midterms remains unresolved.

{Matzav.com}

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sharply pushed back against Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro after the Democratic governor accused him of spreading vaccine misinformation, saying Shapiro was unable to provide a single example when challenged and later repeated the allegation publicly.

The dispute erupted Tuesday after Shapiro announced that two unvaccinated Pennsylvania residents had died from measles. The governor accused Kennedy and the Trump administration of “scaring people” and undermining public confidence in physicians and vaccines.

Kennedy said Shapiro leveled a similar charge during a telephone conversation between the two officials, but was unable to substantiate it when Kennedy asked him to identify specific misinformation he had promoted.

“During our phone conversation, Governor Shapiro also accused me of promoting vaccine misinformation,” Kennedy wrote on X. “When I asked him for an example, he was unable to provide one, but this did not deter him from publicly repeating that accusation during his press event.”

Kennedy said he responded by telling Shapiro that the Department of Health and Human Services does not accept misinformation and offered to provide the governor with “hundreds of instances” of what he characterized as vaccine misinformation disseminated during the Biden administration.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Shapiro said Kennedy had contacted him to offer federal assistance as Pennsylvania confronts its measles outbreak. Shapiro said he declined the offer and instead used the conversation to challenge Kennedy over statements he believes have undermined public confidence in vaccination.

“I was very, very blunt with him, and I made very clear that his actions and the rhetoric that’s coming from this administration are having a negative impact on communities across America, particularly right here in Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said, according to the Washington Examiner.

“There’s real-life consequences to scaring people and not relying on actual doctors and actual medical professionals to provide unbiased information to parents so that we can make reasonable decisions for our kids,” he continued.

Shapiro went further, accusing Kennedy of “sharing conspiracy theories and misinformation,” an allegation the HHS secretary strongly rejected.

Kennedy said another point of contention during their conversation involved the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and whether concerns surrounding its development could produce religious objections.

“At his press conference today, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro accused me of promoting conspiracy theories because I told him, during an earlier telephone conversation, that some Americans had religious objections to the MMR vaccine because it contained fetal tissue. ‘There is no fetal tissue in the MMR,’ he told me,” Kennedy wrote.

To support his argument, Kennedy cited deposition testimony from Dr. Stanley Plotkin, one of the scientists involved in developing the rubella vaccine, concerning cell-substrate DNA present in MMR II.

“Dr. Plotkin answered: ‘Yeah, that’s probably correct, yes,'” Kennedy wrote.

Kennedy also disputed Shapiro’s effort to connect him to declining vaccination rates in Pennsylvania, arguing that the governor ultimately acknowledged that much of the decrease occurred before Kennedy became HHS secretary.

“Governor Shapiro also faulted me for the decline in Pennsylvania vaccination rates from 97% – 93.2%,” Kennedy wrote. “When I pushed back on this assertion, he acknowledged that most of the decline occurred during the Biden administration.

“It’s unfortunately true that the government lockdowns, deceptions, manipulation, and overreach during COVID severely damaged public faith in the vaccine program,” he added.

{Matzav.com}

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by Rabbi Eliezer Sandler

The concept of the Yissachar-Zevulun Torah Learning Pact goes back well over 3,500 years, to the time of Yaakov Avinu and his sons. It is named for the Torah pact between two of his sons – Yissachar the scholar and Zevulun the merchant. Not only was it an equal pact but, Chazal explained, the deed of Zevulun/the Sponsor is considered even greater than that of Yissachar, because without the support of Zevulun, Yissachar would not have had the wherewithal to study Torah undisturbed.”

It is well-known that when it comes to learning Torah, people who sponsor the learning, often do so, not just as a donation. By financially supporting specific Torah scholars, they enter into a binding, written, signed and sealed learning partnership pact whereby the Sponsor (the Zevulun) is deemed by Halacha as if he personally studied the Torah completed by the Scholar (the Yissachar). (See below.) 

Thus, those who support the Talmidei Chachomim at Shas Yiden via a Yissachar-Zevulun Pact merit a portion in every daf of the entire Talmud Bavli and associated texts that they study, and complete the entire cycle in the space of ONE year. Some of the Sponsors opt to continue sponsoring repeat cycles of Shas which accrue to them.

Sar Hatorah, Maran Hagaon Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l, Nasi Shas Yiden, emphasized: The most mehudar Yissachar-Zevulun pact to support in our times is that offered by Shas Yiden – it comprises the entire Shas, Rashi and Tosfos – all in just one year!

Rav Chaim explained why this pact with Shas Yiden is the most mehudar. Chazal say that the highest level of learning is when one understands what he is learning b’iyun u’ve’amkus. However, even higher than that is when one remembers b’al peh all what he has learned. I have farhered the Shas Yiden avreichim geonim many times and can attest ZEI KENNEN SHAS (they know Shas)!

YES! YOU CAN MAKE
your OWN SIYUM on the ENTIRE
Shas, Rashi & Tosfos
IN JUST ONE YEAR!

The Yissachar-Zevulun Pact in Halacha

The Shulchan Aruch in Yoreh De’ah Chapter 246 regarding the efficacy of the Yissachar-Zevulun Sponsorship Pact for the Zevulun (the Sponsor) states clearly:  It is deemed as if he (the one sponsoring the learning) himself learned all the Torah studied under the pact. 

All the learning under the Shas Yiden Yissachar-Zevulun Pact is yours בעוה”ז ובעוה”ב (in both This World and the World to Come)! Concerning this, the Netziv of Volozhin comments that in Olam Habah, the Zevulun sponsor will sit together with the Gedolei Torah of the past and merit to participate in their discussions and pilpulim on all the Torah learned.

Achieve Almost 7 million Mitzvos in One Year

The Vilna Gaon in Shnos Eliyahu Pe’ah 41 states that one should hold precious every word of Torah that he learns because each word is considered a mitzvah of its own. 

Thus, since in Talmud Bavli, Rashi and Tosfos there are 6,608,891 words, that translates into almost 7 million mitzvos accruing through Yissachar-Zevulun at Shas Yiden. 

Official Shtar from Shas Yiden

Each Yissachar-Zevulun pact is confirmed by an official contract (shtar) from Shas Yiden specifying the learning of the entire Shas, and is witnessed by talmidei chachomim.

All who wish to enter into a Yissachar-Zevulun Pact for the entire Shas during ONE year should contact Shas Yiden to make arrangements: 718-702-1528.

The opportunity to complete the entire Shas has been a cherished way to honor family members and others as a prized achievement. It has also proven to be a source of comfort for mourners to obtain such a zechus for their dear ones during the year of mourning – a siyum of the entire Shas can be completed on the yahrzeit!

Yissachar-Zevulun Pact – Beyond the Grave

The legendary visionary and “Father of Yeshivos”, Reb Chaim of Volozhin, was the founder of the famous yeshiva in the town of Volozhin and the beloved talmid of the Vilna Gaon. 

Reb Chaim had an ongoing Yissachar-Zevulun pact with a local shoemaker – a man who was not learned but who dearly valued Torah learning. They had a ‘deal’ whereby the shoemaker would pay the monthly financial support needed for Reb Chaim and his family. For this financial support, the shoemaker would have an equal share in all Reb Chaim’s daily Torah study – both in the mitzvah of Torah study בעוה”ז and that the knowledge of the Torah learned would continue to be his בעוה”ב (in the World to Come).

One day the shoemaker passed away suddenly. During the shiva period, Reb Chaim was facing a perplexing halachic question and researched high and low for a solution. That night the shoemaker appeared to him in a dream and gave him the full solution that he sought. Reb Chaim was amazed and commented, “Azoi gich, Azoi Gich – So quickly, so quickly has he acquired the zchus and knowledge of the Torah that I have studied!”

In the words of Gedolei Torah:

Maran Hagaon Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l, Nasi Shas Yiden:

“In just ONE year, through Yissachar-Zevulun at Shas Yiden, you can be zoche to the entire Shas forever – בעוה”ז ובעוה”ב (in olam hazeh and olam habah).

“Moreover, whoever supports Shas Yiden is zocheh to fulfill both Yissachar-Zevulun and support of aniyei (the poor of) Eretz Yisroel in the fullest sense of the word.

“Those who support Shas Yiden will be saved from chevlei (the travails of) Moshiach – spiritually and materially, and will be zoche to have ehrlicher bonim u’vanos yir’eishomayim ”

Maran Hagaon Harav Dov Lando, shlit”a, Rosh Yeshiva, Slabodka:

“Who compares to the Shas Yiden? Incredible talmidei chachomim geonim who raised the bar in limud Hashas b’iyun u’v’amkus. Blessed are those who enter a Yissachar-Zevulun pact with them.”

Hamashpia Hagadol Reb Meilech Biederman, shlit”a:

 “Yissachar-Zevulun at Shas Yiden – best possible deal, and in just 1 year! 100% partnership! 100% Shas x 5 times! 100% Shisha Sidrei Mishna – בעוה”ז ובעוה”ב”

Sanzer Rebbe, shlit”a:

“A first in 2000 years of Jewish history! Until Shas Yiden, never a Torah institution where ALL the avreichim metzuyonim v’geonim know the entire Shas by heart”

Maran Hagaon Harav Yaakov Hillel, shlit”a:

“Therefore, the great mitzvah to support the efforts [of the Talmidei Chachomim] with generous donations in order that they should continue diligently with their studies to enhance the greatness of the Torah and its glory. 

ShasYiden.com

Pentagon investigators reviewing the chaotic 2021 US withdrawal from Afghanistan have uncovered classified documents that were allegedly concealed inside safes rather than turned over for scrutiny, officials revealed Wednesday, raising new questions about what information may have been withheld about the disastrous final days of the war.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, who heads a special panel examining the August 2021 withdrawal under President Joe Biden, said investigators discovered material that should previously have been disclosed but was instead kept out of sight.

“The deeper we look, the more there is to look at,” Parnell said in a video posted on social media. “We are finding things that we did not expect.”

According to Parnell, investigators had “recovered highly relevant classified documents — material that should have been disclosed — stashed and hidden away in safes where they would not be found.”

“And after the team reviewed these documents, it became clear why someone tried to hide them,” he added.

Parnell did not reveal the contents of the newly discovered documents, nor did he identify who investigators believe was responsible for concealing them.

The disclosure came just hours before War Secretary Pete Hegseth was set to take part in a Pentagon ceremony upgrading valor awards for American service members who served at Kabul International Airport during the frantic final stage of the US departure from Afghanistan.

Thirteen American service members were killed on Aug. 26, 2021, when an ISIS-K suicide bomber struck Abbey Gate at the Kabul airport as US forces oversaw the massive evacuation operation. The bombing occurred as the Taliban rapidly swept across Afghanistan and regained control of the country amid the American military withdrawal.

Republicans have repeatedly placed responsibility for the chaotic evacuation on Biden and senior members of his administration, arguing that poor planning needlessly exposed US troops and civilians to danger. Biden and his Democratic allies have defended the withdrawal as a necessary step to finally end America’s 20-year military involvement in Afghanistan.

The Trump administration has described the disastrous closing days of the Afghanistan withdrawal as “one of the most shameful and heartbreaking moments in our nation’s collective memory.”

Pentagon officials subsequently created the Afghanistan Withdrawal Special Review Panel to conduct a fresh examination of the decisions that led to the withdrawal, identify what went wrong during the evacuation and determine who should be held responsible for those failures.

In April, Parnell announced that valor awards issued to troops who served at the Kabul airport would be upgraded to “more accurately reflect the extreme risk” they encountered during the evacuation. He accused the Biden administration of having “inappropriately downgraded” honors that had originally been recommended for some of the service members.

Parnell said Wednesday that the Americans who served in Afghanistan are entitled to a complete accounting of how critical decisions surrounding the withdrawal were reached.

“They are owed the full picture of how and why those decisions were made, and we’re going to give it to them,” he said.

The Pentagon spokesman did not provide a timetable for when additional conclusions or evidence from the ongoing review will be made public.

Republicans in the House have separately alleged that Biden administration officials failed to properly heed intelligence before the deadly Abbey Gate suicide bombing. Military officials have challenged those accusations.

{Matzav.com}

A federal judge on Wednesday rejected Minnesota’s attempt to force the extradition of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer being held in Texas on charges stemming from the shooting of a man during the federal immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, potentially clearing the way for the officer to be released from custody.

Christian Castro faces charges in Minnesota of assault and falsely reporting a crime in connection with the Jan. 14 shooting of 24-year-old Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis. Minnesota officials have been seeking to bring Castro back to the state since he was arrested, but he has remained jailed in Brownsville, Texas, near the Mexican border.

Unless an extradition order is issued, Texas law requires Castro to be freed after 90 days in custody. That deadline is Thursday.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison went to federal court last week seeking a temporary restraining order that would prevent the Cameron County sheriff from releasing Castro. Ellison also asked the court to compel Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to sign the warrant authorizing Castro’s extradition to Minnesota.

Minnesota officials have argued that Castro could leave the United States if released. Their lawsuit cited jailhouse telephone conversations between Castro and a woman in Mexico in which he spoke “about marrying her and buying a house in Mexico when he is released.”

The charges against Castro stem from an incident in which he allegedly fired through the front door of a Minneapolis residence, striking Sosa-Celis in the leg. Prosecutors also accuse Castro of making a false report claiming that Sosa-Celis and another man had attacked an ICE officer using a broom handle and snow shovel.

During a federal court hearing in Brownsville on Tuesday, attorneys representing the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office argued that authorities could have significant difficulty forcing Castro to return to Minnesota to face prosecution if he is released from custody. They again raised concerns that he could leave the country, pointing to his telephone conversations with a woman living in Mexico.

Abbott said last week that he would not act on Minnesota’s extradition request. The Texas governor pointed to the continuing investigation into alleged fraud involving Minnesota government social-service programs, an issue President Donald Trump has cited in defending his administration’s immigration enforcement crackdown in the state.

{Matzav.com}

IDF troops, acting on intelligence provided by the Shin Bet, arrested a 38-year-old pregnant terrorist in Samaria after security forces received information indicating that she was planning to carry out a stabbing attack.

The woman was intercepted near Ganot Junction while traveling toward Homesh, close to Shavei Shomron.

Security forces found the suspect carrying a knife when she was apprehended. She was taken into custody and transferred to security personnel for further questioning and investigation. No injuries were reported during the arrest.

The arrest came just hours after another terrorist incident in Samaria, when terrorists threw a Molotov cocktail at an Israeli vehicle traveling along Route 55 on Wednesday morning.

The firebomb smashed onto the roadway and burst into flames without striking the vehicle, which was able to continue driving. There were no injuries in the attack.

IDF forces dispatched to the area subsequently discovered two additional Molotov cocktails that had been thrown nearby. Troops then entered surrounding Palestinian Arab villages and carried out searches as part of the effort to locate those responsible.

Meanwhile, IDF engineering units spent the day removing vegetation and other potential hiding places alongside sections of the roadway. The clearing operation was aimed at denying terrorists cover from which they could approach the highway and target passing Israeli vehicles.

{Matzav.com}

New details surrounding a controversial incident in the Givati Brigade indicate that soldiers refused to participate in an urgent Gaza operation alongside a female paramedic even after the brigade’s rabbi permitted them to do so, ultimately prompting the IDF to cancel the mission.

Arutz Sheva-Israel National News reported Wednesday evening that additional information had emerged about the confrontation involving soldiers from Givati’s Rotem Battalion, who declined to enter a Namer armored personnel carrier because a female paramedic was inside.

A source familiar with the incident said the company commander personally addressed the soldiers and stressed that the planned operation was both important and urgent. Despite his explanation, the soldiers maintained that they would not board the vehicle.

The brigade’s rabbi was also brought into the discussion, according to the source. After considering the operational circumstances, he ruled that because of the mission’s importance and urgency, the soldiers were permitted to participate even though the female paramedic would be traveling with them.

The IDF said Rotem Battalion troops operating in the Gaza Strip were instructed overnight to carry out an operational assignment that required a patrol aboard a Namer APC. The military noted that under the Joint Service Order, religiously observant soldiers are generally entitled to conduct operational activities within a gender-based framework, except in unusual circumstances.

“In the described case, the troops refused to conduct an operation, and therefore, it was canceled,” the IDF stated. The military added that it is continuing to review the incident.

The IDF is treating the soldiers’ actions as a refusal to obey orders. According to information obtained by Arutz Sheva, disciplinary proceedings are expected and command measures are likely to be imposed. That represents a development from an earlier report, which said no disciplinary proceedings had yet taken place while the military investigated the circumstances.

The episode began when three soldiers declined to enter the Namer because the female paramedic was aboard. Sources familiar with what happened said commanders subsequently asked the remaining members of the platoon whether any of them would agree to ride in the vehicle with her, with the soldiers maintaining that no one was prepared to do so.

Arutz Sheva reported that Rav Tzvi Kostiner, rosh yeshiva of the Mitzpe Ramon Yeshiva, and Rav Shlomo Shushan, rosh yeshiva of the Beit She’an Yeshiva, both of whom have talmidim serving in the platoon, instructed their talmidim not to enter the vehicle.

The Union of Hesder Yeshivas came to the soldiers’ defense, arguing that their actions were consistent with existing IDF regulations governing the service of religious soldiers.

“The Union emphasizes that the soldiers acted in accordance with the Joint Service Order, and the IDF is expected to uphold and respect the order and allow a soldier who observes Jewish law to serve in accordance with his beliefs. Accordingly, there is obviously no justification for punishing soldiers who acted in accordance with the order.”

{Matzav.com}

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A new investigation claims that Chareidi men prohibited from leaving Israel because of their status as IDF draft evaders have managed to circumvent controls at Ben Gurion Airport and board international flights, exposing apparent gaps in a border enforcement system that was strengthened ahead of the massive travel period to Uman.

The alleged breaches have emerged despite heightened vigilance and additional preparations at Israel’s main international airport ahead of the annual surge of travelers heading to Ukraine.

According to an investigation and testimony published Wednesday by Galei Tzahal, or Army Radio, several young Chareidi men officially designated as draft evaders were able to leave Israel even though they were subject to legal orders explicitly prohibiting them from traveling abroad.

The report detailed several methods allegedly used to take advantage of the enormous crowds passing through Ben Gurion Airport during the busy travel season. Footage obtained by Army Radio reportedly shows one young man identified as a draft evader successfully making his way through passport control despite the restrictions against him.

Sources familiar with the alleged practice said some travelers attempt to exploit moments when airport personnel are distracted by the heavy volume of passengers, particularly during the most congested hours.

“You just have to wait until the official isn’t looking, stick close to a friend, and go through,” one young man said, describing how easily the system could allegedly be circumvented. “During such a busy period at Ben Gurion Airport, no one is really checking closely anymore.”

The system designed to prevent individuals under exit orders from leaving Israel was originally intended to contain two separate layers of enforcement. Along with physical checks conducted as passengers depart the country, authorities established a system through which information identifying people prohibited from traveling would be transmitted directly to airlines, preventing them from checking in or obtaining a boarding pass.

According to the investigation, however, a significant gap exists in that computerized system: the information-sharing mechanism reportedly operates only with Israeli carriers, while foreign airlines are not fully integrated into the process used to cross-check passengers against the list of individuals barred from leaving Israel.

That apparent loophole means a draft evader attempting to fly with a foreign carrier may reportedly be able to check in and obtain the documents needed to board without being flagged by the airline. In such cases, the physical border-control process effectively becomes the final obstacle preventing the passenger from leaving the country.

The Population and Immigration Authority said it was unaware of cases matching those described in the report and insisted that Israel has substantially strengthened its departure-control procedures.

“An examination found that cases of this kind are not known to us. This year, the mechanisms monitoring departures from Israel have been significantly reinforced, with strict oversight and full cross-checking between the various information channels. We have all the technological and operational means necessary to prevent attempts to leave the country illegally.”

The Authority further said the military has increased its presence at Israel’s border crossings and warned that anyone caught violating legal travel restrictions faces serious consequences.

“In addition, the IDF has reinforced its forces at the border crossings. Severe criminal proceedings are being taken and will be taken against anyone who acts in violation of orders and the law.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he believes Mojtaba Khamenei remains alive despite suffering severe injuries, as he touted the success of ongoing American military operations against Iran and predicted that the United States is approaching a “very big victory.”

Speaking during an interview on The Glenn Beck Program, Trump said the Iranian leader had sustained extensive wounds along the left side of his body but disputed reports suggesting he had died.

“I don’t think he’s dead. He was very seriously wounded,” Trump said. “The left side of his body, the arm, the leg, the whole thing, he was very seriously wounded. But I don’t think he’s dead.”

Trump pointed to the behavior of Iranian officials as another indication that Khamenei may still be alive, saying regime figures continue to publicly suggest that they consult with him and seek his authorization before making major decisions.

“And if he is, they’re putting on a pretty good show because they talk about, you know, going back to talk to him all the time, you know, to get a final blessing on things,” the President said.

The president also expressed deep skepticism about the reliability of Iran’s leadership when discussing the possibility of negotiating agreements with Tehran.

“You make a deal with them. It’s like not the most honorable group. I will tell you that,” he said.

Trump then turned to the ongoing American military campaign, announcing that US forces had destroyed 22 boats overnight and praising the Navy and other branches of the military for their performance in maintaining the blockade.

“We took out 22 boats last night. We have people coming in the blockade. Our Navy has been unbelievable. Our military has been unbelievable, the combination,” Trump said.

The president also credited the United States’ growing economic and financial power with helping sustain its military strength, arguing that the country’s position has improved dramatically during the past year and a half.

“Our financial strength, we built it up so much like you wouldn’t believe in a year and a half. Our financial strength is unbelievable,” he said. “And those things are going toward a very big victory.”

Trump concluded by drawing a comparison between the current confrontation with Iran and the successful US campaign in Venezuela, predicting that another significant American triumph is imminent.

“We had the victory in Venezuela, and we’re going to have a big victory here very soon,” Trump declared.

{Matzav.com}

US Ambassador Michael Waltz sharply challenged criticism of the American-backed Gaza strategy at the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday, accusing humanitarian advocates of ignoring Hamas’ conduct and declaring that while Gaza civilians face serious hardship, the terror group’s fighters and leaders are not going hungry.

The heated exchange came during an open Security Council briefing on “the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question,” where officials presented starkly different assessments of Gaza’s humanitarian conditions and the emerging plan for the territory’s future. Speakers included Board of Peace High Representative for Gaza Nickolay Mladenov, Acting Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Ramiz Alakbarov and Association of International Development Agencies Executive Director Athena Rayburn.

Mladenov told council members that an agreement under which Hamas and other armed organizations would surrender their weapons and relinquish control of Gaza marks a development without precedent during the conflict.

“Indeed, it is a historic breakthrough. For the first time, Hamas and the armed factions in Gaza have agreed to hand over their weapons and to transfer full governing authority, civilian and security, to a transitional administration recognized by the United Nations,” Mladenov said.

“We now have the opportunity to dramatically improve life in a sustainable way for Palestinians in Gaza; to provide durable security for Israelis; and to move from a conflict that has destabilized the region to an environment that offers peace, prosperity and economic opportunity for the entire Middle East,” he added.

Mladenov emphasized that the newly formulated Roadmap is intended to work alongside, rather than supersede, the Comprehensive Plan and UN Security Council Resolution 2803, adopted in 2025.

“There is no grey zone and no category left out,” he said.

According to Mladenov, the Roadmap introduces three elements absent from previous efforts over the past two decades. Most significantly, Hamas has accepted the requirement that it completely demilitarize and relinquish its governing authority in Gaza.

The framework also embraces the principle of “One Authority, One Law, One Weapon,” while establishing that “Progress is performance-based, not calendar-based,” requiring each stage of the process to be completed and certified before the next can begin.

“What has been agreed on paper will matter only if it is translated into verified action,” Mladenov stressed.

Responding to critics who have questioned whether the Roadmap can succeed, Mladenov argued that no viable alternative has been presented.

“I have yet to hear an alternative plan. Yet, I see only two choices.”

He said the alternatives would be either a renewed Israeli occupation of Gaza, forcing Israel to administer a population of roughly two million at enormous human, financial and reputational expense, or a restoration of the pre-Oct. 7, 2023 arrangement, under which Hamas remains armed and in power while Israel periodically uses military force to contain it.

“What remains is a choice. A Gaza disarmed, rebuilt and reconnected to the world. Or a Gaza rearmed, divided and in rubble, with a radicalized generation raised inside it and the next war already on the horizon,” he said.

“The responsible choice is clear.”

Rayburn offered a far more critical assessment, arguing that despite increases in humanitarian assistance, conditions for Gaza residents remain dire and that the Board of Peace has failed to provide an adequate response.

“Yes, the latest IPC figures show we have clawed our way back from an engineered famine in Gaza, but it is a disturbing marker of ‘progress’ to celebrate that a child that may no longer be at imminent risk of starving to death may still be killed at any moment from shelling, air strikes or gunfire, or may survive only to carry the consequences of hunger, devastation and deprivation for the rest of their life,” she said.

Rayburn argued that Gaza requires consistent humanitarian access, restoration of essential services and a meaningful recovery effort, along with “the creation of conditions in which people in Gaza can begin to live rather than just survive the next 24 hours.”

“By these basic measures, the Board of Peace is failing,” she said.

She called on Security Council members to travel to Gaza themselves to examine conditions firsthand.

“Let the reality on the ground, the facts, our colleagues and Palestinians speak to you themselves. We are here, and we are ready to receive you,” she said.

Waltz fired back at Rayburn’s presentation, saying it conspicuously omitted Hamas’ responsibility for conditions inside Gaza and made no mention of the terror organization’s violent treatment of Palestinians who challenge its authority.

“Not a word from Ms. Rayburn, the civil society briefing, on the knee-capping of Palestinians who recently dared to step out and protest Hamas’s rule,” Waltz said.

While acknowledging that Gaza still faces substantial humanitarian challenges, Waltz argued that improvements in food supplies and access to assistance show that increased aid is reaching civilians and having an impact.

Waltz cited UNICEF in accusing Hamas of stockpiling humanitarian assistance and exploiting aid as a tool for maintaining control over Gaza’s population.

He then contrasted reports of civilian hunger with the apparent condition of Hamas commanders, fighters and their families.

“You know who is not starving in Gaza?” he said. “Hamas fighters aren’t starving. You don’t see their leadership starving. You don’t see their wives who are carrying Birkin bags on camera; they’re not starving.”

The United States also defended Resolution 2803 and President Donald Trump’s comprehensive Gaza plan, arguing that the framework offers a path that avoids both continued Hamas control and an indefinite Israeli occupation of the territory.

Waltz pointed out that Hamas has now committed twice to disarming, stressing that meaningful reconstruction and an eventual Israeli withdrawal cannot proceed unless the terror organization actually gives up its military capabilities.

“Gaza cannot sustainably rebuild while Hamas retains the ability to plunge it back into war,” he said.

Alakbarov, meanwhile, warned that despite ongoing discussions surrounding implementation of Resolution 2803 and the broader Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, the existing ceasefire remains precarious.

“As talks continue on the implementation of Resolution 2803 (2025) and the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, the ceasefire remains fragile,” he said.

He said Israeli military operations were continuing in Gaza while conditions in Judea and Samaria “continues to rapidly deteriorate.”

Alakbarov said complete implementation of the 15-point Roadmap would establish transitional arrangements encompassing the disarmament of Hamas and all other armed organizations, an IDF withdrawal from Gaza, deployment of an International Stabilization Force and the eventual transfer of temporary governing authority to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.

“I urge all parties to build on this momentum, fulfil their commitments and advance the Roadmap in accordance with international law,” Alakbarov said.

Addressing the humanitarian situation, Alakbarov warned that despair among Gaza residents was deepening.

“They are losing hope,” he said.

He said Israeli airstrikes resumed on Aug. 12 following a one-week pause, while artillery fire, drone strikes and ground operations also continued. Citing figures supplied by the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health, he said more than 100 Palestinians had been killed and over 400 wounded during the period covered by his report.

Alakbarov further said approximately two-thirds of Gaza remains either inaccessible or subject to significant restrictions, while the 2026 humanitarian Flash Appeal has received only 40% of the funding being sought.

“More than 10 months into the ceasefire, this situation is unacceptable,” Alakbarov said, adding that “human dignity must be at the centre of all efforts.”

Turning to Judea and Samaria, Alakbarov accused Israelis of continuing to carry out large-scale attacks against Palestinians “with virtually no accountability for these crimes.”

He also criticized Israel over plans for housing construction in the E1 area east of Yerushalayim and over Israeli authorities’ entry into a UNRWA compound in the Kafr Aqab neighborhood of Yerushalayim.

“I reiterate my call on Israel to act in accordance with its obligations under international law. All efforts to seize, control or expropriate UNRWA facilities must cease,” he said.

French Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont also criticized Israel during the meeting, condemning recent comments attributed to National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir as well as Israeli community expansion and violence involving Israelis and Palestinian Arabs.

“The restoration of decent living conditions cannot be subordinated to the finalization of the disarmament process,” Bonnafont said.

“It is important that Hamas disarm,” he added. “It is important for the Israeli army to withdraw.”

France additionally condemned restrictions on humanitarian assistance entering Gaza and what it described as continuing daily violations of the ceasefire.

{Matzav.com}

An IDF investigation has concluded that Palestinian Authority security personnel illegally established a roadblock in Area C of the Binyamin region and unlawfully detained IDF reservist Shlomo Rosenthal, contradicting the initial official explanation that the PA officers had intervened to protect him from an attack.

According to the military investigation, the PA forces had no authorization to operate at the location along the so-called Strongholds Route. The findings determined that the officers detained Rosenthal on their own initiative before eventually transferring him into IDF custody.

The conclusions directly contradict the account initially circulated after the incident, which maintained that PA security personnel had come to Rosenthal’s assistance because he was being assaulted and faced immediate danger. Instead, the investigation largely corroborates the version Rosenthal provided to Arutz Sheva following his release.

The incident began earlier this week when Rosenthal left his home and headed toward Route 443 using the Strongholds Route. Speaking afterward with Arutz Sheva-Israel National News, Rosenthal said that upon reaching the Beitunia Junction, he encountered what appeared to be a police vehicle and checkpoint. He initially assumed they were Israeli, only realizing as he drew closer that the officers were members of the Palestinian Authority security forces.

According to Rosenthal, the PA officers prevented him from continuing, surrounded his vehicle and then physically assaulted him. “At a certain point, one of them grabbed my arm, and when I was unable to defend myself, they all jumped on me, sprayed a can and a half of pepper spray at me, and kicked me in the face.”

Rosenthal said the officers smashed his glasses and confiscated his cellphone, car keys and firearm before pulling him from his vehicle, placing him in handcuffs and forcing him into a PA police vehicle.

He also disputed the original assertion that a crowd of Arabs had gathered around him and that the PA security forces had intervened to save him from them.

Rosenthal said the officers then drove him for approximately 30 minutes in the direction of Ramallah, eventually arriving at a PA police station in the city. He was not brought inside the station, he said, and was eventually permitted to speak with an Israeli COGAT representative, who informed him that IDF personnel would meet him. Rosenthal was subsequently turned over to Israeli forces.

Even before the IDF investigation was completed, Rosenthal vehemently rejected reports suggesting that he had mistakenly entered Palestinian-controlled territory and had then been rescued by PA police.

“That is a complete lie,” he told Arutz Sheva, emphasizing that the Strongholds Route runs through Area C and was a road he had traveled previously.

The IDF investigation has now confirmed that the checkpoint was located inside Area C and that the PA security officers had no authority to establish or operate a roadblock there. Investigators also concluded that Rosenthal was unlawfully detained and that the officers had not arrived at the location to rescue him from an attack, as initially claimed.

The probe further determined that Rosenthal was handed over to IDF forces only after the PA officers had detained him and taken him away from the scene. Those conclusions substantiate Rosenthal’s account on the major points that had been disputed by the initial version presented by defense establishment and Civil Administration officials.

Rosenthal’s vehicle, which had also been taken during the encounter, was subsequently returned to him by the IDF and Israel Police. In the aftermath of the incident, Rosenthal, represented by the Honenu legal advocacy organization’s Department for Victims of Hostile Acts, contacted Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth and demanded that the PA officers responsible for attacking him be arrested.

Binyamin Regional Council head and Yesha Council chairman Yisrael Ganz praised the IDF for investigating the incident and establishing what had occurred.

“We commend the IDF for the investigation, which confirms the testimony of the Binyamin resident who was abducted by Palestinian Authority security officers, beaten and had his weapon stolen. We thank Central Command chief Avi Bluth and the command’s personnel for establishing the facts.”

Ganz said, however, that establishing the facts was insufficient and called for concrete action against those responsible.

“We must not settle for an investigation alone. This was an armed force of the enemy, the Palestinian Authority, that set up a roadblock within the sovereign territory of the State of Israel, abducted a soldier along with his weapon and transferred him to Palestinian Authority territory. A sovereign state cannot overlook such an incident.”

Ganz called on the Israeli government to respond forcefully, including by ending coordination with the PA and arresting the officers involved.

“We expect the Israeli government to take meaningful action, not merely issue condemnations: immediately end coordination with the Palestinian Authority, arrest the Palestinian police officers involved and put them on trial in Israel. At the same time, the Civil Administration must conduct a thorough internal review into how such an incident was allowed to occur,” he said.

Ganz warned that failing to respond decisively could encourage additional challenges to Israeli control in the region.

“If we do not act now, attempts to erode Israeli sovereignty on the outskirts of the Tel Aviv metropolitan area will continue and intensify,” Ganz warned. “We must not close our eyes and wait for the next disaster.”

{Matzav.com}

John Bolton is sharply criticizing President Donald Trump’s handling of Venezuela following the removal of Nicolás Maduro, arguing that the administration squandered a historic opportunity by leaving much of the Chavista power structure intact instead of pushing aggressively for democratic elections and the return of opposition leader María Corina Machado.

In an opinion piece published Wednesday in The Hill, Trump’s onetime national security adviser applauded the Jan. 3 US military mission that captured Maduro and removed him from power, describing the operation as “brilliantly successful.”

Bolton contended, however, that the administration failed to capitalize politically on that dramatic military victory and instead pursued a deeply misguided approach to Venezuela’s future.

“Tragically, however, the Trump administration’s underlying political strategy was flawed from the start,” Bolton wrote.

“Maduro’s removal changed only the corrupt regime’s public face.”

Maduro was captured during the January US operation and transported to the United States, where he remains imprisoned while facing federal criminal charges.

But the Venezuelan government did not undergo a wholesale transformation following his removal. Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s vice president and a longtime figure in the governments of both Hugo Chávez and Maduro, took over the presidency, allowing much of the Chavista political establishment to remain in power.

Questions about what would replace Maduro surfaced almost immediately in Congress following the US operation, with lawmakers drawing particular attention to Rodríguez’s history as a hard-line member of the existing regime.

Bolton said the administration should now shift course by making free and democratic elections the central objective of American policy. A critical part of that strategy, he argued, would be ensuring that Machado, the opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, can safely return to Venezuela and participate openly in its political life.

“The real centerpiece, however, is Machado’s return home,” Bolton wrote.

If the Trump administration truly possesses the leverage over Caracas that it has suggested, Bolton argued, Washington should be capable of guaranteeing the safety of Machado and other Venezuelan opposition figures.

His criticism comes as scrutiny intensifies over the administration’s approach to Venezuela’s political and economic transition, including its management of the country’s vast petroleum sector and the expanding influence of Venezuelan businessman Alejandro Betancourt Lopez, who has close ties to Maduro.

Recent reports by Bloomberg, Fortune and The Times of London have said Secretary of State Marco Rubio enlisted Betancourt as an intermediary as the administration attempts to encourage US companies to invest in Venezuela’s oil industry.

According to The Times, Betancourt had previously been investigated in Europe over money-laundering allegations. He has not been convicted of wrongdoing and has maintained that his business dealings are legitimate.

Questions have also emerged about the transparency of the investment process, with reports indicating that major agreements have moved forward without being subjected to competitive bidding.

For Bolton, however, concerns surrounding particular oil agreements are merely one element of a much larger problem. He argued that while Washington successfully removed Maduro himself, it failed to dismantle the political and economic machinery that allowed his government to maintain control.

Bolton characterized Maduro’s capture as an extraordinary military achievement that failed to produce genuine regime change. Although he again described the Jan. 3 mission as “brilliantly successful,” he said Maduro’s longtime allies were subsequently permitted to retain substantial control over the country.

He also urged Washington to fully embrace Machado and facilitate her return to Venezuela, where she must be able to engage in “free, open political activity without intimidation.” Bolton accused Rubio of committing a serious strategic mistake by excluding Machado from negotiations over the country’s electoral future.

Genuinely competitive elections, Bolton argued, should now become Washington’s overriding objective. He warned against portraying cooperation with Rodríguez as proof that Venezuela has undergone a successful transition when key elements of the previous government continue to wield power.

Bolton singled out Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello as another major impediment to democratic change. Cabello remains among the most powerful holdovers from the previous government, while the pro-regime motorcycle organizations known as colectivos continue operating. Bolton maintained that real democratization will require Cabello’s removal as well as the dismantling of the colectivos.

He further called on Washington to insist on verifiable proof that the remaining Cuban intelligence and security personnel operating in Venezuela have left the country.

Bolton also raised concerns about the handling of Venezuela’s oil revenues. Approximately $13 billion in petroleum proceeds has passed through an offshore US account, he said, but questions remain about where those funds ultimately end up once they reach Venezuela’s central bank. With Chavista officials still controlling the central bank, Bolton warned that the money could ultimately help strengthen the very political system Washington had sought to dislodge.

At the same time, the enormous wave of American oil investment initially envisioned following Maduro’s capture has yet to emerge. Major US energy companies remain reluctant to commit billions of dollars without dependable property rights, legal protections and the rule of law. More than seven months after Maduro was seized, reports this month indicated that major petroleum agreements have remained difficult to secure.

The battle over Venezuela’s oil sector could assume even greater significance as the political debate over the country’s future unfolds.

Venezuela holds some of the largest proven petroleum reserves anywhere in the world, and Trump initially presented Maduro’s removal as an opportunity to unleash substantial American investment, dramatically expand Venezuelan oil production and potentially help drive down energy costs.

Reviving the country’s battered petroleum industry, however, would require enormous amounts of investment. Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, PDVSA, also continues to play a central role in deciding which companies are permitted to operate and under what conditions.

Bolton argued that no amount of economic maneuvering can replace the fundamental political changes necessary to transform Venezuela.

“Political liberty and economic recovery in Venezuela will come through pressure,” he wrote, “not through the beneficence of the Chavista regime.”

Bolton warned that Trump now faces the possibility that one of his administration’s most dramatic military victories could ultimately fail to produce meaningful political change. Maduro may be imprisoned in the United States, but much of the system that kept him and Chávez in power remains intact.

Unless the administration changes direction and makes Machado, Venezuela’s democratic opposition and genuinely free elections the foundation of US policy, Bolton argued, Washington risks allowing the extraordinary opportunity created by Maduro’s removal to slip away.

{Matzav.com}

Catastrophic flash flooding along the Nepal-Tibet border killed nearly 100 people Wednesday and left hundreds missing, including at least 54 Americans, after a massive torrent of mud, rocks and water thundered down from the Himalayas and devastated communities in its path.

At least 98 people were reported dead on the Nepali side of the border, while more than 300 tourists remained unaccounted for. Officials said 54 Americans were among those missing as rescue crews scrambled to reach areas cut off by the destruction.

The disaster is believed to have begun when an enormous mass of rock and mud crashed into a river near the Himalayan frontier separating Nepal from Chinese-controlled Tibet, triggering a sudden and devastating surge downstream.

Terrifying footage from the region showed a towering wall of muddy water and debris racing through a valley as people fled desperately ahead of it. Buildings, roads and other structures were swallowed or swept away within moments.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping ordered an “all-out” search operation as authorities on the Tibetan side reported widespread devastation. Chinese state media said at least three people had been confirmed dead in the landslide and 265 remained missing, while officials described “significant” casualties in Gyirong, near Tibet’s border with Nepal.

Nepalese Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal told parliament Wednesday that preliminary information indicated the flooding could have been caused by an avalanche set off by an earthquake.

The United States Geological Survey initially reported detecting a magnitude 4.4 earthquake around the same time that surveillance footage captured the disaster unfolding along the border.

Hours later, however, the USGS said the seismic activity had not been an earthquake at all. Instead, the massive landslide itself had caused the shaking, producing seismic activity equivalent to a magnitude 5.2 earthquake.

The resulting torrent tore through communities in Nepal, destroying homes, businesses and roads as it raced downstream. On the Tibetan side, officials warned of “major casualties” as emergency teams searched through the devastated area, according to local media reports.

Authorities also issued flood warnings for heavily populated regions farther downstream, including areas of the northern Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, amid fears that the effects of the disaster could spread beyond Nepal and Tibet.

Nepal’s tourism board said at least 391 foreign nationals were missing from the affected region. In addition to the 54 Americans, those unaccounted for included 142 Indian nationals who had been making a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, 34 Australians, 33 British citizens and 24 Canadians.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry reported that at least nine South Korean citizens were also missing. All nine were employees of two energy companies involved in construction of a hydroelectric facility along Nepal’s Trishuli River.

The US Embassy said it was “deeply saddened” by the mounting death toll and advised Americans in affected areas to stay away from low-lying terrain, move to higher ground and comply with instructions issued by local authorities.

“We extend our sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives, and our thoughts are with all those affected by this disaster,” the embassy posted on X.

The State Department also confirmed that it was following developments involving US citizens caught up in the catastrophe.

A State Department spokesperson said the agency “is aware of Americans impacted by floods in Nepal and is closely tracking the situation.”

The spokesperson did not provide further information about how many Americans were missing or whether any had been located or injured.

As the scale of the disaster became clearer, foreign governments and international relief organizations began mobilizing emergency assistance for Nepal and other affected areas.

India announced that it was dispatching 10 metric tons of humanitarian aid along with “essential medicines,” according to External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies also announced plans to provide emergency funding to the Nepal Red Cross as relief and rescue operations intensified.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Europe was preparing to assist with the international response.

“My thoughts are with all those affected, especially the families who have lost loved ones or are still waiting for news. We also share a thought for the brave first responders,” she wrote on X.

“We stand ready to mobilise further European assistance,” she added, saying the European Union’s Copernicus satellite service had been “activated to help map the affected areas in Nepal and support the response on the ground.”

{Matzav.com}

The newly formed HaTzibur HaChareidi party has launched a major election campaign across Chareidi cities and communities, days after announcing that it will run independently in the elections for Israel’s 26th Knesset.

The campaign, which carries the slogan “Where were you during the last Knesset term?” focuses on several issues that party leaders say have been inadequately addressed by the established Chareidi political parties, including the draft crisis and protection of the olam haTorah, mathematics and English education in Talmudei Torah, and employment.

Among the slogans being promoted by the party are: “Protect the olam haTorah — whoever is not learning should serve,” and “A Chareidi child also needs mathematics and English.”

HaTzibur HaChareidi officially announced its Knesset bid on Sunday during a launch event in Beit Shemesh. The party is seeking to establish itself as an alternative voice within Chareidi politics and is now bringing its message directly to voters in Chareidi population centers.

Party chairman Motti Leitner used the launch event to deliver sharp criticism of the existing Chareidi political leadership, arguing that decisions made in recent years have harmed the community and worsened its relationship with other sectors of Israeli society.

“The Chareidi community is facing an existential threat,” Leitner declared.

On the highly contentious issue of the military draft, Leitner said the party favors complete protection for those genuinely engaged in Torah learning, while calling for those who are not learning to serve.

“Whoever is learning will receive absolute and complete protection. Whoever is not learning — will serve,” he said.

The position represents an effort by the fledgling party to distinguish itself from the established Chareidi factions at a time when the draft crisis and the status of bnei yeshivos remain among the most explosive issues facing the community.

The party is also placing education prominently on its agenda, including its call for Chareidi children to receive instruction in mathematics and English. Its campaign materials specifically highlight the issue as part of a broader platform dealing with education, employment and poverty.

In the coming weeks, HaTzibur HaChareidi intends to expand its campaign around those issues and unveil a more detailed platform and policy proposals.

For now, party officials are seeking to inject themselves into the Chareidi political conversation and persuade voters dissatisfied with the established parties that there is room for a new alternative ahead of the elections for the 26th Knesset.