Feed aggregator

Denmark has moved to bolster its military presence in Greenland, sending additional troops to the Arctic territory as tensions escalate with President Donald Trump over the region’s strategic importance.

Danish broadcaster TV 2 reported that the Armed Forces confirmed the arrival of a fresh deployment late Monday at Greenland’s main international airport, describing the move as “a substantial contribution” to security efforts on the island.

According to Maj. Gen. Søren Andersen, who heads Denmark’s Arctic Command, roughly 100 Danish soldiers have already been stationed in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, with further forces set to be positioned in Kangerlussuaq in western Greenland.

The decision follows recent remarks by Trump emphasizing Greenland’s military and geopolitical significance and accusing Denmark of failing to adequately protect the territory.

In a Jan. 18 post on Truth Social, Trump warned that Denmark had neglected its responsibilities in safeguarding Greenland from external threats.

“NATO has been telling Denmark, for 20 years, that ‘you have to get the Russian threat away from Greenland,’” Trump wrote.

“Unfortunately, Denmark has been unable to do anything about it. Now it is time, and it will be done!!!” he said.

On Monday, a statement released a text message exchange between Trump and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre that addressed Greenland and the Nobel Peace Prize.

“Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a ‘right of ownership’ anyway?” Trump said before adding that there were “no written documents; it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also,” he said in part of the exchange.

“I have done more for NATO than any other person since its founding, and now, NATO should do something for the United States. The world is not secure unless we have complete and total control of Greenland. Thank you! President DJT,” he added.

Prior to the release of the exchange, Andersen had said, according to Reuters, that Denmark’s troop movements were motivated by general security considerations rather than by Trump’s statements.

Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen also said Denmark is expanding its military activity in and around Greenland in coordination with NATO allies as part of a broader effort to reinforce Arctic defenses, Reuters reported.

Existing Danish units in Greenland may remain in place for a year or longer, with further rotations planned in the years ahead.

Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Jan. 15 that the deployment of European forces would not influence Trump’s stance on Greenland.

“I don’t think troops from Europe impact the president’s decision-making process, nor does it impact his goal of the acquisition of Greenland at all,” she told reporters.

The latest Danish troop increase follows Trump’s announcement that the United States will impose a 10% import tax starting in February on goods from countries that have backed Denmark and Greenland, including Norway.

{Matzav.com}

The deadly incident at an unlicensed daycare center in Yerushalayim on Monday has prompted urgent action in the Knesset, with a special joint hearing scheduled to address the dangers posed by unlicensed childcare facilities.

Next Monday, January 26, at 9:30 a.m., the Knesset’s Education, Culture and Sports Committee, chaired by MK Zvi Sukkot, will convene an emergency joint session together with the Committee on the Rights of the Child, headed by MK Keti Shitrit.

The discussion has been formally designated as an emergency hearing and will focus on the serious risks involved in operating daycare centers for infants without proper licensing, an issue that has once again come to the forefront following the tragic events in the capital.

MK Sukkot said: “My heart aches for the pain of the bereaved families, and I am praying for the injured. But our responsibility as public representatives is to ensure that scenes like today’s tragedy never happen again.”

He added that “we will demand that the supervision and enforcement authorities in the education system provide immediate solutions that will prevent danger in daycare centers operating without a license.”

The tragedy has ignited a fierce public and political backlash, with criticism centered on a decision by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to cancel state subsidies for daycare centers serving families of avreichim.

Chareidi political figures argue that the decision, widely referred to as “the daycare decree,” has pushed thousands of parents to place their children in unregulated and unsupervised facilities, potentially endangering the lives of infants and toddlers.

According to these claims, the removal of subsidies has directly undermined the ability of economically vulnerable families to choose safe, supervised daycare frameworks.

MK Yoav Ben-Tzur, who previously served as the minister responsible for daycare subsidies, said he had warned in advance about the possible consequences of eliminating the funding.

“My heart is bleeding over the terrible tragedy at the unregulated daycare center in Yerushalayim. At this moment, our hearts go out to the families of the toddlers whose world has been destroyed by the heavy disaster that struck them all of us,” Ben-Tzur said.

He continued: “In the fierce struggle I waged to continue daycare subsidies also for avreichim, I warned and cried out in dozens of written documents, legally supported, to the Attorney General, about the grave danger of denying subsidies to supervised daycare centers and pushing thousands of families into unsupervised daycare frameworks.”

“Sadly, today the fear has proven to be a true outcry. The writing was on the wall. Helpless toddlers paid with their lives because of forceful and irresponsible decisions that harm, first and foremost, helpless infants,” Ben-Tzur concluded.

MK Moshe Arbel also sharply criticized the policy, saying: “In the State of Israel, the children of illegal infiltrators are entitled to daycare centers and preschools. In the name of the battle against the chareidi public, the children of avreichim are expelled from supervised daycare centers. The voices of the blood of ‘tinokos shel beis rabban,’ infants who never tasted sin, cry out from the ground. Children’s lives must be kept outside of any political struggle.”

The Chalamish organization, an association advocating on behalf of daycare centers in Israel, also issued a strong statement in response to the tragedy.

“We heard with shock about the heavy disaster that occurred at the pirate daycare center in Yerushalayim,” the organization said. “We have no doubt that government ministries that restrict the steps of daycare operators and parents, together with the decrees of the Attorney General that prevent subsidies for Torah-learning avreichim and punish toddlers for the ‘sin’ of their parents, will not be able to say: ‘Our hands did not spill this blood and our eyes did not see.’”

The organization added: “We call on all law enforcement authorities and the Supreme Court to look at the disaster that occurred today at the pirate daycare center and understand that the exclusion of chareidi children from supervised daycare centers is what could lead to the next disaster.”

{Matzav.com}

Sen. Bernie Sanders has served on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s governing board for nearly two decades, but according to records obtained by The New York Post, the Vermont independent has not attended a single meeting during that time. Sanders was appointed in 2007 to the Holocaust Memorial Council, the body that oversees the United […]

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum quelled concerns on Monday about two recent movements of the U.S. military in the vicinity of Mexico that have the country on edge since the attack on Venezuela. On Friday, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration urged U.S. aircraft operators to “exercise caution” when flying over the eastern Pacific Ocean near Mexico, […]

One of the two toddlers who died in Monday’s tragic disaster at a private daycare center in Yerushalayim Romema neighborhood was Aharon (Ari) Katz, the young son of Rabbi Yaakov Katz and Chani Katz. Chani is widely known for her work with bereaved families across Israel.

In the immediate aftermath of the outbreak of the war on October 8, Mrs. Katz and her sister, Chavi Voger, established the volunteer Tachshik initiative, a nationwide memorial project. Through the effort, thousands of remembrance necklaces bearing the names and photos of fallen soldiers and terror victims were created and delivered to grieving families throughout the country. The project quickly became a powerful symbol of solidarity and shared mourning in the months following the attacks.

On Monday morning, Mrs. Katz brought her son Ari to the daycare center for his very first day. Family members said the caregiver was someone they trusted deeply, describing the setting as a warm, home-based framework where the family’s older children had also been cared for in the past.

As news of the tragedy spread, relatives of the family released a brief statement expressing their faith despite the pain. “We do not know the calculations of Heaven,” the family said. “May Hakadosh Boruch Hu comfort her as only a loving Father can comfort His daughter.”

Later that evening, amid the shock and unbearable grief, Voger shared a deeply emotional reflection that quickly circulated on social media. “How, Master of the World, do you eulogize a baby?” she wrote. “How much did he love tickles and kisses? How did he smile, and when did he want to cry? How mischievous was he, which pacifier did he love most? How much did he weigh, and at what age did he begin to crawl?”

She continued with haunting questions directed heavenward: “And what, Master of the World, do the sweet souls do in the Garden of Eden of babies? Do they draw angels? Do mothers laugh? Do they sit in a circle of the righteous, tiny whole hearts beating, telling stories of the end of days? And is the firmament up there not too vast for my little baby, who only knew how to crawl?”

The Tachshik memorial initiative, which has stood as a quiet monument of comfort for thousands of bereaved families since Simchas Torah, now faces an unthinkable silence, confronting the private, shattering loss of its own founder.

{Matzav.com}

A nuclear-era bunker beneath the White House’s East Wing was dismantled during renovation work ordered by President Donald Trump, CNN reported Monday, citing people familiar with the project.

The report said the underground complex was removed as part of demolition to clear space for a large new ballroom planned for the White House. As part of the overhaul, the East Wing—long home to the first lady’s offices—was entirely torn down.

One source briefed on the matter told CNN that the plan is to construct a replacement bunker using updated, state-of-the-art technology. The White House declined to comment.

Since returning to the White House about a year ago, Trump, a billionaire and former real estate developer, has pursued a series of changes intended to remake the historic residence and leave a permanent imprint. After smaller efforts such as repaving the Rose Garden and erecting tall flagpoles on the grounds, the administration moved ahead in October with the much larger ballroom project, which is expected to surpass the main White House building in size.

CNN reported that the demolition reached deep below ground, encompassing the bunker built more than eight decades ago during World War II at the direction of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The facility is formally known as the Presidential Emergency Operations Center, or PEOC.

“With a high degree of confidence, I can say that all of the subterranean structures, including the PEOC, heating and ventilation systems, and underground facilities used by the White House Military Office and the Secret Service, appear to no longer exist,” one source told CNN.

According to the report, removing the aging bunker has not triggered alarm among security officials. Sources said multiple backup protections remain in place to safeguard the president during emergencies. CNN added that plans for a new underground facility are being developed under strict secrecy, though Trump and senior aides have publicly alluded to a highly classified project beneath the White House.

At a recent meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission, White House Director of Management and Administration Joshua Fisher was questioned about why the East Wing was demolished without advance approval, an unusual step. Fisher indicated that the decision was tied to sensitive underground work.

“There are some aspects of this project that are of a top-secret nature and are currently underway,” he said. The administration has made similar claims in court filings defending the construction, arguing that stopping the underground work would pose a risk to national security.

The original bunker was constructed in the early 1940s as a bomb shelter in the aftermath of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. Over time, it was upgraded into a fortified command center designed to survive a nuclear blast, complete with independent power, water, air filtration, secure communications, and an emergency escape route.

The facility has been activated during past national crises, including the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, when then–Vice President Dick Cheney was taken there shortly before a hijacked plane struck the Pentagon. Trump was also reportedly escorted to the bunker during unrest following the killing of George Floyd in 2020.

While the price tag for the new underground installation has not been disclosed, CNN said it is expected to be significant. Trump has stated that the ballroom—estimated to cost about $400 million—will be paid for with private donations, but any underground security infrastructure would ultimately be funded by U.S. taxpayers.

{Matzav.com}

In the wake of spiraling tensions between the United States and Iran over Tehran’s violent crackdown on protests, analysts warn that the internal upheaval affecting the Iranian theocracy could carry nuclear proliferation risks. While in recent days U.S. President Donald Trump seemed to have backed away from a military strike on Iran, he called Saturday for an end to Supreme […]

As investigators continue probing the deadly daycare disaster in Yerushalayim, authorities say that initial medical and environmental tests have not revealed any abnormal findings that would explain the sudden deaths of two infants.

Emergency and rescue forces, along with the Israel Police, are focusing on determining what led to the tragedy in which two babies died at a daycare center in the Romema neighborhood. Early suspicions of poisoning or exposure to hazardous substances have, for now, been largely ruled out.

Israel Fire and Rescue Services reported that examinations conducted at the daycare using specialized detection equipment did not identify the presence of dangerous or toxic materials. “From the checks carried out with designated instruments, no values indicating hazardous or poisonous substances were detected at the site,” officials said.

In addition, blood tests performed on the infants and toddlers evacuated from the daycare to hospitals in Jerusalem did not show any unusual findings. Despite this, officials emphasized that the possibility of exposure to harmful substances has not been completely dismissed and remains under review.

One of the central theories now being examined is whether the air conditioner in the room where the infants were staying was set to heating mode without adequate ventilation, potentially contributing to the fatal outcome.

Medical officials at Hadassah Medical Center said that all infants and toddlers brought to Hadassah hospitals following the incident will remain hospitalized overnight for observation. A total of 43 children were admitted: 25 to Hadassah Mount Scopus and 18 to Hadassah Ein Kerem. All are reported to be in mild and stable condition and fully conscious.

Professor Yoram Weiss, director-general of Hadassah Medical Center, said that once the scope and nature of the incident became clear, the hospitals declared a mass-casualty event. He said trauma teams were rapidly reinforced by specialists in pediatrics, emergency medicine, toxicology, respiratory care, and intensive care. At Hadassah Ein Kerem, hyperbaric chamber and ECMO teams were placed on full standby as a precaution.

According to Weiss, the swift and professional response enabled rapid diagnosis and initial treatment for all the affected infants and toddlers. Throughout the day, social workers at both Hadassah hospitals provided ongoing support to the children and their parents, helping reunite families and addressing their needs. National service volunteers and additional staff also assisted, offering comfort and care to the children until family members arrived.

The Israel Police said the investigation is continuing. Yerushalayim District Commander Maj. Gen. Avshalom Peled told officers that the case is “a very tragic incident,” adding that investigators are working to uncover the truth while acting with great sensitivity toward the families, including efforts to allow burial of the infants as soon as possible.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection also issued a statement rejecting rumors circulating online. The ministry said that inspections at the daycare ruled out a hazardous materials incident. An emergency officer from the Yerushalayim District was dispatched to the scene, and based on updates from Fire and Rescue Services, the presence of dangerous substances was definitively excluded. The ministry urged the public to avoid spreading unverified information and to rely only on official updates.

{Matzav.com}

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday approved legislation that imposes new licensing requirements on people who ride e-bikes across the state, marking a significant shift in how the increasingly popular vehicles are regulated.

The measure comes as e-bike use continues to rise sharply, with state officials citing mounting safety concerns, particularly involving children and teenagers who have been injured while riding them.

Under the statute, every category of e-bike — including models that function with pedals but also include an electric motor — is now legally defined as a motorized bicycle. As a result, riders must obtain a license issued by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.

According to information published by the NJ MVC, applicants for a motorized bicycle license must be at least 15 years old, present six points of identification, successfully complete written and vision exams, and pass a road test after holding a permit for a minimum of 20 days.

State residents who already possess a standard New Jersey driver’s license are exempt from obtaining a separate motorized bicycle license in order to operate an e-bike, the commission’s website notes.

The law also mandates that e-bikes be properly registered and covered by insurance before they can be legally used.

“It is clear that we are in an age of increasing e-bike use that requires us to take action and update regulations that help prevent tragedies from occurring,” Murphy said. “Making our roads safer for all users has been a key priority for my Administration. I’d like to thank Senate President Scutari for taking the initiative to improve the safe use of e-bikes in New Jersey.”

{Matzav.com}

The Supreme Court issued a ruling on Monday morning regarding the petition by the Choosing Life organization, which was filed in August against Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, the Prosecutor’s Office, the IDF, and the Israeli government regarding the Sdei Teiman case, in which they demanded that the court order an “independent criminal investigation” regarding the […]

More than 100 vehicles smashed into each other or slid off an interstate in Michigan on Monday as snow fueled by the Great Lakes blanketed the state. The massive pileup prompted the Michigan State Police to close both directions of Interstate 196 Monday morning just southwest of Grand Rapids while officials worked to remove all […]

  You loved the films, now experience the magic live. They got their tickets, did you get yours?   They packed their bags. Did you  purchase your ticket?  A first class performance is coming to the US.   This has never been done before. You’ve been to concerts. You’ve been to shows.   But you’ve […]

MK Yisroel Eichler was appointed on Monday as Deputy Minister of Communications and subsequently resigned his Knesset seat under the Norwegian Law, paving the way for the return of former MK Yitzchok Pindrus to parliament.

Following his appointment, Eichler delivered remarks that focused on the shocking incident earlier in the day in Yerushalayim’s Romema neighborhood. He sharply criticized the judicial system, saying the tragedy was “a result of the terrible cruelty of the legal system,” which, he argued, had stripped chareidi families of daycare subsidies and denied tens of thousands of children from families of Torah learners access to licensed daycare frameworks.

Eichler said that during his tenure as chairman of the Knesset Labor and Welfare Committee, he repeatedly warned over the past year of the grave dangers posed by canceling daycare arrangements. He said he demanded passage of daycare legislation, but his warnings “went unheeded,” adding: “Regarding the judicial system in this context—your hands spilled this blood.”

Addressing criticism leveled at him in recent days, Eichler said that “the gates of Gehennom were opened in the panic channels,” accusing media outlets of branding him anti-Zionist and an enemy of the state. He dismissed the accusations as unsurprising, saying that for 45 years he has fought what he described as the delegitimization of the chareidi public and the incitement against chareidi children in Israel. He also rejected claims that he lacks experience in communications, noting that he has long been active across the media spectrum.

Eichler further denied allegations that he used sweeping derogatory language against the secular public, calling such claims “a systematic, Bolshevik lie.” He said he consistently targets those who incite and persecute the chareidi community without generalizing about entire populations, adding that if he trusted the courts, he would file a defamation suit over the accusation.

Responding to claims that he is anti-Zionist, Eichler said his critics “do not know what Zion is or what Eretz Yisrael is.” He recounted his family’s deep roots in Yerushalayim spanning some 160 years, describing ancestors who immigrated with self-sacrifice during the Ottoman era. He also told a family story in which his great-grandfather sought refuge with Rav Avraham Yitzchak Hakohein Kook after entering the country without papers, quoting Rav Kook as saying that a Jewish child seeking refuge “is not a criminal,” and that Eretz Yisrael is his mother.

Eichler added that, as part of his ideology of settling the land, he helped establish neighborhoods and communities at a young age, including chareidi communities in Ashdod, questioning how such actions could be labeled anti-Zionist. He concluded by saying that the chareidi public loves all who love Zion and Yerushalayim, regardless of differing views, while opposing those who hate Zion and Yerushalayim, whom he described as a small and dwindling minority.

The political move followed an arbitration ruling tied to a rotation agreement between Degel HaTorah and Agudas Yisrael within United Torah Judaism. The panel of rabbinic arbitrators ruled that Eichler was required to resign to allow Pindrus to return to the Knesset. According to party sources, Eichler’s appointment as deputy minister enabled the transition via the Norwegian Law, resolving the dispute without further escalation.

{Matzav.com}

Ayelet Hashachar Seidof, the chairwoman of the “Mothers at the Front” group who admitted that her organization served as a “poison machine” against the Chareidi public, also revealed that the group worked with a Chareidi adviser who helped them “create conflict and fragment Chareidi society.” In a recording revealed by Channel 14, Seidof is heard […]

The AirTrain terminal serving JFK Airport has increasingly become a refuge for homeless individuals, with travelers reporting aggressive panhandling, commandeered restrooms, and little visible intervention from Port Authority police, according to a report by The New York Post.

As winter temperatures drop and city shelters remain overcrowded or unstable, dozens of homeless people have taken up residence inside the heavily trafficked station, transforming a key transportation link into an uncomfortable — and at times intimidating — environment for passengers.

“I’ve been through this place a bunch of times in the last three years,” said a traveler identified only as Michael, who was returning Monday from a family trip to Florida with his fiancée. “This morning was definitely the worst.

“The second we came in the station, there was guys yelling, ‘Can you buy me something?’ All the cops did nothing while that guy followed us, asking us for money. The entire time, wouldn’t leave us alone. I told him I had no cash and he was telling me to take something out and pointing to ATMs.”

Multiple commuters said access to public restrooms has effectively disappeared, as homeless individuals occupy stalls for extended periods. Others described seeing people sleeping on the floor while travelers wheeled luggage through the terminal.

“Yes, it’s a problem,” said Arata, 69, who works at a newsstand inside the station. “There are four of five homeless outside here every day. They confront customers. No, the police do not make them move.”

The AirTrain station is a critical transit hub, connecting JFK’s airport terminals with the Long Island Rail Road and New York City’s subway system, making the situation particularly disruptive for both residents and visitors.

Although freezing weather has recently pushed more homeless individuals indoors, the terminal was already crowded earlier this month even on milder days, including when temperatures hovered around 50 degrees, according to the Daily Mail.

“I think the city should definitely do something,” Stony Brook University student Aishik Deb told the outlet.

One homeless man at the terminal, however, argued that the city’s shelter system is to blame. Griffin, 67, said he avoids shelters because of theft and unsafe conditions.

“The shelter is no good,” he said while standing near the Sutphin Boulevard entrance on Monday. “They pick you clean. You can’t even let your shoes dry without somebody taking them. Then you walk around in socks. Now you’re in trouble.

“This is all right,” he said of the terminal. “Don’t act the fool and it works out. They don’t bother anybody here. Getting too crowded now, though. Crazies up there. All night with the arguing and screaming, fighting in the bathroom.”

The disorder at the AirTrain station reflects the broader scope of New York City’s homelessness emergency.

According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, New York State had more than 158,000 people experiencing homelessness in 2024, a 53% increase from the year before, accounting for roughly one-fifth of the nation’s unhoused population.

HUD attributed the surge to factors including pandemic-related eviction backlogs, a shortage of affordable housing, rising rents, and the ongoing migrant crisis, noting that the state’s homelessness rate reached 81 people per 10,000 residents.

Within New York City alone, homelessness climbed to 140,134 people last year, up from 88,025 in 2023, Newsday reported, citing HUD figures. The Coalition for the Homeless said more than 130,000 people stayed in city shelters in October, with thousands more believed to be living on the streets.

Critics argue that Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s new approach has worsened the problem.

Before taking office, the city’s newly elected Democratic socialist mayor said he would end the practice of clearing homeless encampments across the five boroughs. After his inauguration, he also announced plans to install 30 public toilets for the homeless.

An MTA employee working at the AirTrain terminal summed up the situation bluntly, saying, “This is what I’m used to.”

In response, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said it coordinates with the MTA and other agencies to preserve safety and order at JFK and surrounding facilities, while acknowledging that it is not “immune from the conditions facing the unhoused throughout the region,” especially during winter months.

“Port Authority Police Department personnel are assigned to the JFK AirTrain portion of the station at Jamaica 24/7 and seek to enforce Port Authority rules and applicable laws, which do not permit use of the station for non-transportation purposes,” the agency said.

“PAPD also conducts regular outreach in conjunction with service providers, including Urban Pathways, to offer assistance and connect unhoused individuals with shelter, social services, and medical or mental health care as appropriate.”

{Matzav.com}

A new investigative report reveals that Arabs living in Palestinian Authority-controlled areas have discovered a way to enter any neighborhood in Jerusalem without being detected by Israeli police, raising serious security concerns. Journalist Yedidia Epstein reported Sunday night on the Israeli outlet Hamal that suspected infiltrators are bypassing Israel’s border security apparatus by entering Jerusalem […]

Attorneys representing Tyler James Robinson, charged with the murder of conservative leader and Arizona resident Charlie Kirk, are trying to disqualify the team of prosecutors. The lawyers point to what they call a conflict of interest because one of the prosecutors has an adult child who was near Kirk when he was shot and killed […]

Planning your Pesach or midwinter getaway just got easier. Oreluxe offers a curated selection of beautiful, kosher-friendly homes in top destinations worldwide, designed to give families and groups a truly stress-free Yom Tov experience. Each rental is carefully chosen, featuring spacious layouts, indoor and outdoor amenities, and convenient locations near shuls. From elegant dining areas […]

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Monday pressed Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu to dismantle a US-run multinational coordination center that plays a central role in advancing US President Donald Trump’s proposal for ending the fighting in Gaza.

The facility, known as the Civil Military Coordination Centre (CMCC), was set up by Washington last October. It brings together civilian and military officials from dozens of countries to work alongside Israeli and American counterparts on plans for Gaza after the war.

Smotrich, who leads the Religious Zionism party, said the base in Kiryat Gat should be shut down, arguing that its continued operation harms Israel’s interests. In remarks released by his office, he said closing the site would allow Israel to remove foreign representatives from countries he described as hostile and as acting against Israeli security, naming Egypt and the United Kingdom in particular. He did not elaborate on why Britain was singled out.

No immediate responses were issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the US State Department, or US Central Command. The foreign ministries of Egypt and the United Kingdom also declined to comment.

In December, US Central Command said that roughly 60 countries and international organizations had personnel assigned to the CMCC. Since a ceasefire took effect in early October 2025, the center has also coordinated the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

The CMCC was launched following Trump’s announcement of a 20-point framework for ending the war. Among the nations participating are Germany, France, and Canada.

Speaking at a ceremony marking the establishment of the new Jewish settlement of Yatziv in the West Bank, Smotrich said Israel owes Trump gratitude for his role in securing the release of hostages held by Hamas and other terror groups in two separate agreements. Nevertheless, he said the broader Gaza plan itself runs counter to Israel’s interests and should be abandoned.

Instead, Smotrich called for issuing Hamas a brief ultimatum to disarm and leave Gaza. If that demand is rejected, he said, Israel should launch a full-scale military campaign to eradicate the group.

“Gaza is ours, and its future will shape our own more than anyone else’s,” Smotrich said, adding that Israel must assume direct responsibility for the territory and impose military rule over its roughly 2.3 million residents.

Much of his speech revisited his long-standing opposition to Israel’s 2005 withdrawal from Gaza. He described that disengagement as a grave error and said that while the government has already reversed the evacuation of several northern West Bank settlements, the removal of Jewish communities from Gush Katif remains an uncorrected wrong.

Gush Katif was a bloc of 17 Jewish communities inside the Gaza Strip, home to some 8,600 residents before Israel evacuated the area in August 2005.

Smotrich cited the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel as evidence that Israel must reestablish a permanent presence along Gaza’s coast. He argued that Israel has paid too high a price in blood over the past two years to allow foreign-backed actors to shape Gaza’s future.

He also lashed out at Turkey and Qatar, which back Hamas and have been included by the United States in the executive committee of the Board of Peace tasked with overseeing postwar Gaza. “There is no difference between them,” he said, equating Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatar with the terror group.

Smotrich framed the issue in stark terms, saying Israel faces a binary choice: full Israeli control of Gaza, the destruction of Hamas, sustained counterterrorism, encouragement of enemy emigration, and renewed Jewish settlement — or the loss of the gains achieved in the war and the inevitability of another round of violence.

Under Trump’s Gaza plan, Hamas members who renounce violence and surrender their weapons would be eligible for amnesty, while those wishing to leave Gaza would be offered safe passage to other countries.

The White House announced last week that the plan has entered its second phase, focusing on Gaza’s demilitarization and large-scale reconstruction.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli defense officials are quietly angling for a seat at the table in President Donald Trump’s ambitious “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative, and a high-profile visit to Jerusalem by Sen. Lindsey Graham may have given that effort new momentum. The push comes amid denials by Israel Aerospace Industries that it has delayed delivery of Arrow […]