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Israeli security officials are still uncertain of the results of Tuesday’s strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, Israeli media reported on Thursday morning. Security officials assess that Hamas leaders were present in the targeted villa at the time of the strike, but they were not killed or significantly harmed, or at least not all of them, Army Radio reported. The possibility that one or more were seriously injured or killed is still being examined. One of the possibilities being considered is that the munitions used in the strike were too small. The Air Force launched about 10 bombs, but the building was not completely destroyed, with some parts remaining intact. The munitions used in the strike were specifically chosen to mitigate the risk of harming Qatari civilians in the area. Security officials estimate that it will take several more days to fully assess the results of the attack. Some reports quoted sources who assessed that Israel carried out the strike in Doha as “an alternative to a targeted operation it had previously planned in Turkey.” The sources explained that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his senior advisers believe the Trump administration can resolve the fallout from the strike with Doha, while an operation in Ankara—given Turkey’s NATO membership—would have carried severe diplomatic and economic costs for Israel. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

LISTEN:

https://matzav.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Stories4Life-Shiur-481-Feeling-Brisker-Rav.mp3

Drone footage shows the UVU crime scene where Charlie Kirk was assassinated, mapping the tent, shooter’s position, and escape route.

Both Israel and the US had expressed commitments to Qatar last week that Hamas terrorists would not be harmed on Qatari soil, Washington Post journalist David Ignatius reported on Wednesday, citing sources in Israel and the US. According to the report, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir stated on August 31 that “the bulk of Hamas’s ruling leadership that remains is abroad, and we will reach them too.” Qatar expressed concerns about Zamir’s comments, and senior Mossad officials promised that Israel will not carry out a strike on its soil. The report quoted a Qatari official as saying that the strike was a “total surprise.” Following the strike, Israeli media reported that the Mossad was opposed to the attack. Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani was quoted on the front page of the Qatari daily Al-Sharq as saying, “We will take all measures against this criminal attack. This reckless assault is a blatant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and security.” BBC reported on Wednesday that Qatar is considering pursuing international legal action against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu over the strike. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Zohran Mamdani is proving nearly impossible to shake. A new Siena Research/New York Times survey finds that the socialist assemblyman would still beat former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in November’s general election, even if the crowded four-way field somehow collapsed into a one-on-one showdown. Mamdani leads Cuomo 48% to 44% in a hypothetical head-to-head, the poll shows. That scenario depends on two major “ifs”: Mayor Eric Adams and GOP nominee Curtis Sliwa exiting the race. Absent that, Mamdani dominates a fractured field. In a four-way contest, the Queens progressive pulls 46% of likely voters. Cuomo lags far behind at 24%, while Sliwa and Adams trail at 15% and 9% respectively. “The big question is what happens if Adams and Sliwa are out,” said Siena poll director Don Levy. “Cuomo would capture most of their support and consolidate older voters. But right now, Mamdani is in control of this race.” Cuomo, running as an independent after losing June’s Democratic primary, has yet to find traction. Adams, also pursuing an independent line, is rumored to be eyeing a federal role — with Trump officials reportedly exploring ways to ease him off the ballot. Sliwa, meanwhile, insists he’s not going anywhere, swatting down chatter about a potential Trump administration appointment. Mamdani, who has built his campaign on affordability, rent freezes and taxing the wealthy, hasn’t cracked 50% in any survey. But the issues are breaking his way. Nearly half of voters say he’s best positioned to address affordability. A plurality — 43% — trust him most on Gaza, despite his sharp criticism of Israel. And nearly 70% back his plan to freeze rents on New York’s million rent-stabilized apartments, while more than 70% favor higher taxes on the city’s richest households. “Mamdani holds a huge lead among younger voters, while voters 45 and older are split between him and Cuomo,” Levy said. “Unless the field changes dramatically, Mamdani is positioned to ride that coalition straight to Gracie Mansion.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Ahead of his son’s upcoming bar mitzvah, Rav Aharon Mordechai Rokach, son of the Belzer Rebbe, paid a visit yesterday to the home of the Slabodka rosh yeshiva, Rav Dov Landau.

The visit ahead of the bar mitzvah of his son, Moshe Yehoshua Rokach.

Rav Landau welcomed Rav Aharon Mordechai with great cordiality, inquiring after the Belzer Rebbe’s well-being following his recent medical procedure. He offered heartfelt brachos for a complete recovery and many more years of health and yedidus.

During the course of the visit, Rav Landau extended his brachos to the young bar mitzvah bochur and to his father, Rav Aharon Mordechai.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Sky News Digital Editor Jack Houghton expressed his disgust at the media coverage around Charlie Kirk’s heartbreaking assassination.

WATCH:

Utah police have released an update on the investigation into Charlie Kirk’s murder.

BREAKING: The FBI is pursuing several “hot leads” and has obtained “a little bit of foreign intelligence” connected to the Charlie Kirk shooter, according to John Solomon.

An MSNBC commentator sparked outrage Wednesday by suggesting that the gunman who fatally shot Charlie Kirk in the neck might have been one of Kirk’s own backers firing recklessly “in celebration.”

“We don’t know if this was a supporter shooting their gun off in celebration,” the guest remarked during a live segment with anchor Katy Tur shortly after the shooting at a Utah university.

“We have no idea,” the guest — identified by the Washington Examiner as MSNBC contributor Matthew Dowd — said on the program. “We don’t know any of the full details of this.”

Law enforcement believes the assassin targeted Kirk from a rooftop roughly 200 yards away, according to a Fox News report.

President Trump later confirmed Kirk’s passing in a personal message on TruthSocial.

He wrote, “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead.”

“No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us,” Trump added in his tribute.

“Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!” he concluded.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump delivered a somber Oval Office address Wednesday evening, hours after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during a speaking event in Utah, calling the incident a “heinous assassination” and ordering flags lowered to half-staff nationwide. In a four-minute video message, Trump described Kirk, 31, as a “great, and even legendary” ally who “inspired millions” and was “loved and admired by ALL, especially me.” The president praised Kirk’s role in galvanizing young conservatives, calling him a “martyr for truth and freedom” whose legacy would endure. Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and a father of two, was fatally shot around noon during a Q&A session at Utah Valley University in Orem. A single round fired from roughly 200 feet away struck him in the neck as he addressed more than 3,000 attendees. Video circulating online showed him collapsing as the crowd erupted in panic. Despite immediate medical efforts, Kirk succumbed to his injuries. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox labeled the attack a “political assassination.” FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that a person of interest detained earlier was released after questioning and said the gunman remains at large. Authorities continue to review security footage and pursue leads. Trump connected the killing to what he described as a broader pattern of political violence, referencing two failed assassination attempts against him in 2024. He directly criticized “those on the radical left” for comparing conservatives to “Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers,” arguing such rhetoric fuels attacks. The assassination drew swift bipartisan condemnation. Former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, along with Democratic governors Gavin Newsom of California and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, denounced the shooting. Shapiro, who recently survived an arson attack on his home, urged Americans to “lower the temperature of our politics.” Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who survived a 2011 assassination attempt, called the killing “horrifying.” Vice President JD Vance, a longtime friend of Kirk, wrote on X that his events were “one of the few places with open and honest dialogue between left and right.” Utah Valley University suspended classes through the week. Kirk is survived by his wife, Erika Lane Frantzve, and their two young children. Trump closed his address with a vow: “An assassin tried to silence him with a bullet, but he failed, because together we will ensure that his voice, his message, and his legacy will live on.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

There was a dramatic surge in civilian applications for personal weapons in the wake of the Ramot terror attack, according to data from the Firearms Licensing and Supervision Division of the Ministry of National Security. Within just 24 hours, requests for firearm licenses jumped by 145%. Calls to the division’s hotline also spiked—up 75% compared to the daily average from last week. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who spearheaded a campaign easing requirements for gun licenses following the October 7 massacre, said, “Weapons in the hands of civilians have clearly been proven to save lives. Those who can should arm themselves.” Following the attack, Ben Gvir spoke with the Chareidi avreich who was the first to open fire at the terrorists following the attack. He received his gun license as part of Ben-Gvir’s reforms. “It was Siyata Dishmaya,” the avreich told him. “Normally I don’t take that route, but an unusual delay put me there.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox speaks following the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.

WATCH:

The man taken into custody in connection with the assassination of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on Wednesday has been released, after the FBI admitted that they had detained the wrong individual for a second time.

The search for Kirk’s killer remains ongoing, with federal agents and local police scouring the Salt Lake City area.

“The subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement,” FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X Wednesday evening, only a little over an hour after he had first declared that “the subject of the horrific shooting” was under arrest.

“Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in interest of transparency.”

The mistaken arrest followed an earlier incident in which officers handcuffed, then freed, an older man who appeared in viral social media footage being led away from the Orem campus shortly after the shooting.

Officials said the second man was targeted after investigators reviewed campus surveillance video.

He was noted to be dressed in dark clothing, according to police.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox described Kirk’s slaying as a “political assassination” and emphasized that the state’s harshest punishment remains on the table.

“I just want to remind people that we still have the death penalty in the state of Utah,” Cox said.

Authorities believe the gunman fired a single round from a distance of about 200 yards, striking Kirk as he sat beneath a canopy.

The school confirmed the shot was fired from a building across the quad, and investigators believe the shooter used the roof as his vantage point.

The mother of the wrongly arrested second suspect said her son was a dedicated fan of Kirk’s and had been positioned only about 25 feet away from him at the time of the deadly shot.

“He’s super shaken,” the frantic mother told The NY Post, saying she had spoken with her son after the chaos but did not realize he had been detained.

“He’s a great kid… I have a picture of him. He’s like 25 ft from Charlie on the other side that he was shot. He sent us a video. He was attending like any other college kid.”

Kirk, 31, was struck in the neck around 12:20 p.m. Wednesday while speaking at the campus south of Salt Lake City.

Disturbing videos online appear to show movement on the rooftop immediately after the fatal shot, as students and attendees ducked for cover below.

Police have not said whether they recovered a firearm from the scene.

The sniper-like position reinforced authorities’ suspicions that the killing was a premeditated act.

Law enforcement also clarified that a circulating clip of an older man being taken away on campus was misleading.

The man in the video reportedly told officers he had shot Kirk, but investigators later ruled him out as a suspect.

Kirk was taken to a local hospital in critical condition and underwent surgery, but he did not survive.

President Trump personally confirmed the tragic news on TruthSocial.

“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” Trump wrote.

“No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie,” Trump said of Kirk, who leaves behind a wife and two young daughters.

Terrifying footage from the event — where Kirk was fielding questions from students challenging his views — showed him reeling as a lone gunshot rang out.

The fatal bullet was fired just after he had been asked about transgender mass shooters.

Kirk built his reputation by energizing young Republicans through his influential organization, Turning Point USA, which was known for its aggressive outreach on college campuses.

{Matzav.com}

BREAKING: President Trump just released an Oval Office address on the assassination of Charlie Kirk. “Charlie’s voice has become bigger and grander than ever before…May God bless his memory.”

The much-anticipated atzaros tefillah that were to take place this Thursday in the streets of cities throughout Eretz Yisroel, as a cry against the gezeiras hagiyus and the ongoing imprisonment of bnei yeshiva, have now been officially canceled.

The cancellation comes in the wake of sharp disagreements over the wording of the public call and the decision of Degel HaTorah to abstain in today’s Knesset vote on the defense budget.

As reported earlier by Matzav.com, the underlying dispute centered on the language of the letter that was to announce the atzaros. Certain askanim and rabbonim felt the draft was overly soft and did not adequately reflect the gravity of the situation facing the olam haTorah.

Voices within Agudas Yisroel argued that with Degel HaTorah abstaining on the vote for the defense budget and the supplemental security funding—a move that could enable its passage—the most potent form of protest is not in the street but in the Knesset chamber. “Stopping the automatic support for a government that does not stand by its commitments to the chareidi parties is the real hafganah,” they said. In that light, they maintained, there was little point in staging an atzeres tefillah.

Throughout the day, there were heated deliberations whether to move forward regardless, particularly with pressure from the faction who had spearheaded the initiative and sought to issue a sharper, more uncompromising statement. Ultimately, however, the psak of the gedolei Torah instructing Degel HaTorah MKs to abstain on the defense budget brought negotiations with Gerrer representatives to a halt and sealed the fate of the gatherings.

Degel HaTorah had earlier clarified that, due to the government’s failure to honor its agreements, the gedolim directed the party to abstain in the first reading of the defense budget. The party noted that this amendment dealt exclusively with defense expenditures and did not touch civilian allocations. They added that guidance for the second and third readings would be issued directly by the gedolei Torah at the proper time.

Senior figures in Agudas Yisroel lashed out at the decision, declaring: “It is a strange and painful choice to continue propping up a government and giving it oxygen while it has been persecuting the chareidi tzibbur for over a year. There will be no joint atzaros tefillah with Degel HaTorah tomorrow. The chareidi tzibbur views with outrage the continued, inexplicable support that certain representatives of chareidi Jewry give to a government bent on suppressing lomdei Torah.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

Doubts are increasingly being raised about the true outcome of Operation “Summit of Fire,” the mission intended to eliminate Hamas leaders in Doha. In a Hebrew-language column for Arutz Sheva, Israeli writer and journalist Haggai Huberman examined reports suggesting that the plan collapsed because the United States allegedly tipped off Qatar mere minutes before Israeli warplanes were about to launch their strike. According to the claim, Qatari officials passed the warning along to Hamas commanders, who scattered and avoided what could have been a decisive Israeli success.

Huberman stresses that if this account proves correct, it would mark a shameful American betrayal—though not the first of its kind. He recalls earlier moments when leaks from Washington undermined Israeli operations. One particularly telling example, he writes, was Operation Karameh, carried out on March 21, 1968, which became the IDF’s first full-scale counterterror raid after the Six-Day War. That mission ended with considerable Israeli losses and a murky political outcome.

The Karameh operation came after a horrifying terror attack only days before, when a school bus from the Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium hit a mine near Be’er Ora in the Arava. Two parents accompanying the students were killed, and many children were wounded. The tragedy deeply shocked Israeli society, fueling enormous public pressure on the government to hit back against the Palestinian terrorist bases across the Jordanian frontier.

At the time, Prime Minister Levi Eshkol was caught between competing forces. The Israeli public and senior military officials were demanding a decisive strike, but the administration of President Lyndon B. Johnson explicitly opposed an Israeli attack on Jordan, then a close U.S. partner. Eshkol feared endangering the crucial alliance with Washington, so he twice convened his cabinet before finally approving the raid. Most ministers supported it, though figures such as Moshe Haim Shapira of the National Religious Party voiced dissent.

Once the green light was given, the IDF prepared an extensive campaign. The target was the town of Karameh in the Jordan Valley, where Fatah, led by Yasser Arafat, maintained its headquarters and staging ground for attacks into Israel. The assault involved tanks, paratroopers, and the Air Force in what became the first major IDF operation following the Six-Day War. Beyond punishing Fatah, the attack was meant to demonstrate to the region that Israel retained the ability to strike deep into hostile territory.

However, later revelations showed that the element of surprise had been compromised. American intelligence reportedly provided advance notice of the plan to Jordanian authorities. Jordanian officials then relayed the warning to senior Fatah leaders, including Arafat’s deputy, Abu Iyad. With this information, both the terrorists and the Jordanian army were able to prepare for Israel’s assault.

Abu Iyad later recounted in his memoirs that several days before the clash, a Jordanian intelligence officer passed along details said to come from the CIA. This officer even urged Fatah’s leadership to evacuate in order to avoid a devastating confrontation. Though Fatah did not completely withdraw, they secured their commanders and organized defensive positions. Huberman emphasizes that the premature disclosure stripped Israel of its crucial advantage—surprise—and tilted the balance toward the defenders.

The battle’s toll was heavy for Israel. By day’s end, the IDF had lost 33 soldiers, with 161 others wounded, alongside the destruction or abandonment of dozens of tanks and armored vehicles. A Jordanian anti-aircraft battery brought down an Israeli Air Force jet. Disabled Israeli armor left on the battlefield became prized Jordanian trophies. Meanwhile, Arafat managed to escape on a motorcycle, narrowly avoiding capture. His survival and subsequent claim of victory dramatically elevated the status of the PLO and laid the foundation for its growing influence in the years ahead.

In the aftermath, the consequences of Karameh were stark. Rather than discouraging terrorism, the mission boosted Arafat’s stature and energized Palestinian groups. Attacks from Jordan became more frequent and severe, and in later decades, Arafat expanded his campaign from Lebanon and, eventually, after the Oslo Accords, from Judea and Samaria itself. Huberman draws a straight line from 1968 to the waves of violence that followed in the ensuing decades.

He highlights how the same pattern seems to be repeating itself today. Just as American leaks in 1968 saved the lives of Israel’s enemies and robbed the IDF of victory, Huberman argues that U.S. actions also undermined Operation “Summit of Fire.” In both cases, moments when Israel could have struck decisive blows against terrorist leadership slipped away, and in both, America’s reliability as an ally was called into doubt.

Huberman ends by warning that while Israel has long relied on U.S. support, the recurring issue of American intelligence leaks and political interference poses a grave danger. He cautions that history appears to be repeating itself, with Washington once again shielding those responsible for terror against the Jewish people.

{Matzav.com}

KILLER STILL LOOSE: FBI Director Kash Patel says the man who was taken into custody earlier on suspicion of assassinating Charlie Kirk has been released following an interrogation. The search for the killer continues.

BREAKING: Subject in custody in the killing of Charlie Kirk reported as Zachariah Ahmed Qureshi.

Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, who served as IDF Chief of Staff at the time of the October 7 massacre, has given his version of the events to residents of the Gaza border communities. His remarks, captured in recordings broadcast Wednesday evening on Kan News, shed light on the IDF’s perception and actions in the days leading up to the attack and during its harrowing first hours.

Reflecting on intelligence assessments before the assault, Halevi admitted: “In hindsight, we know that they were preparing for this several times before October 7, and coming very close to carrying it out. There were internal disagreements, and it didn’t happen in the end. Even then, in retrospect, we didn’t see the signs. These are things we only learned once the war began and we extracted intelligence from inside the Gaza Strip.”

On the morning of the massacre itself, Halevi described a catastrophic collapse: “For five or six hours, the Gaza Division, which had done so much to protect this area, collapses. It’s very difficult for me to say this, but the defense collapses in those first hours. We prepared for six to eight infiltration points and received 40, with around 6,000 terrorists. We knew—but the sheer number of vehicles entering and fighting reinforcements made it overwhelming.”

Halevi added that no one within the IDF leadership that night raised the possibility of imminent war. “Even on that night, unfortunately, not one person in the discussion says a war is about to break out. More than that—no one raises an alert,” he said. “There were signs, and in hindsight we could have done better and acted more correctly. But we did not have the privilege of debating whether it was war or just an exercise, as happened before the Yom Kippur War.”

{Matzav.com}