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Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu met with Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Secretary of State Rubio, ahead of his scheduled meeting with President Trump.

The death toll from catastrophic flooding in Texas over the July Fourth weekend has surpassed 100 as the massive search continues for missing people. The number of deaths reached 104 on Monday. In hard-hit Kerr County, home to Camp Mystic and several other summer camps, searchers have found the bodies of 84 people, including 28 children, Kerr County officials said. Authorities overseeing the search for flood victims in Texas said they will wait to address questions about weather warnings and why some summer camps did not evacuate ahead of the catastrophic flooding. The officials spoke only hours after the operators of Camp Mystic, a century-old all-girls Christian summer camp in the Texas Hill Country, announced that they lost 27 campers and counselors to the floodwaters. Meanwhile, search-and-rescue teams carried on with the search for the dead, using heavy equipment to untangle trees and wading into swollen rivers. Volunteers covered in mud sorted through chunks of debris, piece by piece, in an increasingly bleak task. With additional rain on the way, more flooding still threatened in saturated parts of central Texas. Authorities said the death toll was sure to rise. The announcement by Camp Mystic confirmed the worst fears after a wall of water slammed into cabins built along the edge of the Guadalupe River. The raging flash floods — among the nation’s worst in decades — slammed into riverside camps and homes before daybreak Friday, pulling sleeping people out of their cabins, tents and trailers and dragging them for miles past floating tree trunks and cars. Some survivors were found clinging to trees. Piles of twisted trees sprinkled with mattresses, refrigerators and coolers now litter the riverbanks. The debris included reminders of what drew so many to the campgrounds and cabins in the Hill Country — a volleyball, canoes and a family portrait. Nineteen deaths were reported in Travis, Burnet, Kendall, Tom Green and Williamson counties, according to local officials. Among those confirmed dead were 8-year-old sisters from Dallas who were at Camp Mystic and a former soccer coach and his wife who were staying at a riverfront home. Their daughters were still missing. Calls for finding why warnings weren’t heard Authorities vowed that one of the next steps would be investigating whether enough warnings were issued and why some camps did not evacuate or move to higher ground in a place long vulnerable to flooding that some local residents refer to as “flash flood alley.” That will include a review of how weather warnings were sent out and received. One of the challenges is that many camps and cabins are in places with poor cellphone service, said Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice. “We definitely want to dive in and look at all those things,” he said. “We’re looking forward to doing that once we can get the search and rescue complete.” Some camps, though, were aware of the dangers and monitoring the weather. At least one moved several hundred campers to higher ground before the floods. Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, said recent government spending cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service did not delay any warnings. “There’s a time to have political fights, there’s a time to disagree. This is not that time,” Cruz said. “There will be a time to find out what could been done differently. My hope is in time we learn some lessons to implement […]

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu surprised President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday by announcing he had nominated the U.S. leader for the Nobel Peace Prize. The meeting marked Netanyahu’s third visit to the White House since the start of Trump’s second term. Netanyahu’s visit was his first since Israel launched a series of strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, military officials, and scientists last month—and the US’s own B-2 stealth bomber strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities with bunker buster bombs unavailable to Israel. Meeting in front of reporters, Netanyahu praised Trump’s leadership and presented him with a copy of the letter sent to the Nobel committee recommending him for the Peace Prize. “This, I didn’t know,” Trump said, visibly taken aback. “Coming from you in particular, this is very meaningful.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israeli Defense Minister Yisroel Katz made a striking admission on Monday, conceding that pressing forward into the final quarter of the Gaza Strip—territory not yet under Israeli control—could pose a significant danger to the Israeli hostages still held by Hamas.

This position marks a shift in tone and now appears to align with the viewpoint of IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, who is reportedly advocating for a conclusion to the ongoing military campaign.

Previously, Prime Minister Netanyahu, along with Katz and other senior officials, had consistently argued that increasing military pressure was the best way to secure the release of hostages, insisting that stepped-up assaults would work in Israel’s favor.

This newly voiced caution clashes directly with the stance of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has been a vocal proponent of a far more aggressive approach. Just this past Shabbos, he reiterated his hardline position: “The only path to decisive victory and the secure return of our hostages is the full conquest of the Gaza Strip, a complete halt to so-called ‘humanitarian aid,’ and the encouragement of emigration.”

Ben-Gvir’s position is echoed by other high-ranking officials, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. He, too, has pushed back against the idea of a limited deal and has repeatedly demanded that Israel pursue total military dominance in Gaza.

“We need to continue tightening the rope around Hamas’s neck and force it into a complete surrender deal with all the hostages at once,” Smotrich wrote in late May.

Meanwhile, some families of hostages have taken an opposing view. They warn that every additional day of fighting only increases the risk to their loved ones and have publicly urged the government to implement a ceasefire.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Freed U.S.-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander reportedly spoke with two of Saudi Arabia’s top officials during an unexpected encounter at the White House last week, Israeli media reported. According to Channel 12 News, Alexander, 21, who was held by Hamas for 584 days before his release in May, recounted his harrowing experience to Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Saudi Ambassador to Washington Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud. The meeting took place shortly after Alexander met with President Donald Trump, who was instrumental in brokering his release. The Saudi officials were at the White House the same day for high-level talks with Trump, reportedly focused on regional stability and efforts to de-escalate tensions with Iran. Channel 12 noted that Alexander held the conversation with Prince Khalid in fluent Arabic, a language he learned during his time in captivity in Gaza. Neither the White House nor the Saudi Embassy in Washington would comment on the reported exchange. The rare and unplanned encounter comes as speculation mounts over potential normalization talks between Israel and several Arab states, including Saudi Arabia and Syria. Those discussions are expected to be a central focus of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington this week. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu held a meeting with Steve Witkoff, the United States’ special envoy to the Middle East, at the Blair House in Washington.

Accompanying Netanyahu at the meeting was Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who joined him for the discussions.

Following that session, Netanyahu sat down with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The two were initially joined by their respective teams before continuing with a private one-on-one conversation, according to information released by Netanyahu’s office.

No specific information was shared by the Israeli side regarding what was discussed in any of the meetings.

{Matzav.com}

The Trump administration is revoking the terrorism designation of a group led by Syria’s new president as part of a broader U.S. engagement with the transitional government since the ouster of former leader Bashar Assad late last year. In a statement released on Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the move, which will take effect on Tuesday, “recognizes the positive actions taken by the new Syrian government” under President Ahmad al-Sharaa. Earlier Monday, the Federal Register published an advance notice, which said Rubio made the decision on June 23 in consultation with the attorney general and treasury secretary. The decision had not been previously announced, although it was made as the Trump administration has been moving to ease or end many U.S. sanctions that had been imposed during Assad’s rule. The step looks to further end Syria’s isolation since a lightning rebel offensive ousted the Assad family from decades of rule and gives the new government a boost as it tries to rebuild a country shattered by 13 years of civil war. The brief notice offered no details about the revocation of the foreign terrorist organization designation for the al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Al-Nusrah was originally designated a foreign terrorist organization for its previous affiliation with al-Qaida. In 2017, it split and changed its name to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which the first Trump administration added to the initial designation. Syria has been improving relations with the United States and other Western countries following the fall of Assad in December in an offensive led by al-Sharaa ’s group. On June 30, seven days after Rubio signed the revocation, President Donald Trump signed an executive order ending many U.S. economic sanctions on Syria, following through on a promise he made to al-Sharaa when the two met in Saudi Arabia in May. “This FTO revocation is an important step in fulfilling President Trump’s vision of a stable, unified, and peaceful Syria,” Rubio said in his statement. Trump’s executive order did not rescind sanctions imposed on Assad, his top aides, family members and officials who had been determined to have committed human rights abuses or been involved in drug trafficking or part of Syria’s chemical weapons program. It also leaves intact a major set of sanctions passed by Congress targeting anyone doing business with or offering support to Syria’s military, intelligence or other suspect institutions. While the Trump administration has passed temporary waivers on those sanctions, known as the Caesar Act, they can only be permanently repealed by law. (AP)

How can one choose his shirt from a pile of different types of clothing and not transgress borer on Shabbos? What does one do if there is a power outage on Shabbos? Can someone put food in the oven on Shabbos? These and numerous other questions are impossible to answer unless one has a thorough knowledge of the laws of Shabbos.  Shabbos comes about once a week, so if a person is not well-versed in its intricacies, then it is inevitable that transgressions will take place.  It is wonderful to read one of the many books that give basic laws, but to really understand the halachos and know how to apply them, it is essential to learn Hilchos Shabbos with the background discussion of the Gemara and commentators.   What is the challenge we face? It takes several years for a full-time advanced Torah learner to cover the laws of Shabbos in depth, so how can a working man, or one with less advanced skills, begin this seemingly daunting task? Now there is a solution.  World famous Rosh Yeshiva, HaRav HaGaon Yitzchak Berkovits shlit’a used his vast knowledge to arrange all the Gemaras with the commentators on each area of Hilchos Shabbos and presented it in the form of source sheets that cover material from the Gemara until practical halacha.  This enables one to cover main opinions in each topic and gain a deep understanding of the halacha.   According to Rabbi Berkovits: “Learning Hilchos Shabbos from the traditional sources could be quite confusing or complicated. Studying them in a very organized way gives you the clarity, the clarity to understand them in the first place and the clarity to retain the information.” This was done for full-time Torah learners who have advanced Hebrew skills and can devote many hours each day to learn.  What about busy working Bnei Torah who have limited time to learn but want to properly master Hilchos Shabbos? Or people who are still building up their Gemara skills but want to learn the Gemara sugyas and Halacha?   Rabbi Yehonasan Gefen, a close talmid of Rav Berkovits who spent eight years as a Rosh Chaburah in Rav Berkovits’s famous Jerusalem Kollel, with the Rav’s haskama, took on the monumental task of adapting the Hebrew sheets into English. The material is written with care and with great clarity, as well as including the various opinions in the contemporary practical halacha. For the past several years, Rabbi Gefen has been teaching this material to Torah learners throughout the world, on all levels of learning, and of all ages now as the founder of KinyanHilchosShabbos.com. Participants in each online chabura receive source sheets with explanations both in Hebrew and English, participate in a weekly Zoom shiur and ask questions by phone and email. Many have also successfully gained Smicha through thoroughly learning the material. “I would love to sit in Yeshiva half a day, but I have different hours.” Says Dr. Eric Leibowitz who is a dentist in Brooklyn. “Learning Hilchos Shabbos in Rabbi Gefen’s online chabura allowed for the flexibility I needed. I was looking for something with some structure and with an end goal. This program enabled me to not only learn, but to retain what I learned in a structured way and the tests were very helpful. I felt like I accomplished something, I made a kinyan on something.” “Over one thousand past and present participants in our online programs come from five continents and range […]

[COMMUNICATED]

Thursday July 3, 2025,

One year ago, Torah in Eretz Yisroel stood at the brink. A sudden government freeze left more than 1,400 yeshivos and kollelim without vital support. Yungeleit went unpaid, meals were cut, and the entire infrastructure of limud haTorah was in danger of collapse. Klal Yisroel responded with extraordinary achdus and mesirus nefesh. Under the guidance of Gedolei Yisroel, and with the support of over 30,000 donors around the globe, $115 million was raised to keep the flame of Torah burning bright.

We had hoped the crisis would pass. But the war in the north and south still rages, the draft law remains unresolved, and the funding freeze continues. There is no political solution in sight, and no safety net in place. Today, more than 120,000 lomdei Torah are relying on Keren Olam HaTorah for their very survival.

Over the past two weeks, Gedolei Eretz Yisroel — among them Harav Dovid Cohen, Harav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, and Harav Don Segal, who traveled all the way from Switzerland despite recovering from illness — visited major kehillos across the United States on behalf of this urgent cause. They traveled to Baltimore, Chicago, Lakewood, Brooklyn, Monsey, Passaic, Deal, Toronto, and the Five Towns. In every city, their message was the same: the achrayus for the future of Torah rests upon us.

Their journey has already ignited a powerful wave of support. So far, 5,000 donors have contributed an incredible amount of more than $80,000,000. But the goal is $132 million, and we are still far from the finish line. The ones who got us there last time — those 30,000 donors who gave with large checks or small — are the ones we need again now.

This is not just another campaign. This is about ensuring the survival of Torah in Eretz Yisroel during one of the most challenging moments in its history. We did the impossible once. B’ezras Hashem, with your help, we will do it again.

BE A PART OF IT

President Donald Trump has eliminated a controversial federal regulation initially introduced by Joe Biden, which would have granted foreign agricultural laborers collective bargaining privileges — rights not extended to American farm workers.

The policy, introduced by the Biden team in 2024, focused on H-2A visa holders — foreign nationals temporarily employed on U.S. farms — and aimed to give them unionization rights, even though American farmhands remain legally excluded from such protections.

Under Trump’s administration, the Department of Labor has formally halted implementation of the rule.

This action follows a legal challenge led by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, who organized a coalition of 17 states to push back against the Biden administration. Kobach contended that the proposal directly contradicted the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), which specifically omits agricultural workers from collective bargaining protections.

“Once again, Joe Biden is putting America last,” Kobach said at the time.

In 2023, two separate federal judges ruled in Kobach’s favor, determining that the policy did indeed violate the NLRA by allowing foreign H-2A visa holders to unionize while leaving American farm workers without similar rights.

“The Final Rule not so sneakily creates substantive collective bargaining rights for H-2A agricultural workers through the ‘prohibitions’ it places on their employers,” U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves wrote in his November decision.

{Matzav.com}

Statement from Yosef Jacobovitch, Esq.

B”H, Rabbi Binyomin Kubani was released today from the Ocean County Jail. While we are deeply relieved that this chapter has come to a close, the pursuit of justice is far from over. We remain steadfast in our commitment to proving Rabbi Kubani’s innocence and clearing his name fully.

We firmly believe that Rabbi Kubani was wrongly accused. Our team will continue working tirelessly to uncover the truth, gather evidence, and pursue every available avenue to vindicate him.

We are profoundly grateful for the unwavering support of the Rosh HaYeshivas, as well as Rabbi Yosef Heinaman, Rabbi Sruli Burzstyn, Meir Lichtenstein, and Moshe Tress, and the entire Lakewood community. Their encouragement and belief in Rabbi Kubani’s integrity have been a source of strength throughout this ordeal.

Together, we will continue to advocate for justice and ensure that the truth comes to light.

Yosef Jacobovitch, Esq.

{Matzav.com}

Oded Ailam, a former senior Mossad official who served in the organization for twenty-four years, revealed in an interview with the German newspaper Bild that Israel has a “vast” intelligence network operating within Iran. In the interview, which took place last week, Ailam explained how Israel managed to recruit so many agents in the heart of a hostile country despite constant attempts by the Iranian regime to locate and eliminate them. He said that the key to its success lies in the social structure of Iran, which boasts a wide ethnic diversity. Only forty percent of Iran’s ninety million residents are Persians. “This makes it very difficult for the government to control the population,” Ailam said. “The surveillance system has huge gaps. It is not comparable to what the Stasi (secret police) did in East Germany.” Ailam noted that ethnic groups such as Kurds, Turkmens, Baluchs, and Azeris are relatively easy to recruit, noting that many of them do not act out of sympathy for Israel, and not even always because of financial incentives, but out of deep frustration with the Iranian regime. “There are a lot of dissatisfied people in Iran,” he said. “Large parts of society live in poverty. Iran sits on huge gas reserves, but instead of investing the capital in the country, the mullahs have invested billions in terrorist organizations like Hezbollah.” He also emphasized the geographical aspect. “Iran is a huge country. It has borders that cannot always be monitored and this makes it possible to smuggle anything into it.” According to Ailam, the Mossad provides full protection to agents operating inside Iran, including the possibility of taking their family members to a safe area if necessary. “When someone works for us, we take care of both him and his family,” he said. Ailam stressed that the organization invests a lot of time and resources to ensure that each agent is indeed suitable for his mission. “When we define a target, we do not rely on only one agent. There is always more than one source to make sure that the information is accurate, and to make sure that the harm will be done to the right person.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

A heavily armed man opened fire on federal agents with an assault rifle Monday morning at a U.S. Border Patrol facility in Texas, injuring a police officer before authorities shot and killed him. Authorities identified the man as Ryan Louis Mosqueda, who they said fired dozens of rounds at agents and the building in McAllen, which is near the U.S.-Mexico border. McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez said Mosqueda was carrying a “utility vest” in addition to the rifle when federal agents returned fire. After Mosqueda was killed, law enforcement found other weaponry, ammunition and backpacks that the suspect had brought. “There are many, many more rounds of ammunition in his backpack,” Rodriguez said. In addition, they found the white two-door sedan, which had letters painted — possibly in Latin — on the driver’s side door. “What it means, or whether or not it is an underlying reason for him being here, I do not know,” Rodriguez said when asked about the graffiti. Rodriguez said his department received a call about the shooting around 5:50 a.m. One officer who responded to the shooting, a 10-year veteran, was injured after being struck in the knee. Rodriguez said it was unclear if the injury was from shrapnel or a bullet. Police say Mosqueda was linked to a Michigan address, but was reported missing from a Weslaco, Texas, address around 4 a.m. Monday. Weslaco is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from the Border Patrol facility. “An hour and a few minutes later, he was at this particular location opening fire on the federal building and our federal agents,” Rodriguez said. Additional information about the missing person report, including who reported it and the circumstances, was not immediately made available. Rodriguez said there is no ongoing threat to the public, but it is unknown if any other people were involved in the attack. He said the motive and events leading up to the attack are part of the ongoing investigation, which the FBI is taking the lead on. The attack comes as President Donald Trump ‘s administration ramps up deportations, which will be turbocharged by a massive spending bill that became law last week. Stephen Miller, the president’s deputy chief of staff and chief architect of his immigration policies, recently set a target of at least 3,000 immigration arrests a day, up from about 650 a day during the first five months of the administration. (AP)

In a sharp critique of President Donald Trump’s recent claims, John Bolton, who served as his national security advisor, told i24NEWS that while Trump’s military actions against Iran were noteworthy, they fell far short of eliminating Tehran’s nuclear capabilities.

“Trump called the raid of the B-2s the total and complete obliteration of Iran’s nuclear weapons program,” Bolton said. “There’s only one person in the world who believes that, and that’s Donald Trump—if he believes it.”

During an interview ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s scheduled third sit-down with Trump in half a year, Bolton spoke bluntly about what he saw as Trump’s true motivation in calling for a ceasefire: not strategic necessity, but political image.

“He wanted a ceasefire because he wants the Nobel Peace Prize,” Bolton said, attributing the move to a desire for international accolades rather than long-term policy. “This was not strategic thinking — it stopped short of what we should have done.”

Bolton also expressed concern that Trump’s eagerness to push for a deal in Gaza could undercut Israel’s broader security needs and regional strategy.

“Trump doesn’t think in long-term security objectives,” he said. “He thinks about how to enhance his own reputation.”

Pointing to Iran’s weakened air defense systems after the U.S. strikes, Bolton advocated for coordinated action by both the United States and Israel, including supporting domestic opposition to the Iranian regime in hopes of toppling it. “If there’s no regime change in Tehran, there’s not going to be peace and stability in the Middle East at any point,” he said.

He labeled Iran as the central source of instability across the region, arguing that meaningful change can only occur once the current leadership is ousted.

Bolton also urged caution for Netanyahu during his visit, warning that although Trump is preoccupied with burnishing his image, Israel’s leadership must stay focused on neutralizing Hamas and thwarting Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

“This will be a very consequential meeting,” Bolton said. “If Netanyahu wants to stop Iran, he must ensure Israel retains the freedom to act — with or without U.S. involvement.”

{Matzav.com}

Russia may soon unleash nightly assaults on Ukraine involving up to 1,000 missiles and drones, according to new reports.

The Telegraph reported on Monday that an enlarged missile production facility in Votkinsk, along with accelerated military logistics, has significantly increased the firepower available to President Vladimir Putin’s military. These advancements now enable Russia to stage massive bombardments against Ukraine.

Sources told the London-based publication that Putin’s objective is to exhaust Ukraine’s defenses, sap the spirit of its people, and weaken international resolve to continue aiding the country.

“They target population centers because they’re trying to exhaust Ukrainian air defense, and they know Ukrainian air defense will prioritize defending the cities and critical infrastructure,” Michael Kofman, a prominent expert on the conflict, told The Telegraph.

Last Friday, Russia unleashed its most intense attack to date, launching 550 drones and missiles at Ukraine. A large number of the drones were Shahed models supplied by Iran.

A source within Ukrainian intelligence told The Telegraph that Kyiv and other population centers are increasingly vulnerable due to a shortage of advanced U.S. air defense systems.

“There are some things only the U.S. can supply,” the source said. “The loss of anti-ballistic missile PAC-3 interceptors will leave previously safe cities such as Kyiv wide open to Russian ballistic missile attack.”

Serhii Kuzan, head of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center, noted that the lack of American weapons has a deeper impact on civilian areas than on military fronts.

“The suspension of U.S. arms supplies poses a challenge not so much on the battlefield as on the home front,” Kuzan told The Telegraph. “Russian aerial terror is growing every month and is targeting Ukrainian cities and civilians.”

Russian drone manufacturing spiked 17% in May, and the country has benefited from Chinese companies circumventing Western sanctions to help it amass the weaponry needed to continue the war for at least two more years.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon reportedly paused some deliveries of air defense equipment and precision-guided arms, citing concerns that U.S. stockpiles were becoming dangerously low.

President Donald Trump, who spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, later remarked that Kyiv urgently needs Patriot missiles and criticized Putin’s unwillingness to end the conflict.

Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that his conversation with Zelenskyy went well and reiterated that he was “very unhappy” about his discussion with Putin the day before, saying the Russian leader had shown no interest in working toward peace.

Early Monday, Ukrainian officials reported that Russia launched more than 100 drones at civilian locations overnight. At the same time, the Kremlin removed its transportation minister following a weekend in which Ukrainian drone threats caused widespread flight disruptions and grounded aircraft at multiple Russian airports.

{Matzav.com}

It is with great sadness that Matzav.comreports the sudden petirah of Rabbi Yisrael Hersh Eidelman zt”l, a distinguished talmid chacham, devoted eved Hashem, and longtime askan who served for decades as the executive vice president of Mesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem. He was 79 years old.

Rabbi Eidelman was a devoted talmid and close confidant of both Hagaon Harav Moshe Feinstein zt”l and his son, Hagaon Harav Dovid Feinstein zt”l. With immense humility and unwavering dedication, Rabbi Eidelman stood at the side of these towering gedolim, serving the yeshiva and the tzibbur with tireless devotion.

As executive vice president of MTJ, Rabbi Eidelman played an instrumental role in the growth and continuity of the yeshiva. His presence in the yeshiva was constant, his sense of responsibility total, and his deep connection to the legacy of the Feinstein family unmistakable. He carried the mission of the yeshiva with dignity and sincerity, navigating its many responsibilities with a sense of awe for the Torah and the gedolim it represented.

He was admired not only for his administrative prowess and sharp mind, but for his anavah, his deep sense of yiras Shamayim, and the personal warmth he extended to all who encountered him.

Rabbi Eidelman is survived by his devoted wife, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

The levayah is taking place now at Mesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem, located at 145 East Broadway, New York, NY 10002.

WATCH THE LEVAYAH HERE.

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com}

The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change collaborated on a vision for Gaza’s future that includes transforming the territory into a resort-style destination dubbed “Trump’s Riviera” and creating a high-tech industrial park named after Elon Musk, modeled after the success of Dubai.

According to The Guardian, the institute—founded by Tony Blair—teamed up with Israeli entrepreneurs to explore this post-war redevelopment concept. The financial planning relied heavily on frameworks provided by the U.S.-based Boston Consulting Group.

Their joint efforts produced a document titled the Gaza Economic Blueprint, which outlines proposals to build both the Trump-branded coastal project and the Elon Musk-themed manufacturing hub.

Reporting by the Financial Times adds that the proposal also involves offering monetary incentives for 500,000 Gazans to relocate from the region.

The initiative, known as The Great Trust, was already turned into a pitch deck by the Blair institute and its Israeli partners. The goal was to attract private investors to pour significant funds into Gaza’s reconstruction—contingent on the area being vacated of much of its population.

The proposal details ten large-scale infrastructure projects, including an expansive highway system dubbed the “MBS Ring” in honor of Saudi Arabia’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, as well as the Elon Musk smart manufacturing district. The plan claims that “Gaza Strip can advance as a safe, modern, and prosperous society.”

The idea of clearing Gaza to make way for redevelopment projects is rooted in a concept introduced by President Donald Trump. Since then, it has gained traction in Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu has publicly supported the plan, and Defense Minister Yisroel Katz has created a dedicated agency to facilitate the mass exit of Gaza’s residents.

A spokesperson for Tony Blair denied any direct involvement by the former British Prime Minister in formulating the proposal. “Tony Blair himself has neither spoken to the people who prepared this deck nor commented on it. The TBI team speaks to many different groups and organisations with postwar ‘plans’ for Gaza, but had nothing to do with the authorship of this plan,” the spokesperson said.

{Matzav.com}

Hamas officials have told the Saudi-based publication Asharq Al-Awsat that the current indirect talks taking place in Doha, Qatar, are showing a marked shift in tone and seriousness compared to previous negotiations. They credit this change to the more active role the United States is now playing in the discussions.

The representatives noted that in earlier rounds, both Israel and the United States appeared disengaged and uncommitted to meaningful progress. This time, however, the dynamic has shifted due to Washington’s stepped-up efforts, which have pushed the talks forward in a more constructive direction.

“Although it is difficult to predict the outcome,” one source was quoted as saying, “there is optimism about the chances of success, especially given the clear pressure from the U.S. aimed at reaching an agreement soon.”

They added that if the momentum continues, a ceasefire could be implemented as soon as Thursday. Still, they cautioned that the deal hinges on whether Israel is prepared to accept the terms that Hamas has put forth during the negotiations.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Defense Minister Yisroel Katz provided fresh insight into Israel’s recent strike on Iran, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the decision-making process behind Operation “Hila” and its broader strategic context during a press conference today.

Katz explained that the operation was preceded by a series of at least 14 high-level security consultations. One of the central questions was whether the United States would directly participate in the mission or simply offer Israel quiet support to proceed on its own. During that time, the Israeli Air Force upgraded its operational capacity to allow for deep strikes inside Iranian airspace.

He noted that the mission, first formulated back in January, was designed to set back Iran’s progress toward obtaining nuclear weapons, and to pressure the regime into rethinking its nuclear plans. While no direct green light came from Washington, Katz said that Israel interpreted the lack of opposition from the U.S. as indirect approval to move ahead.

The mission’s execution was overseen by a core group: Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, Defense Minister Katz, Minister Ron Dermer, and the IDF’s Chief of Staff. Alongside Operation Hila, a secondary plan—dubbed “Tornado”—was initiated under Katz’s guidance. That strategy aimed to strike infrastructure targets in Tehran to dissuade Iranian retaliation against Israeli civilian areas.

The operation, which received final authorization on May 29, was intended to act as a deterrent against any prospective Iranian aggression. It was launched during a period when much of the Iranian leadership was expected to be home in observance of religious services on June 12.

Katz praised the mission’s accomplishments, crediting joint efforts with the United States. He noted that American B2 bombers participated in strikes on Iran’s nuclear assets. “We dealt a crushing blow to Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities,” Katz declared.

He added that Israel is now building a long-term enforcement strategy to preserve aerial dominance over Iran and to keep up pressure on its weapons development. “If anyone thinks we will forgo this achievement, they are wrong. This is not a daily operation like the ones in southern Lebanon, but the ability to enforce must be present at critical points,” he said.

Katz also issued a warning about the potential for Iran to revive its missile development efforts, stressing that international support—particularly material backing—must be cut off. He emphasized the ongoing importance of global vigilance and sustained diplomatic and economic pressure on Tehran.

Turning to internal matters, Katz addressed disagreements within the Israeli cabinet and defended the IDF Chief of Staff amid mounting criticism. He highlighted the military’s success, pointing out that Israeli forces now control 70% of Gaza. He clarified that while the army secures areas, it does not oversee humanitarian efforts. He acknowledged Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s role in transferring humanitarian aid oversight from Hamas to American organizations, an effort carried out by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

Katz also unveiled a new initiative to set up a civilian enclave in Rafah, where as many as 600,000 Gazans could be relocated. This area, situated between the Morag and Philadelphi corridors, would fall under the management of international agencies rather than the Israeli military.

He closed by reiterating that even in the case of a ceasefire or hostage release agreement, Israel must maintain control over the area between Morag and Philadelphi. This, he said, is essential to preventing Hamas from rearming and rebuilding its military infrastructure.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Houthi militants in Yemen launched an assault on a commercial vessel sailing through the Red Sea, targeting the ship near the port city of Hodeidah. According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the attackers used multiple small boats armed with rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) to strike the Greek-owned vessel.

This incident marks the second attack in as many days by the Iranian-backed Houthis on maritime traffic in the same vicinity. On Sunday, UKMTO also reported that a different commercial ship was targeted in a similar fashion near Hodeidah, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel amid the violence.

Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, the Houthi terrorist group has intensified its campaign against maritime traffic, claiming that its targets were connected to Israel. Their tactics have included launching drones, firing missiles, and deploying explosive-laden speedboats. These aggressive actions have significantly disrupted international shipping and contributed to instability in the region. Although the intensity of the attacks subsided after U.S.-led military action and a subsequent truce, the Houthis have continued sporadic aggression.

On Sunday night, the Israel Air Force responded with a wave of strikes against Houthi positions, in retaliation for the group’s persistent ballistic missile attacks aimed at Israeli territory.

Defense Minister Yisroel Katz acknowledged the Israeli offensive, stating, “As part of Operation ‘Black Flag,’ the IDF has now powerfully struck terrorist targets of the Houthi terror regime in the ports of Hodeidah, Al-Salif, and Ras Issa, the Ras Katib power station, and the ship Galaxy Leader which was hijacked by the Houthis about two years ago and is currently being used for terrorist activities in the Red Sea.”

He further warned, “As I warned: The fate of Yemen is the same as that of Tehran. Anyone who tries to harm Israel will be harmed, and anyone who raises a hand against Israel will have their hand cut off. The Houthis will continue to pay a heavy price for their actions.”

{Matzav.com}