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The United States has started flying surveillance drones over Gaza as part of an expanding effort to monitor the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, according to a report in The New York Times on Saturday. The initiative coincides with the arrival of international partners joining the U.S.-led mission to enforce the truce and stabilize the war-torn territory.

Citing two Israeli military officials and one U.S. defense source, the Times said the American military began operating unmanned aircraft over Gaza with Israel’s full consent. The exact location from which these drones are being launched was not disclosed.

Washington’s goal, the report said, is to obtain an independent assessment of the situation on the ground while assisting the new Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) in southern Israel. The CMCC was created to oversee the implementation of the Trump-brokered deal and coordinate logistics, humanitarian aid, and security.

According to the Times, similar U.S. drone missions had previously been flown to help track hostages, but the latest operations mark a shift — signaling the Trump administration’s intent to verify ceasefire conditions independently, rather than relying solely on Israeli intelligence.

“This is a very intrusive version of US monitoring on a front where Israel perceives an active threat,” said Daniel B. Shapiro, who served as U.S. ambassador to Israel under President Obama. “If there was total transparency and total trust between Israel and the US, there wouldn’t be a need for this,” he added. “But obviously the US wants to eliminate any possibility of misunderstanding.”

Neither the IDF nor the U.S. State Department provided comments regarding the surveillance operations, the report noted.

Meanwhile, the coalition of nations working with the CMCC has expanded rapidly. In addition to Jordan, the UK, Germany, Denmark, and Canada — whose flags were raised at the center’s inauguration earlier this week — new members now include Australia, France, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates, a U.S. official confirmed to The Times of Israel. France and Australia both recognized a Palestinian state last month, joining Spain, which made the same move last year.

The CMCC, run under American command, serves as the central coordination hub for aid and security efforts in postwar Gaza. About 200 U.S. military personnel have been deployed to establish and operate the facility, working alongside allied troops. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) emphasized that no American soldiers will enter Gaza itself. “The CMCC is designed to support stabilization efforts… US military personnel will instead help facilitate the flow of humanitarian, logistical, and security assistance from international counterparts into Gaza,” CENTCOM said in its statement launching the center.

The facility was officially opened on Tuesday in a ceremony attended by Vice President JD Vance, CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper, and Lt. Gen. Patrick Frank, who now leads the U.S. Army contingent.

Despite the growing list of partner nations, the CMCC’s organizational structure and legal framework remain unclear, as does the question of whether any country will commit troops for a potential UN-backed peacekeeping force in Gaza. Among its anticipated responsibilities will be overseeing the dismantling of Hamas’s remaining weapons network and the destruction of its underground tunnel system.

Israeli Defense Minister Yisroel Katz told Vice President Vance during their meeting that roughly 60 percent of Hamas’s tunnel infrastructure is still operational. Channel 12 News reported that nearly half of those tunnels are believed to lie near the “Yellow Line,” the boundary to which Israeli forces withdrew when the ceasefire began on October 10.

{Matzav.com}

NEW FOOTAGE: One year ago today, the Israeli Air Force completed strikes on targets in Iran, in response to the Iranian regime’s attacks against Israel in the preceding months. The IAF conducted precise and targeted strikes against military targets in several areas across Iran. The targets included production facilities for ballistic missiles intended to strike […]

Atzeres HaMillion is scheduled to take place this Thursday from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The massive gathering is expected to span a wide area — from the entrance to Jerusalem through Rechov Sarei Yisrael and Malchei Yisrael — with the participation of all leading Admorim and Rabbonim representing every Chareidi community. Organized buses will […]

A militant Kurdish group announced on Sunday that it is withdrawing its fighters from Turkey to Iraq as part of a peace effort with the Turkish government. The statement delivered in northern Iraq by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, follows a symbolic disarmament ceremony held months earlier, where a group of its fighters began […]

The United States and China have wrapped up negotiations on the transfer of the American version of TikTok to new ownership, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed on Sunday. President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are set to finalize the agreement during their face-to-face meeting in Busan, South Korea, on Thursday — their first encounter since 2019.

“We reached a final deal on TikTok,” Bessent told CBS News’ Face the Nation. “We reached one in Madrid, and I believe that as of today, all the details are ironed out, and that will be for the two leaders to consummate that transaction on Thursday in Korea.”

Trump had already laid the groundwork for the transaction last month with an executive order that created the legal path for TikTok’s transfer. At the time, negotiators were still working through several technical and commercial sticking points before reaching Sunday’s breakthrough.

Bessent declined to disclose specifics about the final structure of the agreement, saying he wasn’t directly involved in its business arrangements. “My remit was to get the Chinese to agree to approve the transaction, and I believe we successfully accomplished that over the past two days,” he said.

According to the framework introduced under Trump’s executive order, ByteDance — TikTok’s Chinese parent company — will retain less than 20% ownership of the platform. The remaining 80% will be held by “certain investors,” satisfying U.S. law requiring TikTok’s separation from Chinese Communist Party–linked control for national security reasons. That law was passed by Congress and signed last year by President Joe Biden.

Trump has repeatedly extended deadlines for TikTok’s divestment, allowing time for talks to progress. Had ByteDance refused to part with its majority stake, the app would have faced removal from U.S. app stores, effectively cutting it off from millions of users nationwide.

The president previously revealed that several high-profile business figures — including Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, tech billionaire Michael Dell, and News Corp’s Rupert Murdoch — would be involved in the restructured TikTok ownership plan. Whether their roles changed during the final stages of negotiation remains unclear.

Bessent also hinted that Trump is now backing away from the steep 155% tariff rate he threatened to impose on China last week amid tensions over Beijing’s rare earth export policies. That tariff, which was slated to take effect on November 1, would have sharply increased the existing 55% rate on most Chinese imports.

“It would be an extra 100% from where we are now, and I believe that that is effectively off the table,” Bessent said. “I’m not going to get ahead of the two leaders who will be meeting in Korea on Thursday, but I can tell you we had a very good two days.” He added, “So I would expect that the threat of the 100% has gone away, as has the threat of the immediate imposition of the Chinese initiating a worldwide export control regime.”

As for U.S. agriculture, Bessent offered a cryptic but optimistic hint about the deal’s benefits. “Soybean farmers are going to be extremely happy with this deal for this year and for the coming years,” he said, without elaborating.

Critics have previously accused the administration of undercutting American soybean growers through a $20 billion currency swap with Argentina — a move they argued would strengthen Buenos Aires’ economy and allow it to sell more soybeans to China. But Bessent’s comments suggest the new trade framework could bring a major boost to American farmers as part of the broader U.S.-China accord.

{Matzav.com}

Ireland’s Chief Rabbi Yoni Wieder on Sunday urged newly elected President Catherine Connolly to engage with the country’s small Jewish community and promote unity following her victory in a divisive campaign marked by heated rhetoric over Israel and Palestine. Connolly, a far-left independent long known for her criticism of Israel, won Saturday’s presidential election after […]

WATCH:

California Governor Gavin Newsom has openly acknowledged what many suspected — that he’s eyeing a 2028 run for president — though he stopped short of saying he’s made up his mind.

“Yeah, I’d be lying otherwise,” Newsom admitted during a pre-taped interview with CBS News Sunday Morning when asked if a White House bid was on his mind. “I’d just be lying. And I’m not — I can’t do that.”

Over the past few months, the California leader has been making moves that look every bit like early campaign groundwork. He’s been crisscrossing key battleground states and using his new podcast to fine-tune his debating skills — often by sparring with conservative guests on hot-button issues.

At the same time, Newsom has taken to social media as a full-blown provocateur, firing off flamboyant and sometimes odd posts aimed squarely at Republican opponents. His online antics have become a hallmark of his political style, mixing showmanship with sharp partisanship.

Barred by term limits from running for a third term as California’s governor, Newsom’s next step seems obvious to political observers. Multiple polls have already placed him among the leading contenders for the Democratic nomination should he enter the race.

Still, the governor insists he’s not rushing into anything. “Fate will determine that,” he said when pressed about whether he’s edging closer to a presidential campaign.

Newsom’s national profile surged during speculation over the 2024 race, but at the time, he put his full backing behind President Joe Biden, choosing loyalty over personal ambition — at least for now.

{Matzav.com}

U.S.-China trade tensions appeared to cool Sunday before an upcoming meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, with each side saying a deal was nearing between the world’s two largest economies. Any agreement would be a relief to international markets even it does not address underlying issues involving manufacturing imbalances and access to state-of-the-art computer chips. Beijing recently limited exports of rare […]

U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio met in Yerushalayim yesterday with the families of the two Israeli-American hostages whose remains Hamas has not yet transferred to Israel as required by the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.

“We will not forget the lives of the hostages who died in the captivity of Hamas,” tweeted Rubio, who is on a visit to the Jewish state.

“Today I met with the families of American citizens Itay Chen and Omer Neutra. We will not rest until their—and all—remains are returned,” he vowed.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee could also be seen in a photo posted on X, sitting opposite Rubio.

On Friday, Rubio told reporters that there is no viable alternative to President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan, expressing “healthy optimism” that it will be fully implemented.

“There is no Plan B,” Rubio said during what was termed “a press gaggle” at the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) in Kiryat Gat. “This is the best plan. It’s the only plan. It’s one that we think can succeed. It’s one that we believe is the way to success, as impossible and unimaginable as it may have been.”

He continued, “Remember a month ago, six weeks ago? No one would have thought it possible that you were going to get all the hostages out. And I know that we still have the remains of hostages [set to be returned]. That has to happen. That’s part of this. And we’re very committed to making sure that happens.”

JNS

Arnold Schwarzenegger calls out the “extreme gerrymandering” in blue states. SCHWARZENEGGER: “In a state like Massachusetts, 40% voted for Trump… the Republican party has 0 representatives sent to the House. In New Mexico, 45% of the people voted for Trump… and 0 is sent to the House.”

The IDF confirmed that two Hezbollah terrorists were killed in separate drone strikes in Lebanon earlier today. Abd a-Sayed, Hezbollah’s representative in Ras al-Bayada, was killed near Naqoura; he was responsible for coordinating between the terror group and local residents on economic and military matters and helping rebuild its capabilities. A second strike near Nabi […]

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Residents of Kfar Saba line the street leading to the home of released hostage Evyatar David as he arrives home from the hospital.

Military prosecutors in Israel on Sunday said they’d indicted a Palestinian man for leading a failed plot to blow up passengers on buses near Tel Aviv in February.

Abed Alkarim Snobar conspired with several other defendants, who are also standing trial in Israel for their alleged actions, to plant explosive devices on buses in Bat Yam near Tel Aviv, according to a statement released by the Israel Defense Forces’ Spokesperson’s Unit. Snobar is the main defendant, according to the IDF prosecution.

Snobar “made several high-powered explosive charges featuring nails and screws to maximize the harm” to victims, according to the statement. Snobar entered Israel on Feb. 20 and placed five charges in four buses in the Tel Aviv and Bat Yam area, timing them to go off at different times, according to the Spokesperson’s Unit.

However, some of the charges went off at night when the buses were parked and empty, resulting in no injuries. This alerted security forces to the plot. The remaining charges were located and neutralized. Snobar was caught in July after evading security forces in Judea and Samaria for months. He was preparing a new terrorist attack in Tel Aviv at the time of his arrest, and had contacted others to carry it out, according to the statement.

At least one of the bombs bore a note, in Arabic and Hebrew, that stated “revenge from the Tulkarem refugee camp,” a reference to the terrorist hotbed in Judea and Samaria where Israeli security forces have been conducting counter-terror operations, Israel’s Channel 12 News reported at the time. JNS

{Matzav.com}

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday announced the “successful completion” of tests for the 9M730 Burevestnik, a nuclear-powered cruise missile that Moscow claims can fly indefinitely and evade all known missile defenses — a dramatic display of military ambition that underscores the Kremlin’s intent to reassert nuclear dominance amid the grinding war in Ukraine. Speaking […]

Israel has granted permission for joint teams consisting of Hamas operatives and Red Cross representatives to enter IDF-controlled regions of Gaza, including areas beyond the so-called “yellow line.” Their mission is to search for and recover the bodies of hostages who were killed in captivity.

Reports from Al Arabiya and Al Jazeera, both Qatar-based networks, indicate that these search groups are already active in Rafah and will soon expand their operations to Gaza City. According to the outlets, the unusual collaboration is part of ongoing humanitarian efforts connected to the hostage crisis.

Al Jazeera further disclosed that Hamas has provided the Red Cross with detailed maps pinpointing several locations believed to hold the remains of IDF soldier Hadar Goldin. Goldin fell in combat during the 2014 war, and his body was seized by Hamas. Current recovery efforts are concentrating in the Rafah region, where intelligence suggests his body may be located.

The same report noted that large construction and engineering vehicles entered Gaza on Saturday night to assist in the intensive searches for the remains of hostages in the Hamad neighborhood of northern Khan Yunis. These machines are being used to clear debris and dig through collapsed areas believed to conceal burial sites.

According to Israeli officials, Hamas is still in possession of the bodies of 13 hostages. Intelligence assessments indicate that the group has the ability to return at least eight of them without delay, yet no transfers have taken place. “Five days have passed since the terror group returned any bodies,” a source said, underscoring the ongoing tension surrounding the recovery efforts.

{Matzav.com}

WATCH: The hostage recovery unit at Beilinson Hospital closes as Evyatar David, the last survivor, is discharged and symbolically turns off the lights.

A heartbreaking case has emerged from Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Yerushalayim, where a two-year-old girl passed away from severe complications linked to measles. Her death brings the toll of the current outbreak to eight — all children younger than two and a half.

Hospital officials reported that the child had been admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit about ten days earlier in critical condition. She was placed on an ECMO machine as doctors fought to stabilize her, but despite their efforts, she succumbed to the illness.

The Health Ministry has confirmed that more than 1,880 people across the country have contracted measles since the outbreak began in April, a number that continues to climb as new cases are identified.

“We know that the illness is being underdiagnosed, and there are a few thousand additional patients with the disease,” explained Sharon Alroy-Preis, Israel’s chief epidemiologist. She added that 562 individuals have required hospitalization so far, with 90% of them being children — most of whom were not vaccinated. “It is clear to us that the morbidity continues and will continue. We hope that we won’t see an additional increase in scope, but we need to remember that there are still thousands of unvaccinated children in Jerusalem and other localities.”

{Matzav.com}

BREAKING: Twelve IDF soldiers were wounded, two moderately and ten lightly, in a military-related car crash involving two Humvees on the Gaza border earlier today, the army said, adding that the troops were taken to hospitals for treatment.