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Thirty bodies of Palestinians were handed over to Gaza on Friday under the terms of the ongoing ceasefire arrangement brokered by the United States, according to officials at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis. The hospital confirmed to AFP that “the bodies of 30 Palestinian prisoners were received from the Israeli side as part of the exchange deal.”

As in prior exchanges, the Red Cross served as the intermediary, transporting the bodies from Israeli authorities to the hospital in southern Gaza for identification and burial preparations.

The latest handover followed Hamas’s return of the remains of two Israeli hostages—84-year-old Amiram Cooper and 25-year-old Sahar Baruch—marking the first time in more than a week that the terror group had released the bodies of captives.

Under the terms of the truce, Israel agreed to transfer the remains of fifteen Palestinians for each deceased Israeli hostage returned by Hamas terrorists. With Friday’s delivery, the total number of Palestinian bodies repatriated to Gaza has now reached 225.

So far, Hamas has returned twenty living hostages who were abducted during its brutal October 7, 2023 massacre in southern Israel—a day when terrorists murdered roughly 1,200 people and dragged 251 others into Gaza.

In addition to living captives, Hamas has begun handing over the bodies of 28 hostages confirmed dead, though the process has been slow and erratic, prompting anger from Israeli officials.

Israel has accused Hamas of intentionally obstructing the deal, alleging that the group already “knows the location of the vast majority, or even all, of the remaining bodies of hostages, and is purposely stalling and staging fake discoveries of bodies.”

Earlier this week, tensions escalated when the IDF carried out a wave of strikes across Gaza after a soldier was killed in Rafah and Hamas publicized a video of what Israel described as a staged recovery of the remains of Ofir Tzarfati, whose body had actually been retrieved months earlier.

Health authorities in Gaza reported that more than 100 people were killed in the Israeli strikes. By Wednesday morning, Israel announced that the ceasefire had been reinstated.

According to Israeli assessments, ten of the October 7 hostages’ bodies are still believed to be held in Gaza, along with one individual missing since 2014. Of those, all but two—one Tanzanian and one Thai national—are Israeli citizens.

To date, Hamas has handed over fifteen bodies identified as Israeli hostages, as well as two foreign nationals, one from Thailand and one from Nepal, who were also seized during the October 7 rampage.

While Israeli officials continue to accuse Hamas of breaching the ceasefire terms, families of the remaining hostages have been pressing the government to take firmer action to compel compliance.

Hamas has publicly claimed it remains committed to the truce but says the extensive destruction from two years of Israeli bombardment has made locating the remaining bodies extremely difficult.

Meanwhile, Egyptian recovery teams equipped with heavy machinery have joined efforts to search for additional remains amid the devastation across Gaza.

{Matzav.com}

DHS arrested Emilio Ramirez Cortez and his son Edgar Ramirez Diaz at the Laredo Port of Entry for smuggling over 500 guns and 31,000 rounds of ammo to Mexico, hidden behind false walls in two trailers.

NEW: LA firefighters were told to leave a smoldering blaze that later reignited as the deadly Palisades fire, destroying thousands of homes and killing 12 people, federal authorities say.

A high-speed train slammed into a truck stuck on a level crossing in Meteren, with CCTV showing the truck jerking as the barriers dropped before the train plowed through, sending debris flying; five people were injured, all minor, according to rail operator ProRail.

Speaker Johnson defended President Trump’s push for Senate Republicans to nuke the filibuster, allowing the shutdown to end.

Speaker Johnson slammed Democrats for opposing President Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s strikes on narco-terrorists, saying the cartels are at war with the U.S. and have killed more Americans than past wars. He said Trump is protecting Americans and Democrats should be applauding him, not criticizing him.

FBI Director Kash Patel announced that the FBI thwarted a potential terrorist attack in Michigan, arresting multiple subjects who were allegedly plotting a violent attack over Halloween weekend.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that the United States has signed a new 10-year defense framework agreement with India.

The IDF says an Israeli drone strike earlier today killed Hezbollah terrorist Ibrahim Muhammad Raslan in the southern Lebanese town of Kounine. Raslan, identified as a Hezbollah maintenance officer, was reportedly involved in restoring the group’s infrastructure in the region.

Israeli security forces have uncovered a chilling case involving a 14-year-old boy from Yaffo accused of cooperating with terrorist groups and plotting attacks within the country. The teenager, who was allegedly in contact with members of ISIS and Hamas, was arrested in Ramallah about two weeks ago during a coordinated operation conducted by the Shin Bet and Tel Aviv police.

According to the indictment, the minor allegedly served a foreign terror organization by performing a series of intelligence-gathering missions aimed at harming Israel’s national security. The youth is said to have filmed and transmitted images and videos of Israeli sites and buildings—including those tied to the nation’s security apparatus—to terrorist groups abroad.

Interrogators revealed that the boy openly stated his desire to become a “shahid” (martyr) and attack Israeli targets. He even described early efforts to assemble explosive devices, though authorities did not specify whether he had obtained materials.

Throughout the course of the investigation, the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court imposed a strict gag order to protect operational details and extended the suspect’s detention multiple times. Once the order was lifted, officials confirmed that investigators had extracted numerous digital files from his phone that substantiated the suspicions against him.

The police issued a sharp warning to the public following the case, cautioning that “Hostile terror and intelligence groups continue to try to recruit Israeli citizens, including through social media, to carry out espionage and terror tasks inside Israel. We call on the public to avoid any contact with foreign operatives and to report any suspicious communications.”

{Matzav.com}

WATCH:

New York City mayoral hopeful Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani sought to clarify a controversial remark he made two years ago, explaining that his statement about the NYPD’s “boot being laced by the IDF” referred to past training programs between the two forces—not ongoing collaboration.

During an interview on CNN’s AC360 Thursday night, host Anderson Cooper played a clip of Mamdani’s 2023 comments, in which he said, “I think that, for anyone to care about these issues, we have to make them hyper-local. We have to make clear that when the boot of the NYPD is on your neck, it’s been laced by the IDF. We have to make, not specifically that example all the time, but just to say that, for working-class people who have very little time, who have so many stresses, who are under so many pressures, there isn’t that much time for symbolism. We have to make it materially connected to their life.”

Cooper then pressed him to explain what he meant by the statement, asking, “What does that mean? That was just two years ago, what does that mean that the boots of the NYPD have been laced by the IDF?”

Mamdani replied, “It was a reference to training exercises that have taken place between the NYPD and the IDF. And I’ve spoken, again –.”

Cooper interrupted with a follow-up question: “So, do you still believe that the NYPD is basically working hand in glove with the IDF?”

Mamdani responded, “No, what I’ve made very clear is those are training exercises that were a concern to me. And what my focus is, is on working with the NYPD to actually deliver public safety for New Yorkers across the five boroughs. And I’ve made the decision to retain Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch because of her record in being able to deliver that safety, reducing crime across the five boroughs.”

{Matzav.com}

In a Thursday night appearance on CNN’s AC360, New York City mayoral contender Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani made it clear that, if elected, he would prevent the NYPD from collaborating with federal agencies on civil immigration enforcement. He argued that the department’s job is to focus on the city’s own issues rather than carry out federal directives.

Host Anderson Cooper pressed him on the subject, asking, “So, what do you do if he decides to — we already saw there was an ICE action on Canal Street. They said they were targeting undocumented immigrants who were selling counterfeit bags, which, on Canal Street, is kind of — there’s a long history of that, obviously. What do you do?”

Mamdani was quick to respond. “I think this is an example of what is unacceptable in this country. I think the first thing that you do is you close the door that Eric Adams opened to the NYPD doing civil immigration enforcement. He said that on national television. The second thing you do –.”

Before he could continue, Cooper interjected with a pointed question: “So, you would not allow the New York Police Department to engage or to cooperate with ICE or DHS?”
Mamdani replied decisively, “Not in civil immigration enforcement. We have sanctuary city laws where we’ve made very, very clear that, for a set of serious crimes, there is coordination with the federal administration. But anything beyond that, beyond that, I think, 172 crimes that are listed, that is something for the NYPD to focus on purely right here in New York City.”

Mamdani’s remarks drew a sharp line between federal immigration enforcement and local policing, underscoring his belief that New York’s sanctuary city policies should remain firm. By closing what he called the “door” opened by Mayor Eric Adams, Mamdani said he would return the NYPD’s priorities to serving New Yorkers exclusively — not acting as an arm of federal immigration authorities.

WATCH:

U.S. Vice President JD Vance drew sharp criticism after refusing to denounce an antisemitic comment made by a student during a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi — deepening unease over rising antisemitism among young conservatives and the Republican Party’s evolving stance on Israel. The incident unfolded as Vance took questions from […]

In a dramatic development, IDF Military Advocate General Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi submitted her resignation on Friday after acknowledging she authorized the release of a surveillance video from the Sde Teiman detention facility that allegedly showed severe abuse of a Palestinian detainee. Tomer-Yerushalmi, who had been on leave since police opened a criminal probe into […]

The Trump administration has reportedly approved military strikes on targets inside Venezuela as part of its intensified campaign against Latin American drug trafficking, according to multiple U.S. officials and intelligence sources familiar with the planning. The authorization follows prior U.S. naval operations in the Caribbean and is seen as a significant shift toward direct confrontation […]

Rep. Ilhan Omar took aim at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer this week, questioning why he has refused to endorse Democrat Zohran Mamdani in New York City’s upcoming mayoral race, Fox News reports. Speaking on CNN, Omar expressed frustration that Schumer has stayed silent while other top Democrats have stepped up to back the party’s nominee.

“Now, Hakeem Jeffries, your leader, has somewhat reluctantly, but has endorsed Zohran Mamdani, Chuck Schumer still has not. Why do you think Chuck Schumer has not endorsed Zohran Mamdani?” CNN host Kasie Hunt asked Omar.

“I really don‘t know. It makes no sense,” Omar said. “We as Democrats have always believed that, in an election, we support our party‘s nominee. Schumer has pressured other Democrats to do just that, and he should be following his own advice.”

Mamdani’s candidacy has been a lightning rod for controversy since his nomination, largely because of his hard-left agenda and open embrace of socialist principles. Party leaders have been divided over whether to rally behind him or distance themselves from his brand of progressive politics.

Hunt pressed further, asking Omar whether she believed religion might be a factor in Schumer’s hesitation. Omar didn’t mince words. “Well, the tsunami of the anti-Muslim attacks that we are seeing is deeply concerning. And I would hope that the Democratic leader in the Senate would recognize that and would offer support not just to Mamdani, but the million Muslims who live in New York City and the millions who live in New York and in America.”

The conversation then turned to one of the controversies surrounding Mamdani—his delayed response to condemning the slogan “Globalize the intifada.” Critics have argued that his handling of that issue exposed antisemitic undertones. Omar dismissed that line of criticism entirely.

“Well, everything he does or says seems to be called antisemitic,” Omar said as she scoffed. “What I do know is that he has support from a broad coalition of New Yorkers. He‘s got a huge coalition of Jewish voters that are supporting him. He‘s got a huge coalition of Muslims of every sect.

“He‘s got a huge coalition of young people who are supporting him. And the reason they are supporting him is not just because he‘s an exciting candidate to support. It’s because he took the time to listen where the policy pains were for New Yorkers. And he‘s offering a solution for them. They see hope in the kind of progress that he could create for New Yorkers.”

The interview concluded with Hunt bringing up Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has not only endorsed Mamdani but has also campaigned for him. Hunt asked whether Omar would support Ocasio-Cortez challenging Schumer for his Senate seat.

“I would like Alex to do whatever it is that Alex wants, and I‘ll be there to support her,” Omar replied.

Hamas operatives have re-entered zones under IDF control to look for the remains of slain hostages, Kan reports, citing an informed source. This is the first such access granted since Tuesday’s deadly shooting attack on IDF forces in Rafah. Earlier reporting noted that previous searches by Hamas in IDF-held areas uncovered weapons, raising tensions around […]

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