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Hamas released a video on Monday evening showing Eden Yerushalmi Hy”d, one of the six hostages who were killed, with their bodies recovered by the IDF over the weekend.

Eden Yerushalmi’s last message to her family from Hamas captivity in video released by Hamas 

Eden’s family expressed their grief, stating, “Our Eden, we also love you and miss you so much. You will forever remain in our hearts.”

On Sunday, Carmit Yitzchaki, Eden’s aunt, shared with Kan 11 News that the family is devastated. “We are shattered; we truly believed she would return to us. Eden was full of joy, and we were holding on to the hope of a joyful reunion. Our family is completely broken. I wouldn’t want any other family to go through the pain we are enduring. We must bring them all back.”

Reflecting on her niece’s suffering, Yitzchaki said, “She endured 11 months of this torment, and it breaks my heart to think about what she went through. What was on her mind in those final moments? What did she feel? I beg for her forgiveness for not doing more. I’m so sorry, Eden. Please forgive me. I love you. Watch over us from above,” she said, her voice filled with emotion.

“Eden was overlooked in the first round of releases, but then the fighting resumed. There’s nothing more I can say except, Eden, please look down on us and protect us.”

“Eden was a joyful soul who cherished life. She had plans to travel to Greece and India. She was just a young girl who went to a party, who had a passion for cooking and sewing. I believe she held onto hope that someone would come to her rescue. I want everyone to remember Eden as the happy person she was,” Yitzchaki concluded.

{Matzav.com Israel}

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised a demonstration of new exploding drones designed to crash into targets, state media said Monday, as the U.S. and South Korea engage in joint military drills. North Korean test photos showed a white drone with X-shaped tails and wings supposedly crashing into and destroying a target resembling South Korea’s main K-2 battle tank. Most combat drones stand off from targets and fire missiles. The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said Saturday’s test involved various types of drones built to fly different ranges to attack enemy targets on land and sea and flew along various routes before accurately hitting test targets. After the test, Kim pledged to spur the development of drones that explode on impact, conduct reconnaissance or attack targets underwater to boost his country’s war readiness, saying the North’s military should be equipped with advanced drones “as early as possible,” KCNA said. The drone test came as the U.S. and South Korean militaries conduct the large-scale Ulchi Freedom Shield drills, which continue through Thursday. The exercises focus on enhancing their readiness against North Korean threats and include computer-simulated war games and live-fire training, with a combined aerial drill involving 60 warplanes that began its three-day run on Monday. South Korea’s air force said the drill, which kicked off with precision-bombing demonstrations that included South Korean F-35 and F-16 fighter jets, is aimed at coping with North Korean threats posed by drones, cruise missiles and artillery. The United States and South Korea also began Monday a separate amphibious landing drill involving dozens of aircraft and vessels from their navies and marines, including U.S. F-35 fighters and amphibious assault ship USS Boxer. South Korea’s military said the Ssangyong Exercise, which will continue through Sept. 7, is aimed at sharpening combat interoperability. Lee Chang Hyun, spokesperson of South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a briefing that South Korea’s military was closely examining North Korea’s drone capabilities and that the South’s military is equipped with systems to detect and intercept them, without providing further details. Some analysts suggest the North Korean drones shown in state media photos resemble Russia’s Zala Lancet-3 drones, and Lee said the South was looking into the possibility Russia had helped North Korea acquire its drone capability. “We are aware that during the past exchanges between North Korea and Russia that some (drones) were given (to North Korea) as gifts,” Lee said. “We would need to analyze various aspects, including whether (North Korea) would have modified to improve their capabilities or other possibilities.” North Korea and Russia have been aligning closely in the face of their separate confrontations with the U.S. Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin held summits this June and in September last year. Washington and its allies have accused the countries of expanding an alleged arms arrangement in which North Korea provides Putin with badly needed munitions to prolong Russia’s fighting in Ukraine in exchange for economic aid and technologies to upgrade Kim’s nuclear-armed military. Animosity on the Korean Peninsula is high as Kim uses Russia’s war against Ukraine as a distraction while he strengthens his nuclear-armed military and issues verbal threats of conflict toward Washington and Seoul. While most of the international attention has been focused on his long-range missiles designed to reach […]

Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu Rips, a scientist renowned for uncovering hidden “Bible codes” within the Torah passed away at the age of 75, The New York Times reports.

Rabbi Rips was born on December 12, 1948, in Latvia to parents who survived the Holocaust. A mathematical genius, he began his formal education in mathematics at the University of Latvia when he was just 16 years old.

In 1972, Rips emigrated to Israel and later earned his doctorate from Hebrew University in 1975.

Rabbi Rips gained widespread attention in 1994 when he, along with Yoav Rosenberg and Doron Witztum, published a paper in the journal Statistical Science. The paper claimed to have discovered a hidden code in Sefer Bereishis. Their research introduced a method called equidistant letter sequences, through which they found the names and birthdates of various gedolim who lived centuries after the Torah was written.

The process involved compressing the entire Torah into a single sequence of 304,805 letters. A computer program was then used to search for letters spaced at regular intervals, which the researchers said formed meaningful names and phrases.

This paper sparked significant interest and led to the publication of a book by Michael Drosnin. Drosnin asserted that he had identified predictions of major events within Bereishis and the rest of the Torah using the same method.

In his book, Drosnin said that he had foreseen the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzchok Rabin a year before it occurred and had even traveled to Israel to warn him. He also asserted that the method had revealed the assassinations of U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1963 and the death of Princess Diana in 1997.

In 1997, Rips, Witztum, Rosenberg, and Drosnin received the Ig Nobel Prize, which is awarded for unusual achievements that “first make people laugh, then make them think.” The award was given in the literature category.

In addition to his work on the Bible code, Rabbi Rips was recognized for his contributions to geometric group theory, notably for developing the Rips Machine, a significant tool in the field.

Rabbi Rips is survived by his wife, Devorah, their five children, and over 30 grandchildren.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

Chassidish avreichim on the way back from davening at the kever of Reb Shayele of Kerestir in Hungary were involved in a serious car accident only five minutes away from the town early Tuesday afternoon. Their vehicle collided with a truck, leaving the two chassidim sitting in the front seat seriously injured and the two in the back seat lightly injured. Some reports say that one of the chassidim is in critical condition. The seriously injured victims were evacuated via helicopter to the hospital and the lightly injured victims were evacuated by ambulance. The public is asked to daven for a refuah sheleimah for: Avraham Eliezer ben Tsharna Leah Chaim Yeshayahu ben Hinda Bluma Yisrael Pinchas ben Sora Meir Tzvi ben Sora Esther (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)  

Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, the Chief Rabbi of Britain, expressed strong disapproval on Monday regarding the British government’s recent decision to halt some of its arms sales to Israel.

“It beggars belief that the British government, a close strategic ally of Israel, has announced a partial suspension of arms licenses, at a time when Israel is fighting a war for its very survival on seven fronts forced upon it on the 7th October, and at the very moment when six hostages murdered in cold blood by cruel terrorists were being buried by their families,” Rabbi Mirvis wrote on social media site X.

Rabbi Mirvis continued by highlighting the serious challenges Israel is facing. “As Israel faces down the threat of Iran and its proxies, not just to its own people, but to all of us in the democratic west; this announcement feeds the falsehood that Israel is in breach of International Humanitarian Law, when in fact it is going to extraordinary lengths to uphold it. Sadly, this announcement will serve to encourage our shared enemies. It will not help to secure the release of the remaining 101 hostages, nor contribute to the peaceful future we wish and pray for, for all people in the region and beyond,” he added.

He concluded with a call for unity between Britain and Israel, saying, “Britain and Israel have so much to gain by standing together against our common enemies for the sake of a safer world. Surely that must be the way forward.”

Earlier that day, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy revealed the UK’s decision to suspend certain arms sales to Israel.

This suspension, affecting approximately 30 out of 350 arms sales licenses, was announced shortly after the tragic discovery of six Israeli hostages who were brutally murdered by Hamas in a tunnel beneath Rafah.

“Facing a conflict such as this, it is this government’s legal duty to review Britain’s export licenses,” Lammy said. “This is not a blanket ban, this is not an arms embargo.”

Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant voiced his deep concern over the UK’s decision, stating, “Deeply disheartened to learn of the sanctions placed by the U.K. Government on export licenses to Israel’s defense establishment. This comes at a time when we fight a war on 7 different fronts – a war that was launched by a savage terrorist organization, unprovoked. At a time when we mourn 6 hostages who were executed in cold blood by Hamas inside tunnels in Gaza. At a time when we fight to bring 101 hostages home.”

Gallant reaffirmed his support for Israel’s military efforts, saying, “I stand by our troops and security agencies working with immense courage, professionalism and moral values. We remain committed to defending the State of Israel and her people.”

Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, also responded, expressing disappointment in the British government’s recent decisions. “Israel is disappointed by the British government’s recent series of decisions, including the latest decision regarding security exports to Israel, the British Government’s decision to withdraw its request to submit an amicus brief to the ICC, and its stance on UNRWA, as well as the UK’s recent conduct and statements in the UN Security Council.”

Katz emphasized Israel’s adherence to international law and expressed expectations of support from allied nations. “Israel is a law-abiding state that operates in accordance with international law and has an independent and respected judicial system – we expect friendly countries, such as the UK, to recognize this all year-round, especially just days after Hamas terrorists executed six Israeli hostages, during intense negotiations for the release of the hostages and for a ceasefire, and in light of the recent threats by the Iranian regime to attack the State of Israel.”

He warned of the potential negative implications of the UK’s actions, stating, “A step like the one taken by the UK now sends a very problematic message to the Hamas terrorist organization and its backers in Iran.”

Katz concluded with a hope for the continuation of strong relations between the UK and Israel. “We hope that the deep friendship between the UK and Israel, which has been maintained throughout all the years since the founding of the State of Israel, will continue in the future.”

Lammy’s predecessor, David Cameron, had previously opposed banning arms sales to Israel, arguing that such a move would not solve the conflict and would only serve to strengthen Hamas.

{Matzav.com}

A Venezuelan judge on Monday issued an arrest warrant for the opposition’s former presidential candidate Edmundo González as part of a criminal investigation into the results of the highly anticipated July election that both the ruling party and its opponents claim to have won. The warrant was issued at the request of authorities who accuse González, a former diplomat, of various crimes including conspiracy, falsifying documents and usurpation of powers. The move is the latest escalation of repression against the opposition in the month after election officials declared President Nicolás Maduro had won a third six-year term in office. Authorities sought the warrant after González failed to appear three times to answer questions from prosecutors. González, 75, has not made any public appearances since the day after the election. His campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. Prosecutors have zeroed in on thousands of tally sheets known as actas — printouts measuring several feet that resemble shopping receipts — that have long been considered the ultimate proof of election results in Venezuela. Each of the 30,000 electronic voting machines used in the July 28 election printed several copies of the sheets, whose information was also transmitted to the National Electoral Council. Ruling party-loyal electoral authorities declared Maduro the victor hours after polls closed, but they did not publish results broken down by voting machine as they had done in previous presidential elections. The National Electoral Council claimed it could not release the detailed information because its website was hacked. By law, each party participating in the election has the right to a tally sheet from every machine. Government supporters attempted to block opposition representatives from obtaining copies of the crucial documents, but it managed to secure them from more than 80% of machines. González and opposition leader María Corina Machado then stunned supporters and adversaries alike by announcing the documents showed Maduro lost by a wide margin against the former diplomat and publishing the records online. As international pressure grew to release a breakdown of results, Maduro asked the country’s high court to audit the electoral process, drawing immediate criticism from foreign observers who said the court is too close to the government to produce an independent review. The magistrates of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice are proposed by federal officials and ratified by the National Assembly, which is dominated by Maduro sympathizers. The court concluded on Aug. 22 that the vote counts published by the opposition were false and certified Maduro’s victory. Maduro’s United Socialist Party of Venezuela refused to publish its copies of tally sheets. González, who represented the Unitary Platform opposition coalition, was summoned to the prosecutor’s office as recently as Friday. He has questioned the prosecutors’ actions for lack of due process guarantees and accused Attorney General Tarek William Saab, a longtime Maduro ally, of being a “political accuser” who “condemns in advance.” González rejected the interview summons arguing, among other issues, that they did not specify the condition under which he was expected to appear. “Maduro has lost all touch with reality,” Machado wrote on X after the warrant was issued. “The arrest warrant issued by the regime to threaten President-Elect Edmundo González crosses a new line that only strengthens the resolve of our movement. Venezuelans and democracies […]

Asked by a reporter if he has plans to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, U.S. President Joe Biden said “eventually.” Asked if it would happen this week or next, the U.S. president said “eventually,” per the White House pool report.

Earlier on Monday Biden said that Netanyahu wasn’t doing enough to free the hostages. The Israeli prime minister responded to a similar question from a reporter during a speech, in which he said that “I was asked whether I am not doing enough to the release of hostages. Well, I want to set the record straight.”

“On April 27, Secretary of State Blinken said that ‘Israel made an extraordinary, generous offer for a hostage deal.’ On May 31, Israel agreed to a U.S.-backed proposal. Hamas refused,” Netanyahu said. “On Aug. 16, Israel agreed to what the United States defined as a ‘final bridging proposal.’ Hamas refused again.”

“On Aug. 19th, Secretary Blinken said, ‘Israel accepted the U.S. proposal. Now Hamas must do the same.’ On August 28—that’s five days ago, five days ago—deputy CIA director said that ‘Israel shows seriousness in the negotiations. Now Hamas must show the same seriousness.’”

“I want to ask you something. What has changed in the last five days? What has changed? One thing: these murderers executed six of our hostages. They shot them in the back of the head. That’s what changed,” Netanyahu said. “And now after this, we’re asked to show seriousness? We’re asked to make concessions? What message does this send Hamas? It says, kill more hostages. Murder more hostages and you will get more concessions.”

“The pressure internationally must be directed at these killers. At Hamas. Not at Israel. We say ‘yes’. They say ‘no’ all the time, but they also murdered these people, and we now we need maximum pressure on Hamas,” he added. ” I don’t believe that either President Biden or anyone serious about achieving peace and achieving the release would seriously ask Israel—Israel—to make these concessions. We’ve already made them. Hamas has to make the concessions.”

Per the pool report, Biden was asked about Netanyahu’s press conference, and the U.S. president said that “we’re still in negotiations—not with him, but with my colleagues from Qatar and from Egypt.” JNS

{Matzav.com}

Former President Donald Trump made statements during an interview with Fox News that have drawn raised eyebrows from legal experts who argue that he may have inadvertently admitted to breaking the law. During the interview with host Mark Levin on Sunday, Trump asserted that he had “every right” to interfere in the 2020 election, a claim that has raised eyebrows among legal professionals and political observers alike. His comments follow a recent development in the case brought against him by Special Counsel Jack Smith, who amended the charges to address a Supreme Court ruling that grants presidents significant immunity from criminal prosecution for actions taken in their official capacity. “Who ever heard you get indicted for interfering with a presidential election, where you have every right to do it?” Trump stated during the interview, appearing unapologetic about his actions following his defeat in the 2020 election. He further remarked on the impact of the indictments on his political standing, noting, “You get indicted and your poll numbers go up… when people get indicted, your poll numbers go down.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Two American service members were assaulted by a mob of young Turkish nationalists in the western city of Izmir on Monday. The attack, which appeared to be an attempted kidnapping, was thwarted when fellow US soldiers and Turkish police intervened. According to reports, the American personnel, who are safe, were targeted by members of the Turkiye Genclik Birligi (TGB), or the “Turkey Youth Union,” a virulently anti-American group affiliated with the fringe nationalist party Vatan Partisi. The attackers threw a sack over the head of one American sailor while the other tried to defend him, prompting chants of “Yankee go home!” and “America is finished!” from the crowd. Turkish police arrested 15 of the assailants. The TGB claimed responsibility for the attack on social media, describing it as a “sack action” and vowing to continue targeting US soldiers. The group has conducted similar assaults in the past, including a 2014 attack on three US Navy personnel in Istanbul. The US Embassy in Turkey confirmed the incident and thanked Turkish authorities for their response. The attack occurred during a scheduled port visit by the USS Wasp, which had participated in bilateral training with the Turkish Navy prior to docking in Izmir. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The Lufthansa Group, which includes Swiss International Air Lines and Austrian Airlines, revealed on Monday evening that it will recommence its flights to Israel starting next Thursday.

At the end of July, the group disclosed that it would halt flights to Israel due to concerns about the worsening security situation and periodically conducted security reviews.

Lufthansa provides regular services between Ben Gurion Airport and the cities of Munich and Frankfurt.

Despite Lufthansa’s decision to restart flights to Israel, numerous other international airlines have yet to announce a similar decision.

Notably, United Airlines remains one of the major carriers that has not resumed flights and has not provided an update on when it will return to Israel.

Additionally, American Airlines is anticipated to resume flights to Israel only in March 2025, while Delta is expected to restart its operations by the end of the month.

{Matzav.com}

It might feel like the presidential election is still a long way off. It’s not. Election Day on Nov. 5 is only about two months away, and major dates, events and political developments will make it fly by. The stretch between now and then will go as fast as summer break from school in most parts of the country. The first mail ballots will be sent to voters this Friday. The first presidential debate is set for Sept. 10. Former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, is scheduled to be sentenced in his New York hush money case on Sept. 18. And early in-person voting will start as soon as Sept. 20 in some states. Here’s a look at why the calendar will move quickly, with the Democratic and Republican conventions over and Labor Day signaling the traditional start of campaign season. Who’s ready to vote? The first batch of ballots typically sent out are ones to military and overseas voters. Under federal law, that must happen at least 45 days before an election — which this year is Sept. 21. Some states start earlier. North Carolina will begin sending mail ballots to all voters who request them, including military personnel and overseas voters, on Sept. 6. Voter registration deadlines vary by state, with most falling between eight and 30 days before the election, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The deadline is Oct. 7 in Georgia, one of this year’s most prominent presidential battlegrounds. Nearly all states offer some version of in-person voting, though the rules and dates vary considerably. In Pennsylvania, another of the major presidential battleground states, voters can visit their local election office to request, complete and return a mail ballot beginning Sept. 16. For those counting, that’s a little over two weeks from now. The gloves come off Whether, where and under what rules the Democratic and Republican presidential and vice presidential nominees will debate has been a point of contention for weeks. But for now, two match-ups are on the calendar. Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris have accepted an invitation from ABC News to debate Sept. 10 in Philadelphia. Harris’ pick for vice president, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and Trump’s, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, have agreed to an Oct. 1 debate hosted by CBS News in New York City. Harris has forecast a possible second debate with Trump, but her proposal appeared to be contingent on the GOP nominee’s participation in the Sept. 10 debate. Trump has proposed three presidential debates with different television networks. Vance has challenged Walz to another vice presidential debate on Sept. 18, although it’s not been set. A possible criminal sentence for Trump Trump is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 18 in his hush money criminal case, though his lawyers have asked the judge to delay the proceeding until after Election Day. A decision is expected early this month. In a letter to Judge Juan M. Merchan, Trump’s lawyers suggested that holding the sentencing as scheduled, about seven weeks before Election Day, would amount to election interference. On Sept. 16, Merchan is expected to rule on Trump’s request to overturn the guilty verdict and dismiss the case because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s July presidential immunity ruling. Trump was convicted in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 hush money payment to a woman just before the 2016 […]

Synopsis: A language that is unique to the Jewish nation is holier, so using Yiddish to study Torah keeps the Torah as holy as possible, which is admirable for native Yiddish speakers. The difficulty is when children who are not fluent in Yiddish translate from Hebrew to Yiddish, and today’s educators are moving away from this.

WATCH:

Two Russian ballistic missiles struck an educational facility and nearby hospital in a central-eastern region of Ukraine, killing at least 41 people and wounding 180 others, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday. The strike occurred in the city of Poltava, the capital of the region of the same name, officials said. Poltava is located about 110 kilometers (70 miles) from the border with Russia and about 350 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Kyiv. The strike appeared to be one of the deadliest carried out by Russian forces since the war began more than 900 days ago on Feb. 24, 2022. “One of the buildings of the Institute of Communications was partially destroyed. People found themselves under the rubble. Many were saved,” Zelenskyy said in a video posted on his Telegram channel. “All necessary services are involved in the rescue operation,” he added. He said he had ordered “a full and prompt investigation” into what happened. Zelenskyy didn’t provide any further details. The missiles hit shortly after the air raid alert sounded, when many people were on their way to a bomb shelter, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said, describing the strike as “barbaric.” Rescue crews and medics saved 25 people, 11 of them dug out from the rubble, a Defense Ministry statement said. Zelenskyy repeated his appeal for Ukraine’s Western partners to ensure swift delivery of military aid. He has previously chided the U.S. and European countries for being slow to make good on their pledges of help. He also wants them to ease restrictions on what Ukraine can target on Russian soil with the weapons they provide. Some countries fear that hitting Russia could escalate the war. “Ukraine needs air defense systems and missiles now, not sitting in storage,” Zelenskyy wrote in English on Telegram. “Long-range strikes that can protect us from Russian terror are needed now, not later. Every day of delay, unfortunately, means more lost lives,” he said. (AP)

Security officials believe that the terrorists who planted a car bomb that was found on the yishuv of Ateret in the pre-dawn hours of Monday morning intended to kill dozens of children. Investigators who arrived at the scene found an explosive device that contained 49 kilograms of explosives and a small camera in the car. The camera was transmitting live footage of the area to the terrorists who were watching it from afar and waiting to blow up the car at the opportune moment – when the maximum number of Jews could be killed at once. Officials believe they were waiting until the yishuv’s school bus passed by the front gate to distribute students to schools in the area. IDF forces have launched a manhunt for the terrorists which is still ongoing as of Tuesday morning. On Monday afternoon, police and military sappers blew up the car in a controlled explosion. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)  

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A Nukhba commander who led the raid and massacre at the Netiv Ha’asara moshav on October 7 was killed in an airstrike in the Gaza Strip, the IDF confirmed on Tuesday morning. Hamas commander Ahmed Fawzi Nasser Muhammad Wadiyya was killed in a strike in a terror stronghold near the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, along with seven other terrorists, including an expert on anti-tank weapons who was responsible for supplying Hamas with the explosives devices for the October 7 assault. Wadiyaa, who infiltrated the moshav on a paraglider, was among a group of terrorists who threw a grenade into the home of the Taasa family. The father of the family, Gil, H’yd, 46, who was in the safe room with his two youngest sons, Koren, 12 and Shay, 8, jumped on the grenade to save his sons. The terrorists then entered the home to make sure Gil was dead and Wadiyaa opened the fridge and drank some Coke in front of the two wounded and bleeding boys. The terrorists then left the house and continued the massacre. The shocking footage of the incident, which was captured on the home’s security cameras, was included in the film of the horrors shown worldwide to select audiences. The two boys survived but Shay lost sight in one of his eyes due to a shrapnel wound. Sadly, their father was not the only family member they lost that day. Their oldest brother Or, H”yd, 17, who left early that morning to go fishing at Zikim beach was killed by Hamas terrorists who infiltrated Israel via sea. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

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New York City’s West Indian American Day Parade, one of the world’s largest celebrations of Caribbean culture, was marred by a shooting Monday along the parade route. At least two people were wounded by gunfire around 2:35 p.m., police said, hours after the parade kicked off with thousands of revelers dancing and marching through Brooklyn. Details on their conditions and the extent of their injuries were not immediately available, police said. An Associated Press videographer saw at least two people being treated next to the parade route on Eastern Parkway for what appeared to be wounds to the face and arm. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was marching in the parade at the time, but completed the route. Police cordoned off an area adjacent to the parade route, where they had placed crime scene markers. The parade continued flowing past as officers were seen bagging items. The parade, an annual Labor Day event in its 57th year, turns the thoroughfare into a kaleidoscope of feather-covered costumes and colorful flags as participants make their way down the thoroughfare alongside floats stacked high with speakers playing soca and reggae music. The parade routinely attracts huge crowds, who line the almost 2-mile (3.2-kilometer) route that runs from Crown Heights to the Brooklyn Museum. It’s also a popular destination for local politicians, many of whom have West Indian heritage or represent members of the city’s large Caribbean community. Though a joyous occasion, the parade and related celebrations have been plagued by violence over the years. In 2016, two people were killed and several others were wounded near the parade route. The year before, Carey Gabay, an aide to then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo was shot in the head during pre-parade festivities. He died nine days later. The West Indian American Day Parade has its roots in more traditionally timed, pre-Lent Carnival celebrations started by a Trinidadian immigrant in Manhattan around a century ago, according to the organizers. The festivities were moved to the warmer time of year in the 1940s. Brooklyn, where hundreds of thousands of Caribbean immigrants and their descendants have settled, began hosting the parade in the 1960s. The Labor Day parade is now the culmination of days of carnival events in the city, which includes a steel pan band competition and J’Ouvert, a separate street party commemorating freedom from slavery. (AP)

Top sources have revealed to The Jerusalem Post that the IDF’s strike on Iran’s S-300 antiaircraft missile system on April 19 has significantly deterred the Islamic Republic and Hezbollah from retaliating against Israel in the wake of the assassinations of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr. The strike, which was in response to Tehran’s launch of over 300 aerial threats against Israel on April 13-14, has had a profound impact on Iran’s willingness to engage in further military action, the sources said, noting that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, views the strike on the S-300 as a significant loss and can’t figure out how Israel achieved it. The proximity of the system to Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility and a key military airport has also made Khamenei aware of Israel’s capabilities and its ability to destroy the military site if it wanted to. So far, Iran has not responded at all militarily to the assassination of Haniyeh, which occurred in Tehran as he visited the country to attend the swearing-in of President Masoud Pezeshkian. Hezbollah, on the other hand, has chosen a more limited option to retaliate against Israel, launching several hundred rockets at IDF bases rather than unleashing a full-scale war. Sources attributed this change in plan to fears of Israel’s military capabilities, as demonstrated in April. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A Hamas manual outlining its tunnel warfare strategy reveals how the militant group has managed to withstand eleven months of conflict against Israel’s superior military forces, according to a report by the New York Times.

The 2019 manual meticulously details the tactics and methods that Hamas commanders were directed to employ, allowing them to maximize the use of the extensive tunnel system that runs beneath the Gaza Strip.

Another document revealed that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar sanctioned a $225,000 project to install blast doors to safeguard vulnerable parts of the tunnel network a year before the October 7 attacks.

Before the October 7 massacre, Israel’s focus was primarily on tunnels that extended beyond the Gaza border. This oversight allowed Hamas to construct an expansive tunnel network within Gaza itself, enabling the group to evade confrontations, launch surprise attacks, move covertly, and conceal many of the roughly 250 hostages abducted on October 7, according to the report.

Experts have noted that this elaborate tunnel system is a significant reason Israel has not yet achieved its objective of dismantling Hamas. If forced to fight entirely aboveground, the group’s forces would likely be overpowered by the IDF.

The manual includes guidance on how to disguise tunnel entrances from Israeli forces, how to conduct ambushes, how to effectively use firearms in the tight confines of a tunnel, and the use of night-vision goggles to assist in combat within the dark tunnels.

To avoid engaging Hamas on its own terms, the IDF has largely refrained from tunnel combat. Consequently, most of the battles have occurred aboveground, where Israeli forces hold the advantage, leading to significant losses within Hamas’ leadership and fighting forces.

Approximately 17,000 Hamas fighters have been killed, with thousands more injured during the conflict, according to IDF reports. Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, is believed to be hiding in one of the remaining tunnels, possibly surrounded by Israeli hostages being used as human shields.

In July, Mohammed Deif, the Commander of Hamas’ Military Wing and Sinwar’s second in command, was killed in an IDF airstrike in Khan Yunis.

{Matzav.com}