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In a major policy shift, the Israeli government announced Sunday that bochurim enrolled in yeshivos who have not enlisted in the IDF will lose their National Insurance benefits starting January 1, 2026.

The decision, revealed in a state submission to the High Court of Justice, follows a previous Supreme Court order requiring the government to terminate these benefits and to clarify within 30 days the timeframe for implementation.

State representatives informed the court that, “after completing discussions between the relevant authorities regarding the necessary transition period, and reviewing the time required for both individual and institutional adjustment, the state will be prepared to implement the updated legal interpretation of the National Insurance Law at the beginning of 2026.”

The move comes as part of the government’s compliance with a petition filed by the Movement for Quality Government, which had demanded an immediate halt to the stipends provided to yeshiva students who have not been formally exempted from military service. The petition argued that “in the absence of a legal framework permitting the non-drafting of students in religious institutions, the state cannot continue to transfer financial support to those not officially exempt.”

The organization welcomed the government’s response, calling it “a significant and faster-than-expected achievement.” Petitioners noted that the relatively short three-month transition period — ending as the new fiscal year begins — would simplify the practical and administrative aspects of the change.

The decision is expected to have far-reaching implications across the chareidi community, affecting thousands of bochurim who currently receive National Insurance benefits as students, as the long-running standoff over ben yeshiva status continues to intensify.

{Matzav.com}

Yerushalayim saw fresh unrest Sunday evening as demonstrators blocked traffic along Bar Ilan Street to protest the recent arrests of bochurim classified by the IDF as draft evaders due to unresolved ben yeshiva status.

According to police, hundreds of protesters gathered at the site, setting bonfires and garbage bins ablaze while hurling stones and other objects at officers. Two policemen sustained light injuries during the clashes.

A senior police officer at the scene issued a dispersal order after participants ignored repeated instructions to clear the roadway. Police said that when the crowd refused to comply, riot control units were forced to deploy measures to disperse the disturbance. Two suspects were arrested and transferred for questioning.

“Even at this hour, police officers together with Border Police forces in Yerushalayim are working to restore order to the area,” authorities stated.

The protest marked yet another outcry against the ongoing arrests of chareidi draft evaders amid the government’s unresolved efforts to formalize the ben yeshiva exemption framework.

Police emphasized that while lawful demonstrations are permitted, “any disorderly conduct, assault on officers, or violent rioting will be dealt with in accordance with the law.”

Footage from the scene shows fires burning along Rechov Bar Ilan as protesters chant and block buses and vehicles, forcing police to seal off surrounding intersections until calm was restored.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump joins ‘Sunday Morning Futures’ to discuss the Israel-Hamas and Russia-Ukraine wars, efforts to strengthen U.S. relations abroad and the push for lasting peace in the Middle East.

WATCH:

During an appearance Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed to President Donald Trump to take a tougher stance against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Host Kristen Welker asked, “Part of President Trump’s success with Israel and Hamas was that he applied pressure to all sides. Does President Trump need to get tougher with President Putin?”

Zelensky responded, “Yes. And even more, because Putin is something similar but more strong than Hamas. It’s more bigger war. And he is the second Army in the world and that’s why more pressure.”

Welker followed up by referencing pending U.S. legislation that would penalize nations buying Russian oil and gas. “There’s a bill in Congress that would impose sanctions and tariffs on countries that purchase Russian energy. Is it time for Congress to pass that bill?” she asked.

Zelensky answered, “Yes. Yes. We ask as quick as possible. We ask from Congress sanctions, and we ask to also energy. And we ask him very much. Also support us in the question of children, which is also very sensitive and painful for our nation. Thousands of our children been abducted by Russia. And to recognize Russia’s state of terrorism. It’s the idea of U.S. Congress, not our idea. First of all, it was from Congress and these signals and we’ve been very supportive of this idea.”

{Matzav.com}

WATCH: A Tel Aviv soccer match was canceled tonight after thousands of fans caused chaos on the field with smoke bombs and fireworks.

President Donald Trump sharply criticized Colombia’s far-left leader Gustavo Petro on Sunday, labeling him an “illegal drug dealer” and announcing that the United States would immediately stop all payments and financial aid to the country.

Trump issued the rebuke in a post on Truth Social, accusing Petro of turning Colombia’s drug trade into its largest industry.

“President Gustavo Petro, of Colombia, is an illegal drug leader strongly encouraging the massive production of drugs, in big and small fields, all over Colombia,” Trump wrote.

“It has become the biggest business in Colombia, by far, and Petro does nothing to stop it, despite large scale payments and subsidies from the USA that are nothing more than a long term rip off of America,” he added.

“AS OF TODAY, THESE PAYMENTS, OR ANY OTHER FORM OF PAYMENT, OR SUBSIDIES, WILL NO LONGER BE MADE TO COLOMBIA,” Trump declared. “The purpose of this drug production is the sale of massive amounts of product into the United States, causing death, destruction, and havoc.”

Trump then issued a stern warning to Petro, saying that if Colombia’s leadership fails to act, the U.S. will.

“Petro, a low rated and very unpopular leader, with a fresh mouth toward America, better close up these killing fields immediately, or the United States will close them up for him, and it won’t be done nicely,” he concluded.

The comments came just a day after Trump revealed that his administration carried out a targeted strike on “narcoterrorists,” two of whom were nationals of Colombia and Ecuador. The operation reportedly intercepted a vessel carrying a deadly shipment of drugs.

“U.S. Intelligence confirmed this vessel was loaded up with mostly Fentanyl, and other illegal narcotics. There were four known narcoterrorists on board the vessel,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post that included footage of the strike.

“Two of the terrorists were killed. At least 25,000 Americans would die if I allowed this submarine to come ashore,” he added. “The two surviving terrorists are being returned to their Countries of origin, Ecuador and Colombia, for detention and prosecution.”

Trump emphasized that his administration “will not tolerate narcoterrorists trafficking illegal drugs, by land or by sea.”

In response, Petro said that one of the men returned to Colombia would face justice there. “We are glad he is alive and he will be prosecuted according to the law,” Petro told AFP.

{Matzav.com}

The FBI has launched an investigation after the U.S. Secret Service discovered a suspicious hunting stand positioned within direct view of the Air Force One landing zone used by President Donald Trump in Palm Beach, officials confirmed Sunday. FBI Director Kash Patel said the structure was found prior to Trump’s return to West Palm Beach. “Before the president’s arrival, the U.S. Secret Service discovered what appeared to be an elevated hunting stand within sight line of the Air Force One landing zone,” Patel told Fox News Digital. “No individuals were located at the scene,” Patel said, adding that the FBI has “flown in resources to collect all evidence from the scene” and is using “cell phone analytics capabilities” to identify possible links to the installation. The stand has not yet been tied to any individual. Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said the agency is “working closely” with the FBI and local law enforcement in Palm Beach County. “There was no impact to any movements and no individuals were present or involved at the location,” Guglielmi said. He added that while officials could not disclose details about the items recovered, the incident “underscores the importance of our layered security measures.” A law enforcement source told reporters the stand appeared to have been placed “months ago.” The potential oversight comes less than a month after Ryan Routh was convicted on all counts for attempting to assassinate Trump during a round of golf in September 2024 at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. Routh, who was caught with a rifle near the property’s fence, stabbed himself in the neck with a pen in court after the guilty verdict was read. That incident followed a July 2024 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a gunman opened fire from a nearby rooftop, grazing Trump’s ear before being shot by police. Both cases raised concerns about resource allocation and security preparedness surrounding the president’s movements. The FBI and Secret Service have not said whether the newly discovered structure is believed to pose a threat or to be connected to any previous incidents. Trump returned to Mar-a-Lago this weekend, where he is expected to remain through Monday. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

China accused the U.S. National Security Agency on Sunday of hacking its National Time Service Center — the facility responsible for setting and distributing the country’s official standard time used by communications, finance, power, and defense networks. The Ministry of State Security said the NSA used “special cyberattack weapons” and phone software vulnerabilities to steal data from staff between 2022 and 2024 and attempted to breach the center’s internal systems. The U.S. Embassy has not commented.

Police in Lakewood are investigating after a Jewish home was struck by gunfire late Sunday afternoon, Lakewood Alerts reported. The incident occurred around 4:15 p.m. on East 5th Street, when surveillance footage captured a red vehicle driving past the home. An occupant of the vehicle appeared to lean out of a window and fire multiple rounds, according to police. One bullet struck a parked car, shattering a window, while another round entered the home. No injuries were reported. The vehicle involved in the shooting was subsequently located by Lakewood Shomrim, with multiple suspects subsequently arrested by police. There has been no word of a motive yet. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed Sunday that the Secret Service discovered a hunting stand overlooking the area where President Donald Trump exited Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida.

“USSS spotted a suspicious stand near the AF1 zone in Palm Beach,” Patel wrote in a post on X, sharing a screenshot of a Fox News report. “The FBI is investigating.”

In comments to Fox News, Patel explained that the Secret Service “discovered what appeared to be an elevated hunting stand” with a clear view of the President’s arrival. He added that “no individuals were located at the scene.”

“Prior to the President’s return to West Palm Beach, USSS discovered what appeared to be an elevated hunting stand within sight line of the Air Force One landing zone,” Patel said, noting that the Federal Bureau of Investigation “has since taken the investigatory lead” into the discovery.

Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told Fox News that agents came upon the structure while performing “advance security preparations” ahead of Trump’s arrival in Palm Beach.

“While we are not able to provide details about the specific items or their intent, this incident underscores the importance of our layered security measures,” Guglielmi said.

The finding comes amid heightened concern for Trump’s safety following two assassination attempts in recent months.

On July 13, 2024, during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks fired from a nearby rooftop with a direct view of the stage. Trump later said he had been “shot with a bullet that pierced” his upper right ear.

Then, on September 15, 2024, Ryan Wesley Routh — who was convicted last month of attempting to assassinate Trump — was caught after a Secret Service agent spotted the barrel of his AK-style rifle “sticking out of the bushes” near Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach.

{Matzav.com}

A cargo aircraft skidded off a Hong Kong runway into the sea when landing early Monday, killing two people. The flight, arriving from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was landing at Hong Kong International Airport around 3:50 a.m., according to Hong Kong’s airport authority. Four crew members on the plane were rescued and taken to hospital. Initial reports from police said two people in an airport ground vehicle were dead. The north runway of Hong Kong’s airport, one of Asia’s busiest, where the aircraft skidded off runway, has been closed, authorities said. Two other runways at the airport continue to operate. The Boeing 747 freighter is a Turkish air cargo carrier AirACT aircraft flying for Emirates SkyCargo, with the flight number EK9788. It was flying from Al Maktoum International Airport. Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department said in a statement it was following up with the airline and other parties involved in the crash. (AP)

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner are slated to arrive in Israel on Monday, followed by Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday, according to a U.S. official cited by the Times of Israel. During their visit, the three officials are expected to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior Israeli officials to advance Washington’s ongoing Gaza ceasefire framework discussions. The upcoming meetings have already affected Netanyahu’s schedule. The Jerusalem District Court on Sunday canceled hearings for the prime minister’s testimony in his corruption trial that were set for Monday and Tuesday, after Netanyahu cited “urgent diplomatic meetings.” Netanyahu’s legal team told the court that he would also be unable to testify on Wednesday or Thursday due to Vance’s arrival and a swearing-in ceremony for incoming Shin Bet chief David Zini. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

At least 45 people were killed in a wave of Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run civil defense agency and local hospitals, which updated an earlier casualty count. The IDF said it carried out strikes on “dozens of Hamas targets” following an attack by gunmen in southern Gaza that left two Israeli soldiers dead and three others wounded. Mahmud Bassal, a spokesperson for the Hamas-run civil defense agency, told AFP that “at least 45 people were killed as a result of Israeli air strikes on various areas of the Gaza Strip.” Four hospitals in the enclave confirmed the death toll to AFP, saying they had received both the dead and wounded. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s insistence Sunday morning that “we will give nothing” to Russia, President Donald Trump pushed back, arguing that conflicts aren’t typically resolved without territory or concessions changing hands.

“Well, he’s going to take something,” Trump said Sunday morning in a televised interview recorded earlier this week after the Zelenskyy meeting at the White House.

“I mean, they fought and he has a lot of property. I mean, yeah, he’s won certain – you say that, he’s won – certain property.”

Trump argued that the United States has a habit of entering wars without securing long-term benefits, and he criticized that approach.

“We’re the only nation that goes in and wins a war and leaves, you know?” Trump said. “Like we did under President [George W.] Bush in the Middle East.

“We go in, we blast the hell out of everybody, destroy the place and then we leave, you know?”

He also invoked his past calls about Syria’s energy resources, saying that when the U.S. stepped into conflicts it often failed to hold strategic assets.

“Remember, I used to say keep the oil?” Trump continued. “I said two things. I said, don’t go in. But then they went in.

“And I said, well, don’t go in, but if you’re going to go in, keep the oil.

“We didn’t keep the oil. What do we do? We blast it to pieces and then we leave, you know? Doesn’t make sense, never made sense.”

{Matzav.com}

A North Korean soldier defected to South Korea on Sunday, crossing the heavily fortified border that divides the two countries, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. The soldier was taken into custody and reportedly expressed a desire to resettle in the South. It was the first known defection of a North Korean soldier since August 2024 and remains a rare occurrence given the border’s land mines, fences, and heavy military presence.

A senior Hamas official told Reuters that the terror organization intends to retain security control over Gaza during a transitional stage and cannot guarantee that it will disarm—positions that highlight the serious obstacles facing U.S. efforts to secure a permanent end to the war.

Mohammed Nazzal, a member of Hamas’s politburo, said the group would agree to a ceasefire lasting as long as five years to allow for the rebuilding of Gaza, provided there are assurances that Palestinians are granted “horizons and hope” for eventual statehood.

In an interview from Doha, where Hamas’s leadership is based, Nazzal defended the organization’s recent public executions in Gaza, claiming they were justified. He maintained there are always “exceptional measures” during wartime and alleged that those executed were “criminals guilty of killing.”

Although Hamas has voiced similar positions in the past, the timing of Nazzal’s statements underlines the deep divisions complicating the effort to finalize a lasting truce after the ceasefire’s first phase began, nearly a year after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre in Israel.

His comments highlight major differences between Hamas’s stance and the framework outlined in President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan, which is expected to guide upcoming talks focused on disarmament and postwar governance.

When asked about Nazzal’s remarks, the Prime Minister’s Office reaffirmed Israel’s adherence to the ceasefire agreement, emphasizing that Hamas has not fulfilled its obligations. “Hamas is supposed to release all hostages in stage 1. It has not. Hamas knows where the bodies of our hostages are. Hamas are to be disarmed under this agreement. No ifs, no buts. They have not. Hamas need to adhere to the 20-point plan. They are running out of time,” it told Reuters.

President Trump’s plan, announced on September 29, called for Hamas to first return all hostages and then disarm, with Gaza’s administration to be transferred to a technocratic council under the oversight of an international transitional authority.

Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu publicly backed the proposal, saying it would eliminate Hamas’s military infrastructure, end its political control, and ensure Gaza could never again pose a threat to Israel.

However, the ceasefire agreement signed in Sharm el-Sheikh on October 9 by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and international mediators did not specifically mandate Hamas’s disarmament or the return of all deceased hostages before Israel began releasing Palestinian prisoners.

Despite facing severe military and diplomatic pressure, Hamas continues to resist surrendering its weapons or relinquishing command over Gaza. When asked whether the group would disarm, Nazzal said, “I can’t answer with a yes or no. Frankly, it depends on the nature of the project. The disarmament project you’re talking about, what does it mean? To whom will the weapons be handed over?”

He explained that the question of arms would be part of future discussions involving not only Hamas but also other Palestinian factions, saying the matter “would require Palestinians more broadly to reach a position.”

When Reuters sought comment from Washington, the White House referred the outlet to President Trump’s statements from Thursday.

“We have a commitment from them and I assume they’re going to honor their commitment,” Trump said, noting that Hamas had returned additional bodies, though he did not directly address the issue of disarmament or the group’s continued presence in Gaza.

Nazzal also claimed that Hamas has no interest in keeping the remains of the hostages taken during the October 7 attacks. He said the group has already returned nine of the 28 bodies and blamed ongoing “technical problems” for delays in recovering the rest. He added that “international parties such as Turkey or the US” may assist in the process if necessary.

A Turkish official confirmed last week that Ankara would join a joint task force with Israel, the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt to help locate and recover the remaining bodies.

Hamas agreed on October 4 to transfer governing authority to a technocratic committee and to release all hostages, though it insisted that broader political issues must still be discussed “within a wider Palestinian framework.” All surviving hostages were freed on Monday.

Nazzal concluded that the next stage of negotiations, addressing these outstanding issues, would begin soon.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said Sunday that the United States could purchase Argentinian beef in an attempt to bring down prices for American consumers. “We would buy some beef from Argentina,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One during a flight from Florida to Washington. “If we do that, that will bring our beef prices down.” Trump promised earlier this week to address the issue as part of his efforts to keep inflation in check. U.S. beef prices have been stubbornly high for a variety of reasons, including drought and reduced imports from Mexico due to a flesh-eating pest in cattle herds there. Trump has been working to help Argentina bolster its collapsing currency with a $20 billion credit swap line and additional financing from sovereign funds and the private sector ahead of midterm elections for his close ally, President Javier Milei. (AP)

A senior Hamas operative freed in February as part of the hostage exchange deal following the October 7 massacre is scheduled to appear as a featured speaker at Panteion University in Athens this Wednesday.

According to reports from Kan and Ynet, Abdel Nasser Issa—identified as a top Hamas figure who managed terrorist operations in Yehudah and Shomron—is expected to participate in a panel hosted by several radical organizations, including Gather for Gaza, the Anti-Imperialist Front, the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, and the Masar Badil Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement.

In a statement issued Saturday, Gather for Gaza and Samidoun praised Issa as a “Palestinian national leader, veteran of the resistance movement, and former political prisoner.”

“Join us for a public talk and discussion with Abdel Nasser Issa, a Palestinian national leader and former political prisoner now in exile, to explore the evolving role of the Palestinian diaspora and international solidarity movements in the struggle for liberation from the river to the sea,” the joint statement read.

Organizers say Issa’s address will focus on mobilizing global efforts to advance what he calls the “national liberation struggle,” highlighting how activists and university groups abroad can support the movement.

Reports from Ynet and the Real Price Project indicate that Issa was directly involved in orchestrating two suicide bombings in 1995, which killed 11 people and injured more than 100 others.

The Palestinian Information Center and Al Jazeera note that Issa was captured that same year and sentenced to two life terms, continuing to lead Hamas’s operations among prisoners from within jail. Both Kan and Ynet confirm that Issa was one of the senior operatives released and exiled under the February hostage agreement between Israel and Hamas. The university has not yet responded to inquiries about his scheduled appearance.

Last October, the United States and Canada imposed sanctions on Samidoun, designating it as a front for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a recognized terrorist organization. Several of Samidoun’s senior officials are alleged to be senior PFLP operatives, and its top leadership reportedly helped establish and continues to serve on the executive board of Masar Badil.

{Matzav.com}

A new AP–NORC poll finds Americans are increasingly anxious about jobs and rising costs, with 47% saying they’re not confident they could find a good job — up from 37% last year. Only 36% approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, as inflation, high grocery prices, and mounting electricity and housing costs continue to strain households. Sixty-eight percent of adults describe the economy as “poor,” while just 12% say they’re getting ahead financially.