Yeshiva World News

Some of the Hamas operatives who guarded Israeli hostages in Gaza were not hardened militants but teachers, doctors, and university professors who had been radicalized, according to a former captive who spent nearly 500 days underground in Hamas tunnels. In a chilling account following this week’s latest hostage release, Tal Shoham, one of the Israelis freed in February, said his experience exposed how deeply Hamas’ ideology had penetrated Gaza’s civilian society. “One of the guards was a first-grade teacher, another was a lecturer at a university, and another was a doctor,” Shoham told The Times of Israel. “These are normal people becoming terrorists.” Shoham described a chaotic and fractured command structure within Hamas, where guards alternated between fanatical cruelty and flashes of compassion. “There was no real order,” he said. “Some wanted to hurt everyone. Others tried to treat us well. It depended on who was on duty.” He recalled one horrific incident in which a Hamas operative shot a Palestinian man in the knees because he “looked suspicious.” When medics arrived, the man was executed on the spot. “They decided he should die,” Shoham said. Moments of decency were rare. Once, a guard smuggled him extra food and a note from his wife. “That was the only human act I saw in 500 days,” Shoham said. While Hamas presents itself as an Islamist resistance movement, Shoham said many of its members appeared motivated by power and survival rather than religion. “Most weren’t religious,” he said. “They joined because it was the popular thing to do.” Israeli officials estimate that more than 20,000 Hamas fighters have been killed since the war began, yet the group continues to replenish its ranks — a fact U.S. analysts attribute to the desperation and devastation in Gaza. Hamas, they warn, has been recruiting civilians with promises of food, money, and revenge. Shoham said he personally witnessed Hamas operatives looting humanitarian aid shipments meant for civilians. “I saw with my own eyes that they stole boxes and boxes and boxes of aid from Egypt, Turkey, the Emirates,” he said. “But they didn’t give us any food in the tunnels. They celebrated it like a victory.” His account paints a stark picture of a society where Hamas’ reach extends beyond its military wing — turning classrooms, hospitals, and universities into potential breeding grounds for extremism. “Hamas isn’t just an army,” Shoham said. “It’s an idea that’s infected a generation.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

U.S. stocks fell on Thursday, hurt by drops for midsized banks as worries flare about the loans they’ve made. The S&P 500 slid 0.6% in its latest up-and-down day after erasing a morning gain. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 301 points, or 0.7%, and the Nasdaq composite lost 0.5%. Zions Bancorp. tumbled 13.1% after the bank said its profit for the third quarter will take a hit because of a $50 million charge-off related to loans made to a pair of borrowers. Zions said it found “apparent misrepresentations and contractual defaults” by the borrowers and several people who guaranteed the loans, along with “other irregularities.” Another bank, Western Alliance Bancorp, dropped 10.8% after saying it has sued a borrower, alleging fraud. It also said it’s standing by its financial forecasts given for 2025. Scrutiny is rising on the quality of loans that banks and other lenders have broadly made following last month’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing of First Brands Group, a supplier of aftermarket auto parts. The question is whether the hiccups are just a collection of one-offs or a signal of something larger threatening the industry. Thursday’s swings on Wall Street, where the Dow bounced from an early gain of 169 points to an afternoon loss of 472, fit the pattern of the week for stocks. They’ve been shaky since the end of last week, when President Donald Trump shattered a monthslong calm in the U.S. stock market by threatening much higher tariffs on China. Thursday’s swoon erased an early morning gain driven by an encouraging signal about the artificial-intelligence boom. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. reported a bigger jump in profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Chief Financial Officer Wendell Huang also said TSMC expects “continued strong demand for our leading-edge process technologies” going into the end of the year. That’s important for the U.S. stock market because TSMC is a critical player in the AI frenzy, making chips for such companies as Nvidia. And Nvidia and other AI stocks have been central to Wall Street’s surge to records this year, even though inflation is still high and the job market is slowing. AI-related stocks have shot so high that critics worry about a possible bubble, like the one that imploded for dot-com stocks in 2000. U.S. companies broadly are under pressure to deliver stronger profits after the S&P 500 surged 35% from a low in April. To justify those gains, which critics say made their stock prices too expensive, companies will need to show they’re making much more in profit and will continue to do so. Travelers dropped 2.9% Thursday even though the insurer reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Its revenue fell short of forecasts. Hewlett Packard Enterprise fell 10.1% after detailing long-term financial targets that some analysts found underwhelming. They helped overshadow a 4% gain for Salesforce, which unveiled a plan to deliver more than 10% in compounded annual revenue growth in coming years. J.B. Hunt Transport Services trucked 22.1% higher after the freight company breezed past Wall Street’s profit targets in the third quarter. All told, the S&P 500 fell 41.99 points to 6,629.07. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 301.07 to 45,952.24, and the Nasdaq composite sank 107.54 to 22,562.54. In the oil market, crude […]

Julie, the mother of freed hostage Bar Kuperstein, spoke with Army Radio on Thursday about the horrors her son endured during captivity in the Gaza Strip. She described a harrowing ordeal of torture and abuse, including prolonged starvation and repeated beatings. “He sat across from me and told me everything, and I just cried—realizing how strong he is. He came back a hero.” “They went through horrific abuse and torture. They were starved in a terrible way — even animals aren’t treated like that.” She added that Bar told her, “They beat me, but I didn’t feel it—my body was frozen.” She explained that he trained himself to disconnect from the pain. Bar told her that the captors stayed nearby and at certain hours would flash lights to send messages. Bar understood that if food didn’t arrive at those times, he might not eat at all that day. “He told me, ‘Ima, I got used to living with just a little food.’ When your stomach hurts and there’s no food—those are truly unbearable moments.” The mother added that every time a Hamas member was killed or a relative’s house was hit, the captors would react violently: “They would come and beat them mercilessly, torturing them. There were really terrible times. I’d rather not go into details.” She said her son chose to sleep as much as possible as a coping mechanism: “He really slept for hours. That’s what kept him sane.” Despite the harsh conditions, Julie emphasized her son’s spirit of helping others even in captivity: “Bar was always helping people—he’s extremely handy. He fixed the electricity, the latrine, and a water trench. He even created a place in the tunnel where they could sit alone when things got hard.” She said that during his time in captivity, Bar decided to donate the 200 shekels he’d left in his wallet at home, as an act of tzedaka to save his life. Julie also revealed that her family had to hide the fact that Bar had served as a combat soldier in the Nachal Brigade. He told his captors he was an ambulance medic. “He told us it didn’t matter to them whether someone was a soldier or not—they treated everyone horribly.” She said that during captivity, her son drew closer to religion and requested tzitzis when he returned. “I was shocked. He had emunah, he was traditional, but not like this. He saw the Arabs praying and fasting, and thought that if they do that, then he also wants to be close to the Borei Olam.  He recited Shema Yisrael many times, davened, and said a perek Tehillim he knew by heart. He had a dialogue with the Borei Olam.” Watch Bar’s moving reunion with his disabled father: (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Tensions are mounting among key Gulf states that once positioned themselves as stabilizing forces in the Middle East. In recent weeks, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain — long viewed as the pragmatic wing of the Arab world — have found themselves increasingly sidelined in President Donald Trump’s Gaza reconstruction plan, even as they publicly back his push to end the war. According to multiple Arab diplomatic sources, the three states support Trump’s peace framework and the disarmament of Hamas, but are deeply frustrated by the growing role of Qatar, their regional rival and a longtime patron of Islamist movements, including the Muslim Brotherhood. They fear that Washington’s expanding defense ties with Doha — now a central player in the postwar negotiations — risk undermining efforts to deradicalize Gaza and may allow Hamas to quietly reemerge. “It’s a mistake to rely on Qatar,” a Saudi diplomatic source told Yisrael Hayom. “Excessive Qatari involvement in the next stages of the plan will cause it to collapse. Qatar’s interests are different — it will try to ensure that Hamas remains in the picture.” While wary of Doha’s influence, the moderate Gulf states are expected to contribute heavily to Gaza’s reconstruction, largely in alignment with Israel’s position. They insist that any rebuilding effort must include full disarmament of Hamas and that the Palestinian Authority (PA) can only return to Gaza after sweeping reforms — including new leadership, financial transparency, and a program of de-radicalization in schools and media. Saudi and Emirati officials say they have already begun educational reforms in their own countries, toning down anti-Israel rhetoric in textbooks and state media. “We want to create a generation that knows coexistence,” one Gulf education official said. But the Gulf coalition is also pressing Israel for reciprocal political steps, including a credible path toward a two-state solution. “Normalization with Israel remains on the table,” the Saudi source emphasized, “but it will not happen within months. It’s a long road that requires seeing the agreement implemented in full — including Israel’s commitments to the PA and serious negotiations toward a two-state solution.” The source added that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition — which includes several right-wing ministers who oppose Palestinian statehood — must “decide whether they support annexation or a real solution that will eventually bring calm.” While the final hostages’ release has been completed under the U.S.-brokered deal, Israeli and regional officials remain deeply pessimistic about the next phase. Few in Jerusalem believe Hamas will willingly surrender its weapons or relinquish control of Gaza, despite the terms of the Trump peace plan. In recent days, Hamas’s internal violence — including the massacre of a rival clan, public executions of alleged collaborators, and armed parades — has fueled fears that the group is consolidating power, not ceding it. Security sources confirmed that in several areas near IDF-controlled zones, Israeli troops have intervened to prevent Hamas revenge killings. “The reality is that Hamas is not demilitarizing — it’s regrouping,” an Israeli defense official said. “If that continues, it could unravel the entire postwar framework.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Troubled by clashes between agents and the public, a judge on Thursday said she will require federal immigration officers in the Chicago area to wear body cameras, and she also summoned a senior official to court next week to discuss an enforcement operation that has resulted in more than 1,000 arrests. U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis said she was a “little startled” after seeing TV images of street confrontations that involved tear gas and other tactics during an immigration crackdown by President Donald Trump’s administration. “I live in Chicago if folks haven’t noticed,” Ellis said. “And I’m not blind, right?” Separately, hours later, a federal appeals court ruled against the Trump administration and said a lower court’s temporary ban on deploying the National Guard to assist immigration officers in Illinois would stay in place while the government pursues an appeal. Community efforts to oppose U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have ramped up in Chicago, where neighborhood groups have assembled to monitor ICE activity and film incidents involving agents. More than 1,000 immigrants have been arrested since September. An immigration enforcement building in Broadview, outside Chicago, has been the site of regular protests. The Trump administration has tried to deploy Guard troops, in part to patrol at the Broadview location, but the strategy was halted on Oct. 9 for at least two weeks by a different federal judge. Ellis last week said agents in the area must wear badges, and she banned them from using certain riot control techniques against peaceful protesters and journalists. “I’m having concerns about my order being followed,” the judge said. “I am adding that all agents who are operating in Operation Midway Blitz are to wear body-worn cameras, and they are to be on,” Ellis said, referring to the government’s name for the crackdown. U.S. Justice Department attorney Sean Skedzielewski laid blame with “one-sided and selectively edited media reports.” He also said it wouldn’t be possible to immediately distribute cameras. “I understand that. I would not be expecting agents to wear body-worn cameras they do not have,” Ellis said, adding that the details could be worked out later. She said cameras would provide evidence to back up how agents handle confrontations with protesters. Ellis said the field director of the enforcement effort must appear in court Monday. Gov. JB Pritzker praised the judge’s ruling, saying the government’s statements about arrests and other incidents, including last month’s fatal shooting of a suburban Chicago man, have often been inaccurate. “They clearly lie about what goes on,” he told reporters. “It’s hard for us to know right away what the truth is.” In 2024, Immigration and Customs Enforcement began deploying about 1,600 body cameras to agents assigned to Enforcement and Removal Operations. At the time, officials said they would be provided to agents in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington, Buffalo, New York and Detroit. Other Homeland Security Department agencies require some agents to wear cameras. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has released body-camera video when force has been used by its agents or officers. Earlier this week, a Cook County judge barred ICE from arresting people at courthouses in Chicago and the suburbs.

Passengers at two airports thousands of miles apart were jolted Tuesday when loudspeakers and screens suddenly blared pro-Hamas messages and insults aimed at President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — in a coordinated cyberattack that spanned international borders. The incidents occurred at Harrisburg International Airport in Pennsylvania and Kelowna International Airport in British Columbia, where stunned travelers captured videos of the unauthorized broadcasts echoing through terminals and flashing across flight-information monitors. Officials say the digital break-ins targeted both public-address and display systems, briefly disrupting operations but not flight safety. At Harrisburg, an “unauthorized user” accessed the airport’s PA network and played a recorded political message, according to airport spokesperson Scott Miller. The system was shut down within minutes, and police searched one boarding aircraft “out of an abundance of caution.” No threats or explosives were found, and the plane departed safely. Kelowna airport reported a nearly identical breach. In a statement shared with CNN, officials confirmed a third party accessed both audio and visual systems, displaying slogans such as “Free Palestine.” The messages were removed, flight data restored, and investigations launched with help from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Transport Canada. No group has claimed responsibility. However, cybersecurity experts say the attacks resemble a wave of pro-Palestinian hacktivist operations that have surged since the 2023 Israel-Gaza war. Collectives linked to “Dark Storm Team” and “OpIsrael” have claimed hundreds of intrusions on transportation, financial, and government networks across North America and Europe — exposing growing vulnerabilities in cloud-based airport infrastructure. The FBI and Canadian authorities are now investigating. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

VIDEO: Thousands of Yidden are streaming through the Viznitzer Beis HaChaim in Monsey throughout the Yahrtzeit of the Ribnitzer Rebbe ZT”L. The Yahrtzeit is being coordinated by YF Productions, with Chaverim of Rockland volunteers assisting in managing the large crowds and maintaining order.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is suing the Trump administration for imposing a $100,00 annual fee for new H-1B visa applications, claiming the fee is unlawful and would significantly harm U.S. businesses. In a federal lawsuit filed Thursday in Washington D.C., the Chamber asks the court to declare that President Donald Trump exceeded the executive branch’s authority by imposing the fee and bloc federal government agencies from enforcing it. H-1B visas are meant for high-skilled jobs that tech companies find hard to fill and are primarily associated with tech workers from India. Big tech companies are the biggest user of the visa, and nearly three-quarters of those approved are from India. But there are critical workers, like teachers and doctors, who fall outside that category. The Trump administration announced the fee last month, arguing that employers were replacing American workers with cheaper talent from overseas. Since then, the White House has said the fee won’t apply to existing visa holders and offered a form to request exemptions from the charge. In its lawsuit, the Chamber argues that the new fee violates the immigration laws that govern the H-1B program, including the requirement that fees be based on the costs incurred by the government in processing visas. “The President has significant authority over the entry of noncitizens into the United States, but that authority is bounded by statute and cannot directly contradict laws passed by Congress,” according to the complaint, which names the Department of Homeland Security, the State Department and their respective cabinet secretaries as defendants. Prior to Trump’s proclamation imposing the new fee, most H-1B visa applications cost less than $3,600, according to the Chamber. “If implemented, that fee would inflict significant harm on American businesses, which would be forced to either dramatically increase their labor costs or hire fewer highly skilled employees for whom domestic replacements are not readily available,” according to the complaint. The new fee is scheduled to expire after a year, but could be extended if the government determines that is in the interest of the United States to keep it. Historically, H-1B visas have been doled out through lottery. This year, Amazon was by far the top recipient of H-1B visas with more than 10,000 awarded, followed by Tata Consultancy, Microsoft, Apple and Google. Geographically, California has the highest number of H-1B workers. Critics say H-1B spots often go to entry-level jobs, rather than senior positions with unique skill requirements. And while the program isn’t supposed to undercut U.S. wages or displace U.S. workers, critics say companies can pay less by classifying jobs at the lowest skill levels, even if the specific workers hired have more experience. (AP)

BREAKING: Former National Security Adviser John Bolton has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly mishandling classified information.

President Trump on Hamas killing Gazans: “I’m looking at what’s happening… we have a commitment from them, and I assume they’re going to honor that commitment… if they behave, good. If they don’t behave, we’ll take care of it.”

NY AG Letitia James: “I want everyone to know I am totally innocent.”