Yeshiva World News

A Jewish Ukrainian soldier, miraculously spared from a Russian bomb, got a Bris Millah today.

Lebanese media reports a wave of airstrikes carried out in southern Lebanon a short while ago.

Karoline Leavitt calls out Jill Biden for lying about Joe’s health. Demands she answer for it: “Lying to the American people. She still thinks the American public are so stupid that they will believe her. She needs to answer for it.”

WH PRESS SECRETARY: “I can confirm that Special Envoy Witkoff and the President submitted a ceasefire proposal to Hamas that Israel backed and supported… We hope that a ceasefire in Gaza will take place so we can return all of the hostages home.”

The Shin Bet announced the arrest of three Israeli citizens suspected of conspiring with ISIS operatives in Syria to carry out terrorist attacks against Israeli forces. The suspects, all residents of the northern Israeli town of Ar’ara, allegedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and were in the early stages of planning attacks within Israel’s borders, according to a joint investigation by the Shin Bet and Israel Police’s Coastal District. Authorities say the plot began to take shape following a violent confrontation between the suspects and Border Police officers in January. In the wake of the clash, the men reportedly escalated their radicalization and began establishing contact with ISIS agents abroad—specifically operatives stationed in war-torn Syria. The suspects allegedly received direct guidance from ISIS operatives on how to manufacture explosive devices and are believed to have conducted a live test detonation in an open field as part of their preparations. Their goal, police said, was to assemble a powerful bomb capable of targeting Israeli security forces. The Shin Bet has not released the names of the suspects but confirmed that they were all Israeli citizens. Their arrest underscores growing concerns about domestic radicalization and the reach of global jihadist networks into Israel’s Arab communities. “This case serves as a stark reminder that the threat of ISIS has not disappeared,” a senior security official said. “Even within our own borders, there are those who can be influenced, guided, and weaponized by foreign terror organizations.” The arrests were carried out quietly in recent days, and the suspects have since been remanded into custody as the investigation continues. Security officials have not ruled out the possibility of additional arrests, and forensic teams are continuing to analyze evidence gathered from the suspects’ devices and the bomb testing site. (AP)

A high-stakes ceasefire framework proposed by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff has been tentatively approved by Israel, but is facing resistance from Hamas, which has expressed frustration with what it argues is a pro-Israel tilt in the deal. According to details published by Al Arabiya, the proposal calls for a 60-day ceasefire to begin once Hamas agrees, with President Donald Trump personally guaranteeing full Israeli compliance throughout the truce. Under the plan, 28 Israeli hostages—10 alive and 18 deceased—would be returned in two phases during the first week. On Day 1, Hamas would release five living hostages and nine bodies, followed by an identical release on Day 7. In exchange, Israel would release 125 life-sentence prisoners and 1,111 Gazan detainees for the living captives, and 180 bodies for the deceased. The exchanges are to be conducted without public ceremonies. Humanitarian aid would begin immediately upon the start of the ceasefire, with the UN and Red Crescent overseeing distribution. IDF operations in Gaza, including air and drone activity, would pause for 10 hours daily, and 12 hours on prisoner exchange days. On Day 1, the IDF would withdraw from northern Gaza and the Netzarim corridor, followed by a withdrawal from southern Gaza on Day 7. Final deployment lines would be addressed through technical negotiations under the auspices of the “Korbi D” mechanism. From the first day of the ceasefire, multilateral negotiations mediated by the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar would begin. Topics include: full hostage-for-prisoner exchange, complete IDF withdrawal and long-term security arrangements, governance of post-war Gaza, and a permanent ceasefire declaration. Witkoff would lead on-site negotiations, with President Trump assuming the role of political guarantor to ensure compliance and enforce terms. Despite Israeli agreement, Hamas has not accepted the deal, with officials expressing distrust in the United States and accusing Witkoff of favoring Israeli positions. A Hamas source told The Jerusalem Post that the group believes it was “screwed over” by a plan that “leaves Hamas without leverage,” particularly due to the required release of hostages within a week. According to a separate report in Walla, Hamas claims the proposal lacks an American guarantee that the temporary ceasefire will extend if permanent talks drag on, and fears Israel could resume military operations as it did in March. Nonetheless, in a public statement Thursday, Hamas acknowledged receiving the plan and said its leadership was “reviewing it responsibly.” At a meeting Thursday with families of hostages, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Israel’s approval of the Witkoff framework. He emphasized, however, that the Israeli government remains cautious about Hamas’s intentions. “We don’t believe Hamas will return the last hostage,” Netanyahu reportedly said, reiterating that the IDF would not leave Gaza until all hostages are home and Hamas is eliminated. The families expressed appreciation for the meeting, which they described as “pleasant and to the point.” When asked how Israel would determine which deceased hostages would be returned, officials replied that “all deceased hostages have the same status.” The plan contains an information disclosure clause: By Day 10, Hamas must provide proof of life or death and medical reports for remaining hostages. Israel must disclose the status of all detainees and casualties since October 7. Hamas is required to ensure hostage safety during the entire ceasefire. If a final agreement is reached within 60 days, all […]

A South African woman was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for selling her 6-year-old daughter. Kelly Smith was sentenced by a judge alongside two others, her boyfriend and another man, who also received life sentences. All three were convicted earlier this month on kidnapping and human trafficking charges. Smith’s daughter, Joshlin, went missing in February 2024 when she was 6, sparking a nationwide hunt by police in South Africa. She has still not been found. Smith, her partner Jacquen Appollis and their friend Steveno van Rhyn were sentenced to life terms for human trafficking and 10 years each for kidnapping. Their sentences were read out by Judge Nathan Erasmus at a sports center in the west coast town of Saldanha Bay. The trial was moved to the sports center so members of the local community could attend. Smith — whose full name is Racquel Chantel Smith — was initially a figure of sympathy when her daughter went missing. Community members rallied around her and volunteered to help police search for Joshlin in the sand dunes near their poor neighborhood of shacks close to Saldanha Bay, around 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of Cape Town. A photograph of Joshlin smiling and with her hair tied in pigtails was broadcast by news stations across South Africa during the hunt for her. Smith said she had left Joshlin with Appollis on the day she disappeared, but the case took a shocking twist when Smith was arrested. A woman testified during the trial that Smith had told her she and the two men had sold Joshlin for around $1,000 to a traditional healer who wanted the child for her body parts. The judge’s verdict did not make any conclusions on who the child was sold to or exactly what happened to her, but said she had been sold for slavery or practices similar to slavery. (AP)

Israel has approved the construction of 22 new communities in Judea and Samaria.

The Central Rabbinical Congress (CRC) has issued a notice regarding the consumption of Parmesan, Romano, and Asiago cheeses, particularly aged varieties. According to the CRC, these cheeses are classified as “hard cheese” under halachic guidelines, requiring a 6 hour waiting period before meat can be consumed. This applies when enjoying dairy dishes and delicacies that include these cheeses.

Palestinians report that IDF troops planted an Israeli flag on the roof of the Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq Mosque, in the heart of the Nur Shams camp in Tulkarm, in the northern West Bank.

President Donald Trump issued a series of pardons on Wednesday, awarding them to a former New York congressman, a Connecticut governor, a rapper known as “NBA YoungBoy,” a labor union leader and a onetime Army officer who flouted safety measures during the coronavirus pandemic. Trump’s actions mixed his willingness to pardon prominent Republicans and other supporters, donors and friends with the influence of Alice Marie Johnson, whom Trump recently named his pardon czar after he offered her a pardon in 2020. He commuted the sentence of Larry Hoover, a former Chicago gang leader serving a life sentence at a supermax prison in Colorado. Hoover was first imprisoned in connection with a murder in 1973, and was convicted of running a criminal enterprise in 1998, but later renounced his criminal past and petitioned for a reduced sentence. He remains incarcerated on state charges. Louisiana rap artist NBA YoungBoy, whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden and whose stage moniker stands for “Never Broke Again,” also received a Trump pardon. In 2024, he was sentenced to just under two years in prison on gun-related charges after he acknowledged having possessed weapons despite being a convicted felon. Gaulden also pleaded guilty to his role in a prescription drug fraud ring in Utah. Gaulden’s and the other pardons were confirmed Wednesday evening by two White House officials who spoke only on condition of anonymity to detail actions that had not yet been made public. In a statement posted online, Gaulden said, “I want to thank President Trump for granting me a pardon and giving me the opportunity to keep building — as a man, as a father, and as an artist.” He said this “opens the door to a future I’ve worked hard for and I am fully prepared to step into this,” and thanked Johnson. Trump has spent the week issuing high-profile pardons. Video released by a White House aide showed Johnson in the Oval Office on Tuesday, as Trump called the daughter of Todd and Julie Chrisley of a reality TV show to say he was pardoning them. Their show spotlighted the family’s extravagant lifestyle, but the couple was convicted of conspiring to defraud banks in the Atlanta area out of more than $30 million in loans by submitting false documents Their daughter, Savannah Chrisley, addressed the Republican convention last summer and had long said her parents were treated unfairly. Also Wednesday, Trump pardoned James Callahan, a New York union leader who pleaded guilty to failing to report $315,000 in gifts from an advertising firm and was about to be sentenced. And the president pardoned former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, a Republican who served from 1995 to 2004 and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for charges related to concealing his involvement in two federal election campaigns. He also pardoned Michael Grimm, a New York Republican who resigned from Congress after being convicted of tax fraud. Grimm won reelection in 2014 despite being under indictment for underreporting wages and revenue at a restaurant that he ran. Grimm eventually resigned after pleading guilty and serving eight months in prison. Last year, Grimm was paralyzed from the chest down when he was thrown off a horse during a polo tournament. Yet another Trump pardon was issued for Army Lt. Mark Bradshaw, who was […]

Chananel Gez, the husband of Tzeela Gez hy”d and father of Ravid Chaim hy”d, speaks at the levaya of his son. “We are unstoppable, even when our hearts are broken” he says in English. “Do not mess with the Jewish people, because you will regret it!”

Homeland Security raided a transnational fraud ring that stole $30m in Small Business loans & Covid relief meant for taxpaying Americans.

A new US-Israel distribution center in central Gaza is now operational, distributing 1.6 million meals to Gazans just today.

DISASTER AVOIDED: Hours after a major international high-tech conference held yesterday at the Tel Aviv Exhibition Center’s Expo, a lead wall, estimated to weigh well over a thousand pounds, collapsed while the setup was being taken down.

IDF forces putting the finishing demolition touches on a terrorist structure in Gaza.

Amid Palestinian unrest at a new aid distribution site near Netzarim, U.S. forces deployed stun grenades to repel Palestinians trying to advance.

The Tel Aviv district’s main unit stopped a group of five suspects, including some from a foreign gang, who were planning a shooting. During the arrest, police confiscated a loaded pistol with a cartridge, two rubber bullets, and face masks.

Nancy Pelosi says that Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” is “about tax cuts for the wealthiest people.”

The U.S. flag was hoisted at the American Ambassador’s residence in Damascus, marking the first time since 2012.