WH PRESS SECRETARY: “I can summarize the President’s foreign policy agenda with two words: America First. And that means putting the American people and the American taxpayer first. That’s why the President is moving as quickly as he possibly can, and working overtime, to end these conflicts in both Israel and in Gaza and also the Russia/Ukraine war.”
The IDF has initiated a mass evacuation in Gaza, the first since Operation “Gideon’s Chariots” began, with an IDF Arabic spokesperson urging residents east of Khan Yunis, Bani Suheila, and the Abbasans to evacuate immediately, as the IDF prepares an unprecedented attack to dismantle terrorist organizations’ capabilities in the area.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise: “Medicaid still grows under this bill… if somebody’s able-bodied and they can go get a job… you got to go get a job. This program was designed for the truly needy — the disabled people, pregnant women, seniors. Those are the people we’re going to help more…”
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett on Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill: “It’s a massive victory to get it out of the Budget Committee… I think we’re highly, highly optimistic… this is a home run of a bill for the American people.”
Directed by IDF and ISA intelligence, the IDF’s “Gideon’s Chariots” operation continues in the Gaza Strip, with troops dismantling terrorist infrastructure and eliminating terrorists, while the Israeli Air Force struck over 160 terror targets, including terrorist cells, anti-tank missile posts, and military structures in northern Gaza over the past day.
The families of the hostages from the right-wing Tikva Forum spoke to the press on Monday following Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s decision to allow the entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip. The families vehemently called on the government to stop “courting Hamas” and to act to release all the hostages in a decisive and uncompromising military operation. Boaz Miran, brother of hostage Omri Miran, said: “The Prime Minister justifies his surrender and the entry of humanitarian aid with the risk to the military operation. Following the entry of this aid, soldiers will be killed and the release of the hostages will be delayed, as has happened throughout the war until now. They talk about international pressure – I ask, does Hamas abide by humanitarian laws towards our hostages? Do they see doctors? Do they receive medication? Is there a list detailing their condition? Why is the government constantly defending and justifying itself?” “The political echelon is showing weakness. The humanitarian issue is critical, allowing Hamas to strengthen and delay the return of our loved ones. There should be no humanitarian aid until all the hostages are released.” Shimon Or, uncle of hostage Avinatan Or: “When you negotiate with an organization that you say needs to be eliminated, and you court it to get half of the hostages, you make a fool of yourself. If you court Hamas, you will not get the hostages nor the victory you so desire. Stop courting Hamas, go for a full ultimatum – to expel Hamas and control Gaza militarily and civically. Only then will we bring back the living and the fallen.” Eliyahu Libman, father of Elyakimm Libman, H’yd, [whose body is being held by Hamas], said: “Whoever has mercy on hungry Arabs in Gaza causes the hostages not to be released. We need to cause hunger in Gaza – they should have nothing – so that they will want to return all the hostages to us in one go, on one bus. The people of Israel want responsibility and victory.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Two people were killed and at least one person was missing after multiple pedestrians were struck by a train in northern Ohio, authorities said. The group was hit Sunday evening in Fremont, near Lake Erie between Toledo and Cleveland, WTOL-TV reported. Fremont Mayor Danny Sanchez confirmed two fatalities, telling reporters they were a 58-year-old woman and her 38-year-old daughter. He said a toddler was hurt and that the missing person is a 5-year-old child. He said crews were searching the Sandusky River near the Miles Newton Bridge. Sanchez said the group was from Fort Wayne, Indiana, and on a fishing trip. Freemont police said on X that the bridge was closed and urged people to stay away from the area. Multiple law enforcement agencies were on the scene. Email messages seeing information were sent Monday morning to the Fremont Police Department and to Sanchez. (AP)
YWN has exclusively obtained a copy of a letter from the State Education Department directing New York City to cease providing special education services to children at six local yeshivas. SED’s letter comes as parents whose children receive special education services are faced with a rapidly approaching deadline to submit their Parental Notice of Intent advising which school their child will attend in the upcoming school year. If SED has its way, parents will not be able to submit a PNI listing any of these six yeshivas. SED’s letter provides that “these institutions are not authorized to operate as “schools” and may not avail themselves of any statutory or regulatory pathway to demonstrate substantial equivalency.” According to longtime observers, SED’s actions are unprecedented and the most aggressive move that New York State has ever made against yeshiva parents. Avi Schick explained that “SED’s actions are contrary to the law, to what they represented to the Court of Appeals last week and to what they have been saying in their court filings for several years. It cannot stand.” As YWN readers are aware, last week the New York City Department of Education paused all enforcement against these schools until SED issued written guidance. Instead of publicly releasing its guidance, as it its usual practice, SED instead sent a letter to the City DOE. YWN believes that SED was afraid of being caught talking out of both sides of its mouth – saying one thing to the Court and another to local school authorities. YWN is glad to have caught SED’s cruel-hearted duplicity that deprives children of necessary services, and to publicize it. YWN also recognizes that the City DOE is caught in a bind, since SED is trying to hide behind them to implement its harmful directives. We applaud DOE for publicly issuing its pause last week, and we urge the DOE to continue to act with sensitivity and flexibility towards the families and children harmed by SED’s outrageous power grab. YWN will continue to keep readers informed of any developments. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The Russian authorities on Monday outlawed Amnesty International as an “undesirable organization,” a label that under a 2015 law makes involvement with such organizations a criminal offense. The decision by the Russian Prosecutor General’s office, announced in an online statement, is the latest in the unrelenting crackdown on Kremlin critics, journalists and activists that intensified to unprecedented levels after Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The designation means the international human rights group must stop any work in Russia, and it subjects those who cooperate with it or support it to prosecution, including if anyone shares Amnesty International’s reports on social media. Amnesty International did not immediately comment on the move. Russia’s list of “undesirable organizations” currently covers 223 entities, including prominent independent news outlets and rights groups. Among those are prominent news organizations like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty or Russian independent outlet Meduza, think tanks like Chatham House, anti-corruption group Transparency International, and Open Russia, an opposition group founded by Mikhail Khodorkovsky, an exiled tycoon who became an opposition figure. After Open Russia was declared undesirable in 2021 and disbanded to protect its members, its leader, Andrei Pivovarov, was arrested and convicted on charges of carrying out activities of an undesirable organization. He was sentenced to four years in prison and released in 2024 in the largest prisoner exchange with the West since Soviet times. Amnesty International was launched in 1961. The group documents and reports human rights violations around the globe and campaigns for the release of those it deems unjustly imprisoned. It has released reports on Russia’s war in Ukraine, accusing Moscow of crimes against humanity, and has spoken out against the Kremlin’s crackdown on dissent that has swept up thousands of people in recent years. Amnesty International’s recent statements on Russia included decrying a prison sentence handed to prominent election monitoring activists Grigory Melkonyants as a “brazen and politically motivated clampdown on peaceful activism.” It also spoke out against a series of arrests of publishing professionals in Russia last week over alleged “propaganda” in books. “This shameless heavy-handed use of state apparatus against literature is as absurd as it is terrifying,” said Natalia Zviagina, Amnesty International’s Russia director. In its statement, the Prosecutor General’s office accused the group of running “Russophobic projects” and activities aimed at Russia’s “political and economic isolation.” (AP)
U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff offensive has led European officials to cut their growth forecasts for this year and next — even in a best-case scenario in which the highest rates on most goods could be negotiated away. The forecast for this year for the 20 countries that use the euro currency was cut to 0.9% from the previous forecast in November of 1.3%, the European Union’s executive commission said Monday in its regular spring forecast. The forecast for 2026 was cut to 1.4% from 1.6%. One reason for the lower growth estimate was the stagnating economy in Germany, where growth is expected to be zero this year after two years of shrinking output. Germany’s economy is heavily dependent on exports but has faced strong headwinds from higher energy costs after the loss of Russian natural gas due to the invasion of Ukraine as well from lack of pro-growth infrastructure spending and competition from China in autos and industrial machinery. The proposal for a 20% U.S. tariff, or import tax, on goods from Europe in addition to its suspension for 90 days have meant uncertainty “not seen since the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis. He said the European economy remained “resilient” and that the jobs market remained robust, with the commission predicting a fall in unemployment to a record low 5.7% next year. And the risks are “tilted to the downside,” he said. One reason: The forecast assumes that the proposed 20% rate can be reduced through negotiations with Washington to the base tariff rate imposed on all countries of 10%. While the EU’s top trade official, Maros Sefcovic, has spoken several times with administration officials it remains uncertain how willing Trump might be to reduce the rate. European officials have paused any retaliatory tariffs for 90 days and made a “zero for zero” offer in which each side would drop tariffs on industrial goods such as autos. The forecast assumed that 25% tariffs on steel and autos from all countries will remain in place, as would exemptions on computer chips and pharmaceuticals. The eurozone economy grew 0.3% in the first three months of the year, amid hopeful signs of a stronger upswing. But the mood was darkened just two days after the first quarter ended, when Trump on April 2 announced a slew of new, higher than expected tariffs on almost all US trading partners. (AP)
The resumption of humanitarian aid into Gaza was part of a US promise to Hamas as part of the deal for Edan Alexander’s release, Yisrael Hayom reported on Monday, citing sources familiar with the matter. The report follows Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s controversial decision on Sunday to resume the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Hamas had said that it released Alexander as a “goodwill gesture” during President Trump’s visit to the Middle East but according to the sources, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff directly committed to Hamas leaders that the US would pressure Israel to immediately resume aid to Gaza. Israel had promised not to resume aid to Gaza until the IDF’s new distribution centers were operational in order to prevent Hamas from commandeering the aid. However, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the aid will be “temporarily” delivered by international organizations [i.e, the UN]. At this point, all factors acknowledge that Hamas will seize a significant portion of the aid. The report quoted an Israeli official as saying that Washington is aware of the issue but considers the arrangement a “necessary evil” to maintain support for Israel’s military operation. The Prime Minister’s Office responded to the report: “The report is entirely false. There is no connection between the delivery of humanitarian aid and the release of Edan Alexander.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
The Palestinian who spat on an IDF officer on a public bus in Ramat Gan was transferred to Israel Police overnight Sunday after he surrendered himself to the IDF’s Civil Administration on Sunday evening. The transfer was facilitated by the IDF and Shin Bet, which coordinated the move with the Palestinian Authority. The police initially reported that the suspect turned himself in to the Palestinian Security Services but later corrected the statement, saying that he surrendered directly to Israeli forces. The police said that the culprit is a 24-year-old resident of the town of Huwara, a notorious hotbed of terrorism in the northern Shomron. The police initially had difficulty locating him because he failed to pay for the bus, leaving no records to identify him. He was in Israel illegally when the incident occurred on Sunday. On Monday morning, Tel Aviv police questioned him under caution for the alleged offenses of illegal entry in Israel, assault, and assault of a public servant. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted a photo of the Arab being placed in a police car on his X account last night, and wrote: “Zero tolerance for anyone who harms IDF soldiers.” His former colleague from Chevron, Baruch Marzel, sardonically responded: “Have you already transferred aid to him?” – a reference to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s controversial decision on Sunday to resume the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Britain and the European Union hailed a new chapter in their relationship Monday after they sealed new agreements on defense cooperation and easing trade flows at their first formal summit since Brexit. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other senior EU officials in London for talks, said the deals will slash red tape, grow the British economy and reset relations with the 27-nation trade bloc since the U.K. left the EU in 2020. “Britain is back on the world stage,” Starmer said. “This deal is a win-win.” Von der Leyen called the talks a “historic moment” that benefits both sides. More broadly, she said it sends a message at a time of global upheaval that the U.K. and EU are “natural partners standing side-by-side on the global stage.” Britain’s opposition parties slammed the deals as backtracking on Brexit. “We’re becoming a rule-taker from Brussels once again,” Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said. Under the deals, a new U.K.-EU defense and security partnership will allow the U.K. to access a EU defense loan program worth 150 billion euros ($170 billion.) Other agreements include removing some checks on animal and plant products to ease food trade across borders, and a 12-year extension of an agreement allowing EU fishing vessels in U.K. waters. While the EU is the U.K.’s largest trading partner, the U.K. has been hit with a 21% drop in exports since Brexit because of more onerous border checks, laborious paperwork and other non-tariff barriers. Post-Brexit visa restrictions have also hobbled the cross-border activities of professionals such as bankers or lawyers, as well as cultural exchanges, including touring bands and school trips. Resetting relations Since becoming prime minister in July, Starmer has sought to reset relations with the EU, following years of tensions in the wake of the U.K.’s 2016 Brexit referendum. Post-Brexit relations have been governed by a trade agreement negotiated by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Starmer thinks that can be improved in a way that boosts trade and bolsters security. Starmer hailed Monday’s agreements — the third package of trade deals struck by his government in as many weeks following accords with the U.S. and India — as “good for jobs, good for bills and good for our borders.” Burgers, fishing and youth mobility The defense pact will allow Britain’s defense industry to access cheap loans from a n ew EU loan program to buy military equipment, in part to help Ukraine defend itself. In trade, officials say they will reduce routine border checks and costs on some food imports and exports to make it easier for goods to flow freely. The changes will mean the U.K. can sell products like British burgers and sausages to the EU again, officials said. “We know we’ve had lorries waiting for 16 hours, fresh food in the back not able to be exported, because frankly it’s just going off, red tape, all the certifications that are required, we absolutely want to reduce that,” Cabinet Office minister Thomas-Symonds, who led the negotiations, told the BBC. In fisheries, the deal means European fishing boats will have access to U.K. waters until 2038. While economically minor, fishing has long been a sticking point and symbolically important issue for the U.K. and EU member states such as France. Disputes over the issue nearly derailed a Brexit deal […]
The IDF has released documents claiming that Palestinian journalist Hassan Eslaiah, killed in a targeted Israeli airstrike on a hospital in southern Gaza on May 13, was a member of Hamas’s military wing. Eslaiah, who was injured in a prior strike on April 7, was accused by the IDF of being part of Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade and operating “under the guise of a journalist and owner of a press company.” IDF international media spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani shared on X that documents recovered from Gaza “reveal a list of operatives” in the 3rd Battalion of Hamas’s Khan Yunis Brigade. “Among them, Hassan [Eslaiah], listed by name, military number and unit: the so-called ‘Media Platoon,’” Shoshani stated. Eslaiah, a freelancer for The Associated Press, had photographed a burning tank on the Gaza border and Hamas operatives entering Kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 7, 2023, attack, where dozens of civilians were massacred. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
A young Palestinian man in his 20s from the village of Hizma was arrested in recent days after he illegally infiltrated Israel, disguised himself as a Chareidi Jew, and carried out a violent burglary in the Neve Yaakov neighborhood of Jerusalem. The dramatic incident unfolded when the homeowner unexpectedly returned and found the suspect in the act of stealing valuables worth thousands of shekels. The intruder, armed with pepper spray and burglary tools, assaulted one of the residents in an attempt to flee. During the struggle, the homeowner managed to wrestle back the stolen items, which included car keys, NIS 8,000 in cash, jewelry, and expensive handbags. Jerusalem District Police immediately launched an investigation. Through forensic evidence and witness testimony, detectives were able to identify the suspect. In a targeted operation, undercover Border Police (Yamam) officers arrested the man in the Hizma area. According to the investigation, the suspect had entered the apartment using a screwdriver while dressed as a Chareidi man to blend in. After the assault, he stripped off the disguise and fled the scene. The suspect is now facing multiple serious charges, including unlawful entry into Israel, aggravated assault, and burglary. A Jerusalem court has extended his detention to allow police to continue their investigation. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
A resident of the central city of Yavne who carried out missions for Iranian terrorist elements was arrested last month, a joint statement from Israel and the Shin Bet announced on Sunday. Moshe Atias, 18, was arrested on suspicion of committing serious security offenses, including collecting intelligence at the cardiology department in a hospital in central Israel while former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was hospitalized there. The investigation revealed that Atias maintained contact with Iranian terrorist elements and carried out numerous missions for them while fully aware of the potential harm to state security, in exchange for financial compensation. Among other things, at the request of his Iranian handler, he provided footage of the hospital floor where Bennett was being treated, including the room with his security guards. Bennett underwent a heart catheterization last month at the Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
