The exodus from Gaza City has accelerated, with more than 800,000 Palestinians leaving the urban center over the past week as Israel prepares to expand its ground campaign, according to Israeli security officials. Southern Command estimates suggest between 30,000 and 50,000 residents have fled the city each day, with the total expected to hit one million as Israel moves closer to authorizing a full push into the city center. Officials said between 250,000 and 350,000 Palestinians remain inside Gaza City. Defense officials hailed the evacuation plan, calling it one of the largest population movements in the history of the conflict. “The public is moving to the south of the Strip,” a security source told reporters, noting that Hamas efforts to block the flow of civilians through intimidation and roadblocks have largely failed. With the next phases of the maneuver already approved, commanders are preparing to press deeper into the city. The expectation is that Hamas will shift to guerrilla tactics once the Israel Defense Forces engage at full strength. Israeli officials accused Hamas of deliberately inflating reports of humanitarian collapse in southern Gaza. “Hamas is trying to generate all kinds of false narratives about the collapse of the health system, starvation, and sanitation,” the security source said. The official pointed to humanitarian assessments showing an average of 350 aid trucks entering Gaza daily, more than 20,000 tents provided by international groups, and functioning medical facilities in the south. “The health system in the south of the Strip is functioning; it is not collapsing as they are trying to portray,” the source added. Still, humanitarian groups and Palestinian civilians on the ground have pushed back on these claims, warning of shortages, overcrowded shelters, and worsening sanitation. While Israel insists conditions are adequate, residents continue to blame both Hamas and Israel for their plight. Even as civilians flee, Hamas has sought to consolidate control by cracking down on dissent and expanding its network of informants. The group has reportedly carried out executions, beatings, and street patrols to maintain an atmosphere of fear. In the south, Hamas has clashed with several influential clans over aid distribution. Two clan leaders were killed in recent weeks, security officials said, leaving only the Abu-Amra clan still aligned with Hamas. Despite the pressure, Hamas continues to maintain limited governance structures — paying salaries, clearing roads, repairing sewage lines, and conducting rescue operations. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Former Israel Navy commander Maj.-Gen. (res.) Eliezer “Cheney” Marom blasted President Donald Trump’s proposed 21-point plan to end the Gaza war, warning it would return Israel to the failed conditions of 2005 and ultimately allow Hamas to reassert control. “This entire plan is a throwback to 2005,” Marom said in a Sunday radio interview on 103FM. “We’re looking at a scenario where Gaza would be governed by technocrats. It’s essentially a disguise for reinstating the Palestinian Authority. Hamas will bide its time, then start shooting their replacements in the knees.” Trump unveiled his proposal at the United Nations General Assembly last week, pitching Arab leaders on what he billed as a path to peace in the region. Marom said that recovering the remaining Israeli hostages should be Israel’s immediate priority. “If we can bring back the hostages, that would be a major achievement. I would sign on that with my eyes closed,” he said. But he was skeptical of Trump’s broader framework, noting it contained no provisions to disarm or deport Hamas fighters. “With our current method, we won’t achieve a different outcome in Gaza,” Marom said. “Hamas does not surrender. It won’t raise a white flag.” Marom offered a blunt assessment of Israel’s military campaign, now in its second year. He said the IDF performed “reasonably well” on the battlefield but failed on the legal and humanitarian fronts, where international legitimacy has nearly evaporated. “We’re running on reserves — and those reserves depend on one man sitting in the White House,” he said of Trump, calling the president “unpredictable” and warning that Israel’s dependence on a single leader is “not reasonable.” “Who would have believed Israel could sustain legitimacy for such a prolonged campaign without being stopped?” he asked. “In other wars, it was a matter of days or weeks.” Marom also addressed a bizarre episode last week when loudspeakers were set up along the Gaza border to broadcast Netanyahu’s UN speech. Critics claimed the move endangered soldiers, while the Prime Minister’s Office denied ordering the deployment. “It was a foolish incident like no other — just a media gimmick,” Marom said. “If I were a commander, I would have asked for it in writing. Either way, no one would have heard those speakers. It meant nothing.” Marom placed his confidence in current IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, calling him “a backbone leader” who understands the limits of Israel’s strategy. “The government suddenly shifted direction,” he said. “The goal is no longer to defeat Hamas militarily — we’ve already done that. The goal now is to force its surrender. But anyone who understands jihadist Islamist organizations knows that’s not realistic.” Ultimately, he suggested, Israel’s fate in Gaza may rest in Washington. “In the end, Netanyahu has no choice,” Marom said. “If Trump says ‘it’s over,’ then it’s over. That’s the end of it.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The Taliban on Sunday freed a U.S. citizen from an Afghan prison, weeks after they said they had reached an agreement with U.S. envoys on a prisoner exchange as part of an effort to normalize relations. The deputy spokesperson for the Taliban Foreign Ministry, Zia Ahmad Takal, identified the man as Amir Amiri. He did not say when Amiri was detained, why, or where. An official with knowledge of the release said Amiri had been detained in Afghanistan since December 2024 and was on his way back to the U.S. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the details with the media. Qatar facilitated Amiri’s release in the latest diplomatic achievement resulting from its security partnership with the U.S. that has secured the freedom of four other Americans from Taliban detention this year. The energy-rich nation on the Arabian Peninsula also helped in releasing a British couple who were imprisoned for months. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed Amiri’s release, saying it marked the administration’s determination, reinforced by U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent executive order, to protect American nationals from wrongful detention abroad. “While this marks an important step forward, additional Americans remain unjustly detained in Afghanistan. President Trump will not rest until all our captive citizens are back home.” Ahmad Habibi, the brother of Mahmood Habibi, a U.S. citizen held by the Taliban for more than three years, said he and his family were grateful to hear the news about Amiri, and they remained hopeful that Mahmood would also return home. Mahmood Habibi, an Afghan-American business owner, worked as a contractor for a Kabul-based telecommunications company and vanished in 2022. The FBI and his family have said they believe he was taken by the Taliban, who have denied holding him. “We are grateful that senior officials at the State Department and National Security Council have repeatedly assured us that any deal they do with the Taliban will be ‘all or nothing’ and they have explicitly assured us that they will not leave my brother behind,” Ahmad Habibi said. It remains unclear what the Taliban receive in exchange for freeing U.S. nationals. But Afghanistan’s needs are many. The international aid money that flowed into the country after the 2001 U.S.-led invasion is drying up even as economic and humanitarian crises mount, particularly after a magnitude-6 earthquake on Aug. 31. But Afghanistan remains a focus for Trump, who has said he wants to retake Bagram Air Base, a massive former U.S. military facility, a demand rejected by senior Taliban officials. (AP)
The White House said Monday that Israel and Hamas are on the verge of a framework agreement to end the war in Gaza — with President Donald Trump poised to officially roll out his 21-point peace plan in a high-profile meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later today. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News’ Fox and Friends that negotiators are “very close” to a deal that could both end the fighting and lay groundwork for broader Middle East stability. “To reach a reasonable deal for both sides, both sides have to give up a little bit and might leave the table a little bit unhappy, but that is ultimately how we are going to end this conflict,” she said. Trump will also speak with Qatari leaders, who have acted as intermediaries with Hamas throughout the war. The administration expects both sides to sign onto the plan, which was drafted by Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. Germany, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates quickly threw their weight behind the proposal. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul wrote on X that “the war in Gaza must end, Hamas must release the hostages, and we are close to achieving this solution thanks to the US.” He urged “all sides to show the courage to take the final decisive step.” In Cairo, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with both leaders voicing support for Trump’s proposal in a joint statement released by Sisi’s office. The push for an agreement comes after nearly two years of grinding conflict and mounting international pressure for a ceasefire. The White House has billed Trump’s plan as the most detailed U.S.-backed framework yet, one that could lock in regional support while forcing Hamas to release hostages and commit to conditions that would curb its military grip on Gaza. Still, the deal faces steep challenges. Israeli officials have long been skeptical of concessions that could leave Hamas in place, while Hamas leaders have balked at any arrangement that limits their authority. For now, the administration is projecting optimism. “We are very close,” Leavitt said. “This is the best chance we’ve had to finally end this conflict.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
In the absence of stronger federal regulation, some states have begun regulating apps that offer AI “therapy” as more people turn to artificial intelligence for mental health advice. But the laws, all passed this year, don’t fully address the fast-changing landscape of AI software development. And app developers, policymakers and mental health advocates say the resulting patchwork of state laws isn’t enough to protect users or hold the creators of harmful technology accountable. “The reality is millions of people are using these tools and they’re not going back,” said Karin Andrea Stephan, CEO and co-founder of the mental health chatbot app Earkick. The state laws take different approaches. Illinois and Nevada have banned the use of AI to treat mental health. Utah placed certain limits on therapy chatbots, including requiring them to protect users’ health information and to clearly disclose that the chatbot isn’t human. Pennsylvania, New Jersey and California are also considering ways to regulate AI therapy. The impact on users varies. Some apps have blocked access in states with bans. Others say they’re making no changes as they wait for more legal clarity. And many of the laws don’t cover generic chatbots like ChatGPT, which are not explicitly marketed for therapy but are used by an untold number of people for it. Those bots have attracted lawsuits in horrific instances where users lost their grip on reality or took their own lives after interacting with them. Vaile Wright, who oversees health care innovation at the American Psychological Association, agreed that the apps could fill a need, noting a nationwide shortage of mental health providers, high costs for care and uneven access for insured patients. Mental health chatbots that are rooted in science, created with expert input and monitored by humans could change the landscape, Wright said. “This could be something that helps people before they get to crisis,” she said. “That’s not what’s on the commercial market currently.” That’s why federal regulation and oversight is needed, she said. Earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission announced it was opening inquiries into seven AI chatbot companies — including the parent companies of Instagram and Facebook, Google, ChatGPT, Grok (the chatbot on X), Character.AI and Snapchat — on how they “measure, test and monitor potentially negative impacts of this technology on children and teens.” And the Food and Drug Administration is convening an advisory committee Nov. 6 to review generative AI-enabled mental health devices. Federal agencies could consider restrictions on how chatbots are marketed, limit addictive practices, require disclosures to users that they are not medical providers, require companies to track and report suicidal thoughts, and offer legal protections for people who report bad practices by companies, Wright said. Not all apps have blocked access From “companion apps” to “AI therapists” to “mental wellness” apps, AI’s use in mental health care is varied and hard to define, let alone write laws around. That has led to different regulatory approaches. Some states, for example, take aim at companion apps that are designed just for friendship, but don’t wade into mental health care. The laws in Illinois and Nevada ban products that claim to provide mental health treatment outright, threatening fines up to $10,000 in Illinois and $15,000 in Nevada. But even a single app can be tough to categorize. Earkick’s Stephan said there is still a lot that is “very muddy” about Illinois’ law, for example, and the company has not limited access there. Stephan […]
WATCH: Wings of Zion plane carrying Prime Minister Netanyahu seen taxiing on the runway at JFK Airport as the PM departs NYC for his meeting today with President Trump in Washington, D.C. VIDEO FOR YWN BY ISSAC COHEN
WH Press Secretary on the FBI’s current understanding of the motive in the deadly Michigan church shooting: “This was an individual who hated people of the Mormon faith, and they are trying to understand more about this.”
WH PRESS SECRETARY: “The overwhelming majority of Americans want to keep government open. They want our military to be paid. They want assistance for women and children in impoverished communities to continue. All of that will come to an end if Democrats shut down the government.”
TRUMP: “Self proclaimed New York City Communist, Zohran Mamdani, will prove to be the best thing to ever happen to our great Republican party… Remember, he needs money from me as president in order to fulfill all of his FAKE communist promises. He won’t be getting any of it so what’s the point of voting for him?”
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi welcomed his Emirati counterpart Mohammed bin Zayed in Cairo, where the two leaders expressed support for Trump’s Gaza ceasefire proposal, “stressing the importance of backing this peaceful initiative,” according to the Egyptian presidency.
WATCH: UK police officers told an English man he could not display the English flag in England, prompting him to question, “But Palestinian flags fly the whole day?”
WATCH: The motorcade of Prime Minister Netanyahu leaving his hotel in Manhattan as he heads to the airport for his flight to Washington DC, where he will be meeting with President Trump later today.
Olek, chairman of Ukraine’s parliament foreign affairs committee, praised Israel’s reported decision to supply Patriot systems to Ukraine, as announced by President Zelensky, calling it “a strong sign of solidarity and support for the right side of history.”
New footage shows a drone operator from Ukraine’s 59th Assault Brigade shooting down a Russian Mi-8 helicopter near Pokrovsk, first attempting a strike near the cockpit before ultimately hitting the fuel tanks; the low altitude allowed the pilot to land safely, but the helicopter was later seen burning on the ground in video from a second drone.
The Israeli Air Force carried out around 140 strikes across the Gaza Strip over the past day, targeting buildings used by terror groups, operatives, and other infrastructure, according to the military.