The financial toll of Iran’s missile strikes on Israel earlier this year has reached record levels, with damages now estimated at more than 4 billion shekels ($1.1 billion) in just the first wave of claims, the Israel Tax Authority said. Officials warned that the final cost, once indirect losses are included, will run into the “several billions more.” In only 12 days of fighting, Israelis filed 53,599 claims for direct damage — the highest ever recorded. Nearly 42,000 property claims were submitted, including 36,928 from private homeowners, making housing the single hardest-hit sector. Hundreds of homes were completely destroyed and will need to be rebuilt from scratch, leaving families displaced for months or years. The state will be forced to fund temporary housing for those left without shelter. Critical national institutions were not spared. The Weizmann Institute of Science and Soroka Medical Center sustained heavy damage, while prolonged shutdowns of businesses across the country added to the devastation. Businesses filed 5,108 claims for losses, with hundreds of shops and offices deemed beyond repair. Vehicle damage also reached historic highs, with at least 5,400 cars destroyed or heavily damaged in the missile fire. To date, the Property Tax Compensation Fund has paid out roughly 1.6 billion shekels ($430 million) in direct compensation. But indirect claims — covering lost business, wages, and production — are already dwarfing direct damages. In less than two weeks of war, 98,569 indirect claims were filed, almost double the direct figure. Nearly 60,000 have already been processed, with an additional 1 billion shekels ($270 million) paid out in partial compensation. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
UPDATE: Following the Levaya of the Viznitzer Rebbitzien of Kiamesha in Gibbers, the Mita will travel to Boro Park for a Levaya in front of the home of the Rachmistrivka Rebbetzin (the Nifteres’ mother) on 45th Street. It will then proceed to Monsey, with a Levaya at 4:30PM at the Viznitzer Shul on Phyllis Terrace, followed by Kevura at the Viznitzer Beis HaChaim on Route 306. Besoros Tovos!
Delta has agreed to pay $78.75 million to settle a lawsuit over a 2020 incident in which Flight 89 dumped 15,000 gallons of fuel at just 2,000 feet, dousing homes, schools, and playgrounds in Los Angeles and Orange County. Sixty-seven people, including 20 children, were treated for skin and eye irritation, though the FAA later ruled the pilots had acted properly.
At the SCO summit, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urged the creation of a multilateral currency fund, less dependence on the dollar, greater use of national currencies, and shared digital systems to enable secure central bank digital currency transactions.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on the sidelines of a regional summit in China on Monday in a show of deepening ties when New Delhi’s relations with Washington are strained over the purchase of Russian oil. The two leaders held talks after attending the key session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization gathering in the port city of Tianjin, where discussions focused on regional stability, bilateral trade and energy cooperation. In his remarks to open the talks, Modi termed the partnership with Moscow as “special and privileged.” Putin addressed Modi as a “dear friend” and hailed Russia’s ties with India as special, friendly and trusting. “Russia and India have maintained special relations for decades. Friendly, trusting. This is the foundation for the development of our relations in the future,” Putin said. “These relations are absolutely non-partisan in nature, supported by the overwhelming majority of the peoples of our countries.” Putin plans to travel to India in December for the 23rd India-Russia annual summit, according to his foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov. Relationships on display Modi used the SCO meeting to welcome the peace initiatives aimed at halting the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and called on the stakeholders to move forward constructively. “To end the conflict soonest and establish peace permanently, we need to find out a way. It’s a call of the entire humanity,” Modi said. At the talks, Putin was accompanied by a large delegation that included top government officials. Russian state media reported that before sitting down for the formal dialogue, Putin and Modi spoke one-on-one for almost an hour in Aurus, a high-end, Russian-made limousine that Putin regularly brings on foreign trips. Moments before the leaders lined up for a group photo, Modi was seen clasping Putin’s hand with the gusto of an old friend, bursting into his trademark hearty laughter. The moment was infectious as Putin grinned and chuckled, while Chinese President Xi Jinping gave a measured smile. The trio, ringed by watchful interlocuters, chatted animatedly for a few seconds. Modi met Xi ahead of the opening of the summit Sunday and the two leaders pledged to resolve their border differences and bolster cooperation. Washington pushing together China, Russia and India Monday’s bilateral meeting between Modi and Putin carried added significance by coming days after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed an additional 25% tariffs on Indian imports, raising the total duties to a steep 50%, in retaliation to India’s continued purchases of discounted Russian oil. Washington has repeatedly warned New Delhi against buying Russian crude which it said was partly keeping Moscow’s revenues afloat to fund the Ukraine war. India has defended its imports as essential for meeting its growing energy needs of 1.4 billion people. Analysts said Trump’s steep tariff and a general abrasiveness of the White House have inadvertently recalibrated a process whereby New Delhi is seeking closer cooperation with China and Russia. “While India-China reengagements started much before Trump, his policies are accelerating a process whereby India seems to be working much more closely with China and Russia to push back against economic unilateralism it is witnessing from the U.S.,” said Harsh Pant, vice president of foreign policy at New Delhi based think tank the Observer Research Foundation. Ashok Malik, partner and chair of India practice at U.S. based advisory firm the Asia Group, said a […]
The Trump administration has officially suspended the issuance of visas for Palestinian passport holders, preventing entry even for purposes such as medical care, education, or family visits.
The Houthis published an official list of 12 senior officials killed in Thursday’s Israeli strike on Sanaa, including the Prime Minister, Cabinet Secretary, Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, and several ministers covering economy, foreign affairs, agriculture, tourism, sports, labor, justice, energy, and information. Israel said military leaders were also targeted, though their names have not been released.
IDF and Yahalom engineers destroyed over 8 kilometers of Hamas tunnels, while the Kfir Brigade targeted military sites, captured weapons, and established the “Magen Oz” route separating eastern and western Khan Younis.
At the funeral for the Houthi Prime Minister and Ministers, the crowd erupted in chants: “Death to the USA! Death to Israel! Cursed be the Jews! Victory to Islam!”
The Houthis claimed they struck the Israeli tanker Scarlet Ray in the Red Sea with a missile, calling it a “direct hit,” but the UKMTO reported the missile missed the vessel.
As thousands of Brelover chassidim prepare to travel to Uman, the IDF is planning to step up enforcement against Chareidi draft-dodgers. The enforcement will not only take place at Ben Gurion Airport but also at various crossing and in Chareidi areas. Channel 12 News reported that in recent days, military police have been stationed in areas where a high concentration of Chareidi travelers is expected, including Elad, Beitar Illit, and the Jerusalem area.
The Houthis in Yemen held a mass funeral in Saana on Monday morning for Prime Minister Ahmed A-Rahawi and almost all the members of the Houthi cabinet who were eliminated in the Israeli airstrike last week. Twelve coffins were seen placed side by side in a row as the masses shouted “Death to Israel!” several times during the funeral.
JEWS CONTROL THE WEATHER? A flotilla headed to Gaza that had departed Barcelona under much fanfare was forced back to port after a storm hit parts of Spain overnight. The Global Sumud Flotilla, consisting of around 20 boats with participants from 44 countries, chose to return and delay its departure to “prioritize safety,” a statement said Monday. Facing winds of over 56 kilometers per hour (35 miles per hour), some of the smaller boats taking part in the mission would have been at risk, it said. The flotilla is the largest attempt yet to break the Israeli blockade of the Palestinian territory by sea.
UPDATE: The Levaya of the Viznitzer Rebbetzin of Kiamesha (Gibbers) A”H will take place at 11:15AM in front of the Viznitzer Shul in Gibbers, followed by a Levaya for women in the parking lot of the Viznitzer Yeshiva Gedola. Afterward, the Mita may go to Boro Park to pass the home of the Rachmistrivka Rebbetzin, the Nifteres’ mother, or it will proceed directly to Monsey, passing the Viznitzer Shul on the way to the Viznitzer Beis HaChaim on Route 306. Further updates to follow.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Saturday it has arrested eight people accused of funneling sensitive information on military leaders and strategic sites to Israel’s Mossad during the June war, Iranian state media reported. According to the IRGC, the suspects allegedly transmitted — or attempted to transmit — coordinates of critical facilities and details on senior commanders to Israeli intelligence. The arrests, carried out in northeastern Iran, reportedly uncovered materials for bombs, launchers, and explosives. Officials claimed the group had undergone specialized online training from Mossad. The accusations tie directly to Israel’s June offensive, which killed top Iranian generals, struck nuclear sites, and marked the heaviest blow to the Islamic Republic since the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s. Tehran retaliated with waves of missiles and drones before a U.S. intervention escalated the conflict further; Washington entered the war on June 22 with strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Iranian authorities say the espionage arrests are part of a broader crackdown launched during the 12-day war. State media reported that as many as 21,000 “suspects” were detained nationwide, though officials have not specified the charges. Numerous executions have followed in recent months, including that of nuclear scientist Rouzbeh Vadi, hanged on August 9 for allegedly passing intelligence to Israel. Human rights groups say Iran routinely uses espionage charges and expedited executions as instruments of political repression. A U.S.-brokered ceasefire ended the war on June 24, but Tehran has since escalated its internal security operations, underscoring both the vulnerability exposed by Israeli strikes and the regime’s willingness to clamp down hard on suspected dissent. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
