A US-made Patriot II missile exploded seconds after launch during a live-fire drill at Taiwan’s Jiupeng base, highlighting the island’s reliance on older PAC-2 systems despite plans to shift to PAC-3, with experts pointing to outdated technology and limited maintenance as possible causes under investigation.
Hamas has resumed rebuilding its underground terror network in Gaza — including in areas already cleared by Israeli forces — raising alarms within the IDF as commanders prepare for a new, large-scale ground offensive. Military intelligence indicates that Gaza City still conceals vast, strategically critical tunnel systems untouched during Israel’s previous incursion 18 months ago. Senior officers warn that subterranean warfare will pose an even greater challenge in the next phase of fighting. Against this backdrop, the Security Cabinet is expected Thursday to approve the launch of “Gideon’s Chariots II,” the codename for the IDF’s planned push into Gaza City. On Sunday, amid mass demonstrations calling for the release of hostages, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir announced the operation’s imminent start. “We will continue striking until Hamas is defeated, with the hostages at the forefront of our minds,” Zamir said. “The IDF will deploy all its capabilities — on land, in the air and at sea — to hit Hamas with force.” The campaign will require the mobilization of tens of thousands of reservists under Tzav 8 emergency call-ups. Many have already received notices, adding to widespread fatigue among soldiers and their families. Two days after Zamir’s remarks, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz formally signed off on the IDF’s plan. “The goals are to take control of Gaza, dismantle Hamas militarily, drive its leaders into exile, demilitarize the Strip, and create the conditions to free all hostages,” Katz declared. “When this operation is complete, Gaza will change its face and will no longer look the way it did.” Regular IDF brigades have been instructed to prepare for deployment, while reserve brigades are slated for activation in September. The offensive is not expected to begin before next month. Military planners say it hinges on moving up to one million civilians out of Gaza City — a massive logistical challenge requiring U.N. cooperation. Once underway, at least four IDF divisions, including reserve forces, are expected to encircle Gaza City before advancing block by block into neighborhoods like Sabra, Rimal and Sheikh Ajlin. The battle plan calls for intense aerial bombardment to precede the ground invasion, followed by systematic clearing of high-rise districts and suspected tunnel hubs. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Thursday that the military is advancing its long-anticipated push to capture Gaza City, describing the operation as central to Israel’s mission of defeating Hamas and freeing hostages. Visiting southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, Zamir addressed soldiers from the Kfir Infantry Brigade and 188th Armored Brigade — units that had just repelled a Hamas raid on their encampment a day earlier. “We are advancing with the efforts for action in Gaza City. We already have forces operating on the outskirts of the city, and additional forces will join them later,” he told the troops. Zamir stressed that the IDF’s goals remain clear. “Our missions remain the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas; we will not rest and will not stop until we complete them. Achieving these missions is essential for our future and for our values as a society,” he said. The IDF chief said Hamas has been severely weakened by months of fighting. “From the terror army we experienced on October 7, it has become a guerrilla organization. We will continue to strike Hamas everywhere, pursue them as long as necessary and wherever necessary,” he vowed. On the 60,000 reservists called up for the Gaza City campaign, Zamir said they are being summoned only when absolutely necessary. “I am certain they will show up until the mission is completed,” he said. Zamir also noted that the IDF is in constant discussion with Israel’s political leadership as it shapes the next phases of the operation. “We are creating the best operational achievements on the battlefield in order to present them with the widest range of options,” he said. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu visited the Gaza Division on Thursday. “I came here to approve the IDF plans for taking control of Gaza City and defeating Hamas. In parallel, I instructed to begin immediate negotiations for the release of all our hostages and the end of the war, on conditions that are acceptable for Israel,” Netanyahu said. “We’re at the decisive stage,” he continued. “I came today to the Gaza Division in order to approve the plans that the IDF presented to me and to the Defense Minister for taking control of Gaza City and defeating Hamas. Those two things, the defeat of Hamas and the release of all our hostages, go hand in hand.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
JD Vance: “We are going to BANKRUPT this country if we keep on giving the people’s Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security benefits to illegal aliens…that is NEVER the design of those programs! […] They ought by right to belong to the AMERICAN citizens who paid into those programs to begin with – and that’s what we’re fighting to make sure happens.”
New Zealand’s government announced new military spending Thursday of 2.7 billion New Zealand dollars ($1.6 billion) to replace aging aircraft, including helicopters it plans to purchase from the United States, senior officials said. Cabinet ministers unveiling the package cited rapidly growing global tensions and a deteriorating security environment. New Zealand’s military spending has trailed that of its larger partners in the Five Eyes intelligence sharing group of countries — which includes the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia — and the bolstered budget reflects a shift in how the remote island nation is responding to strategic competition among major powers in the Pacific Ocean. “We face the most challenging strategic circumstances in New Zealand’s modern history and certainly the worst that anyone today working in politics or foreign affairs can remember,” Foreign Minister Winston Peters, who entered Parliament in 1979, told reporters. The purchase of military planes and helicopters was the first procurement announced in a government plan, disclosed in April, to double defense spending from 1% to 2% of GDP in the next decade. The package includes five MH-60R Seahawk helicopters to replace the existing maritime fleet and two Airbus A321XLR aircraft, allowing the retirement of Boeing 757s that are more than 30 years old and were already secondhand when purchased. The helicopters accounted for more than NZ $2 billion of the spending, officials said. Defense Minister Judith Collins said her government would “move at pace” to procure the helicopters directly through the United States’ foreign military sales program instead of going to a wider tender. Cabinet ministers were expected to consider the final business case in 2026, she told reporters in Wellington on Thursday. It would take “a few years” to acquire the helicopters, Collins added, because buying new meant New Zealand would need to “wait in line.” She denied the choice to buy from the United States was an attempt to rectify the trade imbalance that has seen New Zealand goods targeted for an adjusted 15% levy when arriving in the U.S. under the Trump administration’s global tariffs plan. Collins said she didn’t know whether New Zealand’s trade minister would seek to use the purchase as leverage when making a case for lower tariffs to U.S. officials. The same helicopters were used by Australia, the U.S. and seven other countries, she said. The leaders of New Zealand and neighboring Australia this month pledged closer military ties as they are increasingly confronted by great power competition, particularly the rise of China’s influence, in the South Pacific Ocean. The region was once neglected by other Western nations, an attitude that has reversed sharply in recent years as the extent of Beijing’s attempts to vie for sway with Pacific leaders has become more apparent. That’s proved a challenge for leaders in New Zealand, where use of military ships and aircraft has often been primarily in humanitarian and disaster situations. It has also required a fresh sales pitch on military budgets to a country of 5 million people where the need for defense spending in a remote country with few enemies has traditionally been a difficult sell. “Distance no longer provides New Zealand the protection it once did,” Collins said. “And defense is not something that can be mothballed until you need it.” The aging Boeing aircraft have frequently broken down […]
The illegal alien accused of killing three people with a semi-truck is being extradited to Florida, where Gov. DeSantis says he will face full justice.
WATCH: A US-made FA/18 Hornet fighter jet of the Royal Malaysian Air Force caught fire during takeoff, exploding into a blazing fireball before crashing to the ground.
Naor Narkis, a secular activist from Tel Aviv and the head of the “Enlightened Israel” organization, set up a stand on Thursday morning in Bnei Brak with the aim of encouraging the “enlightenment” (i.e., secularization) of the Chareidi public, Chareidim10 reported. He was accompanied by security guards and other activists. Over the course of the day, Chareidim gathered near the stand and began arguing with the activists, and a commotion developed at the scene. Police officers arrived at the scene after receiving several calls about disruption of the peace. The police decided to disperse the unlawful gathering at the scene, including the stand, due to concerns for the safety of the public. However, one of the secular activists refused to leave the scene, and the police arrested him. The suspect, 57, a resident of Givat Shmuel, was taken for questioning at the Bnei Brak police station. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
The New York Yankees are facing backlash after drafting shortstop Core Jackson, a player whose past includes drawing a swastika on the dorm room door of a Jewish student when he was a 17-year-old freshman at the University of Nebraska, The Athletic revealed Wednesday. The 2021 incident, which Jackson now describes as the lowest point of his life, occurred while he was “blackout drunk.” According to reports, he broke down in tears the following day when told what he had done. The University of Nebraska sanctioned Jackson with fines, community service, and online sensitivity training. He was not arrested, and his baseball career continued uninterrupted. Jackson’s disciplinary record extended beyond the swastika incident. In September 2024, while playing for the University of Utah, he was charged with DUI. The case was reduced to misdemeanor impaired driving, with Jackson ordered to complete substance abuse training, community service, and pay fines. The Yankees were fully aware of Jackson’s past before selecting him in the 2025 MLB Draft. His agent had instructed him to disclose the swastika incident to all 30 Major League clubs during the draft process. Damon Oppenheimer, the Yankees’ amateur scouting director, defended the decision: “We were looking for accountability. I think [Jackson’s] actions have shown his remorse. He’s acknowledged it. He’s taken the right steps to learn and understand what he’s done.” Oppenheimer said the team performed more “due diligence” on Jackson than on any player in his 23-year career. The pick was also backed by Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner and president Randy Levine, who is Jewish, along with other Jewish members of the organization’s leadership. Jackson signed with New York for $147,500—well below the $411,100 slot value for the 164th overall pick. Scouts said his performance on the field—a career .363/.455/.577 hitter at Utah and two-time first-team all-conference honoree—would likely have placed him much higher in the draft if not for his past actions. Jackson’s agent, initially blindsided by the revelation, considered cutting ties before consulting with Elliot Steinmetz, head men’s basketball coach at Yeshiva University. After a personal call with Jackson, Steinmetz described him as “the nicest, sweetest kid in the world—[but] dumb as rocks when it came to these kinds of issues.” Jackson later undertook a five-week educational course with a Yeshiva University graduate student, aimed at teaching him about Jewish history and antisemitism. The instructor said Jackson was “attentive and engaged.” Raised in a Christian household in rural Ontario, Jackson admitted he had grown up with almost no exposure to Jews or Jewish history. “That doesn’t excuse what I did,” he told The Athletic. “But it shows how much I had to learn.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
This morning, the Satmar Girls Camp in Ulster Heights had the distinguished honor of hosting several high-ranking officials, including the Ulster County Executive, Ulster County District Attorney, Ulster County Sheriff, NYS Police Deputy Superintendent, and the NYS Senator representing Ulster County. They were warmly welcomed by Reb Dovid Rosenberg, Reb Yankel Richter, Senior Hatzolah volunteer Reb Moshe Richter, Law Enforcement Chaplain Reb Avrum Yakov Freidman, and Reb Chananya Schmilowitz. During their visit, the officials toured the camp facilities and spent time meeting with the campers and staff.
Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes rose in July as homebuyers were encouraged by a modest pullback in mortgage rates, slowing home price growth and the most properties on the market in five years. Existing home sales rose 2% last month from June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.01 million units, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday. Sales edged up 0.8% compared with July last year. The latest sales figure topped the 3.92 million pace economists were expecting, according to FactSet. Home prices rose on an annual basis for the 25th consecutive month, although the rate of growth continued to slow. The national median sales price inched up just 0.2% in July from a year earlier to $422,400. The U.S. housing market has been in a sales slump since 2022, when mortgage rates began climbing from historic lows. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes sank last year to their lowest level in nearly 30 years. This year’s spring homebuying season, which is traditionally the busiest period of the year for the housing market, was a bust as stubbornly high mortgage rates put off many prospective homebuyers. Affordability remains a dauting challenge for most aspiring homeowners following years of skyrocketing home prices. (AP)
Steven Cheung: “Another failed skirmish in the discredited lawfare campaign against President Trump, his family, and his business that other Democrat prosecutors are dropping left and right.”
Chief of Staff of the Kfir and Armored units in Khan Younis stated: “We are moving forward with preparations for an operation in Gaza City. Forces are already active on the city’s outskirts, with additional units set to join soon. Our objectives remain the rescue of hostages and the defeat of Hamas—we will not rest or stop until these missions are accomplished.”
At least 13 people allegedly involved in the killing of two members of Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada’s staff in May were arrested Wednesday for their alleged roles in what authorities described as a meticulously planned hit on two people close to the capital’s leader. Three of those arrested allegedly were directly involved in the killings and the others had roles in the logistics. Brugada’s personal secretary, Ximena Guzmán, and an adviser, José Muñoz, were shot dead in Guzmán’s car on a Mexico City street in broad daylight on May 20. Guzmán, as she did regularly, was picking up Muñoz at a subway station. “These results represent the first advances of an ongoing investigation,” Brugada said. Bertha María Alcalde Luján, Mexico City’s chief prosecutor, said later during a news conference that five vehicles, including the motorcycle the shooter fled on, were part of the operation. Two of the other vehicles were identified as having surveilled the victims in the weeks before their killings. Alcalde Luján even said investigators believe the hit had originally been planned for May 14, but Guzmán didn’t pick up Muñoz that day, so they believe it was called off. Mexico’s federal security chief, Omar García Harfuch, said investigators confirmed that those involved in the shootings initially fled to a neighborhood in the borough of Iztacalco, not far from the capital’s international airport. There they changed vehicles and escaped the city to neighboring Mexico state. Early Wednesday, law enforcement carried out 11 raids, arresting the 13 suspects. Mexico City Police Chief Pablo Vázquez Camacho said there were various lines of investigation, but authorities would not speak of a possible motive while the investigation remained open. (AP)
A truck carrying weapons has arrived at Burj al-Barajneh camp square for transfer to the Lebanese army. Palestinian Presidency spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeina stated, “The process of handing over weapons in the Palestinian camps to the Lebanese army has begun.”
