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The IDF says several terrorists involved in the October 7, 2023 attack, including Yousef Jumaa—the commander of a cell that raided Kibbutz Alumim and later carried out attacks against Israel and IDF forces in Gaza—were killed in strikes by the 282nd Artillery Regiment over the past month.
Hagaon HaRav Dovid Cohen, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron, wishing the Slabodka Rosh Yeshiva, Hagaon HaRav Dov Landau, much Hatzlacha as he departs Eretz Yisroel for London on behalf of Keren Olam Hatorah.
Cedarhurst, NY: Kehillas Bais Yehuda Tzvi together with Kehillas Ahavas Yisrael hosted a Pre-Selichos Kumzitz, featuring music by Rivie and Eli Schwebel and Divrei Chizuk delivered by Rav Yaakov Feitman and Rav Moshe Plutchok.
Dr. Ellen Kreisels, a British consultant developmental pediatrician, clinical lead and doctor for child protection, was seen at a recent anti-Israel demonstration holding a sign featuring a flag of Israel—with the words “Rape,” “Steal,” “Cry,” “Lie,” “Cheat,” and “Kill” over the six points of the Magen Dovid, the UK’s Jewish News reported. Kreisels, who also posted a slew of antisemitic posts on her social media accounts, was removed from her position after the Jewish parents of a severely disabled boy filed an official complaint against her. The complaint cited her social media posts and her failure to refer the child for necessary specialist treatment. A spokesperson for Whittington Health confirmed that Kreisels was suspended from her position, adding that “discrimination has no place in the NHS.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
The Jerusalem District Court on Sunday convicted Elimelech Stern, a 22-year-old avreich from Beit Shemesh, of contact with a foreign agent and conspiracy to make threats, after he maintained communication with an Iranian operative and carried out actions under her direction. Stern’s attorney requested that he be reviewed for probation prior to sentencing, citing his young age. According to the indictment, Stern knowingly communicated via Telegram with an Iranian agent using the profile name “Anna Elena” and was asked to perform various tasks in Israel. Stern carried out assignments given to him and recruited two other Israelis to complete the missions. He was paid in cryptocurrency. For one task, Stern printed and posted posters depicting a blood-soaked palm alongside the text in English: “It will be written in history that children were killed. Let us stand on the right side of history.” He recruited one Israeli to carry out the posting in Tel Aviv, who documented the act and sent the photos to Stern. Stern then forwarded them to “Anna” and received payment in return. In another assignment, that same recruit collected a cell phone from the Atlit area according to “Anna’s” instructions. She later directed Stern to carry out additional actions, including sending packages containing a knife and a bouquet of flowers to the home of Israel’s representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Stern, however, responded that he feared going to prison. In his defense, Stern claimed he did not suspect “Anna” was a foreign agent and argued that his rights were violated during the investigation, asking the court to invalidate his confessions. However, the court found that Stern was aware he was in contact with a foreign agent, stating in its ruling, “From all the evidence presented, it is clear that the defendant harbored suspicions about the identity of ‘Anna’ from the very beginning of their contact. These suspicions grew stronger as the tasks she assigned became more severe in nature, taking on a distinctly security-nationalist character, and as she increasingly revealed her identity as a foreign agent intent on recruiting him and providing combat training for espionage.” Attorney Yishai Zigman stated, “Throughout the proceedings, the prosecution argued that Elimelech Stern chose to act in the service of a foreign agent. He accepted assignments, carried them out, recruited others, and was paid for it—all while fully understanding that a hostile entity seeking to undermine state security was behind ‘Anna.'” “The message from the court today is clear: anyone who collaborates with foreign agents and hostile elements will be held accountable. We will continue to act decisively to safeguard Israel’s security, even against covert threats that operate below the radar and endanger us all.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter expressed cautious optimism about the outcome of last week’s attempted elimination of Hamas leaders in Doha in an interview on Kan’s Reshet Bet on Sunday morning. Dichter’s comments come less than 24 hours after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu hinted at the operation’s failure. “The fact that days have passed since the attack and there is no information may indicate that perhaps they were hit harder than reported,” Dichter said. “We are all being fed snippets of information, and it is very difficult to know,” he added, referring to reports on Kan News that Khalil al-Hayya and other senior Hamas officials survived the attack. Dichter also addressed the timing of the attack. “The choice of timing was due to security-political considerations. Qatar is an important country, but over time it is becoming a less and less effective mediator,” he said, adding that the attack came “after half a year of being deceived in negotiations.” Regarding the concern of the hostages’ families that the strike will harm the negotiations for the release of their loved one, Dichter pointed out that the people “most relevant to any past or future deal” are in Gaza, where they have been attacked by the IDF. “Yahya Sinwar was the father of the first deal; his brother was the father of the second deal. You fight Hamas with all your might against those responsible for the October 7 massacre.” Minister Eli Cohen was interviewed by the Saudi Elaph media outlet on Motzei Shabbos and accused Qatar of harming regional stability in the Middle East: “There is a common denominator between the United States, Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Israel and other countries that are interested in stability and prosperity—but Qatar is a country that is connected to the Muslim Brotherhood. It is not only an enemy of Israel but of the entire moderate Muslim axis.” Cohen elaborated that Qatar is trying to have its cake and eat it too, as on one hand it maintains close ties to the US because it views Trump as a strong president, and on the other hand it funds elements associated with Iran: “It has funded not only the Revolutionary Guards over the years, but also extremists in various places,” he said. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
Five days later, Israel is still uncertain about the outcome of Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, Army Radio reported on Sunday morning. According to an assessment by senior Israeli officials, Qatar is actively helping Hamas obscure the strike’s results and is even cooperating with the group in a wider deception effort. The report added Israeli security officials believe the operation failed to achieve its primary goal—the elimination of Hamas’s top leaders. Two main scenarios are under review: that the leaders were at the site but escaped unharmed or with minor injuries, or that they received advance warning and fled in a coordinated move. The attack, which stunned the world with its sophistication, was carried out by 12 IDF fighter jets, which fired long-range ballistic missiles into space over Saudi Arabia to avoid violating its airspace, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
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Iran is exerting maximum diplomatic pressure to forge a regional coalition against Israel at the emergency Arab-Islamic summit in Qatar on Monday, Kan News reported. The dramatic move, brewing in the lead-up to the special emergency summit in Doha following Israel’s unprecedented strike in Qatari territory, is being led by Ali Larijani, chairman of Iran’s National Security Council, who is urging participating states to establish a joint operations center against Israel—an effort to flip the regional balance from an anti-Iran axis to an anti-Israel one. At the same time, several Arab media outlets revealed that Egypt is attempting to revive the long-dormant proposal for a “joint Arab military force” against Israel. The force, likely led by Egypt and Saudi Arabia or another Gulf nation, would be officially framed as a defensive measure to protect Arab states under attack, rather than as a direct escalation against Israel. The idea of a joint Arab force first surfaced nearly a decade ago but failed to gain traction. Reports now indicate that Israel’s strike on Qatar has prompted Egypt to seize the moment to rally Arab support to advance the initiative. If these plans materialize, they could shake the stability of the entire Middle East and leave Israel in a highly vulnerable position in the face of a coordinated Arab regional front. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
PM Bibi Netanyahu participated in the cornerstone-laying ceremony for the President Trump’s promenade in Bat Yam, together with Mike Huckabee, Bat Yam Mayor Tzvi Brot and members of the Bat Yam City Council.
