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Hamas officially responded on Friday night to the latest offer aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza and facilitating a hostage release agreement.

In a public statement, the terrorist faction said, “Hamas has completed its internal consultations and with the Palestinian factions regarding the latest proposal from the mediators to halt the aggression against our people in Gaza.”

The group went on to say, “The organization has delivered its response to the mediating brothers, and it is characterized by positivity. The organization is ready, with all seriousness, to immediately enter a round of negotiations regarding the mechanism for implementing this framework.”

An Israeli source confirmed that the response from Hamas had been received via intermediaries, and that Israeli officials were now reviewing the content of the reply.

Qatar’s Al-Arabi channel was the first to report, based on its own sources, that Hamas’s message to the mediators expressed openness to the latest proposal involving a cessation of fighting and the exchange of hostages.

A top Hamas representative told Reuters that the response to the initiative had been formally submitted and emphasized that it “is positive and could help reach an agreement.”

Earlier in the day, an individual affiliated with Palestinian terror factions had told Al Arabiya that Hamas was anticipated to convey its position Friday night. The source also noted that there was widespread backing among the various terrorist factions for a 60-day pause in fighting, during which discussions would continue regarding a permanent ceasefire and a total pullout of Israeli troops from Gaza.

In a report aired by Kan 11 News, it was noted that Hamas would likely present its reaction as generally favorable but intends to push for changes on three crucial elements.

The first issue is related to reinstating a previous system for humanitarian aid, one that would permit Hamas to oversee some of the supplies entering Gaza.

The second demand is that should negotiations stall or collapse during the 60-day timeframe, the pause in fighting must automatically continue, rather than violence breaking out again.

Finally, Hamas is insisting on changes to the proposed extent of the IDF’s withdrawal from Gaza, seeking a more comprehensive retreat.

On Thursday, Reuters cited an Israeli source indicating that Israeli leadership is actively preparing to move forward with a formal ceasefire deal in the coming days.

Details of the proposed arrangement between Hamas and Israel emerged earlier this week.

The New York Times, quoting both an Israeli defense contact and an individual linked to Hamas, revealed that the framework includes the release of ten hostages believed to still be alive, along with the transfer of the remains of 18 others held by Hamas. Both sources, who were briefed on the matter, spoke anonymously given the delicate nature of the talks.

One key difference between this outline and an earlier American plan put forward in May is the phased release schedule. Instead of completing the hostage releases within the first week of the truce, this plan envisions five separate handover stages spanning the full 60 days.

In addition, the deal reportedly includes a clause prohibiting Hamas from holding public, televised transfer events, a practice widely criticized during the January truce period.

{Matzav.com Israel}

President Trump officially enacted his “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” during a festive Independence Day celebration on the White House lawn Friday, punctuated by a powerful military flyover featuring B-2 bombers and fighter jets, marking the recent airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

“After that spectacular display of American power, let me just say God bless the United States military and God bless the USA,” Trump said from the Truman Balcony.

“As we enter our 249th year, America’s winning, winning, winning like never before… The Golden Age of America is upon us.”

At one point during the event, Trump asked the flight crews from Missouri who were involved in the Iran operation to identify themselves. “They don’t want to be in disguise,” he said, referencing their role in halting hostilities from Tehran through military pressure in support of Israel, just moments before signing the comprehensive legislation.

“In a few moments, we’re going to make official the greatest victory yet when I sign the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’,” the 79-year-old president said to an audience that included lawmakers and families of service members.

“It’s really promises made, promises kept — and we’ve kept them. Here’s a triumph of democracy on the birthday of democracy, and I have to say that the people are happy.”

Before finalizing the bill, Trump criticized Joe Biden and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), using the opportunity to contrast their leadership with his own. The legislation itself includes wide-ranging tax relief, such as exemptions on tips, overtime, and Social Security benefits, along with new deductions on car loan interest for American-made vehicles and an increase in allowable SALT deductions.

Trump accused Biden of leading “four horrible years of embarrassment,” citing failures on immigration policy and the chaotic U.S. exit from Afghanistan in 2021.

Mocking Jeffries, who delivered an extended speech opposing the bill the previous day, Trump remarked, “had a towel. He’s wiping his face. That’s not too elegant,” and derided Democratic pushback on the legislation. “Democrats opposed to the bill developed a standard line — and we can’t let them get away with it — ‘Oh, it’s dangerous. Oh, everybody’s going to die.’”

“It’s all a con job… just like the con job of ‘Russia, Russia, Russia’ and all of the other things they did — the 51 intelligence agents said the laptop from hell came from Russia,” he said.

The president encouraged GOP lawmakers to speak plainly about the bill’s merits, asserting that “just say what it is, because it’s the most popular bill ever signed in the history of our country.” He defended reductions in Medicaid and SNAP, criticized by opponents, by claiming Americans “won’t even notice” because “it’s just waste, fraud and abuse.”

“We have the greatest country in the world and we’re back — we’re back like nobody thought possible this quickly,” the president said.

“I can say very proudly, and I don’t have to quote the polls, that our country is more proud right now than it’s been in many, many years,” Trump added. “We have pride. We have dignity. We have something that has happened miraculously, so fast.”

{Matzav.com}

Dear Friends,

Just moments ago, on Independence Day, President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act which includes the first national scholarship tax credit!

Working together, this new opportunity can generate hundreds of millions of dollars for yeshiva tuition and will have a dramatic impact on families across the country.
Today’s victory was the culmination of decades of advocacy by Agudah and its coalition partners to address one of our community’s number one priorities: the ability of parents to afford tuition at the school of their choice.

I am personally indebted to my amazing colleagues at Agudah and to the support of so many of you! Whether you joined the hundreds of thousands of people who sent emails to Congress, joined us on our missions to Washington, or supported our efforts around the country we thank you! We had great coalition partners in state and national school choice groups, nonpublic school advocates, and other faith leaders who trusted us and ensured that we had input in the bill drafting and at every stage of the process. Most importantly, we are grateful to our champions in Congress who worked for the last six months to ensure that school choice was included in President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill.

We will send additional information tomorrow night about the scholarship tax credit and other items in the bill.

Have a Good Shabbos!

AD Motzen
National Director of Government Affairs
Agudath Israel of America

President Trump revealed that starting Friday, his administration will begin issuing notices to multiple nations that haven’t yet secured provisional trade agreements with the United States. These new tariffs are expected to reach up to “60 or 70%,” he stated.

“We’re going to start sending letters out to various countries starting [Friday]. We’ll probably have 10 or 12 go out,” Trump told reporters after midnight upon returning from a campaign event at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

“I think by the 9th [of July] they’ll be fully covered, and they will range in value from maybe 60 or 70% tariffs to 10 and 20% tariffs.”

These elevated figures suggest that Trump is willing to go beyond the initial framework he rolled out on April 2, when he announced his “Liberation Day” trade initiative. That plan introduced a base 10% tariff—more than three times higher than previous levels—and imposed harsher rates on countries running large trade surpluses with the U.S.

In that announcement, some of the steepest proposed reciprocal tariffs included 49% on Cambodia, 48% on Laos, and 47% on Madagascar—each selected due to their trade imbalances and reliance on U.S. markets for textile and footwear exports.

“We’ve done the final form, and it’s basically going to explain what the countries are going to be paying in tariffs,” Trump told reporters early Friday.

“It’s a lot of money for the country, but we’re giving them a bargain. … I don’t want to stretch it too much, we want to keep it pretty reasonable.”

Trump mentioned he plans to dispatch roughly a dozen letters per day until the self-imposed deadline of Wednesday, giving countries limited time to finalize deals or face tariffs.

“As we get to the smaller countries, we’re pretty much going to keep the tariffs the same,” he said.

“They’ll start to pay on Aug. 1. The money will start to come into the United States on Aug. 1 in pretty much all cases.”

The administration hasn’t yet confirmed which countries will be subject to the highest rates of 60–70%, but the aggressive trade stance coincides with a string of favorable economic news. Job creation once again exceeded projections in June, inflation held steady at 2.4% in May, and stock markets surged to all-time highs in recent days.

Detractors, however, have cautioned that these sweeping tariffs could raise prices for American consumers, particularly on imported products.

Thus far, Trump has reached tentative trade arrangements with China, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam. He’s also negotiated a “roadmap” with India and secured significant trade gestures from both Israel and Taiwan. However, several major trading partners—such as Japan and the European Union—have not yet finalized deals and remain exposed to the looming tariffs.

Trump has voiced skepticism regarding negotiations with Japan, which currently faces a proposed 24% duty. The European Union, meanwhile, may be hit with a 50% tariff, a hike from the initially proposed 20%, in retaliation for the EU’s pending digital tax targeting U.S. tech giants.

Even the agreements that have been outlined thus far only partially reduce the newly announced tariffs.

Under the provisional UK deal, the new 10% baseline tariff will remain on most goods, though certain British exports—like steel, aluminum, and most cars—will be exempted from the more severe 25% rate. In exchange, the UK has reportedly agreed to greater market access for U.S. agricultural products, including meat and ethanol.

The agreement with China resulted in a rollback of retaliatory tariffs while discussions continue on a more far-reaching pact. Trump also said the Chinese government has pledged to increase its imports of American goods.

As for Vietnam, the country will be spared from a proposed 46% tariff, but will still face a 20% rate on its own exports and a 40% rate on goods that originate from third-party countries like China before being routed through Vietnam.

Goods from Mexico and Canada are largely governed under the USMCA framework and are therefore exempt from most of the new levies. However, Trump did apply a 25% tariff in March to specific products not covered by the agreement, a move he said was intended to combat the trafficking of fentanyl and illegal border crossings.

Trump’s note that smaller countries will face similarly structured rates follows a period in which his administration concentrated on securing deals with the top 15 trading partners, even as smaller economies—especially in Asia—continue to export large volumes of inexpensive consumer goods due to their low labor costs.

On May 26, Trump emphasized that his broader tariff agenda was about strengthening the competitiveness of American industries—not about bringing back basic manufacturing jobs like those in the apparel sector.

“We’re not looking to make sneakers and T-shirts. We want to make military equipment. We want to make big things. We want to make, do the AI thing,” Trump said.

“I’m not looking to make T-shirts, to be honest. I’m not looking to make socks. We can do that very well in other locations. We are looking to do chips and computers and lots of other things and tanks and ships,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

During a speech celebrating the passage of his tax-cut and spending plan, President Donald Trump came under fire for using the term “Shylock” while talking about certain bankers — a word widely recognized as antisemitic.

“Think of that: No death tax. No estate tax. No going to the banks and borrowing from, in some cases, a fine banker — and in some cases, Shylocks and bad people,” Trump remarked while speaking at an event in Iowa late Thursday.

The term “Shylock” originates from Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, where the character is a greedy Jewish moneylender. Over the centuries, the name became synonymous with predatory lending and has been broadly criticized as an antisemitic slur.

In response, the Anti-Defamation League condemned Trump’s comments in strong terms. “The term ‘Shylock’ evokes a centuries-old antisemitic trope about Jews and greed that is extremely offensive and dangerous,” the ADL said. “President Trump’s use of the term is very troubling and irresponsible.”

Representative Dan Goldman of New York, who is Jewish and a member of the Democratic Party, reacted forcefully, stating, “This is blatant and vile antisemitism, and Trump knows exactly what he’s doing.”

When asked by reporters aboard Air Force One about the term and whether he understood its implications, Trump claimed ignorance. “No, I’ve never heard it that way. To be Shylock is somebody that, say, a money lender at high rates,” he said. “I’ve never heard it that way. You view it differently than me. I’ve never heard that.”

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

Bright orange signs declaring restricted access—written in both English and Spanish—have begun to line the dry landscape of the New Mexico borderlands, where patches of tall grass and yucca break up fields of onions and arid ranches, all beneath the shadow of a towering border wall. These warnings, posted by the U.S. military, signal the creation of newly designated military zones, the AP reports.

Thousands of such signs now mark territory in New Mexico and western Texas, warning that entry is forbidden under the command of military leadership. This marks a dramatic escalation in the military’s involvement in border control efforts, granting military installations near the southern border sweeping oversight powers. Soldiers now have the authority to detain individuals crossing illegally—sidestepping traditional legal limits on military enforcement—under the justification of the border emergency declared by President Donald Trump on his first day in office.

Federal officials argue that these military-enforced zones are a crucial tool for closing security loopholes and combating human trafficking and violent drug cartels that operate across the border.

The expansion of military oversight has sparked significant legal battles and drawn harsh criticism from civil liberties groups, migrant advocates, and outdoor enthusiasts alike. Many object to being denied access to public lands while the military roams freely.

Abbey Carpenter, a volunteer involved in search-and-rescue missions for missing migrants, worries that restricted access in these scorching deserts could be costing lives. “Maybe there are more deaths, but we don’t know,” she said.

Currently, two such zones create a protective barrier across 230 miles of the border, beginning in Fort Hancock, Texas, stretching through El Paso, and continuing westward into the vast ranchlands of New Mexico.

Just last week, the Department of Defense announced an additional 250-mile buffer zone in Texas’s Rio Grande Valley and revealed plans to establish another in the area near Yuma, Arizona. Altogether, these zones would span nearly one-third of the U.S.-Mexico border.

More than 7,600 military personnel are stationed to monitor these regions, drastically increasing the government’s physical presence in the borderlands.

Locals in Luna County, New Mexico—a region known for its strong emphasis on individual freedoms—have expressed mixed reactions to the new military presence. While many residents back measures to halt illegal trafficking, others worry about federal overreach.

“We as a family have always been very supportive of the mission, and very supportive of border security,” said James Johnson, a fourth-generation farmer supervising workers harvesting onions, who earn $22 per crate. He noted that previous military deployments acted as extra “eyes and ears,” but this time, he said, the government is “trying to give some teeth.”

Outdoor access advocates, however, are uneasy. Ray Trejo, who works with the New Mexico Wildlife Federation and sits on the Luna County Commission, fears the implications for local traditions like hunting. “I don’t want to go down there with my hunting rifle and all of a sudden somebody rolls up on me and says that I’m in a military zone,” he said. “I don’t know if these folks have been taught to deescalate situations.”

Trejo, a retired ESL teacher, said that criminalizing people entering military areas feels morally wrong in a community built around immigrant labor. “If the Army, Border Patrol, law enforcement in general are detaining people for reasons of transporting, of human smuggling, I don’t have a problem,” he said. “But people are coming into our country to work, stepping now all of a sudden into a military zone, and they have no idea.”

According to Army spokeswoman Nicole Wieman, officials are in discussions about allowing controlled recreational access and ensuring continued rights to grazing and mining on private leases.

So far, over 1,400 migrants have been prosecuted for entering these military zones without authorization. The charge carries a potential 18-month sentence for first-time offenders, on top of a separate illegal entry charge that can add another six months in jail. Afterward, most are transferred to Customs and Border Protection for processing and likely removal. There have been no confirmed arrests of U.S. citizens under the policy.

At a federal court session in Las Cruces, New Mexico, migrants in jail-issued clothing and chains appeared before a judge to face charges. One 29-year-old woman from Guatemala, speaking through a Spanish interpreter, pleaded guilty to illegal entry. With insufficient proof for the trespassing charge, the judge dismissed it but sentenced her to two weeks in jail ahead of probable deportation. “She sells pottery, she’s a very simple woman with a sixth-grade education,” her public defender told the court. “She told me she’s going back and she’s going to stay there.”

Apprehensions by Border Patrol agents at the southern border have fallen to a six-decade low this year. In June, arrests were down 30% compared to the previous month. On June 28, only 137 people were taken into custody, a stark contrast to the record-setting daily totals—over 10,000—in late 2023.

The earliest of the military zones, established in April and May, span west of El Paso across industrial sites and grazing fields, reaching the outskirts of the small border town of Columbus, New Mexico, with its population of 1,450. The village has historic significance as the site of a deadly 1916 raid by Pancho Villa’s troops.

Today, Columbus is better known as a cross-border transit point for children with U.S. citizenship who live in nearby Mexican communities but attend school on the American side.

Columbus Mayor Philip Skinner, a Republican, said the impact so far has been minimal. “We’re kind of not tuned in to this national politics,” Skinner said, noting that military activity hasn’t disrupted daily life in town.

Military command for the zones is split between Fort Bliss in Texas and Fort Huachuca in Arizona. The strategy effectively avoids violating the Posse Comitatus Act, a law that bars the military from taking on civilian law enforcement roles on domestic soil.

Russell Johnson, who both ranches and previously served as a Border Patrol agent, said he supports the new military-controlled zones along the U.S.-Mexico boundary where his ranch abuts federal land. “We have seen absolutely almost everything imaginable that can happen on the border, and most of it’s bad,” he said, recounting wild vehicle chases and the discovery of deceased migrants on his land.

Back in April, Johnson said five armored military vehicles were stationed near a break in the border wall where construction had been halted at the beginning of President Biden’s term. But in recent weeks, he noted, the activity has waned. “The only thing that’s really changed is the little extra signage,” he said. “We’re not seeing the military presence out here like we kind of anticipated.”

Legal challenges are mounting against the military’s new oversight powers, especially in cases like that of a Mexican national arrested for passing through remote federally controlled land. Defense attorneys are arguing that the creation of these zones without congressional approval constitutes “a matter of staggering and unpreceded political significance.” A court decision has yet to be rendered.

While legal rulings on the constitutionality of the zones remain pending, court outcomes in trespassing cases have been mixed, with both guilty verdicts and acquittals rendered in different trials.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison, the chief federal prosecutor in New Mexico, secured guilty verdicts in June against two immigrants who re-entered military zones after previously being warned. “There’s not going to be an issue as to whether or not they were on notice,” he said at a press briefing.

Rebecca Sheff, an attorney with the ACLU, criticized the government’s strategy, calling the military zones an experiment in harsher immigration enforcement. “To the extent the federal government has aspirations to establish a much more hostile military presence along the border, this is a vehicle that they’re pushing on to potentially do so…And that’s very concerning,” she said.

{Matzav.com}

Voting in the World Zionist Organization elections in the United Kingdom officially opens this Sunday, July 6, at 8:00 a.m. and will continue through Thursday, July 10, at 6:00 p.m.

Registered voters are expected to receive their personalized voting links via email before the voting period begins. Participants are urged to check their spam and promotions folders if the email is not found in their inbox. Anyone who registered but has not received the link is instructed to contact the campaign via email at hkelections@eretzhakodesh.org.

The voting campaign has been bolstered by a heartfelt call to action from one of the gedolei hador, Rav Avrohom Gurwicz, rosh yeshiva of Gateshead. In a public message dated Wednesday of Parshas Chukas, Rav Gurwicz wrote: “One who begins a mitzvah—we tell him: complete it,” he stated. “Anyone who registered to vote in the World Zionist Organization elections must now follow through and vote for the Eretz HaKodesh slate in the coming week. For a mitzvah is only truly attributed to the one who completes it.”

An election flyer includes a handwritten letter from Rav Gurwicz, urging those who took the initial step of registration to finalize the mitzvah by casting their vote. He writes that those who registered and are now eligible must vote during the upcoming week.

{Matzav.com}

Over the last several days, IDF troops operating under the Southern Command, with support from the Shin Bet and Military Intelligence, successfully neutralized over 100 members of Hamas. Among those killed were high-ranking operatives, including Hakam Issa, who served as Hamas’s Head of Combat Assistance; Mohammad Al-Sheikh, who led operations for the Khan Younis Brigade; Issa Abbas, a platoon commander in the Zaytoun Battalion; and Mohammad Jarousha, who commanded a platoon in the Tzabara Battalion.

As part of renewed military efforts, Division 98, which re-engaged in ground operations this week, joined forces with Division 162 to carry out strikes on Hamas operatives affiliated with the Gaza Brigade in northern Gaza.

The Israeli Air Force has so far conducted airstrikes on more than 7,500 terror-linked sites throughout Gaza. These targets have included storage locations for weapons, rocket launch positions, tunnel networks, and members of various terror groups within the coastal enclave.

The IDF now maintains tactical dominance over roughly 65% of Gaza. “IDF and Shin Bet forces continue to operate in Gaza in line with the goals of the war, aiming to protect Israeli citizens, particularly those living in the Gaza envelope,” a statement said.

{Matzav.com}

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, assesses President Donald Trump’s first six months, applauds passing of ‘big, beautiful bill’ and more on ‘Jesse Watters Primetime.’

WATCH:

Robert Reffkin, Compass co-founder and CEO, joins CNBC’s ‘Squawk on the Street’ to discuss the impact of New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s primary win on real estate, solutions to the city’s affordability crisis, and more.

WATCH:

Russia unleashed a ferocious wave of aerial attacks against Ukraine on Friday, launching a barrage of drones and missiles in what Ukrainian officials say was the most extensive assault since the war began nearly three years ago. The strikes came shortly after President Trump voiced frustration over his recent phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he was “disappointed.”

Ukraine’s air force reported that a staggering 539 drones and 11 missiles were fired at the capital, Kyiv, over a span of seven hours. The assault injured at least 23 people and caused widespread destruction across the city, with numerous residential buildings and infrastructure damaged.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is expected to speak with Trump later on Friday regarding the ongoing conflict, denounced the onslaught as “deliberately massive and cynical.”

“Notably, the first air raid alerts in our cities and regions yesterday began to blare almost simultaneously with media reports discussing a phone call between President Trump and Putin,” Zelensky posted on X.

“Yet again, Russia is showing it has no intention of ending the war and terror,” he added, urging the international community to ramp up efforts to pressure Moscow into changing its “dumb, destructive behavior.”

As the drone and missile attack raged, loud explosions lit up the night sky and echoed across Kyiv. Sirens wailed through the streets, prompting people to flee to safety, including into metro stations, as seen in videos widely shared online.

According to city officials, the strikes caused destruction in six of the city’s ten districts. Approximately 40 apartment buildings were hit, along with passenger rail infrastructure, schools, kindergartens, cafes, and vehicles.

“What Kyiv endured last night, cannot be called anything but a deliberate act of terror,” wrote Ukraine’s Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko on X.

“Absolutely horrible and sleepless night in Kyiv,” added Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. “One of the worst so far.”

Russian strikes on Kyiv have intensified significantly in recent weeks, with several of the attacks being among the deadliest in the entire conflict.

The latest barrage followed Trump’s statement that his conversation with Putin the day before had produced no movement toward peace.

“I’m very disappointed with the conversation I had today with President Putin, because I don’t think he’s there,” Trump told reporters. “I’m just saying I don’t think he’s looking to stop, and that’s too bad.”

“I didn’t make any progress with him at all,” he added.

{Matzav.com}

Palestinian Arab terror factions are anticipated to issue a formal reply later today to the current ceasefire offer, a source told the Saudi-based Al-Arabiya news channel. According to that insider, there appears to be strong alignment among the various groups around a short-term 60-day pause in fighting, which would serve as a window for discussions on a permanent resolution and the complete pullout of Israeli troops from Gaza.

The individual emphasized that all factions involved have, in principle, given their backing to an initial two-month truce.

That timeframe, they said, would be used to conduct further negotiations aimed at forging a longer-lasting arrangement, which would include halting the war altogether and removing IDF forces entirely from the territory.

The source also pointed out that the factions are unified in their view that a ceasefire is necessary in order to stabilize the internal situation in Gaza.

Still, the final word on whether to approve the deal rests with Hamas leadership. The source indicated that Hamas appears inclined to accept the proposal, although certain technical details remain unresolved.

Separately, Hamas representatives told the Saudi Alsharq channel that the group has shown signs of willingness to compromise on key security matters, including an openness to halting arms smuggling and even allowing some of its leaders to leave the area temporarily under a broader ceasefire framework.

Though the most recent conversations haven’t specifically touched on disarmament or banishment of top commanders, the sources noted that there is “flexibility” on the matter of weapons.

The group might also agree to the temporary and symbolic removal of a limited number of commanders, so long as it serves the goal of securing a broad and lasting ceasefire agreement.

The report also noted that both Arab and Western mediators have been engaged in talks with Hamas as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts to bring the conflict to an end.

{Matzav.com Israel}

A young soldier serving in Israel’s Armored Corps, Sergeant Asaf Zamir, 19, from Dimona, lost his life in the southern Gaza Strip after being struck by an anti-tank missile.

The same attack that claimed Sergeant Zamir’s life also left two members of the 53rd Battalion of the 188th Brigade with critical injuries.

Both injured soldiers were transported to the hospital for emergency care. The total number of fallen Israeli soldiers since the outbreak of the war now stands at 883.

Earlier in the day, authorities released the identity of another soldier who was killed in a separate incident: Sergeant Yair Eliyahou, 19, of Ezer, located in the Be’er Tuvia regional council.

Sergeant Eliyahou died during a military engineering operation in northern Gaza when one armored engineering vehicle plunged into a subterranean pit or cavity and collided with a nearby vehicle. Eliyahou was inside the second vehicle and was fatally wounded by the collision.

Defense Minister Israel Katz expressed grief at the loss of the two soldiers, paying tribute to Sergeant Yair Eliyahou, who served in the northern brigade as a combat engineer, and to Sergeant Asaf Zamir, a tank crewman with Battalion 53. He acknowledged their ultimate sacrifice in the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Katz extended sympathies to the mourning families, prayed for the swift healing of those injured, and praised the troops for their valor: “Brave fighters who are acting with courage to return the hostages and defeat the Hamas murderers.”

Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu also offered words of comfort to the families of the fallen.

“On behalf of all the citizens of Israel, my wife and I send heartfelt condolences,” Netanyahu stated. “The entire nation mourns the loss of our soldiers who fought heroically in the battle to defeat Hamas and free our hostages.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

With the Knesset’s summer session ticking toward its final weeks and the High Court’s deadline looming, the IDF announced its readiness to begin issuing 54,000 draft notices to eligible chareidi men starting next Tuesday, July 8.

However, military officials have encountered a significant logistical obstacle: there are currently not enough prison facilities to detain those who refuse to enlist.

According to a report on i24NEWS by journalist Yinon Yitach, the IDF is now considering the urgent establishment of hundreds of new detention spaces to handle expected noncompliance. This plan, however, hinges on budgetary approval.

At present, the IDF’s military prison system can only house a few hundred detainees, far short of the projected number of draft evaders, which could reach into the tens of thousands at its peak.

“We won’t be able to carry out effective enforcement,” warned a senior defense official cited in the report.

As of now, the army has yet to decide whether to send out all the notices in one wave on July 8 or to spread their distribution gradually throughout the month of July, in accordance with legal requirements.

This development comes as political parties — particularly the chareidi factions — await the presentation of a consensus draft law by MK Yuli Edelstein. The pressure is on to find a workable solution before the court-imposed deadline and amid mounting tensions over the future of chareidi military exemptions.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Reports indicate that Hamas may be willing to agree to a set of Israeli conditions in exchange for a ceasefire and the resumption of consistent humanitarian aid to Gaza.

According to the London-based Arabic-language newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, sources within Hamas have expressed a preliminary willingness to accept Israel’s core demands in exchange for a halt to fighting and a withdrawal of IDF forces from the Gaza Strip.

Israel’s demands reportedly include the disarmament of Hamas, the expulsion of remaining Iranian operatives and commanders from the territory, and the formal replacement of the Hamas regime in Gaza.

Israel’s security establishment has made it clear that it prefers a comprehensive deal — one that would secure the release of all hostages and end the war — while ensuring that Gaza’s future governance lies in the hands of a new, non-Hamas entity, at least in name.

Many Israeli officials believe Hamas will likely attempt to rebuild its power regardless, but if a deal is struck, it would give Israel the legitimacy to strike again in the future without the constraint of hostages being held.

Hamas is reportedly leaning toward a formal acceptance of the terms, largely due to agreements around the regulated entry of humanitarian aid and a clearly defined process for Israeli troop withdrawal.

While the full scope of Hamas’s willingness to comply with all aspects — particularly the broad expulsion of its senior leadership — remains unclear, negotiations appear to be progressing.

A Reuters report earlier revealed that President Donald Trump addressed the ceasefire talks, stating: “We’re going to know within the next 24 hours if Hamas agreed to the ceasefire.” He added, “Many others will join the Abraham Accords.”

Overnight, Hamas released an official statement noting that it is currently consulting with other Palestinian factions regarding the ceasefire proposal and will respond after deliberations conclude.

The statement read: “As part of our commitment to ending the Zionist aggression against our people and ensuring unrestricted humanitarian aid enters, the organization is holding consultations with the leaders of the Palestinian factions regarding the proposal presented by mediators.”

Meanwhile, Israel’s Security Cabinet convened to weigh its strategic options — whether to intensify the fighting if no breakthrough occurs or to work toward a broader regional agreement, or perhaps settle for a temporary deal that would buy time and reduce pressure.

Earlier in the evening, Reuters cited an Israeli official confirming that preparations are underway for the approval of a ceasefire agreement. The official said Israel expects Hamas to deliver a response by Friday. If the answer is positive, an Israeli delegation will join indirect negotiations to finalize the arrangement.

As Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu prepares for a high-stakes visit to Washington to meet with President Trump, pressure is mounting in Israel to arrive with tangible progress on the hostage talks and ceasefire plan — something Trump is reportedly expecting.

As previously reported, the current working framework includes a proposed 60-day truce during which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and return the bodies of 18 others.

Israeli officials are bracing for Hamas to complicate talks by disputing names on prisoner lists or quibbling over procedural details. As one source quoted on Ynet put it, “With Hamas, they’ll argue about names or keys — that’s just how it goes.”

Simultaneously, President Trump is continuing to apply significant diplomatic pressure on Netanyahu to secure a ceasefire as part of a larger regional initiative aimed at establishing broader ties between Israel and Arab states.

During a White House meeting with former hostage Edan Alexander and his family, Trump declared, “We’re going to close the deal.”

One element of the emerging deal would reportedly prohibit Hamas from staging televised “release ceremonies,” as occurred during the previous truce — footage that sparked widespread international condemnation.

According to Ynet, sources within the Israeli cabinet claim Netanyahu is highly motivated to reach an agreement, even “at almost any price.” One insider said the prime minister believes the current geopolitical window is extraordinarily rare, calling it “a once-in-a-generation opportunity.”

In closed conversations, Netanyahu is said to have described the diplomatic moment as “a dreamlike, historic opportunity we cannot afford to miss.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

Joe Biden stepped back into the public eye on Thursday to sharply criticize President Donald Trump’s major legislative achievement, taking to X shortly after the House approved the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

“The Republican budget bill is not only reckless — it’s cruel,” Biden wrote. “It slashes Medicaid and takes away health care from millions of Americans. It closes rural hospitals and cuts food assistance for our veterans and seniors. It jacks up energy bills. And it could trigger deep cuts to Medicare while driving up the deficit by $4 trillion. All of this to give a massive tax break to billionaires. Working people deserve better.”

The legislation, which passed by a narrow 218-214 vote, delivers on many of President Trump’s central campaign pledges and locks in major parts of his policy platform. It spans a broad spectrum of issues, from immigration enforcement and tax relief to dismantling regulations, making it one of the most consequential bills of Trump’s presidency.

While detractors have voiced concern over the bill’s cost and scope, Trump supporters say its passage gives the president a crucial political win. With Congress now aligned behind him, Trump has greater authority to push ahead with further reforms — and the momentum to ensure they take hold.

In spite of unified Democratic opposition, Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill is set to be signed into law during a White House ceremony on Friday.

{Matzav.com}

Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate vying for the mayoralty of New York City, marked “Black or African American” on his 2009 application to Columbia University, despite now saying he doesn’t consider himself Black, according to a Thursday report in The New York Times.

The revelation comes from leaked Columbia admissions data, which surfaced after a cyberattack on the Ivy League university exposed archived applications and internal records.

At the time, Mamdani was a senior in high school. On the application, he also selected “Asian” and handwrote “Ugandan” in a section that allowed applicants to elaborate on their heritage. Although his father teaches at Columbia, Mamdani was ultimately not admitted.

Now 33, Mamdani explained to The Times that his decision to mark multiple categories was an attempt to represent his nuanced personal history, not a strategy to benefit from racial preferences in admissions. “I identify as an American who was born in Africa,” he said, describing the checkboxes as a reflection of his “complex background.”

Back in 2009, Columbia—like many top-tier universities—considered applicants’ race as part of its admissions process. That practice was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2023.

“Even though these boxes are constraining,” Mamdani said, “I wanted my college application to reflect who I was.”

Speaking to the paper, Mamdani said he doesn’t recall ever identifying as Black or African American beyond that specific application.

His family is ethnically Indian. His father, Mahmood Mamdani, is a Columbia professor whose ancestors have lived in East Africa for generations. Zohran noted that despite the family’s African residence, there was no history of intermarriage with native African populations.

On the campaign trail, Mamdani has emphasized his South Asian roots and Muslim identity. He also highlights his African birthplace. While addressing Al Sharpton’s National Action Network in June, Mamdani said: “I was born in Kampala, Uganda… I was given my middle name, Kwame, by my father, who named me after the first Prime Minister of Ghana.”

During a rally on Wednesday, President Donald Trump referenced Mamdani and issued a pointed warning about his potential policies. “If he interferes with immigration laws ‘we’ll have to arrest him.'”

“Look, we don’t need a communist in this country, but if we have one, I’m going to be watching over them very carefully on behalf of the nation,” Trump added.

Mamdani, who describes himself as a democratic socialist, brushed off the remarks and accused Trump of attempting to instill fear. “An attempt to send a message to every New Yorker who refuses to hide in the shadows: if you speak up, they will come for you. We will not accept this intimidation.”

{Matzav.com}

In an interview with Sky News Arabia, opposition leader Yair Lapid asserted that the horrific events of October 7, carried out by Hamas, would have been avoided had he remained in charge of the Israeli government.

“If I were Prime Minister, I don’t think something like October 7 would have happened. I would have worked to replace the regime in Gaza. When I was Prime Minister, the border was quiet,” said Lapid.

Lapid used the interview as a chance to deliver a broader appeal to the Arab world, urging regional players to take action against Hamas and emphasizing the importance of humanitarian concern for Gazans.

“This is an opportunity to speak to the Arab world, to anyone with influence – to every Arab country and every country in the region. They must do everything in their power to pressure Hamas to accept the agreement. This is in the interest of Gaza’s residents, Israel’s residents, the hostages, and the entire region,” he stated.

He emphasized that Israel’s military campaign is squarely aimed at Hamas, not at Gaza’s population, and reiterated that the ongoing violence serves no one’s benefit.

“We are fighting Hamas, not the civilians of Gaza. A war in the Gaza Strip benefits no one, and we feel compassion for its residents,” Lapid added.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s coalition government is weighing a proposed change to one of the state’s most foundational laws — the Law of Return — that would dramatically alter the criteria for who may claim citizenship as a Jew, JTA reports.

The legislation seeks to abolish the clause that currently allows individuals with at least one Jewish grandparent to immigrate to Israel, even if they are not considered Jewish by halacha. Since 1970, that clause has enabled roughly half a million people to move to Israel, but it has also sparked growing internal debate and international concern, particularly among Jewish communities abroad.

The proposed legislation is set to be discussed Sunday by the Ministerial Committee on Legislation, a key body that determines whether government support will be granted for a bill’s advancement in the Knesset. If the committee gives the green light, it signals that Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s administration is likely to endorse the law as it moves forward.

Avi Maoz, leader of the right-wing Noam faction and the bill’s sponsor, left the coalition earlier this year, accusing the government of failing to pursue a robust religious-nationalist agenda. On the docket alongside his Law of Return amendment is another controversial Maoz bill that would prohibit the teaching of LGBTQ-related content in Israeli schools.

Maoz and like-minded legislators argue that allowing immigration under the current rules weakens Israel’s Jewish identity.

“In its current form, the Law of Return allows even the grandson of a Jew to receive immigrant status and rights, even if he himself, and sometimes even his parents, are no longer Jewish,” says an explanatory note attached to Maoz’s bill. “This situation means that the law is being exploited by many who have severed all ties with the Jewish people and its traditions, and in effect empties the law of its original intention, which was to open the country’s gates to the Jews of the Diaspora.”

This proposal echoes similar efforts made in the past by other members of the Netanyahu coalition, such as Likud MK Shlomo Karhi, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and far-right legislator Simcha Rothman, all of whom have previously called for ending the “grandparent clause.” Ultra-Orthodox parties in the coalition have also long opposed it, viewing it as inconsistent with traditional religious standards.

Backers of the current version of the law argue that it reflects Israel’s purpose as a haven for all those with Jewish roots, including individuals who don’t meet Orthodox standards but still feel a strong sense of Jewish identity. The provision was added in 1970, in part as a response to the Nuremberg Laws, which defined Jews by ancestry and subjected anyone with a single Jewish grandparent to persecution.

Supporters also point out that the clause has been critical in enabling Jewish immigration from the former Soviet Union. Due to decades of religious repression, many immigrants from that region could not prove maternal Jewish lineage, but nevertheless retained a powerful connection to Jewish culture and heritage.

According to traditional Jewish law, a person is only considered Jewish if their mother is Jewish or they undergo a recognized conversion process. Religious political parties in Israel have long pushed to keep the authority over conversions in the hands of Orthodox rabbis.

Stuart Weinblatt, a well-known Conservative rabbi and head of the Zionist Rabbinic Coalition, noted that Jewish communities abroad overwhelmingly support keeping the grandparent clause in place.

“I believe very strongly that issues such as security and borders should be decided by the sovereign democratically elected government of Israel, but there are other issues, which have an impact on Jewish peoplehood, which is worldwide, and it’s important to consider the wider consequences,” Weinblatt said.

He urged lawmakers to view immigrants with partial Jewish ancestry not as a challenge but as an opportunity, encouraging a more inclusive approach rooted in unity rather than exclusion.

“There are people who have this connection to Judaism and the Jewish people, and instead of looking at closing the door, we should be welcoming them back into the fold, capitalizing on their desire to make their future in the homeland of the Jewish people,” he said.

{Matzav.com}