Matzav

One month after the horrific terror attack at the Ramot Junction that claimed the life of Reb Yisroel itzner Hy”d, a bittersweet joy fills the Mitzner home, as his widow, Tami, has given birth to a baby boy.

The newborn, who will grow up without ever meeting his father, joins the family’s three other children. The news has brought a measure of comfort and healing to the bereaved family.

Reb Yisroel was a beloved avreich at Kollel Meishorim in Yerushalayim. He was the son-in-law of Rav Dovid Greinemann, Rosh Kollel of Kollel Taharos in Yerushalayim.

He was murdered on his way to kollel in the devastating terror attack at the Ramot Junction in Elul.

During the shivah, his father, Reb Uri Meir Mitzner, shared a moving detail: just three weeks before the murder, Yisrael had told his mother and wife, “It’s good to live in Yerushalayim, but when the time comes, I want to be buried in Bnei Brak.” His words proved prophetic — he was laid to rest in the Beis HaChaim in Bnei Brak, accompanied by a massive levayah.

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A violent incident erupted late Wednesday night in Beit Shemesh when a group of extremists broke into the home of Mayor Shmuel Greenberg, hurling stones, damaging electrical systems, and inflicting significant destruction to the property.

According to eyewitnesses and city officials, dozens of rioters arrived by bus between Wednesday night and early Thursday morning to hold what authorities described as an “illegal demonstration” outside the mayor’s residence. The mob forced open the gates and doors of the home, threw stones, and proceeded to sabotage the house’s infrastructure, including its electrical wiring and power systems.

A statement from the Beit Shemesh Municipality confirmed that “the mayor was not at home during the riots. The condition of his family members is not yet clear, and we will provide updates as we receive them.”

Mayor Greenberg, along with the city’s chief security officer and senior Israeli police officials, arrived at the scene shortly afterward to assess the extent of the damage. Police have cordoned off the area and blocked access to the property while the investigation continues.

In a separate but related incident earlier in the evening, Knesset Member Tzvi Sukkot, who had visited the Vizhnitzer Rebbe in Bnei Brak to receive a brocha, was reportedly attacked as he left the site. His vehicle was damaged and one of its tires punctured during the assault.

Authorities have yet to announce arrests in connection with either incident, though police sources indicated that security has been reinforced in both Beit Shemesh and Bnei Brak in anticipation of potential further unrest.

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Senior Hamas political bureau member and notorious terrorist Taher al-Nunu announced that Hamas has handed over its official list of prisoners it expects to see released as part of the developing ceasefire and hostage agreement.

“The Hamas delegation has demonstrated the necessary responsibility and positivity to achieve the required progress and reach an agreement,” al-Nunu stated. “The mediators have invested significant efforts to remove every obstacle to implementing the ceasefire steps, and there is a prevailing atmosphere of optimism.”

He went on to explain that “the negotiations currently focus on mechanisms for ending the war, the withdrawal of IDF forces from the Gaza Strip, and prisoner exchanges. Today, the lists of prisoners which need to be released were handed over in line with the agreed criteria and numbers. Indirect talks will continue today with the participation of all parties and mediators.”

Hamas’s current demands include a halt to Israeli military operations after the hostages are freed, the daily entry of 400 humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from heavily populated areas to facilitate the exchange process. The organization is also pressing for the release of six senior operatives — among them Marwan Barghouti, Ahmad Sa’adat, and several members of Hamas’s elite Nukhba force.

Al-Nunu also noted that the process of retrieving the bodies of deceased hostages may extend beyond the timetable set by President Donald Trump in his proposed peace framework.

Additionally, Hamas has reportedly requested that Israel release the remains of its leaders Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Sinwar, a demand Jerusalem has repeatedly rejected in the past due to the symbolic weight those figures carry in Gaza and the potential repercussions of such a move.

On Tuesday, another senior Hamas representative told Al Jazeera that the group is insisting that “the stages of releasing the hostages be linked to the stages of the complete withdrawal of forces.” The source added that the release of the final hostage “must occur simultaneously with the final withdrawal of Israeli forces.” Hamas has also demanded international assurances to guarantee a “permanent ceasefire and full withdrawal.”

Reports indicate that the prisoner list Hamas submitted features what it calls “big names” — including Marwan Barghouti, Ahmad Sa’adat, Hassan Salameh, Abbas al-Sayed, and several others.

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An Israeli senior official voiced optimism Wednesday night about significant progress in the talks aimed at securing the release of hostages and ending the war in Gaza, indicating that a final agreement could be reached by Friday.

Speaking to Al-Arabiya, the official said, “We are cautiously approaching the completion of the first phase. Trump is applying pressure, and the Arab position carries unprecedented weight. There are requests to adjust the withdrawal map in the first phase.”

Other sources within Israel echoed this assessment, predicting that negotiations could wrap up within the next one to three days. An official announcement, they said, is likely to come by Friday, with the first wave of hostage releases anticipated early next week.

Meanwhile, CNN reported that Israeli intelligence believes Hamas may not be able to locate all 48 hostages required for release under the terms of the deal.

In preparation for the agreement, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Deputy Attorney General have drafted a formal government decision outlining the framework for both the hostage release and the concurrent freeing of Palestinian prisoners. The document does not yet include the finalized list of prisoners, which remains under active negotiation.

Several Arab outlets claimed that Hamas’s proposed list includes Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Sa’adat, the secretary-general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Israeli officials, however, firmly denied this, clarifying that neither of those names appear on Israel’s approved lists, and “even if they are, Israel will not agree to release them.”

Despite those assurances, Kan News reported that Sa’adat—the mastermind behind the assassination of Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze’evi—is nevertheless expected to be freed as part of the eventual exchange.

High-level officials joined the discussions today, among them Trump’s envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, along with Minister Ron Dermer and Turkey’s intelligence chief.

Representatives from all delegations convened for a joint meeting to unify their positions, joined by Qatar’s prime minister and top Egyptian intelligence officials who continue to serve as the key mediators between Israel and Hamas.

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Photographs released from Cairo show members of the Israeli, American, and Qatari delegations embracing and shaking hands, signaling what appears to be a breakthrough after months of painstaking negotiations.

According to Saudi news outlet Al-Hadath, the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is set to be formally signed on Thursday at 12:00 noon.

Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu expressed optimism in a brief statement, writing, “With God’s help we will bring them all home.”

Israeli officials confirmed earlier that “the agreement will be signed later today, with the first release expected either on Shabbos or Sunday.”

A senior U.S. official told Channel 12 News reporter Barak Ravid on Wednesday night that “the war in Gaza is over.”

The same official added that the release of hostages will take place within 72 hours following the Israeli Cabinet’s ratification of the deal, a step expected to occur no later than Monday.

An Egyptian official involved in the talks told Sky News Arabia that “the agreement includes a complete ceasefire, a gradual withdrawal of the Israeli army from 70% of the Gaza Strip, and the simultaneous release of hostages and prisoners from both sides.”

A Palestinian Arab source quoted by the Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed said, “The disputed points in the negotiations in Sharm el-Sheikh have been resolved, and Trump will announce the agreement soon.”

Amid the emotional anticipation surrounding the deal, Ditza Or—the mother of Avinatan, who remains captive in Gaza—shared a verse on social media from Isaiah 52:7: “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation.”

A Hamas insider told the Lebanese network Al-Mayadeen that the organization has formally accepted the terms, with the signing ceremony scheduled to take place today in Egypt.

Reflecting the tense hope gripping the nation, Yediot Achronot columnist Nadav Eyal wrote on X: “Israelis can’t sleep tonight. They wait, breath held, for the end of a nightmare that began two years ago. Above all, for the agreement that will bring all the hostages home.”

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President Trump revealed Wednesday that both Israel and Hamas have formally approved the initial stage of a peace framework aimed at halting the fighting in Gaza and securing the release of hostages held by the terror group.

“This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace,” Trump declared in a message on Truth Social.

The president went on to emphasize the broad scope of the agreement’s impact, writing, “All Parties will be treated fairly!” and hailing it as “a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America.”

During a public event later in the day, Trump interrupted his remarks after receiving a note from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “I was just given a note by the secretary of state saying that we’re very close to a deal in the Middle East and they’re gonna need me pretty quickly,” the president told the audience.

In his post, Trump also expressed appreciation to the mediating nations that helped broker the deal, thanking “the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen.”

He concluded his statement with a flourish characteristic of his style: “BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”

{Matzav.com}