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A newly released peace framework lays out a sweeping plan for ending the war in Gaza, calling for Hamas to disarm, Israeli forces to withdraw in stages, a new Palestinian governing authority to take control of the Strip, and a long-term political process that could ultimately culminate in the creation of a Palestinian state.

The Peace Council published the comprehensive proposal on Friday, detailing a phased strategy that envisions Hamas surrendering its military capabilities, Gaza’s civilian and security administration being transferred to a newly established Palestinian body, and a gradual Israeli withdrawal, all under international oversight.

Known as the “Roadmap of July 30, 2026,” the document is presented as the implementation blueprint for President Donald Trump’s Comprehensive Plan. Its stated purpose is to convert the broader 20-point political proposal into a practical process with measurable benchmarks and international verification.

The roadmap says its mission extends beyond ending the current conflict. It declares that the process is intended to “advance a credible political pathway leading to self-determination and statehood.” Later, it identifies its ultimate objective as “creating the conditions for a credible pathway to self-determination and a Palestinian state.”

Under the proposal, Hamas and all other Palestinian factions would formally endorse President Trump’s plan as well as UN Security Council Resolution 2803 (2025), accepting them as the governing framework for the transition. The agreement calls for complete demilitarization, de-radicalization efforts, and the transfer of all civilian and security authority in Gaza to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG).

The document makes clear that Hamas and other armed organizations would be barred from holding any governing authority, whether in civilian institutions or security forces. Instead, responsibility for running Gaza would be placed entirely in the hands of the NCAG, a technocratic Palestinian administration established specifically to govern the territory.

One of the plan’s guiding principles is summarized as “One Authority, One Law, One Weapon.” Under that standard, every weapon inside Gaza would ultimately fall under the sole control of the NCAG. The proposal specifically includes police firearms, heavy weaponry, manufacturing sites, ammunition depots, tunnel networks, privately held weapons, and militia stockpiles.

According to the roadmap, Hamas’ disarmament is viewed as one step within a much broader political process rather than the final objective. Eliminating the group’s military infrastructure is intended to pave the way for reconstruction, civilian governance, and renewed diplomatic negotiations.

Implementation of the agreement would proceed in carefully monitored phases. Advancement from one stage to the next would not occur automatically or according to fixed deadlines, but only after the International Verification Committee (IVC) certifies that all required commitments from the previous phase have been fulfilled.

Israel’s military withdrawal from Gaza would follow the same conditional structure. Rather than leaving according to predetermined dates, Israeli forces would withdraw gradually as verified progress is made in the demilitarization effort. The roadmap also states that no actions would be taken to compel Gaza residents to leave the territory.

The proposal also calls for the deployment of an international stabilization force to work alongside the verification committee. That force would act as a buffer between IDF troops and areas transferred to Palestinian administration, safeguard humanitarian aid operations, and assist in building a new Palestinian police force.

Responsibility for rebuilding Gaza would rest with a joint reconstruction mechanism involving both the Peace Administration and the newly established Palestinian governing authority, according to the plan.

The roadmap further states that each transition between phases will require formal approval from the International Verification Committee. Once every stage has been completed, the stated political goal is to establish the conditions necessary to move forward with a pathway toward Palestinian statehood.

Overall, the proposal links Hamas’ surrender of military control to a much larger package of measures, including Israel’s phased withdrawal, Gaza’s reconstruction, the installation of a new civilian administration, comprehensive security reforms, and the eventual pursuit of a political settlement that could lead to a Palestinian state.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump is moving his Cabinet meeting out of the White House on Friday, bringing his top officials to the presidential retreat at Camp David for high-level discussions focused on a wide range of domestic and international issues.

The session will be the 13th Cabinet meeting of Trump’s second term and comes as his administration confronts a full slate of priorities, including the conflict with Iran, military operations, federal spending, economic policy, and preparations for the November midterm elections.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the change of venue would give Cabinet members a unique opportunity to meet together at the historic retreat. According to ABC News, she described the gathering by saying it “will be a lot of fun and something different for the Cabinet to experience together.”

Friday’s meeting marks Trump’s first Cabinet session at Camp David during his second term. A similar gathering had been planned in May but was called off because of unfavorable weather.

Administration officials have said the secluded presidential compound offers an ideal environment for lengthy policy discussions away from Washington, allowing the president and his senior advisers to focus on major national security and governmental issues.

Iran is expected to be at the center of Friday’s agenda as Trump considers the next phase of the conflict, which has now entered its fifth month.

The administration is also closely tracking energy prices, with rising gasoline costs remaining a significant political issue as Republicans prepare for the upcoming midterm elections.

Trump has repeatedly pledged to keep maximum pressure on Iran while ensuring the security of international shipping routes and safeguarding American interests throughout the Middle East.

Senior administration officials have consistently argued that maintaining a strong military posture is essential to discouraging further aggression by Tehran and the terrorist groups it supports across the region.

Since returning to office, Trump has made comparatively few trips to Camp David, choosing instead to spend many weekends at his golf clubs.

Friday’s visit will be only his third trip to the presidential retreat during his second term.

Camp David has long served both as a private presidential retreat and as one of the nation’s most secure locations for sensitive diplomatic negotiations and national security meetings.

Every president since Franklin D. Roosevelt has used the Maryland retreat, which occupies 180 wooded acres in the Catoctin Mountains.

Roosevelt established the facility in 1942 and originally named it Shangri-La, inspired by the fictional paradise in James Hilton’s novel Lost Horizon.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower later renamed the retreat Camp David in honor of his grandson.

The compound is perhaps best remembered as the site of the 1978 Camp David Accords, where President Jimmy Carter successfully brokered a landmark peace agreement between Israel and Egypt.

Trump’s Cabinet meetings have drawn attention for both their length and their openness to media coverage.

Unlike many previous administrations, Trump has routinely allowed television cameras to remain throughout the public portion of Cabinet meetings as department heads brief reporters on the work of their agencies.

More recently, however, the president has encouraged Cabinet members to keep their remarks concise after several earlier meetings extended for hours.

After the meeting concludes, Trump is expected to head to his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, where he plans to spend the weekend.

{Matzav.com}

The IDF announced that it has killed Mohammed Kafina, a senior terrorist who participated in the October 7 massacre, helped abduct Noa Argamani and Avinatan Or, and oversaw the kidnapping of Sudthisak Rinthalak.

According to the military, Kafina was eliminated in a targeted airstrike carried out Tuesday in southern Gaza. He served as the commander of the central Gaza sector for the terrorist organization Kataeb al-Mujahideen.

The IDF said Kafina crossed into Israel during the October 7 attack, leading the group of terrorists who infiltrated alongside him. During the assault, he personally took part in the abduction of Noa Argamani and Avinatan Or and directed the kidnapping of Sudthisak Rinthalak.

Israeli officials added that throughout the war, including in recent weeks, Kafina continued planning and advancing terrorist attacks targeting both IDF forces and Israeli civilians.

The military said intelligence indicated that Kafina posed an immediate threat to Israeli troops. As a result, he was killed in what the IDF described as a precise aerial strike.

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The IDF announced that its forces arrested more than 200 wanted terror suspects across Judea and Samaria over the past week, thwarted an imminent terrorist attack, confiscated weapons and explosives, and sealed the home of a terrorist ahead of its planned demolition.

Israeli troops carried out dozens of counterterrorism raids throughout Judea and Samaria as part of an intensified campaign targeting terrorist networks and their infrastructure.

According to the IDF, those taken into custody included suspects accused of inciting and promoting terrorism, operatives affiliated with the Hamas terrorist organization, an individual who was allegedly preparing to carry out an imminent terrorist attack, suspects involved in smuggling illegal residents into Israel, illegal arms traffickers, and a wanted suspect connected to the production of explosive devices.

During the operations, security forces also seized dozens of weapon-manufacturing components, airsoft guns, hunting rifles, a handgun, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and tens of thousands of shekels that authorities said were earmarked for terrorist activity. Troops additionally located and dismantled five explosive devices.

The military also completed the mapping of the homes belonging to the two terrorists responsible for last weekend’s attack. One of the residences has already been sealed in preparation for its demolition, the IDF said.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is leaving the door open to cash reparations for descendants of those harmed by slavery, saying he will wait for the recommendations of a city-appointed commission before deciding whether to support direct payments.

During an interview with Charles Blow for The Root, Mamdani was asked whether he would back financial reparations if the city’s reparations commission ultimately recommended them for New Yorkers affected by slavery.

Blow referenced remarks Mamdani made during his mayoral campaign, when he declared, “New York City participated actively in the slave trade and furthered its legacy through racist institutions, policies, and laws. The city should reconcile and repair this legacy of slavery, stolen wealth and discrimination.”

Responding to the question, Mamdani reaffirmed that position but declined to commit to any specific proposal before the commission completes its work. “First, I want to say that I stand by what I submitted. It’s the truth. It’s not a personal assessment. And we often think about slavery and the complicity in slavery as being exclusively to certain geographic areas of the country. Here in New York City, we were very complicit. So I look forward to whatever those findings are. I can’t give you an answer in advance of them, but I can tell you that this is critically important because this is also what it looks like to acknowledge what history truly was,” Mamdani responded.

The commission examining the issue, known as the New York City Commission on Racial Equity (CORE), was established in 2024 under Local Law 92. Its mandate is to investigate the city’s historical involvement in slavery and evaluate the lasting consequences of that history. A companion measure, Local Law 91, created a separate Truth, Healing and Reconciliation initiative intended to provide a public process for acknowledging slavery’s legacy and its continuing effects on New Yorkers.

According to the commission’s timeline, the Truth, Healing and Reconciliation planning report is expected in June 2027, followed by the commission’s final reparations report the next month. If adopted, implementation of the Truth, Healing and Reconciliation initiative is scheduled to begin by June 18, 2028.

Linda Tigani, chair and executive director of NYC CORE, praised Mamdani for publicly recognizing New York City’s role in slavery while emphasizing that the commission believes acknowledgment alone is insufficient. “We would like to thank the Mayor for using his platform to acknowledge New York City’s complicit history in chattel slavery. New York was home to the second-largest slaveholding population in America, after Charleston, South Carolina. The first commodities traded on Wall Street included the buying and selling of enslaved Black people, and their brutal forced unpaid labor built one of the most powerful economic engines in the world. Recognizing this history is an important step toward understanding the enduring legacy of slavery and its impact on our city and nation,” Tigani told Fox News Digital.

She continued by arguing that the city must move beyond recognition and address what she described as the long-term economic consequences of slavery. “We must repay the longstanding debt owed and truly tackle the racial wealth gap in New York City which is directly correlated to the stain of slavery in New York City. Since the passing of Local Law 91 and 92, the NYC Commission on Racial Equity has reached thousands of New Yorkers to formulate recommendations to pay the debt and advance permanent structural change to end racist practice in our city.”

Despite welcoming Mamdani’s comments on slavery, the commission has also publicly criticized his administration. Earlier this year, after the mayor unveiled his Preliminary Citywide Racial Equity Plan, CORE argued that the proposal failed to satisfy requirements laid out in the New York City Charter.

At the time, Tigani warned that the city could not afford to retreat from racial equity efforts, particularly in the current national political climate. “At a moment when communities across the country are deeply concerned about the direction of racial justice and equity under Donald Trump’s national political climate, New Yorkers made clear through our five-borough town halls that city government has a responsibility to lead with accountability and investments in communities most impacted by inequity,” she said.

CORE’s assessment concluded that the mayor’s proposal lacked several key elements, including a comprehensive citywide racial equity strategy, race-disaggregated data standards, neighborhood accountability measures, a meaningful response to concerns raised during community outreach, and transparent funding specifically tied to racial equity goals.

The commission has continued holding public events throughout the city to build support for its work. One of its largest efforts came during this year’s Juneteenth observance, which Forbes described as New York City’s biggest reparations gathering to date.

Political strategist Tyrik Washington, who has worked with CORE on its reparations research, said the event was intended to blend community celebration with policy discussions. “The goal of the event for NYC CORE was to create a space where joy, community, and civic engagement were at the center of both commemorating Juneteenth and advancing the conversation around reparations and racial equity,” he told the outlet in June.

Washington also expressed confidence that reparations could produce measurable economic improvements if enacted. “If reparations policies were implemented in New York City today, I believe that within five to ten years we would see measurable reductions in occupational segregation and meaningful progress toward pay equity for Black New Yorkers.”

Earlier this year, CORE released a progress report highlighting that $500,000 had been designated for community organizations participating in a Reparations, Truth, Healing, and Reconciliation Network during 2026.

According to the report, more than two dozen organizations are expected to receive grants worth tens of thousands of dollars to organize discussions about the city’s reparations study and gather public input as officials develop the Truth, Healing and Reconciliation plan.

The report also states that the funding is intended to compensate participants for the time they spend taking part in the discussions and to cover meeting expenses, including refreshments.

{Matzav.com}

An Israeli man convicted of carrying out espionage and sabotage missions on behalf of Iranian intelligence has been sentenced to seven years in prison after accepting thousands of dollars in payment for completing assignments inside Israel.

The Nazareth District Court on Thursday sentenced 35-year-old Artyom Zolotarev, an Israeli citizen from Nof HaGalil, to seven years behind bars after convicting him of contact with a foreign agent, espionage, and property damage.

According to the court, Zolotarev maintained ongoing contact with Iranian intelligence operatives over a period of several months. During that time, he carried out multiple assignments across Israel in exchange for cumulative payments totaling several thousand dollars.

In addition to the prison sentence, the court imposed a 12-month suspended sentence, a fine of 10,000 shekels, and ordered Zolotarev to pay 10,000 shekels in compensation to each of the four vehicle owners whose cars were directly damaged in the arson attacks he carried out.

Zolotarev was originally arrested in December 2024 after Israeli security authorities accused him of maintaining contact with intelligence operatives working for the Iranian regime and performing security-related missions in Israel under their direction in return for financial compensation.

Investigators said he was taken into custody after carrying out numerous acts of graffiti in Nof HaGalil, Haifa, and Migdal HaEmek, as well as setting fire to a vehicle in Haifa.

According to the investigation, Zolotarev spray-painted dozens of pieces of graffiti in the three cities, documenting each act with photographs and videos that he forwarded to his Iranian handler. After sending the material, he erased the graffiti because he did not want members of the public to see the messages he had written. In exchange for completing those assignments, he received $2,800 in cryptocurrency.

{Matzav.com}

Canada’s government is refusing to disclose whether it authorized Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s official aircraft to pass through Canadian airspace on its way to the United States, despite Prime Minister Mark Carney’s earlier pledge to honor the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against the Israeli leader.

According to a report by CBC, Netanyahu’s official aircraft, Wing of Zion, flew toward the United States, where he attended the funeral of Sen. Lindsey Graham. Under Canadian regulations, any foreign government aircraft must receive prior approval before entering the country’s airspace.

The Israeli government confirmed that it submitted a formal request for Wing of Zion to transit Canadian airspace. However, Israeli officials declined to say whether that request was ultimately approved.

Canada’s Prime Minister’s Office also refused to confirm whether authorization had been granted. In a statement, the office said, “Canada does not currently link its overflight authorization policy to law enforcement considerations, except in cases where there is an immediate security threat. This policy is reviewed regularly.”

Canada’s Foreign Ministry likewise declined to answer whether the aircraft had received clearance, stating only that it does not comment on the flight paths selected by the Israeli prime minister.

CBC reported that because Canadian officials continue to withhold an answer, it remains impossible to determine whether the flight was formally authorized. The report noted that if permission had not been granted and the aircraft nevertheless crossed Canadian airspace, it could potentially constitute a violation of Canada’s sovereignty. Canadian authorities, however, declined to address that possibility.

The report added that international law experts interviewed by CBC said that, regardless of which scenario occurred, the incident raises significant questions concerning international law, Canada’s sovereignty, and its obligations in light of the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant.

{Matzav.com}

A growing petition signed by roughly 50,000 people is urging organizers of New York City’s 25th anniversary commemoration of the September 11 terrorist attacks to limit Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s participation, even as the mayor insists he will attend the solemn event.

By this morning, the petition had amassed over 57,000 signatures. Those behind the effort cite concerns over Mamdani’s public comments and some of his associations, although several of the claims referenced in the petition remain disputed.

Mamdani has consistently voiced strong support for Palestinians, arguing that Israel has subjected them to disproportionate military action during its war against Hamas. His critics counter that Hamas’ October 7 attack left Israel with little alternative. While Mamdani has repeatedly described the September 11 attacks as an act of terrorism—reaffirming that position again on Wednesday—some critics say they remain unconvinced about his broader views regarding Islamic terrorism.

The petition concludes by stating, “We respectfully ask that the organizers carefully consider whether Mr. Mamdani’s participation would align with the intention of the ceremony and the expectations of the families most directly affected by the tragedy.”

Among those who signed is Meryl Mayo-Marshall, whose husband, Robert Mayo, was killed during the attacks.

“I spoke with him that morning twice,” Mayo-Marshall told NewsNation’s “Morning in America.” “And I pleaded with him to please leave this space, and he said, ‘I can’t live with myself, I’m trained in evacuation and I have to stay and save as many lives as I can,’ and that’s what he did.”

In the days that followed, Mayo-Marshall provided DNA samples to investigators to assist in identifying her husband’s remains.

She said the pain of losing him has never faded despite years of trying to move forward.

“I’ve done everything I could to rebuild my life, but it feels like yesterday,” she said. “It’s still extremely painful, and I think what’s going on with certain people who represent others makes it harder.”

Mayo-Marshall said she would not object if Mamdani quietly attended the ceremony without taking part in the program. However, she said she would find it difficult to be present if he were scheduled to speak.

“I want it to be clear of the politics,” Mayo-Marshall said. “When I see the mayor it’s a trigger of those that he’s sympathetic to terrorists and prisoners. He appears to be disrespectful to law and order, especially NYPD.”

Despite the petition, Mamdani has made clear that he intends to participate in this year’s memorial observance.

Speaking Wednesday, the mayor reaffirmed his condemnation of the terrorists responsible for the attacks and said he plans to stand alongside victims’ families, survivors, and first responders during the ceremony.

“I will proudly honor the families, the survivors, the first responders forever impacted by that horrific terror attack by standing alongside them at this year’s 9/11 commemoration,” Mamdani said at a news conference. “Reaffirming that we will never forget the solemn day felt by all of us who calls this city home and, frankly, all of us who call this country home.”

For years, New York City’s annual 9/11 memorial has remained largely free of partisan politics, with mayors from both major parties participating in the observance. In 2024, the event drew national attention when President Joe Biden and Donald Trump stood side by side during the ceremony.

{Matzav.com}

Sen. Bernie Moreno blasted Dr. Anthony Fauci following the former NIAID director’s repeated invocation of the Fifth Amendment before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, accusing him of exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to conduct what amounted to a nationwide experiment on the American people.

Speaking on Breitbart News Daily after Wednesday’s hearing, the Ohio Republican was asked whether there had been any point during the pandemic when Fauci may have been sincerely trying to navigate an unprecedented crisis. Moreno said he was willing to give Fauci the benefit of the doubt—but only at the very beginning.

“I think the first month of the pandemic — that was probably something you could say because you just didn’t know, right? Like all of us didn’t know. You remember that, you know, February, March, April time frame. Everything was surreal. It was happening so fast. It was unprecedented,” Moreno said.

According to Moreno, whatever uncertainty existed in the early days quickly gave way to something far more troubling.

“Things we were being asked to do, but then it took a very dark turn. It became an experiment for this megalomaniac to treat the American public like lab rats,” Moreno said. “He was talking about rules that just intuitively made no sense.”

Moreno pointed to the six-foot social distancing rule as one example, arguing that it lacked any scientific basis and was simply invented by Fauci. He also criticized what he described as inconsistent mask policies, saying they defied common sense.

“You have to wear a mask. If you’re on the airplane, you can take it off while you’re eating. You have to put it back on, and just continue to do more and more harm. Now that was intuitively what a lot of — I say most Americans felt, but then we read the diaries,” the senator said, referring to journal entries in which Fauci allegedly documented COVID-19 fatalities before writing about his own celebrity and public recognition.

Moreno argued that the diary entries painted a disturbing picture of Fauci’s mindset.

“These are the diaries of a very, very sick man. This guy would write down how many people died that day, and then right afterwards would put entries like, ‘Got to meet Kim Kardashian today.’ ‘People say I’m the sexiest man alive.’ ‘I’m the most powerful person on the planet,’” Moreno said, adding, “This is a sick, sick, depraved human being.”

The senator also claimed that investigators were able to obtain the diary because Fauci had stored it on government computer systems.

“So the guy actually wrote the diary entries in the government computer systems. So thanks to RFK, he went in and and Tulsi Gabbard did a deep dive of all the systems, and they found the entire diary,” Moreno revealed. “He had put it on a government server.”

Moreno went on to reference allegations raised by Sen. Josh Hawley, claiming Fauci directed federal employees to pursue honors and monetary awards on his behalf while overseeing the nation’s pandemic response.

“And remember the other parts that my colleague Josh Hawley [R-MO] pointed out. This guy would have federal employees go out and solicit awards for him to receive cash awards, would nominate him for prizes. And by the way, let me ask you a question: When you’re busy all day managing this incredible pandemic, when do you have time to go home and say, ‘Dear diary, today…’ I mean, this is so crazy what this guy did,” Moreno pointed out.

He concluded by crediting Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Sen. Rand Paul for bringing the material to light.

“But thanks to RFK, Tulsi Gabbard, and the entire intelligence operation to be able to uncover this, and obviously to Rand Paul for putting it out to the public to see. I mean, it just confirms what so many of us thought. I mean, we knew this guy was absolutely awful,” he added.

Sen. Bernie Sanders is refusing to back away from his support for progressive Democratic candidates despite criticism from Sen. John Fetterman, vowing to continue campaigning for candidates he believes will challenge powerful financial interests and fight for working Americans.

The clash began after Fetterman questioned Sanders’ involvement in several key Democratic primaries during an interview with CNN’s Manu Raju on Tuesday. Referring to Sanders’ endorsement of progressive Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, Fetterman remarked, “maybe sit a few out,” before adding, “Maybe sit a few out, Bernie,” and, “You’re not helping.”

Sanders dismissed the criticism during an interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, while alluding to ongoing speculation that Fetterman may eventually leave the Democratic Party.

“John — not going to take your advice,” Sanders replied.

He added, “We’re going to work as hard as we can not only to elect El-Sayed, but Peggy Flanagan in Minnesota and strong congressional candidates across the country who have the guts to start taking on big money and representing workers,” the senator continued.

Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary is set for Tuesday, when El-Sayed will face Rep. Haley Stevens for the party’s nomination. The winner will advance to the November general election against former Rep. Mike Rogers as the candidates compete to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters.

A new Emerson College Polling/WLNS/WOODTV survey released Thursday showed El-Sayed holding a sizable advantage over Stevens. The poll found the progressive candidate with 54 percent support, compared with 39 percent for Stevens, giving him a 15-point lead heading into the final days of the campaign.

Collins also asked Sanders whether he would support Stevens if she were to defeat El-Sayed in the primary. Sanders and El-Sayed have both criticized Stevens over her backing of Israel and her acceptance of campaign donations from super PACs.

“I don’t know that she’d want me. I’d support her,” Sanders responded. “I want Democrats to control the Senate. I think both Haley and Abdul have made it clear that if the other candidate wins they will be supportive. So will I.”

{Matzav.com}

A new Emerson College poll released Thursday shows progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed opening a commanding lead over Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary, giving him a 15-point advantage just days before voters head to the polls on Aug. 4.

The survey found El-Sayed receiving 54 percent support compared to Stevens’ 39 percent, with six percent of voters still undecided. When those undecided voters were asked which candidate they lean toward, El-Sayed’s advantage widened to 57 percent to 41 percent. The winner of the Democratic primary will compete in November to succeed retiring Sen. Gary Peters, with both parties viewing the seat as one of the nation’s key battlegrounds.

Although El-Sayed was defeated by more than 20 points in Michigan’s 2018 gubernatorial race while serving as Wayne County’s health director, he enters this contest in a far stronger position. His campaign has been endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and the United Auto Workers. If elected, he would become the first Muslim to serve in the U.S. Senate.

Stevens, who has represented suburban Detroit in Congress for four terms, has secured the backing of Sen. Gary Peters, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. During their final debate this week, the candidates sharply disagreed over AIPAC funding, Israel, and socialism.

Pollsters say El-Sayed’s lead is being fueled largely by younger voters. Emerson College Polling Executive Director Spencer Kimball pointed to a pronounced age divide among Democratic primary voters.

“There is a clear age divide in the Democratic Primary: voters under 50 break for El-Sayed by 42 percentage points, 67% to 25%, and that gap tightens among voters in their 50s to a 12-point lead, and voters over 60 flip to Stevens by a 14-point margin, 53% to 39%,” Kimball said.

El-Sayed also enjoys a substantial advantage among independent voters, leading Stevens by 27 points, 60 percent to 33 percent. Among registered Democrats, however, the race is much closer, with El-Sayed holding a nine-point edge. Demographically, he leads white voters by 32 points, while Stevens performs considerably better among Black voters, who favor her by a 33-point margin.

Whitmer’s standing with Democratic primary voters has also slipped since earlier this year. The poll found that 62 percent now approve of her performance, down from 79 percent in April. Among voters who continue to approve of the governor, Stevens leads El-Sayed 49 percent to 42 percent. Those who disapprove overwhelmingly back El-Sayed by a margin of 78 percent to 17 percent.

The poll comes as Michigan Democrats head into the final stretch of a fiercely contested primary that has highlighted the growing divide between the party’s progressive and establishment factions. During a recent donor call, El-Sayed said a victory would allow him to “put one ogre on a pike” and advance the progressive movement. The Democratic nominee will face Republican Mike Rogers, who is running unopposed in the GOP primary. A separate Glengariff Group survey found Rogers holding a 10-point lead over El-Sayed in a hypothetical general election matchup.

{Matzav.com}

The State Department announced Thursday that it is significantly increasing public access to the commemorative U.S. passport featuring President Donald Trump, citing exceptionally strong demand for the special-edition travel document.

According to the department, an additional 250,000 copies of the “Patriot Passport” will be produced after public interest far exceeded expectations. Officials said the expansion comes “in response to overwhelming demand” from Americans eager to obtain the commemorative passport.

Until now, the special passport had only been available through the State Department’s passport office in Washington, D.C. Beginning immediately, however, Americans can schedule appointments by phone to obtain one at any of the department’s 24 additional passport offices nationwide.

The commemorative passport was first introduced in April as part of the nation’s preparations for its 250th anniversary. Among its distinctive features is a page displaying Trump’s inaugural portrait alongside the text of the Declaration of Independence. Another page showcases an artistic rendering of the Founding Fathers signing the historic document.

Several passport agencies—including those in Centennial, Colorado; Chicago; Dallas; Detroit; Minneapolis; New Orleans; and Stamford, Connecticut—will distribute the commemorative passport during special application events on Aug. 8. Additional passport offices are expected to begin offering it in the weeks that follow.

“Since its release in celebration of 250 years of American independence, the commemorative passport has generated extraordinary public interest,” the State Department noted in its Thursday release. “The Department of State is responding by expanding access so Americans across the country can obtain this unique and special document.”

Trump is the first sitting president ever to appear on an American passport. The document also features illustrations of Mount Rushmore, home to the carved likenesses of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt.

In addition to the new imagery, the passport contains quotations from several past presidents, including Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon B. Johnson.

The commemorative passport is the latest in a series of government initiatives over the past year and a half that have incorporated Trump’s name or likeness. Those efforts have included changes involving both the U.S. Institute for Peace and the Kennedy Center, although Trump’s name was removed from the Kennedy Center building in June following a federal court order.

Later this fall, the U.S. Mint is also expected to issue a special $1 gold coin bearing Trump’s portrait as part of the nation’s semiquincentennial celebration.

{Matzav.com}

Senior U.S. officials warned Thursday that President Donald Trump would be disappointed if Israel rejects a newly announced Gaza agreement, while insisting the framework was developed in close coordination with Jerusalem and is designed to bring about the complete disarmament of Hamas and other terrorist organizations in the Strip.

During a briefing with reporters, senior members of the Trump administration joined representatives of the Gaza Board of Peace to discuss the agreement, which Trump unveiled earlier in the day. The officials described the arrangement as a landmark initiative aimed at removing Hamas from power and transferring authority to a new governing body.

Administration officials stressed that Washington worked hand in hand with Israeli leaders throughout the negotiations, saying the United States coordinated “very closely” with Israel during every stage of the process. They acknowledged that Israeli officials approached the talks with deep skepticism but emphasized that “they are not being asked to do much right now”. They also underscored that the agreement does not rely on trust but rather on concrete actions and verifiable benchmarks, while pledging that the United States will also ensure Israel fulfills its obligations.

One senior American official acknowledged that Jerusalem objected to Turkey and Qatar serving on the executive leadership of the Board of Peace. Even so, he said those two countries, together with Egypt, were instrumental in advancing the negotiations and applying substantial pressure on Hamas to reach an agreement.

Another U.S. official cautioned that “if Israel refuses the agreement, President Trump will be disappointed.”

A representative of the Gaza Board of Peace said that, for the first time, Hamas and every other armed faction in Gaza has agreed to both the framework and its implementation plan in full. The representative stated that there will be an “absolute monopoly” on weapons and said Hamas will entirely relinquish its governing role. By the conclusion of the transition, the Board of Peace’s interim government is expected to exercise complete authority over all weapons in Gaza.

American officials explained that the technocratic administration envisioned under the agreement would function as “an alternative to both the Palestinian Authority and Hamas.” They also disclosed that Iran sought to derail the negotiations, saying, “Iran tried to convince Hamas to reject the deal, but the US managed to overcome that.”

According to the officials, implementation of the demilitarization plan is expected to begin within the coming weeks and proceed in carefully staged phases. Local police will surrender their weapons first, followed by the dismantling of heavy military equipment, while all armed activity throughout Gaza must come to an end as the agreement moves forward.

Officials acknowledged that fully disarming Gaza will be a lengthy undertaking. However, they pointed to the past eight months as evidence of progress, noting that the United States has already succeeded in delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza residents while preventing Hamas from exploiting those supplies.

Trump celebrated the agreement Thursday in a Truth Social post, calling it “a monumental step toward lasting PEACE and SECURITY.”

“This agreement is a critical step towards Gaza finally being governed by a new Palestinian government that will work closely with the Board of Peace to help the Palestinian people. At the same time, Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used as a base for terror attacks,” Trump wrote.

Trump’s announcement followed a Channel 13 News report revealing that Hamas had privately requested a long-term ceasefire lasting between 10 and 15 years.

According to the report, Hamas leaders drafted an English-language letter that was delivered to the White House. In the message, they informed Trump they were prepared to abide by an agreement and disarm, while requesting a prolonged truce under which Israel would halt military operations in Gaza, stop targeting senior Hamas leaders, and gradually withdraw its forces from the territory.

Israeli officials dismissed the proposal as Hamas “spin,” arguing that its contents differ significantly from the Trump framework that was agreed upon last October.

Earlier Thursday, a senior Israeli diplomatic official emphasized that Gaza was not discussed during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meetings with President Trump in Washington this week.

The official reiterated Israel’s position, declaring, “Israel is demanding the complete disarmament of Hamas, including the removal of all weapons from the Gaza Strip and the territory’s full demilitarization, as a precondition for any process. The reported 15-point document does not provide an adequate response to these demands, and Israel has conveyed its reservations on the matter to envoy Tony Blair.”

He further stated, “There will be no Israeli withdrawal from the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip before Hamas is disarmed and the Strip is fully demilitarized.”

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Rav Moshe Eisemann zt”l, a beloved mechanech whose remarkable life carried him from Nazi Germany to England, Switzerland, Moldova, and ultimately Eretz Yisroel, has passed away at the age of 98. A survivor of the famed Kindertransport rescue effort, he devoted decades to educating generations of talmidos and bringing countless Jews closer to Torah and mitzvos. He was laid to rest at Har Hamenuchos in Yerushalayim.

Rav Eisemann was born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, to his father, Rav Shmuel Halevi Eisenman. Following Kristallnacht, he was sent alone to England as part of the Kindertransport, the rescue mission that brought thousands of Jewish children to safety before the Holocaust. His parents joined him in England sometime later.

Family members recalled that during the journey, when Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands provided kosher food for the refugee children, the young Moshe—only nine or ten years old at the time—refused to eat because he was uncertain whether the hechsher met his standards.

He later moved to Switzerland, where he became a distinguished mechanech, teaching for more than three decades and helping shape the lives of hundreds of talmidos. About 30 years ago, he settled in Kiryat Sefer, where he continued his lifelong dedication to Torah.

Even after the age of 70, Rav Eisemann accepted a mission in Kishinev, spending several months there despite living in an apartment without running water. He undertook the challenge solely to bring Jewish children and families closer to Torah and mitzvos.

About 20 years ago, he was widowed following the passing of his wife, Mrs. Chava Eisemann, a”h, née Cohen. His only sister, Mrs. Rosental, a”h, was closely associated with the Gateshead Seminary in England.

Those closest to him said his love of Torah never diminished, even during his final years. His son and sons-in-law recalled that whenever they visited him, even when illness made reading difficult, he would invariably begin by discussing a Torah question or sharing an insightful thought from the Ramban on the weekly parshah.

He is survived by his son, Rav Shmuel Eisemann of Bnei Brak; his daughters Mrs. Birnbaum, one of the founders and principal of Beis Chinuch in Kiryat Sefer, and Mrs. Schlass, also of Kiryat Sefer; as well as another daughter who lives in Antwerp.

His health declined in recent years, and about three weeks ago he was admitted to Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center, where he remained until his passing at the age of 98.

Yehi zichro baruch.

{Matzav.com}

The release of more than 1,000 pages of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s private COVID-era diary has sparked a storm of political debate and renewed scrutiny of the government’s pandemic response. Beyond the diary’s contents, one question has captured widespread attention: How did the federal government get hold of what many assumed was a personal journal?

The answer is more complicated than many expected.

It Wasn’t Seized From Fauci

Despite speculation on social media, there is no indication that federal agents confiscated a handwritten notebook from Fauci’s home or office.

Instead, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the diary was recovered from government computer systems during an internal records search. According to Kennedy, HHS investigators located the files after searching multiple federal servers.

Kennedy told Fox News that his department spent roughly eight months searching before locating the material.

“It took us about eight months to dig these out of 11 separate servers,” Kennedy said.

After the files were recovered, HHS provided them to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, chaired by Sen. Rand Paul, which had subpoenaed Fauci as part of its investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

Why Was Fauci Keeping a Diary?

The diary appears to have been a running journal that Fauci maintained throughout the pandemic while serving as Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

The entries begin in December 2019, shortly before COVID-19 exploded into a worldwide crisis, and continue through December 2022, when Fauci retired from federal service after nearly four decades leading NIAID.

Rather than resembling a personal memoir, the journal reads more like an executive daily log.

Many entries begin with a chronological account of Fauci’s schedule—meetings, conference calls, media interviews, conversations with world leaders, White House briefings and scientific discussions. They often conclude with his personal reflections about the events of the day.

The diary documents:

• White House meetings with President Donald Trump.
• Internal debates over the origins of COVID-19.
• Scientific discussions about vaccines and treatments.
• Conversations with foreign officials.
• Television appearances.
• Encounters with celebrities.
• Personal reactions to his sudden fame.
• His frustrations with political leaders and the media.

Why Was It on Government Servers?

That remains one of the biggest unanswered questions.

Neither HHS nor Sen. Paul’s office has publicly explained exactly where the diary was stored or why it existed on government computer systems.

Several possibilities have been suggested.

The journal may have been written using Fauci’s government-issued computer or government email account while he was performing official duties.

It is also possible the files were automatically backed up onto NIH or HHS servers under federal records-retention policies.

Another possibility is that the diary was stored on network drives used by senior federal officials.

At this point, however, none of these possibilities has been officially confirmed.

The only public statement is Kennedy’s assertion that the files were recovered from “government computers” after searching 11 different servers.

Was the Diary a Government Record?

That question has not yet been definitively answered.

Federal employees routinely create records that become government property if they document official business.

Purely personal journals generally remain private.

Fauci’s diary appears to blur those lines.

Much of it consists of descriptions of official government meetings, policy discussions, scientific briefings and conversations conducted in his capacity as a federal official.

Whether the entire diary qualifies as a federal record—or only portions of it—has not been publicly addressed by HHS or the National Archives.

How Was It Found?

The recovery appears to stem from a broader congressional investigation.

Sen. Rand Paul has spent years investigating the government’s handling of COVID-19 and the virus’s origins. As chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, he subpoenaed numerous federal agencies seeking records connected to the pandemic.

According to Kennedy, HHS personnel conducted an extensive search that ultimately uncovered Fauci’s diary on government systems and then transmitted the material to Paul’s committee.

Neither HHS nor Paul’s office has publicly disclosed:

• which specific servers contained the diary;
• what search methods were used;
• whether the files had been archived;
• whether Fauci knew they remained on government systems;
• or whether additional unpublished diary entries still exist.

CBS News reported that Paul’s office declined to explain precisely how the committee obtained the records.

Why Didn’t Anyone Know About It?

Before its release, Fauci had never publicly discussed keeping an extensive day-by-day diary during the pandemic.

The existence of more than 1,000 pages of contemporaneous notes surprised both supporters and critics.

Some of the diary’s material had already appeared, in summarized form, in Fauci’s 2024 memoir and in public interviews. However, the newly released journal provides a far more detailed chronological account of his daily activities and private thoughts during one of the most consequential public health crises in modern history.

Why Is the Diary So Significant?

Unlike memoirs written years later, Fauci’s entries were created in real time.

Historians often regard contemporaneous journals as particularly valuable because they capture events before memories fade or narratives evolve.

The diary records Fauci’s immediate reactions to rapidly changing events, including uncertainty about the virus’s origins, disagreements inside the White House, scientific debates, and his own response to becoming one of the most recognizable public figures in America.

Supporters argue the journal demonstrates the extraordinary uncertainty facing public health officials during the early months of the pandemic.

Critics contend that some entries raise questions about whether Fauci’s private assessments always matched his public statements.

Those competing interpretations have made the diary one of the most closely examined government records to emerge from the COVID-19 era.

What We Still Don’t Know

Despite the diary’s publication, several key questions remain unanswered:

• Why did Fauci begin keeping such detailed daily notes?
• Did anyone at NIH or HHS know he was maintaining the diary?
• Was he instructed to keep it, or was it entirely his own initiative?
• Was it considered an official government record during the pandemic?
• Why was it spread across 11 government servers?
• Are additional entries still unreleased?
• Did Fauci expect the diary to eventually become public?

Until HHS, the National Archives, or Congress provides additional documentation, many of those questions remain unresolved. What is clear, however, is that the diary was not recovered from a private notebook but from government computer systems after an extensive records search, making it an unusual and potentially important historical record of the federal government’s response to COVID-19.

{Matzav.com}

First Lady Melania Trump is leading a humanitarian effort aimed at reuniting Ukrainian and Russian children separated by the war with their families, with approximately 30 Ukrainian children safely returned since the initiative began last year, according to the White House.

The White House announced this week that five additional groups of children have now been reunited with their relatives. In the latest phase of the effort, five more children were safely returned to their families, bringing the total number of Ukrainian children reunited through the program to about 30.

The humanitarian initiative officially launched in October 2025 after President Donald Trump personally delivered a handwritten letter from Melania Trump to Russian President Vladimir Putin during their summit in Alaska in August 2025.

According to the White House, the First Lady and her representatives continue to work with both the Russian and Ukrainian governments to facilitate the safe return of additional children displaced by the war.

In a statement, the White House said, “The First Lady’s leadership bridged political divides in pursuit of one humanitarian mission — putting the well-being of children above the conflict and reuniting families torn apart by war.”

Speaking about the initiative in April, Melania Trump said, “This is not an easy mission. I commend the leadership of both nations for working alongside my representatives and me to restore love and security to everyone who has been displaced by this terrible war.” She added, “Together, we can change people’s lives for the better.”

According to United Nations figures, thousands of civilians—including many children—have been killed since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with the past year proving to be the deadliest since the war began.

{Matzav.com}

Health officials have confirmed New York’s first known case of Bourbon virus, a rare tick-borne disease that has no vaccine, no approved treatment, and no widely available diagnostic test. The case is raising concerns that the virus may be far more widespread than previously believed, particularly as lone star ticks continue expanding across the Northeast.

The patient, 67-year-old Michael Larkin, contracted the virus after being bitten by two lone star ticks while doing outdoor work in Suffolk County on Long Island.

Because Bourbon virus is so uncommon and produces symptoms that resemble more familiar tick-borne illnesses such as Lyme disease, physicians initially diagnosed Larkin with Lyme and prescribed antibiotics. While that treatment is effective against bacterial infections, it has no effect on Bourbon virus, allowing the illness to progress unchecked.

As the infection worsened, Larkin developed a high fever, severe headaches, a rash, and drenching night sweats. Patients infected with the virus may also experience extreme fatigue, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, and other flu-like symptoms.

Larkin spent five days hospitalized before ultimately recovering. Not every patient has survived, however.

Although only a small number of Bourbon virus infections have been documented—primarily in Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma—the disease has already claimed two lives. On average, fewer than one confirmed case has been reported each year in those states.

“Now we know the virus can be lethal. On Long Island, at least, we have a lot of lone star ticks,” Dr. Luis Marcos, who treated Larkin, told CBS News. “And honestly this may be the very, very tip of the iceberg.”

The virus takes its name from Bourbon County, Kansas, where it was first identified. It is transmitted by the lone star tick, an aggressive species easily recognized by the distinctive white spot on the back of adult females. These ticks commonly inhabit forests, brush, and areas with tall grass.

The spread of lone star ticks has been fueled in large part by booming white-tailed deer populations. As deer increasingly live near residential neighborhoods—and with many of their natural predators gone—they provide an ideal host for growing tick populations.

Climate conditions are also contributing to the problem. Warmer winters and longer summers are allowing ticks to remain active for extended periods and expand farther north into states where they were once uncommon.

In addition to Bourbon virus, lone star ticks are responsible for transmitting ehrlichiosis, a bacterial illness that produces flu-like symptoms. They can also trigger alpha-gal syndrome, a condition that can leave people with a long-lasting allergy to red meat and dairy products.

“There are a lot of lone start ticks in New York and in the Northeast, we have dense populations,” Marcos said in a press release.

Although Larkin became ill in 2021, confirming the diagnosis required specialized laboratory testing that was unavailable at the time. It took five years before doctors were able to definitively identify Bourbon virus as the cause of his illness, raising new questions about how many infections may have gone unnoticed.

“The Bourbon virus is likely more prevalent than we think in our region and other cases are likely not being diagnosed,” Marcos said.

Marcos and his colleagues say the case highlights the urgent need for expanded surveillance, improved laboratory testing, and greater awareness among healthcare providers so patients can be diagnosed more quickly.

Since there is currently no medication that directly targets Bourbon virus, treatment focuses on managing complications. Hospitalized patients may receive intravenous fluids to combat dehydration along with medications to reduce fever and relieve pain while their immune system fights the infection.

“Without identifying the cause of an infection, the chances of developing accurate diagnostic tests or effective treatments are minimal,” Marcos said. “That is why it is so important to first understand the true impact of the virus in high-risk areas.”

Experts recommend taking precautions to reduce the risk of tick bites, including avoiding wooded, brush-filled, and grassy areas whenever possible and staying in the middle of marked trails when hiking. They also advise treating clothing with 0.5% permethrin and using EPA-approved insect repellents containing ingredients such as DEET to help keep ticks away.

{Matzav.com}

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has disappeared from public view for months, and according to intelligence officials and former operatives, the CIA and Israel’s Mossad are engaged in an intense effort to determine whether Iran’s new supreme leader is alive, where he is hiding, and what role he is playing as President Trump weighs his next steps in the conflict with Tehran, the Times-UK reports.

Following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an Israeli airstrike on February 28, Mojtaba assumed the country’s highest religious position. Since then, however, he has effectively vanished, prompting American and Israeli intelligence agencies to launch a joint search for the elusive leader.

Their biggest obstacle is silence. Intelligence sources believe Mojtaba has avoided using telephones, computers, or any electronic communications for roughly five months. Reports suggest he is concealed inside a fortified underground shelter, suffering from facial injuries sustained during the strike that killed his father, and is avoiding any exposure that could allow U.S. satellites to detect his movements.

The campaign that located Ali Khamenei relied heavily on advanced cyber capabilities. American and Israeli intelligence reportedly infiltrated Tehran’s surveillance systems, including traffic cameras, allowing analysts from the NSA and Israel’s elite Unit 8200 to identify the movements of the supreme leader’s security detail and senior commanders. That intelligence ultimately enabled the strike that eliminated them.

Finding Mojtaba presents a far more complicated challenge. Even if Iran’s military establishment now holds much of the nation’s real power, intelligence officials believe the new supreme leader remains central to key regime decisions, particularly those involving military operations. Yet no reliable trace of his location has surfaced.

Rather than depending on electronic surveillance, intelligence agencies are increasingly turning to traditional human intelligence—known as HUMINT—to solve the mystery.

Some within the intelligence community have even questioned whether Mojtaba survived at all. They suspect elements within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps may be maintaining the illusion that he is alive in order to preserve the regime’s legitimacy during its confrontation with the United States.

Investigators are therefore pursuing two fundamental questions: Is Mojtaba still alive, and if so, where is he hiding? Analysts believe possible locations include an extensive network of underground tunnels beneath Tehran or a heavily protected military facility near the holy city of Qom.

With digital surveillance yielding few results, Mossad is leaning heavily on its network of informants inside Iran, including Iranian citizens who have become disillusioned with the regime, hoping someone can provide the breakthrough intelligence.

“The challenge for Israel is the same problem we had in trying to find and release hostages in Gaza,” said Rami Igra, a former division chief of Mossad.

“Israeli intelligence controlled the whole of Gaza, every toilet was rigged [bugged] to trace where they were being held but we didn’t find them. There was too much reliance on electronic technology and not enough on real people, human intelligence.

“Mojtaba may not be using a phone but if he exists at all, he has other forms of communication, like little pieces of paper. They are using multiple layers of couriers carrying messages.

“These couriers are unaware of what they’re doing, other than taking messages from one person to the next. So, if they [Mossad] find him it will be because of a human element. But the regime in Tehran is aware of this danger.”

The approach echoes the operation that led American intelligence to Osama bin Laden. Rather than locating the terrorist leader directly, the CIA painstakingly followed one of his trusted couriers until the trail ultimately led to his compound. Israeli intelligence is believed to be attempting a similar strategy with anyone carrying messages to or from Mojtaba.

“The only real way to get to Mojtaba is to recruit an agent who is in contact with him,” said Igra.

“But this is very difficult because there is tough screening in Iran of all people close to him, and probably only two or three members of the IRGC know how to contact him.

“We can also track other people using their phones and listen in on discussions about Mojtaba and where he might be. Iran is a country where the people are suffering from lack of money and we have ways of offering rewards on the internet for information,” he said.

Questions have also emerged regarding claims made by senior Iranian officials. President Masoud Pezeshkian recently asserted that he personally spent more than two hours with Mojtaba and that the supreme leader was recovering well.

“This is bullshit,” Igra said. “The Iranian president never saw him.”

Former Mossad lieutenant colonel Avner Avraham believes another layer of deception is complicating the search. According to him, the regime may be employing body doubles to obscure Mojtaba’s true whereabouts.

“They are also using doubles, just like Saddam Hussein did,” he said.

He added: “Mojtaba stays in different locations and people are employed to feed him. But what they don’t know is whether the food they are providing is for the real Mojtaba or a double. So they go home at night and believe they are looking after the supreme leader when it fact he’s probably a fake.”

Despite months of secrecy, many believe the Iranian public will eventually expect proof that its new supreme leader is alive. Mojtaba notably did not appear at his father’s funeral, and aside from official wartime statements issued under his name, no public evidence has emerged confirming his condition.

Avraham suggested Mojtaba could eventually follow a strategy similar to that used by Osama bin Laden while in hiding, releasing an audio message without revealing his appearance.

“Even if he doesn’t show his face, he could use his voice to give a message to the Iranian people,” Avraham said. “But that could make him vulnerable. It’s possible to glean information from the voice file, such as the type of recorder used and possibly the location where the voice was recorded.”

A former senior U.S. defense official believes intelligence gathering inside Iran has become significantly more difficult since the February strike.

“I am quite sure, given [the airstrike] on February 28, that Mojtaba is practicing much better operational security and, as a result, human intelligence will be more important in the hunt for him.

“I am sceptical about US humint since Iran has been a denied area for 40 years. Israeli human intelligence is clearly much better but it also has its limits.”

Should American and Israeli intelligence eventually pinpoint Mojtaba’s location, the discovery would hand Washington and Jerusalem an enormously consequential decision.

As one former senior U.S. intelligence official put it: “I think we have probably dispatched enough Iranian leaders for the time being, unless there is very strong confidence that the current leader will be replaced by someone committed to a democratic future for Iran and who will ride in on a white horse.”

{Matzav.com}