Matzav

The aftermath of this morning’s deadly shooting attack at the Ramot Junction in Yerushalayim continues to send shockwaves through families and witnesses, as relatives of the injured share their anguish and survivors recount moments of sheer terror.

Yaakov Yisrael Gueta, whose mother Osnat was critically wounded in the shooting, described the horror that gripped him when he heard the news. “When I heard about it, my heart skipped a beat,” he said. “Ramot Junction is just two stops from home. The doctor told us that my mother was shot in the stomach, and with Hashem’s help she will recover soon.”

He emphasized his mother’s life of kindness and selflessness: “My mother is a woman whose entire life is chesed—she just gives and gives without stopping. She will come out of the operating room. I turn to all of Klal Yisroel: please daven that Hashem will say ‘enough’ to our suffering.”

Gueta added that the family is holding back the news from the younger children: “We are six siblings. Three of them are still little kids in cheder and they don’t know anything yet. We’ll update them when they come home.”

Another victim, Esther Lugasi, who was lightly injured in the attack, recalled the harrowing moments as she spoke from Shaare Zedek Medical Center. “It’s not simple—I’m still shaking. I’ve never experienced anything like this—it’s horrifying,” she said.

“I was on my way to visit my parents. The bus stopped at Ramot Junction, people got on, and the bus was packed. All the other buses left, but ours stayed put. The driver opened the doors, some people got off, and I was about to board the 62 line—suddenly gunfire erupted from every direction. It felt like running for my life without end.”

She described the sheer panic: “I felt like I was about to die. I stopped and told myself, ‘If I’m going to die, then I’m going to die,’ but I kept running. We hid in the terminal, and the gunfire kept echoing until finally there was silence. There were children and strollers—one woman was clutching her baby and tossed aside the stroller. We waited there until a medic came over to me. I was terrified to leave.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

In the aftermath of Monday morning’s deadly attack at the Ramot Junction in Yerushalayim, where six people were murdered, two terrorists were eliminated by a soldier from the Chashmonayim Brigade together with a chareidi avreich who was armed and present at the scene. The soldier has now described the intense moments of the confrontation and his immediate actions afterwards.

The shooting took place around 10:10 a.m., when two terrorists from the villages of Qatanna and al-Qubeiba opened fire on commuters waiting at the bus stop. Within moments, the soldier and the avreich engaged the attackers and killed them, preventing further loss of life.

The platoon commander recalled the encounter in an interview with N12: “I told him, ‘Let me, I have a long weapon.’ I identified two terrorists and opened fire on them until I saw them fall. Then we advanced slightly in line, and I kept shooting until I saw they stopped moving. From there I disengaged and began treating the wounded.”

The soldier said he quickly applied tourniquets to two injured women at the scene. Once security and medical teams arrived, he returned to where he had downed the terrorists. “I approached the police and told them, ‘Hello, I’m the one who neutralized them,’” he recounted. He was then taken to give official testimony about the sequence of events.

The heroism of the soldier and the armed avreich is credited with preventing an even greater tragedy at the already blood-soaked scene.

{Matzav.com Israel}

Hours after the murderous terror attack at the Ramot Junction that claimed the lives of six people, a preliminary investigation has revealed the route taken by the two terrorists. Both attackers, residents of the villages of Qatanna and al-Qubeiba near Ramallah, infiltrated Israel through a known gap in the security barrier near Dahiyat al-Barid, north of Yerushalayim.

The Route to the Attack

According to security officials, the terrorists left their villages armed with personal weapons. With the help of an accomplice, they reached the Israeli side of the fence in the area of the Qalandiya and A-Ram refugee camps.

They crossed through a breach known to security services as “the Dahiyah,” named after Dahiyat al-Barid, a familiar alleyway in the area. A driver who regularly smuggles illegal entrants then transported them to Ramot Junction. There, they opened fire on passengers waiting for Egged Bus 62, the line bound for the central bus station in Yerushalayim.

Arrests Following the Attack

By midday, police announced the arrest of a suspect from eastern Yerushalayim whose involvement is under investigation. Meanwhile, Channel 12 reported that the IDF detained the father of one of the attackers, Mutana Naji Amru.

Photographs circulated on Palestinian networks showed the arrest operations and the terrorists themselves.

IDF forces have encircled the villages of Qatanna and al-Qubeiba, conducting house-to-house searches and questioning suspects. Additional checkpoints have been set up across the Ramallah area to prevent further infiltration.

Wider Counterterror Operations

Simultaneously, the IDF has launched a brigade-level counterterror mission in northern Shomron under the Menashe Regional Brigade. Troops have been sweeping areas in the Sanur Valley, Far’a Camp, and Kabatiya.

During the overnight operations, reserve fighters from the elite Duvdevan Unit, working with the Shin Bet, arrested a terrorist who had been advancing attack plots. Security forces also seized weapons and tens of thousands of shekels in terror funds.

The IDF Spokesperson confirmed that operations are continuing both in the Binyamin region, where the Ramot attack originated, and throughout the Menashe Brigade sector, as part of the broader effort to dismantle terror infrastructure and reinforce security along the seam line and major roads.

{Matzav.com Israel}

President Donald Trump defended Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. against criticism from the political establishment, remarking that Kennedy has “a lot of good ideas.”

Speaking with Breitbart News during a press gaggle on the White House South Lawn on Sunday before leaving for the U.S. Open final, Trump was asked about the wave of attacks directed at Kennedy by figures such as Chris Christie, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and others.

“Well, he’s a different kind of a guy,” Trump told Breitbart News. “He’s got a lot of good ideas, but he’s got a lot of ideas. You know, normally, they don’t have any ideas, and that’s why we have problems with autism and so many other things, because we’re coming up with the answers for autism. You watch.”

 

 

 

“We’re coming up with the answers for other things that normal people, regular people, easy to get along with people, wouldn’t be able to do. He’s got a lot of ideas, and so do I, and we’re going to clean it up,” Trump added.

Last month, Kennedy moved to revoke the emergency use authorizations for the coronavirus vaccines, though he allowed them to remain available to those who choose to receive them after consulting with their doctors. He also insisted that pharmaceutical companies must provide placebo-controlled trials. Trump, for his part, demanded openness from the drug industry regarding the effectiveness of COVID-19 treatments just last week.

Kennedy also appeared before the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday, where he faced sharp questioning from establishment Democrats including Wyden and Warren, but managed to hold his ground.

During one notable moment, Kennedy confronted Warren for taking campaign contributions from the pharmaceutical industry, pointing out that while vaccines remain accessible to Americans, they are not appropriate for every individual. “I never promised that I was going to recommend products for which there is no indication, and I know you’ve taken $855,000 from pharmaceutical companies, senator,” Kennedy said to Warren, while stressing that he was not removing vaccines from public availability.

The attacks against him did not stop there. On Sunday, Chris Christie escalated the criticism, dismissing Kennedy as “foolish” and “wholly unqualified” during an appearance on ABC’s This Week.

{Matzav.com}

Authorities have released the names of six victims, Hashem yikom damam, who were murdered Monday morning in the horrific terror attack at a bus stop near the Ramot Junction in Yerushalayim.

The attack targeted passengers of Egged Bus 62, a line that runs daily from Ramot to the city center and is heavily used by the chareidi community. The tragedy, which could easily have claimed even more lives, has left the community shaken.

Reb Levi Yitzchak Pash Hy”d, 57

Reb Levi Yitzchak Pash, a longtime resident of Tel Tzion, was born in 1967 to Rav Shlomo Pash and Rebbetzin Tziporah, daughter of the Stretiner Rebbe of Yerushalayim. He married the daughter of Rav Eliezer Chaim Estreicher, a prominent Erlauer chassid.

Beloved throughout Bayit Vegan, where he worked as a devoted maintenance employee at Yeshivas Kol Torah, he was known for his generosity, humility, and dedication to Torah learning. Just last night he attended a family wedding in Beitar.

On Monday morning, he initially secured a ride to the yeshiva but gave up his seat to another man in urgent need of hospital treatment. Moments later, as he stood waiting at Ramot, he was murdered. He leaves behind a large family, including three unmarried children.

His levayah was scheduled to begin Monday afternoon at Shamgar Funeral Home, followed by a procession to Kol Torah and burial on Har HaMenuchos.

Reb Yaakov Pinto Hy”d, 25

Born in Spain in 2000, Reb Yaakov Pinto was the only child of his parents. As a teenager he immigrated to Eretz Yisroel, studying at Yeshivas Nehora under Rav Avraham Greenbaum and later at Yeshivas Derech Emunah in Lod under Rav Zvi Braverman.

He married his wife Osnat at the start of the recent Iranian onslaught and served as a mentor at Yeshivas Chevras HaTorah in Yerushalayim. The yeshiva released a statement mourning “the heartbreaking loss of our guide and friend, Rav Yaakov Pinto zt”l.”

His levayah was expected to take place Tuesday at Yeshivas Derech Emunah in Lod.

Reb Alter Yisrael Mitzner Hy”d, 31

Reb Alter Yisrael Mitzner, a member of a well-known rabbinic family, was born in Bnei Brak in 1995 to Rav Uri Meir Mitzner and Rebbetzin Rivka. He was one of triplets. After studying at Talmud Torah Razi-Li and Yeshivas Nachlas Dovid in Petach Tikvah, he advanced to Yeshivas Chevron in Yerushalayim.

He married the daughter of Rav Chaim Greineman, director of Kollel Taharos in Ponovezh. His wife, Efrat Greineman, serves in the Chareidi Education Department of the Yerushalayim Municipality.

Rav Yisrael learned in Kollel Meisharim under Rav Chaim Tzvi Rozenberg in Givat Shaul. Friends describe him as refined, brilliant, and fully immersed in Torah. He leaves behind his parents, his wife, and three young children.

His levayah is set for Monday evening in Bnei Brak, with burial in the Vizhnitz cemetery.

Reb Yosef David Hy”d, 43

Rav Yosef David, a resident of Ramot, was killed on his way to kollel with his seforim in hand. Born in 1986, he was a devoted oved Hashem, a mispallel at the Mishkan Shraga shul, and the husband of a well-known kindergarten teacher in Ramot. He leaves behind his wife and children.

Reb Mordechai Steintz Hy”d, 79

Known fondly as “Dr. Mark,” Reb Mordechai Steintz founded the popular “Doctor Mark’s Bakery” in Beit Shemesh. Originally from the United States, he was trained as a cardiologist but devoted much of his life to promoting healthy living and wholesome bread products, pioneering a revolution in Israel’s baking industry.

He was beloved in his Ramot community for his warmth, chessed, and commitment to strengthening Torah institutions. A decade ago, he donated a Sefer Torah to his local shul. Neighbors remembered him as “sweeter than honey, always looking to help.”

Mrs. Sarita (Sarah) Mendelson Hy”d, 60

The sixth victim was Mrs. Sarita Mendelson of Ramat Shlomo, who served as head of municipal relations in the finance department of the Bnei Akiva movement. She was on her way to work at the organization’s national headquarters when she was murdered.

In a statement, Bnei Akiva said: “The movement mourns the murder of our dear colleague Sarita Mendelson, a dedicated leader for decades. We embrace her family during this painful time. May the land not cover her blood.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

Six people were murdered and a dozen more wounded in a terrorist shooting in the northern Yerushalayim neighborhood of Ramot this morning.

The Magen David Adom emergency medical response group identified five of the slain victims as a man and a woman in their 50s and three men in their 30s.

The sixth fatality, who was not immediately identified, was pronounced dead in the afternoon after medical staff were unable to save them.

Magen David Adom paramedics transferred seven seriously wounded people to hospitals in Yerushalayim, it said. Two others were moderately injured, and three sustained light wounds.

Two terrorists were neutralized at the scene by an Israel Defense Forces soldier and an armed civilian. The soldier was identified in reports as a squad commander in the IDF’s Chashmonean Brigade.

The Hamas terrorist organization in a statement praised “the heroic and unique operation” carried out by “two Palestinian resistance fighters,” calling the murders “a natural response to the occupation’s crimes.”

The statement called on Palestinians across Judea and Samaria to “escalate the confrontation with the occupation and its settlers.”

Nadav Taib, a paramedic with Magen David Adom, said in a statement shared by the organization he “arrived at the location with large forces immediately after receiving the report of people wounded by gunfire.

“We saw people lying on the road, unconscious, on the side of the road and the sidewalk near a bus stop. There was widespread destruction at the scene, shattered glass on the ground and commotion,” he stated.

Magen David Adom “provided medical treatment to the wounded and continues to treat and evacuate them to hospitals,” the paramedic said.

Israel Police spokesman Aryeh Doron told local media that the incident was still ongoing some 30 minutes after the initial report. Security forces were said to be investigating a suspicious object at the scene.

The news outlet reported that the IDF ordered the closure of security checkpoints between Yerushalayim and Judea and Samaria pending a situational assessment at its Central Command headquarters.

“Following the shooting attack at the Ramot Junction earlier today, IDF soldiers were dispatched to the area and are conducting searches for suspects in cooperation with the Israel Police,” the military stated.

Israeli forces were said to be “encircling several villages on the outskirts of Ramallah to thwart terrorism, carrying out questioning and searches in the area, and reinforcing defensive efforts along the security barrier.”

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu also convened a situational assessment with the heads of the defense establishment, his office said.

According to Channel 12 News, Israel’s security agencies believe that the terrorists arrived by car from a village in the Ramallah area of Samaria. They reportedly used locally produced submachine guns. JNS

{Matzav.com Israel}

Zohran Mamdani, a Muslim Democratic socialist and the presumed frontrunner in the New York City mayor’s race, has big socialist plans for America’s largest city.

WATCH:

Brussels saw an enormous turnout on Sunday as tens of thousands rallied in opposition to Israel.

Local police placed the crowd at roughly 70,000, though event organizers claimed the march drew closer to 120,000. Demonstrators, many dressed in red and holding up red cards, demanded harsher measures against Israel, pointing to the dire conditions in Gaza.

Gregory Mauze, who serves as spokesperson for the Belgo-Palestinian group ABP, declared, “In the face of the ongoing genocide, the measures taken are not yet adequate.”

The protest followed an announcement by Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot that Belgium will move forward with recognizing a Palestinian state and introducing strict sanctions against Israel, citing the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

Prevot strongly criticized Israel’s military campaign, insisting it breaches international law and the duty to avert genocide.

He stated that Belgium would formally acknowledge “Palestine” as a sovereign state, aligning with the position of France and Saudi Arabia, who are expected to present recognition at the upcoming UN General Assembly.

According to his statement, the recognition will only occur once Hamas has freed all hostages and no longer retains political authority over Palestinian Arab areas. In addition, Belgium emphasized its pledge to assist in rebuilding “Palestine” and to step up efforts to combat antisemitism by engaging security forces and Jewish community leaders.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu told his ministers on Sunday that he would rather ensure Hamas’s defeat than receive sympathetic coverage abroad about Israel’s downfall.

His statement came after widespread demonstrations inside Israel demanding that the government negotiate a deal with Hamas for the release of hostages and bring the war to an end.

Officials have signaled that Israel is prepared to consider an agreement, but only if all captives are freed at the same time and Hamas is stripped of its weapons and removed from control. Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces spent the weekend readying for a ground advance on Gaza City, Hamas’s central base.

Netanyahu’s comments in full were:

“We are intensifying the operation on the outskirts of, and inside, Gaza City. We are eliminating Nukhba terrorists who played a significant role in the October 7 massacre, including the accursed terrorist who called his parents and took pride in having personally murdered 10 Israelis. Now we called the family and informed it that this terrorist has been eliminated. It is a clear message that we will reach them all. I want to thank, on your behalf as well, the ISA and the IDF for doing this important work.

“We are eliminating terrorist infrastructure and nefarious terrorist high-rises. We have established an additional humanitarian corridor to enable the civilian population in Gaza to leave for a safe place and receive humanitarian assistance there. In the meantime, approximately 100,000 people have left Gaza. Hamas is trying to do its utmost so that no one will go and they will stay there in order to serve as human shields for it. By the way, it does not refrain from any means. Only recently we have seen how it shoots women and children in the legs and if necessary, shoots them. Therefore, it is expected that it will try to prevent the exit that is necessary from a humanitarian perspective and from our perspective regarding the war. We want to focus on the terrorists themselves and enable the civilian population to go out.

“On Friday, Hamas issued a cruel and reprehensible video of [hostages] Alon Ohel and Guy Gilboa-Dalal. I must say that I spoke at length with their families on Friday and underscored – on behalf of myself, you and the entire people – our support for them. I must also say that most citizens of Israel, the great majority of the citizens of Israel, are standing steadfast against this psychological terrorism.

“Our effort in Gaza against the last strongholds, in effect last important stronghold, Gaza City, is part of our effort to complete the crushing of the stranglehold by the Iranian axis. This axis was intended to destroy the State of Israel, and by dismantling it and striking it, we are removing an existential threat to Israel, the primary threat.

“We have landed very severe blows on Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, just recently you saw this, and we brought about the fall of the Assad regime. Of course, the peak was the severe blow on the patron of this axis – Iran, and the distancing of the existential of nuclear bombs and ballistic missiles over our heads. We will continue this effort until we achieve all of our objectives for the war.

“I am aware of the price that we are paying in the diplomatic and public diplomacy fields for the State of Israel and the best way to get out of this, of course, is to establish completely new mechanisms as we mentioned, and – of course – to end the war as fast as possible with the victory that we have defined: Eliminating Hamas, the return of all the hostages and ensuring that Gaza never again threatens Israel.

“But regarding the public diplomacy damage, I would like to say one thing: If I need to choose between victory over our enemies and malicious propaganda against us, I choose victory over our enemies, as opposed to the opposite. I do not want stories that we have been beaten by our enemies and for us to be eulogized well in the global media. I choose victory.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

President Trump voiced displeasure over the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine after Moscow launched its most extensive drone assault on Kyiv since the start of the war. The escalation has drawn attention to the difficulty his administration has faced in securing a peace agreement, even after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last month.

“I’m not happy, I’m not happy about the whole situation,” Trump said to reporters upon his return to Joint Base Andrews following his trip to New York, where he attended the U.S. Open men’s final.

The president emphasized that no one had taken a harder stance on Russia and Putin than he had. He defended his continuing push to negotiate an end to the fighting.

“I’m not thrilled with what’s happening,” Trump continued. “I believe we’re going to get it settled. I’m not happy with anything having to do with that war.”

Sunday’s strike on Ukraine marked the first time Russia targeted a government building, signaling another intensification of Moscow’s campaign.

Despite Trump’s growing irritation with the lack of progress, the assault suggested that Putin had no plans to reduce his military operations.

When addressing the issue, Trump notably avoided directly criticizing either Russia or its leader.

Asked what he believed was the biggest barrier to achieving peace, Trump refrained from pointing to Putin or the Kremlin.

“Well we’re going to see. We have some very interesting discussions,” he said, adding that European leaders would soon arrive in Washington for talks.

In recent weeks, Trump has made clear his mounting frustration with Putin. On Sunday, he again said he had believed the Russia-Ukraine war would be the simplest conflict to resolve upon resuming office, but it has proven to be one of the hardest.

Trump also spoke about the war in Gaza, sharing confidence that progress was being made there as well.

“I think we’re going to have a deal on Gaza very soon. It’s a problem we want to solve for the Middle East, for Israel, for everyone,” Trump said.

Switching to domestic matters, the president said his administration would soon announce the next focus of its crime crackdown.

“We’re going to make a decision about where we’re going to go in the next day or two,” Trump stated, while criticizing violence in Chicago and insisting that the capital had been secured due to his policies.

Before wrapping up, Trump commented on his appearance at the U.S. Open, where reactions were mixed between boos and applause. He admitted he had not been sure how he would be received in New York City but praised the attendees.

He described the spectators as “great fans.”

{Matzav.com}

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A terrorist released in the deal to free hostages from Gaza on October 7 was featured on a panel at the Detroit People’s Conference for Palestine last Sunday, according to a report from The Jerusalem Post, which reviewed social media activity from those who attended.

Hossam Shaheen, a member of Tanzim freed on February 1 in the swap with Hamas, appeared virtually during a session titled “The Palestinian Struggle Behind Bars.” He was joined on screen by Arab Barghouti, the son of convicted terrorist leader Marwan Barghouti, and journalist Lama Ghosheh.

Although most of the conference, which ran from August 29 to 31, was streamed live by BreakThrough News and archived on its platforms, Shaheen’s appearance was conspicuously absent. The two videos related to the Sunday session were removed from the broadcaster’s YouTube playlist, and aside from a brief Instagram notice on August 18 mentioning Shaheen, organizers avoided highlighting the panel in their online promotions.

Nevertheless, posts from attendees on TikTok confirmed that Shaheen, Ghosheh, and Barghouti all took part by video call. The Palestinian Youth Movement, one of the conference hosts, even posted an illustrated sketch of the session in a Thursday photo album on Instagram.

Shaheen was previously known for establishing an al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade cell operating in the Jerusalem region. He was responsible for recruiting operatives and providing them with arms for planned attacks. Israeli forces arrested him in Ramallah in 2004.

The announcement of Shaheen’s participation sparked sharp criticism after it was revealed he had been serving a 27-year sentence for attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder before being freed.

In the wake of those revelations, the U.S. State Department issued warnings regarding international invitees who might seek visas to attend. Journalist Abubaker Abed, who was denied entry, told the gathering remotely that the United States was a “fascist and sadistic country.”

One of the participating groups, Writers Against the War on Gaza (WAWOG), listed Barghouti and Ghosheh in an online thread about the panels but omitted any reference to Shaheen.

During the discussion, Barghouti highlighted the role of the “prisoners’ movement” in the Palestinian cause. He told attendees, “My father told me that hopelessness is a privilege that we Palestinians don’t have. He promised my mother when he proposed to her over 40 years ago: ‘We will live a normal life.’”

His father, Marwan Barghouti, helped establish Fatah’s armed faction and in 2004 was sentenced to five life terms for orchestrating terror attacks that left five people dead.

Ghosheh, for her part, accused Israeli prison authorities of mistreating and degrading Palestinian female security detainees. A clip of her comments was circulated by a conference participant on TikTok.

Last year, Ghosheh was sentenced to community service and probation and fined NIS 4,500 after being found guilty of expressing support for a terror group and for incitement. In a series of Facebook posts from 2022 and 2023, she lauded multiple terrorists, among them Ibrahim al-Nabulsi, describing the slain Lions’ Den commander as a “hero” whose gunfire laid “the foundations for a clear operating model.”

In another post from May 2022, she uploaded a photo of Palestinian Islamic Jihad members, writing that their battalion model would spread across the West Bank and lead to further confrontations. She tagged the entry with the phrase: “Resistance is a continued gift.”

Earlier this August, Ghosheh interviewed Shaheen for her program Freedom Breakers, during which he called himself a “freedom fighter” and spoke of jailed PFLP cell leader Walid Daqqah as being like a “brother.”

Shaheen was not the only controversial figure featured at the Detroit event. That same Sunday, Omar Assaf, a veteran of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, joined to condemn the Palestinian Authority as a “barrier” holding back Palestinians from fighting Israel.

The gathering also included a message from Mumia Abu-Jamal, convicted of murdering a Philadelphia police officer, who addressed participants in a pre-recorded statement.

Among those in attendance were Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez, and Green Party presidential hopeful Dr. Jill Stein. Although organizers toned down some of the rhetoric compared to the prior year, there were still repeated instances of speakers glorifying terrorists and attacking the United States. Martinez at one point said, “If Palestine were a schoolyard playground, I would be a Palestinian. And that part of me, that part of me that couldn’t endure the abuse anymore, would be Hamas.”

At last year’s event, the atmosphere was even more extreme, with nearly every panel praising terrorism. The main auditorium was named in honor of Walid Daqqah, whose wife gave the keynote speech. PFLP operative Wisam Rafeedie also appeared remotely after being denied a U.S. visa.

{Matzav.com}

Mail deliveries into the United States dropped by more than four-fifths after the Trump administration removed tariff-free status for inexpensive imports, the United Nations postal authority reported on Saturday.

According to the Universal Postal Union (UPU), it has begun introducing new systems to help postal organizations worldwide determine and collect customs duties and taxes, following Washington’s decision to end the “de minimis exemption” that previously applied to low-value packages.

Eighty-eight postal providers have informed the UPU that they have either fully or partially suspended service to the United States until there is a workable arrangement regarding parcels worth $800 or less, which had been the threshold under which foreign packages avoided customs charges.

“The global network saw postal traffic to the US come to a near-halt after the implementation of the new rules on Aug 29, 2025, which for the first time placed the burden of customs duty collection and remittance on transportation carriers or US Customs and Border Protection agency-approved qualified parties,” the UPU stated.

Data exchanged among members of the UPU’s electronic system indicated that mail flows from its 192 member nations—essentially covering nearly the whole globe—declined by 81% on August 29 compared to the prior week.

Headquartered in Bern, Switzerland, the agency explained that these “major operational disruptions” occurred because airlines and freight handlers said they were either unwilling or unable to process the duties, and foreign postal services had not set up connections with CBP-authorized intermediaries.

In the weeks before the regulation was enforced, the postal union had written to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warning of the consequences it could trigger.

The de minimis exemption, which dates back to 1938, was described by the administration as a loophole that overseas companies used to dodge tariffs and that traffickers exploited to move narcotics into America.

Items that once bypassed customs checks now have to be processed and taxed at the tariff rate of their country of origin, which can fall anywhere between 10% and 50%.

Although the rules are being applied to all trading partners, Americans will still be exempt from paying duties on gifts worth up to $100 and on personal souvenirs up to $200 brought back from international travel, the White House confirmed.

The UPU added that its member organizations were not given adequate time or clear instruction to prepare for the protocols laid out in the executive order Donald Trump signed on July 30 that revoked duty-free treatment for lower-cost imports.

{Matzav.com}

Crowds gathered at the port of Sidi Bou Said in Tunisia on Sunday to greet Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, who arrived aboard a convoy of ships carrying aid bound for Gaza, according to the BBC.

Thunberg was joined by about 350 activists critical of Israel, all sailing as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla. Organizers of the effort said its purpose was to “break Israel’s illegal siege on Gaza.”

Addressing supporters at the port, the 22-year-old declared: “We all know why we are here. Just across the water there’s a genocide going on, a mass starvation by Israel’s murder machine.”

The group had departed Barcelona the previous Monday with a fleet of roughly 20 boats. Several vessels have now reached Tunisia, where they will coordinate with local teams and stock up on further supplies before continuing toward Gaza.

Although they were originally scheduled to leave Tunis on Sunday, organizers announced a delay until Wednesday, citing “technical and logistical reasons beyond management’s control” as the cause of the postponement.

In addition to Thunberg, the flotilla also features former Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau, who during her term cut the city’s official ties with Israel. The effort has attracted backing from Hollywood actors including Susan Sarandon and Liam Cunningham of HBO’s “Game of Thrones.”

Thunberg was deported from Israel earlier this year, in June, after participating in another flotilla, the Madleen, which was stopped by the Israeli navy.

Following that interception, the activists were supplied with food and water, even though many of them had recorded messages in advance alleging that they were “kidnapped” by the IDF.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry stated at the time that the cargo aboard the Madleen amounted to less than one truckload of aid and would instead be directed into Gaza through proper humanitarian channels.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said Sunday that he expects progress soon toward both a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas.

“I think we’re going to have a deal on Gaza very soon. It’s a hell of a problem. It’s a problem we want to solve for the Middle East, for Israel, for everybody. But it’s a problem we’re going to get done,” the President said.

Speaking specifically about the hostages, Trump noted, “It could be a little bit less than 20 because some, you know, they tend to die. Even though they’re young people, largely, they’re dying. Young people don’t die. Young people stay alive. But with this whole thing, they tend to die.”

“But we have, let’s say, 20 people and we have about 38 bodies. I think we’re going to get them all,” he continued.

These remarks followed Trump’s confirmation that he had recently submitted a new plan to Hamas for a sweeping hostage arrangement that differs substantially from past proposals.

Under this initiative, all 48 hostages—both those still alive and those killed—would be released on the first day, while Israel would free hundreds of terrorists and thousands of Palestinian Arab prisoners.

The plan also calls for Israel to suspend its advance into Gaza City and open immediate negotiations to end the conflict, with the talks managed personally by President Trump. Fighting would remain paused so long as those negotiations continued.

On Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Everyone wants the hostages home. Everyone wants this war to end! The Israelis have accepted my terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well. I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning; there will not be another one! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

Officials close to Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu commented that “Israel is seriously considering President Trump’s proposal; Hamas will likely continue its refusal.”

Later on Sunday, Hamas issued a response, again attaching conditions to any deal for a ceasefire and hostage release.

“We have received several ideas from the American side through mediators to reach a ceasefire agreement. In this context, the Hamas movement welcomes any effort that supports stopping the aggression against our people and emphasizes its immediate readiness to sit at the negotiating table,” the group declared.

“It is our aim to discuss the release of all prisoners in exchange for a clear declaration of an end to the war and the complete withdrawal of forces from the Gaza Strip. Additionally, we seek the establishment of a committee to manage Gaza, composed of independent Palestinians, which would begin operations immediately. This would include an explicit and binding commitment from the enemy to uphold the agreements, preventing a recurrence of past instances where agreements were made but later rejected or canceled,” Hamas added.

{Matzav.com}

A Hamas internal security official announced that the group’s security forces in Gaza carried out the execution of six alleged “agents” accused of passing intelligence to Israel.

“The sword of resistance will not spare anyone who dares to be a dagger in the back of the resistance and its heroic men,” he declared.

According to his statement, the individuals were put to death “after it had been proven that the agents were involved in providing information that helped Israel attack homes, civilians and fighters during the war in the Gaza Strip.”

He further stated, “The verdict was carried out after the completion of the security and religious procedures, and Hamas is taking a firm approach against agents and any element that poses a direct danger to the internal front and the steadfastness of the Palestinian people.”

{Matzav.com Israel}

Just weeks before Rosh Hashanah, Israeli officials are pointing fingers at the Moldovan government, accusing it of sabotaging the agreement that was meant to enable tens of thousands of Breslover chassidim to travel to the kever of Rav Nachman of Breslov in Uman. According to the Israeli team overseeing the arrangements, the Moldovan authorities “did everything possible to prevent the deal from being finalized.”

A decisive meeting is scheduled for tomorrow to determine whether Romania will now serve as the transit country for the thousands of Israelis preparing to make the annual journey to the tziyun in Uman, Ukraine.

For weeks, Israel had been negotiating with Moldova and had even allocated significant funds toward a travel framework that would facilitate passage through the country. But those talks have collapsed. Israeli representatives involved in the discussions claim that despite financial concessions and extensive flexibility, the Moldovan side remained uncooperative. “It felt like there was no one to talk to,” one official said.

According to information obtained by Matzav.com, Moldova’s government insisted that Israel leave behind all the equipment and upgrades paid for in preparing the Chisinau airport for the Uman flights, even after Rosh Hashanah. The demand, which would allow Moldova permanent use of infrastructure funded by Israeli money, was described as the final straw that led to the breakdown of talks.

As a result, Israeli officials shifted their focus to Romania and have already opened discussions with its government about using Romanian airports as the main gateway for the thousands of travelers heading to Uman.

Tomorrow at midday, a high-level Israeli delegation—consisting of the Foreign Ministry director-general, the Prime Minister’s Office director-general, a senior Interior Ministry representative, and the director-general of the Yerushalayim Affairs Ministry—is scheduled to meet with counterparts in Romania. That meeting is expected to determine whether a workable solution can be secured in time for Yom Tov.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s High Court of Justice ruled on Sunday that the Israel Prison Service (IPS) is obligated to provide security prisoners with “basic living conditions,” including food in sufficient quantity and composition to safeguard their health.

The decision followed a petition alleging that security inmates were suffering from hunger and malnutrition, particularly after their ability to purchase food at the prison canteen was revoked due to the ongoing war in Gaza, along with other benefits that had been removed.

Justices Daphne Barak-Erez and Ofer Grosskopf wrote in their ruling that the state must ensure that every prisoner actually receives food adequate to maintain his health. Justice Noam Sohlberg Minz, however, dissented, stating that the state already fulfills this obligation under current conditions.

Justice Barak-Erez added in her reasoning that the plight of Israeli hostages in Gaza should not justify mistreating prisoners in Israel, noting: “We will not align ourselves with the worst of our enemies. We will not follow in the ways of terror organizations. Moreover, painful testimonies from freed captives have shown that a harsher food regime for prisoners in Israel does not improve the situation of our brothers still held hostage, and may even worsen it.”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir blasted the ruling, declaring: “Judges of the High Court—are you on Israel’s side? Our hostages in Gaza have no High Court to protect them. But the Nukhba murderers and vile rapists have, shamefully, a High Court standing up for them. We will continue to provide these terrorists only the bare minimum conditions required by law.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Yariv Levin also denounced the decision: “We have become accustomed to High Court judges exceeding their judicial role and taking over the running of the state. Apparently, that wasn’t enough. Now they’ve crowned themselves judges in ‘Master Chef.’ The High Court judges, or in their new title—the Supreme Dieticians—have found a recipe unmatched in the world for distorted morality. While our hostages starve in tunnels, two judges demand that we improve the meals served to the worst of terrorists. This ruling is yet another clear example of the damage the Supreme Court inflicts on Israel’s security. That is why I have insisted on changing the Judicial Appointments Committee, and I will continue to demand that future appointments produce judges focused on the security of Israeli citizens and true justice—not on currying favor in progressive legal circles abroad.”

The “Choosing Life” Forum, representing bereaved families and victims of terror, also issued a sharp response: “Once again, the High Court chooses to side with terrorists instead of standing with our bereaved families and terror victims. The judges’ preoccupation with the meals of despicable murderers is a slap in the face to those who paid the highest price—families whose loved ones were slaughtered in cold blood. As bereaved families and victims of terror, we expect the High Court to focus on protecting Israel’s citizens, not on the culinary preferences of terrorist killers and the policies of the Prison Service.”

{Matzav.com}

In the framework of the extensive and meticulous supervision system operated by Badatz Chug Chasam Sofer Petach Tikvah, Rav Pinchos Leibush Padwa, Rav of Antwerp and Gaavad of Kehillas Shomrei Hadas, carried out a wide-ranging inspection tour of food factories under the hechsher.

Rav Padwa, an internationally renowned authority on kashrus with decades of experience certifying plants in Eretz Yisroel and abroad, heads the kashrus division of Badatz Chug Chasam Sofer Petach Tikvah. He was accompanied on the visits by the director of the kashrus organization, Rabbi Shai Tennenbaum, along with senior kashrus inspectors, to personally review the deployment of mashgichim and ensure that the highest standards of mehadrin min hamehadrin are upheld.

During the tour, the delegation visited numerous facilities and was introduced to a new plant that has recently joined the Badatz system: the Mishk Mizrachi greenhouses, which specialize in producing squash blossoms. These delicate yellow flowers, harvested before the squash matures, are a sought-after delicacy in high-end Mediterranean cuisine, typically stuffed and then fried or baked. Under the strict supervision of the Badatz, this unique product has now reached the highest level of kashrus.

The delegation also visited the Shuggart factory, which produces specialty sugar packets for hotels and restaurants. Rav Padwa carefully observed the manufacturing and packaging processes, insisting on the highest precision in every stage of production to guarantee the integrity of the kashrus certification.

Rabbi Tennenbaum explained the rigorous process by which factories are granted certification. In each plant, Rav Padwa personally reviews the full scope of operations—from raw materials through production methods to final output—before rendering a decision on whether the products can bear the Badatz Chug Chasam Sofer seal. “We provide kashrus to those who want the service of kashrus,” Rabbi Tennenbaum noted. “When there is sincerity and cooperation from the owners, we examine every detail thoroughly, conduct sampling, give clear lists of requirements for production and mashgiach presence, and only then does Rav Padwa and the team determine if certification can be granted.”

{Matzav.com Israel}