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Hamas’s military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, has recruited an estimated 30,000 young men from Gaza into its ranks in recent weeks, according to a report aired Sunday by the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya news channel. Citing Palestinian sources, the network reported that most of the recruits had undergone training in clandestine military camps run by Hamas, though it was unclear whether such camps are still operational amid Israel’s ongoing offensive. The report suggested the new fighters were primarily trained in guerrilla tactics, rocket fire, and the planting of explosives, but possess limited formal military training. No precise timeline was given for the recruitment effort, though the report is believed to refer to recent developments since the collapse of the ceasefire and hostage-release deal in January. Facing mounting losses and severe supply shortages, Hamas is reportedly recycling unexploded Israeli ordnance to manufacture improvised explosive devices and other weapons. According to the Al Arabiya report, the group is struggling to replenish its arsenal of drones and long-range rockets, many of which were depleted during earlier phases of the war. Since March 18, the IDF says it has targeted over 1,400 Hamas-linked sites throughout Gaza. According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry — figures which remain unreliable and unverified — more than 1,500 people have been killed during that period, bringing the ministry’s total reported death toll to over 51,000 since the war began last October. Israel has declared its intent to expand its ground operations and carve out what officials describe as “security zones” within Gaza. The enclave has been under near-total blockade for the past six weeks, with Israel halting the entry of food, medicine, and other humanitarian aid. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Israel is considering the option of detaining terrorists who were previously freed as part of earlier prisoner exchange agreements and returned to areas including Judea, Samaria, and Yerushalayim, according to a report by Channel 12 News.

Although this idea has been raised more than once in Cabinet discussions, it has consistently been shot down by senior defense officials, who argue that such a move would be unwise.

Still, with another Cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday, the issue is gaining renewed attention. A number of ministers are urging the government to impose a firm deadline for Hamas to accept the Witkoff proposal, which would involve freeing 10 hostages and initiating talks toward ending the war.

Under the terms of the Witkoff initiative, Israel would receive half of the hostages—whether alive or deceased—on the first day the agreement is enacted. If a long-term ceasefire is finalized during the temporary pause in fighting, the remainder of the hostages, both living and dead, would be returned as well. Israel gave the green light to this proposal last month, but Hamas turned it down.

Channel 12 reports that if a deadline is indeed set and the deal remains unaccepted by that point, Israel is expected to escalate military operations and shift its focus. Instead of prioritizing negotiations for the hostages’ release, the objective will revert to a full-scale campaign aimed at dismantling Hamas—returning to the strategy in place before the temporary truce.

{Matzav.com Israel}

As Big Tech kicks off its quarterly earnings season this week, the industry’s bellwether companies have been thrust into a cauldron of uncertainty and turmoil that they didn’t anticipate when Donald Trump re-entered the White House nearly 100 days ago. Since President Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration, Big Tech stocks have been on a see-sawing ride that has eviscerated trillions of dollars in shareholder wealth amid an onslaught of tariffs and other potentially detrimental actions. It’s the polar opposite of what Apple CEO Tim Cook, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos hoped for when they assembled behind Trump as he was sworn in. That display of unity reflected a belief that Trump’s second stint in the White House would be a refreshing change from the heavy-handed regulation of President Joe Biden’s administration while unleashing even more lucrative opportunities in artificial intelligence and deal-making. But the Trump administration’s policies so far have vexed Big Tech’s “Magnificent Seven” companies — a group consisting of Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon, Tesla, Google parent Alphabet and Facebook parent Meta Platforms. Since Trump’s inauguration, the Magnificent Seven’s combined market value has plunged by $3.8 trillion, or 22%, as of April 20. The financial damage was even more severe a few days after Trump’s April 2 unveiling of sweeping reciprocal tariffs that would have exacted a heavy toll on Big Tech’s supply chains in China and other key markets around the globe. A temporary freeze on the majority of the most punitive tariffs and an exemption from most of the fees on electronics coming in from China has provided some relief, but Trump has made it clear the reprieve may be short-lived. That has left the specter of Trump’s ongoing trade war hanging over Big Tech, whose influence extends around the world. “The mass confusion created by this constant news flow out of the White House is dizzying for the industry and investors and creating massive uncertainty and chaos for companies trying to plan their supply chain, inventory, and demand,” Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives said. Besides the upheaval triggered by Trump’s tariffs, his administration is also in the midst of trying to prove regulators’ allegations that Meta has been running an illegal monopoly in social networking, and working to persuade a federal judge to break up Google after its search engine last year was found to be illegally abusing its power. Trump also has given no indication of abandoning antitrust lawsuits filed by the Biden administration that could hobble Apple and Amazon. And Nvidia absorbed a significant setback last week when the Trump administration banned it from selling one of its popular AI chips to China, prompting the company to record a $5.5 billion charge to account for the stockpile of processors that it intended to export to that country. Tech CEOs will get a chance to discuss the fallout from the trade war and other challenges still ahead during analyst conference calls that will be held as part of their companies’ financial reports for the January-March quarter. The ritual will kick off Tuesday when Tesla is scheduled to release its full financial report after already revealing that its first-quarter car sales dropped by 13% from the same time last year. The decline occurred against a […]

The White House rolled out a redesigned COVID-19 webpage on Friday, shifting focus entirely toward what it calls the “true origins” of the virus. The previous version of the site, COVID.gov, had featured resources related to vaccines, testing, and treatment, but now forwards users to a new page headlined “Lab Leak: True Origins of COVID-19.”

This updated site comes down hard on how both the Biden administration and ex-New York Governor Andrew Cuomo handled the pandemic. It also strongly embraces the belief that the coronavirus escaped from a research facility in Wuhan, China—a theory endorsed by key figures in the Trump administration.

The homepage outlines five primary points supporting the lab-leak hypothesis:

• “The virus possesses a biological characteristic that is not found in nature.”

• “Data shows that all COVID-19 cases stem from a single introduction into humans. This runs contrary to previous pandemics where there were multiple spillover events.”

• “Wuhan is home to China’s foremost SARS research lab, which has a history of conducting gain-of-function research (gene altering and organism supercharging) at inadequate biosafety levels.”

• “Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) researchers were sick with COVID-like symptoms in the fall of 2019, months before COVID-19 was discovered at the wet market.”

• “By nearly all measures of science, if there was evidence of a natural origin it would have already surfaced. But it hasn’t.”

All five assertions draw from a lengthy, 557-page report published by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic in December 2024.

According to that report, the most probable explanation is that COVID-19 escaped from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, where EcoHealth Alliance—an American group—was conducting government-funded coronavirus experiments.

The same conclusion has been echoed by the FBI, experts from the Energy Department’s national labs, and former intelligence officials, including CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

“A lab-related incident involving gain-of-function research is the most likely the origin of COVID-19,” reads a section on the revamped White House website. “Current government mechanisms for overseeing this dangerous gain-of-function research are incomplete, severely convoluted, and lack global applicability.”

The site also levels harsh accusations against the Department of Health and Human Services under Biden, EcoHealth Alliance, Fauci’s top aide David Morens, and New York’s executive leadership under Gov. Kathy Hochul. It claims these parties “obstructed” the House’s investigation into the pandemic’s origins and the federal government’s overall response, which the virus left more than 1.2 million Americans dead.

In another section, the site calls out President Joe Biden’s “full and unconditional” pardon of Dr. Anthony Fauci before leaving office. The pardon shields Fauci from any legal consequences for actions dating back to 2014, during his time overseeing the U.S. response to infectious disease threats.

The webpage further criticizes decisions made by Andrew Cuomo, particularly his March 25, 2020, directive requiring nursing homes to admit patients who had tested positive for COVID-19.

“Evidence shows that Mr. Cuomo and his Administration worked to cover up the tragic aftermath of their policy decisions in an apparent effort to shield themselves from accountability,” the site says, claiming the former governor made “knowingly and willfully” false statements to the House committee examining the pandemic.

A spokesperson for Cuomo pushed back strongly against the allegations, referencing a report from the Biden-era Department of Justice’s inspector general and a 2022 decision by the Manhattan District Attorney not to file charges.

“More than 1 million Americans died as a result of the COVID pandemic, and our hearts break for the families of every person who lost a loved one – but unfortunately, as the DOJ IG confirmed, that pain has been weaponized and politicized for purely electoral purposes for years,” Rich Azzopardi said in a statement.

“According to the the DOJ IG, the State Attorney General and New York State’s COVID-19 After Action Report, the state’s nursing home admission guidance was consistent with federal guidance, was similar to guidance issued in a dozen Republican and Democratic-led states, and there has been no credible empirical evidence that concludes it caused additional deaths,” he added. “This matter was investigated by the Department of Justice three times and the Manhattan DA who closed their investigations as a result of no finding of wrongdoing, while two civil cases brought in connection with this issue have also been dismissed.”

{Matzav.com}

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a Democrat from Texas, drew sharp criticism after making a provocative comparison between President Trump and Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a suspected member of MS-13 who was deported to El Salvador last month.

Crockett sparked outrage during an MSNBC appearance when she claimed that Abrego Garcia is “a lot less criminal” than President Trump, a comment that led many to accuse her of losing touch with reality.

“If Senator Van Hollen can get down there, if the president can get up here and get to the White House, then I don’t understand why we can’t get Abrego up out of there,” Crockett said on The Katie Phang Show.

“I mean, we know that they admitted that they were wrong. Now they’re trying to double back and say, well, he’s this terrible person and all this kind of stuff. But here’s the reality. As far as I’m concerned, he’s a lot less criminal than the person that’s sitting in the White House, because last time I checked, he doesn’t have any criminal convictions,” she added.

The comments prompted an immediate backlash on social media and beyond, with critics accusing Crockett of making an outlandish and offensive statement.

“Jasmine Crockett is living in an alternate reality if she thinks that President Trump is worse than an MS-13 gang member,” one outraged user posted on X.

Others took aim at her patriotism and judgment.

One commentator labeled her “anti-American,” while another said her remarks were evidence of extreme bias.

“Let’s be real — her Trump Derangement Syndrome is off the charts, and it’s no surprise she’s melting down over his first 100 days,” said another post.

Another critic mocked her comments as laughable, writing, “The sheer clownery on display here is the funniest thing I’ve seen all week.”

Abrego Garcia, who was accused by the White House of being linked to MS-13, had previously faced allegations of involvement in human and labor trafficking. However, he was never convicted of any crimes in the United States.

He was expelled last month under the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act, an 18th-century law that permitted swift deportations without traditional legal proceedings. His removal came as part of a broader effort that saw 260 suspected gang affiliates sent back to their countries of origin.

Subsequent legal challenges, including rulings from several federal courts and the Supreme Court, questioned the legality of Abrego Garcia’s deportation, with one finding calling it a “clerical error.”

Attorneys representing the Salvadoran national insist that he has no criminal background that would justify his expulsion from the U.S.

Despite these arguments, the Trump administration has maintained that his illegal entry into the country in 2011 alone is enough to warrant deportation.

{Matzav.com}

The Ermiati news site The National reported on Monday that Egypt’s recent arms purchases, including a deal to purchase an advanced Chinese air defense system, are contributing to increased tensions between Cairo and Jerusalem, “nearing the point of open enmity.” Sources told The National that Israel has repeatedly complained to Egypt about its military buildup in the Sinai, which is a violation of the peace agreement. According to the report, the complaints were delivered personally by Mossad officials who have visited Cairo for ceasefire negotiations and met with the Egyptian and Qatari mediators. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu also complained to US President Donald Trump at their meeting this month about the Egyptian military buildup in the Sinai, and asked him to convince Egypt to move its forces away from the border. The sources also revealed that while Egyptian President El-Sisi and his government have shown relative restraint in their statements on Israel, the task of expressing Cairo’s ire against Israel and the “Trump Plan” to resettle Gazans has been left to commentators and retired generals in the Egyptian media who express severe warning on national media about forcing Gazans to move to the Sinai, claiming that it would pose a threat to Egyptian national security. Additionally, after Israel captured the Philadelphi Corridor, the Egyptian foreign ministry announced it was joining South Africa in its “genocide” case against Israel in the ICC. Egypt has not provided an answer to Israel’s concerns about the underground tunnels under the Egyptian-Gazan border, which were used to smuggle weapons and dual-use materials to Hamas. Israel has asserted that just like it made an exception to the peace deal to allow Egypt to send troops and army to the demilitarized part of the Sinai to fight ISIS, Israel must maintain troops at the Phialdelphi Corridor to fight Hamas. The report noted that dozens of social media accounts known to be controlled by the Egyptian government have been publishing posts full of nationalistic anti-Israel messages. Since the war began in Gaza, Egypt has also publicized multiple drills of its Third Army – which is responsible for defending Sinai and the Suez Canal – involving tens of thousands of troops, hundreds of tanks, live munitions, and APCs. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC) is placing the blame for the Democratic Party’s declining national approval squarely on the shoulders of the mainstream media.

Speaking during a Friday night appearance on MSNBC’s The Last Word, Clyburn argued that the issue isn’t with the party’s messaging itself, but with how it’s being conveyed by the press. He insisted that Democrats are being misrepresented and dismissed the idea that their policies are too progressive.

“I think the message coming from the Democratic Party is a good message,” Clyburn said.

“The problem we’ve got is that we have to depend upon the media to deliver it.”

Host Ali Velshi pushed back slightly, noting the critique that the party has failed to unify behind a clear and compelling narrative.

“There were people who said the [2024] protest movement didn’t have the energy that it did after the 2016 election of Donald Trump,” he said.

Clyburn disagreed, attributing the perception of weakness not to the Democrats themselves but to the media’s hunger for ratings and attention—often, he claimed, by giving Trump undue influence.

“If we have The Washington Post, for instance, caving to this wannabe dictator and we’ve got other media entities that seem to rather push a narrative that will bring eyes to their newspapers or to their television sets and not really give a fair hearing or reporting to what we’re doing,” Clyburn whined.

Clyburn also revealed plans to launch a series of town hall meetings beyond his home district to present the Democratic platform directly to voters. He described the messaging he intends to share as focused and impactful.

“It’s going to be very coherent,” he said.

“A little bit alarming, but something people will understand if they hear it.”

He reserved positive words for MSNBC and Velshi in particular, applauding their willingness to go deeper into the issues without sensationalizing.

“That’s why I like coming on your shows on the weekends,” he said.

Clyburn concluded with a harsh critique of media outlets that, in his opinion, allow misinformation to flourish unchecked, to the detriment of his party.

“That’s what’s killing us as Democrats,” he said.

“We don’t have a stomach for just lying.”

His remarks follow a string of unfavorable polls highlighting the party’s struggles with public perception.

A March CNN poll revealed that 54 percent of Americans view the Democratic Party unfavorably.

Another survey conducted by Harvard CAPS/Harris showed similarly bleak results, underscoring the challenges Democrats face in the lead-up to the next election.

{Matzav.com}

President Trump reignited a familiar holiday ritual on Sunday by unleashing a fiery string of Truth Social posts targeting his political enemies—chief among them Joe Biden, whom he branded a “highly destructive Moron.”

“Happy Easter to all, including the Radical Left Lunatics who are fighting and scheming so hard to bring Murderers, Drug Lords, Dangerous Prisoners, the Mentally Insane, and well known MS-13 Gang Members and Wife Beaters, back into our Country,” Trump, 78, wrote on his platform.

Taking aim at members of the judiciary, Trump slammed certain judges as “weak and ineffective,” then pivoted to Biden, 82, accusing him of enabling chaos at the southern border—before once again offering his holiday greetings.

“Sleepy Joe Biden purposefully allowed Millions of CRIMINALS to enter our Country, totally unvetted and unchecked, through an Open Borders Policy that will go down in history as the single most calamitous act ever perpetrated upon America,” Trump raged.

“But to him, and to the person that ran and manipulated the Auto Pen (perhaps our REAL President!), and to all of the people who CHEATED in the 2020 Presidential Election in order to get this highly destructive Moron Elected, I wish you, with great love, sincerity, and affection, a very Happy Easter!!!”

Biden, who has kept a relatively low profile since leaving office in January, offered no public reply to Trump’s outburst.

“He was, by far, our WORST and most Incompetent President, a man who had absolutely no idea what he was doing,” Trump added, directing another insult at his predecessor.

Trump has developed a habit of using holidays as an occasion to lob sarcastic or stinging remarks at political adversaries.

Last year, he posted, “HAPPY EASTER TO ALL, INCLUDING CROOKED AND CORRUPT PROSECUTORS AND JUDGES THAT ARE DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO INTERFERE WITH THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 2024, AND PUT ME IN PRISON.”

Melania Trump, by contrast, kept her Easter message brief and dignified, sharing a simple “Happy Easter” with her followers on Sunday.

Vice President JD Vance echoed that tone, also posting “Happy Easter” on social media after meeting with Pope Francis in Rome earlier in the day.

Trump ended his holiday commentary with a call to action and optimism for the future: “We are, together, going to make America bigger, better, stronger, wealthier, healthier, and more religious, than it has ever been before!!”

{Matzav.com}

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir flew to the US overnight Sunday for an official visit to the US. Ben-Gvir was boycotted by the Biden administration [along with Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich], and this is his first official visit to the US since taking office. Ben-Gvir flew directly to Florida and will later continue his visit in Washington and New York. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Israel is considering acting against Hamas by re-arresting dozens of terrorists who were released in previous hostage release deals, especially the terrorists who were released to Yehudah and Shomron and East Jerusalem, Channel 12 News reported on Sunday evening. Such a move would place pressure on Hamas to reach a deal, joining the previous step of halting humanitarian aid into the Strip. According to the report, the move has already been raised several times in Cabinet discussions but was rejected by defense officials. In recent days, senior government officials have been reconsidering the move in the wake of Hamas’s refusal to accept a hostage release deal. A Cabinet meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, and one of the discussions on the agenda is setting a deadline for Hamas to accept the Witkoff deal, which includes the release of 10 hostages and a discussion on ending the war. When the deadline is set, assuming that no deal is reached by then, Israel intends to move to more intense warfare in Gaza and change its goal from working toward a hostage release deal to defeating Hamas. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Pope Francis, history’s first Latin American pontiff who alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change, died Monday. He was 88. Francis, who suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, was admitted to Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14, 2025, for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia. He spent 38 days there, the longest hospitalization of his 12-year papacy. But he emerged on Easter Sunday — his last public appearance, a day before his death — to greet ythousands of people in St. Peter’s Square and treat them to a surprise popemobile romp through the piazza, drawing wild cheers and applause. Beforehand, he met briefly with U.S. Vice President JD Vance. The leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics regularly publicly condemned Israel’s war on Gaza. Throughout Israel’s war again Hamas, he made a daily phone call to the enclave’s only Catholic parish to offer support and prayers. He resumed the practice while still hospitalized after making a partial recovery in February. Francis frequently called Israel’s response to October 7th a “genocide” and called the IDF response “terror”. In November os 2024, Sephardi Chief Rabbi David Yosef sharply criticized Pope Francis for suggesting that Israel’s actions in Gaza may constitute genocide, accusing the pontiff of siding with perpetrators of violence instead of victims. The remarks were made by the Pope in a forthcoming book. “It’s very interesting that the Pope doesn’t call for an investigation of the terrible slaughter of Jews last year on October 7,” Rabbi Yosef said in a video statement. “It’s interesting that he doesn’t call for an investigation of the incitement against Jews across Europe, overt antisemitic incitement.” Former Chief Rabbi David Lau also condemned Pope Francis in December of 2023 following remarks he made during a conversation with President Isaac Herzog that seemed to equate Israel’s actions in Gaza to Hamas’s atrocities. Pope Francis said that it is “forbidden to respond to terror with terror.” His death now sets off a weekslong process of allowing people to pay their final respects, first for Vatican officials in the Santa Marta chapel and then in St. Peter’s for the general public, followed by a funeral and a conclave to elect a new pope. Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, president of the Conference of European Rabbis (CER), convened his deep sorrow over the passing of Pope Francis. According to a CER statement, Goldschmidt, who met with the pope several times, recalls “Francis’s unwavering dedication to promoting peace and goodwill worldwide.” The rabbi also praises the pope’s efforts to strengthen Catholic-Jewish relations. The European Jewish Congress sent condolences to Catholics in Europe and around the world upon the passing of Pope Francis. “Pope Francis was a steadfast advocate for interfaith dialogue and mutual respect between religions,” the representative organization of European Jewry says in a statement. “His unwavering commitment to combating antisemitism and fostering a spirit of brotherhood between Christians and Jews will be remembered with gratitude and admiration.” “We have fond and enduring memories of our audiences with the late Pope and his deep commitment to fostering dialogue with Jewish communities and fierce opposition to antisemitism,” adds EJC Vice-President Raya Kalenova. President Isaac Herzog offered his condolences to Christians around the globe and in Israel “on the loss of […]

A Lakewood police officer remains in critical condition following a serious car crash late Friday night at the intersection of Cedarbridge and New Hampshire Avenues, sources told Lakewood Alerts. Read the full story on Lakewood Alerts. 

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continued his public campaign on Sunday to bring greater attention to what he calls a national crisis: the rising rates of autism in children.

Speaking during an appearance on a New York-based radio show, Kennedy emphasized the urgent need for deeper scientific research into the causes of autism. “This is an epidemic. It dwarfs the COVID epidemic and the impacts on our country because COVID killed old people. Autism affects children and affects them at the beginning of their lives, the beginning of their productivity,” Kennedy said, according to The Hill.

Kennedy has remained unwavering in his criticism of the current government response to autism, particularly the belief that improved diagnostic tools account for the rising numbers. He directly challenged findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which attribute the increase largely to more accurate diagnosis and heightened awareness.

On Wednesday, Kennedy reiterated his belief that the country is facing an “autism epidemic,” insisting it cannot be written off as the result of “better diagnostic criteria” or “genes.”

He stressed that the data points to something far more serious than what improved screening could explain. “One of the things that I think we need to move away from today is this ideology that the autism prevalence increases, the relentless increases, are simply artifacts of better diagnoses, better recognition, or changing diagnostic criteria,” Kennedy argued.

In a recent social media post, Kennedy pointed to updated figures highlighting the scope of the issue. “Autism prevalence in the U.S. has increased from 1 in 36 children to 1 in 31. We will find the root cause of this epidemic and Make America Healthy Again,” he wrote.

Kennedy’s comments are part of an ongoing effort to reshape national health priorities and rally support for a more aggressive pursuit of answers regarding the causes of autism in American children.

{Matzav.com}

The Supreme Court on Saturday blocked, for now, the deportations of any Venezuelans held in northern Texas under an 18th century wartime law. In a brief order, the court directed the Trump administration not to remove Venezuelans held in the Bluebonnet Detention Center “until further order of this court.” Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented. The high court acted in an emergency appeal from the American Civil Liberties Union contending that immigration authorities appeared to be moving to restart removals under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. The Supreme Court had said earlier in April that deportations could proceed only if those about to be removed had a chance to argue their case in court and were given “a reasonable time” to contest their pending removals. “We are deeply relieved that the Court has temporarily blocked the removals. These individuals were in imminent danger of spending the rest of their lives in a brutal Salvadoran prison without ever having had any due process,” ACLU lawyer Lee Gelernt said in an email. The Trump administration later Saturday filed paperwork urging the high court to reconsider its hold. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Saturday in a post on X: “We are confident we will ultimately prevail against the onslaught of meritless litigation brought by radical activists.” On Friday, two federal judges refused to step in as lawyers for the men launched a desperate legal campaign to prevent their deportation, even as one judge said the case raised legitimate concerns. Early Saturday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also refused to issue an order protecting the detainees from being deported. The ACLU had already sued to block deportations of two Venezuelans held in the Bluebonnet facility and sought an order barring removals of any immigrants in the region under the Alien Enemies Act. In an emergency filing early Friday, the ACLU warned that immigration authorities were accusing other Venezuelan men held there of being members of the Tren de Aragua gang, which would make them subject to President Donald Trump’s use of the act. The act has only been invoked three previous times in U.S. history, most recently during World War II to hold Japanese-American civilians in internment camps. The Trump administration contended it gave them power to swiftly remove immigrants they identified as members of the gang, regardless of their immigration status. Following the unanimous high court order on April 9, federal judges in Colorado, New York and southern Texas promptly issued orders barring removal of detainees under the AEA until the administration provides a process for them to make claims in court. But there had been no such order issued in the area of Texas that covers Bluebonnet, which is 24 miles north of Abilene in the far northern end of the state. U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, a Trump appointee, this week declined to bar the administration from removing the two men identified in the ACLU lawsuit because Immigration and Customs Enforcement filed sworn declarations that they would not be immediately deported. He also balked at issuing a broader order prohibiting removal of all Venezuelans in the area under the act because he said removals hadn’t started yet. But the ACLU’s Friday filing included sworn declarations from three separate immigration lawyers who said their clients in Bluebonnet […]

Hamas has signaled to Arab mediators its willingness to enter into a long-term truce with Israel — one that would halt military operations, including the development of weapons and construction of tunnels — as part of a comprehensive ceasefire agreement, according to reports. The proposal, conveyed last week, marks the most far-reaching position publicly attributed to Hamas since the start of the war in Gaza. The terms, as relayed to The Times of Israel by a senior Palestinian official and an Arab diplomat involved in the mediation, include a multi-year truce lasting five, 10, or even 15 years, contingent upon a broader deal to end the war. Under the proposal, Hamas said it is willing to relinquish governing control of the Gaza Strip in favor of an independent technocratic authority — a framework that aligns with Egyptian plans for Gaza’s postwar administration. Furthermore, some Hamas representatives have indicated readiness to place the group’s weapons under guard in a secure warehouse, a gesture meant to reinforce its commitment to ending military activity against Israel. The suggested framework also includes the release of all remaining Israeli hostages in a single phase, in exchange for the release of a negotiated number of Palestinian prisoners. The deal would additionally stipulate a permanent ceasefire, full Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza, the reopening of border crossings for humanitarian aid, and the launch of reconstruction efforts. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, however, dismissed the proposal over the weekend, reiterating his government’s stance that the war will not end until Hamas is fully dismantled. Netanyahu said that even the release of all remaining hostages — currently at 59 — would not justify leaving Hamas in power in Gaza. “The only way to ensure long-term security for Israel is to eliminate Hamas’s military and governing capabilities,” Netanyahu said. Some of Netanyahu’s political opponents have argued that the release of hostages should take precedence, even if it means postponing the goal of toppling Hamas. But the prime minister has maintained that any agreement including binding international guarantees would prevent Israel from resuming military operations, effectively cementing Hamas’s control in Gaza — a scenario he has repeatedly vowed to prevent. This is not the first time ceasefire terms have faltered. In January, Netanyahu approved a phased ceasefire that facilitated the release of 33 hostages in the first stage. Negotiations for the second phase, which included a permanent ceasefire and full withdrawal of Israeli forces, were expected to begin soon after — but Israel declined to move forward on those terms, seeking instead another interim deal that allowed room to resume military action. The current U.S. administration, under President Trump, has supported Israel’s efforts to renegotiate the terms of the ceasefire, but Hamas has refused proposals that do not include permanent guarantees. Talks collapsed in early March, prompting Israel to resume large-scale military operations across Gaza on March 18. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)