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HAPPENING NOW: Thousands of Chassidim are gathered in Manhattan at the Satmar-led protest against the IDF drafting of Yeshiva Bochrim.

Morton Klein, the National President of the Zionist Organization of America, reacted to the deadly assault in Rafah today (Sunday), saying Hamas’s renewed breaches of the ceasefire pose a direct challenge to the credibility of President Donald Trump.

“In light of Hamas’s new ceasefire violations – yet again attacking Israel and murdering hundreds of their own people, it’s important to remember President Trump’s pledge that if there is a Hamas violation, ‘the U.S. will support Israel doing whatever it needs to do’ in response,” Klein said. “In order for President Trump to maintain his credibility and never be seen as a paper tiger and in the interests of a true peace, we believe that President Trump will support any necessary Israeli response.”

“History has shown us that not responding to an illegal serious action brings war, not peace. The world didn’t respond to Germany illegally taking over the Sudetenland; the U.S. didn’t respond to Iran taking 66 American citizens hostage; In 2021, President Biden stopped Israel from responding properly to 4,500 Hamas rockets against Israel in a few days – Biden threatened to withhold arms from Israel if it didn’t stop its strong retaliation against Hamas. The U.S. and Israel didn’t respond to Yasser Arafat and Abbas violating the Oslo accords by continued terrorism, incitement and paying Arabs to murder Jews and Christians. This week, the Palestinian Authority paid the released terrorists over $70 million for their murder of Jews,” he said.

He warned: “The world must understand Hamas, Qatar, and Turkey agreed to a deal only because Hamas was in trouble with Israel on the verge of destroying them in Gaza City. They viewed this deal as an Islamic Hudna, a temporary ceasefire until Hamas is strong again after it regroups and brings in new Hamas leadership from the 2,000 released terrorist prisoners.”

“It’s also a mistake to allow Qatar and Turkey any real role in overseeing Gaza. Their leaders have supported Hamas, stating that ‘we are all Hamas’ and continuing to give safe harbor to Hamas leaders,” he said.

“This is a religious war against Jews, Christians and the West – it is not about a Palestinian state or economics. The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) strongly supports Israel responding forcefully to finally destroy Hamas by any means necessary, as President Trump has stated and pledged,” Klein concluded.

Officials confirmed that two IDF soldiers were killed this morning in the anti-tank missile strike near Rafah.

{Matzav.com}

A man convicted of spying for Israel has been executed, an Iranian prosecutor told the Mizan news agency. Kazem Mousavi, a judicial official from the Qom province in central Iran, said the unnamed individual was given a death sentence on charges of intelligence cooperation with Israel’s intelligence service, Mossad. “This individual, for personal and professional reasons, initiated contact with the Zionist regime’s services, held meetings with Mossad officers, engaged in intelligence cooperation, and began sending confidential information in cyberspace to the child-killing and fake Zionist regime, but through swift and intelligent actions by the country’s intelligence and judicial apparatus, he was identified and the leakage of sensitive information was prevented,” Mizan reported, quoting Mousavi. Last month, Iran handed down another citizen a death sentence on a similar charge. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Tens of thousands of Chasidic Jews are gathering outside the Israeli Consulate on Second Avenue in Manhattan to protest the Israeli government’s plan to draft yeshiva students into the army. The event marks a rare show of unity between the rival Satmar factions led by brothers Reb Aharon Teitelbaum, the Satmar Rebbe of Kiryas Joel and the Satmar Rebbe of Williamsburg, Reb Zalman Leib Teitelbaum. The rally comes just weeks after a anti-draft asifa in Lakewood, New Jersey, led by prominent roshei yeshiva, and attended by a few thousand people. It is the first time since 2013 that both Satmar factions appear together at a joint demonstration against the Israeli government. The last such rally, held that year in Foley Square, drew tens of thousands in opposition to similar draft proposals. Organizers said the timing of the Manhattan rally reflects a longstanding Satmar policy not to hold public protests against Israel while the country is at war. With fighting in Gaza now paused following the ceasefire brokered by President Donald Trump, they said the time has come to voice their opposition to the gezeiras hagiyus — the decree of conscription. The planned demonstration follows months of debate in Israel’s Knesset over how to implement the Supreme Court’s ruling that the decades-long exemption for Charedi men from military service must end. Many Charedi leaders view the draft decree as an existential threat to their religious way of life. The Knesset is expected to resume debate on the matter in the coming weeks.

The Trump Administration has cautioned Israeli leaders against launching a fresh full-scale offensive in reaction to Hamas breaching the ceasefire, following an incident this morning in Rafah, Axios correspondent Barak Ravid reported.

Officials in Washington told their Israeli counterparts that the priority should be to isolate Hamas and to accelerate efforts to build a viable alternative to its rule in Gaza as quickly as possible.

Earlier today, terrorists from Hamas fired anti-tank weapons at IDF units in Rafah. The IDF confirmed that an anti-tank missile and small-arms fire were directed at troops working to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in the Rafah area of southern Gaza, despite the ceasefire terms.

The Israeli military said it responded by striking the zone to remove the immediate danger and to destroy tunnel shafts and other military installations used for hostile operations.

After the violation, Prime Minister Netanyahu convened with the Defense Minister and top security commanders and ordered robust measures against terrorist targets across the Gaza Strip.

Defense Minister Yisroel Katz stated: “Hamas will learn today the hard way that the IDF is determined to protect its soldiers and to prevent any harm to them. We have instructed the IDF to act with strength against Hamas terror targets in Gaza. Hamas will pay a heavy price for any shootings and any violation of the ceasefire, and if the message is not understood – the intensity of the responses will increase.”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir commented on the incident: “I call on the Prime Minister to order the IDF to fully renew combat operations in the Gaza Strip with full force. The false illusions that Hamas will change its ways, or even abide by the agreement it signed, are predictably dangerous to our security. This Nazi terrorist organization must be destroyed completely – the sooner the better.”

{Matzav.com}

Trump administration agrees to deliver more student loan forgiveness • The Trump administration has agreed to forgive student debt under income-driven repayment programs it had partially blocked. • The outcome is the result of an agreement between the American Federation of Teachers and the U.S. Department of Education. • More than 2.5 million borrowers are in either the original Income-Contingent Repayment plan or the Pay as You Earn plan, according to an estimate by higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz.

Shlomo Abba Kohn’s levayah will be held at 3:30 p.m. at the Lakewood High School in Lakewood, NJ.

WATCH SHLOMO ABBA COHEN’S LEVAYAH HERE.

Chaim Simcha Grossman’s levayah will be held at 5:15 p.m. at the Lakewood High School in Lakewood, NJ.

WATCH CHAIM SIMCHA GROSSMAN’S LEVAYAH HERE.

 

 

Matan Angrest, who was released from Hamas captivity in Gaza, opened up about his harrowing yet deeply spiritual experience during his time in the hands of terrorists. Speaking with Shai Graucher, Angrest described how he maintained his faith and sanity through davening, song, and immersion in Torah study.

“I sang songs to myself, davened Shacharis, Minchah, and Maariv every day using a siddur I found, and we had five Chumashim that I read at least twenty times,” he recounted.

Angrest also revealed a striking personal connection to the parsha with which he celebrated his bar mitzvah, Parshas Mikeitz. “It says there, ‘Mikeitz shnosayim yomim—At the end of two full years,’” he said. “Those words took on a whole new meaning for me.”

He added that when the time came for his release, Hamas refused to let him take his siddur or Chumash with him. “I wanted to bring them with me,” he said softly, “but they didn’t allow it.”

{Matzav.com}

Swiss athletic brand On is being taken to court by U.S. consumers who allege that the company’s pricey running shoes make an “embarrassing” squeaking sound with every step.

The lawsuit targets the brand’s “CloudTec” line — sneakers that sell for about $200 (£150) and are marketed as offering a sensation of “running on clouds.” Instead, the complaint says, they have become a source of frustration for customers, particularly nurses and other professionals who wear them for long shifts.

“No reasonable consumer would purchase Defendant’s shoes – or pay as much for them as they did – knowing each step creates an audible and noticeable squeak,” the plaintiffs stated in their filing.

On, which did not immediately respond to questions from the BBC, has so far declined to comment on the lawsuit. The class action case was filed on October 9 in the U.S. District Court in Oregon.

According to the plaintiffs, several On models are nearly unusable unless owners make “significant DIY modifications.” They accused the company of misleading consumers through “deceptive marketing.”

The group also claims they were denied refunds after reporting the problem, despite the ongoing noise issue, and are now seeking both compensation and reimbursement.

The complaint argues that On could have “fixed the design, and/or offered to fix the shoes or [given] consumers their money back but did none of those things,” referencing models like the Cloudmonster and Cloudrunner among the defective products.

One customer wrote that she was “no longer able to use her shoes as intended due to the embarrassment and annoyance,” saying the squeaking sound made wearing them in public intolerable.

The filing cites numerous social media posts from dissatisfied buyers on TikTok and Reddit, many of whom suggested home remedies to quiet the noise — including rubbing coconut oil on the soles.

On, which counts tennis legend Roger Federer among its investors, has been riding a wave of commercial success. In August, the company announced stronger-than-expected earnings driven by a surge in direct-to-consumer purchases.

Earlier this year, the brand said its Cloudmonster and Cloudsurfer models had played a “significant” role in its expanding sales — the very shoes now at the center of the class action complaint.

{Matzav.com}

MANHATTAN: Preparations are underway outside the Israeli Consulate on 2nd Avenue between East 42nd and East 43rd Streets ahead of a major protest against the IDF draft in Eretz Yisroel. The demonstration, scheduled to begin at 4:00 PM, is expected to draw thousands of participants, including both Satmar Rebbes, prominent rabbonim, and kehillos. The event is being arranged by YF Productions in coordination with Law Enforcement Chaplain Rabbi Abe Friedman, the NYPD, and Shomrim organizations.

The International Criminal Court in The Hague ruled to throw out Israel’s appeal seeking to void the arrest warrants issued for Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The warrants were tied to allegations of war crimes stemming from Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza.

According to Agence France-Presse, the panel of judges concluded that “the issue, as framed by Israel, is not an appealable issue.” Israel had petitioned the court in May to revoke the warrants while a broader legal question—whether the ICC even has jurisdiction to handle the case—was still under consideration. Israel is not a member of the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC.

In mid-July, the court declined Israel’s initial request, declaring that there was “no legal basis” for it. A week later, Israel asked permission to appeal that determination. The ICC issued its latest decision on Friday, releasing a 13-page document that formally dismissed the appeal, AFP reported.

The question of the court’s jurisdiction remains unresolved, with ICC judges continuing to deliberate that matter separately. Meanwhile, in June, the United States imposed sanctions on two of the three judges from the ICC’s pretrial chamber who had authorized the arrest warrants. The move was in response to their approval of the request made by Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan.

Khan himself is currently on leave amid an internal investigation into accusations of sexual misconduct, including claims that he attempted to dissuade a victim from speaking out by warning it could harm his prosecution of Israel. He had already been sanctioned by Washington for pursuing the arrests of Netanyahu and Gallant.

Reports indicate that those sanctions have created serious operational challenges both for Khan personally and for the court at large. Netanyahu has condemned the entire case, stating, “Now Khan has since been suspended, but his preposterous arrest warrants and his patently false charges against Israel have not been removed. They should be removed and removed immediately for justice and for truth to prevail.”

The prime minister blasted Khan’s accusations that he and Gallant used starvation as a weapon and intentionally targeted civilians, calling them baseless and detached from reality. “Israel has let in more than 2 million tons of aid into Gaza. That’s 1 ton of aid per person and, by the way, Hamas stole much of it,” Netanyahu pointed out, emphasizing that the Israel Defense Forces have also “sent millions of texts and phone messages to Palestinian civilians urging them to get out of harm’s way.”

{Matzav.com}

LISTEN: In light of the horrific tragedies this morning with the untimely passing of Shloimy Kohn, Chaim Simcha Grossman, Yaakov Kilberg, and Ahron Nosson Leibowitz, Z”L, Rabbi Sruli Fried, MSW, from Chai Lifeline, shares some thoughts on how to speak to our Bochurim. To listen to the recording, please call the conference number at 425-436-6309, access code 745879. For any specific questions, please feel free to call the Chai Lifeline Crisis number at (855) 3CRISIS.

Britain’s media regulator issued a rare formal sanction against the BBC on Friday, ruling that one of its Gaza documentaries had “materially misled” viewers by concealing the fact that the teenage narrator’s father was a senior Hamas official.

Ofcom, the UK’s broadcasting authority, said the program violated its Broadcasting Code and “had the potential to erode the very high levels of trust audiences would have expected” from a factual news production about the conflict. The watchdog ordered the BBC to publicly acknowledge its findings during the network’s 9 p.m. newscast.

“Breaches of the code that have resulted in the audience being materially misled have always been considered by Ofcom to be among the most serious that can be committed by a broadcaster, because they go to the heart of the relationship of trust between a broadcaster and its audience,” the regulator said in its statement.

The controversy centers on Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone, a documentary the BBC previously admitted contained “serious flaws” and later removed from its online player. The network had already issued an apology before Ofcom’s ruling.

On Friday, the BBC said the regulator’s conclusions were consistent with its own internal inquiry, which had identified a “significant failing” to uphold its editorial accuracy standards. The broadcaster confirmed it would comply with the sanction.

The program featured narration by 13-year-old Abdullah, whose father, Ayman Alyazouri, serves as Hamas’s deputy agriculture minister in Gaza — a fact that was never disclosed to viewers.

The BBC explained that the production company behind the film, Hoyo Films, bore the primary responsibility for the omission, as it had failed to inform BBC producers about Alyazouri’s role. Hoyo Films has since apologized for the oversight.

The broadcaster faced a wave of backlash over the episode — receiving hundreds of complaints from viewers accusing it of anti-Israel bias, as well as hundreds more protesting the documentary’s removal. Director-General Tim Davie acknowledged both sets of complaints while addressing Parliament earlier this year.

{Matzav.com}

BREAKING: The FBI is investigating after the Secret Service uncovered a suspicious hunting stand with a direct line of sight to where President Donald Trump exits Air Force One at the Palm Beach International Airport.

A huge crowd is now outside the Bohbot home as former hostage Elkana reenters his home for the first time in two years, after being released from the hospital a short time ago

China on Sunday accused the U.S. National Security Agency of carrying out cyberattacks on its national time center following an investigation, saying any damage to related facilities could have disrupted network communications, financial systems and power supply. The Ministry of State Security alleged in a WeChat post that the U.S. agency had exploited vulnerabilities in the messaging services of a foreign mobile phone brand to steal sensitive information from devices of the National Time Service Center’s staff in 2022. It did not specify the brand. The U.S. agency also used 42 types of “special cyberattack weapons” to target the center’s multiple internal network systems and attempted to infiltrate a key timing system between 2023 and 2024, it said. It said it had evidence but did not provide it in the post. It said the time center is responsible for generating and distributing China’s standard time, in addition to providing timing services to industries such as communications, finance, power, transport and defense. It had provided guidance to the center to eliminate the risks. “The U.S. is accusing others of what it does itself, repeatedly hyping up claims about Chinese cyber threats,” it said. Western governments in recent years have alleged hackers linked to the Chinese government have targeted officials, journalists, corporations and others. The ministry’s statement could fuel tensions between Washington and Beijing, on top of trade, technology and Taiwan issues. The U.S. Embassy did not immediately comment. (AP)

In the context of the U.S.-brokered Israel-Hamas ceasefire that went into effect last week, Israel has released 250 Palestinian terrorists who were serving at least one life sentence for murder. Of those, 160 are now millionaires thanks to the Palestinian Authority’s “pay-for-slay” program, having been paid over 1 million shekels during their imprisonment, according to Palestinian Media Watch.

The 160 released terrorists collectively received at least 229.5 million shekels ($70 million) from the P.A., according to PMW. The other 90 also received a significant sum.

PMW noted that the figure excludes additional stipends for family members, meaning the total payouts were likely far higher.

“The Palestinian Authority ensures that it very much pays to slay,” PMW stated.

“Any government that spends hundreds of millions of dollars each year rewarding terrorists should be designated for what it is—a terror organization,” PMW founder and director Itamar Marcus told JNS.

“Yet the Palestinian Authority, which openly funds and glorifies terrorists, continues to enjoy international legitimacy and generous Western support,” he added.

“Shockingly, instead of cutting ties, the European Union and many European countries partner with the P.A. by paying its civil servants’ salaries—a scheme that frees up the P.A.’s other funds to pay monthly salaries to imprisoned terrorists. This is not legitimate foreign aid; it’s complicity in terror,” he told JNS.

Israel has released a total of 1,950 terrorists as part of the exchange for 20 Israeli hostages and 28 bodies, not all of which have been returned, a “blatant violation” of the agreement, according to Israel’s Defense Minister Yisroel Katz.

Among the released terrorists are:

Maher Abu-Surur, who murdered Haim Nachmani, 29, a Shin Bet agent, in 1993.

Jihad A-Karim Azziz-Rom, who killed Yuri Gushchin, 18, in 2001, and took part in the 2000 Ramallah lynching of two Israeli soldiers.

Mohammad Imran, sentenced to 13 life terms for masterminding a 2002 Kiryat Arba ambush that killed 12 Israelis.

Imad Qawasmeh, serving 16 life sentences for the 2004 Beersheva bus bombings that killed 16 people.

Qassem Aref Khalil al-Asafreh, arrested in 2019 for the stabbing murder of yeshiva student Dvir Sorek, 18, in Gush Etzion.

In February, PMW posted a list of the 734 terrorists released in an earlier ceasefire agreement with Hamas, together with their “salaries”—the dollar amounts each terrorist received from the P.A.’s so-called Martyrs’ Fund while incarcerated.

In total, the terrorists received $141,837,087, or more than half a billion shekels. Of those, 316, or nearly half, received more than a million shekels each. JNS

{Matzav.com}

In the wake of this morning’s devastating accident on the New Jersey Turnpike that claimed the lives of four young yeshiva bachurim from Lakewood and South Fallsburg, Chai Lifeline’s Crisis Intervention Team has been working around the clock to support families, friends, and community members grappling with shock and grief. “This is an unspeakable tragedy. Our hearts are with the families and the entire community during this time of overwhelming loss,” said Rabbi Simcha Scholar, CEO of Chai Lifeline. “Our New Jersey and New York crisis teams have been providing guidance and support since the moment the news broke, helping families, rabbanim, and peers process this painful reality with sensitivity and care. In moments like these, we are reminded of the strength of Klal Yisroel, standing together, mourning together, and supporting one another.” Chai Lifeline’s trained crisis responders have been deployed to affected communities, schools, and yeshivos, offering counseling, trauma guidance, and group interventions. Rabbi Dr. Dovid Fox, Director of Chai Lifeline Crisis Services, has issued the following practical guidelines to help parents, educators, and community leaders navigate conversations surrounding grief and tragedy. Rabbi Mordechai Gobioff, MSW Chai Lifeline National Director of Client Services added that “Our crisis hotline and response teams have been inundated with calls. People are struggling to comprehend this loss, and our goal is to provide them with practical tools and emotional support to get through the coming days. We’ve been coordinating teams across our regions to ensure that families, schools, and communities receive the guidance and care they need as quickly as possible.” “This is a very raw tragedy, and our initial focus must be on allowing families space, and on being aware of our own emotional reactions,” said Rabbi Sruli Fried, MSW, director of Chai Lifeline New Jersey. “It is normal to feel grief, shock, or fear. Talking through these feelings with someone you trust, and maintaining daily structure and connection, are key steps toward emotional healing.” In light of the horrific tragedies this morning with the untimely passing of Shloimy Kohn, Chaim Simcha Grossman, Yaakov Kilberg, and Ahron Nosson Leibowitz, Z”L, Rabbi Sruli Fried, MSW, from Chai Lifeline, shares some thoughts on how to speak to our Bochurim. To listen to the recording, please call the conference number at 425-436-6309, access code 745879. For any specific questions, please feel free to call the Chai Lifeline Crisis number at (855) 3CRISIS. Chai Lifeline encourages anyone in need of support to contact its 24-hour crisis hotline at 855-3-CRISIS. New Jersey families can contact njcrisisis@chailifeline.org and New York families can contact crisis@chailifeline.org for additional guidance.

The Israel Defense Forces announced late Sunday that two soldiers were killed during clashes in southern Gaza.

Major Yaniv Kula, 26, of Modi’in-Maccabim-Reut, who served as a company commander in the 932nd Battalion of the Nahal Brigade, was killed in action in the southern Gaza Strip.

Also falling in the same encounter was Staff Sergeant Itay Yavetz, 21, from the same city. He served as a combat soldier in the Erez Leadership Program, also within the 932nd Battalion of the Nahal Brigade.

During the same confrontation in which Major Kula and Staff Sergeant Yavetz lost their lives, a reservist from the Combat Engineering Heavy Equipment Unit (TZAMA) of the Gaza Brigade sustained critical injuries.

The wounded soldier was transported to a hospital for emergency medical care. The IDF stated that his family has been informed of his condition.

According to preliminary findings, the incident began when terrorists emerged from a tunnel shaft in Rafah at approximately 10:30 a.m. and launched an anti-tank missile at an IDF engineering vehicle.

Moments later, terrorist snipers opened fire at a second engineering vehicle. Within minutes, additional sniper fire targeted IDF personnel operating nearby.

In response to the attack, Israeli forces launched strikes against the area, aiming to neutralize the threat and destroy the tunnel shafts and other terrorist infrastructure. The IDF emphasized that, “These terrorist actions constitute a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement, and the IDF will respond firmly.”

{Matzav.com}