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Senior Hamas Terrorist Released In Hostage Deal To Speak At Athens University
A senior Hamas operative freed in February as part of the hostage exchange deal following the October 7 massacre is scheduled to appear as a featured speaker at Panteion University in Athens this Wednesday.
According to reports from Kan and Ynet, Abdel Nasser Issa—identified as a top Hamas figure who managed terrorist operations in Yehudah and Shomron—is expected to participate in a panel hosted by several radical organizations, including Gather for Gaza, the Anti-Imperialist Front, the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, and the Masar Badil Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement.
In a statement issued Saturday, Gather for Gaza and Samidoun praised Issa as a “Palestinian national leader, veteran of the resistance movement, and former political prisoner.”
“Join us for a public talk and discussion with Abdel Nasser Issa, a Palestinian national leader and former political prisoner now in exile, to explore the evolving role of the Palestinian diaspora and international solidarity movements in the struggle for liberation from the river to the sea,” the joint statement read.
Organizers say Issa’s address will focus on mobilizing global efforts to advance what he calls the “national liberation struggle,” highlighting how activists and university groups abroad can support the movement.
Reports from Ynet and the Real Price Project indicate that Issa was directly involved in orchestrating two suicide bombings in 1995, which killed 11 people and injured more than 100 others.
The Palestinian Information Center and Al Jazeera note that Issa was captured that same year and sentenced to two life terms, continuing to lead Hamas’s operations among prisoners from within jail. Both Kan and Ynet confirm that Issa was one of the senior operatives released and exiled under the February hostage agreement between Israel and Hamas. The university has not yet responded to inquiries about his scheduled appearance.
Last October, the United States and Canada imposed sanctions on Samidoun, designating it as a front for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a recognized terrorist organization. Several of Samidoun’s senior officials are alleged to be senior PFLP operatives, and its top leadership reportedly helped establish and continues to serve on the executive board of Masar Badil.
{Matzav.com}
Poll: 47% of Americans Doubt Finding a Good Job, 68% Say Economy Is Poor
Afula Man Arrested for Allegedly Scamming Dozens of Chassidim with Fake Tishrei Travel Tickets
Israel Police on Sunday morning arrested a 41-year-old man from Afula on suspicion of running a large-scale travel scam that left dozens of Chabad chassidim stranded as they attempted to travel to New York for the Yomim Nora’im and Tishrei Yomim Tovim.
According to the allegations, the suspect posed as a travel agent and sold what appeared to be flight tickets for trips to and from New York. However, the tickets were later discovered to be either forged or completely fictitious, leaving many travelers without valid travel arrangements.
In recent weeks, police have received numerous reports from across the country describing the same scheme. Each victim said they paid the man thousands of shekels per ticket, trusting that he would arrange their flights, only to find out at the last minute that they had been deceived.
Accounts from those affected reveal the extent of the chaos: some travelers en route to New York were stranded in Athens after learning that their connecting flights didn’t exist; others reached Ben Gurion Airport and discovered there were no reservations under their names. A few even made it to New York but were left without valid return tickets to Eretz Yisroel.
Investigators from the Northern District Police have so far identified 69 victims who collectively lost over 400,000 shekels to the scam.
Early Sunday morning, after gathering sufficient evidence, police conducted a raid on the suspect’s home in Afula. He was taken into custody for questioning and later brought before the Beis Mishpat HaShalom in Nof Hagalil, where police requested an extension of his detention as the investigation continues.
{Matzav.com}
Trump Says Ukraine May Have to Give Up Land for Peace as Kyiv Escalates Strikes Inside Russia
Incoming Shin Bet Chief Orders End to Use of ‘West Bank’ Term, Insists on ‘Judea and Samaria’
At his first meeting with Shin Bet field coordinators, incoming agency head David Zini made waves by reprimanding one of them for using the term “West Bank,” according to a report by i24News.
During the briefing, one of the coordinators referred to certain operational measures “in the West Bank.” Zini immediately interrupted and told the group that such terminology would no longer be used within the agency.
“What is this ‘West Bank’? From now on you erase that expression from your lexicon – there is only Judea and Samaria,” he said.
Attendees later told reporters that Zini’s comments carried a clear message: “Do not expect me to continue the line of my predecessors.”
Earlier in the day, Zini met with President Isaac Herzog. After their meeting, Zini reflected on the encounter, saying: “I explained to the lads the symbol we stand before here, and I explained to them what statesmanship is that the Presidency symbolizes and maintains in its apolitical role that is greater than all divisions – by virtue of what we rediscovered here 2,000 years ago – we returned only by virtue of unity, by virtue of our deep roots and our great future. We will act with statesmanship, loyal to this people, to this state, to its values, to all its shades and sides with full loyalty and great unity, and out of great comradeship for the security of the state and its citizens.”
He added, “We came here to receive your blessing and on this occasion to tell you that we will act to do everything and be faithful emissaries to this people with all our strength, as we have done up to now. My whole prayer is that the year and its curses end and a year of blessings begin, that you have a happy holiday, to the whole State of Israel – to our wounded, to our captives who will return safely, and to all the families of the fallen, comfort and consolation – and with God’s help may we have a complete victory and the return of peace to our home in all its aspects and shades.”
{Matzav.com}
President Trump Warns: Israel Could “Do It for Them” if Hamas Fails to Disarm Under Terms of Ceasefire
Caving To US Pressure: Israel To Reinstate Aid To Gaza
Israel announced on Sunday evening that humanitarian deliveries to Gaza would soon resume, reversing an earlier decision to halt the shipments after Hamas violated the ongoing ceasefire agreement.
Earlier that day, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu had ordered the IDF to suspend all aid transfers following Hamas’s assault on Israeli troops stationed in Rafah.
A diplomatic official confirmed that the convoys would shortly begin moving again, explaining, “Because of the massive attacks and the dozens of dead on Hamas’ side, Israel stopped the trucks’ travel today; it will renew at the conclusion of the attacks.”
The official further noted that “Rafah Crossing will open only when we see that Hamas is continuing to return the deceased hostages at a reasonable pace.”
Earlier on Sunday, Axios reporter Barak Ravid revealed that the Trump Administration had cautioned Israel against resuming large-scale military operations in response to the ceasefire breach, including the morning’s assault on IDF forces in Rafah.
According to Ravid’s report, U.S. officials advised their Israeli counterparts that the main strategic goal should be “isolating” Hamas and rapidly establishing a viable alternative to its rule in Gaza.
{Matzav.com}
Nechama Is Only One Year Old and Already Battling Liver Cancer
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ZOA: Hamas’s Latest Ceasefire Violations Present Test of Trump’s Credibility
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}
Iran Executes Man Convicted Of Spying For Mossad
WATCH LIVE: Chasidim Hold Massive Demonstration Protesting Chareidi Draft Outside Israeli Consultate in Manhattan
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Report: US Warns Israel Not To Resume War After Hamas Attack
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 Expand Student Loan Forgiveness Under IDR Programs
WATCH: Levayos of Shlomo Abba Kohn z”l and Chaim Simcha Grossman z”l
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.
Freed Hostage Matan Angrest Reveals: “I Davened Three Times a Day and Read the Torah Twenty Times”
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}
Customers Sue Over ‘Embarrassing’ Squeaky On Cloud Shoes
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}
