The IDF developed and briefly deployed a classified capability aimed at securing the release of hostages during the war, with plans to transfer those rescued to a concealed location inside Israel, but the effort ultimately failed and the method was abandoned, according to a report aired on Channel 12 News.
During the course of the fighting, the military activated a sensitive and previously undisclosed tool that enabled forces to draw terrorists out from tunnels in Gaza. Defense officials hoped the tactic would create an opportunity to extract hostages safely and move them to a secure, undisclosed site within Israel.
The broader plan envisioned holding the rescued captives at that secret location for several days. During that window, Israel intended to launch an additional operation to free other hostages still being held.
However, the initial mission did not succeed in securing the hostages through this approach. Following the failed attempt, Israel discontinued use of the method and did not return to it for the remainder of the war, the report said.
{Matzav.com}Bnei Brak experienced another difficult evening on Monday, as groups of fringe youths engaged in prolonged confrontations with police along Rechov Ezra, igniting fires, attacking motorists, and causing significant traffic disruptions throughout the city. The incidents have raised serious concern among residents, particularly given the impact on the city’s Torah atmosphere and the welfare of its youth.
What began in the early afternoon as a protest near the Vizhnitzer center quickly spiraled beyond control. As the hours passed, additional marginal elements joined the scene, and the demonstration turned into an extended public disturbance. Garbage bins were set ablaze, major roads were blocked, and confrontations with police continued well into the evening.
Large police forces were dispatched to the area multiple times in an effort to restore order and disperse the crowds. According to law enforcement officials, officers used crowd-control measures, including batons, after police personnel and passing drivers were reportedly attacked and a tangible threat to public safety emerged.
As reported earlier, Bnei Brak Mayor Chanoch Zeibert responded sharply to the unrest, expressing deep pain over the events. “In recent hours in the city, there have been uncontrolled and unsupervised demonstrations and protests, which are an educational disaster for our children’s souls. These demonstrations originate with a handful of fringe individuals who are dragging young people into actions whose consequences no one can foresee.”
The mayor urged parents to act decisively to protect their families. “I ask every parent to take responsibility for himself and his family and ensure that no one from their immediate family is present in these areas that are dangerous from an educational standpoint. At the same time, the police are operating on the scene to prevent the continuation of these irresponsible events in our city.”
Although authorities say there is no direct link, the disturbances come just one day after serious clashes broke out on Chagai Street following the harassment of two IDF servicewomen. Those incidents also continued for hours, resulted in numerous arrests, and required a significant police presence in several parts of the city.
Many residents voiced sorrow that such scenes are unfolding in a city identified with Torah and spiritual growth, and community leaders once again called on parents and educators to safeguard both the physical safety and spiritual wellbeing of the city’s precious youth.
{Matzav.com}Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who leads the Religious Zionism party, said this week that he would counsel his own daughter against serving in the Israel Defense Forces, citing the stance of leading rabbinic authorities and long-standing religious principles.
Speaking during his party’s faction meeting in the Knesset, Smotrich was asked directly by a reporter how he would respond if his daughter expressed interest in enlisting. He replied, “If my daughter asked me, I would try to educate her not to go” serve in the military.
He pointed to the guidance of senior rabbinic leadership as shaping his position. “The Chief Rabbinate is against this. This is the position of my rabbis,” says Smotrich. “I hope that you, these big progressives, can also respect the values of several thousand years…. And I of course respect those who think differently than I do.”
The question of religious women serving in the IDF remains a source of ongoing debate within the national religious community. While many young women from that sector choose to perform national service in lieu of military enlistment, it is also not uncommon for graduates of religious high schools to join the army. At the same time, a number of prominent religious Zionist rabbis have publicly opposed female enlistment, contending that army service does not align with standards of modesty and appropriateness.
Smotrich himself entered the military later in life, enlisting at age 28 and completing a shortened period of service. Over the years, he has also voiced criticism of mixed-gender combat frameworks within the IDF.
{Matzav.com}
A day after painful scenes of unrest shook the city of Bnei Brak, Mayor Chanoch Zeibert released a heartfelt message to residents, pleading with parents to ensure that their children remain at home and far from any gatherings or demonstrations that could place them in harm’s way.
In a tone reflecting deep concern for the chinuch and ruchniyus of the city’s youth, the mayor warned, “In recent hours in the city, there have been uncontrolled and unsupervised demonstrations and protests, which are an educational disaster for our children’s souls.”
Zeibert stressed that these incidents were not representative of the city’s Torahdike population, but rather the actions of a small and extreme element. According to Zeibert, “The demonstrations originate with a handful of fringe individuals who are dragging young people into actions whose consequences no one can foresee.”
He noted that law enforcement authorities are taking steps to restore calm and prevent further disturbances. At the same time, he placed clear responsibility on parents to safeguard their families, calling on them “to take responsibility and make sure that no member of their family is in these areas.”
Emphasizing that such behavior stands in stark contrast to the derech of Bnei Brak, the mayor declared, “Violence is not our way, unleashing passions goes against our values, and we can not condone moves that negate the Torah and halacha.” He continued with an emotional appeal: “Dear parents, protect your children’s lives, your treasures, with all vigilance. The place for treasures is not in the streets.”
Concluding his message, Zeibert said that his words reflect the daas of the city’s rabbonim, writing that he speaks in the name of the rabbinic leadership “who ask that we live in a tribute to the Torah and those who study it.”
{Matzav.com}
