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Israeli hostages’ families called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to secure the successful execution of a US-brokered deal after Hamas agreed to release hostages.

U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut, a 2018 Trump appointee, has issued a temporary restraining order preventing the Trump administration from federalizing and deploying the Oregon National Guard to Portland until at least October 18, 2025.

U.K. police on Saturday were questioning six people arrested on suspicion of terror offenses after an attack on a shul in northwest England on Yom Kippur that left two people dead and Britain’s Jewish community shocked and grieving. Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, was shot dead by police on Thursday outside the Heaton Park Congregation Synagogue in Manchester after he rammed a car into pedestrians, attacked them with a knife and tried to force his way into the building. Melvin Cravitz, 66, and Adrian Daulby, 53, were killed in the attack on Yom Kippur. Police say Daulby was accidentally shot by an armed officer as he and others barricaded the shul to block Al-Shamie from entering. Three other men are hospitalized with serious injuries. Detectives say Al-Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian origin who lived in Manchester, may have been influenced by “extreme Islamist ideology.” He wore what appeared to be an explosives belt, which was found to be fake. Police said that Al-Shamie was on bail over an alleged assault on a woman at the time of the attack, but hadn’t been charged. Three men and three women were arrested in the greater Manchester area on suspicion of the “commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism,” as police work to determine whether the attacker acted alone. A court on Saturday granted police five more days to hold four of the suspects: men ages 30 and 32, and women ages 46 and 61. An 18-year-old woman and a 43-year-old man are also being questioned. Police haven’t identified those arrested or disclosed their links to Al-Shamie. Antisemitic incidents on the rise The attack has devastated Britain’s Jewish community and intensified debate about the line between criticism of Israel and antisemitism. Recorded antisemitic incidents in the U.K. have risen sharply since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and Israel’s ensuing campaign against Hamas in Gaza, according to Community Security Trust, a charity that provides advice and protection for British Jews. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations, which have been held regularly since the war in Gaza began, have played a role in spreading hatred of Jews. Some also say that the U.K.’s recognition of a Palestinian state last month has emboldened antisemitism — a claim that the government rejects. Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy was interrupted by boos and shouts of “Shame on you” on Friday as he addressed a vigil for victims of the attack in Manchester. Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, the head of Orthodox Judaism in Britain, said that the attack was the result of “an unrelenting wave of Jew hatred” on the streets and online. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators were held in Manchester and London on Saturday despite objections from police and politicians. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that organizers should “recognize and respect the grief of British Jews this week” and postpone the protests. About 100 people gathered in a central Manchester square in heavy rain, waving Palestinian flags and demanding an end to the war in Gaza. In London, organizers said that about 1,000 people demonstrated against the banning of Palestine Action, a direct-action group that has vandalized British military planes and targeted sites with links to the Israeli military. It has been labeled a terrorist organization by the government, making support for the group illegal. Police officers carried away a number […]

Mike Huckabee urges Hamas to release hostages and heed Trump’s warnings, calls for immediate ceasefire.

President Donald Trump on Saturday night spotlighted a massive rally in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, using it to amplify his call for Israel and Hamas to implement the U.S.-brokered deal to end the Gaza war and bring home all remaining Israeli captives. Posting a photo of the rally from above, Trump wrote that it was time for “the government to close the deal,” underscoring what he described as “the overwhelming desire of the Israeli people for peace through strength.” The image showed a sea of demonstrators beneath a banner that read “It’s now or never” — a slogan that has become the rallying cry of families demanding the return of hostages held in Gaza. The post marked Trump’s latest effort to publicly pressure both sides to accept the 21-point framework he unveiled at the White House last week. The plan, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already endorsed, outlines a phased ceasefire tied to the staged release of hostages, humanitarian aid corridors, and an international mechanism for Gaza’s reconstruction and demilitarization. Trump has said that once implemented, the agreement would “end the war, bring every hostage home, and ensure that Hamas never again threatens the State of Israel.” While Hamas leadership has so far resisted the proposal, sources familiar with negotiations say internal divisions within the group are widening as public demonstrations in Israel intensify. Trump’s post appeared designed to highlight that growing pressure, both moral and political, from Israeli citizens demanding an end to the war. The Tel Aviv protest — one of the largest since the start of the war — drew thousands of Israelis, including hostage families, reservists, and civil society leaders. Trump first took note of the Hostages Square movement during his Sept. 29 announcement of the Gaza peace proposal, praising the demonstrators as “a voice of courage and unity.” His renewed focus on the rallies reflects a deliberate effort to connect American diplomacy with Israeli public sentiment, signaling that the White House sees the movement as a key factor in shaping the conflict’s endgame. U.S. officials say Hamas has been presented with the terms of the Trump plan through mediators in Qatar and Egypt. While the group has yet to formally respond, intelligence assessments indicate that senior figures are weighing their options amid widespread fatigue in Gaza. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

The Trump administration plans to federalize 300 members of the Illinois National Guard, Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker said Saturday, after the Pentagon informed the troops they would be called up. Pritzker did not specify when or where they would be deployed, though Trump has previously threatened to send forces to Chicago.

President Trump posts a photo from the rally earlier tonight at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv urging the government to close the deal he proposed for ending the Gaza war and returning all the hostages. The photo shows the crowd from above, holding a banner that reads: “It’s now or never.”

In Gaza, Ashraf Al-Mansi’s “People’s Army Northern Forces” militia held a military parade in the northern part of the Strip today. The group is engaged in fighting against Hamas.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in a tense two-hour session aimed at keeping Israel’s governing coalition intact amid mounting far-right backlash to President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace deal. According to Walla News, the meeting — described by one participant as “somber but direct” — followed Ben Gvir’s threat earlier in the evening that his Otzma Yehudit party would leave the government if Hamas “continues to exist” after the hostages are returned. Smotrich, the hardline finance minister who joined part of the meeting, had accused Netanyahu earlier in the day of making a “serious mistake” by halting offensive military operations in Gaza at Trump’s request. Both men have publicly opposed every previous ceasefire-for-hostages proposal, arguing that any end to the war short of Hamas’s destruction amounts to surrender. But despite their rhetoric, neither has pulled out of the coalition — at least not yet. Ben Gvir and Smotrich, who lead two of the most ideologically rigid factions in Netanyahu’s bloc, have long pushed for annexing Gaza and resettling it with Israelis — a policy Trump’s 21-point peace framework explicitly rules out. The plan, unveiled at the White House last week and now endorsed by Netanyahu, would secure the release of all Israeli hostages and establish an internationally monitored transitional authority in Gaza, with strict demilitarization guarantees. The two ministers’ threats have thrown Netanyahu into one of the most precarious moments of his political career, forcing him to balance Israel’s domestic divisions with an agreement backed by Washington, the Israeli security establishment, and a broad swath of public opinion. Opposition leaders signaled over the weekend that they will back the Trump deal even if parts of Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition collapse. “There will be a Knesset majority for this,” one opposition lawmaker said. “No one will stand in the way of bringing our people home.” Despite the public saber-rattling, Haaretz reported that Netanyahu has maintained near-daily communication with Ben Gvir and Smotrich in recent days, updating them and keeping them closely informed of negotiations. That suggests the prime minister is trying to prevent a full-blown coalition rupture — or at least delay one until after the hostages are freed. Sources close to Netanyahu told Haaretz the prime minister’s priority is clear: securing the hostages’ release, even if it risks toppling his government. “He would rather see the hostages come home and face new elections than preserve his coalition at their expense,” one aide said — though similar statements from Netanyahu in the past have been met with skepticism. The political tension underscores the strain inside Israel’s wartime cabinet as the Trump deal moves closer to implementation. While Netanyahu has framed his decision as a moral imperative and a strategic necessity, Ben Gvir and Smotrich see it as capitulation to Hamas and a betrayal of Israel’s long-term deterrence. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Kan News reports that Israel has told Washington it plans to maintain a long-term military presence in parts of Gaza even after a wider withdrawal. Officials said the IDF will continue controlling key strategic areas, including a security buffer along Gaza’s perimeter and full control of the Philadelphi Corridor on the Egyptian border.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced that ceasefire talks for Gaza will begin in Egypt on Monday.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said there is now an opportunity to end the fighting, ensure the return of hostages, and deliver humanitarian aid to those in urgent need, urging all parties to implement the agreement without delay.

The Qatari Al Araby channel broadcast footage of senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya, one of the top officials targeted by Israel in an airstrike in Doha on September 9. While the strike resulted in the deaths of several lower-ranking Hamas members and a Qatari guard, the Israeli goal of eliminating senior officials was not achieved.

The Levayah of Mr Melvin Cravitz HY”D victim of the terrorist attack in Manchester, will take place tomorrow morning at 11:30am.

Egypt has deployed dozens of bulldozers and other construction equipment into Gaza to expand and build additional camps for displaced Palestinians.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem denounced Trump’s Gaza plan as “full of dangers,” calling it an Israeli scheme disguised as an American proposal. In a televised speech, he said the plan was revised after Arab objections to serve Israel’s goal of seizing control of Gaza diplomatically after failing militarily. “Israel will take the hostages right from the start, stripping Hamas of its bargaining chips—so what was the point of the war?” Qassem said.

Senior Hamas figure Moussa Abu Marzouk told Al Jazeera that the group had agreed in principle to the central elements of Washington’s initiative for halting the Gaza conflict, though he emphasized that the plan’s “implementation requires negotiation.”

He singled out the part of the proposal that called for freeing all hostages within three days, arguing that such a timeline was “unrealistic under the current circumstances.”

Previously, the organization had informed Arab go-betweens that it did not know the whereabouts of some of the bodies of dead captives, and that returning them all to Israel could take time.

It was not certain whether the United States wanted to continue discussions or whether it expected Hamas to simply accept the deal without changes.

Several provisions of the 20-clause proposal were vague enough that further negotiations would likely have been necessary. One such passage said Israeli troops “will withdraw to the agreed-upon line” once the plan was accepted, but did not spell out what that boundary was or if it still needed to be determined.

The language may have been pointing to a map that depicted a staged withdrawal of Israeli forces, but the diagram did not appear to be drawn with precise measurements.

Marzouk noted that the section describing an international peacekeeping mission to replace the IDF in Gaza “requires clarification.”

He also told Al Jazeera that Hamas would not give up its arsenal before the Israeli “occupation” ended, insisting that any decisions about Gaza’s future should be handled by a broad Palestinian national framework in which Hamas would participate.

According to Marzouk, there also needed to be another round of negotiations on the issue of the group’s weapons.

However, the American plan did not seem to leave the matter open for bargaining, declaring that all arms must be destroyed and that Gaza had to be fully demilitarized.

“We will hand over [our] weapons to the future Palestinian state, and whoever governs Gaza will have [our] weapons in his hand,” Marzouk said.

Even with his objections, Marzouk maintained that Hamas had engaged with the U.S. proposal in an open and responsible manner.

{Matzav.com}

Reports in the UK said Friday that the terrorist who stormed a Manchester shul on Yom Kippur had been released on bail after being accused of assault, as old social media posts surfaced showing his father praising the Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023, even while publicly condemning his son’s actions.

For the first time, the attack was openly tied to the war in Gaza when an eyewitness told ITV News that the assailant, Jihad al-Shamie, yelled “this is what they get for killing our children” while trying to force his way into the Heaton Park Congregation during Yom Kippur tefillos.

The news broke as a vigil was held near the shul, where Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister David Lammy faced shouts from attendees who demanded that the government shut down pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel demonstrations.

Local mispallelim Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, were killed, and three more were gravely injured in the attack that struck on the holiest day of the year.

Shamie, a 35-year-old Syrian-born British citizen, was shot dead as he attempted to break into the building. Daulby was mistakenly killed by police gunfire as he tried to help block the entrance, authorities said, later praising his bravery.

UK media reported that Shamie had been under investigation for an assault earlier this year and had been free on bail when he carried out the rampage.

Sources quoted by The Guardian said Shamie had prior minor convictions not tied to terrorism. Another official noted that he was “on nobody’s radar for terrorism but he definitely had a criminal record.”

Investigators were also looking into whether Shamie was connected to a death threat emailed in 2012 to then-MP John Howell. The Guardian reported that Howell received a message signed “Jihad Alshamie” reading, “It is people like you who deserve to die.” Howell said he believed the threat was tied to his outspoken support for Israel.

In a statement, Shamie’s family denounced the attack in strong terms, describing it as a “heinous” act that left them in “profound shock.”

“The news from Manchester regarding the terrorist attack targeting a Jewish synagogue has been a profound shock to us,” wrote his father, Faraj al-Shamie, on Facebook. “The Al-Shamie family in the UK and abroad strongly condemns this heinous act, which targeted peaceful, innocent civilians.

“We fully distance ourselves from this attack and express our deep shock and sorrow over what has happened. Our hearts and thoughts are with the victims and their families, and we pray for their strength and comfort,” he added. “May God have mercy on the innocent victims, and we pray for the swift recovery of the injured.”

Yet only hours later, The Times uncovered old Facebook posts by Faraj al-Shamie that called for Israel’s downfall and praised Hamas’s invasion of Israel on October 7. That attack triggered the war in Gaza and was followed by a surge in antisemitic incidents across the globe.

On the day of the Hamas assault, Shamie had written that the terrorists were “God’s men on earth” and that they “prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Israel will not remain.”

In another post several days later, he urged Hamas to “release the elderly and children. What you have done so far is a miracle by all standards. Do not harm them in a moment of anger. They have no place in war.”

“May God grant you victory, support you, and guide you to the right path in a battle that history will record as the beginning of the liberation of Al-Aqsa, God willing,” he added.

Though critical of Iran’s government, Shamie nonetheless applauded Tehran’s missile barrage against Israel during a 12-day conflict this past June, writing with video clips of the destruction, “We are waiting for more,” and “your goods are being returned to you.”

The Times further reported that Shamie had previously worked as a trauma surgeon in conflict zones, including in South Sudan during its civil war.

Greater Manchester Police publicly recognized Daulby’s courage, saying he died while keeping the attacker from breaking through the shul’s entrance.

Initially, police had only acknowledged that a worshipper was killed by friendly fire, but later statements identified Daulby by name.

“Adrian was one of the brave worshippers attending the synagogue at the time of the incident and prevented the attacker from gaining access to the premises,” police said. “It is currently believed that Adrian’s injury may sadly have been sustained as a tragic and unforeseen consequence of the urgently required action taken by our officers to bring a vicious attack to an end.”

His family later said he “was a hero and tragically lost his life in the act of courage to save others.”

“He was a beloved brother, loving uncle to his four nieces and one nephew and a cherished cousin. The family is shocked by the tragic, sudden death of such a lovely down to earth man.

“His final act was one of profound courage and he will forever be remembered for his heroic act,” their statement read.

Alan Levy, who heads the Heaton Park Congregation’s board of trustees, told ITV News that he and Daulby were among those who held the doors shut to keep the attacker out.

Levy said he heard the terrorist shout, “This is what they get for killing our children” while attempting to break down the entrance.

Shamie was armed with “a big knife, banging his knife into the glass, trying to get through” the door, Levy recalled.

“Our children aren’t safe in schools; we have to have guards. Our people are not safe at the synagogue going to pray on the holiest day of our year,” he said. “We’ve been overwhelmed by the local community, Jewish and non-Jewish, who’ve offered help and support to us in this time.”

Levy added that after the attack, “We carried on our service at the police station when we went to give our statements.”

“We will be carrying on our services at another venue, and we’re going to carry on,” he said. “We’re going to be strong, and we’re not going to let this defeat us in any way.”

Rabbi Daniel Walker, the rov of the shul who also helped block the entrance, described the scene to ITV: “Half an hour into the prayers, I heard an almighty bang from outside, shouting. Someone was trying to get in with a knife.”

“When he tried to get inside the synagogue, there was a large number of us trying to hold him off,” Rabbi Walker said.

The rov explained that Shamie shouted threats as he fought to get inside, where the tzibbur was gathered for Yom Kippur tefillos.

The attempt was unsuccessful thanks to “the very, very brave men, security guard and volunteer [who] stopped him and blocked him literally with their bodies and are still in hospital,” Rabbi Walker said.

{Matzav.com}

Hamas announced on Friday that it is prepared to release all hostages and re-engage in talks, framing the move as part of a broader effort to secure a lasting ceasefire.

The organization stated that it would hand over all captives, both alive and deceased, “according to the exchange formula outlined in President Trump’s proposal, provided that field conditions necessary for the exchange are secured.”

Earlier in the day, Hamas delivered its official reply to U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan designed to bring the Gaza conflict to an end.

As part of its reply, Hamas also confirmed its willingness to allow control of Gaza to be transferred to a Palestinian governing entity formed by independent, unaffiliated figures, “based on Palestinian national consensus and with Arab and Islamic support.”

Hamas Response: Summary:

• We appreciate President Trump’s efforts to bring an end to the war

• We agree to release all the hostages in order to achieve a permanent ceasefire

• We are ready to enter immediately into negotiations to discuss the details

• We agree to hand over administration of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian body of independent/unaffiliated figures

Full Response by Hamas:
“After a comprehensive study, the movement made its decision and submitted the following response to the mediators:

“Hamas, appreciates the Arab, Islamic, and international efforts, as well as the efforts of US President Donald Trump, calling for an end to the war on the Gaza Strip, an exchange of prisoners, the immediate entry of aid, the rejection of the occupation of the Strip, and the rejection of the displacement of our Palestinian people from it.

“Within this framework, and in a manner that achieves an end to the war and a complete withdrawal from the Strip, the movement announces its agreement to release all living and dead prisoners of the occupation, according to the exchange formula included in President Trump’s proposal, and with the provision of field conditions for the exchange process.

“In this context, the movement affirms its readiness to immediately enter into negotiations through the mediators to discuss the details of this. The movement also renews its agreement to hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian body of independents (technocrats), based on Palestinian national consensus and based on Arab and Islamic support.

“The other issues mentioned in President Trump’s proposal related to the future of the Gaza Strip and the inherent rights of the Palestinian people are linked to a comprehensive national position and based on relevant international laws and resolutions, and are discussed within a comprehensive Palestinian national framework, of which Hamas will be a part.”

{Matzav.com}

On the third day of the federal shutdown, House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana and Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota told reporters they saw little chance of Democrats moving quickly to reopen the government.

“There is united support, with House Republicans, Senate Republicans, a few Senate Democrats, [President Donald Trump], for keeping or opening the government back up, and right now, it’s being blocked by the Senate Democrats,” Thune said at the press conference.

“There’s nothing to be gained at this point by negotiating something,” he continued. “There’s nothing to negotiate. This is a straightforward, simple solution to keep the government open.”

Both Republican leaders laid the blame squarely on Democrats, saying the minority in the Senate—led by Chuck Schumer of New York—was obstructing a straightforward spending bill in order to push a political agenda.

Johnson argued that the Democratic measure would undo Republican Medicaid changes from 2021 that struck ineligible recipients, including around 1.4 million illegal immigrants, from the rolls.

“They want to give those resources back to illegal aliens,” Johnson said. “That’s exactly what that highlighted language means … it’s $192.8 billion of your hard-earned taxpayer dollars that Chuck Schumer and the Democrats want to give back to illegal aliens. That’s a fact, and nobody can refute it.”

He pointed out that in September the House already approved a 24-page continuing resolution to fund the government temporarily while further negotiations took place.

“We did the commonsense thing, the right thing, the just thing,” Johnson said. “President Donald Trump signed that into law, … Suddenly, Democrats won’t do it. So everybody has to ask themselves why.”

Johnson also accused Schumer of playing politics, suggesting his actions were designed to shield himself from pressure on his left flank in New York.

“They’re playing political games,” Johnson said. “We’re operating in good faith, and we’re trying to get the Democrats to do their job, and they won’t.”

Thune noted that the shutdown gave Trump’s administration the power to set spending priorities—an authority Democrats had resisted in the past. “We think the federal government is too big. It does too many things, and it does almost nothing well,” he remarked.

Both Johnson and Thune called on Democrats to allow the government to reopen without further delay.

“Please open the government, so we can do that work. … They’ve stopped our ability to do that with these political antics, and we hope it ends,” Johnson said.

{Matzav.com}