US President Donald Trump suggested on Sunday that the Hamas leadership was not involved in a deadly attack against IDF troops in the southern Gaza Strip, blaming it instead on “some rebels within.”
The Israel Defense Forces directly blamed Hamas for the attack, but Trump’s comment appeared to echo the assertion by the terror group that the incident occurred in an area under Israeli control, where they claim to have had no contact with their operatives for months.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/senators-look-block-trump-from-engaging-hostilities-venezuela
Resolution comes after president authorized CIA operations and considered land strikes following drug cartel attacks
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5562496-rand-paul-criticizes-trump-caribbean-strikes/
“Killing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military,” Vance wrote in an early September post on the social platform X, referencing a U.S. military strike on a boat in the Caribbean Sea that the Trump administration said killed 11 Venezuelan drug traffickers.
In response to the vice president’s post, Paul wrote in a post of his own later that day, “JD ‘I don’t give a s—‘ Vance says killing people he accuses of a crime is the ‘highest and best use of the military.'”
“Did he ever read To Kill a Mockingbird? Did he ever wonder what might happen if the accused were immediately executed without trial or representation?” the Kentucky senator added. “What a despicable and thoughtless sentiment it is to glorify killing someone without a trial.”
Even as this immediate crisis eases, we must look ahead to the fragile days of the ceasefire and keep our eyes wide open. We cannot forget that the chaperones of this agreement, particularly Qatar and Turkey, do not have Israel's best interests at heart.
None of us are surprised by Hamas's actions and with the players overseeing this ceasefire, it would be a miracle if it does not completely collapse. We are only in the first phase of Trump's 20-point plan, and few believe there will ever be an actual phase two. There is still a massive question mark on what the future of Gaza (and Hamas's role in it) will look like. For now, Israelis are focused on the relief of having our living hostages returned, which marks the end of the darkest chapter in our history, and the public wants to focus on a nation beginning to heal. Yet even as this immediate crisis eases, we must look ahead to the fragile days of the ceasefire and keep our eyes wide open. We cannot forget that the chaperones of this agreement, particularly Qatar and Turkey, do not have Israel's best interests at heart.
https://time.com/7326794/ice-protests-chicago-marimar-martinez/
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is facing questions from lawmakers over the shooting of a U.S. citizen by Border Patrol agents in Chicago after a criminal complaint filed against the victim differed from the agency's initial description of events.
Just hours after Martinez was shot, the DHS released a statement from Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin that said that federal agents were “rammed by vehicles and boxed in by 10 cars.” The statement also alleged that one of the people who “boxed” in the agents, who it later identified as Martinez, was armed with a “semi-automatic weapon.” After the collision of cars, agents exited the vehicle and fired five times at Martinez—shots that McLaughlin said were “defensive” shots.
Murphy noted, however, that the criminal complaint filed against Martinez the next day tells a different story. The complaint, written by FBI Special Agent Caitlin Malone, said that only two cars rammed federal agent vehicles, rather than the overwhelming 10. There is no mention of her brandishing a weapon, as the original DHS statement implied, nor any firearms at all on Martinez.
Donald Trump has made no secret of the fact that he‘s threatening the idea of a third term, but he‘s now hinted that he might have something even more permanent in mind.
The president posted about his eternal leadership in a video on Truth Social Sunday, showing him ruling for thousands of years beyond the original 2028 cutoff.
The bizarre reposted clip came just hours after the president shared an AI video of himself dumping feces on ‘No Kings’ protesters, and seems to have been very well received by many of his MAGA devotees.
The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog revealed last week that the body believes that most of Iran’s supply of enriched uranium survived the country’s 12-day war with Israel back in June, and is still being kept inside the damaged nuclear facilities.
Rafael Grossi, the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told the Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung in an interview published on October 18 that the UN body’s findings suggest that “the majority” of Iran’s 60% enriched uranium “remains in the nuclear facilities in Isfahan and Fordo, and some in Natanz.”
He estimated that, in total, Iran has roughly 400 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium still in its possession.
https://www.ynetnews.com/opinions-analysis/article/hkx3thzrxg
So why did Netanyahu agree to everything he opposed? Why did he sign an agreement that includes, in Clause 19, recognition of the Palestinians’ right to self-determination and statehood? Because contrary to all the delusional statements, the American administration did not give Netanyahu a “free hand” to do as he pleased. On the contrary. They stopped him. They imposed their will. They turned Israel into a banana republic.
Hamas is not trying to hide its weapons or its determination to violently eliminate any opposition in Gaza. It has carried out public executions, and its operatives have put uniforms back on, riding around Gaza in pickup trucks brandishing rifles.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-870957
The IDF began “a series of strikes” against Hamas targets in southern Gaza in response to the terror group violating the ceasefire agreement on Sunday, the military announced.
The military condemned Hamas’s “blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement,” which occurred when the terror group fired an anti-tank missile and opened fire on Israeli soldiers.
https://www.jpost.com/environment-and-climate-change/article-870841
Lake Kinneret's (the Sea of Galilee) water level was measured at 213.19 meters below sea level on Wednesday, one of its lowest points in years.
Such a low level in mid-October is not unusual; in nine of the past 25 years, the Kinneret’s level on this date was even lower.
A few weeks ago, Fares Talhami, director of the Kinneret and Northern Water Sources Conservation Division at the Water Authority, told Walla that “indeed, in previous drought periods there were lower levels compared to this year, but what is exceptional this year is the intensity of the drought we experienced. We went through a winter with only 40% of the average rainfall in the North, so the Kinneret’s level rose last winter by just 15 centimeters.”
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/10/18/middleeast/hamas-gaza-israeli-hostage-latam-intl
The truce in Gaza appears to be largely holding as it entered its second week, but has come under pressure from the delayed return of the remaining hostage bodies from Gaza, the initially slow entry of aid into the enclave, and Israel’s continued deadly strikes.
The US State Department said Saturday that “credible reports” indicate that Hamas is planning an “imminent ceasefire violation” against Palestinians in Gaza.
https://edition.cnn.com/politics/live-news/no-kings-protests-trump-news-10-18-25
• Nationwide protest: Huge crowds marched in major cities and smaller gatherings were held across the country for “No Kings” protests against President Donald Trump’s administration. Organizers said there were nearly 7 million people at than 2,700 events in all 50 states, which police said were mostly peaceful, with many large cities reporting no protest-related incidents or arrests.
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bk684hwalg#autoplay
Nearly a month has passed since a group of countries, led by France, recognized a Palestinian state during a session of the UN General Assembly. Even before the recognition, Israeli officials held extensive discussions about how to respond to the diplomatic wave, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised ahead of his recent trip to the United States: “The response to the latest attempt to force upon us a terror state in the heart of our land will be given after my return from the United States. Stand by.”
Hamas intends to maintain security control in Gaza during an interim period, a senior Hamas official told Reuters, adding he could not commit to the terrorist group disarming — positions that reflect the difficulties facing US plans to secure an end to the war.
Hamas politburo member Mohammed Nazzal also said the terror organization was ready for a ceasefire of up to five years to rebuild devastated Gaza, with guarantees for what happens afterwards depending on Palestinians being given “horizons and hope” for statehood.
Speaking to Reuters in an interview from Doha, where Hamas leaders have long resided, Nazzal defended the terror group’s crackdown in Gaza, where it carried out summary public executions on Monday. There were always “exceptional measures” during war and those executed were criminals guilty of killing, he claimed.
US President Donald Trump felt the “Israelis were getting a little bit out of control” after Israel’s botched September 9 strike on Hamas’s leadership in Doha, his son-in-law and top adviser Jared Kushner said in comments broadcast Friday.
The comment came during a joint interview with US special envoy Steve Witkoff on CBS’s 60 Minutes. The interview with the two architects of the Gaza ceasefire-hostage deal will air in full on Sunday.
“I think both Jared and I felt, I just feel we felt a little bit betrayed,” said Witkoff of Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders gathered in the capital of Qatar, a key mediator in the ceasefire negotiations.
https://www.newsweek.com/maga-rages-at-no-kings-protests-sponsored-by-communists-10900155
Prominent figures within President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement have reacted with anger ahead of anti-Trump "No Kings" demonstrations that are taking place across the country on Saturday, with House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, dubbing it the “Hate America rally.”
Over 3,000 demonstrations have been organized as part of "No Kings" on Saturday, which organizers say were called to show that “America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people.”
According to CNN, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy claimed the "No Kings" demonstrations were “part of Antifa,” a loose antifascist coalition that Trump recently designated as a terrorist organization. The outlet also quoted Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as claiming the demonstrations would contain the “most unhinged in the Democratic Party.”
https://www.newsweek.com/george-santos-reacts-to-prison-release-10899787
Former Representative George Santos, who was jailed for fraud, has spoken out about President Donald Trump commuting his sentence, saying “the U.S. is back.”
His conviction stemmed from a series of criminal schemes, including submitting false campaign finance documents, misusing donor identities to route funds for personal and campaign use, and providing fraudulent information to the New York State Department of Labor and the House of Representatives.
Santos was sentenced in April 2025 to 87 months in federal prison and began serving his term at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, New Jersey, in July. His release came less than three months into his sentence.
Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries posted on X: "Donald Trump has time to free serial fraudster George Santos from prison. But he can’t be bothered to address the Republican healthcare crisis crushing working class Americans. The extremists are insulting you every single day."
Netziv (Introduction to Bereishis): Bereishis was called Sefer HaYoshor (the Book of the Upright) by the prophets. The praise of Uprightness is to reinforce G‑d’s judgment in destroying the Second Temple which as a generation of tzadikim and chassidim and those devoted to learning Torah - however they were not Upright in the mundane world. Therefore, because of the baseless hatred in their hearts to each other, they suspected that whomever they saw who did not conduct himself according to their opinion in Yiras Shamayim - must be a heretic. Consequently, this led to much killing and all the evils in the world until the Temple was destroyed. Thus, there was an acknowledgement of the Uprightness of G‑d’s judgment in that He would not tolerate tzadikim like these. Rather He wanted tzadikim who were upright in the world. Because even if the non‑upright tzadikim were motivated by religious consideration - such conduct destroys the world.
Netziv (Bereishis 4:19) We have already explained regarding the wife being an Ezer Kenegdo that there are two aspects 1) To be available to fulfill all the husbands's wishes and desires even though they might be mistaken or unhelpful and thus by fully complying with his requests she is actually impeding him 2) she is controlling and opposes his harmful desires and thus she ends up helping him. Lemech picked two wives for these two goals. The first wife was Aidah who blocked his attemot to do foolish things. The second was Tzila who agreed and encourage everything he wanted. Similarly Dovid had two wives Avigail and Michal. Avigail was for this world while Michal was concerned about the next In other words Avigail kept him frim sinning
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/10/17/india/india-us-trump-russia-oil-intl-hnk
Trump on Wednesday said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “assured me today that they (India) will not be buying oil from Russia,” which is subject to US sanctions, describing it as a “big step.”
But on Thursday India’s foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters he was “not aware of any conversation” between Trump and Modi, or any assurance from the Indian leader that he would stop purchasing Russian oil.
https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/venezuela-military-movement-militia-c59ca9ef?mod=hp_lead_pos1
Venezuela is moving troops into position on the Caribbean coast and mobilizing what President Nicolás Maduro asserts is a millions-strong militia in a display of defiance against the biggest American military buildup in the Caribbean since the 1980s.
The strongman’s regime has cranked up its propaganda machine. On state television, radio and social media, announcers are telling Venezuelans that the U.S. is a rapacious Nazi-like state that wants to dig its claws into the country’s oil wealth but that the Venezuelan military, the National Bolivarian Armed Forces, are positioning to repel any invasion
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/16/trump-national-guard-chicago-ruling-00612918
A federal appeals court has extended an order blocking President Donald Trump from deploying National Guard troops in Chicago, saying the administration is unable to show that there is an organized rebellion nor that officials are otherwise unable to uphold law and order in the city.
The panel — which consisted of a Trump appointee, an Obama appointee and a George H. W. Bush appointee — also rejected the administration’s argument that federal courts have no power to review a president’s underlying determinations in deciding to federalize troops. That question of judicial authority has cropped up in several similar lawsuits challenging deployments in Democrat-run cities.
A protest does not transform into a “rebellion” just because protesters are well-organized, advocate to overhaul the structure of government or use civil disobedience, Judges Ilana Rovner, David Hamilton and Amy St. Eve wrote. Nor do isolated incidents of criminality or violence convert a protest into a rebellion or generalized lawlessness, they added.
At first, local police treated Jay Taylor’s death on Jan. 17, 2022, as a suicide. Within days, however, a recording surfaced that revealed something more sinister. Jay’s hanging had been live-streamed on Instagram while online users watched.
The case would thrust investigators into the darkest corners of the internet — forums where groups of online predators manipulate vulnerable children, extorting them to share nude photos, mutilate their bodies and, in the worst cases, kill themselves. As the case dragged on, the FBI would come to view these groups as a terrorist threat, estimating that their members have targeted thousands of children. The agency is now investigating almost 300 people suspected of preying on children and other vulnerable people, cases that involve all 55 of its field offices.
Arab and American sources have confirmed that the Sunni axis, which also includes Bahrain, has warned the White House that the Trump Gaza plan is in danger of falling apart. "As long as Hamas retains its weapons, we will not continue with the process," the message states. Communications sent to Washington argue that the leniency shown by mediators has allowed the terrorist organization to evade its obligations.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-john-bolton-indictment-f4e5aab6?mod=hp_opin_pos_1
Opposing Donald Trump is a perilous business, but working for him can be equally as dangerous. That’s one lesson from Thursday’s indictment of Mr. Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton for mishandling classified documents.
A federal grand jury in Maryland indicted Mr. Bolton on eight counts of transmitting national defense information and 10 counts of retaining such information.
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/10/17/politics/hamas-israel-gaza-mcgurk-analysis
But what about Hamas in the areas above the yellow line? Trump’s deal says that even there the group must disarm and cannot remain in power in any capacity. This week, Trump has made clear he intends to hold to that, warning on Thursday that if Hamas keeps killing people in Gaza, “We will have no choice but to go in and kill them.”
This is where the way forward becomes extremely difficult. Because Hamas is not just a terrorist group that hides out to plot attacks into Israel; it is the entrenched political and security apparatus for all of Gaza and has spent the last two decades ensuring that there can be no Palestinian challenger to its reign.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/416382
But despite what Trump is saying, that wasn’t Hamas’s response. Their answer to his demands was “yes, but … ,” not a blanket agreement.
They agreed to release all of the living hostages right away. But they said that the terms of their disarmament and surrender of power would have to be subject to later negotiations. that the hostages are back home and the posters with their faces (so often torn down or vandalized by pro-Hamas thugs) are being taken down, the American peacemakers must confront the fact that Hamas has no intention of being disarmed, let alone giving up Gaza to some sort of theoretical technocratic and international government.
https://www.newsweek.com/full-list-young-republicans-involved-in-offensive-chats-10881250
A number of Young Republicans have been implicated in a scandal over racist, antisemitic and misogynistic comments in leaked chat messages.
Politico obtained 2,900 pages of exchanges over seven months among a dozen Young Republican leaders in New York, Kansas, Arizona and Vermont. Many of these young politicians are now facing calls to step down.
Some of those involved referred to Black people as monkeys, opponents in gas chambers, and spoke of raping enemies.
And according to the wording of this story that I found, I proved in the wording that the conclusions from the original text are not against the Gries, but against a wording of a story that is not at all accurate, and the righteousness of the righteous man remains in its place.
Vayikra Rabbah (21:10) For what reason did the High Priest not enter the Holy of Holies clad in the golden garments? Because the accuser cannot act as defender. It was in order that no opportunity might be given to Satan of bringing accusations and saying: ' The other day they made for themselves a god of gold and to-day they seek to officiate in garments of gold! R. Joshua of Siknin in the name of R. Levi says: It was in order to save Israel expenses.
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/10/14/middleeast/israel-dead-hostages-release-anger-latam-intl
Under the ceasefire deal, Hamas had until 12:00 local time (4 a.m. ET) Monday to hand over all hostages to Israel – alive and deceased. Only four of the deceased – Guy Illouz, Yossi Sharabi, Bipin Joshi and Daniel Peretz – were released that evening.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-october-15-2025
Report means Rafah crossing will be open, aid won’t be curbed, after 4 more bodies handed over, 4 others set for return today * ‘All hell breaks loose’ if Hamas refuses to disarm, Netanyahu tells US media
Ramban (|Iyov introduction) The book of Job mentions Satan. It is known from tradition that he is an angel who was created to oppose and harm Man as is implied by the word Satan. Our Sages say that Satan is also the Angel of Death as well as being the Evil \Inclination and he is also actually an angel and not a natural phenomenom. .He is also the basis of the stars of destruction and blood of wars and wounds and strive, He is part of the cycle of Mars and our Sages have said he is in the portion of Esav since he is associated with the sword and war. His portion also incudes the harmful demons (mazikim) and they are also called Se’irim. Esav and his people are Se’ir . The Angel of death means he takes the soul which is the spiritual part of the person and must be done by an angel… The yetzer harah is the spiritual aspect that has desires and is similar to the mazel of fire and serves as the power to energize taking or lusting like a burning fire. In general everything G-d does in the material world is through an angel. Therefore since G-d wished to test |Iyov he authorized Satan to do it
https://www.newsweek.com/pete-hegseth-pentagon-press-access-fox-news-10878748
Fox News has joined other major media outlets in rejecting and criticizing a new Pentagon press access policy put forward by President Donald Trump's Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who previously worked as a contributor and co-host at Fox News.
In the statement shared with Newsweek by Fox News, the group of media outlets said: "Today, we join virtually every other news organization in declining to agree to the Pentagon’s new requirements, which would restrict journalists’ ability to keep the nation and the world informed of important national security issues. The policy is without precedent and threatens core journalistic protections. We will continue to cover the U.S. military as each of our organizations has done for many decades, upholding the principles of a free and independent press.”
Fellow conservative media outlets Newsmax and The Washington Times announced on Monday that they would not sign the new policy put forward by the Trump administration.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/10/13/trump-netanyahu-israel-hamas-ceasefire/
Primary credit for the ceasefire between Israel and those who still aspire to murder it goes to the Israel Defense Forces. So, credit also goes to the prime minister who wielded the IDF with a properly austere regard for the opinions of mankind, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Historians will have to acknowledge that Netanyahu, who is responsible for his nation’s safety, grasped the nettle. He acted on Napoleon’s axiom, which has various reported versions but one clear meaning: In large undertakings, avoid tentativeness.
For decades, U.S. officials belabored Israel with reasons why, in negotiations with bellicose enemies, it should “take a risk for peace.” To one official, Netanyahu, referring to a tranquil Washington suburb, replied, “You live in Chevy Chase. Don’t play with our future.”
Loved ones of deceased Israeli hostages are angered that only four of 28 remaining bodies have been returned by Hamas.
https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/bjgw5iotee
In an Instagram story, Amedi—who was wounded while serving in reserve duty during the war—wrote: “I’m glad everyone’s laughing in the Knesset, but don’t forget—you made a commitment to all the hostages. Forty-eight. We’re here to remind you and to promise that none of you will be forgiven if you don’t bring all the fallen back to the land of Israel.”
Israel on Tuesday decided not to reopen the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt the next day, as required by the ceasefire deal, accusing Hamas of failing to stand by its commitment to return the bodies of all dead hostages still held by Palestinian terrorists in the Strip.
Israel said it would also reduce the amount of aid flowing into Gaza as part of the sanctions against the terror group.
The moves followed assessments by Israeli defense officials that Hamas has not made significant efforts to return the remaining bodies of the hostages and amid rising anger among their families, with the main group representing them demanding that the ceasefire agreement’s implementation be halted until their loved ones are returned.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-faces-maga-backlash-over-20-billion-foreign-bailout
President Donald Trump faces a MAGA backlash after offering a $20 billion lifeline to Argentina, as thousands of federal workers face layoffs and soybean farmers bear the brunt of his sweetheart deal.
John Bartam, a soybean farmer from Illinois, said Trump’s $20 billion lifeline had led to Argentina lowering their export tax, which resulted in China buying seven million tonnes of soybeans from them, at the expense of the U.S.
“MAGA now means Make Argentina Great Again,” he said on Tuesday.
“It is inexplicable that President Trump is propping up a foreign government, while he shuts down our own,” said Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren.
https://www.newsweek.com/netanyahu-declines-invite-to-egypt-summit-on-israel-hamas-war-10869461
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Monday that he will not attend a summit in Egypt later today on the Israel-Hamas war due to a Jewish holiday.
Egypt’s presidency had earlier said that both Netanyahu and Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, would be at the summit in Sharm-el-Sheikh. It would have been the first time the two had met since the 2015 U.N. Climate Change Conference in Paris.
Michtav M’Eliyahu (vol 1page 34) In the Torah it is written that Chanoch walked with G-d. Our Sages say he sewed shoes and at every stitch he would have mysyical thoughts about G-d. I heard in the name of Rav Yisroel Salanter that this is not to be understood literally since it is prohibited according to halacha to be occupied in a secular matter when thinking about G-d, Rather what our Sages meant is that he concentatrated his thought while stitching that each stitch should be good and strong to make the best possible shoes and thus he imitated G-d who is good to others and he had no thoughts other than to imitate G-d..
The long-awaited return of 20 hostages still alive in Gaza was under way early Monday, after a deal to release captives held by Hamas and stop the fighting in Gaza was approved Thursday by Israel’s government.
The deal was struck amid talks that followed after Israel and Hamas tentatively accepted a 20-point peace plan announced by President Trump. Trump sent his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law Jared Kushner to Egypt to finalize negotiations. Both of them visited Gaza on Saturday as part of the postwar planning.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-october-13-2025
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has just spoken by phone with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sissi, as US President Donald Trump listens in, Channel 12 news reports. In the call, apparently brokered by Trump at the Knesset, Netanyahu accepted an invitation by the Egyptian leader to join the international summit on Trump’s Gaza peace plan in Sharm El-Sheikh today, according to the report.
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hjijmeq6gg#autoplay
After 738 days in hell, all 20 living hostages are no longer in Hamas captivity; 13 living hostages have been handed over to IDF forces and are on their way to Israeli territory; 7 freed hostages are already in an IDF base with their families
https://www.israelhayom.com/2025/10/12/saudi-warning-qatar-will-bring-hamas-back
Over the past month, several key moderate Gulf states—Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain—have found themselves sidelined. While they support Trump's initiative to end the war, they are unhappy with the major concessions made to Qatar, still their regional rival and a supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist movement that undermines Arab regimes. They are also uneasy about Washington's expanding defense agreements with Doha.
https://www.newsweek.com/phase-one-of-gaza-deal-nears-end-what-to-know-10867370
The hostages have been held since October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel and took around 250 hostages. Hamas has released 148 hostages over the past two years, eight of whom were dead, according to the Associated Press. Hamas will also return the bodies of deceased hostages, although it is not clear how quickly this will happen.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-870111
Israeli officials are prepared for the release of 48 living and deceased hostages "at any time," The Jerusalem Post learned on Saturday evening. However, the working assumption is that the releases will take place on Monday.
Trump, who has a longstanding relationship with the Qataris, issued a surprisingly sharp rebuke of the Israeli attack and would soon offer an unprecedented security guarantee to back his promise that nothing like that would happen again.
Trump extended his public olive branch in tandem with his administration’s private outreach to Qatar and other Arab countries.
In those discussions, US officials made the case that the Doha attack offered an opportunity to put new pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5550230-trump-allies-oppose-qatar-base/?tbref=hp
“There isn’t a single Trump supporter who supports allowing Qatar to have a military base on US soil,” Loomer posted to the social platform X. “I don’t know who told President Trump this was a good idea, but it has made people not want to vote.”
She also wrote that “no foreign country should have a military base on US soil. Especially Islamic countries.”
In another post about Hegseth, she admonished him as he “should know how bad of an idea it is to allow Terror financing Qataris who fund HAMAS and the Muslim Brotherhood to have an AIR FORCE BASE ON US SOIL.”
A message President Trump posted on Truth Social in September pressing Attorney General Pam Bondi to prosecute several political opponents was intended to be a direct message, reports say.
The Wall Street Journal reported multiple officials said Trump believed he had sent the message to Bondi privately. NBC also confirmed the message’s private intent with a former Trump administration official.
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-869858
"There is a part of the Right that is extraordinarily conspiratorial and sees Jews as a conspiratorial force… It is rising because social media rewards it,” Ben Shapiro said in an interview with The Jerusalem Post last week. “On X and TikTok, you often get more clicks if you push anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric.”
He argued that the dynamic is structural rather than episodic. “You get a lot more likes and clicks if you are promoting an anti-Israel, anti-Jewish agenda than if you are doing the opposite,” he said. “Virtually every conspiracy theory ends up pointing at the Jews because the narrative needs a villain, and it is easier to recycle an old one than to make an honest argument.”
In a recent interview, Shapiro made waves by saying, even as an Orthodox Jew, that one lesson from Kirk was to “go to church.” He did not back away from that line in his interview with the Post. “America is a Christian country,” he said. “The founders were either deists or Christians, drawing on a 2,000-year Christian tradition with Judaic roots. Saying otherwise is dishonest and counterproductive. People who go to church tend to engage with a biblical morality that is valuable.
In the days before his murder, Charlie Kirk was frustrated — and he wasn’t hiding it from his friends. The conservative influencer complained in a WhatsApp group that his “Jewish donors” were “playing into all the stereotypes” and said they were pushing him to “leave the pro-Israel cause.”
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/416099
Israeli intelligence locates document instructing Hamas terrorists to harm IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians, set entire towns on fire, and document their actions, The New York Times reports.
In July, Trump reportedly called Jens Stoltenberg, Norway’s finance minister and the former Nato secretary general, to ask about the Nobel prize. At the UN last month, Trump falsely claimed that he had halted seven “unendable wars”, telling world leaders: “Everyone says I should get the Nobel peace prize.”
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller sparked a controversy during a live CNN interview this week after claiming that President Donald Trump had “plenary authority”. Miller is under fire for saying Trump has "plenary authority"-the absolute power to make the decision- while discussing the deployment of National Guard troops to Oregon.
Plenary authority refers to a single government official having absolute power on a particular matter, reports The Independent. Plenary authority means complete, absolute, or full power to act on a particular matter, without needing approval or limitation from another body. In this case, it refers to when a president or governor claims full decision-making power within their constitutional limits.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgqx7ygq41o
Now the agreement has been formally approved by the Israeli cabinet, a ceasefire is meant to be in effect - though reports overnight suggest Israeli air strikes have continued in some areas.
The Israeli military will now withdraw to a line that will leave it in control of about 53% of the Strip, according to a spokesperson for the Israeli prime minister's office. A map distributed by the White House last week indicates this is the first of three stages of Israeli withdrawal.
The Israeli military said on Thursday that preparations were under way to "transition to adjusted deployment lines soon".
After this, a 72-hour countdown will begin during which Hamas must release all 20 of the hostages believed to be alive. The return of the bodies of the 28 deceased hostages would follow, although it is not clear how long that could take.
Israel would then release about 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences in Israeli jails and 1,700 detainees from Gaza, a Palestinian source told the BBC. Their identities are currently unclear, but a list submitted by Hamas before the agreement was reached included high-profile figures serving multiple life sentences for deadly attacks on Israelis.
One of the most high-profile prisoners, Marwan Barghouti, will not be released as part of the swap, according to the Israeli spokesperson.
Israel will also return the bodies of 15 Gazans for the remains of each Israeli hostage, according to Trump's plan.
Hundreds of lorries carrying humanitarian aid will also start entering Gaza, where a famine was confirmed by UN-backed experts in August.
Trump's plan specified that 600 lorry loads would be delivered each day, but Palestinian sources said there would initially be a daily minimum of 400, with the number increasing gradually after that.
A multinational force of around 200 troops overseen by the US military will monitor the Gaza ceasefire, according to a senior US official.
The force's makeup is likely to include troops from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the UAE. The official said their role would be to "oversee, observe [and] make sure there are no violations or incursions" of the ceasefire in Gaza.
A second senior US official said no US forces would be on the ground in Gaza.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/416069
The four 'aces' Hamas sought to have freed in the ceasefire agreement will not be freed, but many murderers and mass murderers, including Islamic Jihad and PFLP leaders, will be.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5547121-trump-7-wars-nobel-peace-prize
President Trump’s moment of truth as a global peacemaker will come early Friday morning when the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded.
Trump has made no secret of his desire to win the prize.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, he raised the count to eight, adding the Gaza ceasefire announced Wednesday to his list.
https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-hamas-gaza-ceasefire-agreement-10-09-25
• Plan approved: Terms of the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal are in effect after Israel’s government approved a US-brokered plan, according to two officials. But it’s unclear whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the military to stop fighting.
• US role: The US is sending 200 troops to the Middle East to monitor the plan’s implementation alongside soldiers from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the UAE, a senior official said. “No US troops are intended to go into Gaza,” another official said.
• What’s in the deal: The release of all hostages, Israeli military withdrawal to an agreed point and the release of some Palestinian prisoners. Hamas said a “formal declaration” ending the war must be made before hostages are released.
https://www.newsweek.com/maga-trump-win-nobel-peace-prize-israel-hamas-10855209
The deadline for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize nominations was January 31, just two weeks after the president’s inauguration. Foreign leaders who said they would nominate Trump for the prize said as much well after the deadline, although the committee has the option of adding further names at a meeting on February 28.
However, BBC reported that the five-person committee finalized the list of winners for this year’s prizes at a meeting on Monday, which is “without appeal.”
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-gaza-israel-hamas-steve-witkoff-jared-kushner-peace-deal-10856973
Witkoff and Kushner were instrumental in helping secure the ceasefire agreement that Trump announced Wednesday, nine days after Netanyahu’s visit to the White House.
The pair, both New York-based investors, offered key concessions to Netanyahu regarding Gaza’s postwar future in order to win his support, according to several sources with knowledge of the talks. Those concessions included watering down language about Palestinian statehood that was included in previous peace plans put forth by Arab states earlier this year, these people said.
While Trump’s comments sparked swift backlash from women and the medical community, he doubled down on his position following Kennedy’s wild claim Thursday.
“There’s a tremendous amount of proof or evidence, I would say as a non-doctor,” said the president, adding that he studied the controversial topic “a long time ago.”
“Just don’t take it. You have to tough it through sometimes. I’m addressing it as best I can as a non-doctor, but I’m a man of common sense.”
https://www.kgns.tv/2025/10/09/autism-highly-likely-linked-tylenol-circumcision-rfk-jr-says
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed Thursday in a cabinet meeting that there may be a link between circumcision and autism.
The health secretary stated that it was due to the administration of Tylenol to infants following the procedure.
“There are two studies which show children who are circumcised early have double the rate of autism, it’s highly likely, because they were given Tylenol,” Kennedy is quoted by the New York Post as telling President Donald Trump in Thursday’s meeting.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-869898
If the current Israel-Hamas deal holds and the war is in fact over, a major key to ending the war was new concessions by both sides and the sequencing of the strategic military issues in dispute.
The final sequence to end the war was completely different from both Israeli and Hamas positions at other key points, such as summer 2024 and early 2025, when the war might have ended.
Qatar, Turkey, and US President Donald Trump brought new levels of pressure to bear on both sides. A scorecard of concessions and "ties" between the sides shows that both sides are making concessions now that they did not make in prior rounds, though ultimately Israel has more of the upper hand in terms of leverage.
The man who carried out an attack at a synagogue in Manchester, in the north of England, that left two victims dead and four others injured last week “pledged allegiance” to the Islamic State in a call to law enforcement, according to counter terrorism police.
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/xkqols4do
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office responded to a publication in the American website "Politico" claiming that the PM's apology to Qatar at the White House was dictated by the Americans, and that a representative from Doha was present to supervise the conversation. "This is fake news. Prime Minister Netanyahu's remarks in his conversation with the Prime Minister of Qatar were determined by the Prime Minister in consultation with his professional team only. Regarding the Qatari official, he was present only during the conversation at the invitation of the American team, and there was no contact with the Israeli team," the office stated.
https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-hamas-gaza-war-10-08-25
• Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a US-brokered ceasefire framework that will allow for the swift release of all hostages held in Gaza, Israeli withdrawal to an agreed point and the release of some Palestinian prisoners.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/415995
In photos released from Egypt, members of the Israeli, American, and Qatari delegations can be seen hugging and shaking Hands.
The Saudi channel Al-Hadath reported later that Hamas and Israel will sign a ceasefire agreement on Thursday at 12:00 noon.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote: "With God's help we will bring them all home".
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-doj-inside-political-enemies-17f13f72?mod=hp_lead_pos9
In his second term, President Trump has taken control of the Justice Department in ways he could have only dreamed of during his first.
Then, he publicly railed against senior department officials but largely heeded the counsel of aides who urged him to trust the legal process. This term, all it took was one errant post to get what he wanted.
Israel is set to approve a ceasefire with Hamas following an announcement by US President Donald Trump that a deal had been reached during talks in Sharm el-Sheikh. According to the agreement, the release of all Israeli hostages held by Hamas is expected to begin on Saturday and conclude by Sunday.
As former U.S. surgeons general appointed by every Republican and Democratic president since George H.W. Bush, we have collectively spent decades in service as the Nation’s Doctor. We took two sacred oaths in our lifetimes: first, as physicians who swore to care for our patients and, second, as public servants who committed to protecting the health of all Americans.
Today, in keeping with those oaths, we are compelled to speak with one voice to say that the actions of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are endangering the health of the nation. Never before have we issued a joint public warning like this. But the profound, immediate and unprecedented threat that Kennedy’s policies and positions pose to the nation’s health cannot be ignored.
Rather than combating the rapid spread of health misinformation with facts and clarity, Kennedy is amplifying it. The consequences aren’t abstract. They are measured in lives lost, disease outbreaks and an erosion of public trust that will take years to rebuild.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/415905
Hamas demands the release of six senior terrorists, including Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Sa’adat, in exchange for hostages, alongside requests for aid trucks and easing Gaza movement
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-869633
Politicians slammed United Torah Judaism (UTJ) head Yitzhak Goldknopf after he appeared to liken imprisoned haredi (ultra-Orthodox) draft evaders to the hostages held in Hamas captivity in a letter penned to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/05/national-guard-oregon-california-rurling-00594606
During an unusual Sunday night telephone hearing, Immergut said the Trump administration’s maneuvers appeared to be a deliberate attempt to circumvent her initial decision.
“I am certainly troubled by now hearing that both California and Texas National Guard are being sent into Oregon, which does appear to be in direct contravention of my order,” Immergut said, describing the latest deployments as a violation of federal law and the Tenth Amendment, which protects state sovereignty.
Immergut agreed with attorneys for California and Oregon, who said the new deployments appeared to be intended to outrun the court. She repeatedly pressed Justice Department attorney Eric Hamilton about whether he believed the administration had complied with her order.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) on Sunday said that hundreds of Texas National Guard members were headed to his state and Oregon and labeled it “Trump’s Invasion.”
In recent months, Trump has sent the National Guard to multiple cities, including Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Memphis, Tenn., angering local residents and Democrats.
https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science/article/sytkc91plg#google_vignette
“We’ve seen a slightly more significant wave of COVID-19 over the past three months, and we are now in the midst of that wave,” said Professor Tal Brosh, head of infectious diseases at the Assuta Ashdod public hospital and head of the Health Ministry’s epidemic response team. He sought to reassure the public: “These are not the huge waves we saw in 2021-22 when hundreds of thousands of Israelis were infected one after another and hospital wards filled. Since the start of COVID there has always been ongoing illness, sometimes a bit more and sometimes a bit less. It comes in waves, and most of the time it simply doesn’t interest the public.”
U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut ruled the action was unlawful and unconstitutional, issuing an emergency temporary restraining order to halt the deployment of California’s National Guard. The order also bars the use of troops from any other state or Washington, D.C. in Oregon.
"It appears to violate both 10 U.S.C. §12406 and the Tenth Amendment," Immergut said during the proceeding, according to reporting from Adam Klasfeld of AllRise News.
Immergut also pressed Justice Department attorney Eric Hamilton on why the DOJ continued to pursue troop movements.
"How could bringing in federalized National Guard from California not be in direct contravention of the TRO that I issued yesterday?" she asked.
"You’re an officer of the court. Aren’t defendants circumventing my order?"
DOJ representatives requested a stay, but Immergut denied both the stay and the administrative delay, saying it was an "emergency" and there were no new facts to justify the request to change her previous ruling.
https://www.newsweek.com/white-house-trump-judge-national-guard-oregon-portland-california-10831824
Senior White House official Stephen Miller accused the federal judge who temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's deployment of any National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, of "one of the most egregious and thunderous violations of constitutional order we have ever seen."
U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, who is a Trump appointee, granted a temporary restraining order Sunday sought by California and Oregon, blocking Trump's attempt to deploy California National Guard troops to Oregon. It was a day after she had blocked his previous move to deploy Oregon's National Guard.
In the past few shiurim I have investigated the Rambam's understanding of hashgacha at length. As I mentioned at the end of the last shiur, this position, though very important in creating space for a conception of nature that matches our modern sensibilities, also tends to leave us with the sense that it goes too far. In protecting his conception of God as a transcendent Being, the Rambam runs the risk of propounding what amounts to a nearly secular theology. The living God of the Bible who is passionately concerned with His people is replaced by a remote First Cause about whom “concern” is at best a metaphor stretched to the limit.
Berachos(59a): As R’ Kattina passed the gates of the magician Oba Timei an earthquake occurred. He said: Does Oba Timei know what the reason for earthquakes? The magician replied: Of course I know. When G‑d thinks about His children who are sunk in suffering amongst the nations of the world, He sheds two tears into the ocean and the earthquake is the resulting sound that reverberates from one end of the world to the other. R’ Kattina replied:” The magician is a liar and his words are wrong because according to his explanation the earthquake should be followed by the aftershock of the second tear!” In fact however earthquakes are followed by an aftershock and the reason why R’ Kattina did not acknowledge the correctness of the explanation was so that people should not pay attention to the magician. R’ Kattina explained earthquakes resulting from G‑d clapping His hands together out of anger. R’ Nathan explained them as resulting from G‑d sighing from sadness. The Rabbis said that it is G‑d walking on the Heavens. R’ Acha b. Yaakov said: It results from G‑d pressing His feet together beneath His throne. …
