Nearly 550 days after Hamas terrorists stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum has released a harrowing medical report that tears back the curtain on the nightmarish conditions faced by those still held captive in Gaza. Based on eyewitness testimonies, released hostage accounts, and Hamas propaganda footage, the report details a descent into darkness that survivors and families say is worsening by the day. Fifty-nine hostages remain in Gaza, including the body of a soldier held since 2014. Of those, only 24 are believed to be alive—surviving in a state of physical and psychological torment that pushes the limits of human endurance.

Israel’s Supreme Court convened on Tuesday morning to discuss the petitions filed against the dismissal of the Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar. The fact that the court has even agreed to discuss the petitions is controversial as Israeli law grants the prime minister and the government undisputed authority to fire the Shin Bet chief. The justices serving on the case are Supreme Court President Yitzchak Amit, a liberal whose authority as president has been challenged by Justice Minister Yariv Levin and other government members, liberal justice Daphne Baraz-Erez, and Deputy President Noam Sohlberg, considered a conservative.

An Israeli political source admitted on Tuesday morning that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu did not receive advance notice of the step announced by President Trump during the joint press conference on Monday—the initiation of direct talks with Iran on its nuclear program. The source noted that while the possibility that Trump would renew contacts with Iran was taken into account, it was evident at the joint press conference between the US President and the Prime Minister that Netanyahu was not aware of the move in advance and was surprised by the announcement. The source added that the fact that Trump promised that Israel would receive reports on any developments that arise from the negotiations is very positive.

Adirei HaTorah on Monday evening announced the upcoming Maamad Adirei HaTorah, the fourth in this extraordinary series of events celebrating the true kavod haTorah and the eternal mesorah passed from father to son. The maamad is scheduled to take place on Sunday, Yud Beis Sivan, June 8, and will once again serve as a powerful expression of achdus, hisorerus, and chizuk for lomdei Torah and their supporters. Organizers say they look forward to once again joining together with the olam haTorah in a display of achdus, hakaras hatov, and renewed chizuk for the bnei Torah and lomdei hayeshivos. More information will be shared in the coming days. The three previous iterations of the now-annual Adirei Hatorah maamad all took place at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

A Gaza-based news outlet tied to Hamas found itself the butt of global mockery recently after it tried to spotlight a humanitarian mission — and instead highlighted its inability to tell fiction from reality. The Palestinian Information Center, an advocacy arm linked to Gaza’s terrorist rulers, posted a breathless update about a heroic “French doctor” arriving in Gaza to treat wounded Palestinians. The catch? The “doctor” was none other than an actress, Katherine Heigl, better known as Dr. Izzie Stevens from Grey’s Anatomy — a fictional TV show.

If we read one more article offering some brilliant, sweeping solution to the shidduch crisis that no actual individual can implement, we might just scream. You know the type: “Stop all 19-year-old girls from dating!” “Force all 21-year-old boys to start dating!” “Get tall girls to marry short boys!” “Get younger boys to marry older girls!”—and so on. The theories might be interesting, but let’s face it: none of us regular folks are in a position to singlehandedly rewrite the system. So no need to brace yourself—we’re not here with another grand solution. We’re here to rant about a part of dating that people can actually fix.

The Flatbush Jewish Community Coalition (FJCC), under the leadership of Josh Mehlman, hosted a pre-Pesach meeting Thursday afternoon, bringing together key community leaders and representatives from emergency and volunteer organizations including Hatzolah, Shomrim, Chaverim, Chesed of Flatbush, Misaskim and Chesed Shel Emes The meeting was attended by newly appointed NYPD Brooklyn South Chief Francis Giordano, Community Affairs Chief Richie Taylor, Fred Kreizman from the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit, Jacob Eisdorfer of the Brooklyn Borough President’s Office, as well as commanders from all local precincts.

The heads of the authorities in the Yesha (Yehudah and Shomron) Council on Sunday evening sent a letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu demanding that he urgently convene a government meeting and act to close the Shin Bet’s Jewish Division in the wake of the Kan News report revealing disturbing statements made by the Division’s chief, who has since resigned. The letter stated that “for decades, the Jewish Division has not been a counter-terrorism division but an intelligence body that operates solely against the settlers and yishuvim in Yehudah and Shomron via illegitimate means.” “Last night we were clearly exposed to the positions and methods of the division chief, but these methods are unfortunately known to us from the division’s past activities, and therefore it has no right to exist.

Interior Minister Moshe Arbel on Monday stated that the initiative to evacuate civilians from the Gaza Strip is ongoing and 16 evacuation flights have already departed from Israel’s Ramon Airport. “Over 16 flights have already departed from Ramon Airport – this will increase in the near future,” Arabel said at a conference. Last month, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu ordered the Mossad to locate countries willing to accept large numbers of Gazan residents. Israel has already begun discussions on the initiative with several countries, including Indonesia, Somalia, and South Sudan. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

The Auschwitz Jewish Center (AJC) is bringing kosher food back to this once-flourishing Jewish community and adding tefillos to its program in time for the annual March of the Living pilgrimage of tens of thousands of Jews from around the world starting April 23rd. In addition to providing access to the shul and guided tours of its museum, the Auschwitz Jewish Center’s kosher concession will offer shelf-stable packaged kosher meals for purchase starting just after Pesach. The meals will be available for a nominal fee, and visitors wishing to reserve meals, participate in tours, or attend tefillos can contact the center via https://ajcfus.org/programs/#contact-popup.