Hamas may be prepared to abandon some of its longstanding demands and consider a ceasefire deal that Israel could support, according to a report in The New York Times. The report suggests that even before this week’s ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, both Palestinian and U.S. officials believed Hamas was reevaluating its strategy. This includes moving away from the long-war doctrine championed by Yahya Sinwar, the group’s leader who was recently killed by the IDF. Sinwar had reportedly told Hamas leadership that a prolonged conflict would bring the group closer to its goal of “liberation,” according to senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan.

Antisemitic leaflets bearing the threat “Zionists leave Britain or be slaughtered” have been found across Hendon, a predominantly Jewish neighborhood in London. The flyers, written in Hebrew, also declared the area a “Zionist free zone” in English. “This is not just another wave that will pass if we remain passive,” warned Isaac Zarfati, executive director of Stand With Us UK, in an interview with GB News. “We must take those threats and statements seriously because one day they will turn into actions. Decisive steps are needed to combat this alarming phenomenon.” This is not the first recent incident targeting the Jewish community in the area.

Shalom Nagar, the Israeli prison officer who carried out the execution of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann, has died at the age of 88. Nagar’s pivotal role in this historic event remained hidden from public knowledge for decades before he eventually shared his story with the world. Eichmann, one of the primary architects of the Holocaust, was captured by Mossad agents in 1960 after years of evading justice in Argentina. He was brought to Israel to stand trial for his role in orchestrating the genocide of six million Jews. Convicted and sentenced to death, Eichmann’s execution in 1962 remains the only instance of capital punishment carried out by the State of Israel. Born in Yemen in 1936, Nagar immigrated to Israel as a young orphan and later served in the IDF’s Paratroopers Brigade.

Chabad has announced a $50 million initiative to establish a Jewish women’s college in New York, honoring the memory of Rabbi Zvi Kogan hy”d, the Chabad shliach tragically murdered in the United Arab Emirates last week. Rabbi Kogan’s body was discovered last week after he was reported missing in the UAE. Emirati authorities have arrested three Uzbek nationals suspected of his murder. The ambitious campaign, three years in the making, seeks to create a safe and enriching educational environment for young Jewish women while addressing the growing wave of antisemitism, particularly on U.S. university campuses.

Hezbollah is grappling with devastating losses following 14 months of hostilities with Israel, as it begins the arduous process of recovery, senior officials tell the Times of Israel. The Iran-backed terror group faces the grim task of burying thousands of its fighters and addressing the needs of its supporters, who have borne the brunt of Israel’s military campaign. According to three sources familiar with Hezbollah’s operations, the group estimates that thousands of its fighters were killed during the conflict, with the majority of casualties occurring after Israel launched an aggressive offensive in September. One source indicated that as many as 4,000 Hezbollah operatives may have died, a figure more than ten times higher than its losses during the 2006 war with Israel.

Following the start of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, there was a surge of bookings for tzimmerim (vacation rentals) in the battered city of Meron. B’Chadrei Chareidim reported that tzimmer owners refused requests for rentals on Tuesday evening due to doubts about the ceasefire actually going into effect. However, they quickly changed their minds on Wednesday and agreed to the requests for this Shabbos and even raised their prices. One insider told B’Chadrei: “It’s very understandable that tzimmer owners would raise prices now. They’ve gone through a tough time during the war, not working for over a year.

The IDF uncovered gas masks, chemical materials, and sedatives in Hezbollah operatives’ possession two months ago, Walla reported on Wednesday. The discovery, made early in Israel’s incursion into Lebanon, suggests that Hezbollah intended to use chemical weapons in abductions of Israeli soldiers and civilians. This revelation follows the implementation of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, which took effect on Wednesday. The agreement includes a 60-day cessation of hostilities, after which the truce is expected to become permanent, marking the conclusion of over a year of war. The conflict, which began after Hezbollah launched an attack on Israel a day after Hamas’s October 7 massacre, claimed significant casualties.

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman An irate individual was upset with El Al’s pricing on tickets to Eretz Yisroel.  Since El Al is the only game in town and the tickets are several thousand dollars more than ever before – does this constitute predatory pricing that would be actionable in a Beis Din?  When someone responded that the price is only $1140 – the individual answered that this is not a l’maaseh price (practically available)  and that actual bookings are much, much higher.   I am not sure whether this assertion is correct – but even if it is, the odds are that the irate individual would not win in a Bais Din.  Here is why. DOES HALACHA PERMIT SUCH OVERPRICING? The question is, does halacha permit such pricing?

Yeshivas Mir in Yerushalayim held a momentous event on Tuesday evening, marking 55 Siyumei Shas at the heichel yeshivah in Beis Yisrael. Despite his weakness, HaGaon HaRav Meir Tzvi Bergman, the Rosh Yeshivah of Rashbi Yeshivah in Bnei Brak, traveled to Yerushalayim to deliver the main sichah at the event. The Rosh Yeshivah cried out: “Due to our many sins, also in our generation, we’re in a situation in which Jews from Klal Yisrael want to burn the Torah HaKedoshah, they’re waging a war against the Torah. The Torah is being publicly trampled by Jews.” “Therefore, the event we’re at is so important, a maamad that it is entirely likvod haTorah and is being held in a place that its kavod haTorah is the largest in the world.

Adina Moshe, a 72-year-old mother of four and grandmother, was at her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023. Hamas terrorists shot her husband, ripped off her jewelry, and carted her away to Gaza, where an “innocent civilian” on the street ripped off her glasses. She was held in difficult conditions until she was released in the November hostage release deal. Even the moments of her release were terrifying as hundreds of “innocent Gazans” threw rocks at the Red Cross car that transferred the hostages to Egypt. Adina, a former teacher, acted with great courage before her release when she unsuccessfully tried to convince her Hamas captors to release older hostages, in worse condition, to go home instead of her.