Recent analyses suggest that nearly half of Hamas’ military battalions in northern and central Gaza have managed to partially restore their fighting capabilities, despite over nine months of intense Israeli military action. The findings, reported by the American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project, the Institute for the Study of War, and CNN, paint a complex picture of the ongoing conflict. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly assured that Israeli forces are on the verge of achieving their objective of dismantling Hamas and neutralizing its military strength.

As the recruitment of bnei yeshivos reached the operational stage on Monday, with the first Charedi draftees scheduled to appear at induction centers, Chassidish leaders in Eretz Yisrael instructed bnei yeshivos not to comply with draft orders. Litvish and Sephardi Roshei Yeshivos have already instructed their talmidim not to report to induction centers. A letter published by Chassidish leaders states: “Since the IDF authorities recently sent draft orders to bochurim and avreichim for the purpose of recuriting them into the army, we would like to clarify that Gedolei Yisrael have already ordered that it is forbidden to enlist in the army under any circumstances.

The United Nations announced on Monday that nine staff members of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) may have been involved in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, and their employment will be terminated. An investigation by the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) found sufficient evidence to conclude that the nine individuals may have been involved in the attacks. However, the report remains confidential and will not be made public. Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, criticized the investigation as a “disgrace” and “too little too late.” “The investigation ignored the thousands of agency employees involved in Hamas terrorism and the extent of their involvement.

Former President Donald Trump has attributed Monday’s sharp decline in the stock market to Vice President Kamala Harris, labeling it “the Kamala Crash.” Trump’s comments came after the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted 1,000 points in morning trading on Monday, following a significant drop of more than 600 points on Friday. “Of course there is a massive market downturn. Kamala is even worse than Crooked Joe,” Trump wrote on social media Monday. He linked the market turmoil to Harris’s rise as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, adding, “Markets will NEVER accept the Radical Left Lunatic that DESTROYED San Francisco and California, as a whole. Next move, THE GREAT DEPRESSION OF 2024! You can’t play games with MARKETS.

Iranian Parliament member Mohammad Qasim Osmani on Monday threatened to assassinate Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in retaliation for the elimination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. In his speech, Osmani said: “Israel has crossed every possible limit of insolence by spilling the blood of an honored guest in Tehran.” “Iran will choose the right moment to avenge the death of Haniyeh. We won’t settle for anything less than the elimination of Netanyahu.” Secretary of State Tony Blinken told his G7 counterparts on Sunday that Iran and Hezbollah could attack Israel as early as Monday. Iran on Monday issued a NOTAM notice (Notice to Air Missions), alerting aircraft pilots in the center, west, and northwest of the country to change their routes. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Secretary of State Tony Blinken told his G7 counterparts on Sunday that Iran and Hezbollah could attack Israel as early as Monday, Axios reported. According to the report, Blinken held a conference call with US allies to coordinate a response to the current escalation and advance last-minute diplomatic pressure on Iran and Hezbollah to minimize their attacks. Blinken stressed that the US believes that Iran and Hezbollah will actualize their threats to retaliate for the elimination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and  Hezbollah leader Fuad Shukr. But unlike Iran’s April 13 attack, it is still unclear how the retaliation will be carried out. He added that although the US does not know the exact timing of the planned retaliatory attack, it could start as early as Monday.

An IDF officer and soldier were moderately injured when a drone hit a building on Kibbutz Ayelet HaShachar in the Hula Valley overnight Sunday. Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets, missiles, and drones at about 2 a.m. toward the Galil. A  drone hit the kibbutz and several projectiles were intercepted. Others fell in open areas, sparking fires. The IDF spokesperson stated that “following the sirens that were activated in the last hour in the Upper Galil area, several suspicious aerial targets were identified that crossed from Lebanese territory.

As Hamas continues to deliberate on a successor to the late politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh, a key figure has emerged in opposition to one of the leading candidates. Yahya Sinwar, the terror group’s leader in Gaza, has expressed his disapproval of Khaled Mashaal, a founding member and former leader of Hamas, taking the reins. According to Saudi-owned Alhadath news channel, Sinwar conveyed his preference for a candidate with stronger ties to the Iranian leadership during a meeting with Hamas leaders in Qatar. This development has cast uncertainty over the succession process, which will be decided by Hamas’s politburo and Shura Council, a secretive consultative body comprising religious and political figures.

Iran has rejected efforts by the US and Arab countries to moderate its response to Israel’s elimination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in the heart of Tehran. Iranian officials told Arab diplomats over the weekend that it doesn’t care if its response sparks a war, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. In a rare trip to Iran, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi flew to Tehran on Sunday to meet with his Iranian counterpart and make a last-ditch effort to deter the regime from attacking Israel. Safadi’s visit is the first senior Jordanian official to make an official visit to Tehran in two decades. “Israel is now in a multifront war against the Iranian axis of evil,” Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Sunday.

HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Zilberstein, a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah and the Rosh Kollel of Beis Dovid in Holon, published a special letter of chizzuk after the murderous terror attack in Holon at the request of the city’s residents who wanted his Daas Torah on the tragedy. “To my dear and beloved brothers and friends,” HaRav Zilberstein wrote. “We are shocked and pained by the tragedy that befell our city of Holon, the murderous attack by a heinous terrorist today, Sunday morning, erev Rosh Chodesh.” “And each one of us should examine our deeds, why this happened in our city, why Hashem is showing His anger. Chalilah that we should point fingers at who we think is responsible for the tragedy.