US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday evening presented a new hostage release/ceasefire deal to Israel and the Hamas terror organization. The new outline includes the release of nine living hostages, one less than his previous outline, along with the remains of 18 hostages. In exchange, an undisclosed number of Palestinian terrorists will be released from Israeli prisons. A 60-day ceasefire will be implemented, during which negotiations will take place for the end of the war and the release of the remaining hostages. At the end of this period, Israel will have the option of returning to war if there is no agreement or continuing negotiations in exchange for the further release of hostages.

A federal trade court on Wednesday blocked President Donald Trump from imposing sweeping tariffs on imports under an emergency-powers law. The ruling from a three-judge panel at the New York-based Court of International Trade came after several lawsuits arguing Trump has exceeded his authority, left U.S. trade policy dependent on his whims and unleashed economic chaos. “The Worldwide and Retaliatory Tariff Orders exceed any authority granted to the President by IEEPA to regulate importation by means of tariffs,” the court wrote, referring to the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. The Trump administration is expected to appeal.

A major coalition crisis is looming over the government as the Chareidi parties have threatened to bolt the coalition in less than two weeks if the stalemate on advancing a Chareidi draft law continues after Shavuos. The office of UTJ chairman Yitzchak Goldknopf denied a Channel 12 report earlier in the day that stated that the Gerrer Rebbe had already decided that Goldknopf would resign from the coalition “even on the day after Shavuos” over the stalemate of the draft law.

I24NEWS military analyst Tzvi Yechezkeli spoke about Operation Gideon’s Chariots in the Gaza Strip, which includes, among other things, the seizing of territory. “This plan sounds good on the face of it, but the rule that accompanies us in the Middle East is not what the plan is, but ‘how’ the plan is carried out. If the ‘how’ is carried out resolutely and intensively, because that is exactly what is needed right now, the plan will really be able to harm Hamas.” “There is nothing more powerful than seizing territory in a war against an enemy that uses the population as a human shield and underground to harm our soldiers. Seizing territory is definitely a strong step, and if they take control of 70% of the territory, it will definitely be dramatic and even historic.

The organizers of Daf Yomi have announced that the 14th Global Siyum HaShas will take place on Sunday, June 6, 2027, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The Siyum, which marks the completion of the seven-and-a-half-year Daf Yomi cycle, will be a monumental celebration of the tens of thousands of Jews who have committed to daily learning of Talmud Bavli—early mornings, late nights, in hospital rooms, airport lounges, and everywhere in between. This moment belongs to them: the maggidei shiur who prepare each daf with precision, the learners who whisper a chazarah between meetings, and the countless wives and children who stood behind them with patience, sacrifice, and pride. It’s a tribute to every drop of sweat and every tear shed over a blatt Gemara.

IDF fighter jets attacked the Houthi-controlled Sanaa International Airport in Yemen on Wednesday morning. The attack comes after the Houthis launched numerous missiles at Israel over the past week, which were all intercepted by missile defense systems, b’chasdei Hashem. Minutes after reports of the attack were published, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz confirmed that Israel carried out the strikes and revealed the name of the operation. “Air Force planes attacked Houthi terror targets at the Sanaa airport and destroyed the Houthis’ last remaining plane as part of Operation Golden Jewel,” he said.

A new, highly transmissible COVID-19 variant, NB.1.8.1, linked to a significant spike in hospitalizations in China, has been detected in the United States, raising concerns among health officials. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the variant has been identified in multiple states, including New York, California, Washington, Virginia, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Hawaii, primarily among international travelers arriving from countries such as China, Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, France, the Netherlands, and Spain. The strain, first noted in the U.S. in March 2025, is now showing signs of local spread, with cases reported in communities across the country.

A quiet but concerning development has surfaced that may significantly impact one of the most recognizable elements of traditional Orthodox Jewish attire: the black felt hat. For over 40 years, a Spanish company—Fernandez y Roche, based in Seville, Spain—has supplied tens of thousands of black hats annually to yeshiva bochurim, avreichim, and balabatim in communities across America. These hats, worn daily by bnei Torah from the age of bar mitzvah and onward, are not merely a garment, but a statement of identity and dignity. But that longstanding partnership is now at risk. Due to newly imposed trade tariffs by the U.S. government on European goods, including imported felt hats, Fernandez y Roche has been hit with a 10% import fee, with a looming possibility of an additional 50% tariff.

A man accused of brutally assaulting an off-duty NYPD officer in a shocking weekend attack has been captured hundreds of miles away. Taveon Hargrove, 23, was taken into custody Tuesday morning by members of the U.S. Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force in North Chesterfield, Virginia, bringing a dramatic end to a multi-day manhunt. He now awaits extradition to New York City, where charges are pending. The arrest comes just days after the violent incident rocked the Bronx. Early Saturday morning, near St. Peters Avenue in the Parkchester section, Hargrove and another still-unidentified suspect allegedly ambushed a 27-year-old off-duty officer, knocking him to the ground before punching, kicking, and robbing him at knifepoint.

A phone call between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump turned unexpectedly tense last week, according to a report from Israel’s Channel 12, exposing stark disagreements over how to confront Iran’s nuclear ambitions—despite earlier claims of consensus between the two leaders. Sources familiar with the exchange described it as a heated conversation in which Trump reportedly told Netanyahu, “I want a diplomatic solution with the Iranians. I believe in my ability to make a good deal.” Trump is said to have emphasized that he was aiming for a resolution that benefits both nations—a statement that reportedly stunned the Israeli side. The revelation sharply contradicts the tone of official readouts released by both camps after the call.