A number of Israelis were injured on Monday morning in a Hezbollah rocket and drone barrage at the Galil. According to initial reports, at least three drones scored a direct hit on the Ya’ara moshav in the western Galil, causing a fire to break out. Several people were injured in the fire. The IDF stated: “Following drone infiltration sirens that sounded a short while ago in the western Galilee, several suspicious aerial targets were identified crossing from Lebanon. Air Defense forces  successfully intercepted some of the targets, and others fell in the Ya’ara area.” At the same time, about ten rockets were fired at the Upper Galil. There are no reports of damage or injuries. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

In early 2024, a New York Times reporter based in Melbourne was at the center of a significant data breach that exposed the personal information of over 600 Australian Jewish members of a private WhatsApp group, which led to widespread harassment and threats against the group’s members. Natasha Frost, the reporter in question, has acknowledged her role in the leak, but is still employed by the Times. The New York Times claimed it took disciplinary action against Frost after she admitted to downloading and sharing 900 pages of content from the WhatsApp group, which had been created by Australian Jews following the October 7 massacre. Described as a “lifeline” for its members, the group was meant to foster community support amid rising antisemitism.

Hamas has issued an official statement rejecting the latest hostage exchange proposal discussed in Doha over the weekend, blaming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for hindering the negotiations. The group accuses Netanyahu of introducing new obstacles to delay the talks and prolong the ongoing conflict in Gaza. In their statement, Hamas claims Netanyahu “sets new conditions and demands” aimed at derailing the discussions. The terrorist group further criticized the proposal, which has backing from the United States, stating that it heavily favors Israel. They pointed to the requirement that the IDF maintain a presence in key areas, including the Philadelphi Corridor, the Rafah Crossing, and the Netzarim Corridor.

Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich sent a scathing letter to the office of Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, slamming the decision to end daycare subsidies for families of avreichim eligible for the draft and saying that he has no intention of complying with the ruling. “It’s amazing to me that you conduct discussions, exchange correspondence, and make decisions with far-reaching implications on budgetary and economic issues between yourselves, without even thinking that it would be appropriate to at least ask the opinion of the Finance Minister – a state within a state,” Smotrich wrote.

A terror attack occurred on Sunday afternoon in the Shomron when a Palestinian attacked an Israeli security guard on his head with a hammer, stole his gun, and fled the area. The incident occurred in one of the factories in the Bar-On industrial park next to the yishuv of Kedumim. According to an initial report, the attack was carried out by a Palestinian worker in one of the factories where Palestinians and Jews work together. A large number of IDF forces arrived at the scene and launched a manhunt for the terrorist. Residents of Kedumim have been instructed to enter their homes and lock their doors. The victim, who was seriously injured, was evacuated to the hospital. This is a developing story. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

On July 30, 2024, Israel killed Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in an airstrike on the seventh floor of a Beirut apartment building, not far from the site of the bombing he planned that killed 241 US Marines in 1983. How did Shukr, with a $5 million bounty on his head, elude the US for almost four decades? According to a Wall Street Journal report, Shukr was a “ghost” – living an almost invisible life and rarely appearing in public. He was so secretive that Lebanese media outlets reporting on his death initially published photos of the wrong person. Shukr’s last day was spent at his office on the second floor of a residential apartment building in the neighborhood of Dahiyeh in southern Beirut.

A shocking revelation has emerged that IDF intelligence chiefs withheld critical information from senior military and political leaders regarding Hamas’s plans for the October 7 invasion and slaughter in southern Israel. A document codenamed “Jericho Walls,” obtained by Unit 8200 in April 2022, outlined Hamas’s strategy, which was later carried out with devastating results. The 40-page plan, written in October 2021, detailed a barrage of rockets, drone attacks, and a mass influx of gunmen, mirroring the actual events of October 7. Despite this, intelligence officers deemed Hamas incapable or unwilling to execute such an assault, dismissing concerns.

An IDF officer was killed on Shabbos afternoon by a bomb planted by Hamas terrorists in central Gaza, the IDF announced on Motzei Shabbos in what they called a “unusual incident.” He was identified as Maj. (res.) Yotam Itzchak Peled, H’yd, 34, from Rosh Ha’ayin. He served as the company commander of a logistical support unit in the 8119th Battalion in the Logistics Corps. Peled, z’l, was killed by a roadside bomb in the Netzarim Corridor as he was leading a convoy to bring supplies to IDF forces in Gaza City. An initial investigation showed that a squad of Hamas terrorists planted the bomb on the road. After it exploded, killing Peled, H’yd, the terrorist emerged from the building they were hiding in and opened fire at the soldiers.

It is with abject horror that we have all witnessed the reckless driving in the Catskills spiral from bad to worse, and now, to outright terrifying. What was once a summer haven has become a death trap, and we must refuse to stand by any longer while people’s lives are recklessly endangered. I have been coming to the Catskills for my summer vacations since I was a child. Back then, there were always a few dangerous drivers on these winding roads, but nothing like the carnage we see now. Every summer for the past few years, there has been a tragedy. This summer, only one incident so far—a horrifying crash that claimed the lives of two young men on Thursday night. I am not here to accuse anyone of speeding or reckless driving in that specific case because I do not know the details.

Catskills Hatzolah and other emergency personnel are at the scene of a horrific tragedy on Church Road in Mountaindale, where a vehicle overturned, rolled down an embankment, and burst into flames, killing both of the vehicle’s occupants. Hatzolah personnel rushed to the scene but were tragically unable to save the crash victims. Chevra Kadisha are currently at the scene to ensure kavod hameis. Additional information will be published shortly. Besuros Tovos. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)