A Chassidish visitor to Beitar Illit was chased by a pack of dogs in the early hours of Shabbos morning as he was walking from the mikvah to shul. A resident of the city told B’Chadrei Chareidim that the teen had to be hospitalized after the ordeal as the dogs had bitten him. The incident occurred on Rechov Rabbi Akiva at about 6:40 a.m. Another resident said that the frightening phenomenon is nothing new. “I work at night and it’s just scary. Packs of dogs roam the city unhindered.” The Beitar Illit municipality responded: “These are wild dogs that roam around the city. The municipal veterinarian is working to prevent them from entering the city but unfortunately, there are cases where they manage to enter.

The annual Israel parade is set to take place today along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, with tens of thousands of participants and attendees expected. This year’s event will have a more somber tone due to the recent October 7 attack and the ongoing war. Despite no specific threats to the parade, city officials are taking all necessary precautions to ensure a safe and successful event. Security will be tighter than usual along the parade route and surrounding areas. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has announced a high police presence, including drone surveillance, K-9 units, bike patrols, fencing and barriers, designated entry points for spectators, metal detectors for all spectators, and a ban on backpacks, large bags, and coolers.

HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau requested that the Chareidi public say Tehillim on Sunday morning as Israel’s Supreme Court holds a hearing on the future of the Chareidi draft law and funding for yeshivos.

Former President Donald Trump’s campaign has announced a staggering $52.8 million in donations in the 24 hours following his guilty verdict in his hush money trial. This amounts to over $2 million in donations per hour since the verdict was read. The funds were contributed through the campaign’s online digital fundraising platform. Trump campaign advisers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita released a statement, saying, “Biden and his Democrat allies have turned our legal system into a political tool, and Americans from every corner of the country have had enough.” This announcement comes after the campaign previously reported a “record-shattering” $34.8 million in small-dollar donations between 6 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. on Thursday.

The Hamas terror group engaged in psychological terrorism on Friday, releasing a video in which the voice of the hostage Noa Argamani, 26, is heard calling to be released from Gaza. Her father recognized her voice in the video. Argamani is heard saying that “she’s already in captivity for over 237 days,” which indicates that the video was recorded on Thursday. In January, Hamas released a video of Argamani with two other hostages, Itai Svirsky and Yossi Sharabi, who were both later murdered by Hamas. Noa’s mother is very ill with cancer and her last wish is that she see Noa, her only child, before her death. (YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis ha’Shabbos in Israel)

The IDF has announced the completion of a nearly three-week-long operation in northern Gaza’s Jabaliya, one of the most densely populated areas in Gaza. The 98th Division, comprising the 7th, 460th, and Paratroopers brigades, engaged in intense battles, killing hundreds of terror operatives and recovering the bodies of seven Israeli hostages slain by Hamas on October 7. According to the IDF, Hamas transformed Jabaliya’s civilian infrastructure into a “fortified combat complex,” firing at troops from schools and civilian shelters, and building extensive tunnel networks under civilian buildings. The troops faced massive RPG fire, with over 120 anti-tank projectiles launched, as well as numerous incidents of planted explosive devices, sniper fire, and drones dropping bombs.

The IDF has announced the deaths of two soldiers killed in the Gaza Strip on Thursday They have been indentified as: First Sergeant (Res.) Adar Gavriel HY’D, 24 years old, from Caesarea, a soldier in the Reconnaissance Battalion 6828, Bislah Brigade (828). Sergeant Yehonatan Elias HYd, 20 years old, from Jerusalem, a soldier in the Givati Reconnaissance Unit. Their deaths raise the death toll of soldiers killed since October 7th to 644, including 293 soldiers who lost their lives in the ground war in Gaza. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

YWN regrets to inform you of the tragic petirah of Shmuel Brog z”l, who was niftar following a horrific accident in Jackson today. He was approximately 5 years old. Shmuel z”l is the son of R’ Avrumy and Ayala Brog. R’ Avrumy is well known as one of the directors of Oorah’s summer camp, The Zone. His grandfather is Harav Yisroel Brog, the rosh yeshiva of Tiferes Avigdor in Wickliffe, Ohio. Shmuel z”l, was riding in a van when it collided with another vehicle on E. Veterans near Cleveland Court. The young boy was critically injured, and went into traumatic arrest. Hatzolah paramedics were able to regain a heartbeat at the scene and rushed him to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he was tragically niftar a short time later. Levaya details will be published when available.

Governor Kathy Hochul is contemplating a ban on smartphones in New York schools as a measure to ensure children’s safety and enhance their focus on learning. She says the proposal is aimed at mitigating the distractions and potential harms associated with social media use during school hours. In a Thursday morning interview on MSNBC, Governor Hochul expressed her concerns about the impact of smartphone usage on students’ education. “Why are our young people on their devices all day long during school hours? How are they learning?” she wondered. Hochul highlighted the effects of addictive social media algorithms, which she believes trap young people in an isolating digital space, reducing their real-world social interactions.

Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran and world’s largest sponsor of terror, has expressed his admiration for American college students who have protested the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. In a letter, Khamenei commended the students for “standing on the right side of history” and forming a “branch of the Resistance Front” against their government’s support of Israel. Khamenei accused the US and Britain of “importing” terrorists into the region after World War II, leading to the establishment of Israel.