Hamas officials have told the Saudi-based publication Asharq Al-Awsat that the current indirect talks taking place in Doha, Qatar, are showing a marked shift in tone and seriousness compared to previous negotiations. They credit this change to the more active role the United States is now playing in the discussions.
The representatives noted that in earlier rounds, both Israel and the United States appeared disengaged and uncommitted to meaningful progress. This time, however, the dynamic has shifted due to Washington’s stepped-up efforts, which have pushed the talks forward in a more constructive direction.

The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change collaborated on a vision for Gaza’s future that includes transforming the territory into a resort-style destination dubbed “Trump’s Riviera” and creating a high-tech industrial park named after Elon Musk, modeled after the success of Dubai.
According to The Guardian, the institute—founded by Tony Blair—teamed up with Israeli entrepreneurs to explore this post-war redevelopment concept. The financial planning relied heavily on frameworks provided by the U.S.-based Boston Consulting Group.

A judge has ordered the immediate release of R’ Binyomin Kubani, a father of seven and yungerman learning at Beth Medrash Govoha, who has been sitting in Ocean County Jail since last week after what many are calling a gross miscarriage of justice.
The ordeal began when R’ Binyomin stopped at a car wash on Route 88 with his young child in the car. Days earlier, meat had leaked in the vehicle, leaving behind a strong odor. As he had done before, he approached a Hispanic teenager working at the location and asked whether he’d be willing to come clean the carpets at his home — a routine and innocent request.

Shas leader Aryeh Deri lashed out at Opposition Leader Yair Lapid on Monday, fiercely criticizing what he described as a dangerous and inflammatory accusation regarding military service exemptions for the chareidi community.
Lapid, speaking to the press before his Yesh Atid party’s weekly meeting in the Knesset, took aim at efforts by religious parties to legislate permanent draft exemptions for yeshiva students. He declared that Deri and Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee member Yaakov Asher “have no problem sending [reserve] soldiers to go fight and die on one condition: that their own children not die.”

Israel’s governing coalition was forced to pull all proposed legislation from the Knesset docket today after Shas and United Torah Judaism declared they would not take part in the session in protest of the continued delay in presenting a law to officially exempt yeshiva students from military service.
United Torah Judaism released a statement announcing their stance: “In light of the fact that the draft conscription law has not been introduced to date, contrary to commitments made… it will not vote with the coalition until the draft law is presented.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian alleged in an interview with American conservative commentator Tucker Carlson that Israel had made an attempt on his life.
“They did try, yes. They acted accordingly, but they failed,” Pezeshkian responded when Carlson asked if he believed Israel had tried to assassinate him.
Pezeshkian refrained from giving details such as when the alleged attempt took place or whether it coincided with Israel’s recent 12-day air assault on Iranian territory.
When Carlson pressed him on how he could be certain that an attempt had been made, Pezeshkian responded, “Of course, it was not the United States that was behind the attempt on my life… It was Israel,” according to a translated transcript from Persian to English used in the interview.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich of the Religious Zionist Party delivered a forceful speech during his party’s meeting on Monday, vowing to fight tooth and nail against any efforts to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
“Delivering logistical aid to Hamas is the craziest occurrence that I’ve come across since the war began. It harms the soldiers, it harms the hostages, it prolongs the war, and it’s bad for the State of Israel,” Smotrich said firmly.
He emphasized that he is unafraid to be the lone voice opposing the prevailing consensus. “I stood alone before the war when I opposed the assumption that Hamas was deterred, when I spoke out against the restraint against Hezbollah, and I stand today as well. I was right then, and I am right now too.”

MK Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Yisrael Beytenu party, launched a fierce attack against the Israeli coalition, asserting that the government is actively obstructing efforts to finalize a comprehensive agreement to secure the release of the hostages.
During a speech that opened his party’s faction meeting, Lieberman issued a scathing remark: “The soldiers who fell in the last few months did not fall for Israel’s security — they fell on the altar of coalition preservation.”
In response to Lieberman’s accusations, Yehuda Vald, Director-General of the Religious Zionism party, issued a strongly worded rebuttal. “Liberman’s statement is the epitome of insensitivity, cynicism, and heartlessness,” Vald stated.

A newly uncovered internal campaign memo reveals that Joe Biden’s advisors pushed him to commit to an early debate with Donald Trump in hopes of securing a broader audience ahead of the crowded summer season.
The confidential six-page strategy paper, dated April 15, 2024—just over two months before Biden’s ill-fated debate showing—oddly features bolded and capitalized references to the 46th president throughout the text.
“By holding the first debate in the spring, YOU will be able to reach the widest audience possible, before we are deep in the summer months with the conventions, Olympics, and family vacations taking precedence,” the memo stated, according to Politico.

The chareidi factions in the Knesset issued a strong warning Monday morning, signaling they may intensify their protest and halt support for coalition-backed legislation unless serious movement is made on the long-stalled Draft Law.
As reported by Kan Reshet Bet, the main form of pressure being considered by the chareidi lawmakers is to withhold cooperation on legislative matters, including bills introduced by the government itself.
Despite the standoff, United Torah Judaism representatives are facing a key decision Monday: whether to back the appointment of their own member, MK Yisroel Eichler, as Minister of Construction and Housing.