Mossad chief David Barnea spoke today about the explosive beeper operation targeting Hezbollah and explained why it was not initiated at the start of the war in October 2023.
Barnea revealed that the first batch of beepers, numbering only 500, was shipped to Lebanon just weeks before the October 7 attacks. By the time the operation was executed nearly a year later, the number of beepers that detonated was ten times greater than what had been in place at the outset of the war.
Discussing the timing of the operation’s activation last September, Barnea acknowledged the complexity of the decision. “The dilemma in activating Operation Beeper on September 17, 2024 was very great,” he said.

U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said on Monday that Hamas fears President Donald Trump, and that this is why the Gaza-based terror group is freeing hostages.
“Hamas is listening to the president … 29 hostages are alive today and reunited with their families because the whole world listened when President Trump said there would be all hell to pay after the Biden administration couldn’t get this done for 15 months,” Waltz told “Fox & Friends” co-host Lawrence B. Jones.

The funeral of Israeli hostage Oded Lifshitz got underway in his hometown of Kibbutz Nir Oz on Tuesday afternoon, five days after his remains were returned from the Gaza Strip for burial by the Hamas terrorist group.
Israelis holding flags lined the streets as Lifshitz’s casket made its way from the central city of Rishon Lezion to Nir Oz, local media reported.
“With a heavy heart and deep sorrow, we say goodbye to Oded Lifshitz, murdered by vile murderers,” said Rishon Lezion Mayor Raz Kinstlich. “Oded was a pioneer and founder of Kibbutz Nir Oz—a man of the people and the land—and the entire country grieves his death.”

Republican President Donald Trump expressed his support on Monday for the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, a project long resisted by environmental activists concerned about climate change.
Originally proposed in 2008, the pipeline was designed to transport crude oil from Canada’s western tar sands to refineries in the United States. However, it was ultimately shelved in 2021 when TC Energy Corp, the company behind the project, ceased operations after Democrat former President Joe Biden rescinded a crucial permit required for its U.S. segment.

Israel is looking to prolong the initial phase of the hostage and ceasefire agreement by 42 more days, with the intention of beginning discussions on the second phase at that time, according to a report from Kan News on Tuesday. The Israeli official explained that during this extension period, talks would be held concerning both the second phase and how to bring an end to the ongoing conflict.
The official emphasized that Israel seeks to continue the gradual release of hostages throughout the extension. However, individuals familiar with the situation are skeptical that such a process could move forward without significant concessions to Hamas.

In 2021, President Joe Biden’s airport security agency implemented fast-track lanes for illegal immigrants, according to a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) document made public by officials from President Donald Trump’s administration.
This previously undisclosed policy from 2021 allowed illegal migrants to utilize various “DHS-provided documents” to bypass the regular security lines that often caused delays for American travelers. These documents included arrest warrants, court appearance notices (“Notice to Appear”), and Alien Booking records, all issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The hostage-release ceremonies organized by Hamas throughout the first phase of the ceasefire have significantly damaged the group’s chances of maintaining control in Gaza, according to two international diplomats who spoke to The Times of Israel.
Hamas has tried to use these ceremonies as a means of asserting its authority over the coastal region after more than 15 months of conflict with Israel. However, Israel and other parties have condemned these displays as “humiliating” and have insisted they cease before any further exchanges of prisoners for hostages take place.

Elon Musk, the CEO of DOGE, stirred controversy on Monday by suggesting that federal employees may soon receive a follow-up email asking them to outline their weekly achievements, warning that failure to reply could lead to “termination.”
Musk’s statement came shortly after the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) informed human resources leaders at various government agencies that the responses to an email sent on Shabbos, requesting a list of five bullet points about what federal workers had accomplished over the past week, were “voluntary.” The OPM further clarified that not replying would not be considered a resignation, contrary to Musk’s earlier assertion.

Egyptian officials reported on Monday that there are encouraging signals from the US administration indicating that President Donald Trump is keen on finalizing an agreement that would result in the release of all Israeli hostages and prevent a resumption of the conflict in Gaza, despite his previous public statements.
The Al-Araby Al-Jadeed newspaper, citing Egyptian sources, added that Israel’s defense sector is actively working to extend the hostage deal, and the US administration is aware of the differing views between Israel’s political and military leadership regarding this issue.

When Vivek Ramaswamy unveiled his candidacy for governor in Ohio on Monday, he made sure to cover nearly every detail of his background—so much so that he even had his childhood piano teacher and barber join him on stage to testify to his character, Politico reports. But one key aspect of his past was conspicuously left out: his brief and rocky tenure as co-leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a role he held for only 69 days before tensions with Elon Musk led to his departure.