Israeli forces have deployed the newly developed “Bar” rocket, designed by Elbit Systems, for the first time against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, the IDF announced Monday. According to the IDF, the “Bar” rocket is equipped with an advanced navigation mechanism specifically adapted for challenging combat environments, allowing forces to strike targets with remarkable speed and precision. The 282nd Artillery Brigade, operating under the IDF’s 36th Division, was the first to use the rocket during ongoing operations in Gaza. Artillery troops from the brigade, who have been active in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the war, have fired more than 5,000 shells at terror infrastructure along the “Morag” Corridor — a strategic strip separating Rafah and Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

Riots broke out today outside the IDF recruitment center in Tel Hashomer, as Charedim staged loud and aggressive protests against the enlistment of yeshivaleit into the army. The protesters attempted to disrupt the recruitment of soldiers for the Chashmonaim Brigade — a unit specifically designed to accommodate charedi recruits who wish to uphold a Torah lifestyle while serving. Demonstrators blocked roads, shouted inflammatory slogans, and handed out anti-enlistment pamphlets.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that before the “exploding pagers operation” was carried out last year, he was skeptical that the tiny amount of explosives in the rigged pagers would be enough to injure Hezbollah terrorists. Speaking at the JNS conference in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said: “In the third week of September, we learned that Hezbollah had sent three pagers to Iran for scanning. They had this minuscule amount of TNT. When the Mossad guy showed them to me three weeks earlier: ‘I said: ‘Is that really going to do the job?'” “I took it and threw it on the wood panel in my office and it dented it.

A massive fire erupted at Savon Shoes, located at the corner of 13th Avenue and 39th Street in Boro Park, early Monday morning, at 2:00 a.m. FDNY firefighters responded swiftly, but the blaze escalated quickly, with heavy smoke billowing from the store. The fire was upgraded to a third alarm as crews worked tirelessly to extinguish the flames. One firefighter sustained injuries during the operation, and Boro Park Hatzolah was on scene to provide medical support. The cause of the fire was unknown. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer revealed Sunday that Democrats are “fighting back” against President Donald Trump’s decision to pull federal funding from Harvard University — by sending what he proudly described as a “very strong letter.” Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union, Schumer told anchor Dana Bash that he and several other Jewish senators had penned a letter to the White House demanding an explanation for the move, which came after Harvard refused to dismantle its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs or prohibit masked protests that Trump described as antisemitic. While Schumer admitted that Harvard has fallen short in addressing campus antisemitism, he accused Trump of overreaching.

On Sunday, Hatzolah of Mill Basin-Canarsie held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Tiferet Ovadia to dedicate the new “Beitel Family Ambulance,” generously donated by Mr. Ben Beitel and his family. The event drew a large crowd of community members, local leaders, elected officials, and emergency personnel, all gathered to honor the Beitel family’s commitment to lifesaving services in the Mill Basin and Canarsie communities. The new ambulance was dedicated in memory of Avraham and Chaya Sarah Altah Rosenthal, with the generous donation made by the Beitel family. The ceremony celebrated the addition of a state-of-the-art ambulance to Hatzolah’s fleet, enhancing the organization’s ability to provide rapid, expert medical response in the region.

What began as a high-profile visit by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has descended into chaos, as hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters converged outside the iconic Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway this evening, triggering confrontations, shouting matches, and reports of physical altercations with Lubavitcher bochurim. The unrest follows a whirlwind 24 hours for Ben-Gvir, a polarizing figure in Israeli politics known for his hardline views, whose presence has ignited fierce backlash across multiple New York City stops. On Wednesday night, Ben-Gvir was met with loud protests and jeering at Yale University, where demonstrators interrupted his address with chants and disruptions.

A video portraying the abduction of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu circulated on Iranian social media and was broadcast on Iranian state TV. The video, with Arabic and (poorly translated) Hebrew subtitles, begins with media reports that Netanyahu’s car was involved in an accident in Tel Aviv and he hasn’t been seen since. The scene then changes to a home in Iran, where the father of the family receives an urgent  call summoning him to serve as a Hebrew translator. When he arrives at the office, he sees the “non-official” guest – Netanyahu sitting in a chair. The scene moves to images of destruction in Gaza, as if the war in Gaza in response to the Iranian-funded Octboer 7 massacre is justification for the “abduction.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

On Yom HaShoah, as Jews across the world paused to remember the kedoshim who perished in the horrors of the Holocaust, a deeply moving moment unfolded thousands of miles away — in the very place where so many Yidden were taken from this world al kiddush Hashem. Y., a combat soldier from Yerushalayim serving in the Netzach Yehuda battalion — the IDF unit comprised of Orthodox Jews — flew to Poland on Wednesday as part of a special delegation marking Holocaust Remembrance Day. Just a few short months ago, on Chanukah, Y. was seriously injured during a brutal encounter with terrorists. An RPG struck the area where he and his fellow soldiers were operating, killing his friend Uriel Peretz Hy”d, and wounding nine others. Y. himself lost a leg in the attack.

Agudath Israel of America proudly celebrates a historic victory for parents and students across the Lone Star State as the Texas Legislature passes a landmark universal school choice bill. On Thursday, the Texas Senate voted to concur with the House and pass SB2, finally giving families the educational freedom they have been asking for. SB2 is an Education Savings Account (ESA) program that would provide parents with approximately $10,000 per student to spend on a wide range of educational expenses, including private school tuition. Students with special needs could receive up to $30,000 per year. The bill allocates one billion dollars to the program. If the number of applicants exceeds available funds, low-income (see chart here) and special education students will be prioritized.