In recent days, the United States has appealed to Israel to hold off on launching a full-fledged ground invasion of Gaza, according to two individuals with knowledge of the situation who spoke with The Jerusalem Post on Sunday. The appeal is rooted in Washington’s desire to give diplomatic efforts surrounding a potential hostage release more time to bear fruit.
The Biden administration’s request reportedly involved two central elements: holding back on an expansive ground campaign and allowing negotiations to unfold concurrently with military actions already underway.

The latest cutoff date set by the Trump administration for New York Governor Kathy Hochul to pull the plug on the city’s congestion pricing policy has passed without any action.
Despite federal pressure, the city’s network of monitoring cameras is still fully operational, and the congestion pricing system remains in place.
Trump administration representatives had notified Hochul that failing to disable the cameras by Wednesday could lead to New York being stripped of federal funding and warned that the government “may implement compliance actions as soon as May 28.”
However, Hochul’s office refused to back down.
“Congestion pricing is lawful — and it’s effective. Traffic is down, business is up, and the cameras are staying on,” a spokesperson said.

Agam Berger, who was held hostage by Hamas for over a year, met with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, expressing deep skepticism about the effectiveness of diplomatic efforts in dealing with Hamas, according to Israeli news outlets.
“If it were possible not to choose war, we wouldn’t choose it. But the moment there is a war for the survival of our land, that’s what we will do,” she said.
Berger emphasized that the ideological and operational goals of Hamas leave no room for peaceful coexistence. “They [Hamas] don’t want ‘togetherness.’ All the diplomatic solutions – I don’t know what to call it – it won’t work because it’s either us or them.”

Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, the special envoy appointed by President Donald Trump to spearhead the fight against antisemitism, received an extraordinary letter of endorsement this past week from senior gedolim in Israel, both Chassidic and Litvish.
The letter, written in both English and Hebrew, expresses profound gratitude to President Trump and extends heartfelt blessings to his newly designated representative. Among the prominent signatories are Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman, Rav Berel Povarsky, the Rebbes of Belz, Sanz, and Seret-Vizhnitz, as well as Rav Shaul Alter.

A devastating aerial barrage launched by Russia pounded Kyiv and multiple other Ukrainian locations for a second straight night, resulting in the deaths of at least 12 civilians and wounding dozens more, officials reported on Sunday morning.
The magnitude of the strike stunned Ukrainian defense forces, as Russia unleashed a combined total of 367 drones and missiles. According to Yuriy Ihnat, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Air Force, this marked the most extensive aerial offensive since the full-scale war began more than three years ago.
Ihnat told The Associated Press that the attack included 69 missiles and a staggering 298 drones, many of them Iranian-designed Shahed drones.

[COMMUNICATED]
B”hEvery parent dreams of watching their child grow up healthy and happy. For Racheli, that dream was shattered the moment her youngest daughter, Gitty, was born.
Three years ago, Gitty came into the world with a rare combination of severe heart defects. From her very first breath, she was in danger.
“She was so tiny,” recalls Racheli, her voice trembling. “We were told there was no option but to fly her to Boston immediately for surgery. She was just a month old.”

The political future of Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s government hangs in the balance this week, as Gedolei Yisroel issue a firm ultimatum: substantial progress must be made by Shavuos on the legislation of a new draft law and the formal recognition of yeshiva students’ status — or the coalition risks unraveling.
In a high-stakes gathering held in Bnei Brak ahead of the state budget vote, the Gerrer Rebbe raised the possibility of voting against the budget and toppling the coalition in protest over the stalled draft legislation. The emergency meeting took place at the home of Rav Dov Landau and was attended by Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch and other leading roshei yeshiva.

Democrat party chairman Yair Golan sought to further clarify and retract controversial comments he made earlier in the week that sparked fierce criticism across the political spectrum, insisting that he never accused the IDF of killing babies in Gaza for sport.
In a Channel 12 interview, Golan unequivocally rejected the idea that he believed Israel had intentionally targeted infants in Gaza. “Certainly not,” he said when asked directly. “I wasn’t speaking about the military at all. I didn’t say that.” The former IDF deputy chief of staff emphasized that his remarks were directed at extremist elements in Israel’s political leadership, not the army.

Fresh controversy has erupted over reported remarks made by incoming Shin Bet nominee Maj. Gen. David Zini, who, according to leaked accounts, has voiced strong opposition to prioritizing the rescue of Israeli hostages held by Hamas above all else in the ongoing war.
Channel 12 revealed that Zini had sharply disagreed with then-IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi months ago, allegedly reprimanding him for placing too much emphasis on recovering the captives rather than focusing on eradicating Hamas. “You prioritize the return of the hostages over destroying Hamas,” Zini reportedly told Halevi during a heated exchange.

A top Hamas figure spoke with the Al-Araby Al-Jadeed newspaper about circulating reports of a Saudi-French proposal that would see Hamas give up its arms and place them under the control of a civilian authority in Gaza.
The representative firmly rejected the notion that any such talks had occurred, stating that neither Saudi nor French officials had initiated any contact, and emphasized that the idea of Hamas surrendering its weapons is not being considered in any form.
“The resistance’s weapons are a red line, and the matter is completely closed with the agreement of all armed factions in the Strip—not just Hamas,” the official asserted.