Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu postponed his scheduled visit to Azerbaijan due to security developments in Gaza and Syria and a packed political-security agenda, his office announced on Motzei Shabbos. “In light of the developments in Gaza and Syria and due to his intense diplomatic and security schedule, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has decided to postpone his visit to Azerbaijan to a later date,” the statement said. “The Prime Minister thanks President Aliyev for his invitation and appreciates the warm ties between the two countries.” Netanyahu was slated to travel to Baku on Wednesday for a five-day visit. (YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis ha’Shabbos in Israel)

Missile alert sirens blared in several locations in Israel at about 6:30 a.m. on Shabbos morning, including Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, Modi’in, the Negev, and the Dead Sea area. The missile, launched by the Houthis in Yemen, was successfully intercepted by Israel’s missile defense forces. A 26-year-old man was lightly injured while rushing to a protected area. The Houthis launched two missiles at northern Israel on Friday. (YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis ha’Shabbos in Israel)

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sharply criticized Israel on Friday for conducting an airstrike the night before near Syria’s presidential palace in Damascus.
Stephan Dujarric, the UN spokesperson, released a statement saying that Guterres denounced the attack as a breach of Syrian sovereignty. He urged Israel to respect “its unity, its territorial integrity and its independence.”
In a coordinated statement, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz defended the operation, stating that the strike was meant to deliver “a clear message to the Syrian regime. We will not permit Syrian troops to move south of Damascus or any threat to the Druze community.”

In a heartwarming update, 4-year-old Pinchas Raphael ben Sara (Saada) has returned home following a miraculous recovery from a horrific car accident in Flatbush that claimed the lives of his mother and two sisters a few weeks ago. Initially listed in critical condition, Pinchas’ survival and return home on Friday afternoon, are being attributed to the fervent tefillos of Klal Yisroel, bringing joy and gratitude to the community. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier to remain in the Middle East for a second time, keeping it there another week so the U.S. can maintain two carrier strike groups in the region to battle Yemen-based Houthi rebels, according to a U.S. official. In late March, Hegseth extended the deployment of the Truman and the warships in its group for a month as part of a campaign to increase strikes on the Iran-backed Houthis. The official said Hegseth signed the latest order Thursday and it is expected the Truman and its strike group warships will head home to Norfolk, Virginia, after the week is up. Gen. Erik Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, requested that the Truman be extended again, according to officials.

Security around Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has reportedly been tightened to extraordinary levels by the Shin Bet, with the agency implementing what has been described as the most comprehensive protective measures to date.
According to a Friday report by Ynet, the stepped-up precautions now include the deployment of a high-tech body screening machine and advanced surveillance systems. These upgrades accompany thorough manual checks, including physical searches. The report did not cite specific sources.
In addition, new equipment designed specifically to inspect footwear has been brought into use as part of this expanded security protocol.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas issued a strong condemnation of both Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza and Hamas for exploiting the humanitarian crisis by plundering aid supplies meant for the local population.
The remarks, published by the PA’s official Wafa news agency, stated that Abbas “also expressed his categorical rejection and firm condemnation of the looting and theft carried out by criminal gangs targeting warehouses and storage facilities of humanitarian aid designated for the people of Gaza.”

The Trump administration could gut research on the effectiveness of child welfare programs, with plans to terminate dozens of university grants studying improvements to Head Start and child care policy, according to a spreadsheet mistakenly made public this week. The document listed more than 150 research projects under consideration for termination by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It covered grants funded by the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, which says it “builds evidence to improve lives” by helping policymakers evaluate programs that help low-income children and families.

At a high-level security meeting led by Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu on Friday evening, Israeli leadership evaluated plans to intensify IDF activity in the Gaza Strip.
Military commanders laid out a strategy before the political leadership that includes significantly ramping up pressure on Hamas. The approach would mirror the IDF’s recent operations in Rafah, focusing on capturing territory, dividing sections of Gaza, rooting out terrorist infrastructure both above and underground, and retaining control over these areas. The goal is to force Hamas to become more flexible in hostage release negotiations.