President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, announced that the administration is intensifying its diplomatic outreach to Iran and focusing heavily on efforts to free Israeli hostages being held in Gaza. These moves are part of a broader strategy ahead of President Trump’s upcoming trip to the region.
Speaking with Barak Ravid of Axios while attending the Israeli Embassy’s Independence Day celebration, Witkoff disclosed that Washington is preparing to restart negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program.
“The US is trying to schedule the fourth round of nuclear talks with Iran for this weekend. If it doesn’t happen it’s only because of the president’s trip to the Middle East,” Witkoff said.

IDF Spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin delivered a public briefing Monday evening from the Gaza border, addressing the next stage of military operations underway in the Gaza Strip.
During his remarks, Defrin emphasized that the central aim of the ongoing campaign is the safe return of the hostages being held by Hamas, framing this goal as inseparable from dismantling the terrorist organization—an apparent contrast to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement asserting the destruction of Hamas as the primary mission.

President Donald Trump wants to convert Alcatraz back into a federal prison, decades after the California island fortress was converted into a U.S. tourist destination because it had become too costly to house America’s worst criminals. The prison off the coast of San Francisco is where the government sent notorious gangsters Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly as well as lesser-known men who were considered too dangerous to lock up elsewhere. Circled by herons and gulls and often shrouded in fog, Alcatraz has been the setting for movies featuring Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage and Clint Eastwood. Trump says Alcatraz, now part of the National Park Service, suddenly is needed to house America’s “most ruthless and violent” criminals.

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman Two Giants from Grodno Both Rav Chaim L

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Youssef Qadi, a Hamas platoon commander who participated in the October 7 massacre and was responsible for holding several hostages [who have since been released], surrendered to IDF forces in Gaza, the IDF revealed on Tuesday. Additionally, Muhammad Za’arab, a commander in Hamas’ sniper unit, surrendered to IDF forces along with Qadi. The IDF said that several knives were found in the terrorists’ possession after their surrender. The two were arrested by forces of the 188th Armored Brigade several weeks ago in Rafah in southern Gaza. Their interrogation by the Shin Bet yielded intelligence information on the location of “significant terrorist infrastructure” in the area, the IDF said. The IDF completed the move to encircle Rafah several weeks ago and is continuing to operate there.

Senior Houthi official Hazam al-Assad threatened revenge on Israel in a poorly translated Hebrew post following Israel’s airstrikes on the Hodeidah port in Yemen and a concrete factory on Monday in response to the Houthis’ attack on Ben Gurion Airport a day earlier. Al-Assad wrote on X in broken Hebrew that “the Zionist-American attack on the port of Al-Hodeidah and the concrete factory in Bajil is a vile crime that will not go unanswered. The blood of the civilians and workers will be the fuel for a harsh and unequivocal Yemeni response. We will continue to support Gaza with faith and determination and strike deep into the enemy and disrupt its movements until the aggression stops and the siege is lifted.

By Rabbi Berach Steinfeld

In Vayikra 19:3 the Torah tells us one has to fear his mother and father. The Gemara Yevamos 5b says one might think that Kibbud Av and Kibbud Eim is docheh Shabbos, but the above posuk finishes with the words, “That you shall keep my Shabbos.” Rashi in Kedoshim says that the Torah put the halacha of keeping Shabbos right next to Kibbud Av V’eim to tell you that despite the fact that Hashem commanded us to honor our father and mother; nevertheless, if one’s parent requests you to be mechallel Shabbos, don’t listen to the parent. This rule would apply to all other mitzvos as well. 

President Donald Trump addressed questions on Monday regarding an image that circulated online over the weekend showing him dressed as the pope, which had been shared by the official White House account. Trump insisted the image was well received by many, particularly Catholics.
In a tense exchange in the Oval Office, a reporter pointed out that “some Catholics were not so happy about the image of you looking like the Pope.” Trump didn’t hesitate to respond sharply. “Oh, I see you mean they can’t take a joke; you don’t mean the Catholics, you mean the fake news media… The Catholics loved it,” Trump said.