Hamas scrambles to replace flailing, radio-silent Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar

Hamas is looking to replace Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar after a string of defeats for the Palestinian terror group in Khan Younis and ongoing radio silence from the elusive terrorist leader.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a report Sunday it has become evident that Hamas’ leadership abroad has lost confidence that the suspected Oct. 7 mastermind and other current terror officials in Gaza can stave off the Israel Defense Force’s advancements after its battalions in Khan Younis were taken out.

“Hamas does not trust its commanders, this is a very, very noticeable thing,” Gallant said after a meeting with the IDF’s southern command, according to the Times of Israel. “The Hamas-Gaza station does not answer, there is no one to talk to as leadership on the ground.

“That means there is a tender for who will manage Gaza,” Gallant suggested.

Sinwar, the man believed to have been the mastermind behind the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel that launched the war, has allegedly been out of contact with the terror group for weeks, according to Israeli Channel 12.

It is unclear if the terror group cannot reach Sinwar because he’s on the run or because of the rolling communication blackouts across Gaza.

Hamas has not commented on Sinwar’s whereabouts or the allegations made by Gallant.

The IDF has repeatedly vowed to hunt down the terrorist leader, who has eluded the Israeli military since its ground assault into the Palestinian enclave began.

Although the IDF claimed that it had isolated him in an underground bunker in northern Gaza in November, Sinwar was believed to have used the terror group’s 300-mile long tunnel system to escape south.

While the Israeli military eventually surrounded his home in Khan Younis the next month, it came up empty-handed again, and ensuing heated battles and raids into the southern tunnels have yet to turn up signs of Sinwar’s whereabouts.

Last week, the IDF revealed footage of the Hamas leader running through the tunnel system with his family just days after the Oct. 7 massacre.

“The hunt for Sinwar will not stop until we catch him, dead or alive,” IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told reporters after the video of Sinwar was aired.

While some experts have speculated that Sinwar could be hiding in Rafah, currently Gaza’s most populous city housing more than 1.4 million refugees, Gallant said there would be no more places to escape to, as the IDF is expected to advance into the city despite international outcry over civilian casualties.

“Hamas is left with marginal [forces] in the central camps and with the Rafah Brigade, and what stands between them and a complete collapse as a military system is a decision by the IDF,” he said.

“There is no one here to come to their aid, no Iranians, no international aid,” he added.

Gallant noted that Hamas’ once 24-strong battalions have dwindled to just six – two in Central Gaza and four in Rafah.

We Are Destroying The Businesses Of Our Friends And Neighbors Without A Shred Of Remorse

 

From a letter to YWN! 

I would like to raise awareness about an important issue that warrants more attention from us. The issue is the negative reviews that people leave on locally owned businesses within our very own community and the havoc they cause. Once that negative impression is etched in a consumers mind, it is extremely difficult to remove it, and as we all know, when checking out a business, many of us head straight for the reviews to see what ppl are saying.

Being that it’s impossible to please everyone all the time, businessowners will inevitably have disgruntled customers. The problem is, once they write these disgruntled customers write thier review, it’s nearly impossible for the business to refute it, as it’s the customers word versus the store and people viewing the review will generally believe the customer.

To make matters worse, upset customers often use extremely sharp language and dramatically describe their gripe, (for example: “This is the worst tasting pizza ever, rudest staff I have ever come across, disgusting attitude by manager, worst experience in my life”) while the owner must remain professional and polite when responding (“We are so sorry you felt this way; please reach out to us so we can assist you further”), and people generally will assume that the customer is outlining a universal truth about the establishment.

This is an issue that is seriously taking money out of our own community’s pockets. Don’t believe me? Speak to your local business owners about the stress, anxiety, and tension those terrible reviews cause them.

Now, to address a valid point you might be thinking of: Sometimes a store’s service really is terrible and the food truly subpar, and it’s actually a chessed to leave a review so that no one should have to have the same bad experience as you did. That’s fair, and I get it. We all have occasionally experienced a businesses where expectations were not met and there is lots of room for improvement. However, I would ask you to consider this: Imagine the owner of this establishment was your good friend, or your neighbor, and you personally watched over the years as he worked long hours to try to build himself up and make his store successful. One night you go out to eat, and the waitress, who is having a rough day, really messes up your order or snaps at you. Would you be so quick to pull out your phone and write a critical review about how this business is terribly unprofessional and how the waitress has got a real attitude, or would you be more forgiving because you understand that a bad review can really hurt your friend/neighbor and really make his business suffer?

We have to keep in mind that these establishments are owned and run by our acquaintances and that each review is hurting a friend or neighbor of ours.

One must keep in mind that the Chofetz Chaim has a whole set of conditions that must be met in order for one to be allowed to speak critically abt another – even l’toeles! If any are not met, it is real lashon horah. If one believes he is entitled to write a review, it behooves him to show it to a competent Rabbi first and make sure it is written properly. As the Chofetz Chaim himself says, “at the time one speaks (l’toeles) he is standing in grave danger of the issur of speaking lashon horah if he doesn’t protect himself (by keeping all the necessary conditions). And on this u can say death and life are in the hands of the tongue. And if one doesn’t think to himself before he begins to speak a matter like this, which way to bring out the incident, for sure he will transgress, for at the time of the incident a person’s anger is strengthened upon himself, and it is impossible to be careful in this. Therefore, before one begins to speak one must contemplate how to bring out the incident in a way not to make the wrongdoing greater than it is, and to have in mind to do it for a constructive purpose…..’’ (Chofetz Chaim Hilchos Lashon Horah Klal Yud Se’if Tes Vav).

M.K.

The Skverer Rebbetzin Chaya Chana Twersky Passes On at 81

 Mrs. Chaya Chana Twersky A”H, who stood by her husband for decades as he inspired tens of thousands of chassidim and admirers in the US and across the world. She was 81 years old.

The Rebbetzin suffered from various serious health issues over the past few years. Her condition had deteriorated over the last several weeks.

The Rebbetzin comes from regal rabbinic heritage, as she was the oldest daughter of the late Vishnitzer Rebbe Zt”l of Bnei Brak, known as the Yeshuos Moshe. Her siblings – all of them leaders of major Chasidus’s – visited her over the past two weeks as her physical condition declined.

Her brothers are the Vishnitzer Rebbe of Bnei Brak (Reb Yisroel), the Vishnitzer Mercaz Rebbe (Reb Mendel); her sisters are the Belzer Rebbetzin, the Satmar (Kiryas Joel) Rebbetzin, and the wife of HaRav Menachem Ernster, the rosh yeshiva of the Vizhnitz Yeshiva in Bnei Brak.

The Rebbetzin is survived by the Rebbe shlit”a, her grieving children, and thousands of Skverer Chassidim – many of whom she personally helped and was involved with on personal matters.

Here’s a Look Inside Donald Trump’s $355 Million Civil Fraud Verdict as an Appeals Fight Looms

 

On the witness stand last year, Donald Trump proclaimed: “I have a lot of cash.”

After Friday’s eye-popping penalty in his New York civil fraud trial, he’s going to need it — and maybe more.

A judge ordered the former president to fork over $355 million of his fortune, plus interest, finding he lied for years about his wealth on financial statements he used to secure loans and make deals as he built the real estate empire that vaulted him to fame and the presidency.

“The frauds found here leap off the page and shock the conscience,” Judge Arthur Engoron wrote in a 92-page decision that spares Trump’s company from closure, but forces it into years of court supervision, among other sanctions.

The ruling, after a 2½-month trial in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit cuts to the core of Trump’s image as a wealthy, shrewd real estate mogul turned political force.

The financial penalty — staggering even for a businessman who’s seen casinos, an airline and other ventures fail — adds to Trump’s mounting legal debts and could put the Republican presidential front-runner in a serious cash crunch as he campaigns to retake the White House.

Trump, who’s also dealing with four criminal cases, decried Friday’s ruling as “election inference” and has vowed to appeal.

Here’s a look at the case, the penalties and what’s next for Trump.

The death of free shipping

You know how sometimes you’re the jerk? Maybe you’re a little aggressive with a lane change to make your exit on the highway. Or you get a little heated with a customer-service rep who has nothing to do with the thing you’re mad about. It happens to the best of us.

Well, if you’ve ever bought stuff online and received free shipping or returns, you’ve also been a little bit of a jerk — and now it’s time to pay up.

Fast, free shipping and easy, no-cost returns have become a baseline expectation in the modern online shopping experience. Many consumers have grown accustomed to treating their bedrooms like store dressing rooms, confident they can regularly buy 20 items of clothing, try them on, and then send all but one back, no questions asked. Waiting even two days for a purchase to arrive seems like forever, and anything greater than $0 for shipping is a robbery. A December 2022 survey by the National Retail Federation and Appriss Retail found a 16.5% return rate for that year, estimating $816 billion worth of merchandise would be sent back.

Belgium Invites Imam That Calls for Killing and Taking Jews Captive to Address Parliament

Absolutely horrified to discover that in Brussels Parliament, an invited Muslim preacher chose to recite parts of Surah "Al-Ahzab", a Surah about a battle between Muslims and Jews.

This is a Surah that explicitly (verse 26) calls for the KILLING and TAKING CAPTIVE of Jews! In… pic.twitter.com/2jO7maJQrg

— Ambassador Idit Rosenzweig-Abu (@IditAbu) February 16, 2024

 An Imam at the Belgian parliament last week began reciting a verse from the Quran that explicitly calls on Muslims to kill and take Jews captive.

The Quran excerpt is verse 33:26 from the Al-Ahzab Surah (chapter). It translates to,

 “ And He brought down those from the People of the Book who supported the enemy alliance from their own strongholds, and cast horror into their hearts. You ‘believers’ killed some, and took others captive.”

Within the Quran, Jews are referred to as the “People of the Book.”

The event on Tuesday was not organized by the parliament, but rather at the initiative of Hasan Koyuncu, a member of parliament within the socialist party and vice president of the Francophone Parliament in Brussels, along with the Friends Of Brussels Association. 

Leftists Spending Tens of Millions of Dollars to Defeat Netanyahu "Sowing nothing but incitement, discord and division"

 

At the conclusion of his press conference Saturday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attacked the reporters in the room over the enormous campaign displaying huge ads against him on Ayalon Highway and other major roads, as well as in the media and social networks, that claim Netanyahu is guilty of the colossal failure of October 7, and the Hamas attack and the massacre that followed.

“There are huge ads on Ayalon and throughout the country and I see advertisements in all the media worth tens of millions of dollars. And I want to ask you – did you not think to investigate this? Did you not think to check who is doing this? Where does it come from? What are the funding sources? Who is behind this huge amount of money which is about nothing but incitement, discord, and division?”

Did Israel Agree to Freeze Settlements in Exchange for American Arms?

 

Maariv’s Anna Barsky on Saturday night cited officials in Judea and Samaria who claimed there’s a settlements construction freeze and as a result, no construction plan has been approved in the past six months in area E1 (the area between Jerusalem and Maaleh Adumim), which had been promoted by the Lapid-Bennett government, as well as other plans.

According to the sources, Netanyahu and other government officials believed that due to the preoccupation with the war in Gaza, they would be able to push the plans forward more easily under the radar, but the Americans did not approve of this and conditioned the supply of ammunition on freezing construction in Judea and Samaria.

The planned shipment, estimated to be worth tens of millions of dollars, includes about 1,000 MK-82 bombs, KMU-572 Joint Attack Direct munitions that add precision guidance to the bombs, and FMU-139 bomb fuses. Israeli and American sources are saying the shipment is still under internal review, and details could change before final approval by various congressional committees.

The precision-guided weapons will allow Israel to better target Hamas leaders and attack areas where enemy forces are fortified underground. However, a growing contingency in both houses of Congress, as well as the White House, insist that Israel complete the removal of civilians from Rafah before giving their approval to the latest military aid.

Peace Now has posted an extensive list of Israeli outposts in Judea and Samaria which have been legalized in 2023: Avigail, Beit Hogla, Givat Ha’Roeh, Givan Arnon, Mitzpe Yeuda, Malachei HaShalom, Asa’el, Sdeh Bo’az, Shacharit, Mevo’ot Yericho, Nofei Nechemia, Pnei Kedem, Zeit Ra’anan, and Netiv Ha’Avot.

In addition, according to Peace Now, the Israeli government has completed several roads that bypass Arab towns in Judea and Samaria that are renowned for murderous attacks on Israeli vehicles that were forced to drive through on their main road, most notably Huwara.

David Israel

David writes news at JewishPress.com.

Trump’s historic civil fraud trial ruling will spur a NY business exodus

 

The men and women who run New York's big banks and financial firms have had a long and somewhat tortured history with the former president dating back from his days as a real estate mogul.

Yet they see what’s happening to Donald Trump in the byzantine Letitia James bank-fraud prosecution and the over-the-top penalties issued by a state judge that could bankrupt Trump over relatively little.

They know they could be next — unless of course, they get out of New York , and fast.

That’s the word I’m getting from top executives at financial services firms, who paid close attention to the Trump case because of its broad implications for their businesses.

For years they’ve eyed the New York State Attorney General’s Office as a nuisance, its occupant using state laws, like the Martin Act, that give it wide latitude to prosecute financial crimes (and some petty crimes) for ­political advancement.

Recall: Before he was known as “Governor Socks,” Eliot Spitzer was the much-feared New York AG, the so-called sheriff of Wall Street, cracking down mostly on minor offenses that forced financial firms to fork over billions.

James’ power plays

James has taken Spitzer’s methods to more dangerous levels, Wall Street executives concede.

She has a well-earned rep for using her bully pulpit for political gain — see the “report” on her rival, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, over sex-abuse allegations that never materialized in prosecution, but did force Cuomo from office.

In Trump, James went further.

Leftist caught on camera punching a woman in the face during a protest against the government

 

Unbelievable! An extreme left-wing activist went to protect Arab shepherds from settlers ..Watch What happens!

 At the end, the Arab shepherds threw her out of the vehicle and stole her car ! 

Red Cross assisted Hamas terrorists at the Erez Crossing on October 7

 

TRUE FACE OF THE RED CROSS

Israel Was Behind Recent Crippling Attacks On Iran’s Gas Infrastructure

 

The New York Times reported on Friday that Israel is behind multiple recent explosions affecting Iranian gas pipelines, citing sources including two Western officials and a military strategist associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Iran’s oil minister, Javad Owji, addressed the reported attacks, describing them as sabotage and terrorist acts aimed at disrupting gas flow during the winter season.

“The enemy’s plan was to completely disrupt the flow of gas in winter to several main cities and provinces in our country,” he said.

Despite the disruption caused by the attacks, Owji downplayed their impact. However, reports from Iranian governors and officials at the state gas company indicate widespread outages across five provinces due to the attacks, leading to the closure of government buildings.

The targeted natural gas pipeline originates in Iran’s western Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, extending north to cities on the Caspian Sea. Measuring approximately 790 miles, the pipeline starts in Asaluyeh, a crucial hub for Iran’s offshore South Pars gas field.

Notably, the targeted province lacks known insurgent groups that have taken responsibility for other similar attacks and is primarily inhabited by the Bakhtiari, a branch of Iran’s Lur ethnic group.

The Times also said Israel was involved in a separate incident on Thursday involving an explosion at a chemical factory on the outskirts of Tehran. Local officials initially attributed the blast to an accident in the factory’s fuel tank.

Footage Of UN Staffer Kidnapping Body Of Israeli From Kibbutz Beeri Revealed

 

Meet Faisal Ali Mussalem Al Naami (in black), a U.N. relief worker who participated in the Oct. 7 massacre.

He’s a social worker for @UNRWA by profession, who was captured on video that day removing the limp body of an Israeli man who had been shot at Kibbutz Beeri and driving… pic.twitter.com/rLGMVbjhso

— David Saranga (@DavidSaranga) February 17, 2024

 For the first time, footage of a UNRWA staff member assisting in kidnapping the body of an Israeli from Kibbutz Beeri on October 7th has been published, proving Israel’s claim that members of the relief agency were actively involved in the atrocities committed by Hamas. The footage was published by the Washington Post.

The worker is captured on video removing the limp body of an Israeli man who had been shot at Kibbutz Beeri and driving off with it, according to information released Friday by Israeli authorities.

Israel told UNRWA last month that Faisal Ali Musalam Naami, 45, and 11 other UNRWA employees participated in or lent support to the Hamas assault on October 7th. Israeli authorities have said Hamas and allied gunmen killed 1,200 Israelis and took some 253 people hostage back in Gaza.

Israel claims to have evidence that some 30 other UNRWA employees were directly or indirectly involved in the Hamas attack.

Candace Owens Goes on Tirade Against some Jews ... Is she right??

 

 Candace Owens, posted a lengthy rant on Instagram this week, in which she blasted America’s support for Israel and accused “political Jews” of creating anti-Semitism.

The Daily Wire host accused Jews of fueling antisemitism, compared some Jews to BLM, and seemed to equate Israeli hostages with Palestinian children who grow up with “the threat of bombs being dropped” around them.

It should be noted that the leadership at Daily Wire has defended keeping Owens on their platform, saying that every host has freedom of speech, and they do not cancel, fire, or censor others because of their views.

On Wednesday, Owens shared a post from Daily Wire host Matt Walsh raging against foreign aid. She then weighed in with the following: “I grew up in a town that had a large Jewish community. For whatever reason my best friends throughout my childhood and early adulthood were always Jewish,” She then mentioned her personal connections to the Jewish community, having nannied for a Jewish family in Manhattan and working for two Jewish men at a private equity fund.

“So why am I telling you this? Never once in all of those years, ever, did I hear ANY of those people accuse others of being antisemitic or a “Jew Hater”.

“That all changed when I got into politics and met what I would describe as political Jews–who operate almost exactly like Black Lives Matter.

“These people-regarding which they are a small, fringe faction, are some of those most vile, dishonest, manipulative people that I have ever met. Under the guise of fighting antisemitism, they actually create it.”

Owens continued her rant: “Just as Black Lives Matter radicals would threaten and intimidate white people’s lives by constantly smearing and libeling people into submission, these radicals do the same.”

“BLM ultimately hurt the black community. The Jewish fringe are hurting the Jewish community by misrepresenting who they are,” she continued, before focusing on Israel:

“My political philosophy has always been that we should not be using taxpayer dollars to support foreigners. I am therefore against the welfare programs for illegal immigrants. I’m against illegal immigration as a whole as it burdens taxpayers. I was against sending money to Afghanistan and Ukraine and therefore I am, of course, against sending a single dime to Israel.

“America is a country that is trillions dollars in debt. Why on earth are we sending money to a nation that has less debt than us?” she continued, adding: “This is common economic sense. Not antisemitism.”

“Ultimately what this particular fringe group of radical Jewish people are, are thugs and Marxists. They want power, and they are willing to harm their Jewish peers to get it.”

“Have the courage to call these people out. To my Jewish friends: you are not a monolith. You do not have to support their Marxism or believe their nasty lies.”

Owens concluded by saying she hopes all the Israeli hostages are “found” and that “I also cry and mourn for the little children in Palestine who are growing up with the threat of bombs dropped on them every day.”

Owens has a long history of controversial and outlandish rhetoric including saying Adolf Hitler’s “nationalism” inside Germany was “fine”, defending the sale of “Mein Kampf”, and justifying her stance against Israel by accusing Charedi Jews of being anti-Zionist.

How Biden’s General With A Jacket full of Medals Tried Desperately to Stop the IDF from Entering Gaza, Predicted 20 Daily Casualties

Yedioth’s Amit Segal describes the shirt of US Marine Lieutenant-General James Glynn, commander of Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command from June 2020 to May 2022, as crammed with 23 medals, from the Bronze Star to the Purple Heart. The shirts of US military officers are a jarring sight to Israelis, whose IDF Generals wear modest insignia marking the wars in which they participated, and on occasion their paratrooper’s wing, that’s it. The rest is mostly shirt.

Glynn, the war hero who fought on three continents, liberated Kuwait, and led US units in Iraq, was sent by President Joe Biden in mid-October, 2023, “to help the commanders of the IDF think about the difficult questions before them.”

Fani Willis 'out-trumped' Trump during 'mind-blowing' testimony

 

Why aren’t Arab leaders calling on Hamas to end the war?

 

This week, Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas called on Hamas to reach a deal to free the Israeli hostages and spare Gaza additional death and destruction.

The move was brazen — because while Hamas is distressingly popular among Palestinians, Pres. Abbas (who’s plagued by corruption charges) is not.

Either way, it’s a call that the rest of the Middle East’s supposedly moderate Sunni Arab leaders could clearly learn from.

Most Arab leaders know that despite Hamas claims, the militant organization is actually the enemy of the Palestinian people.

For more than 30 years Hamas has deployed terrorism to derail a two-state solution.

And Arab leaders are well aware that regional peace will remain elusive until the group is sidelined.

So why pretend otherwise?

Why did Jordan’s normally reasonable King Abdullah direct his words at Israel and not Hamas when he declared this week that the Gaza war must end?

A poll released last month of 8,000 respondents from 16 Arab countries helps explain why.

80% of Americans test positive for infertility-linked chemical

  Americans are being exposed to a chemical found in oat-based foods, including Cheerios and Quaker Oats, that can pose a risk to reproductive and developmental health, according to a new study.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that four in five, or 80%, of Americans, tested positive for a harmful additive called chlormequat — linked to reduced fertility, altered fetal growth and delayed puberty.

Additionally, EWG’s tests found higher levels and more frequent detection of chlormequat in 2023 samples, compared to those from 2017 through 2022. This suggests consumer exposure to chlormequat could be on the rise, researchers said.

Startup’s AI breaks global weather forecasting accuracy record

In 2017, chlormequat was detected in 69% of study participants. The number increased to 74% between 2018 and 2022 and spiked to 90% in 2023.

“Just as troubling, we detected the chemical in 92% of oat-based foods purchased in May 2023, including Quaker Oats and Cheerios,” the EWG said in a report published alongside their findings.

Since chlormequat typically leaves the body within 24 hours, these findings suggest Americans are regularly being exposed to the chemical, according to the report.

EWG also tested 20 more oat-based foods for chlormequat — seven organic, 13 nonorganic, and nine wheat-based products; however, it didn’t specify which brands’ foods it tested.

Detectable levels of chlormequat were found in 92% of nonorganic oat-based foods, while only two samples of wheat-based foods — both bread — had low levels of of the chemical.

Only one of the seven organic samples had low levels of chlormequat.

Until the government puts parameters around the use of chlormequat, the EWG urged consumers to opt for products with organic oats growth without synthetic chemicals like chlormequat.

Yishay Gertner 23, from Modi'in Illit Murdered in Shooting Attack

Yishay Gertner, 23, from Modi'in Illit, is one of the two people who were murdered in the terrorist attack at the Re’em Junction on Friday, it was cleared for publication. He was a bochur from Modi’in Illit who was heading to learn at Yeshiva Meor HaTalmud in Malachi when he was killed.

Four people were injured in the shooting attack, including a 16-year-old who is critical condition and is being treated at Schneider’s Children Hospital in Petah Tikva.

The others were evacuated to Assuta Hospital in Ashdon and Kaplan Hospital in Rehovot.

An armed civilian battled the terrorist and eliminated him.

A source in the police stated that the terrorist arrived at the scene in a vehicle, sporting an "ISIS style" beard and a large white skull cap. He made a U-turn at the junction since he saw a large number of people standing there. He exited the vehicle and began shooting with a pistol. A civilian at the scene eliminated the terrorist.