Israel is preparing for a rapid military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities if ongoing negotiations between Tehran and Washington fall apart, according to a report by Axios citing two Israeli sources familiar with the matter. According to one source, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is closely watching the diplomatic developments and awaiting the right political moment to act. “Bibi is waiting for the nuclear talks to collapse and for the moment Trump will be disappointed about the negotiations and open to giving him the go-ahead,” the source said, referring to President Donald Trump. The Israeli intelligence community, which once believed a deal was within reach, now reportedly sees the talks nearing collapse.

Defense Minister Yisrael Katz made a surprise visit to the Ashdod Naval Base in southern Israel on Wednesday. “I came here from a visit to the Shin Bet headquarters,” Katz said, “and all is Hamas is doing now is sitting and updating targets in yishuvim near the border through sources that provide it with information, like the Iranians and others. It is still busy planning how to continue.” “Therefore, we must win here. There is no entity that cannot be subdued. We must make sure Hamas will not stay here.” During the visit, Katz sailed off the coast of the Gaza Strip and received a briefing on the sailors’ activities during the war. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

In an interview with Israel’s N12, recently released hostage Yarden Bibas – whose wife, Shiri, and two sons, Ariel and Kfir hy”d, were murdered in captivity – opened up about the harrowing months he spent in Hamas captivity — and the unbreakable bond he shared with his best friend, David Cunio, who remains a hostage in Gaza to this day. Bibas revealed that during his time in captivity, he came face to face with Yahya Sinwar, the now-dead Hamas leader who orchestrated the October 7 massacre. “Sinwar asked me what he could do for me,” Bibas recounted. “I told him I wanted to stay with David, my best friend. He promised it would be done.” But that promise was short-lived. Just two to three weeks later, the two were forcibly separated.

In a landmark decision that redefines the future of kosher finance in America, Newrez—one of the largest and most prominent mortgage companies in the United States—has officially adopted a Heter Iska, granting borrowers across the country access to Halachically compliant financing. This breakthrough not only places Newrez on the growing list of kosher-certified lenders but also signals a massive leap forward in aligning the U.S. financial system with Torah values—making it easier than ever for observant Jews to pursue business opportunities and homeownership without compromising on Halacha.

Israel Prison Service Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi on Wednesday ordered that the Palestinian who spat on an IDF officer on a Ramat Gan bus on Sunday be designated as a security prisoner. The move is unusual as the charges against him are criminal. The video below shows the suspect, a 24-year-old resident of the town of Huwara, a notorious hotbed of terrorism in the northern Shomron, being transferred to an unnamed security prison. The suspect was transferred to Israel Police overnight Sunday after he surrendered himself to the IDF’s Civil Administration on Sunday evening. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

In an unusual move, a private individual, a former IDF soldier, filed a libel suit on Wednesday against Democrats Party chairman Yair Golan over his outrageous statements he made on Tuesday, including that “a sane country does not kill babies as a hobby,” Yisrael Hayom reported on Wednesday. The man behind the lawsuit is Roni Golan, a resident of Tel Mond, a former paratrooper and a father of IDF soldiers. “As a father of soldiers, I didn’t sleep all night, especially since one of my soldiers was hit by three RPGs and survived by a neis,” he explained. “I decided to prepare a statement of claim and submit it myself, without involving, chalilah, any political or legal factor.” Golan is suing the former major general for 38,900 shekels in the Kfar Saba small claims court.

Hamas leader Mohamed Sinwar, whose elimination was confirmed by the IDF on Wednesday, was considered a top target by the Shin Bet and IDF due to his involvement in planning dozens of attacks against Israel and the IDF, his senior role in planning and executing the October 7 massacre, his hawkish stance in the war against Israel, and his staunch refusal to advance hostage release deals, Maariv reported on Wednesday. Sinwar, like other senior Hamas figures, resided in compounds where hostages were being held, using them as human shields. More and more released hostages have testified that they were held near senior Hamas officials, primarily the brothers, Mohamed and Yahya Sinwar.

R’ Emanuel Yechiya Meshulam, z”l, a beloved mohel and tzaddik known throughout Israel for his decades of mesirus nefesh in performing brissim purely l’shem Shamayim was tragically niftar as he prepared to perform another one. He was 88. The niftar collapsed suddenly in the middle of a bris milah on Wednesday afternoon at a simcha held in Bilu Junction, central Israel. Shocked onlookers watched as the joyous moment turned tragic in an instant. Emergency medical personnel were immediately called to the scene. The call was received by his very own grandson, Kfir Meshulam — a volunteer with Magen David Adom. Kfir rushed over, only to discover that the patient was his beloved grandfather.

Despite sending call-up orders to over 24,000 Charedi men since last summer, the IDF has seen only a small fraction – 5% – begin the enlistment process. In a tense session of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee’s Subcommittee for IDF Human Resources, Brig. Gen. Shay Tayeb revealed that just 1,212 Charedi men have begun the initial stages of enlistment, despite thousands receiving formal draft notices. Of the 2,399 who were sent immediate call-up orders, 545 failed to appear by their mandatory reporting date. Military protocol deems any individual who ignores three draft notices a “draft evader,” triggering an automatic arrest warrant.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has accepted a gifted Boeing 747 aircraft from Qatar for President Donald Trump to use as Air Force One, the Pentagon said Wednesday. The Defense Department will “work to ensure proper security measures” on the aircraft to make it safe for use by the president, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said. He added that the plane was accepted “in accordance with all federal rules and regulations.” Trump has defended the gift, which came up during his recent Middle East trip, as a way to save tax dollars. “Why should our military, and therefore our taxpayers, be forced to pay hundreds of millions of Dollars when they can get it for FREE,” Trump posted on his social media site during the trip.