Security was noticeably extra tight as over 50,000 people flocked to the Kosel on Sunday morning, the third day of Chol Hamoed in Eretz Yisrael, for Birchas Kohanim. Thousands of Israel Police and Border Police officers were deployed to the area to ensure visitors’ safety. Although tens of thousands of Jews participated in the tefillah, photos of the Kosel from afar show a noticeably smaller crowd than past years.

A  Palestinian attempted to commit a terror attack next to the yishuv of Ofra in Binyanim on Shabbos but b’chasdei Hashem killed only himself. According to security camera footage of the attack, the terrorist sped toward a parked police vehicle as a police officer and IDF soldier patrolled nearby. The terrorist was identified as a 27-year-old resident of Shechem. Watch the video of the attack below: (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

In a stunning exchange on Thursday, Vice President Kamala Harris appeared to lend credence to a protester accusing Israel of genocide during a campaign stop at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The moment unfolded when Harris was interrupted by a demonstrator wearing a keffiyeh, who loudly accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians. “I know what you’re speaking of. I want a ceasefire. I want the hostage deal done. I want the war to end,” Harris began, seemingly attempting to diffuse the situation. But the protester quickly escalated, shouting, “But what about the genocide? What about the genocide though?” Instead of firmly dismissing the accusation, Harris responded, “I respect your right to speak, but I’m speaking right now,” triggering cheers from the crowd.

The IDF has intensified their military operations in both the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon, targeting terrorist infrastructure and combatants linked to Hezbollah and Hamas. In southern Lebanon, IDF ground forces have been actively dismantling Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure, eliminating combatants, and confiscating weapons. The Israel Air Force (IAF) has played a significant role, eliminating over 65 Hezbollah fighters and striking multiple terrorist sites, including launchers aimed at Israeli civilians and various infrastructure targets. In the Gaza Strip, the IDF continues operations across northern, southern, and central regions.

The IDF has released video footage showing Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar on the night before the October 7 attack, retreating with his family into an underground tunnel network beneath his home in Khan Younis. The video shows him transporting equipment and supplies for an extended stay underground. According to the IDF, this footage was retrieved from Gaza several months ago. “Even on the eve before the brutal massacre, Sinwar was busy with his survival and the survival of his family,” said IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari. “A few hours before the massacre, Sinwar and his family escaped alone to the tunnel.

A video purporting to show dozens of North Korean recruits lining up to collect Russian military fatigues has been released by Ukrainian officials, who say it shows the introduction of troops sent by Pyongyang into the conflict. The video, published by Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security, which operates under the Culture and Information Ministry, allegedly shows North Korean soldiers standing in line to pick up bags, clothes and other apparel from Russian servicemen. “We received this video from our own sources. We cannot provide additional verification from the sources who provided it to us due to security concerns,” said Ihor Solovey, the head of the center.

Israeli forces in Gaza killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the chief architect of last year’s attack on Israel that sparked the war, the IDF said Thursday. Troops appeared to have run across him unknowingly in a battle, only to discover afterwards that a body in the rubble was Israel’s most-wanted man. Israeli leaders celebrated his killing as a settling of scores just over a year after Hamas-led terrorists killed some 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others. They also presented it as a turning point in the campaign to destroy Hamas, urging the group to surrender and release some 100 hostages still in Gaza. “Hamas will no longer rule Gaza. This is the start of the day after Hamas,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

CBS News is once again under fire after House Speaker Mike Johnson accused the network of selectively editing portions of his interview on Face the Nation, which aired over the weekend. Johnson took to social media on Monday night, sharing three video segments on X that revealed how CBS cut out key parts of his responses, including criticisms of the Biden-Harris administration. In a series of posts, Johnson highlighted the network’s decision to remove five minutes from his nearly 15-minute interview, which he claimed were crucial to his points on election integrity and disaster response. “CBS has been under fire for selectively editing their interviews to PROMOTE Democrats and UNDERMINE Republicans,” Johnson wrote in one of his posts.

Vice President Kamala Harris managed to raise eyebrows again on Monday, this time by reaching for the stars—literally—when attempting to answer a question about crime. During an interview with Roland Martin on Black Star Network, Harris took a detour into astronomy when asked about Donald Trump’s focus on crime in Democrat-run cities. “I talked with somebody once who said, ‘You know, if you just look at where the stars are in the sky. Don’t look at them as just random things; if you just look at them as points, look at the constellation—what does it show you?’” Harris rambled. “So you just outlined it, Roland, what does it show you? That the cities that he picks on in terms of Black population or Black mayor or both. C’mon.” Naturally, the internet pounced.

An armed man arrested at former President Donald Trump’s rally in Coachella, California, over the weekend is not being seen as a threat to the former president’s life, according to reports from the Trump campaign and Fox News. The man, identified as 49-year-old Vem Miller from Las Vegas, was arrested by local authorities for possessing a shotgun, a loaded handgun, and a high-capacity magazine. Miller, who later posted bail, told Fox News Digital that he is a longtime Trump supporter and attended the rally at the invitation of the Nevada Republican Party. “Yes, I’m 100% a Trump supporter,” Miller said. He explained that his political views shifted in 2018 and that he has admired Trump ever since.