Israel is gearing up to intensify its military campaign in Gaza, with a particular focus on the northern sector, following Hamas’s rejection of the Witkoff-brokered ceasefire framework. Israeli officials viewed the group’s refusal as a clear sign of its unwillingness to seriously engage in negotiations.
Sources suggest that the move toward heightened military pressure comes in response to intelligence indicating that Az al-Din al-Haddad, the commander of Hamas’s Gaza Brigade, currently wields substantial authority within the enclave and is believed to be directing the group’s strategic decisions.

As tens of thousands prepare to walk to the Kosel this Shavuos, a series of hospitality tents have been erected throughout Yerushalayim to serve the crowds en route to the site.
The initiative, now in its third year, is led by the Ministry for Yerushalayim and Jewish Tradition under the direction of Minister Meir Porush.
The tents are strategically positioned across the city, providing pedestrians with a place to pause and refresh as they make their way to and from the Kosel on the night and day of Shavuos. Every year, multitudes from all neighborhoods of Yerushalayim walk to daven and learn at the makom kadosh, and the tents offer support along the way.

Just days before Shavuos, in the midst of the wheat harvest, a meaningful tradition played out once again: Reb Aharon Yosef Kornitzer, a devoted askan and chossid, personally delivered the first of the year’s gleaming wheat stalks to Gedolei Yisroel. The wheat was freshly harvested for matzos mitzvah to be baked for Pesach 5786 and was presented as a symbolic gift to adorn the Yom Tov tables of gedolei Torah.

An antisemitic act of vandalism shook the heart of Paris over Shabbos as three historic shuls, a well-known Jewish restaurant, and a Holocaust memorial in the city’s 4th arrondissement were defaced with green paint, widely associated with Islamic symbolism.
According to Paris police, security cameras captured a hooded figure in black defacing the Holocaust memorial around 4:30 a.m., roughly 45 minutes before officers discovered the scene. An open bucket of paint was later found near the Chez Marianne Jewish restaurant.
The Paris prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation on the grounds of “religiously motivated vandalism,” and transferred the case to the city’s special security unit.

Professor Stanley Fischer, one of the most influential figures in Israeli economic history and a former Governor of the Bank of Israel, passed away last night at the age of 81 after a prolonged illness.
Born in October 1943 in Zambia, Professor Fischer’s distinguished international career began long before he assumed his prominent role in Israel. He served as Vice President of the World Bank in 1988 and, from 1994 to 2001, held the role of First Deputy Managing Director at the International Monetary Fund. He later entered the private sector, taking on senior leadership positions at Citigroup International.

WATCH:

A flight filled with Breslover chassidim headed to Uman for Shavuos was thrown into chaos after one passenger was caught smoking an electronic cigarette, forcing the plane to return to Tel Aviv and leading to the removal of all passengers, Matzav.com has learned.
The incident occurred on a Wizz Air flight scheduled to depart from Tel Aviv to Bucharest, Romania, on Thursday. Just moments before takeoff, smoke detectors in the cabin were triggered when a passenger began vaping. Flight attendants rushed to the scene, and although there was no immediate danger to the aircraft, security protocols required the involvement of law enforcement.

Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg is preparing to sail to Gaza this weekend on a humanitarian mission, drawing sharp criticism from some commentators who are suggesting she shouldn’t plan on returning.
The 22-year-old, known globally for her climate change campaigns, will be joined by several other notable figures as they board the ship “Madleen” in Catania, Sicily on Sunday. Their goal is to bring aid to Gaza and protest the Israeli blockade that has remained in place for months.
According to the World Health Organization, Gaza faces a looming famine due to the blockade, with 75% of the population experiencing severe to extreme food shortages.

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Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut traveled to Kyiv on Friday to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and discuss their latest legislative initiative aimed at ramping up pressure on Russia through sweeping new sanctions. The two lawmakers are pushing a bipartisan bill designed to punish Moscow if it continues to evade meaningful peace negotiations.
The proposed legislation, introduced last week, threatens to enforce harsh penalties on Russia and those who facilitate its war efforts in Ukraine. One of the central components of the bill is a massive 500% tariff on imports from nations that purchase Russian energy, including oil, gas, and uranium, as well as other key commodities.