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In a targeted operation in Gaza City Friday evening, the IDF struck Izz al-Din al-Haddad, head of Hamas’s military wing and the No. 1 terrorist leader in Gaza. 



He was one of the main architects of the October 7 massacre. Al-Haddad was responsible for the murder, abduction, and brutal treatment of thousands of Israelis and for directing terror attacks.



Senior security sources report initial indications show that the strike succeeded. Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement moments ago: “On orders from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and myself, the IDF struck the arch-murderer Izz al-Din al-Haddad&#8230; This is a clear message to all the murderers seeking our lives: Sooner or later, Israel will get you.”

Israel Strikes No. 1 Hamas Commander In Gaza

Residents of Rosh Hanikra, Liman, Nahariya, Betzet, and Akhziv remained in shelters for more than 30 minutes earlier, following sirens triggered by suspected hostile aircraft infiltration from Lebanon.



The IDF launched interceptors toward several drones launched by Hezbollah. One was successfully intercepted, while others fell in open areas per protocol, the military says. No injuries or damage reported B&#8221;H.



The IDF condemned the incident as yet &#8220;another violation of the ceasefire understandings by Hezbollah&#8221;.

UPDATE: Northern Israel Residents Sheltered for Over 30 Minutes Amid Suspected Drone Infiltration:

Rama Duwaji, the wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, reportedly created two public Spotify playlists during the early months of the Gaza war that featured profanity-laced anti-Israel music, including songs containing antisemitic themes, according to an exposé published by The Free Press.



One playlist, title featured tracks such as “Amrikkka,” “Intifada,” and “Ana Bakrah Israel,” which translates to “I Hate Israel.”



Another playlist, reportedly created in January 2024, included the song “FREE PALESTINE,” featuring lyrics, with profanity used between most words, that said: “Free Palestine, Israel gon’ die [expletive]. [Expletive], it’s they land, why you out here tryna rob it. No shalom [expletive], [expletive], this Haram [expletive].”



The same playlist also reportedly contained an anti-police track which also used profanity.



According to the report, Duwaji and the mayor’s office declined to comment on the findings, which examined the first lady’s online presence and questioned her previous claims that she had remained a private citizen following her husband’s election. Duwaji had apologized for some tweets she had posted as a teenager which said Tel Aviv, purchased by early Jewish settlers, &#8220;should never have existed,&#8221; praised Palestinian terrorists and used anti-black racial slurs. However, she has not apologized for &#8220;liking&#8221; posts that celebrated the Oct. 7 massacre.



While Duwaji has not publicly confirmed ownership of the Spotify account, the report stated that the playlists were made private after The Free Press requested comment and before the article was published.



The report also noted that Duwaji previously apologized for using what she described as “harmful” language online, though she has not specifically addressed the anti-Israel material.

Anti-Israel Songs And Antisemitic Lyrics Found In Spotify Playlists Linked To NYC Mayor’s Wife

The IDF has successfully completed the &#8220;Sulfur and Fire&#8221; General Staff Exercise, which simulated a surprise attack and infiltrations from the eastern border. 



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The exercise, held today (Friday), tested the readiness of the 96th and 80th Divisions. It included scenarios such as infiltrations into communities, responses to drone threats, and complex incidents near the Dead Sea. 



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Forces also practiced rapid aerial strikes by fighter jets and combat helicopters, aerial deployment of special forces into civilian areas, and handling a simulated terrorist infiltration at a hotel. 



According to the IDF, the high readiness of troops on the eastern border, along with new defense directives and reinforced frameworks introduced after October 7 — significantly contributed to the successful response in the simulated scenarios.



The IDF says it will now conduct a detailed review to identify lessons learned, gaps, and achievements in order to further improve its preparedness



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IDF Completes Major “Sulfur and Fire” Exercise Simulating Surprise Eastern Border Attack

The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit announced Friday morning that Staff Sergeant Negev Dagan Hy’d, 20, from Dekel, was sadly killed during combat operations in southern Lebanon.



Dagan served as a combat soldier in the Golani Brigade’s 12th Battalion. He was killed Thursday night at approximately 10:00 p.m. when Hezbollah terrorists fired an anti-tank guided missile during fighting in the area.



Earlier in the week, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit reported that one IDF soldier sustained moderate injuries while a reservist was lightly wounded in an explosive drone attack launched by Hezbollah near the Lebanese border.



Both injured soldiers were transported to a hospital for treatment, and their families were informed of the incident.

Golani Soldier Negev Dagan Hy’d Killed By Hezbollah Missile Attack In Southern Lebanon

The Department of Justice has alleged that Yale School of Medicine engages in discriminatory admissions practices, claiming the institution gives preference to Black and Hispanic applicants over white and Asian candidates with comparable academic credentials.



The findings were issued following a yearlong federal investigation that examined Yale’s internal admissions data and policies to assess compliance with the 2023 Supreme Court ruling that barred race-based consideration in admissions decisions.



“Yale has continued its race-based admissions program despite the Supreme Court and the public’s clear mandate for reform,” Harmeet K. Dhillon, assistant attorney general for civil rights, said in a statement. “This Department will continue to shed light on these illegal practices, and demand that institutions of higher education comply with federal law.”



Yale representatives did not immediately provide a response when contacted for comment.



According to the Justice Department, documents obtained from Yale indicate that university leadership deliberately factors race into admissions decisions and has explored the use of race-based proxies in an effort to work around the Supreme Court’s ruling.



In a six-page letter, Dhillon stated that Yale employs “holistic metrics” in its admissions process, which include consideration of “race” and “national origin.”



“Yale uses its holistic-review procedure to uncover and then use applicants’ race through direct and indirect means. It then conducts interviews that enable the committee to know applicants’ race and ethnicity,” Dhillon wrote. “Race preferences elevate Black and Hispanic applicants in the admissions process.”



The DOJ further reported that it analyzed academic data such as grade-point averages and standardized test scores across different racial groups. It concluded that Yale’s “use of race resulted in a Black applicant being as much as 29 times higher odds of getting an interview for admission than an equally strong Asian applicant with similar academic credentials.”



“This consistent difference in the test scores between students of different racial groups is substantial and cannot be explained by a coincidence,” the DOJ said.



The release of Yale’s investigation findings follows similar conclusions earlier this month from a separate DOJ review of the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.



The actions are part of broader efforts by the Trump administration to reshape college admissions policies, particularly at elite medical schools, which officials argue place excessive emphasis on diversity initiatives.



In March, the Justice Department also opened investigations into admissions practices at the medical schools of Stanford University, the University of California, San Diego, and Ohio State University.

DOJ Accuses Yale Medical School of Race-Based Admissions Practices

Israel held its annual state memorial ceremony Thursday morning for Ethiopian Jews who died on their journey to Israel, with thousands gathering at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem before Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) to honor members of the Beta Israel community who unfortunately never made it. The ceremony commemorated more than 4,000 Ethiopian Jews who perished during the dangerous journey through Sudan in the 1980s on their way to Israel.



Beginning in the late 1970s and accelerating through the 1980s, thousands of Ethiopian Jews left their villages following calls from Israel and Mossad emissaries operating in the region. Entire families crossed harsh desert routes through Sudan hoping to reach Jerusalem. Many died from hunger, disease, violence and brutal conditions along the way, while relatives were often forced to bury loved ones in unmarked graves or leave them behind without documentation.



The memorial is held each year on the 28th of Iyar, Yom Yerushalayim, symbolizing the longing of Ethiopian Jewry to reach Yerushalayim after generations in exile. The date was officially established by the Knesset as the national memorial day for Ethiopian Jews who died en route to Israel.



Speaking at the ceremony, President&nbsp;Isaac Herzog&nbsp;described the aliyah of Ethiopian Jewry as one of the defining moments in Israel’s history. “There are moments in the history of the state that enter deeply into the heart. The aliyah of Ethiopian Jewry was one such moment,” Herzog said. He added: “Thank you for coming, thank you for not giving up, thank you for being here.”



Prime Minister&nbsp;Benjamin Netanyahu&nbsp;connected the memorial directly to Jerusalem Day, telling members of the community: “My brothers and sisters of Ethiopian descent, who more than you knows that our presence in Jerusalem is not self-evident. You dreamed, you merited, you saw Jerusalem.” Immigration and Absorption Minister&nbsp;Ofir Sofer&nbsp;also announced plans to establish a heritage center at Mount Herzl dedicated to preserving the story of the Beta Israel community for future generations.

“You Dreamed, You Reached Jerusalem”: Israel Honors Ethiopian Jews Lost On Journey

Today, Thursday afternoon, undercover Israeli Border Police officers from the Jerusalem unit, acting on precise Shin Bet intelligence, arrested a suspect in Jerusalem’s Abu Tor neighborhood who is accused of planning a terrorist attack during Jerusalem Day celebrations, Police said in a statement moments ago. 



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The suspect was located and detained while at a car wash facility. No injuries were reported and the suspect has been transferred for further Shin Bet interrogation.



Jerusalem Day (Yom Yerushalayim) marks the reunification of Jerusalem under Israeli control after the 1967 Six-Day War, and is celebrated annually on 28 Iyar (this year: May 14–15).

WATCH: Israeli Security Forces Foil Jerusalem Day Terror Plot; Suspect Detained at Car Wash

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar instructed officials to begin preparing a defamation lawsuit against&nbsp;The New York Times&nbsp;following a column by Nicholas Kristof that sparked furious condemnation from Israel.



The move came after Kristof published a column accusing Israel of widespread abuse of Palestinian detainees using trained dogs. Israeli officials accused the paper of promoting a false and deeply damaging narrative against the IDF, while stressing that legal action has been initiated but not yet formally filed.



Netanyahu accused the newspaper and Kristof of smearing Israeli soldiers and drawing a moral equivalence between Israel and Hamas terrorists. “They defamed the soldiers of Israel and perpetuated a blood libel, trying to create a false symmetry between the genocidal terrorists of Hamas and Israel’s valiant soldiers,” he said.



“We will fight these lies in the court of public opinion and in the court of law. Truth will prevail,” Netanyahu added. The Foreign Ministry had already denounced the column as one of the most severe modern media smears against Israel, calling it one of the worst blood libels to appear in the press.



The New York Times&nbsp;defended the column, saying Kristof’s reporting was extensively fact-checked and based on accounts corroborated where possible with witnesses, relatives and lawyers. The Israeli response comes amid growing anger in Jerusalem over international coverage that officials say distorts the war, vilifies IDF soldiers and blurs the line between Israel’s military and Hamas terrorists.

Netanyahu Moves To Sue NYT Over Kristof ‘Blood Libel’ Column

A new Channel 13 News poll released Wednesday night suggests that even after the consolidation of the center-left camp, the opposition still falls short of being able to form a government on its own and would need the support of all Arab parties to reach a majority &#8211; a move that several potential coalition parties have ruled out.



According to the survey, the “Together” party headed by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid would emerge as the largest faction with 26 seats, while Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud would follow closely behind with 25 seats.



The poll projects 12 seats for Gadi Eisenkot’s “Yashar!” party. Otzma Yehudit and Shas each receive 10 seats, while The Democrats are projected to win 9. United Torah Judaism and Yisrael Beytenu each receive 7 seats, followed by Hadash-Ta’al and Ra’am with 5 seats apiece. The Religious Zionist Party is projected to secure 4 seats.



Blue and White, the Reservists Party and Balad all fall below the electoral threshold in the survey.



According to the bloc totals, the current coalition parties would hold 56 seats, compared to 54 seats for the opposition bloc, while the Arab parties would control the remaining 10 seats.

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