1. Biden Admin. won't sanction Netzach Yehuda Battalion

The Biden Administration has backtracked and will not impose sanctions on the IDF's Netzach Yehuda Battalion, ABC News reported this morning (Friday).

According to the report, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson explaining that the decision was made in light of Israel's commitment to addressing concerns over human rights violations by the IDF in Judea and Samaria.

According to Blinken, the administration's concerns over alleged human rights violations by the Netzach Yehuda Battalion "will not delay the delivery of any U.S. assistance and Israel will be able to receive the full amount appropriated by Congress."

On Wednesday, Ynet reported that Israeli officials believed that the US would not follow through on its announcement of its intention to impose sanctions on the Netzach Yehuda Battalion. According to that report, the administration was pressured to reverse its decision from all sides of the political spectrum.

Secretary Blinken said on Monday that there would not be an announcement regarding sanctions against the IDF’s Netzach Yehuda Battalion, but told reporters they should “stay tuned.”

[קישורים:4:Netzach Yehuda]

Yesterday (Thursday), US Senator Marco Rubio warned that the decision to impose sanctions on the IDF battalion "helps Israel's enemies.

I oppose plans by the Biden Administration to impose sanctions on the commanders and troops of the Netzah Yehuda battalion," Rubio said.

He noted, “This unit has been on the frontline against Hezbollah, which is terrorizing Israelis in Judea and Samaria, and it is now working to dismantle Hamas brigades in Gaza. In the last year, this unit has neutralized more than 30 terrorists, destroyed 69 terrorist structures, including sites used by Hamas to launch rockets at Israeli citizens, and located 3 underground sites in Gaza."

“These impending sanctions are an effort by President Biden to appease Israel’s enemies, including the antisemitic mobs terrorizing college campuses across America. But it will stigmatize the entire IDF and encourage Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Iranian regime,” Rubio concluded.

2. Chilling footage published by terrorists from Tulkarm

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The Fatah movement's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Tulkarm, published footage last night (Friday) of the shooting carried out by terrorists towards the town of Bat Hefer.

"At 23:35 we attacked Bat Hefer and fired bullets that hit the homes of settlers," the video stated. "This is just the beginning."

Bat Hefer residents have suffered for some time from the sounds of gunfire from the direction of Tulkarm, and there have been incidents where bullets hit homes near the fence.

[קישורים:4:Tulkarm]

Last week, ISA and Border Police forces conducted an extensive counterterrorism operation in the Nur a-Shams refugee camp near Tulkarm, which lasted dozens of hours.

During the operation, Israeli special forces eliminated 14 terrorists in close encounters, arrested 15 wanted individuals, confiscated numerous weapons, destroyed dozens of IEDs, and demolished two bomb factories.

Nine IDF soldiers and one Border Police officer were injured. All were evacuated for medical treatment, and their families were updated.

[video:2141935]

3. PA police enter the security zone around Susya

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Around 6 AM the day after Passover, shots were heard from the direction of Alonim Farm near Susiya, and dozens of Arabs were reported to be making their way to the area.

Immediately after the shots were heard, one of the soldiers serving in the sector reported over the radio about dozens of Arabs heading toward his position.

[קישורים:4:Judea and Samaria]

The soldiers were stationed in the town in response to the October 7th massacre and have been in a constant state of operational readiness since then. They rushed to the scene and controlled the incident within a short time.

After an investigation and detention of a suspect , it was confirmed that the Palestinian police were responsible for the shooting near the town.

4. 2 Arabs break into Binyamin farm with axe

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Two Arabs broke into a Jewish-owned farm in Binyamin this morning (Friday) and were caught hiding between two houses on the property.

An axe was found on one of the infiltrators. In addition, it is suspected that the vehicle they arrived in was stolen.

Security forces are searching the area for additional threats.

The IDF stated, "IDF: A short while ago, IDF soldiers apprehended two terrorists who arrived at a farm in the area of Binyamin. One of the terrorists was holding an axe with the intention of carrying out a terrorist attack in the area. Following searches of their vehicle, additional axes and knives were found."

"The terrorists and the weapons were transferred to security forces for further questioning and review."

This is the third time this farm has been infiltrated since the outbreak of the war with Hamas. In the first incident, three Arabs armed with an axe, knives, and a gun broke into the farm three days after the October 7 massacre.

[וידאו:2142102]

5. Anti-Israel protester hit counterprotester in face with rock

Multiple people holding Israeli flags have been assaulted during anti-Israel protests in New York City this month, the New York Post reported.

According to the NYPD, a man holding an Israeli flag at Columbia University was struck in the face by an anti-Israel demonstrator who threw a rock at him on Saturday night. One protestor grabbed the flag from his hands before a second protestor threw the rock. A third protester then burned the flag.

Two weeks earlier, in Midtown Manhattan, multiple assailants stole an Israeli flag being carried by a 19-year-old woman.

The NYPD Hate Crime Task Force is investigating both incidents and searching for five suspects.

[קישורים:4:Columbia University]

The latest protests at Columbia began on Wednesday, April 17, when anti-Israel protestors set up a tent city on the campus grounds. Over a hundred protesters were arrested by the following day, but the protest continued and grew more explicitly antisemitic.

Overnight Saturday, the Chabad rabbi of Columbia and a group of Jewish students were forced to leave the university campus for their own safety during a pro-Hamas demonstration.

Video posted to social media showed a female student asking why the anti-Israel protesters are following them, and another student can be heard saying that they needed to stick together for safety.

During Saturday night's demonstration, protesters attempted to break through the campus gate, chanting "Break da lock," "Someone torch it," Pick the lock," and "It's just a lock."

Demonstrators chanted "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" and "there is only one solution, Intifada revolution."

On Friday, videos were posted to social media showing protestors at Columbia University threatening that more massacres similar to the Hamas massacre of October 7 would be committed.

"Remember the 7th of October!" one protester yelled. "That will happen not one more time, not five more times, not 10 more times, not 100 more times, not 1000 more times, but 10,000 times!"

"Never forget the 7th of October," said another protestor. "Are you ready? 7th of October is about to be every day. Every day. 7th of October is going to be every day for you."

Protesters also held signs pointing at Jewish students, calling them "Al-Qassam's next targets" in reference to the military wing of the Hamas terrorist organization.

A group of Jewish Columbia alumni wrote to university president Minouche Shafik that the ongoing anti-Israel protests on campus were creating an unsafe atmosphere for Jewish students and that violence against Jews was likely in the near-future.

“At present, new, unauthorized protests are disrupting classes and creating an irrefutably unsafe environment for Jewish students,” the alumni wrote, adding that “violence against Jewish students is imminent."

The letter called on Shafik to ensure that “all possible steps to protect Jewish safety.”

On Sunday, Rabbi Elie Buechler, an Orthodox rabbi on campus, wrote to students in Yavneh, Columbia's Orthodox Jewish organization, “What we are witnessing in and around campus is terrible and tragic. The events of the last few days, especially last night, have made it clear that Columbia University’s Public Safety and the NYPD cannot guarantee Jewish students’ safety in the face of extreme antisemitism and anarchy."

“It deeply pains me to say that I would strongly recommend you return home as soon as possible and remain home until the reality in and around campus has dramatically improved,” he added.

6. Released 9-year-old hostage comes full circle

Released hostages Keren and Ohad Munder celebrated Hapoel Be'er Sheva's victory in the Israel State Cup semi-finals this week at the game.

Ohad, who celebrated his 9th birthday as a hostage in Gaza, discovered while still in captivity that Be'er Sheva's manager, Elyaniv Barda, and his favorite team's players, congratulated him on his birthday.

Since his release, the Hapoel Be'er Sheva players have visited him and his warm connection with the players continues.

[קישורים:4:Hostages in Gaza]

Keren and Ohad were abducted on October 7th from the home of his grandparents, Avraham and Ruti, in Kibbutz Nir Oz. Ruti, Keren, and Ohad were released after 49 days. The grandfather, Avraham, is still in Hamas captivity.

Keren's brother Roiee, who was a fan of Maccabi Haifa, was murdered on October 7th.

7. Israeli university heads condemn antisemitism on US campuses

The Association of University Heads in Israel published a statement expressing concern over the wave of antisemitic demonstrations on American college campuses over the last week and a half.

"We, the presidents of the research universities in Israel, express our deep concern over the recent surge of severe violence, antisemitism, and anti-Israel sentiment across numerous leading universities in the United States. These disturbing events are often organized and supported by Palestinian groups, including those recognized as terrorist organizations. This troubling development has led to a climate where Israeli and Jewish students and faculty members feel compelled to hide their identities or avoid campuses altogether for fear of physical harm," the association stated.

"We acknowledge the efforts of our counterparts at these institutions to address these issues. We understand the complexity and challenges involved in managing incited and hateful groups, recognizing that extreme situations may require measures beyond the conventional tools available to university administrations.

"Freedom of expression and the right to demonstrate are vital to the health of any democracy and are especially crucial in academic settings. We continue to uphold the importance of these freedoms, particularly in these challenging times. However, these freedoms do not include the right to engage in violence, make threats against communities, or call for the destruction of the State of Israel.

"We offer our support to the Jewish and Israeli students and faculty facing these difficult circumstances. We will do our best to assist those of them who wish to join Israeli universities and find a welcoming academic and personal home," the statement concluded.

8. 'Israel will pay a heavy price' in new hostage deal proposal

Israel's negotiating teams on the issue of the hostages in Gaza presented today (Thursday) several outlines to the members of the Security Cabinet.

According to one of the outlines, Israel will demand the release of 20 hostages, including women, female soldiers, the elderly and patients with serious medical conditions, and in return, Israel will agree to the return of residents to the northern Gaza Strip, Channel 12 News reported.

According to the report, Israel will not announce the end of the war as part of the plan. It was also reported that the price for the deal that Israel will pay will be very heavy, but at this stage, no further details can be published.

New Hope party chairman MK Gideon Sa'ar said in response to the reported outline, "We had to repeat for the hundredth time, there is no chance of a new outline for the release of hostages without using full military power against Hamas. Not with empty threats, but in practice. After a break pre-Ramadan, the Ramadan break, and the post-Ramadan break in the war - the time has come for a new strategy. The goals of the war will not be achieved through pleading or chasing illusions."

[קישורים:4:Hostages in Gaza]

Earlier it was reported that the Egyptian head of intelligence, Abbas Kamel, offered a new proposal for the release of captives to ISA director Ronen Bar and IDF Chief of Staff Hertzi Halevi during a meeting held by the three.

According to Ynet, under the proposal, in exchange for the release of all captives in two stages over ten weeks, Israel would agree to stop all preparations for entering Rafah, release hundreds of Palestinian Arab terrorists, and agree to a full ceasefire for a year during which steps to promote the establishment of a Palestinian state will be announced.

Currently, Hamas is demanding the release of 50 terrorists for each kidnapped soldier and 30 for each civilian.