Pope Leo XIV calls for ceasefire in address: ‘The cries of parents rise to heaven’
(JTA) — Pope Leo XIV renewed his calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, decrying suffering there and evoking the image of parents in Gaza who “clutch the lifeless bodies of their children.”
“From the Gaza Strip,” Leo said in an audience at the Vatican Wednesday, “rising ever more insistently to the heavens, the cries of mothers and fathers who clutch the lifeless bodies of their children, and who are continually forced to move about in search of a little food and water and safer shelter from bombardments.”
He added, “I renew my appeal to the leaders: cease fire, release all hostages, fully respect humanitarian law.”
Israel’s defense ministry chief on first visit to DC
(JNS) — Maj. Gen. (res.) Amir Baram, director general of the Israeli Defense Ministry, is in Washington this week for his first visit since assuming the position on March 24.
Baram met with top U.S. officials, including Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, to discuss expanding defense cooperation and addressing regional security challenges, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
Talks centered on joint defense production, research and development initiatives, and shared strategic assessments amid security challenges in the Middle East. Baram thanked Colby for his “steadfast support of Israel and his commitment to Israel’s security needs,” the statement said.
Israel has foiled 85 Iranian cyberattacks in 2025, including on senior officials
(JNS) — Israel’s security forces have so far this year thwarted 85 cyberattacks against citizens, including senior defense officials, politicians, academia and the media, the Israel Security Agency stated on Thursday.
According to the ISA, the goal of the phishing attempts was to gather personal information, including home addresses, relationships and frequented locations. The data was intended to be used by Iranian-backed terrorists to carry out attacks against high-profile Israelis.
Iranian operatives typically made contact via messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram, or email, using a personalized cover story for each target, aligned with their field of work to avoid raising suspicion.
US envoy calls for Syria-Israel non-aggression pact
(JNS) — U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack called for a non-aggression agreement between Syria and Israel during a high-profile visit to Damascus on Thursday, signaling a major diplomatic shift in the region.
Barrack proposed the pact as a first step toward normalizing relations between Jerusalem and Damascus, following his meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa at the presidential palace, AFP reported.
The initiative comes as the United States and Syria restore official diplomatic engagement after more than a decade of severed ties.
