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Israeli forces dismantle weapons depot, explosives laboratories in Tulkarem
Since Hamas’s October 7 attack, Israeli forces have arrested 6,000 wanted Palestinians in counterterror operations in Judea and Samaria.
By Ehud Amiton, TPS
Israeli soldiers uncovered and destroyed a weapons depot and multiple improvised laboratories for explosives and drone production, the Israel Defense Forces said on Thursday.
Troops found approximately 100 pipe bombs, eight larger bombs, and an explosive activation system.
Several buildings used for terror infrastructure were demolished.
The army launched an ongoing counterterror raid in the Jenin refugee camp on Jan. 19.
It has since expanded to the Palestinian city Tulkarem and an area of Samaria known as “the Five Villages.”
The raids come on the heels of the Palestinian Authority’s failed crackdown in the Jenin refugee camp in January.
Since Hamas’s October 7 attack, Israeli forces have arrested 6,000 wanted Palestinians in counterterror operations in Judea and Samaria.
Around 40 percent were affiliated with Hamas.
The post Israeli forces dismantle weapons depot, explosives laboratories in Tulkarem appeared first on World Israel News.
Speech-to-text tech could be transformed by new Israeli brain mapping study
The research could lead to more accurate speech recognition systems, enhancing virtual assistants like Siri or Alexa, as well as transcription tools.
By Pesach Benson, TPS
Israeli scientists unveiled research on how the brain processes speech and transforms sounds into conversation on Thursday with findings that could lead to new advancements in speech recognition technology, communication tools for people with speech disorders, and personalized assistive devices.
By get insights into the neural pathways that allow people to speak and understand each other, scientists from Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Google Research, Princeton University’s Hasson Lab, the NYU Langone Comprehensive Epilepsy Center used electrocorticography (ECoG), a technique that records brain activity directly from the brain’s surface, to capture real-time data from participants during open-ended conversations.
The data was analyzed using a speech-to-text model called Whisper, which breaks down language into three levels: sounds, speech patterns, and word meanings.
Led by Dr. Ariel Goldstein of Hebrew University’s Department of Cognitive and Brain Sciences and published in the peer-reviewed Nature Human Behavior journal, the study offers a framework for studying how the brain processes speech in real-world conversations.
The Whisper model predicted brain activity during conversation, even when applied to new data. It showed that different regions of the brain are activated at various stages of speech processing.
For example, areas associated with hearing and speaking were aligned with the sounds and speech patterns of language, while regions responsible for higher-level understanding were connected to the meanings of words. This mapping of brain activity highlights how the brain supports communication.
“Our findings help us understand how the brain processes conversations in real-life settings. By connecting different layers of language, we’re uncovering the mechanics behind something we all do naturally—talking and understanding each other,” Goldstein said.
“Before we speak, our brain moves from thinking about words to forming sounds, while after we listen, it works backward to make sense of what was said,” he added.
The research could lead to more accurate speech recognition systems, enhancing virtual assistants like Siri or Alexa, as well as transcription tools.
It also offers the hope of better communication aids for individuals with speech disorders, such as aphasia or dysarthria. The study could potentially lead to to brain-computer interfaces for people with severe speech disabilities.
For people with hearing loss, speech impairments, or neurodegenerative diseases like ALS and Parkinson’s, the findings hold the potential of personalized assistive devices.
The findings could also lead to more targeted therapies for people recovering from brain injuries or strokes who are trying to regain speech and comprehension abilities.
The post Speech-to-text tech could be transformed by new Israeli brain mapping study appeared first on World Israel News.
WATCH: IDF installs Shabbat ‘Eruv’ border on snowy Mt. Hermon base
Jews traditionally refrain from carrying items outside city limits on Shabbat unless a special gate, like the one this IDF soldier is constructing at the Mount Hermon base, is in place.
Eruv being put up on the Hermon mountain pic.twitter.com/cXYo3OuLHe
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) March 6, 2025
The post WATCH: IDF installs Shabbat ‘Eruv’ border on snowy Mt. Hermon base appeared first on World Israel News.
US-Hamas truce talks advance – report
This marks the first time the U.S. has held direct talks with Hamas, which it designated as a terrorist organization 28 years ago, with no direct contact since then.
By Shachar Kleiman, JNS
With Israel not involved in the Gaza talks, at least not directly, Reuters reported on Thursday afternoon on progress in negotiations to move to the next phase of the hostage deal.
The meeting took place overnight between U.S. President Donald Trump’s Envoy for Hostage Affairs Adam Boehler, senior Hamas officials and representatives of mediators Egypt and Qatar.
The talks centered on the future of the Gaza Strip and the entity that would govern it once the current war ends.
Ibrahim al-Madhoun, a commentator affiliated with Hamas, wrote that the conversation between representatives of the terrorist organization and the Trump administration’s envoy revolved primarily around hostage Idan Alexander, who holds both Israeli and American citizenship.
Al-Madhoun noted that the terrorist organization has an opportunity to leverage the dialogue with the U.S. to present broader demands.
He cited examples such as removing Hamas from the U.S. list of terrorist organizations, recognizing Hamas as part of a “political solution” in the region, and ensuring that Hamas remains a key player in any future Palestinian state framework.
This would be in addition to demands for negotiations on a long-term ceasefire.
An Israeli official responded, saying, “Israel is not aware of progress toward Phase 2 [of the truce].”
This marks the first time the U.S. has held direct talks with Hamas, which it designated as a terrorist organization 28 years ago, with no direct contact since then.
Israeli officials in Jerusalem expressed outrage over these talks, although the official statement released on Wednesday sought to soften the reaction, saying, “In discussions with the U.S., Israel expressed its position on direct talks with Hamas.”
As a reminder, Trump also met overnight with survivors of Gazan captivity, and at the end of the meeting issued a clear threat to Hamas: “Release all of the hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is OVER for you,” the president stated.
His message extended to Palestinian civilians as well, warning: “Also, to the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD!”
Trump added that he intends to provide aid to Israel “to finish the job; not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don’t do as I say.
“Only sick and twisted people would continue holding onto bodies, and you are sick and twisted people,” the American president wrote.
The article was originally published in Israel Hayom.
The post US-Hamas truce talks advance – report appeared first on World Israel News.
US-Hamas truce talks advance – report
This marks the first time the U.S. has held direct talks with Hamas, which it designated as a terrorist organization 28 years ago, with no direct contact since then.
By Shachar Kleiman, JNS
With Israel not involved in the Gaza talks, at least not directly, Reuters reported on Thursday afternoon on progress in negotiations to move to the next phase of the hostage deal.
The meeting took place overnight between U.S. President Donald Trump’s Envoy for Hostage Affairs Adam Boehler, senior Hamas officials and representatives of mediators Egypt and Qatar.
The talks centered on the future of the Gaza Strip and the entity that would govern it once the current war ends.
Ibrahim al-Madhoun, a commentator affiliated with Hamas, wrote that the conversation between representatives of the terrorist organization and the Trump administration’s envoy revolved primarily around hostage Idan Alexander, who holds both Israeli and American citizenship.
Al-Madhoun noted that the terrorist organization has an opportunity to leverage the dialogue with the U.S. to present broader demands.
He cited examples such as removing Hamas from the U.S. list of terrorist organizations, recognizing Hamas as part of a “political solution” in the region, and ensuring that Hamas remains a key player in any future Palestinian state framework.
This would be in addition to demands for negotiations on a long-term ceasefire.
An Israeli official responded, saying, “Israel is not aware of progress toward Phase 2 [of the truce].”
This marks the first time the U.S. has held direct talks with Hamas, which it designated as a terrorist organization 28 years ago, with no direct contact since then.
Israeli officials in Jerusalem expressed outrage over these talks, although the official statement released on Wednesday sought to soften the reaction, saying, “In discussions with the U.S., Israel expressed its position on direct talks with Hamas.”
As a reminder, Trump also met overnight with survivors of Gazan captivity, and at the end of the meeting issued a clear threat to Hamas: “Release all of the hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is OVER for you,” the president stated.
His message extended to Palestinian civilians as well, warning: “Also, to the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD!”
Trump added that he intends to provide aid to Israel “to finish the job; not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don’t do as I say.
“Only sick and twisted people would continue holding onto bodies, and you are sick and twisted people,” the American president wrote.
The article was originally published in Israel Hayom.
The post US-Hamas truce talks advance – report appeared first on World Israel News.
US-Hamas truce talks advance – report
This marks the first time the U.S. has held direct talks with Hamas, which it designated as a terrorist organization 28 years ago, with no direct contact since then.
By Shachar Kleiman, JNS
With Israel not involved in the Gaza talks, at least not directly, Reuters reported on Thursday afternoon on progress in negotiations to move to the next phase of the hostage deal.
The meeting took place overnight between U.S. President Donald Trump’s Envoy for Hostage Affairs Adam Boehler, senior Hamas officials and representatives of mediators Egypt and Qatar.
The talks centered on the future of the Gaza Strip and the entity that would govern it once the current war ends.
Ibrahim al-Madhoun, a commentator affiliated with Hamas, wrote that the conversation between representatives of the terrorist organization and the Trump administration’s envoy revolved primarily around hostage Idan Alexander, who holds both Israeli and American citizenship.
Al-Madhoun noted that the terrorist organization has an opportunity to leverage the dialogue with the U.S. to present broader demands.
He cited examples such as removing Hamas from the U.S. list of terrorist organizations, recognizing Hamas as part of a “political solution” in the region, and ensuring that Hamas remains a key player in any future Palestinian state framework.
This would be in addition to demands for negotiations on a long-term ceasefire.
An Israeli official responded, saying, “Israel is not aware of progress toward Phase 2 [of the truce].”
This marks the first time the U.S. has held direct talks with Hamas, which it designated as a terrorist organization 28 years ago, with no direct contact since then.
Israeli officials in Jerusalem expressed outrage over these talks, although the official statement released on Wednesday sought to soften the reaction, saying, “In discussions with the U.S., Israel expressed its position on direct talks with Hamas.”
As a reminder, Trump also met overnight with survivors of Gazan captivity, and at the end of the meeting issued a clear threat to Hamas: “Release all of the hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is OVER for you,” the president stated.
His message extended to Palestinian civilians as well, warning: “Also, to the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD!”
Trump added that he intends to provide aid to Israel “to finish the job; not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don’t do as I say.
“Only sick and twisted people would continue holding onto bodies, and you are sick and twisted people,” the American president wrote.
The article was originally published in Israel Hayom.
The post US-Hamas truce talks advance – report appeared first on World Israel News.
