Yesterday, after several days of anti-Israel protests at Columbia that included the harassment of students, the obstruction of thoroughfares, and chants of “We are Hamas!,” the school’s Orthodox rabbi informed students that it has become clear “that Columbia University’s Public Safety and the NYPD cannot guarantee Jewish students’ safety in the face of extreme anti-Semitism and anarchy,” and recommending that they leave campus until the situation dies down. Meanwhile, at Yale, a Jewish student was poked in the eye with a Palestinian flag; thereafter protesters tried to prevent her from leaving the scene to seek medical attention.

Seth Mandel comments on the absurdity of calling these demonstrations “anti-war protests.”

I used to shake my head when people would accuse others of being “warmongers,” because the term was so often reserved for people who very obviously did not fit the bill. If you want to know what a warmonger actually is, check out those who have for six months cheered rabidly for the very concept of war itself.

At these Hamas-groupie conventions, you’ll hear and see versions of the slogan “resistance by any means necessary,” which is a call for a war of both conventional and unconventional means.

And of course, how can we forget the Quds Day rally in Dearborn, Michigan? Quds Day, for the uninitiated, was invented by Iran as an excuse to hold anti-Jewish rallies. Muslim leaders in Dearborn led a particularly raucous one this year at which attendees shouted, “Death to America!” Again, not very subtle.

“Never forget the 7th of October,” they shouted at Jews at Columbia last night. “That will happen not one more time, not five more times, not ten more times, not 100 more times, not 1,000 more times, not 10,000. . . . The 7th of October is going to be every day for you.”

On Monday night, the IDF struck a group of Hamas operatives near the Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis, the main city in southern Gaza. The very fact of this attack was reassuring, as it suggested that the release of Edan Alexander didn’t come with restraints on Israeli military activity. Then, yesterday afternoon, Israeli jets carried out another, larger attack on Khan Yunis, hitting a site where it believed Mohammad Sinwar, the head of Hamas in Gaza, to be hiding. The IDF has not yet confirmed that he was present. There is some hope that the death of Sinwar—who replaced his older brother Yahya after he was killed last year—could have a debilitating effect on Hamas.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump is visiting the Persian Gulf, and it’s unclear how his diplomatic efforts there will affect Israel, its war with Hamas, and Iran. For its part, Jerusalem has committed to resume full-scale operations in Gaza after President Trump returns to the U.S. But, Gabi Simoni and Erez Winner explain, Israel does not have unlimited time to defeat Hamas:

Israel faces persistent security challenges across multiple fronts—Iran, the West Bank, Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon—all demanding significant military resources, especially during periods of escalation. . . . Failing to achieve a decisive victory not only prolongs the conflict but also drains national resources and threatens Israel’s ability to obtain its strategic goals.

Only a swift, forceful military campaign can achieve the war’s objectives: securing the hostages’ release, ensuring Israeli citizens’ safety, and preventing future kidnappings. Avoiding such action won’t just prolong the suffering of the hostages and deepen public uncertainty—it will also drain national resources and weaken Israel’s standing in the region and beyond.

We recommend launching an intense military operation in Gaza without delay, with clear, measurable objectives—crippling Hamas’s military and governance capabilities and securing the release of hostages. Such a campaign should combine military pressure with indirect negotiations, maximizing the chances of a successful outcome while minimizing risks.

Crucially, the operation must be closely coordinated with the United States and moderate Arab states to reduce international pressure and preserve the gains of regional alliances.