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Pro-Palestinian groups, working together with a range of civil society organizations, have unveiled plans for a new maritime convoy bound for the Gaza Strip, describing it as a major effort to challenge Israel’s naval blockade and deliver humanitarian supplies.

Organizers say the flotilla is set to leave on April 12 from multiple Mediterranean ports in Spain, Italy, and Tunisia. Its stated objective is to breach the blockade imposed on Gaza and transport assistance directly to the coastal enclave.

According to a report by Al-Arabi Al-Jadid, more than 200 boats are expected to take part in the initiative. The effort is being backed by the “Mavi Marmara” Freedom and Solidarity Association as well as the Turkish İHH Foundation, a humanitarian group that says it is dedicated to safeguarding freedoms, defending human rights, and providing relief aid.

Bülent Yıldırım, president of the İHH Foundation, told the newspaper that the ships designated for the flotilla will be acquired through donated funds. He indicated that organizers intend to assemble a substantial number of vessels in an effort to complicate any attempt by Israel to block their arrival along the Gaza shoreline.

Yıldırım further stated that participants from 150 countries — numbering in the thousands — are expected to join the mission. In addition to carrying supplies, the flotilla aims to bring medical professionals, educators, infrastructure and environmental development teams, attorneys, and investigators focused on alleged war crimes.

A similar attempt last October ended when the Israeli Navy intercepted vessels linked to the “Freedom Coalition” flotilla that sought to reach Gaza. Approximately 150 individuals aboard those ships were detained without incident and taken to the port of Ashdod, where they underwent questioning before being deported.

At the time, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement declaring, “Another futile attempt to break the maritime blockade and enter a combat zone has ended in nothing.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump met Thursday at the White House with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, in an unannounced session that centered on housing policy and, later, the detention of a Columbia University student by federal immigration authorities.

Mamdani disclosed the meeting in a social media post, writing, “I had a productive meeting with President Trump this afternoon,” and sharing a photograph of himself beside the president in the Oval Office.

In the image, Trump is seen holding a mock-up of a Daily News front page bearing the headline: “Trump to City: Let’s Rebuild.” Mamdani added in his post, “I’m looking forward to building more housing in New York City.”

Hours after the sit-down, Mamdani said he and Trump also spoke by phone about a Columbia University student who had been taken into custody earlier in the day. According to university officials, federal immigration agents allegedly misrepresented themselves in order to gain access to a campus residential building before detaining the student, identified as Elaina Aghayeva.

Mamdani wrote, “In our meeting earlier, I shared my concerns about Columbia student Elaina Aghayeva, who was detained by ICE this morning. He has just informed me that she will be released imminently.” Aghayeva later confirmed on social media that she had been freed.

The Oval Office meeting followed Trump’s remarks earlier in the week during his State of the Union address, when he referenced Mamdani as a “nice guy” with “bad policies” and said the two speak “a lot”. The mayor responded the next day at a press conference, saying that when they communicate, their discussions center on ensuring the city continues to move forward.

Neither the White House nor City Hall publicly previewed Thursday’s meeting. Earlier in the day, CNN reported that the president and mayor were expected to meet, citing two individuals familiar with the arrangements. Housing was anticipated to be a central issue, as it had been during their prior White House meeting in November.

At that earlier session, Trump commended Mamdani and suggested that despite having branded him a “communist” during the mayoral race, they shared areas of agreement. Their conversation reportedly covered real estate development, adjustments to zoning regulations, and strategies aimed at lowering electricity costs, among other matters.

Following that encounter, Axios reported that the two leaders had begun communicating by text message — a surprising development given their previous sharp public exchanges.

During the mayoral campaign, Trump cautioned voters that choosing Mamdani would “ruin the city, while Mamdani had called Trump a fascist. Once face to face, however, their interactions took on a markedly different tone.

Mortgage rates in the United States have dropped below 6% for the first time in nearly two years, a development that housing analysts say could influence both prospective buyers and homeowners who have been hesitant to make a move.

According to new data released by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., widely known as Freddie Mac, the average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage now stands at 5.98%. The last time rates were at this level was in September 2022.

Industry observers describe the move under 6% as an important psychological turning point. Many homeowners have been reluctant to sell because doing so would mean giving up mortgages secured at much lower rates in prior years. At the same time, elevated borrowing costs have discouraged would-be buyers, contributing to a constricted housing market.

During the height of the pandemic, mortgage rates averaged around 2.5%. However, as inflation rose, the Federal Reserve increased its benchmark interest rate, pushing mortgage rates sharply higher in response.

Rates eventually climbed to roughly 7.8% in October 2023, marking their recent high.

Since the Federal Reserve began lowering its key interest rate — cutting it three times last year — mortgage rates have trended downward, though gradually. In addition, last month President Trump directed Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, the government-backed entities that buy and bundle home loans for investors, to acquire $200 billion in mortgage-backed securities. Analysts say that move may have contributed to the continued decline in rates, as stronger demand for loans on the secondary market enables lenders to offer more favorable terms.

Although rates are only modestly lower than they were a week ago and remain well above the record lows seen during the pandemic, some experts believe crossing the 6% threshold could spur renewed activity. Kate Wood, a housing specialist at the personal finance site NerdWallet, said the psychological shift alone may encourage more Americans to reenter the market. Some buyers have been waiting for rates to fall, while many homeowners have delayed selling to avoid surrendering cheaper existing mortgages.

A rate below 6% could provide the push some need. “ There are people who are certainly going to reach that breaking point of ‘I love my mortgage rate, but my goodness, I cannot stand this house anymore,'” says Wood.

Recent data from the Mortgage Bankers Association showed total mortgage applications rose 2.8% in the week ending Feb. 13 compared with the prior week. However, that increase was largely driven by refinancing activity. Applications for other types of loans declined, suggesting the broader housing market remains sluggish.

Even though several years of elevated rates have softened home prices somewhat, affordability challenges persist. The median sales price of a home in the United States at the end of last year was $405,000.

A key driver of the nation’s housing affordability problem continues to be limited supply. The number of homes available for sale remains low, and new construction has not kept pace with demand. A recent report from Realtor.com cautioned that if inventory does not increase alongside a potential surge in buyers, prices could climb again, wiping out affordability improvements created by lower mortgage rates. At the same time, builders have expressed concerns about a difficult construction environment marked by high costs.

“ If you don’t add supply to the market, either in the form of new construction or existing homes from new listings, you’re going to see that demand increase turn into price increases,” said Jake Krimmel, senior economist at Realtor.com.

{Matzav.com}

A Columbia University student taken into custody by federal immigration authorities at her campus residence Thursday morning was released later in the day after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he received personal assurances from President Trump during a White House meeting.

Mamdani announced the development shortly after speaking with the president. “Just got off the phone with President Trump. In our meeting earlier, I shared my concerns about Columbia student Elaina Aghayeva, who was detained by ICE this morning. He has just informed me that she will be released imminently,” Mamdani wrote on X late Thursday afternoon.

Several hours afterward, Columbia University confirmed that the student had been freed.

“The university is relieved and thrilled that our student, Ellie, has been released from detainment. We will share additional details this evening,” the university said in a statement posted to Instagram.

Mamdani was in Washington, DC, for a previously undisclosed Oval Office meeting with Trump — the second time the two have met face-to-face since Mamdani’s victory in the November mayoral election.

Aghayeva, who is expected to graduate from the Ivy League institution this year, posted a message to Instagram shortly after being taken into custody around 6:30 a.m., writing, “Dhs illegally arrested me. Please help.”

The Department of Homeland Security stated that Aghayeva is an illegal immigrant from Azerbaijan whose student visa had been revoked in 2016 by the Obama administration after she allegedly failed to attend classes.

According to Columbia’s acting president, Claire Shipman, federal agents arrived at the university’s Morningside Heights campus at approximately 6:30 a.m. Thursday. In a letter to the campus community, Shipman alleged that officials made “misrepresentations” in order to gain entry to the student’s apartment before detaining her.

The operation reportedly involved multiple agents, who told campus security they were pursuing a missing persons investigation involving a 5-year-old child.

In a statement provided to The Post, DHS said officers were admitted into the apartment by the building’s manager and the student’s roommate. The agency added that all agents displayed badges and immediately identified themselves.

Following her arrest, Aghayeva again turned to Instagram, posting the message, “Dhs illegally arrested me. Please help,” alongside what appeared to be a point-of-view image showing a woman’s legs from inside the back seat of a vehicle.

Several Democratic officials in New York City sharply criticized the arrest.

Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal accused federal authorities of misleading university officials. In an angry post on X, he claimed agents “purposefully deceived campus housing/security to gain entry to the student’s apartment.”

“The level of civil rights violations that took place is staggering,” he fumed.

City Council Speaker Julie Menin, who graduated from Columbia, described the episode as “disturbing” and issued a rebuke of ICE in her own social media statement.

“ICE has no place in our schools and universities. These activities do not make our city or country safer, but rather drive mistrust and danger. As Columbia College alumni, our hearts are with the community there, and we have been in contact with the University to offer our assistance.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also condemned the arrest and said she intends to introduce legislation that would prohibit ICE from entering what she described as sensitive locations, including schools and dormitories.

“Let’s get it passed now,” she wrote on X.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer likewise denounced the detention as “unacceptable,” calling for immediate clarification about Aghayeva’s situation and stating that his office was coordinating with Columbia and appropriate authorities.

{Matzav.com}

Rav Dovid Cohen, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Chevron and a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, delivered a special address at the beis medrash of Yeshivas Zichron Meir for younger bochurim in Yerushalayim, focusing on the inner essence of Purim and warning against inappropriate conduct.

“Purim is among the greatest days of the year,” he declared, while cautioning that frivolity and recklessness are not befitting a ben Torah.

He also addressed the current matzav, emphasizing that “our very existence depends solely on the Torah of the bochurim.”

At the outset of his remarks, the rosh yeshiva spoke about the unique stature of these days as a time of preparation for Purim. He cited a responsum of the Ridbaz, who discusses a case of a prisoner permitted to leave jail only two days a year and faced with a choice: Should he select the two holiest days—Yom Kippur and Purim—or leave at the earliest possible opportunity? “The question was whether to go out on the two most important days of the year—Yom Kippur and Purim—or to leave as early as possible. From the very question we see how Purim is defined; these are the greatest days of the year.”

Rav Cohen elaborated on the connection between Purim and Yom Kippur, explaining that both are days of renewed acceptance of the Torah with love and willingness. He then warned against diminishing the sanctity of the day through excessive revelry. “Sometimes people lose the true meaning of Purim. As a great man once told me, there are those who go through this day in a state of wildness. That is not correct! That is not the way of a ben Torah, and it is not the way of a Jew at all. Although Chazal said that one is obligated to drink on Purim, the Beis Yosef emphasizes that a person must not cast off the yoke. Rather, it should be an increased joy that is entirely connection and closeness to the Creator.”

Turning to the broader challenges facing the generation, the rosh yeshiva spoke about the centrality of ameilus baTorah. “We all know the situation, that we are humiliated and pursued. But the fundamental truth that every person must recognize is that Klal Yisrael survives only through the power of Torah. In the face of all dangers and decrees—this is your strength, the young bochurim immersed in learning. This is what sustains us!”

He concluded with words of blessing and encouragement for the talmidim and the yeshiva staff. “Baruch Hashem, you are a very important group. There are bochurim here with tremendous abilities and great rabbanim who invest in you. Make the most of these years; these are the years that build a bochur for life. One who understands that these are years of construction and invests in them receives a solid foundation for the next stage in yeshiva. May it be Hashem’s will that you merit years of joy and spiritual elevation and become great talmidei chachamim.”

{Matzav.com}

Shas chairman Aryeh Deri clarified Thursday that his party will not return to the government until the draft law is passed in its final readings in the Knesset plenum, pushing back against claims within the coalition that he is seeking an immediate return.

Amid renewed political maneuvering following MK Yinon Azoulay’s return to his role as chairman of the Knesset Health Committee, coalition officials had speculated that Deri was aiming to reenter the government quickly in order to regain control of key ministries, including the Interior Ministry, the Religious Services Ministry, and the Health Ministry.

Sources in Degel HaTorah reportedly told senior coalition figures this week that Deri intended to bring Shas back into the government immediately after the draft law is approved by the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, without waiting for final passage in the plenum.

However, it was learned that in a conversation Thursday with close associates, Deri made clear that Shas would not settle for committee approval alone. “Shas will not return to the government until the draft law passes second and third readings in the Knesset plenum; we will not suffice with approval of the law in the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.”

As previously reported, during a discussion with rabbonim in Tiveriah, where Deri spent last Shabbos, the Shas chairman expressed his assessment that national elections are likely to take place in the middle of the month of Elul.

In the Knesset, coalition members are said to prefer scheduling elections at least a week before Rosh Hashanah in order to allow the thousands of voters who travel to the kever of Rav Nachman of Breslov in Uman to cast their ballots.

The date being discussed within the coalition, and one Deri himself is said to view as likely, is Tuesday, the 19th of Elul, which falls about a week and a half before Rosh Hashanah, corresponding this year to September 1.

{Matzav.com}

Federal immigration authorities arrested a Columbia University student early Thursday, triggering protests on campus along with allegations that agents had entered the university-owned residence under false pretenses. Just hours after detaining student Ellie Aghayeva, though, the federal government abruptly reversed course, permitting her to walk free after the apparent intervention by President Donald Trump. In […]

Rav Moshe Sternbuch, leading senior posek, issued a sharp and emotional protest after extremist youths in Yerushalayim’s Meah Shearim neighborhood hung effigies bearing the names of gedolei hador. The act was seen as a shocking humiliation of revered gedolei Torah, and Rav Sternbuch declared that he could not remain silent in the face of such disgrace.

The incident involved fringe youths who hung dolls labeled with the names of senior rabbonim, apparently distorting the Purim custom of hanging figures symbolizing Haman. Community leaders described the act as crossing every red line and constituting a grave insult to the honor of gedolei hador.

Because of the seriousness of the matter and the importance Rav Sternbuch placed on issuing a clear and forceful protest, unusual footage was released from inside his private study. The video shows him carefully dictating the exact wording of his condemnation, word by word.

In the rare recording, Rav Sternbuch is seen instructing his longtime chavrusa to prepare a strongly worded public statement condemning what he described as a disgraceful act carried out by irresponsible youths on the fringes of Meah Shearim.

The footage captures his chavrusa, his grandson Rav Eliyahu Sternbuch, head of the Teshuvos V’Hanhagos kollel in Modi’in Illit, seated beside him at the end of their regular learning session, writing down each sentence precisely as dictated by his grandfather for publication in his name.

Observers noted how Rav Sternbuch carefully weighed every word before speaking, following closely as each line was written to ensure that the statement accurately reflected his position.

In his recorded remarks, Rav Sternbuch said: “I hereby strongly protest the mockery in Meah Shearim that was done to disgrace talmidei chachomim. There is no limit to the severity and gravity of this sin, R”l. The wrongdoing is terrible and frightening, and I cannot remain silent over such a desecration even for a single moment.”

Rav Sternbuch concluded his remarks with stirring words: “What more can we do other than cry out to Hakadosh Boruch Hu that He should not punish us, that He should pour upon us a spirit of purity from above, and that He should hasten our redemption speedily.”

{Matzav.com}

When a new venture begins, it often does so on a smaller scale — through a “soft opening” before a broader public debut. Just over a year ago, a small group of like-minded men embarked on such a beginning, launching an initiative to address a long-standing and deeply felt gap within our community . Baruch […]

A two-year-old child who was found wandering alone Thursday afternoon on Rechov Malchei Yisrael in Yerushalayim’s Geula neighborhood was safely returned to his mother after a swift police response and community search effort.

The incident began when a concerned woman noticed the toddler walking by himself without adult supervision and immediately contacted police. Officers from the Lev HaBira station were dispatched to the scene, met with the caller, and quickly launched efforts to locate the child’s family.

During the search, police made public announcements in both Hebrew and Yiddish in the surrounding area, circulated the child’s photograph in community groups, and alerted the local community policing commander in an attempt to identify his parents as quickly as possible.

The toddler was brought to the police station, where officers cared for him, offered comfort, and ensured his well-being while attempts continued to locate his family. A short time later, the boy’s mother arrived at the station and reported that her son was missing. The shift commander conducted a rapid cross-check of the details, confirmed the identification, and the child was reunited with his mother in good health.

Police urged parents to exercise heightened awareness and careful supervision of young children in order to prevent similar incidents.

{Matzav.com}

A suspect was arrested by the NYPD with the assistance of Boro Park Shomrim volunteers at Fort Hamilton Parkway and 44th Street, following a series of shoplifting incidents at a local store over the past several days.

A Chinese CEO laid out 180M yuan ($26 million in cash) on 800 tables and invited all 7,000 of his employees to take what they could, explaining that young people are overwhelmed by mortgages, car loans, and rising costs and need real help, not empty words.

A woman on probation for stowing away on an international flight has been arrested again after sneaking onto a flight from Newark, New Jersey, to Milan, Italy, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the matter. Svetlana Dali, convicted in 2024 for flying to Paris without a passport or ticket, was taken into custody […]

Sen. Tim Kaine slamming Trump administration on possibly engaging with Iran: “An optional war, at the whim of the president, ordering troops here and there…puts our kids at risk in a completely unacceptable way ”

A newly opened Gail’s Bakery in London’s Archway neighborhood was vandalized for the second time in less than a week, as pro-Palestinian protesters accused the company of supporting Israel’s military operations in Gaza. London’s Metropolitan Police said officers were called to the Junction Road branch early Wednesday after reports that several windows had been smashed […]

“The majority of drugs that we approve are for rare diseases,” Dr. Makary said, as he outlined the FDA’s new framework for rare disease treatments.

The Pentagon’s first kamikaze drone unit, Task Force Scorpion, is now operational and ready to participate if President Trump orders strikes on Iran, according to U.S. officials. •⁠ ⁠The unit evolved from an experimental U.S. military drone program and is now part of the broader U.S. military buildup in the region aimed at pressuring Iran […]

Secretary Doug Burgum: The president’s AI and energy agenda will help “make sure that we keep prices affordable for Americans and we have the power to win the AI arms race.

Rep. Mike Haridopolos: It’s shocking to me still today that 14 states don’t allow a situation where they can get away with actually not having voter ID. It’s comical. You can’t buy a beer, you need an ID to board a plane.