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Police carried out a targeted overnight enforcement operation in Bnei Brak that resulted in the arrest of 31 illegal residents as part of ongoing efforts to curb illegal employment and strengthen public safety in the city.

The operation was conducted by officers from the Bnei Brak–Ramat Gan police station, together with Border Police reservists and members of local volunteer emergency response units. The activity included inspections of residential buildings and construction sites across the city.

During the operation, authorities located 18 illegal residents inside a building on Dov Hoz Street. An additional 13 individuals were discovered at a construction site on HaYarkon Street.

All 31 suspects were taken into custody and transferred to the police station for further questioning and processing.

Police also detained for questioning a local resident, 89 years old, who is suspected of providing lodging for the illegal residents.

At the same time, investigators are working to identify the manager of the construction site where several of the suspects were found and are preparing criminal and administrative proceedings against him.

Israel Police and the Border Police stated that enforcement efforts will continue and emphasized their determination to locate and apprehend illegal residents as well as those who assist them, in order to safeguard public safety and maintain public order.

{Matzav.com}

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President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the war with Iran may conclude in the near future, saying a sustained wave of U.S. and Israeli strikes has left the Iranian military with few remaining targets.

In a short phone interview with Axios, Trump said the campaign is approaching its final stages and suggested that the decision on when to bring the war to a close largely rests with him.

“Little this and that. … Any time I want it to end, it will end,” Trump said.

Trump also said the joint U.S.–Israeli offensive has moved more quickly than military planners initially anticipated.

“The war is going great. We are way ahead of the timetable. We have done more damage than we thought possible, even in the original six-week period,” Trump said.

The conflict has now entered its eleventh day and has included retaliatory attacks by Iran, while the Trump administration has offered varying projections about how long the campaign could continue and what its ultimate goals are.

At the outset, Trump indicated the war might last four to five weeks. On Monday, he said the operation was “pretty much” finished and could end “soon.” However, the following day he warned of a possible escalation after reports emerged that Iran had begun deploying naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. officials said intelligence obtained Tuesday indicated that Iran had started placing mines in the key waterway, which serves as one of the most critical routes for global oil shipments. Officials added that the number of mines detected so far appears to be limited.

Trump told Axios that U.S. forces struck 16 Iranian vessels used for laying mines on Tuesday, disrupting Tehran’s efforts to threaten shipping through the strait.

Despite Trump’s suggestion that the fighting may soon wind down, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz signaled that Israel is prepared to continue the operation for as long as necessary.

“The war will continue without any time limit, for as long as necessary, until we achieve all the objectives and decisively win the campaign,” Katz said.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth also indicated that the campaign will persist until its strategic goals are fully accomplished.

“The U.S. military will not relent until the enemy is totally and decisively defeated,” Hegseth said Tuesday, adding that operations would proceed “on our timeline and at our choosing.”

According to U.S. officials, the primary objectives of the campaign include dismantling Iran’s naval and missile capabilities and destroying its drone and missile production infrastructure. Officials have largely dismissed the idea that the operation is aimed at toppling Iran’s government or eliminating the country’s nuclear material stockpiles.

In a video statement released Wednesday, U.S. Central Command commander Adm. Brad Cooper said American forces have hit more than 5,500 targets across Iran since the war began, including over 60 ships.

“U.S. combat power is building. Iranian combat power is declining,” Cooper said. “And we remain centered on very clear military objectives in eliminating Iran’s ability to project power against Americans and against its neighbors.”

Cooper said the pace of operations has been intense, describing multiple waves of strikes carried out on Tuesday.

“There were strike waves nearly every hour from different locations and directions going into Iran,” Cooper said, adding that four ships were “taken out.”

He also said Iran’s ability to launch missiles and drones has significantly declined since the start of the campaign.

“Since the first 24 hours of this campaign, Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks have dropped drastically,” Cooper said, adding that Iran has been launching attacks on civilians in Gulf countries from “highly populated” Iranian cities.

“U.S. forces continue delivering devastating combat power against the Iranian regime,” Cooper said. “Just last night, our bomber force hit a large ballistic missile manufacturing facility.”

{Matzav.com}

Nearly two weeks after the launch of Operation Roaring Lion, Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu says Israel is still far from concluding the military campaign and continues to strike targets according to its operational plans.

As the operation approaches the end of its second week, uncertainty remains about when the fighting will end. Netanyahu has declined to provide a specific date for the conclusion of the war, indicating that Israel’s objectives have not yet been fully achieved.

Over the past day, the prime minister held conversations with several ministers and political figures about the possible timeline for ending the war. During those discussions, Netanyahu indicated that the conflict could continue for several more weeks.

Addressing the progress of the operation, Netanyahu stressed that Israel still has many targets left to attack and that the military campaign is proceeding according to plan.

“We are not close to the end,” he was quoted as saying by Channel 12 News. “We still have many targets, but the pace is excellent and we are ahead of schedule. I can’t give you a time estimate. Maybe a week, maybe a week and a half, maybe a few weeks. It depends on many variables. We are continuing according to the plan.”

In recent days, Israeli assessments reported in the media have suggested that the war is expected to continue at least until after Pesach.

{Matzav.com}

Ecuador will launch a major offensive against criminal organizations in three western provinces this weekend with logistical support from the United States, the interior minister said Wednesday. Speaking to a local radio station, Interior Minister John Reimberg urged citizens to observe an 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew from March 15-30 in the provinces of […]

A widely discussed educational question during the ongoing war with Iran—how to help children cope with the fear of air-raid sirens—prompted a sharp and surprising response from the noted posek and member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein. In remarks resurfaced from a shiur delivered during the 2014 Gaza conflict, the rov strongly criticized the idea of giving children candy during sirens to make the experience less frightening, calling the approach “עצת גויים,” foreign counsel inconsistent with a Torah perspective.

The video, recently released by the editors of the sefer Divrei Chemed, shows Rav Zilberstein—rov of the Ramat Elchanan neighborhood of Bnei Brak—discussing a letter he had received from concerned parents. The parents had written that an emotional therapy expert suggested turning the frightening moments of sirens into a “positive experience” for children.

According to the therapist’s advice, parents were encouraged to prepare candies or small prizes and distribute them whenever a siren sounded while families were sheltering in protected rooms. The intention, the parents wrote, was to transform the stressful moments into something pleasant and even enjoyable.

The parents reported that the idea appeared to work. Their children were no longer frightened by the alarms, and soon other children in the building began joining them in the shelter to receive treats as well. Eventually, they wrote, the situation evolved to the point that children were eagerly awaiting the next siren in order to receive another sweet.

The parents then posed a halachic question: since the candies helped calm the children during a time of danger, could the cost of the treats be paid using maaser funds, perhaps considering the expense a form of mitzvah spending?

Rav Zilberstein’s response was emphatic and unexpected.

“This expense is not considered a mitzvah expense, nor even a discretionary expense,” he said. “Rather, it is an ‘expense of a sin,’ because the entire advice of that ‘expert’ is nothing more than עצת גויים—to turn a moment of distress and outcry into a ‘pleasant experience.’”

Instead, the rov said that the proper Jewish response is to guide children toward tefillah and emunah during moments of danger.

“A Jewish approach,” he explained, “is to calm the children by reciting chapters of Tehillim together in unison. As is known, when a person faces danger he is obligated by the Torah to pray to Hashem that He save him from the distress.”

To create an atmosphere of reassurance and faith, he suggested singing songs that strengthen belief and trust in Hashem, including Ani Maamin b’emunah sheleimah b’vias haMashiach, Vehi She’amdah la’avoseinu velanu, and B’tzeis Yisroel miMitzrayim.

Rav Zilberstein continued that children should be gently taught the spiritual purpose behind such frightening moments.

“Instead of the foreign educational approach of distributing sweets,” he said, “one should instill in children—calmly and pleasantly—that the sirens are meant to straighten the crookedness in our hearts, for ‘HaElokim asah sheyiru milfanav.’”

He cited the Rambam’s ruling at the beginning of Hilchos Taaniyos that when calamity strikes the community, there is a Torah obligation to cry out to Hashem. Such prayer, the Rambam explains, is part of the process of teshuvah, helping people recognize that hardships come as a result of their actions and prompting them to improve.

Only after the danger has passed, Rav Zilberstein said—when the missile has been intercepted or has fallen harmlessly in an open area—should sweets be distributed.

At that point, he suggested, those present should first recite Mizmor L’Sodah (Tehillim 100) to thank Hashem for the miracle. Then giving treats to the children could become part of a celebratory moment, even considered a seudah shel mitzvah, since there is a mitzvah to thank and praise Hashem after experiencing a miracle.

During the shiur, Rav Zilberstein also shared a powerful personal story from his childhood in Yerushalayim during the War of Independence in 1948. He recalled how people crowded into bomb shelters during air raids, where tensions sometimes ran high. In one shelter, he recounted, a woman would regularly embarrass others publicly, yet many of those present remained silent and overlooked the insults. Rav Zilberstein described how the merit of being maavir al midosav—overlooking personal offense—can itself serve as a powerful protection in times of danger.

The remarks, though delivered more than a decade ago, have resurfaced amid the current security situation and renewed debate over how best to help children cope with the anxiety of wartime sirens while remaining rooted in Torah values and perspective.

{Matzav.com}

Israel is exploring the possibility of establishing a base on the coast of Somaliland, at the mouth of the Red Sea, that would allow it to strike the Houthis in Yemen from a short distance away, eliminating the need for lengthy flights, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday. According to the report, a group of Israeli […]

Federal authorities have warned law enforcement agencies in California that Iran could attempt to retaliate for U.S. military strikes by launching drones at targets along the West Coast. “We recently acquired information that as of early February 2026, Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack using unmanned aerial vehicles from an unidentified vessel off […]

Google has completed its record-breaking acquisition of Israeli-founded cybersecurity company Wiz in a staggering $32 billion deal, marking the largest purchase ever of an Israeli tech firm and the biggest acquisition in Google’s history. The transaction, which was first announced in March last year and finalized following regulatory approvals, eclipses Google’s previous record acquisition — […]

A tragedy has struck the Torah community in Bnei Brak with the passing of three-and-a-half-year-old Aryeh Lefkowitz a”h, a great-grandson of the rosh yeshiva Rav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz zt”l. The young child died after battling a serious illness.

Aryeh passed away at Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer after suffering from the illness that had afflicted him in recent months.

During that time, many in the community davened fervently for the recovery of the child, Aryeh ben Ayla.

The levayah was held tonight at Yarkon Cemetery, at the Petach Tikvah gate, where he was buried.

Aryeh was a son of Rav Yaakov Yisroel Lefkowitz, a respected yungerman at the Ponovezh Kollel. Rav yaakov Yisroel is a son of Rav Avrohom Yitzchok Lefkowitz, one of the roshei yeshiva of Yeshivas Beis Medrash Elyon, and a grandson of Rav Michel Yehuda.

His mother, Mrs. Ayala Lefkowitz, is a daughter of Rav Avrohom Yeshaya Mann, son of Rav Mordechai Mann zt”l, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Beis Hillel and son-in-law of the mashgiach, Rav Chaim Friedlander zt”l.

Baruch Dayan HaEmes.

{Matzav.com}

A series of explosions attributed to drones killed at least one person, a U.N. aid worker, as the attack on the Wednesday rocked downtown Goma in eastern Congo, according to the M23 rebel group and local residents. The drone strikes hit Lake Kivu and a private residence located about 50 meters (164 feet) from the […]

President Donald Trump sharply criticized Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday, accusing him of mishandling Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s request for a presidential pardon related to the ongoing corruption trial against him.

During a phone conversation with Channel 12 reporter Barak Ravid, Trump raised the issue of the pardon on his own initiative and attacked Herzog for insisting that he must first receive a recommendation from Israel’s Justice Ministry before deciding on the matter.

“He doesn’t need any legal opinions,” Trump said. “He is full of [garbage]. He is a weak and pathetic guy. I want Bibi [Netanyahu] to be focused on the war — not on [garbage].”

Trump has repeatedly expressed anger at Herzog over the president’s refusal so far to issue a pardon to Netanyahu while the legal proceedings against him continue. Just last week, Trump described Herzog as a “disgrace” for not granting the pardon.

The American president has also raised the issue several times in recent months. In comments made last month, Trump said Herzog “should be ashamed of himself” for declining to pardon Netanyahu, and during an address to the Knesset in October he publicly pressed Herzog on the same matter.

Trump has repeatedly asserted that Herzog previously assured him that he would grant Netanyahu a pardon. Officials in the Israeli president’s office have rejected that claim.

Responding to Trump’s criticism last week, Herzog’s office said the president “greatly respects and appreciates” Trump, but emphasized that the decision regarding the pardon request would be made “without any influence from external or internal pressures of any kind.”

Herzog has not yet ruled on the pardon application submitted by Netanyahu’s legal team in November.

Hebrew-language media outlets reported Wednesday that the Justice Ministry’s pardons department has concluded that the request does not satisfy the necessary legal criteria. Under those circumstances, Herzog is widely viewed as unlikely to approve a pardon.

Earlier Wednesday, the Justice Ministry confirmed that the pardons department had finalized its legal opinion on Netanyahu’s request and transferred the document to Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu. Justice Minister Yariv Levin recused himself from involvement due to a potential conflict of interest.

According to a report by the Ynet news site, the pardons department concluded that granting a pardon would be difficult because Netanyahu’s trial is still underway, he has not been convicted, and his request did not include an admission of guilt or an expression of remorse.

{Matzav.com}

A joint U.S.–Israeli strike at the opening of the war with Iran that was widely believed to have killed former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may have had the opposite effect—allowing him to escape from tight regime control and disappear underground, according to reports citing people close to the former leader. Associates of Ahmadinejad told reporters […]

Iran carried out additional strikes Tuesday against several Gulf Arab states while its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that no oil would be allowed to leave the Persian Gulf during the ongoing U.S.–Israeli bombing campaign targeting the Islamic Republic.

Bahraini officials said the island nation, which hosts the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, was struck by three missiles and a drone. One of the strikes hit a residential building in the capital, Manama, killing a 29-year-old woman and injuring eight others.

Saudi Arabia reported that its air defenses intercepted and destroyed two drones over the kingdom’s oil-producing eastern region. Kuwait’s National Guard also said it shot down six drones that entered its airspace.

In the United Arab Emirates, the defense ministry said nine Iranian drones reached their targets on Tuesday while air defense systems intercepted another 26 drones and eight missiles. Authorities said there were no immediate reports of casualties.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center also reported a suspected incident involving a commercial vessel in the Persian Gulf near Abu Dhabi. According to the report, the captain of a ship observed “a splash and heard a loud bang in proximity of a bulk carrier.”

If confirmed, the incident would indicate that Iranian attacks during the war have expanded further into shipping lanes in the Gulf.

Since the U.S.–Israeli bombing campaign began on February 28, Iranian strikes on the UAE have killed six people and wounded 122 others, according to figures released by the country’s defense ministry.

Officials in the Emirates said firefighters were battling a blaze Tuesday in the industrial city of Ruwais after an Iranian drone struck the area. Ruwais hosts major petrochemical facilities. Authorities said no injuries were reported.

A source familiar with the situation told Reuters that the fire erupted within the Ruwais complex operated by Abu Dhabi’s state oil company ADNOC. As a precaution, the refinery at the site was shut down, representing the latest disruption to energy infrastructure during the conflict.

The source added that other operations within the industrial complex continued functioning normally.

Ruwais is home to major Abu Dhabi National Oil Company facilities capable of processing up to 922,000 barrels of oil per day and serves as the center of the emirate’s downstream oil industry, including large chemical, fertilizer, and industrial gas operations.

Energy industry monitoring firm IIR Energy reported that ADNOC shut down the only crude distillation unit at its Ruwais Refinery 2 (West), which processes 417,000 barrels per day, and plans to carry out a safety shutdown across the plant.

The firm also noted that ADNOC had already scaled back operations by roughly 10 to 20 percent at several units in Ruwais Refinery 1 (East), which processes about 400,000 barrels per day, beginning March 6 because of the escalating regional conflict.

Officials from ADNOC, the Abu Dhabi Media Office, and the UAE foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the incidents.

Gulf officials have warned that continued attacks on energy infrastructure and shipping could have severe global consequences.

Iran’s strikes have forced some countries to reduce production, while maritime traffic through the critical Strait of Hormuz — the narrow passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and used to transport roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply — has slowed dramatically. President Donald Trump has warned that Iran could be hit “much harder” if it continues interfering with oil shipments.

A spokesman for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a direct threat Tuesday regarding oil exports from the region.

Iran “will not allow the export of even a single liter of oil from the region to the hostile side and its partners until further notice.”

“Their attempts to reduce and control oil and gas prices will be temporary and ineffective,” said Ali Mohamad Naeini. “Trade in wartime conditions is subject to security considerations.”

Qatar, which has also faced Iranian strikes during the conflict, warned that attacks on civilian sites and energy facilities could trigger a humanitarian disaster.

“This region cannot take these kinds of attacks on its facilities,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari. “We will see a humanitarian catastrophe.”

“We have seen these kinds of attacks on both sides of the Gulf,” he said, pointing fingers at both Iran and the US and Israel.

“The attacks on energy facilities, which have also happened on both sides, is a dangerous precedent,” he said. “What is happening right now is going to have grave consequences for the international economy.”

Amin Nasser, chief executive of Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil company Aramco, also warned that prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz could have devastating effects.

“While we have faced disruptions in the past, this one by far is the biggest crisis the region’s oil and gas industry has faced,” Nasser said in a media call following the release of the company’s 2025 financial results.

{Matzav.com}

New details on the Iranian drone strike that killed six U.S. service members: More than 60 troops were injured, far more than previously disclosed, with about 30 hospitalized with brain injuries and shrapnel wounds.

As missiles and drones curtail energy production across the Persian Gulf, analysts warn that water, not oil, may be the resource most at risk in the energy-rich but arid region. On Sunday, Bahrain accused Iran of damaging one of its desalination plants. Earlier, Iran said a U.S. airstrike had damaged an Iranian plant. Hundreds of desalination plants […]

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