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The NYPD released a statement following the shooting at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township.

Israeli Minister for the Development of the Negev and the Galilee and National Resilience, Yitzchok Shimon Wasserlauf of the Otzma Yehudit party, narrowly escaped injury on Thursday when a missile launched by the Hezbollah terror organization struck just a few feet from where he was standing.

The incident took place while Wasserlauf was on an official visit to communities along Israel’s northern border. As the minister and his team traveled between towns, a warning siren sounded. They managed to reach only limited cover before a missile slammed into a nearby field. Despite the powerful blast and flying shrapnel, no one in the group was injured.

Shortly afterward, Wasserlauf described the frightening moment in a post on X. “A work day in the north visiting as many local authorities to meet their needs. And then another siren. A few seconds passed and the impact came, ten meters from us. Everything shook. Thank G-d we weren’t harmed. We’re getting our heart rate back down.”

Following the incident, the minister said the attack illustrated why Israel must press forward with its military campaign until Hezbollah is decisively defeated. “This is the reality of the residents of the north over the past two weeks. This is the reality that will continue if we don’t defeat Hezbollah and its main boss, Iran, once and for all. If we won’t do this now, we will go back to this reality in another year or two.”

Despite the close call, Wasserlauf said he intends to continue visiting northern communities as part of his duties. “I’m proud of the residents of the Galilee and particularly the residents of the confrontation line who show extraordinary determination. You are the strength for victory,” he concluded.

{Matzav.com}

A gunman is dead and two people are hurt after a shooting at Old Dominion University on Thursday morning, the Virginia school said. ODU said a gunman opened fire in its business school building, injuring two people who were sent to the hospital. It wasn’t immediately clear how the shooter died. The two people injured […]

Iran’s state-run television network on Thursday aired the first message attributed to the country’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, since he assumed the position.

The statement was not delivered directly by Khamenei. Instead, a narrator read the message while an archival photograph of the new leader appeared on screen, as Khamenei himself has yet to appear publicly.

In the broadcast message, Iran declared that it would continue seeking revenge for those it described as “shahids” (martyrs), with particular mention of the “shahids of the school in Minab.” The statement also said, in Khamenei’s name, that the Strait of Hormuz must remain closed.

Khamenei has not been seen in public since the conflict with Israel and the United States began. He was reportedly wounded during the strike that killed his father and predecessor, Ali Khamenei.

Foreign reports say his injuries included a fractured foot, bruising near his left eye, and cuts to his face, conditions that have reportedly restricted his mobility.

{Matzav.com}

Cambodia hopes to shut down all of the country’s notorious online scam centers by the end of next month, the head of the Southeast Asian nation’s effort to combat the cybercrime said Wednesday. Senior Minister Chhay Sinarith, in charge of the Commission for Combating Online Scams, told The Associated Press in an interview that the […]

Amid the war, HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau has been delivering shiurim and divrei chizzuk to yeshivos in Bnei Brak that are operating in accordance with the directives of the Home Front Command and have protective shelters. On Wednesday, he visited the temporary location of Yeshivas Ner Zerach–Otzem in Bnei Brak, where he delivered a shiur […]

Adv. Gedalyahu Ben Shimon, chairman of the Religious Council in Ramat Gan and a senior figure in the Shas Party who also serves on the Bnei Brak City Council, was seriously injured Thursday in a stabbing attack on Bialik Street in Ramat Gan.

Emergency personnel from Magen David Adom were called to the scene and treated the victim before transporting the 47-year-old to Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv for further care.

Police apprehended a 20-year-old Arab resident of Jatt at the location of the attack and launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident. The Shin Bet has also joined the inquiry.

Witnesses at the scene reported that the suspect shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the assault.

Shlomo Bergstein, a senior paramedic with Magen David Adom’s motorcycle unit, described the condition in which responders found the victim, saying he was conscious but suffering from severe stab wounds.

“We received a report about a man with serious penetrating injuries to his body. When we arrived at the scene, we saw the injured man conscious, with many bystanders around him. We had to act quickly,” he said.

Bergstein said that paramedics administered emergency treatment at the scene before rushing the victim in a Magen David Adom intensive care ambulance to the hospital’s trauma unit.

Yehuda Avidan, Director-General of the Ministry of Religious Services, reacted to the attack with a statement calling it an act of terror and urging the public to pray for the victim’s recovery.

“We are shocked and horrified by this despicable terrorist attack. Terror will not deter us from continuing on our path, but right now the entire people of Israel are united in prayer for the recovery of the head of the Religious Council in Ramat Gan. I call on the entire public to pray for the recovery of Gedalyahu ben Yehoshua, who needs a full recovery.”

{Matzav.com}

The assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader and nearly the entire top leadership of the country’s military establishment in the opening minutes of the war marked a dramatic turning point in the conflict, according to a senior IDF officer who described the operation as one of the most complex and coordinated strikes ever carried out by […]

CNN host Abby Phillip issued an on-air correction Wednesday night after initially claiming that an ISIS-inspired bombing attempt in New York City last weekend had targeted the city’s Muslim mayor. “This morning I issued a correction first thing in the morning on X for a mistake that I made in last night’s show, but I […]

U.S. Central Command says that since the start of Operation Epic Fury, U.S. forces have hit around 6,000 Iranian regime targets, including more than 90 Iranian naval vessels, among them 30 mine-laying ships.

Shas Chairman Rabbi Aryeh Deri arrived a short while ago at Ichilov Hospital, where he received an update from hospital Director-General Prof. Eli Sprecher regarding the condition of Ramat Gan Council Chairman, attorney Gedalyahu Ben Shimon, who was seriously wounded in the terrorist stabbing attack. Deri spoke with the medical staff and was told that, […]

Applications for US unemployment benefits edged down last week as initial claims decreased by 1,000 to 213,000 and the US trade deficit narrowed in January as exports increased.

Sen. John Fetterman said Wednesday that the military campaign known as Operation Epic Fury has produced strong results and pushed back against media portrayals suggesting the operation has gone poorly.

Speaking during an appearance on CNN’s The Source, the Pennsylvania Democrat argued that some coverage, particularly from The New York Times, paints an inaccurate picture of the situation.

During the discussion, Fetterman said he believes certain outlets are attempting to frame the operation as unsuccessful. “I don’t know what your network has talked about, but what I’m saying [is] that, whether, like, it’s The New York Times, they’re making it more and more trying to convince America that this has been a disaster or things are out of control, and that’s just categorically not true on that.”

Fetterman pointed to what he described as measurable outcomes from the campaign, saying the operation has significantly reduced Iranian attacks and weakened the country’s ability to retaliate.

Earlier in the conversation, he praised the military results so far. “the outcome thusfar has been outstanding. If you just look at the metrics, that the missile and the drone attacks are down in the 90s percent. And Iran really has been [unable] to strike back and hit our assets or Israel much right now. So, after eliminating all of the leadership after seven or eight days and achieving air supremacy after a couple of days, I think overall, I think it’s been outstanding, where we’re at.”

At the same time, Fetterman said that it is reasonable for the media to report on controversial aspects of the conflict, including a strike that hit a school in Iran.

{Matzav.com}

Additional footage from Beirut, Lebanon shows Israeli airstrikes targeting a building in the area after it reportedly received an evacuation warning from the IDF.

As first reported here on Matzav.com, a remarkable simcha was celebrated this week in Modiin Illit, where a well-known local family welcomed their 21st child. The birth has drawn widespread attention not only because of the extraordinary number, but also because all 21 children were born in separate births, without a single set of twins.

In a special interview with Menachem Toker on the Kol Chai program Zman Avir, the father revealed a remarkable story about a bracha he received years ago from Maran Sar HaTorah Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt”l.

The father recalled that when the family had only four or five children, he once received a brocha from the revered gadol that would ultimately shape his life.

“This is a bracha, by the way, from Rav Chaim Kanievsky. I was very close to him,” the father said. “I cannot go into the details, but he told me explicitly: you will have twenty children. I knew that when he says something, that’s how it will be.”

The father explained that Rav Chaim continued to follow the family’s growth over the years and repeatedly reaffirmed the blessing.

“When there were eight children, I came to tell him. He had served as sandek a few times. He said to me: ‘Nu, there will be another eight,’ and he smiled. He kept repeating the bracha. He was consistent the entire time.”

The family’s strong emunah chachamim has also been tested during the current war, as missile sirens and the tense security situation have disrupted daily life. Despite the circumstances, the family once again chose to give birth at the Mayanei HaYeshua Medical Center in Bnei Brak.

“I still believe his bracha remains,” the father said. “So even with all the discomfort because of the war conditions, we specifically went there. He told me several times: I told you, Mayanei HaYeshua.”

During the interview, the father also spoke emotionally about the family’s eldest son, who lives with a disability. He said that Rav Chaim gave them chizuk at a time when doctors were offering discouraging predictions.

“You really have to know that behind this stands Rav Chaim Kanievsky,” he said. “Even with the disabled son, when doctors said various things, Rav Chaim dismissed it with a wave of his hand. He told me: don’t worry, don’t worry. He is the firstborn, he is the oldest.”

Asked by Toker how parents can give individual attention to so many children, the father offered a heartfelt approach to chinuch that resonated deeply with listeners.

“If you see every child as a world unto himself, it’s possible,” he explained. “If each child is just another number, another box, then it cannot work. But if you believe every child has his own strengths, his uniqueness, his needs, and his goodness, then what does one have to do with the other? You see each one as one.”

On the practical side of managing such a large household, the father noted that several years ago the family expanded their home in order to better accommodate their son with special needs.

“We made some changes and expanded the house,” he said. “You can manage even with fewer rooms — people would be surprised.”

He added that Shabbos meals are held around a large table, with an additional smaller table added when needed, and that the home operates with a strong sense of simcha and faith.

Moved by the story, Toker announced live on air that he would present the family with a gift package that includes new suits and hats for the seven sons currently learning in yeshiva, as well as a shopping voucher for the new mother.

The father expressed heartfelt gratitude and concluded simply: “I truly appreciate the generous heart.”

Next week the family will celebrate the baby’s bris. The father revealed that the sandek will be Rav Shimon Galai. Toker predicted that the newborn will likely be named after Rav Chaim Kanievsky.

{Matzav.com}

Overnight, the Israeli Air Force, guided by IDF intelligence, carried out a strike in Lebanon eliminating Ali Muslim Tabaja, a senior commander of Iran’s Imam Hossein Division, along with several other senior figures in the unit. The division, operated by Iran’s Quds Force and working alongside Hezbollah, has been involved in attacks against Israel including […]

The IDF says it has begun another wave of airstrikes in Beirut, Lebanon.

The IDF struck a rocket launcher in southern Lebanon that had fired toward the western Galilee a short time ago.

A powerful message of chizuk delivered by Rav Baruch Rosenblum during the ongoing “Shaagas HaAri” war has gone viral in recent days, offering encouragement and perspective to many facing the current security situation.

The noted maggid shiur reflects on the familiar words from Tehillim, “L’Dovid Hashem ori v’yishi,” asking why people often feel secure during ordinary times yet become gripped by fear when war breaks out.

Rav Rosenblum explains that under normal circumstances people go to sleep at night or leave for Shacharis without thinking twice about their safety. There is no sense that they must say goodbye to family members or prepare for danger.

“You don’t say to your wife, ‘If I don’t come back, raise the children on the path of Torah,’” he notes.

The reason, he explains, is simple faith in the words Hashem ma’oz chayai, mimi efchad — that Hashem is the strength of our lives and there is no one to fear.

The difference, he says, is that people perceive a gap between times of calm and times of war.

“What is chanayah?” Rav Rosenblum asks. “It’s a regular day, a pleasant atmosphere. You wake up in the morning and everything is working, baruch Hashem. You feel calm because everything is fine.”

Quoting the words of Dovid Hamelech, he explains: “Im tachaneh alai machaneh lo yira libi.” On an ordinary day, when life feels stable, a person does not feel afraid.

“But what happens when war rises against me? B’zos ani votei’ach. What is that zos? The same zos of the machaneh.”

Rav Rosenblum stresses that the Ribbono Shel Olam does not change. The same Hashem who is present with us during times of calm is also present with us in the midst of war.

To illustrate the idea, he recounts a story about the Gerrer Rebbe, the Imrei Emes. The Rebbe was once traveling in a wagon when the horses suddenly began racing toward a steep drop. While the chassidim around him panicked and cried out in fear, the Rebbe remained completely calm.

Rav Rosenblum explains the lesson: “Someone who feels secure only when the ground beneath him is straight will panic when the ground becomes crooked. But someone who walks calmly because the Ribbono Shel Olam is with him — that same Ribbono Shel Olam is with him even when the ground becomes crooked.”

He concludes with the example of Yonah Hanavi, who was able to sleep in the depths of the ship during a violent storm. When asked how he could sleep amid such danger, Yonah answered that the One who created the sea also created the land, and the One who protects a person when the ground is stable protects him when the sea is raging.

Rav Rosenblum’s message for these wartime days is clear: people must follow all safety instructions and do what is required, but they should do so without panic.

“We have to do what needs to be done, and we must follow the instructions,” he says. “But not with fear and not with dread — rather with calmness and confidence.”

{Matzav.com}

Federal authorities have issued an urgent advisory to law enforcement agencies across California warning of a potential Iranian drone attack targeting the state, according to an internal alert circulated by the FBI.

The warning indicates that Iranian officials may have considered launching unmanned aerial vehicles from a vessel positioned off the U.S. coastline if the United States carried out military strikes against Iran. The notice surfaced as tensions continue following the U.S. strike last month that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader.

According to the alert, intelligence gathered in early February suggested that drones could potentially be launched from an unidentified ship operating near American waters.

California is home to the largest population of Iranian dissidents in the United States—estimated at roughly 500,000 people—but officials said it remains unclear whether that factor played any role in the potential targeting of the state.

The FBI advisory stated: “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 the coast of the United State Homeland, specifically against unspecified targets in California, in the event that the US conducted strikes against Iran.”

The warning continued: “We have no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack.”

Authorities distributed the notice to police departments across the region, though it did not identify specific locations that could be targeted. When contacted by The New York Post, the FBI declined to provide additional comment.

The warning comes nearly two weeks after joint U.S. and Israeli strikes inside Iran dramatically escalated tensions in the region and pushed the Gulf into open conflict. Since then, Tehran has launched retaliatory attacks and issued repeated threats directed at the American mainland.

California Governor Gavin Newsom addressed the warning during a press briefing Wednesday and acknowledged the seriousness of the potential threat.

He said: “Drone issues have been top of mind. We’ve been aware of that information, we’ve been working collaboratively with the [State Operations Center].”

Newsom also noted that he had not yet spoken with President Trump about the warning.

“I haven’t talked to the president directly about this and I wish the president would talk to the American people about what this is all about, what’s the end game?” he said.

Earlier in the day, Trump downplayed the likelihood of an Iranian attack on American territory. When reporters asked whether he was concerned about such threats, he replied simply, “No, I’m not.”

A separate threat assessment prepared by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis said Iran and allied groups “probably” pose a risk of targeted attacks against the United States, although officials believe a large-scale assault remains unlikely.

Meanwhile, the conflict continued to intensify in the Middle East on Wednesday, as at least three ships came under attack in the Strait of Hormuz after Iran vowed to carry out what it described as its most powerful strike of the war.

Three separate incidents were reported along the vital shipping corridor. One vessel, the Thai-flagged cargo ship Mayuree Naree, reported a blaze in its main engine room following an attack that forced the crew to abandon the vessel.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it carried out the strike on the ship, claiming the vessel had ignored warnings to stay clear of the waterway.

The group wrote on social media that the ship “ignored the warnings” from Iran to stay away from the Strait of Hormuz.

“Any vessel that intends to pass must obtain permission from #Iran,” the IRGC said in a social media post. “American aggressors and their partners have no right of passage.”

The attacks prompted a warning from U.S. Central Command advising civilians to avoid ports along the Strait of Hormuz because Iranian military activity has turned those locations into potential targets.

“CENTCOM urges civilians in Iran to immediately avoid all port facilities where Iranian naval forces are operating. Iranian dockworkers, administrative personnel, and commercial vessel crews should avoid Iranian naval vessels and military equipment,” the warning read.

“Although the U.S. military also cannot guarantee civilian safety in or near facilities used by the Iranian regime for military purposes, American forces will continue taking every feasible precaution to minimize harm to civilians,” CENTCOM added.

Following the strike on the Mayuree Naree, Oman’s navy launched a rescue mission that successfully evacuated 20 of the ship’s 23 crew members. According to Thailand’s foreign ministry, efforts were still underway to locate and assist the remaining three sailors.

Iran did not explicitly claim responsibility for two other maritime attacks reported by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations monitoring service.

One of the ships was identified as the Japan-flagged container vessel One Majesty, which was struck by a projectile about 25 nautical miles northwest of Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates.

The third vessel, the Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship Star Gwyneth, sustained damage to its hull roughly 50 miles north of Dubai, according to the maritime security firm Vanguard.

Despite the damage to both ships, maritime authorities reported that all crew members aboard those vessels were safe and accounted for.

According to UKMTO officials, the incidents mark a significant increase in maritime attacks since the war began. The agency has recorded 13 separate assaults on vessels operating near Iran since Feb. 28.

The maritime strikes occurred as Iran intensified its broader military campaign across the region, launching waves of ballistic missiles and drones toward Israel, the Persian Gulf, and areas near Dubai, according to Iranian state media.

Two drones struck near Dubai International Airport—one of the busiest international travel hubs in the world—injuring four people, the Dubai Media Office reported.

Iranian state media described the wave of attacks as the “most intense operation since the beginning of the war.”

{Matzav.com}