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President Donald Trump announced late Saturday night that a U.S. fighter pilot who had been missing after being shot down in Iran has been successfully rescued following a complex military operation.

“WE GOT HIM! My fellow Americans, over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History,” the president posted on Truth Social.

The search effort had stretched on for nearly three days after the aircraft went down Friday during military operations over Iran, leaving the pilot stranded behind enemy lines.

During the search, Iranian officials publicly offered a reward for anyone who could capture and deliver the pilot alive, according to a state television announcement. Throughout that time, the White House provided few updates on the mission.

In his statement, Trump said the rescued pilot, described as “incredible” and “who also happens to be a highly respected Colonel,” was now “SAFE and SOUND!”

“This brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour, but was never truly alone because his Commander in Chief, Secretary of War, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and fellow Warfighters were monitoring his location 24 hours a day, and diligently planning for his rescue,” the president wrote.

“At my direction, the U.S. Military sent dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons in the World, to retrieve him.”

Trump added that although the pilot suffered injuries when the aircraft went down, “will be just fine.”

Israel is beginning to slightly relax emergency aviation restrictions at Ben Gurion Airport, raising the number of outbound passengers allowed per flight to 80, even as missile threats and security concerns continue to heavily limit air travel.

The adjustment, set to take effect tonight, was coordinated between the Israel Airports Authority and the Home Front Command. It marks a modest easing of the stricter wartime rules that had capped departures at just 50 passengers per flight, aside from a limited number of humanitarian cases.

Despite the change, the overall system remains tightly controlled. Under the current framework, only one departure and one arrival are permitted each hour, although incoming flights are allowed to land at full capacity. These restrictions were introduced following renewed Iranian threats and heightened pressure from defense officials to minimize risks around the airport.

The disruption to Israel’s aviation sector has extended into neighboring countries as well. Arkia attempted to reroute operations through Aqaba and Taba, but faced setbacks when Jordanian authorities altered their policy and denied approvals for certain flights, stranding passengers and forcing cancellations.

Meanwhile, El Al has warned that its outbound capacity has dropped dramatically, operating at roughly 5% of its usual volume. The airline has urged authorities to expand operations through Ramon Airport in the south, while continuing to run a limited schedule to major destinations such as New York, Los Angeles, Miami, London, Paris, Rome, and Athens.

While the latest move offers a small increase in travel capacity, Israel’s airspace remains under significant constraints, with airlines continuing to navigate a combination of security directives and regional instability.

The tzibbur is asked to be mispallel for a refuah shleimah for Rav Shmuel Yosef Fishbain, the longtime beloved rov of White Lake, New York, who has served the kehillah for more than five decades.

Rav Fishbain is currently hospitalized and is reported to be in stable but critical condition.

Those saying Tehillim are asked to daven for Rav Shmuel Yosef ben Miriam Devorah.

President Donald Trump announced Friday that Vice President J.D. Vance will take the lead in combating fraud across the United States, declaring he will now serve as the administration’s “fraud czar.”

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said fraud in the U.S. “is massive and pervasive” and emphasized that Vance’s new responsibilities would play a key role in shaping the country’s future. He added that “the job he will be doing, in conjunction with many great people within the Trump Administration, will be a major factor in how great the future of our Country will be.”

“We will call him the ‘FRAUD CZAR,’” Trump continued, “and his focus will be ‘EVERYWHERE,’ but primarily in those Blue States where CROOKED DEMOCRAT POLITICIANS, like those in California, Illinois, Minnesota (Somalia beware!), Maine, New York, and many others, have had a ‘free for all’ in the unprecedented theft of Taxpayer Money. The numbers are so large that, if successful, we would literally be able to balance our American Budget.” The President did not offer evidence for these assertions.

The vice president’s office pointed to an Executive Order signed by Trump on March 16 that created a federal anti-fraud task force aimed at coordinating efforts to combat misuse of government funds. The order states that the group will “coordinate and accelerate a comprehensive national strategy to stop fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs, including programs administered jointly with State, local, tribal, and territorial partners,” and names Vance as its chairman.

Vance convened the task force for the first time last week in a closed-door meeting. Ahead of the session, he indicated that tackling fraud would require coordination across multiple levels of government, describing it as a “a whole-government approach.”

“This is not just the theft of the American people’s money,” Vance said, according to The Associated Press. “It is also the theft of critical services that the American people rely on.”

Addressing fraud has become a central pillar of Trump’s second-term agenda, with the administration focusing particular attention on certain states. Minnesota has been a repeated target, with federal childcare funding frozen and more than $250 million in Medicaid funds temporarily suspended amid allegations of misuse. Trump has also cited those claims in defending stepped-up immigration enforcement actions in Minneapolis.

California has also been a major focus. In his Friday post, Trump stated that “raids have already started in L.A.” A day earlier, federal authorities announced the arrest of eight individuals accused of involvement in healthcare fraud schemes in and around Los Angeles. That same day, the White House’s rapid response account on X highlighted that Vance’s task force had suspended more than 200 hospice and healthcare providers in the state.

Officials in both Minnesota and California have pushed back, saying their governments have long worked to combat fraud. They also pointed to past pardons issued by Trump to individuals convicted of fraud-related offenses.

Earlier this year, Vance revealed plans to create a new Justice Department position focused specifically on fraud investigations, reporting directly to him and the president. Weeks later, Trump selected Colin McDonald for the role of Assistant Attorney General for National Fraud Enforcement. McDonald was officially sworn in on Wednesday by Vance.

A growing number of international airlines have extended or expanded cancellations of flights to and from Israel as the security situation continues to deteriorate, with some carriers suspending service for months and others postponing a return indefinitely.

Dozens of airlines have announced updated timelines since the outbreak of the war, citing safety concerns. United Airlines has halted its U.S.–Tel Aviv route through September 7, according to a report by Ynet.

Air Canada has likewise extended its suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv until September 7. Delta Air Lines announced it will not resume service to Tel Aviv until at least September 5, and has also postponed the launch of its planned Boston route indefinitely.

The Lufthansa Group said its airlines—including Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines—will suspend flights to Tel Aviv through May 31. Eurowings and Lufthansa Cargo have extended their suspensions until April 30.

Low-cost carrier Wizz Air said it will not operate flights to Israel through April 20. Greece’s Aegean Airlines has suspended flights to Tel Aviv until April 30, while British Airways has canceled its service through May 31. Flydubai has also pushed its suspension through the end of April.

Italy’s ITA Airways announced it will not resume flights until April 10. Iberia Express, part of the IAG group, has canceled all Tel Aviv flights through late March.

LOT Polish Airlines confirmed all flights to Tel Aviv are canceled through May 31. Air Baltic has also suspended flights through the same date. Spain’s Air Europa has halted service until May 3, while Greece’s Sky Express suspended flights through March 31.

Air France has canceled flights to Tel Aviv through April 19, and KLM has suspended operations until late March. Romania’s Animawings has also canceled flights through March 31.

Additional cancellations include Flydubai flights through late March, Air India through March 31, and Ethiopian Airlines through April 16. Norwegian Air has delayed its planned return to Israel until June 15, according to Ynet.

Etihad Airways has suspended flights until April 16, while Air Seychelles has canceled service through April 30. TAP Air Portugal has halted flights until May 1. EasyJet has announced it will not operate flights to Tel Aviv at all during the upcoming summer season.

{Matzav.com}