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Israeli forces demolished the home of the terrorist responsible for a deadly shooting attack that claimed the life of 12-year-old Yehoshua Aharon Tuvia Simcha HY”D and wounded several other civilians, the IDF announced.

According to the military, troops destroyed the residence of the terrorist who carried out the attack at the Al-Khader junction, where the young boy was murdered and additional Israeli civilians were injured.

During the past day, IDF forces operating in the city of Dura in the Yehuda Brigade demolished the home of the terrorist Azmi Nader Abu al-Hilal.

The terrorist carried out the shooting attack together with another assailant, opening fire on an Israeli civilian bus at the Al-Khader junction. The attack occurred on December 11, 2024, and resulted in the murder of 12-year-old Yehoshua Aharon Tuvia Simcha HY”D and the wounding of three additional civilians.

“IDF forces will continue to act proactively and offensively to thwart terrorism and to bring to justice terrorists who act to harm the State of Israel,” the IDF Spokesperson said in a statement.

According to the military, the terrorist Masalma, together with additional attackers, carried out the severe shooting attack at the Al-Khader junction in the Etzion Brigade sector on December 11, 2024. The attack took place around 11:40 p.m. on the Tunnels Road near Beitar Illit, when the terrorists opened heavy gunfire toward an Israeli civilian bus they had identified. A total of 23 bullets struck the bus.

Yehoshua Aharon Tuvia was a son of Rav Zusha Simcha, head of the Klal Chassidic Yeshiva in Beitar Illit. His family, residents of Yerushalayim, had been returning from a family sheva brachos when they were caught in the gunfire.

Three additional civilians were wounded in the attack. A woman approximately 40 years old suffered gunshot wounds to her limbs and was listed in moderate condition, while two other passengers sustained light injuries, some from shattered glass. Medical teams from Magen David Adom and United Hatzalah provided initial treatment at the scene before evacuating the victims to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital and Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Yerushalayim.

{Matzav.com}

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in comments released Sunday that he was ready for the next round of trilateral peace talks to end Russia’s more than 4-year-old invasion of Ukraine, but that it was up to Washington and Moscow to agree on where and when to meet. Zelenskyy said the U.S. had proposed hosting the […]

Israel’s Home Front Command is preparing to introduce an upgrade to its early warning system that is expected to significantly reduce situations in which residents receive advance alerts without an actual siren sounding.

More than two weeks into the ongoing war, officials have been working to refine the geographic areas used for advance warning alerts. The change, which is expected to take effect in the coming days, is intended to make the alert system more precise.

The improvement will focus on narrowing the alert zones so that early warnings are sent only to areas more likely to face potential threats. The adjustment is designed to limit the number of people who are instructed to move to protected areas when a threat does not ultimately materialize.

Under the new system, the Home Front Command will expand the number of alert regions. The current structure divides the country into five large areas for advance alerts, but the upgrade will split those regions into 21 separate zones.

Officials estimate that the change could reduce the number of early warnings issued without a subsequent siren by between 30 and 50 percent.

According to the Home Front Command, the system was refined after two weeks of operational experience during the current conflict. Officials emphasized that while the alert process is being improved, there will be no compromises when it comes to protecting lives.

Advance alerts will continue to be sent to residents’ mobile phones as before, with the changes focused primarily on improving the internal system so that warnings are delivered more accurately and efficiently.

{Matzav.com}

At least eight Chareidim, including four children, have been assaulted in Antwerp in recent weeks. On Friday, a Muslim man struck a 16-year-old yeshiva bochur who was returning from yeshiva on a main street in Antwerp, knocking off his hat. Shomrim volunteers succeeded in detaining the assailant and transferred him to the police. Shomrim volunteers […]

Iranian media outlets reported over the weekend that the body of Ali Shamkhani, a senior Iranian military and political figure who was killed in an Israeli strike, was buried without his head.

The report was published by the Iranian newspaper Farhikhtegan, a publication identified with the Iranian regime. According to the report, Shamkhani’s remains were interred in northern Tehran 14 days after he was killed.

Media outlets close to the Iranian government reported that the body of Shamkhani, who served as secretary of Iran’s defense council and as a senior adviser to the Iranian leader who was killed, was buried missing its head.

The state-affiliated newspaper Farhikhtegan reported that the senior Iranian military and security official had been “buried without a head.” Shamkhani was killed on the first day of Operation “Roaring Lion,” during an attack on the residence of Ali Khamenei. The strike, described as one of the most severe blows to Iran’s leadership structure, also resulted in the deaths of Ali Khamenei and several other senior officials in the Iranian government.

According to the report, Shamkhani’s burial ceremony took place on Shabbos at the Imamzadeh Saleh shrine in northern Tehran. His body remained there for 14 days before it was finally buried. The body of Khamenei, however, has still not been buried even after the same two-week period.

The report spread quickly online, where many social media users reacted with satisfaction. One commenter wrote that Shamkhani’s body was apparently found without a head, hands, or legs, adding sarcastically that his head was not cut off using the same device that cuts off the hands of poor people accused of theft, a remark referencing the brutality associated with the slain Iranian official.

{Matzav.com}

Two people were lightly injured in Tel Aviv after an Iranian cluster bomb hit the city around noon on Sunday, the seventh Iranian missile barrage since midnight. There were a number of impact sites in Tel Aviv, causing fires to break out and damage. MDA paramedics administered medical treatment to two men in their 50s […]

A U.S. official said Friday that 2,500 more Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli were being sent to the Middle East, adding to the military’s largest buildup of warships and aircraft in the region in decades. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military […]

Iran urged people Saturday to evacuate the Middle East’s busiest port and two others in the United Arab Emirates, openly threatening a neighboring country’s non-U.S. assets for the first time as its war with the United States and Israel entered a third week. Tehran said the U.S. had used “ports, docks and hideouts” in the […]

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U.S. President Donald Trump announced over the weekend that US forces carried out strikes on military facilities on Iran’s Kharg Island, an island key to Iran’s oil network, echoing statements Trump made decades ago, as early as the late 1980s. A resurfaced 1988 newspaper article shows a younger Trump voicing an uncompromising stance toward the […]

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Unhinged commentator Tucker Carlson said in a video released tonight that he believes the Justice Department may be preparing to charge him as an unregistered foreign agent, a move he claims was recommended by the CIA after the agency reviewed his text messages from before the war with Iran.

Carlson outlined the allegation in a five-minute video posted on X, where he said he had learned that intelligence officials were preparing a criminal referral connected to his communications with individuals in Iran.

“The CIA is preparing some kind of criminal referral against me, a crime report to the Department of Justice, on the basis of a supposed crime I committed,” Carlson said. “What’s that crime? Well, talking to people in Iran before the war. They read my texts.”

Carlson said he believes the potential charges would fall under the “Foreign Agent Act,” apparently referring to the Foreign Agents Registration Act, a law enacted in 1938 requiring individuals who are paid by foreign governments to lobby or advocate politically in the United States to register with the Justice Department.

The former Fox News host said he does not believe the case will ultimately move forward and offered several reasons why he expects it will not proceed.

“I’m not an agent of a foreign power,” Carlson said was the first reason. “Unlike a lot of people commenting on U.S. politics and global affairs, I have only one loyalty and that’s the United States and have never acted against it.”

Carlson also said he has never accepted money from any foreign government, which he argued would undermine any accusation that he acted as a foreign agent.

“Don’t need it, don’t want it,” he said.

He further argued that as an American citizen he is free to communicate with people anywhere in the world, and he said that speaking with individuals in Iran should not be considered criminal conduct.

“Legally, I think, the case is ludicrous, and I doubt it’ll even become a case,” Carlson said.

Carlson explained that he decided to publicly discuss the issue for several reasons.

One of those reasons, he said, is his belief that governments tend to become more restrictive during wartime. According to Carlson, when countries are engaged in conflict they typically show “much less tolerance for any kind of dissent,” including in the United States.

He also suggested that his criticism of Israel could have made him a target among certain officials within the intelligence community.

“[There are] some people who are mad at me for my views about Israel and they have some latitude,” Carlson said. “One of the reasons they pass on criminal complaints in effect to law enforcement is to justify warrants for spying. And so that is an absolutely real thing.”

Carlson has strongly criticized the recent joint U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. He described the operation as “absolutely disgusting and evil,” and said Operation Epic Fury was being “waged” strictly on behalf of Israel.

President Donald Trump responded by distancing Carlson from the Make America Great Again movement.

“Tucker has lost his way,” Trump told ABC’s Jonathan Karl on March 5. “I knew that a long time ago, and he’s not MAGA. MAGA is saving our country. MAGA is making our country great again. MAGA is America first, and Tucker is none of those things. And Tucker is really not smart enough to understand that.”

Trump has also rejected claims that the United States entered the conflict with Iran because it was pressured by Israel. Earlier this month, the president told ABC’s Rachel Scott, “If anything, I might’ve forced Israel’s hand.”

Carlson said another reason he believes the report about potential charges surfaced is because intelligence agencies sometimes leak such stories in order to intimidate critics.

He said the intelligence community occasionally publicizes allegations as a tactic intended to “humiliate and terrify” those it considers adversaries.

{Matzav.com}

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President Donald Trump’s personal cellphone number has reportedly become a sought-after commodity among political insiders, journalists, and business figures, with reports of attempts to buy, trade, or otherwise obtain the number circulating within Washington circles.

According to a report by The Atlantic’s Michael Sherer, citing two administration officials, the president’s private phone number has become the subject of what officials described as “suspected horse-trading and black-market sales among influence brokers.” The report states that corporate executives and cryptocurrency investors have allegedly tried to pay for access to the number, while some journalists have exchanged contact information for other world leaders in deals likened to trading baseball cards.

The report said that Trump’s personal number has even been “offered for sale to deep-pocketed interests seeking influence.”

Part of what has made the number so valuable, according to the report, is Trump’s unusual level of accessibility. Journalists have often expressed surprise that they are able to directly call the president on his private line, something that is far less common with most modern presidents.

One administration official told The Atlantic that the president’s personal phone frequently rings with calls from members of the press.

“It is literally call after reporter call,” one of the officials said. “It is just boom, boom, boom.”

The report indicated that many of the incoming numbers are not saved in the president’s phone under identifiable names. Because the number has spread so widely among members of the press, White House staff have at times found themselves searching unfamiliar callers online to determine who they are.

“It’s out of control,” an administration official said. “It’s like a wrecking ball.”

Beyond business executives allegedly offering cash or cryptocurrency for the number, The Atlantic reported that its own staff was approached with a proposal involving a trade of high-profile contacts.

Scherer wrote: “We were recently approached by another journalist who offered to trade more than two dozen cellphone numbers of significant stature for the one number of most significant stature. (We declined.) One person we talked with has heard that the going rate for this sort of swap is a one-to-one trade for another major world leader.”

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly responded to the report by emphasizing the president’s openness with the media.

“President Trump is the most transparent and accessible president in history. The press can’t get enough of Trump, and they know it.”

{Matzav.com}

Americans who decide to give up their U.S. citizenship will now face a far lower cost to complete the process, after the federal government dramatically reduced the required fee.

The U.S. State Department announced Friday that it has lowered the price to formally renounce U.S. citizenship from $2,350 to $450. The reduction had been promised in 2023 but only now officially took effect, according to a report by the Associated Press.

“The Department of State (‘Department’) is proposing to amend the Schedule of Fees for Consular Services (‘Schedule’) to reduce the current fee for Administrative Processing of a Request for a Certificate of Loss of Nationality of the United States (CLN) from $2,350 to $450,” the rule on the Federal Register website read.

The newly lowered amount restores the cost to the same level that existed in 2010, when the federal government first began charging individuals a fee to renounce their citizenship, the AP reported.

“The fee was raised from $450 to $2,350 in 2015 to cover the administrative expenses as the number of people wanting to renounce their citizenship surged in part due to new U.S. tax reporting requirements for American expatriates that angered many,” the article noted, adding the process to renounce one’s U.S. citizenship is not always easy.

The procedure itself remains a detailed and deliberate process that requires applicants to repeatedly confirm their decision before it can be finalized.

“Applicants must repeatedly confirm in multiple written and verbal attestations to a State Department consular officer that they understand the implications of the step before being allowed to take a formal oath of renunciation. It must then be reviewed by the department,” the AP stated.

While the government has made it cheaper to relinquish citizenship, President Donald Trump has publicly emphasized the importance and privilege of becoming an American citizen.

During a naturalization ceremony in July, President Trump addressed newly sworn-in Americans and underscored the significance of their decision.

“My fellow Americans, how exciting this is. Congratulations. Today, you receive one of the most priceless gifts ever granted by human hands. You become a citizen of the United States of America. What an honor,” he said:

Following that event, Trump’s United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) strengthened its standards for evaluating foreign nationals seeking citizenship. According to Breitbart News, the agency also initiated a program aimed at revoking citizenship from individuals who obtained it through fraudulent means.

Earlier this year, Breitbart reported that the Trump administration discovered widespread abuse in the immigration system.

“During a congressional hearing this week, USCIS Director Joe Edlow told Congress that fraud investigators at the agency have cracked down on immigration fraud and have uncovered a shocking number of cases where immigrants secured visas or green cards through fraudulent means,” the Breitbart News report stated.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said he was surprised that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has not moved more quickly toward a negotiated agreement to end the war with Russia, suggesting that Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared to reach a deal.

In an interview with NBC News, Trump said he expected Zelensky to be more willing to pursue diplomatic negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict.

“I’m surprised that Zelensky doesn’t want to make a deal. Tell Zelensky to make a deal because [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s willing to make a deal,” Trump told NBC News in an interview.

Trump added that in his view, the Ukrainian leader has been more difficult to negotiate with than Moscow.

“Zelensky is far more difficult to make a deal with,” the US president added.

The remarks come as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues with no immediate resolution in sight, despite intermittent discussions about possible diplomatic efforts to end the fighting.

Trump has repeatedly said he believes a negotiated settlement could bring the conflict to an end and has argued that both sides should pursue an agreement to stop the war. His comments reflect ongoing debate among Western leaders and policymakers about whether diplomacy or continued military pressure offers the most realistic path toward ending the conflict.

The Ukrainian government has consistently maintained that any agreement must include protections for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, while Russia has continued to press its own demands as the fighting continues across several fronts.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump called on Transportation Security Administration officers to continue reporting to their posts even though many have not received paychecks, as the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security reached its 29th day. The standoff in Washington has left thousands of airport security screeners working without full pay during the busy spring break travel season.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump expressed appreciation for TSA officers and placed responsibility for the prolonged funding dispute on Democrats.

“Thank you to Johnny Jones and all of our GREAT TSA Agents who are going to work but not being paid because the Radical Left Democrats refuse to honor the deal that was approved and voted on in Congress.”

“They want your money to go to “Border Criminals, Murderers, foreign Drug Dealers, and some of the worst people on earth.”

“They don’t want it to go to you. Keep fighting for the USA. GO TO WORK! I promise that I will never forget you!!! President DJT,”

Johnny Jones serves as secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees TSA Council 100, the union body that represents TSA officers, and reports indicate he also works as a TSA agent himself.

According to Fox News, that dual role means he is both a TSA employee and a union representative.

The shutdown began when funding for the Department of Homeland Security expired on February 13, forcing parts of the agency to halt operations beginning the following day.

By Saturday, the funding lapse had entered its 29th day.

TSA officers, who are designated as essential personnel, have continued carrying out their duties despite the shutdown, though many did not receive their full paycheck on Friday.

The TSA employs roughly 50,000 officers across the country. Reuters reported that the shutdown has already begun to affect staffing levels and airport operations as some employees call in sick or leave their positions.

Republicans argue that Democrats are responsible for the situation because they have declined to approve a broader funding bill for DHS that GOP leaders say already includes measures related to oversight of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Democrats counter that the Republican proposal does not sufficiently address concerns about the conduct of ICE and Customs and Border Protection. They have instead promoted narrower funding measures that would provide resources for agencies such as TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard while negotiations continue over immigration enforcement policy.

Those agency-specific funding proposals have not passed the Senate, leaving both sides accusing the other of exploiting frontline workers for political leverage.

The impact of the shutdown is increasingly visible at airports.

At some locations, security lines have stretched to nearly three hours, while airports in several cities have begun seeking donations and gift cards to help unpaid TSA employees cover basic living expenses.

With no agreement yet in sight, the effects of the political deadlock are falling most heavily on travelers and the officers responsible for screening them.

{Matzav.com}

As the current flu season in the United States begins to wind down, health officials say this year’s influenza vaccine performed poorly, with effectiveness rates among the lowest seen in more than ten years.

Experts say the reduced protection was largely due to the emergence of a flu strain early in the winter that was not well matched to the vaccine formula, contributing to a strong wave of infections during the first part of the season.

New data released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that visits to doctors’ offices and hospitals for flu-related symptoms continued to decline through last week. The number of states reporting high levels of flu activity has dropped to 16, many located in a region stretching from Colorado across to Virginia.

“The winter respiratory virus season is slowly coming to a close, and we’re all very grateful for that,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University vaccine expert.

According to a CDC report published this week, the vaccine used this season was only about 25% to 30% effective in preventing flu-related illnesses serious enough to send adults to a doctor’s office, clinic, or hospital. Among children, those who received the vaccine were about 40% less likely to require medical treatment.

Health officials typically consider flu vaccines successful when they provide between 40% and 60% protection. Based on past CDC research, the effectiveness recorded this season ranks among the lowest levels observed in roughly the last twenty years.

Flu cases surged toward the end of December and were particularly severe in certain regions. Health officials in New York City described the outbreak there as the most intense flu season in two decades.

Relatively low vaccination rates contributed to the situation, but specialists also pointed to the new strain responsible for the majority of infections.

The dominant virus this year belonged to the influenza A H3N2 category. The specific variant, known as subclade K, appeared to spread more easily than other strains, although it did not necessarily lead to more severe illness.

The vaccine designed for this flu season targeted a different version of the H3N2 virus, which may explain why the shot offered less protection, Schaffner said.

CDC researchers estimate that the flu has caused at least 27 million illnesses so far this season, along with approximately 350,000 hospitalizations and 22,000 deaths. At the same point last year, the agency estimated at least 40 million illnesses and 520,000 hospitalizations, though the number of deaths was roughly similar.

At least 101 children have died from flu-related complications this season. Among cases where vaccination status was known, roughly 85% of those children had not been fully vaccinated against influenza.

Although the vaccine does not prevent every infection, it still plays an important role in reducing the risk of severe illness and death, Schaffner said, noting that receiving the flu shot remains beneficial.

CDC figures indicate that vaccination rates among adults have risen slightly this year, reaching 46.5%. The increase follows last year’s particularly severe season, which recorded the highest number of child flu deaths this century.

Among children in the United States, about 48% had received a flu shot by the end of last month. That rate is similar to last year’s level but lower than the approximately 52% vaccination rate recorded at the same point in 2024, according to CDC data.

Since 2010, federal health authorities have recommended annual flu vaccination for everyone six months of age and older. However, in January the Trump administration ended the broad recommendation that all children receive the vaccine, instead stating that the decision should be made by parents in consultation with family physicians.

Meanwhile, preparations are already underway for the next flu season. Last month, the World Health Organization announced its recommended virus strains for vaccines that will be used in the 2026–2027 flu season in the northern hemisphere. The organization said the next vaccines should be designed to protect against subclade K. Earlier this week, an advisory panel at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration endorsed those recommendations.

{Matzav.com}

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently suggested transferring Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium to Russia as part of a possible arrangement to end the war, but President Donald Trump rejected the proposal, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.

The idea was reportedly raised during a phone conversation between Putin and Trump earlier this week, according to a report by N12.

One of the central objectives of the war for both the United States and Israel is gaining control over Iran’s approximately 450 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent. Experts say that material could potentially be enriched to 90 percent within weeks and would be sufficient to produce more than ten nuclear weapons. In theory, Putin’s proposal could have provided a way to remove the uranium from Iran without requiring American or Israeli troops to enter the country.

During the call on Monday, Putin reportedly presented several possible approaches for ending the conflict between the United States and Iran. The idea of transferring the uranium to Russia was one of the proposals discussed.

“This is not the first time this proposal has been raised. It was not accepted. The American position is that we need to see that the uranium is secured,” a senior U.S. official said.

In the final round of diplomatic talks held before the war began, Iran rejected the possibility of transferring its uranium stockpile to Russia. Instead, Tehran proposed diluting the uranium inside its own nuclear facilities under supervision from the International Atomic Energy Agency. It remains unclear whether Iran would now be willing to reconsider the Russian proposal.

At the same time, the United States and Israel have also examined the possibility of deploying special forces into Iran later in the war to seize control of the enriched uranium stockpile. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a press conference yesterday that the United States “has a variety of options” for taking control of Iran’s highly enriched uranium.

Trump also acknowledged for the first time that Russia may be providing some level of assistance to Iran in the conflict, after days of reports suggesting Moscow has been sharing intelligence that could help guide attacks on American forces.

“I think he (Putin) might be helping them a little bit, yes. And he probably thinks we are helping Ukraine, right?” Trump said in an interview with Fox Radio.

{Matzav.com}

A recommendation from the Israeli government supporting a pardon for Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is expected to be submitted to President Yitzchok Herzog in the coming days, according to a report by Kan News.

The report said that Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu also plans to submit a separate recommendation to the president regarding a pardon for Netanyahu sometime next week.

Eliyahu is permitted to present his recommendation independently of the conclusions reached by the Justice Ministry’s clemency department, and he has done so in the past. After the recommendations are submitted, the matter will be reviewed by the legal advisers at the President’s Residence, who may suggest that Netanyahu revise his request for clemency before Herzog makes a final decision. The president is expected to rule on the issue in the coming weeks.

The developments come against the backdrop of a recent public dispute involving President Donald Trump and Herzog.

Last week, Trump criticized Herzog and said he was “a disgrace,” claiming that the Israeli president had promised him five times over the past year that he would grant Netanyahu a pardon.

Earlier this week, Netanyahu delivered a recorded address in which he refrained from condemning Trump’s remarks. Responding to a question from Kan 11, Netanyahu said: “Herzog should do the right thing and not give in to pressures from home or abroad. He should put an end to this absurd circus.”

Herzog addressed the issue yesterday during a visit to the village of Zarzir, which had been struck by an Iranian missile. The president said he had expected Netanyahu to publicly condemn Trump’s comments.

“I am not seeking my own honor, but the honor of the state. I am the president of the sovereign and independent State of Israel, and under these circumstances one must distinguish between long-standing political and legal disagreements — and blatant harm to the symbols of government and the sovereignty of the state. A statement on this matter was expected.”44

{Matzav.com}