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Baruch Hashem there were no casualties, but the loss is immense. This is a moment of true tzedakah and chessed. 

The IDF and the Shin Bet announced that they eliminated Basam Hashem al-Fatah Himouni in a joint operation last week, removing a longtime Hamas operative who had been involved in attacks against Israel for more than 20 years.

Himouni, a native of Chevron, was considered a key player in Hamas’ terror infrastructure and maintained an active role in directing operations targeting Israel over the course of two decades.

He was responsible for dispatching the suicide bombers who carried out the coordinated double bombing of two buses in Be’er Sheva in August 2004. That attack claimed the lives of 16 people and wounded roughly 100 others. Israeli security forces apprehended him soon afterward, in October 2004, and he was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment.

In 2011, as part of the “Shalit Deal,” Himouni was freed from prison and expelled to Gaza. After his release, he resumed involvement in terrorist activity, enlisting operatives and overseeing attacks.

Security officials said that amid the ongoing war, Himouni played a role in manufacturing and deploying explosive devices intended to target IDF troops operating in Gaza.

“His elimination represents an important and meaningful closure,” a joint statement read. “The IDF and Shin Bet will continue to operate against any terrorist who attempts to advance and execute terror plans against IDF forces and the State of Israel’s citizens.”

{Matzav.com}

Even after Shas and Degel HaTorah signaled a willingness to accept the full slate of demands presented by the Knesset’s legal advisers regarding the draft law, the legal counsel to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee is now pushing for additional and more far-reaching sanctions on yeshiva students.

Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee legal adviser Miri Frenkel-Shor is seeking to incorporate new, significant penalties into the current version of the conscription legislation, according to new information.

Senior officials within Degel HaTorah say that after the chareidi factions indicated they were prepared to meet all of the Knesset legal advisory team’s requirements — including raising enlistment targets and agreeing that sanctions would take effect immediately and only be lifted after a full year of compliance — they were taken aback to learn that further penalties were being demanded.

“She asked to add another basket of sanctions, ones that would apply to Torah students even in a situation where enlistment targets are met. She sent us back to the Edelstein document. We’re in trouble,” a senior Degel figure involved in drafting the legislation admitted.

The same official added that additional disputes remain unresolved, including the status of yeshiva students who have been classified as draft evaders. “In the end, the ones who will decide are the Gedolei Yisrael,” he said.

As previously reported, representatives from Shas and Degel HaTorah acknowledged that negotiations have reached an impasse, with no apparent path to bridging the gap between the legal advisory demands and the agreements the chareidi factions are prepared to accept.

Senior chareidi officials related that an understanding with the legal advisers now appears unlikely. In the immediate term, they said, Gedolei Yisrael will need to determine how the factions proceed regarding both the draft law and the state budget.

“We are in the worst position we’ve been in so far,” a senior chareidi figure involved in the draft law discussions said. “We will have to make decisions. In the immediate timeframe, we will present the matter to the Gedolei Yisrael to receive their ruling on how to continue the legislative process.”

According to party insiders, Degel HaTorah is weighing several possible courses of action. One option under consideration is agreeing to the primary demands of the Knesset’s legal advisory team, including immediate implementation of sanctions and higher enlistment targets, in line with the position of committee legal adviser Attorney Miri Frenkel-Shor.

Another scenario being discussed is advancing the draft legislation — known as the Bismuth Law — even without the support of the legal advisory establishment, fully aware that the High Court of Justice is likely to issue an interim injunction and could ultimately strike the law down.

A third possibility, described by senior officials as less realistic, would involve dissolving the Knesset and heading to immediate elections. “That’s the least realistic option, because you don’t dismantle a government in an election year and shoot ourselves in the other foot. We would be the first to be harmed if there is no budget,” one senior official said.

“There isn’t much time,” the officials added. “We will likely need to make decisions before the end of the week. Gedolei Yisrael will make the decision — not us.”

{Matzav.com}

A new twist has emerged in the ongoing and perplexing case involving the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, as TMZ reports it has received another letter demanding payment in cryptocurrency in exchange for information about her alleged abductor.

According to TMZ, the message calls for a transfer of one bitcoin — roughly $66,000 — in return for what it describes as the “name of the individual involved” in the kidnapping of the mother of “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie.

The letter is said to be the third communication sent since Nancy was last seen on Jan. 31. During an appearance Wednesday on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom,” TMZ founder Harvey Levin shared additional details about the contents of the note.

“They said they want one bitcoin sent to a bitcoin address that we have confirmed is active. It’s a real bitcoin address, and as they put it, time is more than relevant,” Levin said. “So we have no idea whether this is real or not. But they are making a demand.”

{Matzav.com}

[Video below.] House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Tuesday that the Department of Homeland Security could face a shutdown by the end of the week if significant changes are not made to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, declaring that ICE must be “reined in” before Democrats will support further funding.

Appearing on MSNBC’s “Katy Tur Reports,” the New York Democrat placed responsibility on Republicans to resolve the standoff, arguing that taxpayer money should not support what he described as abusive enforcement tactics.

“The ball is in the Republican’s court right now. We’ve made clear that taxpayer dollars should be used to make life more affordable for the American people, not brutalize or kill them. That shouldn’t be a controversial proposition. We know that Ice is completely and totally out of control. They’ve gone way too far, and they need to be reined in so that immigration enforcement in this country is fair, it’s just and it’s humane. And the only way to bring that about right now is for there to be dramatic changes in the way in which DHS conducts itself before any funding bill moves forward on Friday,” Jeffries said.

He continued by accusing the administration of failing to follow through on its pledge to focus enforcement efforts on violent offenders.

“They promised that immigration enforcement was going to target violent felons who are here illegally. That’s not what’s taking place. That targeting American citizens, law abiding immigrant families and American communities, which is why the American people are so horrified. And so, again, we need dramatic change on the one hand or listen, Republicans are going to make the decision to shut down FEMA, shut down the Coast Guard and shut down TSA. And that would be very unfortunate,” he said.

Host Katy Tur pressed Jeffries on whether any common ground had been reached.

“So there’s nothing there that you guys can agree on. As of now?” Tur asked.

Jeffries responded that discussions remain limited, pointing to one area where the White House has signaled possible flexibility, though he said it falls short of what Democrats are demanding.

“Well, the White House has indicated that there’s some openness, to mandating body cameras. That’s important. But that can’t be the only thing that is done moving forward. That’s not dramatic change. And the White House has not even gone as far as saying we agree mandatory body cameras, no exceptions. Their response, even in that area, has been ambiguous. ”

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

AG Pam Bondi: “We have made tremendous progress to Make America Safe Again. In 2025, we saw the lowest murder rate in 125 years. That’s nothing short of historic… The numbers tell an important, yet straightforward story. President Trump has given us the resources, the support, and the leadership to protect the American people.”

AG Pam Bondi: “The news is reporting that cartel drones are being shot down by our military. That’s what we all should care about right now: protecting America.”

IDF forces completed a counterterrorism operation in the Menashe Regional Brigade, conducting activities across 12 areas over the past day. Security forces, acting on ISA intelligence, apprehended multiple suspects linked to Hamas and Islamic Jihad, confiscated terror funds, seized weapons, dismantled illegal structures, and recovered stolen vehicles. In separate overnight operations, 23 additional suspects were […]

U.S. employers added a surprisingly strong 130,000 jobs last month, but government revisions cut 2024-2025 U.S. payrolls by hundreds of thousands. The unemployment rate fell to 4.3%, the Labor Department said Wednesday. The report included major revisions that reduced the number of jobs created last year to just 181,000, a third the previously reported 584,000 […]

TMZ reports that a third message has been received claiming knowledge of who kidnapped Nancy Guthrie, with the sender demanding payment in exchange for the information.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has just met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio ahead of his meeting with President Trump.

NEC Director Kevin Hassett on the January jobs report: “Private sector jobs, which is our main focus right now because we’ve been reducing government employment, they went up 170,000—they absolutely blew out any expectation whatsoever. It’s really a remarkable, strong number.”

After weeks of relentless cold and lingering snow, New York City is finally poised for a meaningful thaw, with meteorologists predicting that remaining snow and ice could disappear by late next week.

Temperatures began climbing Tuesday, signaling an end to the deep freeze that gripped the five boroughs for much of early February. Forecasters say readings will now stay consistently above freezing for the near future, accelerating the melting process across the city.

“The two most significant factors that lead to the fastest snowmelt include a warm wind over the snowpack and fog, with temperatures above freezing,” AccuWeather meteorologist Chad Merrill told The NY Post.

A stretch of milder, breezy conditions is expected to help erode the accumulated snow, including the towering piles left behind by plows.

“We will see a period of breezy wind with above freezing temperatures into Wednesday, so that will help with the melting,” he said. “The current snow depth in NYC is 5 inches, but of course there are snow-plowed piles that in some spots are quite tall.

“We will likely see all the snow and ice completely melt in the city late next week.”

According to AccuWeather, daytime highs are forecast to hover in the upper 30s and low 40s through the end of next week, offering steady relief from the frigid pattern that dominated the start of the month.

Forecasters indicate that temperatures could climb to 46 degrees on Shabbos and reach 45 next Thursday. Aside from the chance of a light wintry mix on Sunday and again next Wednesday, conditions are expected to remain largely calm.

Even overnight lows are projected to be relatively moderate, settling in the low to mid-30s most nights, with only a few dips into the 20s anticipated during the week.

While highs in the 30s might still feel brisk elsewhere, city residents who endured early February’s punishing stretch — including sub-zero wind chills over the weekend — are welcoming the change.

Meteorologists caution that one additional cooler spell is possible later this month, though it is not expected to rival the severity of the cold already experienced.

“Another period of colder than average temperatures return the final week of the month into early March, but even so, it will not be the same in magnitude to the cold weather we experienced,” Merril said.

The incoming milder air should finally eliminate the snow that has blanketed the city since Winter Storm Fern dropped more than a foot on Jan. 25, leaving streets and sidewalks buried for more than two weeks.

{Matzav.com}

TRUMP: Just in: GREAT JOBS NUMBERS, FAR GREATER THAN EXPECTED! The United States of America should be paying MUCH LESS ON IT’S BORROWINGS (BONDS!). We are again the strongest country in the world, and should therefore be paying the LOWEST INTEREST RATE, by far.

A heavy pall has descended upon Yeshivas Kol Torah L’Tze’irim in Yerushalayim and upon the broader Torah world with the petirah of Rav Aviezer Asher Zelig Shapira zt”l, longtime mashgiach of the yeshiva. Rav Shapira was niftar in the early morning hours at the age of 81.

In recent months, his health had fluctuated. The mashgiach was hospitalized for a period and experienced improvement and was able to return to the yeshiva. In recent days, however, his condition deteriorated once again, and before dawn he was niftar.

Rav Aviezer was born in Kfar Chassidim on 5 Adar 5704 to his father, Rav Shlomo Aharon Shapira zt”l, and his mother, Rachel a”h.

In his youth, he learned in Yeshivas Kol Torah and later continued his studies in Yeshivas Chevron, where he absorbed the teachings of his revered rabbeim and developed into a distinguished talmid chacham.

Upon reaching marriageable age, he wed the daughter of Rav Meir Ephraim Winkler zt”l, who served as rav of the Machzikei HaDas kehillah in Copenhagen and later as a R”M at Yeshivas Torah Ore in Yerushalayim. His father-in-law was a son of Rav Michael Shalom Winkler zt”l, rav of Machzikei HaDas in Copenhagen and a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah in Europe.

In 5730, Rav Shapira was appointed rav of the Ohr HaChaim beis haknesses in the Geulah neighborhood of Yerushalayim. The shul had been established in 5690 by a cousin of his grandfather, Rav Avraham Yaakov Shapira zt”l. From that time, he also served as the Rebbe of the Drohobycz chassidus, continuing the legacy of its founder, Rav Chaim Meir Yechiel Shapira zt”l.

His grandfather, Rav Aviezri Zelig Shapira zt”l, was a son of the Gavadzitzer Rebbe, Rav Yitzchak Mordechai Shapira zt”l, and the son-in-law of his uncle, the founder of the Drohobycz dynasty, Rav Chaim Meir Yechiel Shapira. Rav Shapira was a descendant of the Kozhnitzer dynasty on his great-grandfather’s side and of the Ruzhiner dynasty through his grandmother.

In 5738, he was appointed mashgiach of Yeshivas Kol Torah L’Tze’irim. For decades thereafter, he became the central spiritual figure of what is widely regarded as the premier mesivta in Yerushalayim, guiding and nurturing thousands of talmidim.

Rav Aviezer was the living spirit of the yeshiva, deeply involved both in the acceptance of new talmidim and in shaping the ruchniyus of the beis medrash. The talmidim loved him dearly, and he returned that ahavah in kind, embodying “k’mayim panim el panim.”

Every night, he would make his way to the Kosel HaMa’aravi. Over the years, he was among those who established the custom of reciting Nishmas at the Kosel at chatzos, a practice that became widely known and regarded as a powerful segulah.

Rav Shapira also served as chairman of the executive committee of Chevra Kadisha Chassidim in Yerushalayim and was a member of the board of Kollel Chibas Yerushalayim.

He merited to see doros yesharim u’mevorachim, sons and daughters and many descendants following in the path of Torah and yiras Shamayim. One of his sons, Reb Menachem Shapira, serves as deputy mayor of Bnei Brak and was especially devoted to his father.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

A 13-year-old boy stabbed and seriously wounded two students at a school in the UK, with witnesses reporting that he shouted “Allahu Akbar” just prior to carrying out the attack. The assault took place shortly before 12:40 p.m. at Kingsbury High School in the Brent borough, just minutes before students were due to break for […]

A 17-year-old with a gun opened fire at a public high school in southern Thailand and briefly took people hostage Wednesday in a two-hour attack that left at least three people injured, police and local officials said. Police also wounded the assailant in a gunbattle at the Patongprathankiriwat School in Songkhla province before taking him […]

מעלין בקודש ELEVATE! Please give generously and help the Yeshiva of St. Louis (MTI) elevate the growth of every student as they are מעלין בקודש! With a student body from close to 35 cities across the United States, Yeshiva of St. Louis serves as a preeminent Mesivta and Bais Medrash that educates and encourages our […]

The IDF and Shin Bet announced that Basel Himouni, a Hamas terrorist responsible for the 2004 Be’er Sheva bus bombings, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza last week. •⁠ ⁠Himouni is known for sending the two suicide bombers who murdered 16 Israeli civilians and injured over 100. •⁠ ⁠He was arrested in 2004 […]

Channel 14 journalist Yinon Magal and Maariv reporter Ben Caspit co-host a daily radio program on Radio 103FM. Despite his secular appearance, Magal, who is Shomer Shabbos, has views that are more Chareidi than those of some Chareidim. In their daily confrontation on Wednesday, the two debated whether Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is connected to […]