As investigators continue probing the deadly daycare disaster in Yerushalayim, authorities say that initial medical and environmental tests have not revealed any abnormal findings that would explain the sudden deaths of two infants.
Emergency and rescue forces, along with the Israel Police, are focusing on determining what led to the tragedy in which two babies died at a daycare center in the Romema neighborhood. Early suspicions of poisoning or exposure to hazardous substances have, for now, been largely ruled out.
Israel Fire and Rescue Services reported that examinations conducted at the daycare using specialized detection equipment did not identify the presence of dangerous or toxic materials. “From the checks carried out with designated instruments, no values indicating hazardous or poisonous substances were detected at the site,” officials said.
In addition, blood tests performed on the infants and toddlers evacuated from the daycare to hospitals in Jerusalem did not show any unusual findings. Despite this, officials emphasized that the possibility of exposure to harmful substances has not been completely dismissed and remains under review.
One of the central theories now being examined is whether the air conditioner in the room where the infants were staying was set to heating mode without adequate ventilation, potentially contributing to the fatal outcome.
Medical officials at Hadassah Medical Center said that all infants and toddlers brought to Hadassah hospitals following the incident will remain hospitalized overnight for observation. A total of 43 children were admitted: 25 to Hadassah Mount Scopus and 18 to Hadassah Ein Kerem. All are reported to be in mild and stable condition and fully conscious.
Professor Yoram Weiss, director-general of Hadassah Medical Center, said that once the scope and nature of the incident became clear, the hospitals declared a mass-casualty event. He said trauma teams were rapidly reinforced by specialists in pediatrics, emergency medicine, toxicology, respiratory care, and intensive care. At Hadassah Ein Kerem, hyperbaric chamber and ECMO teams were placed on full standby as a precaution.
According to Weiss, the swift and professional response enabled rapid diagnosis and initial treatment for all the affected infants and toddlers. Throughout the day, social workers at both Hadassah hospitals provided ongoing support to the children and their parents, helping reunite families and addressing their needs. National service volunteers and additional staff also assisted, offering comfort and care to the children until family members arrived.
The Israel Police said the investigation is continuing. Yerushalayim District Commander Maj. Gen. Avshalom Peled told officers that the case is “a very tragic incident,” adding that investigators are working to uncover the truth while acting with great sensitivity toward the families, including efforts to allow burial of the infants as soon as possible.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection also issued a statement rejecting rumors circulating online. The ministry said that inspections at the daycare ruled out a hazardous materials incident. An emergency officer from the Yerushalayim District was dispatched to the scene, and based on updates from Fire and Rescue Services, the presence of dangerous substances was definitively excluded. The ministry urged the public to avoid spreading unverified information and to rely only on official updates.
{Matzav.com}
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday approved legislation that imposes new licensing requirements on people who ride e-bikes across the state, marking a significant shift in how the increasingly popular vehicles are regulated.
The measure comes as e-bike use continues to rise sharply, with state officials citing mounting safety concerns, particularly involving children and teenagers who have been injured while riding them.
Under the statute, every category of e-bike — including models that function with pedals but also include an electric motor — is now legally defined as a motorized bicycle. As a result, riders must obtain a license issued by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.
According to information published by the NJ MVC, applicants for a motorized bicycle license must be at least 15 years old, present six points of identification, successfully complete written and vision exams, and pass a road test after holding a permit for a minimum of 20 days.
State residents who already possess a standard New Jersey driver’s license are exempt from obtaining a separate motorized bicycle license in order to operate an e-bike, the commission’s website notes.
The law also mandates that e-bikes be properly registered and covered by insurance before they can be legally used.
“It is clear that we are in an age of increasing e-bike use that requires us to take action and update regulations that help prevent tragedies from occurring,” Murphy said. “Making our roads safer for all users has been a key priority for my Administration. I’d like to thank Senate President Scutari for taking the initiative to improve the safe use of e-bikes in New Jersey.”
{Matzav.com}
MK Yisroel Eichler was appointed on Monday as Deputy Minister of Communications and subsequently resigned his Knesset seat under the Norwegian Law, paving the way for the return of former MK Yitzchok Pindrus to parliament.
Following his appointment, Eichler delivered remarks that focused on the shocking incident earlier in the day in Yerushalayim’s Romema neighborhood. He sharply criticized the judicial system, saying the tragedy was “a result of the terrible cruelty of the legal system,” which, he argued, had stripped chareidi families of daycare subsidies and denied tens of thousands of children from families of Torah learners access to licensed daycare frameworks.
Eichler said that during his tenure as chairman of the Knesset Labor and Welfare Committee, he repeatedly warned over the past year of the grave dangers posed by canceling daycare arrangements. He said he demanded passage of daycare legislation, but his warnings “went unheeded,” adding: “Regarding the judicial system in this context—your hands spilled this blood.”
Addressing criticism leveled at him in recent days, Eichler said that “the gates of Gehennom were opened in the panic channels,” accusing media outlets of branding him anti-Zionist and an enemy of the state. He dismissed the accusations as unsurprising, saying that for 45 years he has fought what he described as the delegitimization of the chareidi public and the incitement against chareidi children in Israel. He also rejected claims that he lacks experience in communications, noting that he has long been active across the media spectrum.
Eichler further denied allegations that he used sweeping derogatory language against the secular public, calling such claims “a systematic, Bolshevik lie.” He said he consistently targets those who incite and persecute the chareidi community without generalizing about entire populations, adding that if he trusted the courts, he would file a defamation suit over the accusation.
Responding to claims that he is anti-Zionist, Eichler said his critics “do not know what Zion is or what Eretz Yisrael is.” He recounted his family’s deep roots in Yerushalayim spanning some 160 years, describing ancestors who immigrated with self-sacrifice during the Ottoman era. He also told a family story in which his great-grandfather sought refuge with Rav Avraham Yitzchak Hakohein Kook after entering the country without papers, quoting Rav Kook as saying that a Jewish child seeking refuge “is not a criminal,” and that Eretz Yisrael is his mother.
Eichler added that, as part of his ideology of settling the land, he helped establish neighborhoods and communities at a young age, including chareidi communities in Ashdod, questioning how such actions could be labeled anti-Zionist. He concluded by saying that the chareidi public loves all who love Zion and Yerushalayim, regardless of differing views, while opposing those who hate Zion and Yerushalayim, whom he described as a small and dwindling minority.
The political move followed an arbitration ruling tied to a rotation agreement between Degel HaTorah and Agudas Yisrael within United Torah Judaism. The panel of rabbinic arbitrators ruled that Eichler was required to resign to allow Pindrus to return to the Knesset. According to party sources, Eichler’s appointment as deputy minister enabled the transition via the Norwegian Law, resolving the dispute without further escalation.
{Matzav.com}The AirTrain terminal serving JFK Airport has increasingly become a refuge for homeless individuals, with travelers reporting aggressive panhandling, commandeered restrooms, and little visible intervention from Port Authority police, according to a report by The New York Post.
As winter temperatures drop and city shelters remain overcrowded or unstable, dozens of homeless people have taken up residence inside the heavily trafficked station, transforming a key transportation link into an uncomfortable — and at times intimidating — environment for passengers.
“I’ve been through this place a bunch of times in the last three years,” said a traveler identified only as Michael, who was returning Monday from a family trip to Florida with his fiancée. “This morning was definitely the worst.
“The second we came in the station, there was guys yelling, ‘Can you buy me something?’ All the cops did nothing while that guy followed us, asking us for money. The entire time, wouldn’t leave us alone. I told him I had no cash and he was telling me to take something out and pointing to ATMs.”
Multiple commuters said access to public restrooms has effectively disappeared, as homeless individuals occupy stalls for extended periods. Others described seeing people sleeping on the floor while travelers wheeled luggage through the terminal.
“Yes, it’s a problem,” said Arata, 69, who works at a newsstand inside the station. “There are four of five homeless outside here every day. They confront customers. No, the police do not make them move.”
The AirTrain station is a critical transit hub, connecting JFK’s airport terminals with the Long Island Rail Road and New York City’s subway system, making the situation particularly disruptive for both residents and visitors.
Although freezing weather has recently pushed more homeless individuals indoors, the terminal was already crowded earlier this month even on milder days, including when temperatures hovered around 50 degrees, according to the Daily Mail.
“I think the city should definitely do something,” Stony Brook University student Aishik Deb told the outlet.
One homeless man at the terminal, however, argued that the city’s shelter system is to blame. Griffin, 67, said he avoids shelters because of theft and unsafe conditions.
“The shelter is no good,” he said while standing near the Sutphin Boulevard entrance on Monday. “They pick you clean. You can’t even let your shoes dry without somebody taking them. Then you walk around in socks. Now you’re in trouble.
“This is all right,” he said of the terminal. “Don’t act the fool and it works out. They don’t bother anybody here. Getting too crowded now, though. Crazies up there. All night with the arguing and screaming, fighting in the bathroom.”
The disorder at the AirTrain station reflects the broader scope of New York City’s homelessness emergency.
According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, New York State had more than 158,000 people experiencing homelessness in 2024, a 53% increase from the year before, accounting for roughly one-fifth of the nation’s unhoused population.
HUD attributed the surge to factors including pandemic-related eviction backlogs, a shortage of affordable housing, rising rents, and the ongoing migrant crisis, noting that the state’s homelessness rate reached 81 people per 10,000 residents.
Within New York City alone, homelessness climbed to 140,134 people last year, up from 88,025 in 2023, Newsday reported, citing HUD figures. The Coalition for the Homeless said more than 130,000 people stayed in city shelters in October, with thousands more believed to be living on the streets.
Critics argue that Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s new approach has worsened the problem.
Before taking office, the city’s newly elected Democratic socialist mayor said he would end the practice of clearing homeless encampments across the five boroughs. After his inauguration, he also announced plans to install 30 public toilets for the homeless.
An MTA employee working at the AirTrain terminal summed up the situation bluntly, saying, “This is what I’m used to.”
In response, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said it coordinates with the MTA and other agencies to preserve safety and order at JFK and surrounding facilities, while acknowledging that it is not “immune from the conditions facing the unhoused throughout the region,” especially during winter months.
“Port Authority Police Department personnel are assigned to the JFK AirTrain portion of the station at Jamaica 24/7 and seek to enforce Port Authority rules and applicable laws, which do not permit use of the station for non-transportation purposes,” the agency said.
“PAPD also conducts regular outreach in conjunction with service providers, including Urban Pathways, to offer assistance and connect unhoused individuals with shelter, social services, and medical or mental health care as appropriate.”
{Matzav.com}
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Monday pressed Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu to dismantle a US-run multinational coordination center that plays a central role in advancing US President Donald Trump’s proposal for ending the fighting in Gaza.
The facility, known as the Civil Military Coordination Centre (CMCC), was set up by Washington last October. It brings together civilian and military officials from dozens of countries to work alongside Israeli and American counterparts on plans for Gaza after the war.
Smotrich, who leads the Religious Zionism party, said the base in Kiryat Gat should be shut down, arguing that its continued operation harms Israel’s interests. In remarks released by his office, he said closing the site would allow Israel to remove foreign representatives from countries he described as hostile and as acting against Israeli security, naming Egypt and the United Kingdom in particular. He did not elaborate on why Britain was singled out.
No immediate responses were issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the US State Department, or US Central Command. The foreign ministries of Egypt and the United Kingdom also declined to comment.
In December, US Central Command said that roughly 60 countries and international organizations had personnel assigned to the CMCC. Since a ceasefire took effect in early October 2025, the center has also coordinated the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
The CMCC was launched following Trump’s announcement of a 20-point framework for ending the war. Among the nations participating are Germany, France, and Canada.
Speaking at a ceremony marking the establishment of the new Jewish settlement of Yatziv in the West Bank, Smotrich said Israel owes Trump gratitude for his role in securing the release of hostages held by Hamas and other terror groups in two separate agreements. Nevertheless, he said the broader Gaza plan itself runs counter to Israel’s interests and should be abandoned.
Instead, Smotrich called for issuing Hamas a brief ultimatum to disarm and leave Gaza. If that demand is rejected, he said, Israel should launch a full-scale military campaign to eradicate the group.
“Gaza is ours, and its future will shape our own more than anyone else’s,” Smotrich said, adding that Israel must assume direct responsibility for the territory and impose military rule over its roughly 2.3 million residents.
Much of his speech revisited his long-standing opposition to Israel’s 2005 withdrawal from Gaza. He described that disengagement as a grave error and said that while the government has already reversed the evacuation of several northern West Bank settlements, the removal of Jewish communities from Gush Katif remains an uncorrected wrong.
Gush Katif was a bloc of 17 Jewish communities inside the Gaza Strip, home to some 8,600 residents before Israel evacuated the area in August 2005.
Smotrich cited the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel as evidence that Israel must reestablish a permanent presence along Gaza’s coast. He argued that Israel has paid too high a price in blood over the past two years to allow foreign-backed actors to shape Gaza’s future.
He also lashed out at Turkey and Qatar, which back Hamas and have been included by the United States in the executive committee of the Board of Peace tasked with overseeing postwar Gaza. “There is no difference between them,” he said, equating Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatar with the terror group.
Smotrich framed the issue in stark terms, saying Israel faces a binary choice: full Israeli control of Gaza, the destruction of Hamas, sustained counterterrorism, encouragement of enemy emigration, and renewed Jewish settlement — or the loss of the gains achieved in the war and the inevitability of another round of violence.
Under Trump’s Gaza plan, Hamas members who renounce violence and surrender their weapons would be eligible for amnesty, while those wishing to leave Gaza would be offered safe passage to other countries.
The White House announced last week that the plan has entered its second phase, focusing on Gaza’s demilitarization and large-scale reconstruction.
{Matzav.com}Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu marked the one-year anniversary of US President Donald Trump’s second term on Monday, publicly lauding the American leader and underscoring the close coordination between Israel and Washington as efforts continue to shape postwar plans for Gaza.
In a message shared on social media, Netanyahu offered warm congratulations, writing, “Congratulations to President Donald Trump and the United States of America for an incredible first year of a second term – A year like no other.”
Since Trump returned to office on January 20, 2025, the two leaders have maintained frequent contact, holding five face-to-face meetings along with multiple phone conversations to discuss regional and strategic matters.
Their most recent in-person meeting took place on December 29, 2025, at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where discussions centered on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire framework, Iran, and other security-related concerns.
Last Friday, the White House revealed new details about Trump’s Gaza initiative, announcing that the “Board of Peace,” chaired by the president, would “play an essential role in fulfilling” 20 components of his proposal aimed at permanently ending the war in Gaza and advancing reconstruction efforts.
According to the announcement, the board’s mandate includes “providing strategic oversight, mobilizing international resources, and ensuring accountability as Gaza transitions from conflict to peace and development.”
Earlier in the day, Netanyahu addressed the Knesset, where he spoke about developments in Gaza and reports indicating movement toward the next stage of negotiations with Hamas.
Clarifying Israel’s position, Netanyahu declared, “Phase two means one simple thing: Hamas will be disarmed, and Gaza will be demilitarized, either through the easy way or the hard way.”
He also stressed that Israel would categorically oppose any foreign military presence from certain regional actors, stating, “Turkish and Qatari soldiers will not be in the Strip.”
{Matzav.com}A formal signing event for U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace was scheduled to take place Thursday alongside the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, according to an invitation that circulated publicly.
Israeli journalist Barak Ravid shared what was described as a White House notice inviting “the chief of state or head of government” to participate in signing the “Board of Peace Charter” at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday.
President Isaac Herzog was expected to be present at the Davos gathering, while Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu did not plan to attend. Netanyahu had earlier confirmed that he had received an invitation to join the new body.
Details about the composition of the Board of Peace remained unsettled, with some international leaders signaling their intention to participate and others voicing doubts or saying they required additional time to consider involvement. The United Nations also raised concerns, suggesting that the initiative could challenge or erode the UN’s existing mandate.
{Matzav.com}
Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu declared Monday that neither Turkey nor Qatar will have a military presence or exercise real authority in Gaza after the war, even as the United States moves forward with a framework that includes officials from both countries in overseeing the territory’s postwar administration.
Speaking before the Knesset, Netanyahu acknowledged that the issue has been a point of friction between Jerusalem and Washington, describing it as a “certain argument” with the United States. He insisted, however, that Israel’s core security interests would not be compromised.
Addressing lawmakers from the Knesset podium, Netanyahu said that despite the White House’s announcement that senior Turkish and Qatari representatives would sit on the Gaza Executive Board — a body tasked with supervising postwar governance in the Strip — the two countries would wield no meaningful power. According to the prime minister, they would have “no authority and no influence” in the mechanisms being set up by President Donald Trump’s administration.
In recent weeks, before Washington publicly unveiled the board, Netanyahu’s office had repeatedly stressed that Israel would block any Turkish or Qatari foothold in Gaza once the fighting ends. After the US announcement, the prime minister shifted his emphasis, drawing a firm distinction between political involvement and boots on the ground.
“Turkish soldiers and Qatari soldiers will not be in the Strip,” Netanyahu told the plenum.
While Ankara has expressed interest in contributing troops to a multinational force envisioned to oversee security in Gaza, Qatar has not pursued such a role. Sources familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel that Doha’s military is not considered suitable for such a mission, and the idea was never seriously explored.
Netanyahu’s remarks came during a so-called “40-signatures debate,” a monthly parliamentary procedure that allows lawmakers to compel the prime minister to appear and respond to criticism if enough MKs sign a petition. This month’s session was initiated by Ra’am chairman Mansour Abbas, who sought to grill Netanyahu over spiraling crime and violence in Arab Israeli communities.
As is often the case, the debate quickly expanded far beyond its original topic. With the government racing to pass the 2026 state budget and elections looming later this year, both coalition and opposition figures used the forum to trade sharp attacks on a wide range of national issues.
In his address, Netanyahu also reiterated that Hamas would be stripped of its weapons under the next phase of the Gaza framework, and he issued a stern warning to Iran. He rejected allegations that he has concealed information about the failures surrounding the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack, saying he has “nothing to hide.” He also took aim at opposition leaders, particularly Yair Lapid.
Lapid, for his part, accused Netanyahu of botching the Gaza war, bending to extremist partners in his coalition, and weakening the IDF. He charged that Israel has become increasingly isolated on the international stage and that public trust in the prime minister has eroded. Avigdor Liberman, head of Yisrael Beytenu, went further, asking whether Netanyahu had “forgotten what it means to be a Zionist.”
Netanyahu also addressed reports that he had not been fully briefed on the decision to include Turkey and Qatar on the Gaza Executive Board. Despite that, he said Israel would not hesitate to confront Washington when vital interests are at stake.
“When it comes to Israel’s essential interests, we can argue, we can sharpen our positions, and we can also reach understandings,” he said, adding that disagreements do not undermine relations with Trump, whom he described as Israel’s strongest ally in the White House.
On Gaza, Netanyahu reiterated that Hamas’s disarmament remains non-negotiable. He also pledged to bring back the body of the last fallen hostage still held by Hamas, police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili.
“Phase two is very clear: Hamas will be disarmed and Gaza will be demilitarized,” Netanyahu said. “These objectives will be achieved — either the easy way or the hard way.”
{Matzav.com}
