Feed aggregator

The White House on Thursday sharply rejected allegations from a United Nations-backed investigative mission that American forces committed war crimes in two Feb. 28 strikes in Iran that killed at least 178 civilians, as major disagreements remain over both what happened and, in one case, whether the United States carried out the attack at all.

The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran said it had “reasonable grounds to believe” that U.S. forces were responsible for attacks on a primary school in Minab and a sports complex and surrounding area in Lamerd. The panel concluded that the strikes were indiscriminate and therefore constituted war crimes under international law.

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly responded by attacking the credibility of the U.N. Human Rights Council, saying it has “accomplished nothing for human rights while spouting unserious nonsense for decades.”

“The only party in this conflict that has committed war crimes is the Iranian regime, which has murdered thousands of its own people, killed Americans overseas, executed acts of terrorism in the Strait of Hormuz, and launched indiscriminate attacks against its neighbors in the region,” Kelly said.

The circumstances surrounding the two strikes cited by the U.N. mission differ significantly, however, and the U.S. government’s position on each is different.

The first involved the Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab in southern Iran. Iranian authorities have said 168 people were killed in the strike, most of them children, while the U.N. mission cited figures indicating that more than 120 children were among the dead.

An initial internal U.S. military assessment previously reported by American media indicated that U.S. forces were probably responsible for the Minab strike. According to earlier reporting, outdated intelligence may have led American forces to mistakenly believe the site remained part of an Iranian military installation.

The Pentagon has not publicly released the final results of its investigation. U.S. Central Command commander Adm. Brad Cooper told the House Armed Services Committee in May that the Minab incident “correlated” with a U.S. strike.

President Donald Trump addressed the incident in June, saying the school had not deliberately been targeted.

“Nobody did that on purpose,” President Trump said at the time, adding that “mistakes are made.”

The U.N. investigators reached a different conclusion about the nature of the strike. According to their report, the school itself was “the intended point of impact,” rather than damage caused by an errant weapon or collateral damage from an attack on a nearby Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps facility.

The investigators said the school was a clearly identifiable civilian site and that they found no indication that it was being used for military purposes.

“The U.S. failed in its obligation to do everything feasible to verify that it was a military objective,” the mission said.

The second incident, in the southern Iranian city of Lamerd, involves an even more fundamental disagreement.

The U.N. mission attributed to U.S. forces a strike on a sports complex and nearby residential area that killed and wounded 22 civilians and damaged surrounding buildings, including a school.

Investigators said Precision Strike Missiles dispersed tungsten pellets across what they described as a clearly identifiable sports complex and residential neighborhood. The mission concluded that the attack was indiscriminate and constituted a war crime.

U.S. Central Command has denied carrying out the Lamerd strike, saying in March that American forces conducted no strikes inside the city on the day in question.

The dispute over Lamerd therefore extends beyond the U.N. panel’s legal characterization of the attack. The U.N. investigators say American forces were responsible; CENTCOM says they were not.

The Trump administration has maintained that American military operations comply with the law of armed conflict and that U.S. forces do not deliberately target civilians.

The U.N. mission’s report was not limited to accusations against the United States. Investigators also accused the Iranian regime of committing crimes against humanity during its crackdown on anti-government demonstrations in late 2025 and early 2026.

According to the mission, Iranian security forces engaged in unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detention and other abuses during what investigators described as a widespread and systematic attack against civilians.

“The report concluded that many of these gross violations amount to crimes against humanity — including murder, imprisonment, torture, and other inhumane acts committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack on civilians,” the U.N. statement said.

The investigators said Iranian forces used assault rifles against crowds, beat demonstrators, detained health-care workers and subjected detainees to torture while in custody. They also pointed to executions and severe restrictions on communications and freedom of expression.

The mission said it based its findings on interviews with 73 people inside and outside Iran, along with satellite imagery, photographs, videos, documentation and information supplied by organizations and experts. Investigators said their work was hampered by the ongoing conflict, internet restrictions and a lack of full cooperation from both Tehran and Washington.

According to the mission, nearly three dozen requests for information sent to the Iranian government went unanswered. Requests made to the U.S. government in June seeking information and meetings with American officials also received no response.

The panel called on both Iran and the United States to halt violations and provide “full reparations to victims.”

The findings themselves do not constitute a criminal conviction, and the fact-finding mission does not have the authority to prosecute the United States, impose criminal penalties or issue a binding legal judgment.

The independent mission was created by the U.N. Human Rights Council in 2022 and is chaired by Bangladeshi jurist Sara Hossain. Its findings can, however, become part of the documentary record used in future efforts to pursue accountability through international legal proceedings.

The report is set to be formally presented to the 47-member U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, ensuring that the disputed Feb. 28 strikes — and the sharply conflicting accounts offered by U.N. investigators and the United States — will remain the subject of international scrutiny.

{Matzav.com}

[COMMUNICATED]

No one plans to spend Yom Tov in a hospital.

One moment, a family is preparing for Yom Tov at home. The next, plans change. A medical emergency, an unexpected admission, or a baby arriving earlier than expected – and instead of sitting around their own Yom Tov table, they find themselves spending Yom Tov in the hospital.

Then comes a moment of relief: someone was expecting them.

A Bikur Cholim hospitality room, prepared and waiting. A pantry fully stocked with food and Yom Tov essentials. Fresh meals for patients and their families. Grape juice, challah, snacks – everything they suddenly need, already there.

They never planned to spend Yom Tov here. But Bikur Cholim planned for them – making sure they can still have the Yom Tov they need.

It Takes an Entire Operation

What a family sees when they open a stocked pantry is only the final step of a tremendous operation.

Before Yom Tov begins, kitchens are preparing and packaging thousands of meals. Supplies are purchased by the case and pallet. Volunteers pack, sort, and deliver. Hospital pantries and hospitality rooms across the area need to be fully stocked and prepared.

Transportation is coordinated. Patient and family needs are addressed. Every detail needs to be thought through before Yom Tov begins.

And it isn’t happening in just one hospital.

Across many local hospitals and beyond, Bikur Cholim is preparing pantries and hospitality rooms so that when a Jewish family unexpectedly finds themselves spending Yom Tov away from home, they discover that someone has already thought of them.

This Tishrei Alone

The Yom Tov season is one of the busiest and most costly times of the year for Bikur Cholim.

Over $1 million in services and support.
Over 50,000 Yom Tov meals prepared and delivered.
34 hospital pantries stocked and ready.
72 hospitality rooms available for patients and families.
Hundreds of volunteers making it all possible.

Transportation. Deliveries. Advocacy. Family support. Hospital and at-home care – all continuing across an entire Yom Tov season.

And behind every number is another patient or family who never expected to need us.

Yom Tov Is Here. We Urgently Need Your Help.

The preparations are underway. The kitchens are working. Pantries still need to be stocked. Meals still need to be prepared and delivered. Families still need to be taken care of.

But there’s still a gap — and Yom Tov won’t wait.

We urgently need your help to close it, so we can complete the preparations and make sure every family is taken care of.

Sponsor a Yom Tov Seudah for a Family — $180

VIEW ALL YOM TOV SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

May the zechus of your giving to those in need stand for you and your family, and may you be blessed to spend every Yom Tov together – healthy, happy, and at home.

GIVE LIFE. RECEIVE LIFE.
GIVE LIFE TO ANOTHER FAMILY.

CREATE A ZECHUS FOR YOURS.

Nearly the entire Senate Democratic caucus is demanding that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth provide Congress with a detailed accounting of the cost of the ongoing U.S. war with Iran, with Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania the only Senate Democrat who did not sign the letter.

The letter, spearheaded by Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and signed by 45 of her colleagues, reflects Democratic criticism of the Pentagon over what the lawmakers say has been insufficient disclosure about the amount already spent on the conflict and how billions of dollars in additional requested funding would be used.

The senators called on Hegseth to provide a comprehensive breakdown of both direct and indirect military costs connected to the Iran war, details about anticipated future expenses, and an explanation of how remaining previously approved defense funds will be allocated. They also requested a detailed accounting of the administration’s $67 billion supplemental funding request.

“Despite asking for tens of billions of additional taxpayer dollars, you have so far failed to provide basic information on how this money has and will be spent,” the senators, led by Slotkin, wrote. “Congress must have access to this information to carry out our oversight responsibilities. It is the bare minimum that any American would expect in balancing their own household budget.”

The push comes as estimates of the war’s cost have continued to climb. A Congressional Budget Office analysis released this week estimated that Defense Department costs related to the conflict had exceeded $38 billion as of Aug. 1, while warning that continued fighting could add as much as $3 billion per month.

Fetterman, meanwhile, has repeatedly broken with fellow Democrats over the Iran conflict, supporting military action against Tehran and opposing Democratic efforts aimed at ending U.S. involvement in the war.

“My record has been consistent. I’ve always been at odds with my fellow Democrats over how we hold Iran accountable,” Fetterman said in a statement. “I’ll continue to remain an unapologetic supporter of efforts to confront the Iranian regime and its proxies.”

The Democratic senators focused heavily on the financial burden of the conflict in their letter. Among the figures they highlighted was the administration’s $67 billion supplemental defense request, as well as the Pentagon’s broader funding needs. The lawmakers also sought an explanation of how the Defense Department intends to spend $34 billion in remaining funds previously approved by Congress.

The demand for additional information comes as Congress remains divided over federal spending priorities. Democrats have argued for greater scrutiny of military expenditures and additional funding for domestic programs, while Republicans have generally prioritized fully funding the Defense Department and ongoing military operations.

The debate has taken on additional urgency as lawmakers work through the next round of government funding decisions, with the cost of the Iran conflict increasingly becoming part of the broader fight over how federal dollars should be allocated.

{Matzav.com}

[COMMUNICATED]

No one plans to spend Yom Tov in a hospital.

One moment, a family is preparing for Yom Tov at home. The next, plans change. A medical emergency, an unexpected admission, or a baby arriving earlier than expected – and instead of sitting around their own Yom Tov table, they find themselves spending Yom Tov in the hospital.

Then comes a moment of relief: someone was expecting them.

A Bikur Cholim hospitality room, prepared and waiting. A pantry fully stocked with food and Yom Tov essentials. Fresh meals for patients and their families. Grape juice, challah, snacks – everything they suddenly need, already there.

They never planned to spend Yom Tov here. But Bikur Cholim planned for them – making sure they can still have the Yom Tov they need.

It Takes an Entire Operation

What a family sees when they open a stocked pantry is only the final step of a tremendous operation.

Before Yom Tov begins, kitchens are preparing and packaging thousands of meals. Supplies are purchased by the case and pallet. Volunteers pack, sort, and deliver. Hospital pantries and hospitality rooms across the area need to be fully stocked and prepared.

Transportation is coordinated. Patient and family needs are addressed. Every detail needs to be thought through before Yom Tov begins.

And it isn’t happening in just one hospital.

Across many local hospitals and beyond, Bikur Cholim is preparing pantries and hospitality rooms so that when a Jewish family unexpectedly finds themselves spending Yom Tov away from home, they discover that someone has already thought of them.

This Tishrei Alone

The Yom Tov season is one of the busiest and most costly times of the year for Bikur Cholim.

Over $1 million in services and support.
Over 50,000 Yom Tov meals prepared and delivered.
34 hospital pantries stocked and ready.
72 hospitality rooms available for patients and families.
Hundreds of volunteers making it all possible.

Transportation. Deliveries. Advocacy. Family support. Hospital and at-home care – all continuing across an entire Yom Tov season.

And behind every number is another patient or family who never expected to need us.

Yom Tov Is Here. We Urgently Need Your Help.

The preparations are underway. The kitchens are working. Pantries still need to be stocked. Meals still need to be prepared and delivered. Families still need to be taken care of.

But there’s still a gap — and Yom Tov won’t wait.

We urgently need your help to close it, so we can complete the preparations and make sure every family is taken care of.

Sponsor a Yom Tov Seudah for a Family — $180

VIEW ALL YOM TOV SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

May the zechus of your giving to those in need stand for you and your family, and may you be blessed to spend every Yom Tov together – healthy, happy, and at home.

GIVE LIFE. RECEIVE LIFE.
GIVE LIFE TO ANOTHER FAMILY.

CREATE A ZECHUS FOR YOURS.

Major U.S. airlines are beginning to scale back flights and reconsider future schedules as a sharp increase in jet fuel prices drives operating costs substantially higher, with executives at American Airlines, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines all signaling adjustments in response to the surge, Fox News reports.

The global average price of jet fuel climbed 6.1% in a single week to $181.46 per barrel last week, according to figures from the International Air Transport Association, putting additional pressure on an industry for which fuel represents one of the largest operating expenses.

American Airlines Chief Financial Officer Devon May told attendees at Morgan Stanley’s 14th Annual Laguna Conference that jet fuel prices for the fourth quarter are currently running approximately $1 per gallon above the level the airline had anticipated when it issued projections in July. That difference could increase American’s fuel expenses by approximately $1 billion.

“Overall for the third quarter, we feel great,” May said. “What’s happened in the last four weeks, though is fuel’s run up probably $1 a gallon or something like that for the fourth quarter alone.”

With those additional costs looming, May said American intends to make further capacity adjustments during the latter portion of the fourth quarter.

Despite the fuel-price spike, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said the carrier continues to project third-quarter revenue growth of between 16% and 19% compared with the same period last year. The airline has reported strength in both its domestic and international businesses, as well as among premium and economy travelers.

“When you take into account fuel right now, yes, we’ve absolutely done a great job of recapturing a tremendous amount of that expense,” Isom said.

United Airlines is also preparing to remove some flights from its schedule. Chief Financial Officer Michael Leskinen said the carrier will no longer operate certain December flights that it had previously planned, citing the higher cost of fuel.

“As you look into the fourth quarter, there’ll be some flights in December that we won’t fly that we thought we were going to fly,” he said at the Morgan Stanley conference. “If fuel remains high, we’ll make some adjustments into the first quarter and beyond into 2027.”

At the same time, United says passenger demand has remained robust. Leskinen characterized the airline’s fourth-quarter bookings as “tremendously strong,” with premium travel, corporate business and economy bookings all holding up despite the higher fuel environment.

“Bookings have continued as we expected, so that piece of the equation is resilient — very little evidence of demand destruction,” Leskinen said.

Southwest Airlines is similarly examining capacity as fuel expenses climb. Chief Financial Officer Tom Doxey said during the conference that Southwest has already eliminated approximately half of the relatively modest year-over-year capacity growth it had envisioned at the beginning of 2026.

“If fuel is higher for longer,” Doxey said, trimming capacity would be the “natural response.”

Southwest, however, emphasized that the schedule changes it has made thus far have been limited. A company spokesperson told FOX Business that Doxey was making an “illustrative point” about how the airline could respond to sustained high fuel prices and was “not alluding to an action we’ve taken.”

The airline has also received some help from stronger-than-anticipated passenger demand this fall. Doxey said improved bookings have helped Southwest absorb some of the additional fuel expense, enabling the carrier to maintain its third-quarter earnings outlook.

The comments from all three carriers point to a similar balancing act across the airline industry: passenger demand remains healthy, but if elevated jet fuel prices persist, airlines are prepared to operate fewer flights rather than absorb the full impact of sharply higher fuel bills.

{Matzav.com}