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Israel is pressing President Donald Trump to continue the ongoing military campaign against Iran, arguing that the coming weeks present a critical opportunity to achieve what officials describe as a “victory image” against the regime.

According to a report aired Monday evening on Channel 12 News, sources close to Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu are conveying to Washington that now is not the time for a ceasefire. Instead, they believe sustained military pressure could deliver a decisive outcome.

The message being communicated is that, with many military targets already struck, the next phase could focus on civilian infrastructure and energy facilities. Israeli officials assess that such strikes in the coming weeks could inflict severe economic damage on the regime.

In Israel, there is growing belief that this strategy could force Iran into a surrender agreement—or potentially even lead to the collapse of the regime. Officials emphasize that the possibility of regime change remains on the table.

At the same time, Kan News reported that the IDF Intelligence Directorate is providing the United States with detailed and high-quality intelligence on the Strait of Hormuz, nearby islands, and Kharg Island. This assistance comes as the U.S. prepares for the possibility of a ground commando operation inside Iran, should diplomatic efforts between the sides break down.

A senior Israeli security official said the country is nearing its objectives in the campaign against Iran and is now focused on deepening its gains in order to strengthen President Trump’s leverage in future negotiations with Tehran, including on the nuclear issue.

“The American president himself is handling the Iranian nuclear issue. We will act as required. We are determined to achieve the objectives,” the official said.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II recently refused a request to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, according to a report aired Monday evening by Israeli journalist Roi Kais on Kan News.

According to Israeli and Arab sources, Netanyahu’s office had reached out to the Jordanian royal court prior to the war with Iran, seeking to arrange a meeting with the king. In response, Jordan presented a series of conditions that would need to be met before such a meeting could take place. A source familiar with the details told Kan 11 that one of the reasons for the refusal was the closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque since the outbreak of the war.

Two Jordanian sources close to decision-makers confirmed that Netanyahu had indeed requested the meeting. In response, Jordan sought clarification from Israel on several key issues related to the Palestinian matter. These included positions on the establishment of a Palestinian state, assurances against the displacement of Gaza’s population, rising incidents of settler violence in Yehuda and Shomron, the question of annexation, changes to land status in those areas, restrictions affecting Muslim worshippers visiting the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the signing of a new water agreement, and easing the transfer of humanitarian aid into Yehuda and Shomron.

The responses provided by Israel were reportedly insufficient from the Jordanian perspective. As a result, it was decided not to grant Netanyahu what sources described as a diplomatic achievement in the form of a meeting with the king. Instead, Jordan opted to maintain its relationship with Israel through ongoing security coordination behind the scenes.

According to sources, one of the goals of the proposed meeting was to signal to the United States that ties between Israel and Jordan remain stable, particularly in the aftermath of the ceasefire in Gaza. Netanyahu’s office declined to comment on the report.

President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States will soon take action following an Iranian missile attack targeting the Haifa area, including near Israel’s largest oil refinery.

Speaking to the New York Post, Trump indicated that a response is forthcoming. “You’ll see shortly,” Trump said when asked how the U.S. plans to react to the strike.

Addressing questions about Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Trump said the U.S. will need about a week to assess whether he is prepared to cooperate in efforts to bring the conflict to an end.

The attack occurred around 11:30 a.m., when Iran launched a cluster missile in the direction of Haifa. Reports from the city and nearby areas indicated multiple sites where interceptor fragments struck. Fire and Rescue Services confirmed that a residential building in Shfar’am sustained a direct hit.

Earlier in the day, Trump said that Washington is engaged in ongoing talks with what he described as a new leadership in Tehran, aimed at halting the war.

“The United States of America is in serious discussions with A NEW, AND MORE REASONABLE, REGIME to end our Military Operations in Iran,” he announced on Truth Social.

He warned that while negotiations are progressing, failure to quickly reach an agreement could lead to significant escalation. “Great progress has been made but, if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately ‘Open for Business,’ we will conclude our lovely ‘stay’ in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!), which we have purposefully not yet ‘touched.'”

He added, “This will be in retribution for our many soldiers, and others, that Iran has butchered and killed over the old Regime’s 47 year ‘Reign of Terror.’ Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

In a matter of seconds, homes turned to rubble. Families were left with nothing — just days before Pesach.

Standing amid scenes of mass devastation, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu described the aftermath of the Iranian missile strike in Arad in stark terms: “It was a very difficult night for the State of Israel.”

His remarks came on Sunday afternoon, March 22, just hours after the Motzei Shabbos attack, in what officials described as one of the largest and most destructive missile barrages since the outbreak of the Iran war. The strikes hit residential areas with terrifying force, leaving widespread destruction and hundreds of casualties.

Rescue teams worked through the night — pulling victims from the rubble, treating the injured, and searching desperately for anyone still trapped beneath collapsed structures. Entire buildings were reduced to ruins. Families fled in panic, many escaping with nothing but the clothes they were wearing. Streets that had been alive only hours earlier were transformed into scenes of chaos and heartbreak.

In Arad, dozens of apartments were torn open. Possessions were buried beneath debris. Lives were irrevocably altered in a single moment.

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PM Netanyahu at the site of the missile strike in Arad. GPO/Avi Ohayon

But beyond the headlines and casualty figures lies a deeper, more painful reality.

170 families are now homeless.

Families who lost everything in an instant — no homes, no belongings, no sense of normalcy.

And Pesach is almost upon us.

Pesach. The Yom Tov of dignity. The Yom Tov of family. The night when every Yid is meant to sit like a king.

But for these families, there is no table. No kitchen. No clothing prepared. No sense of what tomorrow will even look like.

Children who should be asking the Mah Nishtanah at the Seder are instead asking where they will sleep. Fathers who should be preparing the Seder are trying to hold their families together.

And yet — Klal Yisroel did not remain silent.

With open hearts and extraordinary generosity, Yidden across the world stepped forward. With urgency and with heart, they gave. They cared. They refused to let their brothers and sisters stand alone.

Because of that, most of the families have already been helped. They have a place. They have what they need to enter Yom Tov with at least a measure of dignity.

But not all.

Forty-eight families are still waiting.

Forty-eight families with nowhere to go.
Forty-eight families watching the hours slip away.

Two days to Pesach.

Two days until the night when Klal Yisroel sits together and declares, “Now we are free.”

This is the final moment. The last chance.

In two days, it will be too late.

Help the remaining 48 families bring in Pesach, like true Bnei Chorin.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara moved Monday to immediately block the transfer of hundreds of millions of shekels that had been allocated for Torah mosdos and programs assisting at-risk chareidi youth, despite those funds having been approved overnight as part of the 2026 state budget.

According to Baharav-Miara, the coalition’s overnight actions were unlawful, claiming they were intended to sidestep rulings of the Supreme Court regarding the issue of military conscription.

During the night, chareidi factions succeeded in advancing a series of amendments to the budget legislation, structured to ensure that coalition funds designated for the chareidi tzibbur would be funneled directly into relevant programs within the Ministry of Education. This was done in order to avoid the funds remaining in a general reserve that would require further legal authorization and oversight by the Finance Committee.

In a sharply worded letter, the Attorney General asserted that the process used to pass these amendments lacked validity. “Approving these reservations without legal and professional opinions constitutes an attempt to override steps taken to implement the court’s ruling on conscription, as well as rulings concerning benefits granted to draft evaders,” she wrote.

She further directed senior officials in government ministries not to move forward with implementing the transfers. In her explanation, she pointed to Directive 1.1801, which requires a full legal review of any political agreements with budgetary ramifications—a requirement she said was not fulfilled in this case.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid responded to the development, stating: “The overnight maneuver by the haredi parties has been invalidated-the money has been stopped. Following Yesh Atid’s appeal to the Attorney General, she ordered the halt of all the illegal funds approved overnight and is demanding further action against draft evaders. As I promised, you can rely on us. The celebrations of Aryeh Deri, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Bezalel Smotrich were premature. We will continue to fight for you. This money will not pass.”

MK Moshe Gafni, chairman of Degel HaTorah, strongly pushed back against the Attorney General’s decision, maintaining that the budget was passed properly and in accordance with the law. “The budget was lawfully approved last night with an unprecedented majority. Gali Baharav-Miara has no authority to intervene-this is criminal by any standard, and her hostility toward the haredi public is evident to all. Of the ten measures of hatred that descended upon the world, she took nine.”

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s parliament gave final approval Monday night to legislation enabling the death penalty for terrorists, marking a dramatic shift in the country’s legal approach to terror-related killings.

The bill passed its second and third readings in the Knesset plenum, with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu voting in favor alongside members of the Yisrael Beyteinu faction. Opposing the measure were MK Benny Gantz and representatives of the Degel Hatorah faction. Noam party chairman MK Avi Maoz did not participate in the vote.

Presenting the proposal during earlier deliberations, National Security Committee chairman MK Zvika Fogel described the measure as a necessary response to the current security situation. “The State of Israel is facing unparalleled evil and hatred,” said Fogel.

“Our enemies do not seek a border, a compromise or a shared future, but to destroy, harm, sow fear here and undermine our very existence here,” continued Fogel. “Faced with such a reality, our responsibility is clear – to protect the citizens of Israel. Not with words or hopes, but with deeds. This law is not a law of revenge or rage, but of the responsibility of a state towards its citizens, of leadership towards human life.”

He said, “The reality has changed and, to my delight, so has the security perception of the senior security officials, especially after we parted ways with those who were defenders of the concept and now everyone supports the need to advance the proposal, even if they had comments on its details. After dozens of discussions, most of which were in-depth and serious, a balanced proposal was formulated here that understands the complexity of reality but also does not deny it.”

“The existing option for the death penalty in Israeli law has not been implemented since the Eichmann trial,” he continued. “This bill adds a significant layer to the wall of defense that we are obligated to build, especially since that Black Sabbath. We are not bloodthirsty and do not seek to kill, we are a people who sanctify life and precisely for that reason cannot afford to abandon life. This law is part of a set of changes and another layer on the path to winning the War of Rebirth and the struggle for our future and the future of our children.”

Not everyone supported the move. MK Gilad Kariv sharply criticized the legislation, arguing that it constitutes an “immoral, unJewish and undemocratic” law.

The new measure aims to turn the death penalty from a rarely theoretical provision into a practical sentencing option, while distinguishing between different jurisdictions. In Judea and Samaria, capital punishment would become the default penalty for murder carried out under terrorist circumstances. Judges would no longer be required to reach a unanimous decision, and the option for clemency or sentence reduction by the commander-in-chief would be eliminated.

Inside the Green Line, courts would be permitted to impose either the death penalty or life imprisonment in cases where a person deliberately causes a death with the intent of harming the state.

Under the framework of the law, the Minister of Defense will have the authority to decide whether a terrorist from Judea and Samaria is prosecuted in a military or civilian court. Those sentenced to death will be held in a separate prison section, and the sentence is to be carried out within 90 days following an automatic appeal.

Existing Israeli law already includes provisions for capital punishment in military courts, but only under strict conditions requiring unanimous agreement among judges, with execution carried out by firing squad.

Although the death penalty remains on the books for crimes such as treason, warfare against the state, and assisting the enemy, Israel’s courts have avoided using it for decades. Since the country’s founding, only one execution has been carried out under civilian authority — that of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in June 1962.

Air travel across major U.S. airports began returning to normal this week after widespread disruptions caused by unpaid Transportation Security Administration officers led to severe delays over several weeks.

Airports in Baltimore, Houston, New York, New Orleans, and Dallas—all of which had recently experienced extensive wait times—reported significantly shorter security lines on Monday. At the height of the crisis, some travelers faced waits exceeding four hours, the longest delays recorded in the TSA’s nearly 25-year history.

The situation began to improve after President Donald Trump issued an emergency directive on Friday requiring that TSA personnel be paid, despite Congress failing to resolve the 45-day partial government shutdown. The Department of Homeland Security indicated that workers would begin receiving their pay as early as Monday.

Some TSA employees confirmed on social media that their paychecks were deposited into their accounts early Monday morning.

Attendance among TSA officers had dropped sharply during the standoff. On Friday, approximately 12.4% of the workforce—about 3,560 employees—did not report for duty, contributing to the long lines seen at airports nationwide. Since mid-February, more than 500 security officers have resigned.

The situation was especially severe at certain airports. More than one-third of TSA workers were absent Friday at New York’s JFK Airport, as well as in Baltimore, Atlanta, and New Orleans. In Houston, nearly 45% of security personnel failed to report to work at the city’s two major airports.

The funding impasse stems from a broader dispute in Washington. Congressional Democrats have withheld funding for the Department of Homeland Security while pressing for changes to immigration enforcement policies, following a Minneapolis incident in which agents fatally shot U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Democrats had proposed separating TSA funding from the larger DHS budget while continuing negotiations over reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.

However, Republican leaders in the House rejected a bipartisan Senate agreement aimed at ending the six-week stalemate and instead advanced their own legislation to fund the entire Department of Homeland Security.

The disruptions came at a particularly busy time for travel, with spring break season bringing passenger volumes about 5% higher than the same period last year.

To help manage the backlog, hundreds of immigration agents and Homeland Security Investigations officers were deployed to 14 airports across the country last week to assist with screening operations. The White House said those personnel would remain in place until conditions fully stabilize.

As Israel continues to fight a multi-front war, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, a member of the security cabinet, laid out his positions on the conflict with Iran and sweeping changes to prison conditions in an interview with Kol Chai Radio’s main news program.

Addressing the Iranian front, Ben Gvir spoke forcefully about his objectives. “The regime in Iran is a Nazi regime that needs to be removed from the world. It must be overthrown and destabilized and stripped of all its capabilities. Thank God many of them have already been reduced, but we still have much more to do there, and with Hashem’s help we will do it.”

One of the central points of the interview was his push for legislation instituting the death penalty for terrorists, which he described as “the most important law in the history of the state.” According to Ben Gvir, the law would apply to terrorist murderers from Judea and Samaria without requiring approval from the attorney general or special military panels. Responding to past objections, including those raised by Rav Ovadia Yosef, the minister said: “The reasons for opposition in the past no longer exist today. All the security agencies—the Shin Bet, police, Mossad, and the IDF—have changed their position and support the law. They understand that it is a deterrent.”

He issued a direct appeal to chareidi political leaders: “I call on Rabbi Deri, Rabbi Gafni, and Rabbi Goldknopf—this is a historic opportunity. When a terrorist enters a room, he does not distinguish between chareidi and secular. This is morally, Torah-wise, and halachically correct. Someone who slit the throat of a Jewish child must face his punishment.” He added that the legislation would also apply to members of the Nukhba forces: “The sentence will be determined by this law, and they must meet their end.”

At the same time, Ben Gvir described what he called a transformation in the treatment of security prisoners, which he has personally reviewed during surprise inspections. “There is tremendous success. I enter the prisons and don’t hear even a chirp of a bird. It used to be an all-inclusive hotel here with shawarma, lamb meat, studies, and cosmetic treatments. That’s over. Today there is a minimal menu, there are no more pitas on Pesach—even on a regular day—and this Pesach they are eating matzah, and not too much. The Shin Bet tells me: ‘They are afraid to enter Ben Gvir’s prisons.’”

Ben Gvir also rejected the claim that terrorists are indifferent to their own lives. “That is a myth. I walk through the wings and see that they want life much more than people think. A female terrorist asked me why she doesn’t have perfume in prison—I told her she should have thought about that before she incited murder. When they know there is a death penalty, they will think a million times before going out to carry out an attack.”

On the issue of incitement, the minister made clear that enforcement would be uniform and uncompromising. “Anyone who incites the murder of Jews—whether he is acting on behalf of Iran and even if he is Jewish—must sit in prison. There is no difference. We have achieved governance and determination, and with Hashem’s help we saw the quietest Ramadan because we made it clear that the rules of the game have changed.”

Amid ongoing security tensions with Iran and Hezbollah, and just days before Pesach, the former Rishon Letzion, Rav Shlomo Moshe Amar, Chief Rabbi of Yerushalayim, delivered an emotional and powerful message in a special interview with Avi Mimran on Kol Chai Radio’s main news program.

Rav Amar described the current situation as an unprecedented chain of miracles unlike anything seen in human history, explaining that “the one who experiences a miracle does not recognize his miracle.” He said that the sheer number and force of missiles launched toward Israel should have caused devastating consequences, yet Hashem protected the nation—both through advanced defense systems and through missiles landing in uninhabited areas.

The Rishon Letzion emphasized that Jewish blood is not hefker, and that the Ribbono Shel Olam avenges every drop of blood that is spilled. He spoke with emotion about what he described as a powerful spiritual awakening taking place, with thousands of Jews returning to observe Shabbos, putting on tefillin, and reconnecting to their heritage.

“Never have we been as close to the completion of the redemption as we are in these days,” the rabbi declared with confidence. He added that the leading sages of the generation are in agreement that the geulah is poised to be revealed before our very eyes, just as in earlier times people could not have imagined meriting to touch the stones of the Kosel.

In his remarks, Rav Amar explained the apparent delay in the coming of Moshiach based on the teachings of the Ohr Hachaim HaKadosh. According to this explanation, Moshe Rabbeinu desired a redemption at the highest possible spiritual level, rather than one in the form of “a poor man riding on a donkey.” For this reason, forces of evil and the sitra achra attempt to disrupt Torah study in every possible way, knowing that once the redemption arrives, wickedness will vanish like smoke.

The rov urged the public to strengthen their commitment to Torah study, placing particular emphasis on the importance of the learning of young children, whose pure voices sustain the world and upon whom the redemption depends.

Concluding his uplifting message, Rav Amar offered words of encouragement and faith: “Shake yourself from the dust, arise, put on your garments of glory, My people.” He called on the public not to despair, but to recognize the guiding Hand of Hashem in current events. He expressed hope that in these very days we will merit the announcement of Eliyahu Hanavi and the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash, peacefully and calmly, bringing true joy and salvation to all of Klal Yisroel.

{Matzav.com}

Senator Cory Booker sharply criticized the ongoing U.S. military involvement in Iran on Sunday, warning that the conflict could ultimately be remembered as one of the most significant presidential missteps in recent history.

Speaking during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Booker responded to a question from host Kristen Welker regarding diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran. Welker noted that the United States has reportedly presented Iran with a 15-point proposal addressing its ballistic missile and nuclear programs, drawing comparisons to negotiations conducted during the Obama administration. She asked whether Booker supports the current administration’s attempt to reach a deal to end the war.

“I don’t support this administration, period. They’ve gotten us into what will be looked at as one of the greatest blunders, presidential blunders of our time. Remember, this president had stated objectives, none of which he is achieving right now, from the nuclear program all the way to, frankly, regime change. The regime is more extreme. They’ve shown an asymmetric ability to choke off the Straits of Hormuz has caused a global oil shock. And for Americans at home, our costs continue to rise. This is after the president has cut people’s health care and nutrition programs. And now, with over $25 billion to that has been spent on the war. Over 300 people injured, 13 Americans who’ve lost their lives. This president is pushing us further and further into a conflict, with no foreseeable off-ramp and thousands more troops moving into that region. And he still has not come to Congress for any kind of authorization for what is clearly not just a war, but the biggest military engagement we’ve had since the war in Afghanistan. This president is off the chain, and we are in a global crisis of his causing.”

{Matzav.com}

The IDF has confirmed that it carried out strikes in recent days against a key Iranian military infrastructure site located בתוך the compound of Imam Hossein University, a central institution tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and used for both academic and operational military purposes.

According to the IDF, the university functions as the IRGC’s primary military academic center and also serves as a backup facility for the regime’s security and defense operations. While outwardly presented as a civilian institution, the site has been used for research and development of advanced weapons systems.

Due to its close connection to the IRGC and its role in supporting hostile activities, the university and its senior leadership have been sanctioned by multiple countries. The institution is headed by Mohammad Reza Hassani Shahnegari, a senior IRGC officer with a rank equivalent to brigadier general, who oversees training programs, operational planning, and force development.

During the operation, Israeli forces targeted multiple locations within the campus, striking repeatedly in an effort to significantly degrade Iran’s weapons development capabilities.

Following the strikes, the IDF disclosed that the site included extensive military infrastructure, including underground wind tunnels used for testing ballistic missile systems.

In addition, the IDF said it destroyed a chemistry research facility that was used for developing chemical weapons, as well as a major technology and engineering center associated with weapons design and missile advancement. Officials described the technology complex as a central hub for the regime’s ballistic missile program and other military projects.

A 4½-year-old Israeli boy who suffered severe burns after falling into a pot of boiling soup at a shul on Friday night remains sedated and on a ventilator, with doctors at Hadassah Ein Kerem reporting extensive injuries.

Medical teams from the pediatric emergency department and plastic surgery unit at Hadassah Ein Kerem treated the young child late Friday night in the trauma unit after he fell into a pot of bubbling hot soup and sustained serious burns.

The incident occurred at a shul on Friday night, as soup was being distributed at a communal Shabbos Hagadol seudah. According to his mother, the child stepped backward and, within a split second, found himself inside the boiling pot.

Dr. Stav Serna Cahan, a senior specialist in plastic surgery and head of the burn unit at Hadassah, described the emergency response: “On Friday evening, a 4½-year-old boy was urgently brought to the trauma unit after sustaining severe and deep burns when he fell into a pot of boiling soup. He was taken directly to the trauma room and immediately underwent evaluation and examination by all the relevant teams from the pediatric emergency department and the burn unit of the plastic surgery department.”

Dr. Serna Cahan emphasized the extent of the injuries, noting that the burns covered a significant portion of the child’s body. “The severe burns were assessed at approximately 42 percent of his body surface, second- and third-degree burns. Due to the extent of the burns, the child was urgently transferred to the operating room, where he was sedated and ventilated and underwent debridement of the burns and dressing. He was then transferred to the pediatric intensive care unit, and as is customary in such severe burn cases, the team began fluid resuscitation. As of now, his condition is stable, and he is being treated by the experienced pediatric intensive care team and the multidisciplinary burn unit staff in the plastic surgery department at Hadassah, while he remains sedated and ventilated.”

The boy’s mother has remained constantly at his bedside, gently stroking his head as she spoke about the terrifying moment. “We were together in the shul. When my son approached the pot of soup, his older brother asked him to move away. He stepped backward and without noticing—it was a matter of a single second—he stumbled backward and fell into the pot.”

She explained that the pot was very large, enough to serve dozens of portions for those present in the shul. “Immediately there was a rapid response at the scene. He managed to get out of the pot, and people in the shul gathered around him right away. They took him and poured water on the burns while calling ambulances. As quickly as possible they brought him to Hadassah Ein Kerem. Here, the excellent team in intensive care and the burn unit is treating him—they are truly messengers.”

The mother expressed hope while stressing the importance of awareness. “I believe we will get through this and that he will feel well, with Hashem’s help. But it is very important to emphasize that this was an accident that happened in a split second and not anyone’s fault. Certainly, increasing awareness is very important to prevent more cases like this, and if someone will be more careful after reading this, we have done our part. Here in the intensive care unit, the team is caring for him with dedication, and our community is helping us and surrounding us with support for everything we need at home.”

Dr. Serna Cahan concluded with an important message for parents: “If such an incident occurs, emergency services should be called as quickly as possible in order to evacuate the injured person for professional treatment in a burn unit like the one operating at Hadassah. Do not pour water over the body; it is possible to place a clean towel over the burn.”

{Matzav.com}

A newly resurfacing coronavirus strain known as BA.3.2, or “Cicada,” has been identified again in recent months after nearly disappearing since it was first detected in South Africa in 2024. Health experts say the variant could soon make its way to Israel as it spreads across multiple regions.

According to international reports, the variant has recently been detected in the United States, several European countries, and parts of North Africa, drawing increased attention from public health officials.

A report by Mako notes that the strain belongs to the Omicron family and carries an unusually high number of mutations—between 70 and 75—more than the variants currently dominant. Experts believe some of these mutations may allow it to partially evade existing immunity, although there is currently no indication that it causes more severe illness.

Professor Cyril Cohen, dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences at Bar-Ilan University, explained in an interview with Mako that the emergence of new variants is expected. He noted that immunity to COVID-19 is not as stable as with other diseases, which allows new strains to spread even among populations that have already been exposed to the virus. He also pointed out that reduced monitoring of COVID-19 in many countries makes it more difficult to accurately assess the extent of its spread.

According to Professor Cohen, the new variant may arrive in Israel in the near future, but there is no reason for alarm. “Immunity in the population is good, even if not perfect,” he said. “We need to monitor, but there are no signs of anything medically unusual at this stage.”

In Israel, COVID-19 currently represents a relatively small portion of seasonal illnesses. However, experts say there could be a moderate increase in cases in the coming months, a pattern often seen as other respiratory illnesses begin to decline.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump warned that the United States could escalate its military actions against Iran, including targeting major energy infrastructure, if negotiations fail to bring an end to the ongoing conflict.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that Washington is engaged in “serious discussions” with Tehran aimed at resolving the war, claiming that the talks have already made “great progress.”

At the same time, he issued a stark threat regarding Iran’s critical facilities. “If the Hormuz Strait is not immediately ‘Open for Business,’ we will conclude our lovely ‘stay’ in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!), which we have purposefully not yet ‘touched’,” he wrote.

Iran, however, continues to deny that direct negotiations are taking place. Officials in Tehran have previously dismissed American proposals to end the conflict, describing them as “unrealistic, illogical and excessive.”

The warning comes as thousands of U.S. troops have been deployed to the region following Trump’s earlier threats to move against Kharg Island, a strategic location in the Persian Gulf that handles roughly 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei acknowledged that messages have been relayed through intermediaries indicating a U.S. willingness to negotiate, but said the terms being proposed are excessive and unacceptable.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said Sunday that construction is underway on a new White House ballroom that will include an extensive underground facility, featuring advanced security measures and financed entirely through private contributions.

Trump explained that the project is intended to address longstanding space limitations at the White House, particularly when hosting large gatherings and foreign dignitaries, noting that current rooms are insufficient for major events.

“The military is building a massive complex under the ballroom, and that’s under construction, and we’re doing very well,” Trump said.

He indicated that work on the subterranean portion is already in progress and is part of a broader security design tied directly to the ballroom above it, giving the structure both functional and protective purposes.

According to Trump, the ballroom itself will incorporate significant protective features, including reinforced construction and safeguards against modern threats such as drones.

“We have all bulletproof glass. We have drone-proof roofs, ceilings,” Trump said. “Everything is drone-proof and bulletproof, and unfortunately, we’re living in an age where that’s a good thing.”

Trump stressed that the project will not use taxpayer funds, saying it is being covered entirely by private donors and his own contributions.

“All of the money paid is paid by myself and donors…it’s all donors,” Trump said. “There’s not one dime of government money going into the ballroom.”

The proposal received approval in February from the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, which unanimously backed the roughly $400 million plan on a 6-0 vote and moved it forward on an accelerated timeline.

The new structure is being built where the former East Wing once stood, after it was torn down in October, and is expected to greatly increase the White House’s ability to host large-scale functions.

For years, administrations have relied on temporary setups for major events due to limited indoor space, as the old East Wing dining area could accommodate only about 200 people.

Trump said construction is moving at a rapid pace and remains both ahead of schedule and below projected costs as work continues.

“We’re ahead of schedule and under budget,” Trump said.

He added that the ballroom is being designed to align with the White House’s existing architecture in both appearance and scale, describing it as a fitting addition to the historic property.

“I think it’ll be the greatest ballroom anywhere in the world,” Trump said. “It pays total homage to the White House, which is, I think, very important.”

{Matzav.com}

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said her department has identified widespread fraud totaling billions of dollars within federal food assistance programs, pointing to recent efforts to overhaul oversight and enforcement.

In remarks to Breitbart News, Rollins said the Department of Government Efficiency played a central role in uncovering misuse within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

“I can’t give enough credit to Elon Musk, who I still am in contact with today, and to the DOGE team that came in,” Rollins told Breitbart.

Rollins acknowledged that not all agencies welcomed the outside involvement but said the results spoke for themselves. “I know some of the other agencies weren’t as excited about it,” Rollins added. “I believed it was one of the greatest, most fortunate things that happened to us.

“I don’t know that we would have ever been able to stop and uncover — to the tune of billions of dollars” — without President Donald Trump, Rollins said.

She also pointed to examples of federal spending she described as questionable, including a grant approved during the Biden administration to examine how racism impacts the pest control industry, as well as funding given to Louisiana researchers studying transgender mice.

“It was crazy, crazy stuff,” Rollins said to Breitbart. “[DOGE] were tremendously helpful.

“As DOGE itself … wound down at the end of the spring, we pivoted our DOGE team. They’re still here. We pivoted them to SNAP and helping us begin to understand how to even start to reconstruct that entire program.”

Rollins said that upon assuming her role, she immediately contacted governors across the country to signal a shift in enforcement priorities and accountability.

“We have to do better by the taxpayers,” Rollins said.

According to Breitbart, the joint efforts of DOGE and the USDA uncovered approximately 500,000 individuals receiving multiple SNAP benefits, along with nearly 200,000 deceased individuals who were still listed as recipients.

Rollins also criticized certain states for not fully cooperating with the investigation, specifically pointing to those led by Democrats.

“I can’t even begin to imagine what California, New York, or Minnesota look like,” Rollins said.

Since she took office, Rollins said that roughly 3.3 million people have been removed from SNAP rolls, and 118 individuals suspected of fraud have been taken into custody.

“When we finally get our hands on that blue state data, I think it is going to be more shocking than anyone could have even imagined,” Rollins said.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump is considering a potential military operation to remove close to 1,000 pounds of uranium from Iran, a move that could require American forces to operate inside the country for an extended period, U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal on Sunday.

No final decision has been made, according to those officials, who said the president is still evaluating the risks to American troops. At the same time, they noted that Trump is generally receptive to the plan, seeing it as a possible way to ensure Iran is permanently prevented from developing nuclear weapons.

In parallel, Trump has urged his team to push for Iran to hand over the uranium as part of any agreement to end the conflict, according to a source familiar with his thinking. In discussions with allies, the president has made it clear that Iran cannot retain the material and has even raised the possibility of taking it by force if negotiations fail.

Efforts to mediate between Washington and Tehran have involved countries such as Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt. However, direct talks between the United States and Iran aimed at ending the war have not yet taken place.

“It’s the job of the Pentagon to make preparations in order to give the commander-in-chief maximum optionality. It does not mean the president has made a decision,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. The Pentagon declined to comment, and a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command also declined to comment.

Prior to the wave of joint Israeli and American strikes carried out last June, Iran was believed to possess over 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent, along with nearly 200 kilograms enriched to 20 percent—levels that can be further processed into weapons-grade material at 90 percent.

Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has indicated that much of this uranium is likely stored at two of the three facilities targeted in those strikes: a subterranean tunnel system at the Isfahan nuclear site and a stockpile located at Natanz.

According to the source familiar with the discussions, Trump and some of his allies believe a focused operation could successfully secure the uranium without significantly prolonging the war, allowing the United States to wrap up its involvement by mid-April.

The president has also conveyed to those around him that he wants to avoid a drawn-out conflict. Some senior advisers are encouraging him to shift attention to domestic issues, particularly the upcoming midterm elections, where polling suggests Republicans could face notable setbacks.

As U.S. forces continue their strikes against Iranian targets, Trump has been receiving ongoing briefings about the logistical and operational challenges tied to such a mission, officials said. At the same time, the military is preparing additional contingency plans, including deploying rapid-response Marine units and paratroopers from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to the region, potentially to secure key strategic positions such as islands off Iran’s southern coastline.

Last Saturday, Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum demanding that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz or risk attacks on its energy infrastructure.

He has since extended that deadline twice to allow diplomatic efforts to continue, most recently on Thursday, when he granted Iran an additional ten days.

Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, said on Friday that the United States is awaiting Iran’s reply to a 15-point proposal aimed at ending the war, adding that he expects negotiations between the sides to begin this week.

{Matzav.com}

A large shipment of KitKat chocolate bars weighing approximately 12 tons has been stolen in Europe, raising concerns that store shelves could be short on the popular treat just ahead of the Easter season, according to Nestle.

The Swiss-based food company confirmed that the theft involved a truck carrying hundreds of thousands of bars from its newer product line. The vehicle vanished last week while en route between manufacturing and distribution points.

KitKat, owned by Nestle, told AFP on Saturday that “a truck transporting 413,793 units of its new chocolate range has been stolen during transit in Europe.” The company said the shipment disappeared while moving through its supply chain.

Referencing the brand’s well-known slogan, a company spokesperson addressed the unusual theft with a touch of humor. “We’ve always encouraged people to have a break with KitKat,” a spokesperson told AFP, referring to its famous catchphrase. “But it seems thieves have taken the message too literally and made a break with more than 12 tons of our chocolate.”

Nestle said the truck had departed from a production facility in central Italy and was on its way to Poland when it was taken. As of now, both the vehicle and its cargo remain missing.

“the vehicle and its contents remain unaccounted for.”

The company said authorities are actively working to track down the stolen shipment in coordination with partners across its distribution network.

“Investigations are ongoing in close collaboration with local authorities and supply chain partners,” Nestle said.

Officials warned that the loss could disrupt supply levels in stores across Europe, potentially making it harder for shoppers to find KitKat products in the lead-up to Easter.

Nestle also cautioned that the stolen bars might resurface through unauthorized sales channels in various markets.

To help identify the missing goods, the company noted that each bar carries a traceable batch code that can be scanned.

“If a match is found, the scanner will be given clear instructions on how to alert KitKat who will then share the evidence appropriately,” it said.

KitKat confirmed on Sunday that the stolen shipment totals around 12 tons and said it is cooperating with law enforcement as the investigation continues.

“Good news: there are no concerns for consumer safety, and supply is not affected,” KitKat’s official account on X said in a statement.

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