Thousands of Vishnitzer Chassidim celebrated the days of Purim in the main Bais Hamedrash in Bnei Brak, despite the Rebbe not leading the Tish. As YWN has been reporting, the Rebbe who is battling a serious illness, is currently in Los Angeles, where he is scheduled to undergo a major surgery on Monday. Before leaving to Los Angeles, the Rebbe instructed his Chassidim to continue Purim as usual, and appointed his oldest son, HaRav Chaim Meyer Hager to lead the Tish. On Monday, there will be a Yom Tefillah in Vishnitz. Numerous announcements have bene hung in Vishnitzer Bateri Midrashim around the world, calling on everyone to join in Tefillah and Limud Hatorah. Please say Tehillim for Yisroel ben Leah Esther. On Sunday afternoon, during the Purim Yerushalyim celebration, the Sephardic Chief Rabbi, Hagaon HaRav David Yosef, made a Mi Shebairach for the Vishnitzer Rebbe. PHOTOS FOR YWN VIA SHUKI LERER
An Israeli security official has verified that the IDF has eliminated a Hezbollah terrorist in southern Lebanon last night. This operation comes on the heels of another overnight mission in Yater, where a different Hezbollah terrorist was taken out.
A devastating fire broke out in Kočani, North Macedonia, claiming at least 53 lives and leaving more than 100 people injured. The inferno started at 2:35 a.m. during a DNK concert, sparked by fireworks set off in the building.
In a counterterrorism mission conducted in northern Samaria, IDF troops discovered a weapons cache in Nur Shams that held multiple firearms, a large quantity of ammunition, and bags packed with weaponry. While inspecting one of the bags, the soldiers also found an UNRWA vest.
The next time you’re due for a medical exam you may get a call from someone like Ana: a friendly voice that can help you prepare for your appointment and answer any pressing questions you might have. With her calm, warm demeanor, Ana has been trained to put patients at ease — like many nurses across the U.S. But unlike them, she is also available to chat 24-7, in multiple languages, from Hindi to Haitian Creole. That’s because Ana isn’t human, but an artificial intelligence program created by Hippocratic AI, one of a number of new companies offering ways to automate time-consuming tasks usually performed by nurses and medical assistants. It’s the most visible sign of AI’s inroads into health care, where hundreds of hospitals are using increasingly sophisticated computer programs to monitor patients’ vital signs, flag emergency situations and trigger step-by-step action plans for care — jobs that were all previously handled by nurses and other health professionals. Hospitals say AI is helping their nurses work more efficiently while addressing burnout and understaffing. But nursing unions argue that this poorly understood technology is overriding nurses’ expertise and degrading the quality of care patients receive. “Hospitals have been waiting for the moment when they have something that appears to have enough legitimacy to replace nurses,” said Michelle Mahon of National Nurses United. “The entire ecosystem is designed to automate, de-skill and ultimately replace caregivers.” Mahon’s group, the largest nursing union in the U.S., has helped organize more than 20 demonstrations at hospitals across the country, pushing for the right to have say in how AI can be used — and protection from discipline if they decide to disregard automated advice. The group raised new alarms in January when Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the incoming health secretary, suggested AI nurses “as good as any doctor” could help deliver care in rural areas. On Friday, Dr. Mehmet Oz, who’s been nominated to oversee Medicare and Medicaid, said he believes AI can “liberate doctors and nurses from all the paperwork.” Hippocratic AI initially promoted a rate of $9 an hour for its AI assistants, compared with about $40 an hour for a registered nurse. It has since dropped that language, instead touting its services and seeking to assure customers that they have been carefully tested. The company did not grant requests for an interview. AI in the hospital can generate false alarms and dangerous advice Hospitals have been experimenting for years with technology designed to improve care and streamline costs, including sensors, microphones and motion-sensing cameras. Now that data is being linked with electronic medical records and analyzed in an effort to predict medical problems and direct nurses’ care — sometimes before they’ve evaluated the patient themselves. Adam Hart was working in the emergency room at Dignity Health in Henderson, Nevada, when the hospital’s computer system flagged a newly arrived patient for sepsis, a life-threatening reaction to infection. Under the hospital’s protocol, he was supposed to immediately administer a large dose of IV fluids. But after further examination, Hart determined that he was treating a dialysis patient, or someone with kidney failure. Such patients have to be carefully managed to avoid overloading their kidneys with fluid. Hart raised his concern with the supervising nurse but was told to just follow the standard protocol. Only after a nearby physician intervened did the patient instead […]
The IDF has taken disciplinary action against several soldiers and commanders involved in an incident in the Gaza Strip on Friday, when reservists fired shots into the air during a Megillah reading on Purim upon hearing the name Haman. Following an investigation, the IDF’s brigade commander issued punishments to those responsible. The company commander received a formal reprimand that will go on his record, while the platoon commander was removed from his position. Additionally, nine reservists were dismissed from combat service and sentenced to remain on base for 28 days as punishment. The disciplinary measures come after the IDF initially removed the reservists from their duties following the emergence of video footage showing them firing their weapons into the air during the Purim celebration. While the incident reportedly occurred in a festive atmosphere, the IDF determined that the actions violated military protocol and safety regulations. The IDF stressed that the behavior was unacceptable, particularly in an active conflict zone, and acted swiftly to uphold discipline and operational standards. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Despite Israel’s repeated endorsements of the “Witkoff proposal” for a potential hostage deal, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s aides remain skeptical that Hamas will ever agree to the terms, a senior Israeli official told The Times of Israel. “It’s not going to happen,” the official stated bluntly. “Everyone is well aware of this.” The proposal, presented by US special envoy Steve Witkoff in Doha last week, calls for Hamas to release half of the living hostages at the start of an extended ceasefire, which would last until mid-April, coinciding with the end of Passover. The remaining hostages would potentially be freed at the conclusion of this period. While Israel continues to press for Hamas to accept the deal, officials acknowledge that the insistence is largely a negotiating tactic. “The goal is to get more than just American hostages out because that’s not acceptable in Israel,” the official explained, underscoring that Jerusalem is determined to secure the release of all hostages, not just those with US citizenship. On Friday, Hamas countered with an offer to release Edan Alexander, the last known Israeli-American hostage, while returning the bodies of four others with dual Israeli-US citizenship—Itay Chen, Omer Neutra, Gadi Haggai, and Judy Weinstein—in exchange for extending the truce and freeing additional Palestinian prisoners. Both Israel and the United States swiftly rejected the Hamas proposal, with Witkoff suggesting it was not made in good faith. Israeli officials have made it clear that if Hamas refuses to release non-US hostages, the ceasefire will not hold indefinitely. “There are war plans crafted,” the Israeli official warned. “There won’t be an endless amount of time—several weeks at the very most.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
In a high-stakes counterterror operation, Israeli security forces thwarted a planned shooting attack in Jerusalem’s Old City during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The Shin Bet (Israel’s Security Agency) and Israel Police announced Sunday that they had arrested 24-year-old Uday Mobarsham, an Arab Israeli from the village of Makr, who had purchased a homemade rifle and begun training for an attack targeting Israeli police officers and Jewish civilians near the Damascus Gate. Mobarsham, who had been undergoing religious radicalization, was captured in February, just before planning to execute his deadly plan. According to an indictment filed by the Haifa District Attorney’s Office, Mobarsham had undergone a religious revival in 2022, immersing himself in Salafist extremism and consuming Hamas and ISIS propaganda. Following Hamas’s October 7 massacre in Israel, he became increasingly determined to carry out his own terror attack, prosecutors revealed. In February 2024, just weeks before his arrest, Mobarsham chillingly wrote to a friend: “Ramadan is coming, brother. The war is at the door.” Mobarsham’s plan was as straightforward as it was deadly: launch a shooting attack near Shaar Shechem, a hotspot for Palestinian terror activity, during the sensitive month of Ramadan—a time when tensions in Jerusalem historically reach their peak. To prepare, he acquired a homemade rifle and began training, all while attempting to recruit accomplices for his attack. In a desperate effort to hide evidence, Mobarsham passed his rifle to his brother, Adham, instructing him to conceal it far from their home. But Israeli security forces were one step ahead—tracking the handoff, locating the weapon, and arresting Adham as well. Prosecutors have since charged Adham with illegal weapons possession, while police are investigating other individuals Mobarsham attempted to recruit. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The IDF on Sunday identified six Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives it eliminated in northern Gaza’s Beit Lahiya a day earlier, including a Hamas terrorist who participated in the October 7, 2023, massacre in Israel. According to the IDF, two of the operatives were using a drone for attacks on Israeli forces when they were targeted in an initial strike. When a second group arrived to recover the drone equipment, the IDF carried out another precision strike, eliminating additional operatives. In a statement, the IDF revealed that some of the killed terrorists were operating under the guise of journalists, exploiting humanitarian protections to shield their terror activities. The IDF named the six neutralized terrorists, confirming their direct ties to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad: Mustafa Mohammed Shaaban Hamed – A Hamas terrorist who infiltrated Israel during the October 7 massacre. Mahmoud Yahya Rashdi as-Saraj – A member of Hamas’s engineering forces involved in weapons manufacturing. Bilal Mahmood Fuad Abu Matar – A Hamas operative who used the cover of a photographer to aid terror operations. Mahmoud Imad Hassan Isleem – A Hamas Zeitoun Battalion member, masquerading as a journalist. Suheib Bassem Khaled Najar – A Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative recently freed in the hostage-ceasefire deal. Mohammed Alaa Suhbi al-Jafir – A Hamas operative involved in logistical operations. Palestinian sources claim that nine people were killed, including journalists and humanitarian workers. The Al-Khair Foundation, an organization with alleged ties to Hamas, reported that eight of its workers were killed, denying Israeli allegations of terror affiliations. The IDF, however, has identified Al-Khair as a front for Hamas, facilitating financial and logistical support to terror groups under the guise of humanitarian aid. Israeli intelligence has previously linked Al-Khair to a senior Hamas official operating within the organization. In a separate operation, Israel struck two Hezbollah operatives in southern Lebanon on Sunday. The IDF confirmed that the two terrorists were conducting surveillance on the border and had been involved in planning attacks on Israel from the Yater and Mays al-Jabal region. “These terrorists’ actions violated the ceasefire understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” the IDF said, emphasizing that it remains committed to targeting terror operatives who threaten Israel, regardless of ceasefire agreements. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
President Donald Trump’s administration will pay El Salvador $6 million to imprison for one year about 300 alleged members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, in one of the first instances of the Central American country taking migrants from the United States. The agreement follows discussions between El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio about housing migrants in El Salvador’s notorious prison. Bukele’s government has arrested more than 84,000 people, sometimes without due process, since 2022 as part of his crackdown on gang violence in the small country. Memos detailing the transfer did not disclose how the Trump administration identified the roughly 300 people as members of Tren de Aragua, a gang Trump repeatedly highlighted in the campaign and declared to be a terrorist organization. “The Republic of El Salvador confirms it will house these individuals for one (1) year, pending the United States’ decision on their long term disposition,” wrote El Salvador’s ministry of foreign affairs in a memo obtained by the Associated Press. The Central American nation and Trump administration last month struck a deal to house migrants detained in the United States. The Trump administration contended that El Salvador could even house American citizens, though the U.S. cannot deport citizens to another country. Rubio and Bukele discussed the specifics of the new transfer, which include a cost of about $20,000 to house each prisoner for the year. A State Department document also suggests that it may set aside $15 million to send to El Salvador to house additional members of the gang. The Salvadoran memo also confirmed the country would take two men it said were members of the MS-13 gang, an organization that was initially comprised of Salvadoran migrants to the U.S. and had gained an increasing foothold in El Salvador prior to Bukele’s crackdown. One man, Cesar Eliseo Sorto Amaya, was convicted of double homicide in El Salvador before he was caught illegally entering the United States, according to the U.S. Justice Department. The other was charged under President Joe Biden’s administration with being a high-ranking leader of the MS-13 gang. Bukele’s government did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. The Tren de Aragua gang originated in a prison in the South American country and accompanied an exodus of millions of Venezuelans, the overwhelming majority of whom were seeking better living conditions after their nation’s economy came undone last decade. Trump and his allies have turned the gang into the face of the alleged threat posed by immigrants living in the U.S. illegally and formally designated it a “foreign terrorist organization” last month. Authorities in several countries have reported arrests of Tren de Aragua members, even as Venezuela’s government claims to have eliminated the criminal organization. The government of President Nicolás Maduro has not taken back immigrants deported from the U.S., except on a few occasions. Over the past few weeks, about 350 people were deported to Venezuela, including some 180 who spent up to 16 days at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Trump’s government has alleged Venezuelans sent to the naval base are Tren de Aragua members, but it has offered little evidence to back that up. On Saturday, the government’s centralized press office in Caracas did not immediately respond […]
The IDF has removed a group of reservists from their duties in the Gaza Strip following the emergence of a video. The footage, which surfaced online, shows the soldiers firing their weapons into the air during a Megillah reading on Purim, when hearing the name Haman.
CENTCOM released photos and videos of the USS Gettysburg and an unidentified Arleigh Burke-class destroyer launching Tomahawk missiles at Houthi targets in Yemen tonight, part of ongoing strikes to weaken their military infrastructure, with the destroyer possibly being the USS Stout, USS Jason Dunham, or USS Sullivan.
An F/A-18E “Super Hornet” from Strike Fighter Squadron 136 (VFA-136), part of Carrier Air Wing One (CVW-1), was observed launching from the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) in the Northern Red Sea this evening to conduct strikes on Houthi targets in Western Yemen.
The IDF says it foiled an attempt to smuggle an assault rifle into Israel from Egypt earlier today, using a drone. The drone had been identified crossing the border from Egypt into Israel, before it was downed by troops of the Border Defense Corps’ Caracal Battalion.
U.S. Central Command forces, alongside Iraqi Intelligence, killed ISIS #2 leader and Chief of Global Operations, Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifai (alias “Abu Khadijah”), and another operative in a precision airstrike in Iraq’s Al Anbar Province, targeting the Emir responsible for global operations, logistics, planning, and a major portion of ISIS finances.
