Matzav

At least 32 Palestinians were reported killed overnight and into this morning in a series of Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, marking one of the deadliest episodes since the October ceasefire. The Israeli military said the attacks were carried out after what it described as a “violation of the ceasefire agreement,” and said the targets included senior terror operatives and weapons sites.

The Israel Defense Forces said the operation focused on four commanders from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, along with a weapons storage facility, an arms production location, and two rocket launch positions.

“The terror organizations in the Strip systematically violate international law, while brutally exploiting civilian institutions and operating in the presence of the local population,” the military said in a statement.

Hamas’s civil defense agency reported that it recovered the bodies of 32 people killed at seven separate sites since this morning. According to Hamas officials, roughly a quarter of those killed were children, about one-third were women, one was an elderly man, and five were members of the Hamas-run police force.

The Hamas-controlled health ministry said an additional 30 people were injured in the strikes, with some listed in critical condition.

Those figures could not be independently confirmed, and Israel did not publish its own casualty numbers.

One of the reported attacks struck the Sheikh Radwan police station in Gaza City, which Hamas’s interior ministry said was hit this morning. Palestinian media outlets said 16 people were killed at the site, including police officers and detainees.

Hamas’s interior ministry said several civilians were among the dead at the police station, along with at least five police officers — one holding a rank equivalent to colonel, two equivalent to major, and two equivalent to lieutenant. The ministry added that at least 15 other officers were wounded.

In another incident, Palestinian media reported that three people were killed in an Israeli strike near a UNRWA school in the Nasser neighborhood of western Gaza City.

Hamas accused Israel of committing a “blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement,” claiming that 12 of those killed overnight were children. Hamas also said seven of the dead belonged to a single family sheltering in a displaced persons camp in Khan Younis.

According to the Israeli military, the airstrikes followed an incident on Friday in which eight gunmen emerged from a tunnel in southern Gaza’s Rafah area. The IDF said three of the gunmen were killed in subsequent strikes and that a fourth, described as a senior Hamas commander, was captured.

The army said the Rafah incident constituted a breach of the ceasefire.

After the escalation, Egypt’s foreign ministry issued a statement condemning Israel’s “repeated violations” of the truce and called on all sides to “exercise the utmost restraint,” ahead of the anticipated reopening of the Rafah Crossing.

The surge in violence came one day before Israel was set to reopen the Rafah Crossing — the only pedestrian passage between Gaza and Egypt — early next week, in line with the ceasefire agreement.

Qatar also denounced the Israeli strikes, saying: “The State of Qatar expresses its strong condemnation of the repeated Israeli violations of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip… in a dangerous escalation that will inflame the situation and undermine regional and international efforts aimed at consolidating the truce.”

{Matzav.com}

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said in an interview aired today that President Donald Trump will not abandon Iranians who have risked their lives opposing the regime, stressing that the president’s words should be taken seriously.

“This is a president who has made many promises; you’ll be hard-pressed to find one that he hasn’t kept,” Huckabee said in the interview with Channel 12 News. “He doesn’t make empty threats.”

“What I would say to [the people of Iran] is, note carefully what the president says, take him at his word. He will keep his promise,” he added.

Huckabee also indicated that Washington has not yet reached a final decision on whether to launch a military strike against Tehran, saying Trump consistently prefers a diplomatic resolution in which Iran ends its threats toward Israel and the United States and abandons its nuclear ambitions.

“I would say that the decision still needs to be made,” the ambassador said. “President Trump is always hopeful for the best outcome. He is, in fact, let’s never forget, ‘the art of the deal.’ And if he can get that, then that’s ideal.”

“But if he can’t, he’s not afraid to do what he proved he would do last summer when he instigated Midnight Hammer,” Huckabee added, referring to U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June 2025.

While declining to predict whether the United States will strike Iran — a move that could prompt Iranian retaliation against Israel — Huckabee said the U.S. Embassy was taken aback when airlines began canceling flights to Israel amid rising tensions.

“Last weekend, airlines from around the world started canceling their flights, and honestly, our reaction at the embassy was, ‘what’s that about?’” he said.

“It completely caught us off guard,” Huckabee added. “We are not seeing any reason. We are not telling our embassy employees to restrict themselves to your homes, don’t go anywhere.”

Huckabee said he has no insight into the timing of any potential U.S. military action, nor whether “Iran will decide to initiate something” against Israel. He emphasized that Trump has not been speaking in terms of deadlines or ultimatums and said Israelis should continue their daily routines, “and if the sirens go off, respond.”

Iran has warned that if it comes under U.S. attack it will retaliate against Israel and has also threatened American military bases and aircraft carriers stationed in the region.

Trump has repeatedly warned that the United States could intervene if Iran continued killing protesters during its crackdown on nationwide demonstrations over economic hardship and political repression, though those protests have since subsided. Even so, the U.S. has deployed additional warships to the region in recent days.

Washington has said that any agreement with Iran would need to prohibit uranium enrichment, require the removal of already enriched material from the country, limit Iran’s long-range missile stockpiles, and curtail its support for regional proxy forces — conditions Tehran has rejected.

In the same interview, Huckabee said Turkey will not be permitted to purchase U.S. F-35 fighter jets, despite Trump suggesting otherwise last month, citing Ankara’s strained relations with Israel.

“Anyone to think that there’s an equality here, that it’s friend A, friend B, it’s not like that at all,” he said.

“[Turkey] is not going to get them,” he continued. “It has to go to the Senate, and it’s not likely to happen. And also, Turkey, by law, would not be able to get them unless they made major changes in the hardware that they have from Russia.”

Huckabee also said Turkey and Qatar, whose involvement on the Gaza Executive Board has raised Israeli concerns, will not govern Gaza but could play a role in pressuring Hamas to disarm. He voiced confidence that the terror group will ultimately give up its weapons as Trump’s Gaza plan advances to its next phase.

“The president said they’re going to disarm; they’re not going to have any role in Gaza,” he said. “How that happens, when it happens, and who’s going to do it? There are some question marks as to the answers to those. I’m convinced that all of those things will happen.”

“You have every Arab country in the world to sign the agreement, saying this is going to happen. Hamas signed the agreement,” he added. “I don’t trust Hamas to do anything, but I trust the rest of the world to say to Hamas, you signed it. You’re on the line for it. If you don’t fulfill it, the whole world is going to rise up and take you down.”

According to Huckabee, responsibility for Hamas’s disarmament will be shared broadly and not placed solely on Israel.

“It’ll be up to everybody,” he said.

Turning to regional diplomacy, Huckabee said he anticipates further expansion of the Abraham Accords, with additional countries joining the normalization framework.

The Saudis “have made some conflicting statements, but it’s their decision,” he said.

He added that even Lebanon joining the accords “is possible,” citing a recent meeting with the U.S. envoy to Beirut in which they discussed “how do we as Americans help our host countries move toward better understanding, deescalating and hopefully moving toward the president’s agenda of joining the Abraham Accords.”

Asked about his controversial appearance at Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial last year, Huckabee said the United States does not seek to interfere with Israeli courts but does hold a view on the proceedings.

“Americans are as blunt as Israelis when it comes to expressing ourselves,” he said. “Yeah, I think we were taking a position, but it was not a position in challenging the integrity of the Supreme Court, but it was recognizing that what was happening sure mirrored a whole lot of what we saw in the United States going against President Trump.”

Huckabee, a close ally of Trump, was referring to the criminal cases brought against the U.S. president, who is the first American leader to be convicted of a felony.

He denied that Netanyahu had asked him to attend the trial and declined to explain how he obtained a Bugs Bunny doll that he held up outside the courthouse, referencing one of the allegations against the prime minister. “I’ll just say it appeared,” he said.

The ambassador also said the embassy has not discussed with Isaac Herzog whether he should consider a pardon for Netanyahu, adding that Trump respects Israel’s sovereignty and its judicial system.

Trump sent an open letter to Herzog in November urging him to exercise his pardon authority on Netanyahu’s behalf. Trump later claimed Herzog told him a pardon was “on its way,” which Herzog denied.

Asked whether Trump would publicly back Netanyahu in Israel’s next election, expected by October 2026 at the latest, Huckabee dismissed the idea.

“I don’t think the president is going to get involved in the elections,” he said.

A photograph from 2016 that has recently reemerged shows Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, dressed in a Hamas uniform and standing alongside senior figures in the terror organization.

Abu Safiya holds the rank of colonel in Hamas’s Military Medical Services, according to statements from the MMS and reports in Palestinian media. The MMS operates separately from Hamas’s armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, but its personnel were directly involved in Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terror assault on southern Israel.

Israeli forces detained Abu Safiya in December 2024 during a raid on the hospital, along with nearly 240 other individuals. Israeli officials alleged at the time that Hamas had been using the medical complex as a command-and-control center.

Abu Safiya remains in Israeli custody. His legal representatives have alleged that he endured “severe physical abuse,” including beatings and electric shocks, while being held.

Despite his detention, Abu Safiya previously authored two opinion essays published by The New York Times criticizing Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The newspaper did not disclose any Hamas affiliation in connection with those articles.

The image was circulated by NGO Monitor, which said it was originally posted to the MMS Facebook page roughly ten years ago. According to a report cited by the group and published in The New York Post, the photo depicts senior Hamas officers from the organization’s National Security Forces and the MMS marking the completion of the hospital.

The Israel Defense Forces has previously described Abu Safiya as a senior Hamas operative, though it has not accused him of direct involvement in specific terror attacks.

Another former director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, Ahmed Kahlot, was captured earlier in the war and later told interrogators that the MMS-linked hospital had been converted into a Hamas-controlled military site. He also said that at one stage the facility was used to hold a kidnapped Israeli soldier.

Kahlot, who said he has served as a lieutenant colonel in Hamas since 2010, further stated that approximately 16 hospital employees — including doctors, nurses, and paramedics — were also Hamas operatives affiliated with the al-Qassam Brigades.

{Matzav.com}

A 22-year-old man from Hanover, Maryland, admitted in federal court on Tuesday to charges arising from his efforts to align himself with ISIS and prepare for acts of violence, including attacks inside the United States.

Michael Sam Teekaye, Jr. entered a guilty plea to attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, specifically ISIS.

The plea was announced by Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, together with Jimmy Paul, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Field Office.

Court filings show that between March and April 2023, Teekaye held repeated discussions with an undercover law enforcement officer. During those conversations, he said he intended to travel to Africa to join ISIS as a “mujahid,” or fighter. He also told the undercover officer that his “plan B” involved carrying out an attack in the United States targeting Jews and people who support Israel, explaining that he had examined nearby buildings associated with Israel and considered how to “gun down key members or anyone involved.”

Federal prosecutors said that in May and June 2024, Teekaye went on three occasions to a shooting range in Severn, Maryland, where he bought ammunition and paid for range time. He later described these activities to the undercover officer as part of his “training.” In July 2024, Teekaye attempted to buy a Kalashnikov K-9 9mm assault rifle, but the transaction was rejected because he was on probation in an unrelated state case.

“Teekaye aspired to become an ISIS fighter to unleash attacks on the homeland. He took real-world steps to carry out a terrorist attack in Maryland, including attempting to purchase an assault rifle and researching locations where he could kill Jews and supporters of Israel,” Hayes said. “Thanks to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, we stopped Teekaye before he could harm anyone. There is no margin for error when it comes to terrorism.”

Paul echoed those remarks, saying, “Michael Teekaye spent years maliciously plotting to join ISIS and murder Americans. His evil plans failed thanks to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. Their swift action and coordination stopped Teekaye from carrying out his deadly plans against Americans,” adding, “The FBI remains steadfastly committed to protecting our nation.”

Authorities said that from August through October 2024, Teekaye continued communicating with the undercover officer and described contact with a Somali ISIS fighter about plans to travel to Somalia. He outlined a route that involved flying first to Turkey, then to Ethiopia, and crossing into Somalia. Teekaye sent screenshots of an Ethiopian e-Visa that he said he obtained through the ISIS contact, and on October 4, 2024, he told the undercover officer that airline tickets had been provided. He also shared images of a travel itinerary showing plans to leave from Baltimore/Washington International Airport on October 14, traveling to Istanbul with a layover in London.

On October 10, Teekaye sent the undercover officer a photograph of himself wearing a black mask and holding a large machete, along with the message, “Victory or shahada [i.e., martyrdom] … either you do it here or over there or both.” The following day, when asked whether he was “sure” about joining ISIS, Teekaye replied that he was “sure” because he had conducted “a lot of research” and believed “they are the only group that has the most true and sincere intentions.”

FBI agents arrested Teekaye on October 14 at BWI after he checked in for his flight and passed through security screening. Prosecutors said that after his arrest, Teekaye made several unsolicited statements, including, “I’m just gonna get out in 20 years and I’m just gonna do it here. Okay? Okay? It will never stop. Jihad will never stop. I’ll just do it here then, when I get out. . . . You think 20 years is something? I’ll be like 40 when I get out, then I’ll just do it. I don’t care. It will never stop. Jihad will never stop. I’ll come and I’ll kill your soldiers. I’ll kill you, and I’ll kill . . . .” Authorities said that while making these remarks, Teekaye kicked and spat at one of the arresting agents.

Teekaye now faces up to 20 years in federal prison, along with lifetime supervised release, for attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Sentencing has been scheduled for Wednesday, July 8, at 10 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Adam B. Abelson.

Hayes credited the FBI Baltimore Field Office for its investigative work and thanked the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, as well as the FBI offices in Newark and Richmond and the New York Police Department, for their assistance. She also acknowledged Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina Hoffman and Trial Attorney Elisa Poteat of the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section for their roles in prosecuting the case.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States cannot disclose military planning to its Gulf partners while discussions with Iran are underway, even as Washington deploys a sizable naval force to the region.

In an interview with Fox News Channel senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich, Trump addressed reports suggesting that Gulf allies have not been informed about possible U.S. action involving Iran.

“Well, we can’t tell them the plan. If I told them the plan, it would be almost as bad as telling you the plan – it could be worse, actually,” Trump said. “But look, the plan is that [Iran is] talking to us, and we’ll see if we can do something, otherwise we’ll see what happens… We have a big fleet heading out there, bigger than we had – and still have, actually – in Venezuela.”

According to Fox News, a senior Gulf official said Saudi Arabia would not permit the U.S. to use its airspace or bases in the event of an attack. Another high-ranking official from a Gulf Cooperation Council country told the network that the “US hasn’t shared objectives or plans” related to Iran, despite recent high-level Saudi meetings in Washington intended to gain insight into U.S. intentions.

Officials in the Gulf have noted that Iran often turns to negotiations, but they remain doubtful that talks will result in a meaningful agreement.

“Well, that’s true, but they are negotiating, so we’ll see what happens,” Trump said in response to that skepticism.

“You know, the last time they negotiated, we had to take out their nuclear, didn’t work, you know. Then we took it out a different way, and we’ll see what happens,” he added.

Trump also spoke to reporters at the White House on Friday and suggested that he had delivered a firm message to Tehran about reaching an agreement with the United States.

When asked whether Iran had been given a deadline to make a deal before facing possible military action, Trump said, “Only they know for sure.”

Pressed on whether that message had been conveyed directly, the President responded, “Yeah, I have.”

Trump further remarked on the broader situation, saying, “We’ll see how it all works out, it’s a rough situation… a lot of people are being killed. I can say this, Iran wants to make a deal.”

He again emphasized the scale of the American military deployment in the area, stating, “We have a tremendously powerful fleet there. We have the most powerful ships in the world.”

Earlier that same day, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran is willing to return to nuclear negotiations with the United States, but cautioned that talks cannot move forward while Washington continues to issue military threats.

Araghchi also made clear that Iran’s ballistic missile program is not up for discussion and said the country is prepared for any outcome. “Iran is ready for both scenarios – war or diplomacy,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump signed an executive order authorizing the imposition of tariffs on goods from any country that sells or supplies oil to Cuba, a step that could intensify the severe energy shortages already gripping the island.

The measure is expected to place particular strain on Mexico, which has emerged as a key source of oil for Cuba and has repeatedly expressed solidarity with the Cuban government, even as President Claudia Sheinbaum has worked to cultivate a close working relationship with Trump.

In recent days, speculation has mounted that Mexico might significantly reduce its oil exports to Cuba as pressure from Trump grows for Mexico to distance itself from Havana.

Cuba, mired in a worsening economic and energy crisis—exacerbated in part by long-standing U.S. sanctions—has increasingly depended on foreign assistance and oil shipments from allies such as Mexico, Russia, and Venezuela, prior to a U.S. military operation that ousted former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Following that operation, Trump declared that Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba would cease and asserted that the Cuban government was on the verge of collapse.

According to its latest report, Mexico’s state-owned oil company, Pemex, delivered nearly 20,000 barrels of oil per day to Cuba between January and Sept. 30, 2025.

That same month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to Mexico City.

After the visit, Jorge Pinon, an energy expert at the University of Texas Energy Institute who monitors shipments through satellite tracking, said deliveries had dropped to roughly 7,000 barrels per day.

Sheinbaum has offered limited clarity on Mexico’s position regarding the shipments.

Over the past week, she has provided indirect and noncommittal responses to questions about oil exports to Cuba, repeatedly sidestepping the issue during her morning press briefings.

On Tuesday, Sheinbaum acknowledged that Pemex had at least temporarily halted some oil shipments to Cuba, but she characterized the pause as part of routine fluctuations in supply and emphasized that it was a “sovereign decision” unrelated to pressure from the United States.

Sheinbaum has maintained that Mexico would continue to demonstrate solidarity with Havana, though she has not specified the nature or scope of that support.

On Wednesday, she said she never suggested that shipments had been fully “suspended” and stated that “humanitarian aid” to Cuba would continue.

She added that shipment decisions are governed by contractual obligations within Pemex.

“So the contract determines when shipments are sent and when they are not sent,” Sheinbaum said.

It remains uncertain how Trump’s order signed Thursday will ultimately affect Cuba, which has endured years of economic hardship under a U.S. embargo and recurring crises.

Tensions were already visible on the island this week, as long lines formed at gas stations and drivers waited anxiously for fuel, unsure of what developments might come next.

{Matzav.com}

A powerful moment of personal example and chizuk took place this week when Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein hosted rabbanim from the Chofetz Chaim B’Iyun kollel network in his home. The Chofetz Chaim B’Iyun kollel network is an organization dedicated to the study of the Chofetz Chaim and the strengthening of shemiras halashon.

During the gathering, as seen in the photo above, Rav Zilberstein surprised those present by physically showing them his teeth, explaining that they are all still intact. He then shared a well-known tradition about the Chofetz Chaim, who toward the end of his life displayed his own complete set of teeth and said that not a single one had fallen out, because he had never spoken lashon hara in his lifetime.

Those close to Rav Zilberstein added that his son-in-law, the mekubal Rav Dov Kook, has testified that his father-in-law likewise merited this brocha. According to Rav Kook, Rav Zilberstein retained all of his teeth for the same reason — “because he never spoke negatively about another Jew.”

{Matzav.com}

An extraordinary moment took place this week at the home of the Slabodka Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Dov Landau, leaving those present stunned by his brilliance and astonishing memory.

The episode occurred following a bris held in the Rosh Yeshiva’s home. After the bris, family members approached Rav Landau to receive brachos and introduced him to the baby’s grandfather, Rav Chaim H., one of his talmidim.

Rav Landau was visibly delighted to see him and immediately said, “What you said, that the Rabbanan disagree with Rav Yosi regarding gram kibui and grama on Shabbos — the Maggid Mishneh does not write that. Rather, the Rabbanan agree with Rav Yosi that gram kibui is prohibited.”

Rav Chaim H. paused, trying to recall what the Rosh Yeshiva was referring to and could not understand why Rav Landau was raising the point. Rav Landau then turned to him again and asked, “Don’t you remember this? I remember it clearly. It was decades ago — maybe 30 or 40 years ago.”

After reflecting further, the former talmid realized that Rav Landau was correct: the two of them had indeed discussed that very sugya together roughly 35 years earlier — the last time the topic had come up between them.

Those present were left in awe, struck by the Rosh Yeshiva’s extraordinary genius and razor-sharp memory, able to recall with precision a detailed Torah discussion from more than three decades earlier.

{Matzav.com}

The United Nations is confronting a severe financial emergency that could push the organization toward what its top official described as an “imminent financial collapse,” according to a letter sent to member states late last month.

In the message dated Jan. 28, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the organization’s financial position is rapidly worsening due to a combination of unpaid membership dues and restrictive budget rules. “The crisis is deepening, threatening program delivery and risking financial collapse. And the situation will deteriorate further in the near future,” Guterres wrote.

At the heart of the problem are mounting arrears from member states, which have left the U.N. struggling to meet its core financial obligations. The shortfall has affected both the regular budget and peacekeeping operations, creating cash-flow pressures that have become increasingly difficult to manage.

Guterres also pointed to a long-standing budget regulation that requires the organization to return unspent funds to member states, even during periods of acute financial stress. He described this rule as a structural flaw that exacerbates instability and limits the U.N.’s ability to plan responsibly.

The financial strain has been compounded by reductions in voluntary contributions from some major donors and delays in mandatory payments, further tightening available resources. As a result, the organization has been forced to consider cost-cutting measures and internal adjustments to keep operations running.

In his letter, Guterres cautioned that without immediate action, the United Nations could face a liquidity crisis within months. He urged member states either to pay their assessed contributions in full and on time or to agree to a fundamental overhaul of the organization’s financial rules to prevent collapse.

The growing cash crunch has raised concerns about the U.N.’s capacity to carry out essential missions, including peacekeeping, humanitarian aid, and development programs worldwide. Officials warn that continued delays in funding could lead to reductions in services and undermine the organization’s global role.

Despite ongoing efforts to streamline operations and rein in expenses, Guterres made clear that internal reforms alone will not be sufficient. Without decisive action from member states, he warned, the financial outlook for the United Nations will continue to deteriorate.

Don Lemon was taken into custody by federal authorities on Friday, a development confirmed by Newsmax correspondent James Rosen and a Justice Department official with knowledge of the case.

According to Lemon’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, federal agents arrested the journalist in Los Angeles, where he had been reporting on the Grammy Awards.

Attorney General Pam Bondi later stated on X that the arrests of Lemon, along with Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort, and Jamael Lydell Lundy, were carried out “at my direction.”

Lowell sharply criticized the action, calling it an “unprecedented attack on the First Amendment.”

In a statement, Lowell said, “Don Lemon was taken into custody by federal agents last night in Los Angeles, where he was covering the Grammy awards.” He added, “Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done.”

The arrest followed a decision last week in which a magistrate judge declined prosecutors’ initial attempt to bring charges against Lemon.

Authorities are now pursuing allegations that include conspiracy to deprive rights and interference with religious freedom inside a house of worship.

The case stems from a January 18 incident in which Lemon livestreamed a protest that disrupted a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota, opposing President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement policies in the area.

Lemon has said that he attended the event in his capacity as a journalist, explaining that while he had advance notice of the demonstration, he was unaware that activists intended to interrupt a religious service.

Video from the scene shows Lemon engaged in a heated exchange with a parishioner over immigration enforcement. Officials in the Trump administration swiftly denounced the protest, accusing those involved of intimidating Christian worshippers.

Lemon was scheduled to appear in court for an initial hearing later on Friday.

Amid mounting tensions over the proposed draft law and the passage of the state budget, former minister and Knesset member Michoel Malchieli addressed the steps being taken by the chareidi parties, stressing that decisions are being made out of deep responsibility rather than narrow political calculation. According to Malchieli, the position of the Shas faction is grounded in clear rulings of the Moetzet Chachmei Hatorah of Shas, with constant evaluation of the implications for the Torah world and the chareidi public at large.

Malchieli noted that months ago a firm decision was reached to withdraw from the government and later from Knesset committees, but not to bring down the coalition. “There was a very clear decision to leave the government, and afterward to leave the committees, but not to leave the coalition. All no-confidence motions and efforts to topple the government — we opposed them,” he said, emphasizing that even when the draft law stalled, there was no intention to cause the government’s collapse.

Turning to the budget vote, Malchieli described the choice as an exceptionally difficult one. “If the budget hadn’t passed its first reading last week, the government would have fallen — and then there would have been no budget at all. The impact on the chareidi public would have been dramatic: all the funds are outside the base budget and would move to monthly allocations of one-twelfth. That means no funding for education networks, kollelim, and institutions. Four months of elections without knowing what kind of government would emerge … that’s an extremely hard question.”

He said that the decision was made only after renewed consultations with the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah of both Degel HaTorah and Shas. “A clear decision was reached: to support the first reading, based on the impression that there is genuine progress on the draft law, that it has a majority in the Knesset, and that this is not a political event but a purely legal one. We are sitting with legal advisers and trying to craft language that will also pass the High Court.”

Malchieli rejected claims that this is simply another meaningless delay. “In the past, this was a political event. The ones who removed Gallant and Edelstein weren’t us. It was Netanyahu, who understood that games were being played within his own coalition. Today, it’s a completely different situation. There is a majority, and the dispute is legal. That doesn’t mean we’ll do everything at any price, but we will try.”

Addressing pressure campaigns within the chareidi public opposing the law, Malchieli said such efforts have no impact on Gedolei Yisroel themselves. “Inside those homes sit people in their nineties whose entire lives are Torah. The posters don’t interest them.” Still, he acknowledged that there is an effect at the broader public level. “There are good people and bnei Torah who get drawn into this. You can’t ignore that.”

Malchieli claimed that external forces are behind some of the campaigns. “Behind the massive campaign and the huge money being invested against Aryeh Deri and against rabbanim are activists with limitless resources. They’ve operated inside the chareidi public to divide us. A nation of the book needs to ask who is funding this and who is amplifying it.”

Responding sharply to accusations that the chareidi parties are “selling the Torah world for power,” Malchieli said: “Gedolei Yisroel are updated almost daily. They don’t ‘read’ the law. They learn it, like learning a difficult sugya about permitting an agunah. They are studying the draft law like a sugya in Yevamos. To say we’re power-hungry is the opposite of reality. The easiest thing for us would be to put down the keys and go to the opposition. That’s where you get applause. But who would run religious services? Who would protect the yeshivos? Who would manage the draft law?”

He concluded by drawing a firm red line. “If in the end there is no law that our rabbanim approve, there will be no draft law. Period. We won’t do anything without a clear ruling from Gedolei Yisroel. The instruction we received is to stay on the field and manage it, not to sit in the stands. That is how we will act.”

All are asked to daven for the refuah sheleimah of Rav Elyakim Schlesinger, one of the ziknei roshei yeshivos, who is in need of great rachamei Shamayim.

Rav Schlesinger was born on 22 Cheshvan 5682 (November 23, 1921) in Vienna to Rav Dovid Schlesinger and his mother, Baila. In 1931, as a young child, he moved with his family to Eretz Yisroel, where they settled in Tel Aviv. His formative Torah education began under the guidance of Rav Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky, and he later continued his learning at Yeshivas Kaminetz and at Yeshivas Lomza in Petach Tikvah.

Rav Schlesinger married his wife, Dina Yehudis, daughter of Rav Moshe Blau. Following the passing of his father-in-law, he was appointed Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Pnei Moshe in Yerushalayim, a mosad established in Rav Blau’s memory. At the recommendation of the Brisker Rov, Rav Schlesinger later relocated to Europe. He first served as Rosh Yeshiva in the city of Kapellen, Belgium, for two years, before moving to London, where he founded Yeshivas Harama. The yeshiva was named in honor of the Chasam Sofer’s son, the Kesav Sofer, and later also in recognition of the Daas Sofer, who had been one of Rav Schlesinger’s rabbeim.

Over the decades, Rav Schlesinger – who is today 104 years old – became one of the central figures of the chareidi community in England, maintaining close relationships with many of the gedolei Yisroel of his generation, including the Brisker Rov and the Chazon Ish. His personal recollections and insights into those figures were later recorded in his sefer Hador Vehatekufah, which offers a rare first-hand window into the Torah leadership of the previous generation.

Beyond his role as Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Schlesinger has been deeply involved in communal matters. He has long been active in the protection of kevorim across Europe and serves as chairman of the committee dedicated to safeguarding Jewish cemeteries on the continent. His principled stance on a range of public issues, particularly matters affecting Torah education and religious autonomy, has made him a prominent voice of daas Torah and the preservation of authentic Yiddishkeit.

Rav Schlesinger is the author of numerous Torah works, including multiple volumes of Beis Av on Shas, halacha, machshavah, and drush, as well as a Haggadah shel Pesach and other seforim that reflect his breadth in both learning and hashkafah.

All are asked to daven for Rav Elyakim ben Baila.

{Matzav.com}

[Video below.] Vice President J.D. Vance used a moment during a White House Cabinet meeting to make clear that he is not the unnamed “fat” friend President Donald Trump frequently refers to while recounting a story about a failed attempt with a weight-loss drug.

The clarification came as Trump, 79, was once again telling officials about an overweight businessman who tried a GLP-1 medication such as Ozempic and did not see results. Trump detailed the man’s experience while speaking in the Cabinet Room.

“I told him it wasn’t working. For him, it didn’t work,” Trump said. “He knows I’m talkin’ about him. It drives him crazy. He begs me not to mention it.”

Vance, 41, cut in at that point to distance himself from the anecdote and remove any doubt about who Trump was referring to.

“He’s not talking about me,” he said, drawing laughter from others in the room.

Trump has repeated versions of the same story many times, including in conversations with journalists and at public appearances. In his telling, the friend complains that Ozempic is significantly cheaper overseas than in New York, but still did not help him lose weight, leading Trump to joke that the drug “didn’t work” because the man is now “fatter than ever.”

The repeated anecdote has fueled speculation among critics about the identity of the person Trump is describing, with some pointing to high-profile figures such as Tesla CEO Elon Musk or White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, both of whom have publicly discussed weight-loss efforts.

Others have jokingly suggested that Trump could be referring to himself, particularly after he told The New York Times that he “probably” should be taking Ozempic but is not.

Vance, who lost roughly 30 pounds between 2022 and 2024, has generally not been included in those guesses.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the exchange.

Throughout Thursday’s Cabinet meeting, Vance mostly limited his participation to brief, lighthearted remarks, while other officials used their time to praise Trump’s leadership.

When Trump invited him to speak again near the end of the meeting, Vance kept it short and quipped, “I’m just here for the free coffee.”

Earlier in the session, Trump also pushed back on media reports suggesting he appeared to fall asleep during a prior Cabinet meeting, citing the length of that earlier gathering and attempting to dismiss the criticism.

The Thursday meeting was significantly shorter than the lengthy session held in December, with many Cabinet members voicing support for the president, though several officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, did not speak.

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{Matzav.com}

[Videos below.] Large snow-melting tubs have been put back into service across New York City for the first time in nearly five years as crews work to clear lingering snow left behind by Sunday’s deadly winter storm, the NY Post reports.

City sanitation officials said Wednesday that eight of the specialized machines, known as snow melters, were deployed early Tuesday to remove snow from streets, sidewalks, and bus stops that would otherwise remain for weeks because temperatures have stayed below freezing.

“The snow is just not melting at all, [and] we want to make sure we have enough real estate for businesses and pedestrians to get around freely,” Acting Department of Sanitation Commissioner Javier Lojan told The NY Post.

“In the next couple of days, they’ll notice the difference,” he said.

Each of the snow melters is capable of liquefying between 60 and 120 tons of snow per hour. The machines have been placed at locations such as Broad and Water streets in lower Manhattan, where massive piles of snow—some spanning the size of a football field—are fed into the tubs, which operate at about 38 degrees Fahrenheit.

Once the snow is melted, the resulting water is discharged directly into the sewer system with approval from the Department of Environmental Protection. Lojan said the placement of the melters depends on which sites receive the necessary environmental clearances.

The city last carried out a full-scale deployment of the snow-melting tubs in February 2021, after a powerful nor’easter blanketed New York with repeated rounds of heavy snow.

Sanitation officials also noted that the equipment was used on a more limited basis in February 2022.

Winter Storm Fern dumped close to 15 inches of snow in some neighborhoods, including 11.4 inches in Central Park and 14.9 inches in Washington Heights in upper Manhattan.

It marked the first time since 2021 that a single storm brought more than a foot of snow to the city.

The eight snow melters currently in use are part of a fleet of 27 owned by the Department of Sanitation and are positioned in Inwood and lower Manhattan, Orchard Beach in the Bronx, East New York and Red Hook in Brooklyn, Maspeth and Queensboro Hill in Queens, and South Beach in Staten Island.

Lojan said residents should expect to see the machines operating in neighborhoods for the next “several weeks.”

He added that another potential snowstorm forecast for the upcoming weekend could extend how long the melters remain in use.

“It depends on this weekend’s storm how much progress we make in the next few days,” the commissioner said.

“Obviously, we’re a little far out.”

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{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump said Thursday that he has been in contact with Iran and hopes the standoff with the Islamic Republic can be resolved without the use of force, even as the United States continues to bolster its military posture in the region.

The President made the remarks while speaking with reporters as he arrived alongside First Lady Melania Trump for the premiere of a documentary focused on the First Lady. Asked whether he has recently communicated with Iranian officials and whether further discussions are planned, Trump responded, “I have had, and I am planning on it,” before adding, “We have a lot of very big, powerful ships sailing to Iran right now. It would be great if we didn’t have to use them.”

Pressed on what he conveyed to Iranian leaders, Trump said he delivered two clear demands. “I told them two things: number one, no nuclear, and number two, stop killing protesters. They are killing them by the thousands. I stopped 837 hangings two weeks ago. They are going to have to do something.”

.@POTUS on Iran: "We have a lot of very big, very powerful ships sailing to Iran right now — and it would be great if we didn't have to use them." pic.twitter.com/hh9r4kpcrT

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 30, 2026

Trump’s comments came after a Wall Street Journal report that he has been briefed on a range of potential military responses to Iran. According to the report, the options were developed jointly by officials at the White House and the Pentagon.

Among the proposals reviewed was an expansive operation described as “the big plan,” which would involve widespread airstrikes against sites linked to Iran’s ruling clerics and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Other alternatives outlined to the President reportedly include limited attacks on high-profile regime symbols, with the option to intensify the campaign if Tehran continues advancing its nuclear program. The briefings also covered non-kinetic measures such as cyber operations against Iranian financial institutions and the tightening of economic sanctions.

Earlier Thursday, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the armed forces are prepared to act if Trump authorizes military action against Iran.

“We’re having to rebuild how our enemies perceive us. And when President Trump said, we’re not getting a nuclear Iran, you won’t have a nuclear bomb, you meant it,” Hegseth said.

Trump has repeatedly paired his warnings with expressions of hope for a diplomatic resolution. On Tuesday night, he again said he wants Iran to reach an agreement with Washington, while pointing out that American forces have been reinforced across the Middle East.

Addressing supporters at a rally in Iowa, Trump said, “There is another beautiful armada floating beautifully towards Iran right now. So we will see.”

“I hope they make a deal. I hope they make a deal,” he continued.

The President reinforced that message a day later on Truth Social, posting, “A massive Armada is heading to Iran. It is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose. It is a larger fleet, headed by the great Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln, than that sent to Venezuela.”

He followed with a sharper warning, writing, “Like with Venezuela, it is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary. Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS – one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!”

Trump concluded by invoking a previous confrontation, stating, “As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump, along with two of his sons and the Trump Organization, filed a lawsuit Thursday against the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department, alleging the agencies failed to prevent the unlawful release of his tax information during his first term in office. The case stems from a breach for which a former IRS contractor admitted guilt in 2023.

The complaint, brought by Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization, asserts that the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Treasury Department failed in their “duty to safeguard and protect Plaintiffs’ confidential tax returns and related tax return information from such unauthorized inspection and public disclosure.”

According to the lawsuit, those failures led to “reputational and financial harm, public embarrassment, unfairly tarnished their business reputations, portrayed them in a false light, and negatively affected President Trump, and the other Plaintiffs’ public standing.”

The plaintiffs are seeking $10 billion in damages. The case was filed in federal court in Florida.

The suit follows criminal proceedings involving Charles Littlejohn, an IRS contractor who pleaded guilty in 2023 to unlawfully obtaining and leaking confidential tax records tied to Trump and thousands of other high-net-worth individuals to two media outlets in 2019 and 2020.

Littlejohn was sentenced to five years in prison. During his sentencing hearing in 2024, a federal judge described the disclosures as “an attack on our constitutional democracy.”

{Matzav.com}

American Airlines announced Thursday that it intends to restore daily service to Venezuela, pending approval from the U.S. government and the completion of security reviews, only weeks after the U.S. military carried out an operation that resulted in the seizure of the country’s leader.

Earlier in the day, President Donald Trump said he had urged the Department of Transportation to remove existing restrictions that prevent U.S. airlines from flying to Venezuela, following a conversation with the country’s acting president, Delcy Rodriguez.

“American citizens will be very shortly able to go to Venezuela, and they’ll be safe there,” Trump said.

The airline halted its Venezuela routes in 2019 after U.S. authorities imposed a ban on flights. Earlier this month, the United States launched a military action in Venezuela and detained the country’s president, Nicolas Maduro.

American Airlines, which first began flying to Venezuela in 1987, said the planned service would support business travel, tourism, and humanitarian efforts. Prior to the suspension, the carrier was the largest U.S. airline operating in the country.

Before flights can resume, the Federal Aviation Administration must complete a series of safety evaluations, a process that is expected to take several months.

On Jan. 16, the FAA advised airlines to take extra precautions when operating over Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America, citing concerns over possible military activity and GPS signal disruptions.

The agency said it had issued Notices to Airmen for airspace over Mexico and Central America, as well as Ecuador, Colombia, and sections of the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Relations between the United States and leaders in the region have grown increasingly tense following a significant U.S. military buildup in the southern Caribbean ordered by the Trump administration.

Earlier this month, Trump said drug cartels had effectively taken control of Mexico and suggested that U.S. forces could strike targets on land as part of efforts to combat them, one of several statements signaling a willingness to use military force against the cartels.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has repeatedly cautioned that any unilateral U.S. military action on Mexican soil would amount to a serious breach of national sovereignty. At the same time, she has agreed to enhanced bilateral security cooperation with Washington in an effort to keep Mexico out of Trump’s direct focus.

Concerns over regional air safety intensified last month when a JetBlue flight headed to New York was forced to take evasive action to avoid a near-collision with a U.S. Air Force tanker aircraft near Venezuela that was not transmitting a transponder signal.

{Matzav.com}

New York City officials under Mayor Zohran Mamdani directed police officers and sanitation crews to stop dismantling homeless encampments just weeks before a brutal Arctic cold snap, after which 10 people were found dead outdoors, according to a report by The New York Post.

The directive was issued shortly after the democratic socialist mayor took office and effectively shifted responsibility for the encampments to the Department of Homeless Services, an agency that sources say was unprepared for the role and received little instruction from City Hall.

The policy change followed Mamdani’s December pledge to end homeless sweeps and took effect ahead of a severe winter storm and plunging temperatures that battered New York City over the past week.

During the previous administration, Mayor Eric Adams expanded the use of encampment clearings as the problem intensified during the COVID-era shutdowns, though the practice had been used by multiple mayors before him, including Mamdani ally Bill de Blasio.

According to insiders, NYPD officers have been instructed to limit their role to responding to calls and logging the locations of encampments, without disturbing anything that could be considered personal property.

Under the new rules, police may only intervene directly if someone inside a tent experiences a medical emergency.

Even in situations involving potential safety hazards, officers have been told they must elevate concerns to supervisors rather than act on their own, sources said.

Sanitation Department workers were also ordered not to interfere with encampments.

Instead, city employees were told to alert Department of Homeless Services staff.

However, City Hall has not yet provided DHS with clear guidance on how to address the makeshift shelters.

“The lack of guidance from City Hall is costing people their lives,” said Council member Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park), whose office said it was unable to get an abandoned encampment removed.

“We have below-zero temperatures at night, but the administration is taking a smiley, milquetoast approach to Code Blue enforcement,” Ariola said. “It may sound nice to his idealist progressive supporters when he says he won’t enforce homeless sweeps, but the reality is that these sweeps get people indoors and out of the elements. Some people need that kind of tough love for their own good.”

Steven Fulop, the CEO of the Partnership for NYC, which represents more than 800,000 city workers in the business sector, also criticized the mayor’s approach.

“We are hearing broad and growing disagreement with the mayor’s position,” he said. “There is nothing humane about allowing people to live indefinitely in street encampments.

“It fails the homeless individuals who need real services and stability, and it fails the surrounding communities who are left without safe, workable public spaces. We are hopeful the mayor revisits his position here.”

A spokesperson for Mamdani did not respond directly to questions about the absence of guidance for DHS, instead offering a general statement on the situation.

“Our focus has been and continues to be bringing homeless individuals inside and off the streets during these extreme and dangerous temperatures,” said press secretary Dora Pekec.

Mamdani faced criticism even before taking office after announcing plans in December to end encampment clearings, with experts and former officials labeling the proposal “naive.”

During his single term, the Adams administration carried out roughly 8,000 encampment “clean out” operations, with monthly totals peaking at around 500 in late 2023.

Adams had made the issue central to his administration as he sought to restore order to city streets following the disruptions caused by the coronavirus shutdown.

De Blasio, a progressive Democrat who advised Mamdani during the transition, oversaw more than 10,000 sweeps across his two terms, a record that drew backlash from allies on the left.

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