Matzav

A remarkable miracle occurred Sunday evening at the home of Rabbi Moshe Kass on Rechov Yerushalayim in Bnei Brak after a large missile fragment struck the family’s residence directly. Despite the severe damage caused to the home, no one was injured. Family members had left the apartment just moments earlier after a siren warned of incoming rockets.

The incident took place at the Kass family’s home, located near the intersection with Chevron Street. Rabbi Moshe Kass is regarded as one of the prominent avreichim in Bnei Brak and serves among the rabbonim at Yeshivas Tiferes Mordechai. According to reports from the scene, the house sustained a direct strike from a large piece of shrapnel, yet all those inside managed to escape unharmed.

Witnesses described a scene of extensive destruction inside the apartment, emphasizing how close the family came to a tragedy. The mother and children had rushed out immediately when the siren sounded, leaving the home only minutes before the missile fragment tore through the structure.

The damage left the house resembling the aftermath of a terror attack, with debris scattered throughout the apartment. Those who arrived at the scene said that had the family delayed even briefly before seeking shelter, the outcome could have been far more devastating.

Srulik Kornik, a volunteer medic with United Hatzalah’s Bnei Brak rescue unit, described the scene in a message posted after the incident. “I have had the privilege of saving many lives through my volunteer work with United Hatzalah. The destruction caused and the great miracle from the missile strike in Bnei Brak today are enormous. Just a few minutes earlier, the mother ran to remove the baby from the crib.”

Kornik also recounted another incident in the building. “Another neighbor was in the middle of working from home. Her computer remained on, but the apartment was completely destroyed. The alertness to run to the protected room, with Hashem’s great kindness, saved everyone.”

When Rabbi Kass later entered the damaged apartment to retrieve his tefillin, he discovered that they had remained completely intact despite the powerful blast. His tallis, however, had been punctured by the shrapnel that entered the home. One person present at the scene remarked, “You could clearly see at every step that everything has an address.”

Another extraordinary escape occurred in a neighboring apartment. A young girl had been sleeping in her bed but woke up as soon as the siren sounded and ran to the building’s protected room.

Moments later, the missile fragment struck the building, and the window in her bedroom shattered from the force of the blast. A piece of metal from the missile slammed into the wall, leaving a hole exactly where the girl had been lying only moments earlier. She was saved in what witnesses described as an open miracle.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli security officials are reportedly considering whether the goals of the war against Iran should be reevaluated, according to a report broadcast Sunday evening by Kan News.

The report said security sources indicated that although Israel’s initial strike and the early phase of the conflict surpassed expectations, the overall campaign has not been progressing as quickly as originally planned. One major obstacle, the officials noted, has been the challenge of encouraging large-scale public protests inside Iran.

The sources added that both Israel and the United States are preparing additional significant actions within Iran that could influence the direction and pace of the war.

On Sunday, the IDF Intelligence Directorate released an overview of the first two weeks of the joint campaign with the United States, stating that many additional targets remain inside Iran before the military operation can be considered complete. No timeline was given for when the conflict might end, and the future plans discussed by Israeli officials appear to differ from comments by President Donald Trump suggesting the war could conclude “soon.”

During the opening stage of the conflict, a key priority for the Israeli Air Force was gaining control of the airspace over Iran. According to the IDF, roughly 100 air defense systems along with about 120 radar and detection systems have been destroyed during the fighting.

Over the first two weeks of the war, Iran launched approximately 360 missiles toward Israel. Military officials said the size of each missile barrage has declined significantly since the beginning of the conflict. Intelligence assessments indicate that about 70% of Iran’s missile launchers have been disabled by Israeli strikes, and that Iran currently has no ability to produce additional missiles.

The IDF has also targeted a wide range of regime-linked facilities. So far, about 2,200 sites connected to the Iranian government have been struck, including installations tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, government ministries, senior leadership networks, internal security organizations, and the Basij militia. Many of these operations have concentrated on Tehran, with intelligence units selecting targets based in part on which individuals were present inside the facilities.

{Matzav.com}

Hamas sent two separate letters over the weekend to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei—one public and diplomatic in tone and another secret document that the organization reportedly attempted to keep hidden, according to a report by Kan News.

The report said the publicly released message was written in restrained language and presented in a formal diplomatic style, while the concealed letter adopted a far more militant and operational tone.

In the secret communication, Hamas reportedly made clear that it has no intention of agreeing to any deal that would require it to give up its military strength. “We are aware of attempts to bind the hands of the resistance under the guise of agreements-the organization will not compromise its weapons under any circumstances.”

The letter also stresses the importance of coordinating multiple fronts in the region as part of the effort against Israel. Hamas urges Iran to mobilize what it describes as all elements of the regional alliance simultaneously. “All fronts must be activated to exact a price from the Zionists. We, together with our brothers in Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq, will create the next victories under your leadership.”

At the core of the document is a message declaring Hamas’ unwavering loyalty to Iran’s leadership and signaling readiness to advance Tehran’s goals even if doing so undermines broader regional stability.

The message also includes criticism of Arab countries that have pursued normalization with Israel. “The normalization camp is a losing camp,” the secret document states. “They did not even dare to protect those who sought refuge in their bases.”

{Matzav.com}

IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Sunday evening that Israel’s ongoing military campaign against Iran is aimed at dismantling the regime’s capabilities and removing what he described as an existential danger to Israel, as Israeli and U.S. forces continue coordinated operations across the region.

“Our goal is to strike all components of the regime – together with the US military – in order to remove an existential threat to the State of Israel,” Defrin said.

Defrin said Iran and Hezbollah have recently attempted to escalate their attacks on Israel by increasing rocket launches in response to the growing military pressure being applied by Israeli forces.

“In recent days we have seen attempts by Iran and Hezbollah to increase the firing toward Israel. This is a direct response to our military pressure,” he said. “Our objective is to damage all of the regime’s systems and capabilities, and we are doing this shoulder to shoulder alongside the US.”

According to the IDF spokesman, Israeli forces have carried out extensive strikes against Iran’s missile infrastructure, targeting hundreds of locations tied to the country’s ballistic missile program.

“More than 70 percent of the ballistic missile launchers have been taken out of service, and more than 80 percent of the air defense systems have been struck,” he said.

Defrin also indicated that the campaign is advancing more quickly than Israeli planners had originally anticipated.

“We are ahead of the original plan in the achievements of the war,” Defrin said. “We have an orderly and ongoing plan and we are deepening the damage, striking sites where Iran attempts to conceal its nuclear program. We still have thousands of targets in Iran. The regime is unstable and is hiding this from its own residents.”

He stressed that Israel’s operations are not intended to directly remove the Iranian leadership from power.

“Our objective is not to topple the regime, but rather create the conditions that will allow the Iranian people to take their country into their own hands,” he said. “We will continue to strike the Basij and the security forces and deepen our attack on them. What the Iranian people choose to do is in their own hands.”

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Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania said Sunday that members of his own party should support U.S. military strikes against Iran if they believe Tehran must be prevented from developing nuclear weapons, citing comments made by Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential campaign as he continued to distance himself from the Democratic Party’s stance on the issue.

Speaking during an interview with John Catsimatidis on WABC radio, Fetterman said he stood alone among Senate Democrats in backing the operation known as Epic Fury. “I became the only Democrat, certainly in the Senate, to support the mission of Epic Fury,” he said, urging fellow Democrats to acknowledge what he described as a successful effort that damaged Iran’s nuclear program.

Fetterman pointed to remarks Harris made while running for president in 2024, when she described Iran as the United States’ most significant foreign adversary. “When Kamala Harris ran for president … she identified Iran as her top international concern,” Fetterman said. “And now, here we have a situation where the Trump administration through Epic Fury has effectively broken the Iranian nuclear apparatus. Why can’t we agree that that’s a good thing for international security?”

Harris had made that assessment during a 2024 interview on “60 Minutes,” where she said Iran was the United States’ “greatest adversary.”

Fetterman also suggested that even if the military campaign leads to higher energy prices, the strategic benefit of weakening Iran’s nuclear program would outweigh the economic costs.

“If the administration creates the kind of outcome that we all agree and wanted … why can’t we support that?” he said.

During the same interview, Fetterman criticized Democrats over the ongoing dispute surrounding funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

“The Coast Guard people … and the TSA agents … they all deserve to be paid,” he said. “This shutdown has had zero impact on ICE. So, why should we punish all of these workers … who are keeping our nation more secure?”

According to CBS News, nearly every Senate Democrat voted against advancing a DHS funding measure on Feb. 13, with Fetterman standing as the only member of the party to oppose the shutdown effort.

“I [was] the only Democrat to vote against that DHS shutdown,” he told Catsimatidis.

Reports from The Associated Press said Democrats were willing to approve funding for much of the department but were seeking changes to the operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. Reuters reported that the impasse continued as of March 12, contributing to longer security screening lines at airports as TSA agents went unpaid.

Fetterman framed the standoff as a departure from the party’s traditional support for workers.

“Don’t shut the government down. We used to be the party that refused to do these things,” he said. “I thought we are the party of union workers.”

“[Now] we are constantly voting to prevent them from being paid for their work,” he added.

{Matzav.com}

The International Energy Agency announced Sunday that emergency oil reserves held by its member countries will soon begin entering global markets, with governments committing to release a total of 411.9 million barrels in an effort to ease supply pressures.

In a statement, the agency said participating nations have agreed to provide 271.7 million barrels from government-controlled reserves. An additional 116.6 million barrels will come from industry stocks that companies are required to maintain, while another 23.6 million barrels will be supplied from other sources.

According to the IEA, the majority of the planned release will consist of crude oil, accounting for 72 percent of the total, while the remaining 28 percent will be refined petroleum products.

The agency said supplies from member countries in the Asia-Oceania region will become available immediately, while oil held in Europe and the Americas is scheduled to reach markets beginning at the end of March.

{Matzav.com}

Iranian authorities have detained dozens of individuals suspected of providing Israel with sensitive information, according to local reports published Sunday, as Israeli and U.S. airstrikes continue targeting sites across the country.

In Iran’s northwest, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that prosecutors ordered the arrest of 20 people accused of transmitting the locations of military and security installations to Israel.

Separately, Tasnim reported that authorities in northeastern Iran detained 10 individuals on Sunday. Some of those taken into custody are suspected of gathering intelligence on sensitive facilities and key economic infrastructure.

“As the Zionist enemy (Israel) and the U.S. are attempting to invade Iran, they simultaneously activate mercenaries and spies to carry out riots as the next step,” a provincial branch of the Revolutionary Guards’ intelligence organization said, according to Tasnim.

Additional arrests were reported in western Iran. The Student News Network said three people were detained in Lorestan province for “seeking to disturb public opinion (…) and burn mourning symbols.”

According to a source familiar with Israel’s military planning, Israeli forces have recently begun striking security checkpoints and other targets based on information supplied by informants operating inside Iran, marking a new stage in Israel’s campaign.

The arrests come amid continuing internal tensions in Iran. In January, just weeks before the United States and Israel launched their current military campaign against the country, large anti-government demonstrations erupted across Iran.

Those protests were suppressed in what became the deadliest crackdown in the history of the Islamic Republic.

Iranian officials accused both Israel and the United States of instigating the unrest, alleging that the demonstrations were “violent riots” intended to topple the country’s clerical leadership.

No country publicly agreed on Sunday to send naval forces to help secure the Strait of Hormuz after President Donald Trump urged major powers to deploy warships to keep the crucial waterway “open and safe” amid soaring oil prices linked to the ongoing war with Iran.

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Washington has been communicating with several nations about the issue but did not identify which governments were involved. Speaking to NBC, Wright said he expects China to play a positive role in reopening the shipping lane through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil exports typically move.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, also spoke to NBC and said Tehran has already been contacted by several governments seeking safe passage for their ships. “Iran has been ‘approached by a number of countries’ seeking safe passage for their vessels,” he said, adding that “this is up to our military to decide.” Araghchi noted that a group of vessels from “different countries” had already been allowed to transit the waterway, though he did not offer additional details.

Iran has maintained that the strait remains open to most nations but not to the United States or countries aligned with it.

Araghchi also dismissed the idea of negotiations with Washington to bring the war to a close. “We don’t see any reason why we should talk with Americans” about ending the conflict, he said, arguing that the fighting began when Israel and the United States launched coordinated attacks on Feb. 28 during indirect U.S.-Iran discussions. Those talks had been centered on Iran’s nuclear program, and Araghchi added that Tehran had “no plan to recover” enriched uranium buried beneath rubble after U.S. and Israeli strikes last year.

British Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said Western governments are exploring options to reopen the strait but acknowledged that the conflict itself remains the central obstacle. “We are intensively looking with our allies at what can be done, because it’s so important that we get the strait reopened,” Miliband told Sky News, adding that ending the war is the “best and surest” way to do it.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry responded cautiously to Trump’s request, saying it is monitoring the situation closely and coordinating with Washington. Officials said Seoul “takes note” of Trump’s call and that it “will closely coordinate and carefully review” the situation with the U.S.

Attention has also turned to Japan, where there is speculation that Trump may request naval assistance during an upcoming meeting with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the White House later this week.

China did not immediately respond publicly to the call for assistance.

France has previously indicated it is discussing a possible multinational escort mission for commercial vessels passing through the strait. President Emmanuel Macron said the effort could involve partners in Europe, India, and other Asian countries, though French officials stressed that such an operation could only proceed when “the circumstances permit,” meaning once the fighting has subsided.

Meanwhile, the International Energy Agency announced Sunday that emergency oil reserves will soon begin entering global markets in an effort to stabilize prices. The organization described the coordinated release of reserves as the largest ever undertaken.

The agency updated an earlier figure of 400 million barrels to nearly 412 million barrels. Asian member states are expected to release supplies immediately, while stockpiles held in Europe and the Americas are scheduled to begin reaching markets at the end of March.

At the same time, tensions across the Persian Gulf escalated as several Arab countries reported new missile and drone attacks. The strikes came a day after Iran warned residents to evacuate three major ports in the United Arab Emirates, marking the first time Tehran has directly threatened non-U.S. assets in a neighboring state. Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE said their air defense systems were working to intercept incoming projectiles.

Iran also accused the United States of launching Friday’s strike on Kharg Island — home to the country’s primary oil export terminal — from bases in the UAE, though it provided no evidence.

U.S. Central Command declined to comment on the allegation. Anwar Gargash, a diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, rejected the claim, and Gulf states hosting U.S. military bases reiterated that they have not allowed their territory or airspace to be used in attacks on Iran.

Iran’s joint military command warned that it could retaliate against what it described as U.S.-linked “oil, economic and energy infrastructures” throughout the region if its own oil facilities continue to come under attack.

Since the war began, Iran has launched hundreds of missiles and drones at the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman. While many have been intercepted, the attacks have caused damage and unsettled regional economies. Tehran insists the strikes target American assets, although impacts have also been reported at civilian locations including airports and oil installations.

The war has already taken a heavy toll across the region. Iranian strikes have killed at least a dozen civilians in Gulf countries, most of them migrant workers.

Inside Iran, the International Committee of the Red Cross reported that more than 1,300 people have been killed. Iran’s Health Ministry said the casualties include 223 women and 202 children, according to Mizan, the judiciary’s official news agency.

In Israel, Iranian missile attacks have killed 12 people and wounded others, including three who were injured on Sunday. The conflict has also claimed the lives of at least 13 U.S. military personnel, including six who died in a plane crash in Iraq last week.

Lebanon has also suffered heavy casualties since the conflict expanded there. The country’s Health Ministry said at least 820 people have been killed since Iran-backed Hezbollah began launching attacks on Israel and Israel responded with airstrikes and additional troop deployments in southern Lebanon.

The fighting has also triggered a massive humanitarian crisis. Within just 10 days, more than 800,000 people — nearly one in seven residents of Lebanon — have been displaced, barely a year after a previous conflict forced over a million Lebanese from their homes.

In Beirut, displaced families were seen repairing tents battered by rain and wind. Fadi Younes, who fled the southern suburbs, said his living conditions had become extremely difficult after his bedding was soaked by the weather.

“We don’t know where this will end,” he said.

In the southern suburb of Haret Hreik, cleanup crews worked to remove rubble from largely deserted streets.

“The important thing is that the roads remain open for hospitals and for people,” excavator driver Hachem Fadlallah said.

Israel said its forces continued striking targets in Iran, while Iranian missiles continued to be launched toward Israel, sending residents rushing into shelters as warning sirens sounded.

Several of the strikes landed in central Israel and the Tel Aviv region, damaging 23 locations and igniting a small fire. Israel’s emergency service, Magen David Adom, released footage showing a large crater in a street and shrapnel damage to a nearby apartment building.

Multiple simultaneous impact sites have become increasingly common in the war, with Israel’s military saying Iran has begun using cluster munitions designed to evade certain air defense systems and disperse explosive fragments across wide areas.

{Matzav.com}

Andy Thomson has officially been declared the winner of the Boca Raton mayoral election after both machine and manual recounts confirmed the results of the closely contested race.

The final tally showed Thomson prevailing by an extremely narrow margin of just five votes.

Election officials conducted the recount in the Boca Raton mayoral contest on Friday.

According to the updated results, Thomson edged out challenger Mike Liebelson after the manual review of ballots. The final count showed Thomson receiving 7,572 votes, while Liebelson finished with 7,567. A third candidate, Fran Nachlas, placed far behind with 3,967 votes.

In a separate contest in Lake Worth Beach, voters narrowly rejected a ballot measure known as Question 5. The referendum failed by only two votes, with 1,640 residents voting against it and 1,638 supporting it.

Question 5 asked Lake Worth Beach citizens: Since the City no longer operates its own police or fire departments, should the section of the City Charter that refers to those departments be removed to avoid confusion?

Meanwhile, in the race for a seat on the South Beach Town Council, five candidates competed for the position. Francesca Atardi led the field in the machine count with 262 votes, with Adrian Brucet and Sandra Beckett trailing behind.

Election officials said that differences between the machine totals and the manual recount were caused by overvotes and undervotes, which slightly altered the numbers but did not change the overall results.

{Matzav.com}

The Israel Defense Forces said Sunday that the brother of the man who carried out a vehicle attack at a Jewish preschool in Michigan held a senior position in Hezbollah as a weapons commander.

Ayman Muhammad Ghazali, 41, was killed Thursday after ramming a vehicle into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan.

According to a statement released by the IDF on Sunday morning, Ghazali’s brother, Ibrahim Muhammad Ghazali, oversaw weapons operations within a specialized division of Hezbollah’s Badr Unit.

The Israeli military said this branch of the Lebanese terror organization was responsible for firing hundreds of rockets at Israeli civilians during the recent conflict with Iran.

Just days before the Michigan attack, several members of Ghazali’s family were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon. A local official told the Associated Press on Friday that two of Ghazali’s brothers, along with a niece and a nephew, died in the March 5 strike in the town of Mashgharah.

The relatives were reportedly gathered for their evening meal marking the end of the daily fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan when the strike occurred.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, Ghazali entered the United States in 2011 after marrying an American citizen and later obtained U.S. citizenship during President Obama’s administration in 2016.

On Thursday, Ghazali drove approximately 38 miles from his home in Dearborn Heights, a Detroit suburb with a large Muslim population, to Temple Israel — one of the largest Reform synagogues in the United States. The complex includes a synagogue building as well as a school and early childhood center.

After crashing his vehicle, which investigators said contained fireworks and containers of gasoline, Ghazali exchanged gunfire with an armed security guard. Authorities said he eventually died after fatally shooting himself when the burning vehicle trapped him inside.

All 140 children, teachers, and staff members inside the synagogue complex escaped unharmed, a result credited to the swift actions of the synagogue’s security personnel.

“If they had not all done their jobs almost perfectly, we would be talking about an immense tragedy here with children gone,” US Sen. Elissa Slotkin (Dem., M-17) told a news conference Friday.

In Dearborn Heights, a mosque hosted a memorial service last weekend for Ghazali’s relatives who were killed in Lebanon.

The mosque’s imam, Hassan Qazwini, said he had encountered Ghazali only once and condemned the attack on the synagogue.

“Islam forbids holding innocent people accountable for acts done by others,” Qazwini told AP.

“The unjustified Israeli attack on civilians in Iran and Lebanon gives no blank check to anyone attacking synagogues, civilians and peaceful communities,” he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu responded Sunday to a wave of online rumors and conspiracy theories circulating on social media that falsely claimed he had died and that a recent video appearance of him was generated using artificial intelligence.

The speculation spread rapidly after internet users shared a still image from a video of Netanyahu, arguing that one of his hands appeared distorted and appeared to show six fingers — a mistake often associated with AI-generated images and video.

WATCH:

אומרים שאני מה? צפו >> pic.twitter.com/ijHPkM3ZHZ

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) March 15, 2026

During a conversation in which he was asked directly about the claims, Netanyahu was told: “On the internet they’re saying you’re dead.” The Prime Minister answered humourously, using the term “dead” as the Israeli slang for in-love: “I’m dead for coffee, for my people. They behave fantastically.”

Netanyahu also addressed the allegation in a playful manner by raising his hands toward the camera and joking, “Want to count my fingers?” — a sarcastic reference to the supposed evidence cited in the viral conspiracy theories.

{Matzav.com}

A home in Petach Tikva was severely damaged last night after being struck by a fragment from an Iranian cluster missile during a barrage of ballistic rockets fired toward Israel. For homeowner David Zuaretz, the attack was particularly shocking because the same house had already been hit earlier this year.

Zuaretz said the residence had only recently been repaired following damage sustained during June’s Operation Rising Lion. “Just four months ago, we finished renovating the house after the last missile hit it,” Zuaretz told TPS.

Although the building suffered major structural damage, the family escaped injury after following safety instructions issued by Israel’s Home Front Command. “We heard the siren, and we entered the protected room,” David recounted. “Suddenly, we heard a very loud explosion. When they said that we could go out, we saw the ruin. The shrapnel hit the house and ruined the roof, the pergola, and the shingles.”

Surveying the destruction outside his home, Zuaretz spoke openly about the strain of living under repeated missile attacks. “We can’t live like this, constantly going in and leaving the shelters,” he said painfully. “This war must end once and for all, so that we won’t have to renovate our houses every few months.”

{Matzav.com}

The Israel Defense Forces released extensive new information about Operation Roaring Lion in Iran, outlining how the campaign was prepared, how the opening strike was carried out, and the operational progress made since the fighting began.

According to the military, months before the launch of the operation, the Intelligence Directorate invested major efforts in preparing for the campaign, incorporating lessons learned from earlier confrontations with Iran. The army stressed that planners approached the operation with the clear understanding that Iran possesses substantial military capabilities and cannot be underestimated.

The military said the campaign now underway in Iran is being executed according to a detailed operational framework that had been carefully developed in advance. Thousands of personnel from Military Intelligence and other IDF units, including both regular and reserve forces, participated in building the plan. Officials added that the overwhelming majority of targets struck during the current operation were newly identified by Military Intelligence after Operation Rising Lion, the result of years of intelligence gathering and analysis.

The IDF also reported that Hezbollah’s capabilities were drastically reduced following Operation Northern Arrows. According to the army’s assessment, roughly 90 percent of the organization’s weapons arsenal was destroyed, weakening the group significantly. Combined with Israel’s defensive preparations, that damage has provided the military with increased operational freedom in both Lebanon and Iran.

Israeli security officials had anticipated the possibility that Hezbollah could enter the conflict, prompting extensive preparations and adjustments to operational plans ahead of time. The army said it remains ready for both defensive and offensive action along the northern border.

As part of the broader preparation for the campaign, Israel also deepened coordination with the United States. The IDF said both countries worked to align intelligence assessments and operational understanding through a series of meetings and visits by senior military officials to the United States in recent months.

Military officials also highlighted the impact of Operation Rising Lion, stating that the earlier campaign prevented Iran from immediately advancing its nuclear program and significantly reduced the threat posed by its ballistic missile arsenal. According to the IDF, without that earlier operation Iran would currently possess more than a thousand additional missiles.

The army said the opening strike of Operation Roaring Lion was designed and executed as a surprise attack. Although Iranian authorities had maintained a heightened state of alert in recent months, the IDF said it successfully caught the regime off guard and dealt major blows to key Iranian capabilities.

The military explained that the initial phase of the campaign aimed to significantly weaken the Iranian regime’s military power, reduce the threats it poses, and create conditions that could potentially allow the Iranian public to challenge and topple the regime.

During the first wave of strikes, numerous senior figures in Iran’s government and security establishment were killed. According to the IDF, this was made possible through close intelligence monitoring of the Iranian Defense Council and other strategic targets, enabling the military to identify a moment when several senior officials were gathered in specific locations simultaneously.

At the current stage of the operation, the military said its focus has shifted to systematically targeting the regime’s centers of power, including command headquarters, control centers, Basij facilities, and units responsible for suppressing internal dissent.

The IDF noted that Operation Roaring Lion differs from Operation Rising Lion in scope and purpose. While the earlier operation concentrated on neutralizing an immediate threat, the current campaign allows Israel to target a broader range of Iran’s strategic military capabilities.

In the initial days of the fighting, Israeli forces concentrated on striking Iran’s ballistic missile infrastructure in an effort to reduce the number of launches toward Israel. According to the military, more than two weeks into the conflict, the volume of missiles fired at Israel has declined significantly compared with the earlier Operation Rising Lion.

The IDF also reported that it achieved air superiority over much of Iran’s airspace within just 24 hours of the campaign’s start, allowing Israeli aircraft to operate widely across the country. As part of the early strikes, the military destroyed 120 detection components and 100 air defense systems.

According to the army, a majority of Iran’s missile launchers have now been struck, with roughly 85 percent of the regime’s detection capabilities damaged. In addition, about 70 percent of Iran’s launchers have been rendered unusable.

Israeli strikes against Iran’s military industries also caused substantial damage to the country’s missile production capabilities. The IDF said the attacks have effectively halted Iran’s current ability to manufacture missiles, while continued strikes are aimed at preventing the production chain from recovering.

In recent days, Israeli forces have also targeted the command structure overseeing Iran’s missile operations. Strikes were carried out against command officers, missile bases, and alternative command locations and residences. According to the military, these actions have further reduced the volume of missile launches toward Israel.

The army said its operations across Iran are being conducted in an organized and methodical manner, focusing on regime security bodies such as the Revolutionary Guards and other internal security forces. According to the IDF, more than 2,200 components tied to the Iranian regime have been destroyed so far.

Security officials reported signs of severe damage within Iranian forces, including thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of wounded among regime personnel. They also pointed to declining morale, along with reports of soldiers refusing orders or abandoning their positions.

The campaign has also targeted the Quds Force, with Israeli operations directed at the organization both inside Iran and in other regional arenas.

In the nuclear sphere, the military said it is attempting to damage the entire infrastructure supporting Iran’s nuclear program. Officials stated that the goal is to inflict broader harm than what was achieved during Operation Rising Lion.

The IDF stressed that the operation is not constrained by a fixed timetable. Instead, it will continue until the defined objectives are achieved. Officials explained that dismantling a threat that has been developing for decades requires sustained military pressure and sufficient operational flexibility.

At the same time, the military continues to gather intelligence to detect and prevent terrorist attacks, with particular attention on developments in Iran and Lebanon while maintaining surveillance throughout the wider Middle East.

The IDF also said Iran has adopted a broader strategy of attacking multiple countries in the region, particularly Gulf states. Although Tehran claims that its strikes target only American interests, Israeli officials say civilian infrastructure has also been hit, including hotels, commercial hubs, and densely populated areas.

Looking ahead, the IDF said the next phase of the campaign will focus on expanding the gains already made by continuing to target Iran’s missile capabilities and its military-industrial infrastructure.

{Matzav.com}

The United States told the International Court of Justice, the principal judicial arm of the United Nations located in The Hague, last week that it intends to intervene in South Africa’s case against Israel and to defend the Jewish state against that country’s charges of genocide.

“To avoid any doubt, the United States affirms, in the strongest terms possible, that the allegations of ‘genocide’ against Israel are false,” wrote Reed Rubinstein, legal adviser of the U.S. Department of State. “They are also unfortunately nothing new.”

Washington “recalls that international fora have been misused to level false charges of ‘genocide’ against the State of Israel since at least May 19764 as part of a broader campaign, including U.N. General Assembly resolution 3379, to delegitimize the State of Israel and the Jewish people and to justify or encourage terrorism against them,” Rubinstein wrote. “Sadly, that effort remains ongoing.”

Pro-Hamas entities, including the Iranian regime, “were already falsely charging Israel once again with ‘genocide’” just days after the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, Rubinstein wrote.

Earlier in the month, Paraguay filed a brief in the case and said that it wasn’t picking side in the case but that the court must not expand the definition of “genocide.”

“The United States submits that the court should maintain its standard for inferring intent,” he wrote. “Lowering the standard risks broadening the application of the term ‘genocide’ such that it no longer carries its original weight and meaning, and invites attempts to misuse the Genocide Convention as a gateway for bringing extraneous disputes before the court.”

He added that under the convention, a charge of genocide, including during a war, requires proof that the offender intends to wipe a people out at least in part.

“If it might reasonably be inferred from a pattern of conduct that the perpetrator acted without such intent, the standard has not been met,” he wrote.

AIPAC thanked U.S. President Donald Trump and Marco Rubio, U.S. secretary of state, for “standing with Israel and soundly rejecting the outrageous case brought against our ally at the ICJ.”

“America must continue to be a voice of moral clarity in rejecting this baseless charge against our democratic ally,” the pro-Israel group said.

Marc Zell, chairman of Republicans Overseas Israel, called the U.S. intervention “powerful.”

“The United States has submitted to the International Court of Justice in The Hague a position opposing attempts to distort international law and the political exploitation of international judicial institutions, within the framework of the false proceeding initiated by South Africa against Israel,” he wrote.

“The United States emphasized, in the most resolute manner, that South Africa’s accusations are not only false but also intended to hurl false accusations against the State of Israel, as part of a broader campaign whose purpose is to undermine the legitimacy of the State of Israel and the Jewish people and to encourage terrorism against them,” Zell wrote.

“The State of Israel appreciates and values the stance of its friends alongside truth and historical justice, and especially the steadfast support of the United States in all arenas,” he added.

Also on Thursday, Namibia, Hungary and Fiji said that they would intervene in the case. Namibia supported South Africa’s case, while Hungary and Fiji defended the Jewish stated.

“The court has never been called upon before to define the scope of the convention in the context of intense urban warfare,” Fiji wrote. “The war between Hamas and Israel raises specific issues concerning combatants embedded within civilian infrastructure, the use of civilian shields, civilians directly participating in the hostilities, civil-military dual use objects and especially combatant strategies employing massively amassed civilian shields.”

“This situation comes before the court as a novel problem in application of the Genocide Convention,” it said. “It is, therefore, important that intervening states be given the fullest opportunity to present their views on these matters.”

“It is Fiji’s concern that a more lenient and expansive interpretation of the Genocide Convention, as proposed by South Africa and certain states and NGOs, will endanger future peacekeeping operations and participation by states in legitimate urban warfare operations by diminishing the incentive for states to assist therein,” it said.

“For example, if a state were willing in principle to participate in an international peacekeeping force, for instance to disarm a terrorist organization, but were thereby to become vulnerable in this scenario to genocide charges brought by the organisation’s supporting states, then the peacekeeping state would be reluctant to volunteer its military forces,” it added. “This outcome would impair both peacekeeping operations and could seriously impair the integrity and purpose of the Genocide Convention.”

Fiji also warned that “several interventions in this case urge the court to dismantle the accepted principles of treaty interpretation by introducing the novel notion of a so-called holistic approach to treaty interpretation.”

“In Fiji’s view, that holistic approach goes considerably beyond settled law of treaty interpretation and is especially dangerous to the international rule of law when dealing with the crime of genocide,” it said. “The approach departs from ordinary meaning of the terms of the Genocide Convention. It exhibits disregard for the international rules for treaty interpretation and the arrogation of a novel framework for genocide determinations.”

It added that the court shouldn’t necessarily take reports from U.N. bodies or nongovernmental organizations at face value. The latter, it said, “vary greatly in their missions, staffing, resources, partiality, political engagements, relationships with interlocutors, institutional integrity and familiarity with international law as it applies to use of military force by states.”

“The substance of NGO reports must be treated with great caution rather than accepted as ‘conclusive’ evidence,” it said.

“Amnesty International has been influential in promoting the ‘holistic approach’ to inferred genocidal intent and its approach is adopted in interventions made to the court in this case,” Fiji said. “However, the court should be aware that such reports can be based on a cherry-picked selection of statements made by a small number of public figures such as politicians without providing reliable contextual information whether they had command, control or influence over the missions and conduct of the military forces.”

“The making of unauthorised and ad hoe public comments by individual politicians is not uncommon in liberal democracies which uphold the freedom of political expression,” it added.

Further, terrorists and armed combatants cannot be considered “protected groups” under the Genocide Convention, according to Fiji.

“Thus, elements of the Gazan population comprising such armed groups as Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Izz al Din al Kassam brigades and al Quds brigades are not protected,” it said. “Nor are their weapons dumps and other war materiel, command and intelligence operations, data centers, propaganda and psychological operations, storage infrastructure and support personnel, whether official or volunteer, irrespective of the size of such armed groups.”

“Even where they number in the tens of thousands, numbers that are comparable to armed forces of many states, these personnel cannot be qualified as merely civilians,” it said. “Nor are they generalizable as a national, ethnical, racial or religious group within the meaning of a protected group under the Genocide Convention.”

Hungary said that the circumstances of the case must be examined, in particular the “heinous terror attacks perpetrated by Hamas against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.”

“When interpreting the Genocide Convention, it cannot be dismissed that the circumstances referred to in the current case are during an armed conflict, where a non-state actor, the terrorist organization Hamas, has consequently been using civilian infrastructure, families and children as human shields,” Hungary wrote.

“The acts of Hamas need careful examination when taking into account civilian casualties and the relevant consequences that these actions might have on the fulfilment of obligations of international humanitarian law, a legal framework that is distinctively broader than the Genocide Convention,” it said.

Hungary added that “recent attempts to broaden the interpretation of the crime of genocide risk diluting the specific normative function of the convention, blurring its boundaries with other international obligations, and eventually undermining the framework of the convention.”

The day before the other filings with the court, the Netherlands and Iceland told the court they intend to intervene in support of South Africa’s allegations against Israel.

The pro-Israel Dutch politician Geert Wilders said that the Netherlands filing was “unacceptable.”

“I immediately introduced a motion of censure about this in our Dutch parliament yesterday,” he wrote. “We should support Israel instead of intervene in this crazy, anti-Israel case.” JNS

Israel’s Home Front Command announced that certain regions of the country will begin moving out of strict lockdown conditions, allowing schools, workplaces, and limited gatherings to resume beginning Monday morning.

According to the updated guidance, the changes will take effect on Monday, March 16, 2026, at 6:00 a.m. Several areas will shift from a restricted activity level to a partial activity level as part of a gradual easing of security restrictions during the ongoing conflict.

The most significant change involves the gradual return of educational institutions and economic activity in the affected regions. Schools, workplaces, and public gatherings will be permitted, provided that participants can reach a properly designated protected space within the required response time for each locality.

The regions scheduled to receive the eased restrictions include the Shomron and Yehuda areas, the Beit She’an Valley, the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea region, communities surrounding Gaza, Western Lachish, Western Negev, Southern Negev, and the Arava.

Under the “partial activity” classification, educational institutions may reopen if an accessible standard protected space is available. Public gatherings will be limited to up to 50 people outdoors and up to 100 people indoors, provided they are located near a protected area.

Workplaces in these regions will also be allowed to operate as long as they meet the required protective safety standards.

Home Front Command officials emphasized that the current nationwide restrictions remain in effect until the new guidelines take effect Monday morning. As a result, major population centers in central Israel, Yerushalayim, and northern parts of the country will remain under the stricter regulations for the time being.

Authorities urged the public to continue following life-saving safety instructions and to stay updated through the National Emergency Portal and the Home Front Command mobile application for any further changes.

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Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate says Hezbollah is experiencing an unprecedented financial collapse after Israeli strikes destroyed large cash reserves and ongoing attacks in Iran disrupted the terror group’s primary funding pipeline.

According to Israeli intelligence assessments, the combination of Israeli operations against Iranian regime targets and the destruction of Hezbollah cash storage sites in Beirut has pushed the organization into its worst financial crisis in decades. Hezbollah, which for years relied heavily on Iranian funding and financial exploitation of Lebanese civilians, now finds its main sources of support cut off from both directions.

At the center of the financial blow is the Al-Qard al-Hasan association. Long presented as a charitable organization providing social services and operating as an alternative financial network to Lebanon’s formal banking system, the group has now been identified as Hezbollah’s key financial backbone.

Israeli intelligence officials say the association stored hundreds of millions of dollars in cash that were used to pay salaries to operatives and purchase weapons. According to the Military Intelligence Directorate, “attacks on regime targets have made Hezbollah’s ability to receive money directly from the Iranian terror regime almost impossible,” while the ability to transfer funds through money changers has also been severely disrupted.

Regional geopolitical developments have further worsened Hezbollah’s financial situation. Following the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, key land smuggling routes used to transfer funds and supplies were severely damaged. As a result, the Al-Qard al-Hasan cash reserves located in civilian neighborhoods in Beirut became the organization’s primary financial fallback.

The IDF said Hezbollah has continued making promises to Lebanese civilians about reconstruction and compensation, but in reality the funds were largely used to strengthen the group’s strategic military capabilities. Military Intelligence stated that “as a result of cutting off the funding chain from its two main sources – Iran on one side and the Lebanese civilian population on the other – Hezbollah’s economy finds itself in the most severe financial collapse in decades.”

The most significant blow came with the strategic decision to target the association’s financial infrastructure during the current war. Israeli forces destroyed cash storage facilities containing large portions of the organization’s operational budget, severely damaging Hezbollah’s ability to carry out terror activities.

Although Iran previously transferred approximately $1 billion for Hezbollah’s compensation and reconstruction program, intelligence officials say much of that money has already been consumed by ongoing military activity and is insufficient to cover the group’s rapidly expanding expenses.

According to Israeli intelligence, “the regime’s involvement in a direct war against Israel and the United States… does not allow it to continue funding and arming the proxy organization in Lebanon.”

Officials say the financial collapse of Hezbollah is also deeply affecting Lebanon itself, which has become economically dependent on the organization. Although Lebanon’s central bank attempted to impose sanctions on the Al-Qard al-Hasan network in July 2025 under international pressure, Hezbollah continued to operate it as what Israeli officials describe as a “terror bank.”

With cash reserves destroyed and Iran increasingly focused on its own survival, Hezbollah now faces growing difficulty paying its members or rebuilding its operational strength. Israeli intelligence says the destruction of the group’s financial infrastructure is weakening Hezbollah across multiple levels and undermining its long-standing claim of being Lebanon’s protector.

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s Foreign Ministry has issued a warning to Israeli citizens visiting the United Arab Emirates, cautioning that photographing or sharing images of missile strike sites or sensitive locations could result in fines, arrest, or deportation.

The advisory was released after authorities in the UAE reportedly took legal action against individuals who documented locations hit during missile activity. According to reports, police in Abu Dhabi arrested 45 people who photographed and published images from sites impacted by missile launches. In Dubai, 20 additional individuals, including tourists, were prosecuted for similar offenses.

Officials in the UAE have also cracked down on people who filmed or uploaded footage of air defense systems intercepting Iranian missile attacks. Authorities said individuals from multiple nationalities were detained for recording such incidents and posting the videos online.

According to the announcement, the UAE’s attorney general ordered the arrest of ten suspects accused of recording and uploading videos showing air defense systems intercepting Iranian attacks, as well as posting fabricated footage. The suspects are expected to face fast-tracked legal proceedings.

A report by the British newspaper The Guardian said penalties for such violations can be significant. Fines may range from about 20,000 dirhams to as much as 200,000 dirhams, and prison sentences can reach up to two years. Even sharing an image from social media or commenting on such posts can be considered a criminal offense.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry urged Israelis currently in the UAE to strictly follow local laws and regulations and warned that violations could lead to serious legal consequences.

{Matzav.com}

Since last night, Iran has been launching missiles toward Israel at remarkably regular intervals of roughly once every hour and a half or so, according to a timeline presented by a Channel 12 News correspondent. Each launch has targeted a different region of the country, stretching from the south to the north, in what appears to be an attempt to wear down Israel’s civilian population.

Israeli analysts say the pattern suggests that Iran is carefully rationing its weapons and may be pursuing a strategy of attrition — launching missiles in a steady drip rather than large barrages in order to exhaust the Israeli home front over time.

Users on social media noted the emerging pattern on Sunday, pointing out that air raid sirens have been sounding approximately every ninety minutes in different parts of Israel as missiles are fired from Iran.

Channel 12 correspondent Almog Boker wrote on X, “Since last night — every ninety minutes there has been fire from Iran,” and posted a detailed timeline of the launches.

At 1:15 a.m., sirens sounded in Eilat and the Arava following a missile launch. At 2:24 a.m., alerts were activated in the Sharon region, the Dan area, Shomron, the Shfela, Lachish, and the Jordan Valley.

Later, at 5:34 a.m., sirens were triggered in the Yarkon region, the Shfela, and Lachish.

At 6:14 a.m., additional alerts were sounded in Be’er Sheva and the Negev, centered around the Dimona area. Another round of sirens in Be’er Sheva and the Negev followed at 6:43 a.m.

At 8:17 a.m., missiles were launched toward northern Israel, including the Golan Heights, the northern confrontation line communities, and the Carmel region.

Later in the morning, at 11:34 a.m., sirens again sounded in Eilat. At 11:50 a.m., alerts were activated across the Shomron, the Shfela, Lachish, the Sharon region, and central Israel.

At 1:21 p.m., additional sirens were reported again in central Israel.

The pattern of launches has raised concern among Israeli security officials that Iran is attempting to sustain a prolonged campaign designed to keep large parts of the country under constant alert while conserving its missile arsenal.

{Matzav.com}

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