Matzav

[Video below.] Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran will not accept President Donald Trump’s demand for “unconditional surrender,” declaring that the country intends to keep fighting as the conflict continues.

Speaking in an interview with NBC News’ Meet the Press, Araghchi said Iran will not back down and will continue defending itself. “We never give up, we never surrender, and we continue to resist as long as it takes,” Araghchi said. “We continue to defend ourselves, and we are defending our territory, our people, and our dignity. And our dignity is not for sale.”

Araghchi also discussed the current structure of Iran’s leadership, explaining that the country is presently being governed by a temporary council while the Assembly of Experts prepares to select a new supreme leader.

“The council of the interim leadership council is now in charge, and they are doing their act in the absence of the leader, while a new supreme leader is going to be elected soon by the assembly of experts,” Araghchi said. “And the president and the cabinet are also in there, are doing their duties. Parliament, everything is in its place.”

When asked about speculation that the Assembly of Experts may have already chosen the next supreme leader — possibly Mojtaba Khamenei — Araghchi said the matter remains undecided and that the official process has not yet taken place.

“Nobody knows. Actually, there are lots of rumors around, but we have to wait for the assembly of experts to convene and vote for the new supreme leader and the one who is elected by them,” he said.

Araghchi also pushed back against the idea that any outside party could play a role in determining Iran’s next leader, after President Trump suggested he should select the country’s future leadership.

“We allow nobody to interfere in our domestic affairs,” Araghchi said. “This is up to the Iranian people to elect their new leader. They have already elected the assembly of experts, and the assembly of experts would do the job. It is only the business of the Iranian people and nobody else’s business.”

According to Araghchi, Iran believes the war should conclude with a lasting resolution rather than a temporary ceasefire.

“There should be a permanent end of the war,” he said. “Unless we get to that, I think we need to continue fighting for the sake of our people and our security.”

When asked whether Iran would agree to a ceasefire in order to resume negotiations, Araghchi argued that the United States and Israel must first explain what he described as the origin of the conflict.

“Nobody wants to continue this war,” he said. “This is not our war. This is not the war of our choice.”

The foreign minister also addressed Iran’s missile strikes in the region, saying the intended targets were American military sites rather than neighboring countries.

“We are not attacking our neighbors,” Araghchi said. “We are attacking American bases, American installations, American assets, which are unfortunately located in the soils of our neighbors.”

He added that Iran’s president had issued an apology to people in nearby countries for the disruption caused by the conflict.

“Apology in our culture is a sign of dignity and strength,” Araghchi said, adding that the apology was directed to people in the region for “the inconveniences they have faced because of this aggression by the United States and retaliation by us.”

Araghchi was also questioned about reports suggesting Russia has assisted Iran in locating American forces.

“We have a strategic partnership with Russia,” he said. “Military cooperation between Iran and Russia is not something new. It’s not a secret. It has been in the past and is still there and will continue in the future.”

When pressed on whether Moscow has been sharing intelligence with Tehran, Araghchi declined to give specifics.

“They are helping us in many different directions. I don’t have any detailed information.”

Araghchi also rejected claims that Iran was responsible for a strike on an elementary school in southern Iran that reportedly killed more than 170 people.

“It is our school. These are our students, our girls, and they are attacked by an American fighter, a jet fighter, and they have been killed,” he said. “Why Iran is responsible? Have we started this war? Have we attacked our own people?”

Responding to questions about the possibility of U.S. ground forces entering Iran, Araghchi said Iranian troops are prepared to defend the country.

“For the time being, we are capable enough,” he said. “We have very brave soldiers who are waiting for any enemy who enter into our soil to fight with them.”

Araghchi also dismissed claims that Iran is developing missiles capable of striking the United States, saying the country has intentionally limited the range of its missile program.

“We have intentionally limited ourselves to below 2,000 kilometers of range because we don’t want to be felt as a threat by anybody else in the world,” he said.

{Matzav.com}

The IDF announced Sunday that the Israeli Air Force carried out a strike in Tehran a day earlier that killed Abu al-Qassem Baba’iyan, a senior Iranian military figure closely tied to the country’s leadership. The operation was conducted based on precise intelligence gathered by the IDF Intelligence Directorate.

According to the IDF, Baba’iyan served as the Head of the Military Office of the Supreme Leader and as Chief of Staff of the emergency command at Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters.

Israeli officials said Baba’iyan played a key role in coordinating the activities of various military bodies within the Iranian regime responsible for planning and carrying out operations against the State of Israel, as well as overseeing emergency military responses.

The IDF said Baba’iyan had recently been appointed as the designated chief of staff for the Supreme Leader’s military office following the launch of Operation “Roaring Lion.” During the opening phase of that operation, Mohammad Shirazi, who had served as military chief of staff to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was killed.

Baba’iyan had also been named Chief of Staff of the emergency Headquarters after his predecessor, Ali Shadmani, was killed during Operation Rising Lion. In that role, he maintained close working relationships with senior Iranian military commanders and political leaders.

His death, the IDF said, is part of a broader series of targeted eliminations of senior figures within the Iranian regime since the start of Operation Roaring Lion, a campaign Israeli officials say has significantly weakened Iran’s leadership responsible for directing military operations.

A man in his 40s was seriously wounded in Tel Aviv after debris from an interceptor missile fell near a gas station during the latest round of attacks. Security camera footage documented the moment the debris struck the area.

Magen David Adom medics arrived quickly and administered emergency treatment at the scene before transporting the injured man to the emergency department at Ichilov Hospital. He sustained a neck injury and was admitted to the trauma room for continued treatment.

תיעוד הנפילה בתל אביב pic.twitter.com/AzMhMWH3Kb

— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) March 8, 2026

At the same time, MDA crews were responding to several other incidents across central Israel. In total, six additional people were treated for injuries in different locations. In Petah Tikva, two individuals were among the wounded: a man in his mid-20s who was moderately injured and a 56-year-old man who suffered light injuries.

Officials said the attack involved a fragmentation missile. Fire and Rescue Services reported that in one location in central Israel, a building apparently collapsed after being struck by shrapnel from the blast.

During the same round of sirens, a separate traffic accident occurred on Route 5 near the Barkan Interchange when a truck collided with a private vehicle. MDA paramedics treated the injured at the scene before transporting two victims to Beilinson Hospital. The driver of the car, a man about 40 years old, was reported in serious condition with multiple-system injuries but remained conscious. Another person sustained light injuries.

Senior MDA medic Yehezkel Goldreich, one of the first responders to arrive at the impact site in central Israel, described what he encountered when he reached the scene:

“I was in a park near the impact when the sirens sounded. Shortly afterward there was a loud explosion. I saw thick smoke rising from the area and rushed to scan the scene. I found frightened people lying on the grass, including a man in his 40s who had suffered a severe shrapnel injury. I provided him with initial medical care on site, and together with additional MDA teams we evacuated him to the hospital, where his condition was classified as serious.”

{Matzav.com}

The United States and Israel have discussed the possibility of sending special forces into Iran to secure the country’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium at a later phase of the war, according to four sources familiar with the deliberations.

Stopping Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon has been identified by President Donald Trump as a central objective of the conflict. A major factor in that effort is Iran’s estimated 450 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity — material that experts say could be further refined to weapons-grade levels within a matter of weeks.

Any attempt to take control of that material would likely involve American or Israeli personnel operating inside Iran, potentially in heavily fortified underground facilities, and doing so while the conflict is ongoing.

It has not yet been determined whether such an operation would be carried out by U.S. forces, Israeli units, or a combined mission involving both countries.

Officials familiar with the discussions say any such move would likely only be considered once both governments determine that Iran’s military is no longer capable of posing a serious threat to the forces involved in the operation.

During a congressional briefing on Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio was asked about the fate of Iran’s enriched uranium and whether it would be secured. “People are going to have to go and get it,” he said, without specifying who.

One Israeli defense official said President Trump and his advisers are seriously weighing the possibility of deploying special operations forces inside Iran for targeted missions.

According to a U.S. official, the administration has examined two primary approaches: removing the uranium stockpile from Iran altogether, or sending nuclear experts to the site to dilute the material where it is stored.

Such an operation would likely involve a combination of special operations personnel and scientific experts, possibly including specialists from the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Two individuals familiar with the matter said plans for such missions were among several military options presented to Trump before the war began.

NBC News reported Friday that Trump has discussed the possibility of sending a limited number of U.S. troops into Iran for narrowly defined strategic purposes.

Semafor similarly reported that the president’s list of potential responses includes Special Operations raids targeting Iranian nuclear facilities.

One U.S. official described the complexity of the challenge involved in securing Iran’s uranium stockpile. “The first question is, where is it? The second question is, how do we get to it and how do we get physical control?”

“And then, it would be a decision of the president and the Department of War, CIA, as to whether we wanted to physically transport it or dilute it on premises.”

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday, President Trump acknowledged that the use of ground troops remained a possibility — but only under specific circumstances.

“If we ever did that, [the Iranians] would be so decimated that they wouldn’t be able to fight on the ground level,” he said.

When asked directly whether troops could eventually be deployed to secure nuclear material, Trump did not dismiss the possibility. “At some point maybe we will. We haven’t gone after it. We wouldn’t do it now. Maybe we will do it later.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Axios that Trump “wisely keeps all options available to him open, and does not rule things out.”

In addition to the uranium stockpile, administration officials have also discussed the possibility of taking control of Kharg Island, a key oil terminal responsible for roughly 90 percent of Iran’s crude oil exports.

The current location of Iran’s uranium stockpile has also been affected by earlier military action. U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities last June buried much of the material under debris, according to American and Israeli officials, leaving the Iranians themselves unable to reach it.

Those same strikes also destroyed nearly all of Iran’s centrifuges, and officials say there is no evidence that uranium enrichment has resumed since then.

U.S. and Israeli officials believe that most of the remaining uranium stockpile is located in underground tunnel systems at the nuclear facility in Isfahan, with smaller portions stored at Fordow and Natanz.

In the opening days of the war, American and Israeli forces launched strikes on the Natanz and Isfahan facilities that appeared designed to seal the entrances, likely in an effort to prevent the material from being moved.

Officials from both countries view Iran’s 450 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent as a major threat, given that only a short amount of time would be required to increase the enrichment level to weapons-grade.

If the entire supply were enriched to 90 percent purity, experts say it could produce enough fissile material for approximately eleven nuclear weapons.

One senior U.S. official emphasized that talk of deploying troops does not necessarily mean a large-scale ground invasion.

“Boots on the ground for Trump is not the same as what it means for the media,” a senior U.S. official said.

“Small special ops raids — not a big force going in,” another source added.

“What has been discussed hasn’t been thought of in terms of boots on the ground,” a third source said. “People think Fallujah. That’s not what has been discussed.”

{Matzav.com}

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Munish Weintraub zt”l, one of the ziknei Chasidei Gur in the United States, a respected talmid chochom whose life was devoted to Torah, chesed, and service to Klal Yisroel.

Rav Weintraub was born in Lisabek, Poland, to his father, Rav Aharon Yehuda zt”l, who served as the Rav of the city, and to his mother, Rebbetzin Leah Tesha a”h, who came from a distinguished rabbinic family in Poland. His father was a musmach of the Warsaw Mesivta and was known for his close relationship with the Gerrer Rebbes.

While still a young child, the family relocated to Eretz Yisroel, where Harav Aharon Yehuda assumed the position of Rav of Kiryas Yosef, today part of the greater Bnei Brak area. During those years, he developed a close and lasting relationship with the Chazon Ish zt”l and the Ponevezher Rov zt”l.

In the late 1940s, Rav Aharon Yehuda moved with his family to Boro Park. There he partnered with Rav Akiva Zilberberg zt”l in founding the renowned Gur yeshiva, Yeshiva Yagdil Torah, which grew into a prominent makom Torah. Rav Aharon Yehuda served as the Nasi of the institution for many years.

As a young bochur, Rav Munish studied at the well-known Yeshiva Ohr Yisroel in Petach Tikvah. After arriving in the United States, he continued his learning at Yeshiva Torah Vodaas. In later years he became actively involved with the Ezras Torah organization under the leadership of Rav Yosef Eliyahu Henkin zt”l.

Through that connection, he merited to assist Rav Henkin in numerous complicated halachic matters, particularly in areas of Even Ha’ezer. Following Rav Henkin’s guidance, he also assisted the Agudas Harabonim in addressing these delicate inyonim under the direction of Gedolei Yisroel, including Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l and Rav Chaim Tzvi Krieger zt”l.

Rav Munish married his Rebbetzin, Rebbetzin Rochel, daughter of the distinguished Yerushalmi tzaddik, Rav Yisroel Shimon Kastelanitz zt”l of Slonim. Together they built a home in Boro Park that was known as a center of Torah, chesed, and hachnasas orchim.

Rav Weintraub also played an important role in supporting and guiding the Diskin Orphanage, working to strengthen and assist yesomim and almanos in the spirit of Rav Yehoshua Leib Diskin zt”l.

He is survived by his devoted wife, Rebbetzin Rochel Weintraub; his son, R’ Yaakov Weintraub of Lakewood; his daughters, Mrs. Batsheva Garber of Boro Park, Mrs. Chavi Goldberg of Boro Park, and Mrs. Sima Zaks of Monsey; his sisters, Mrs. Chava Pechter, Mrs. Hadassa Hoffman, and Mrs. Tzipa Billig; along with grandchildren and great-grandchildren who continue in his path of Torah and chesed.

The levaya will take place Sunday at 1:30 PM at the Lakewood Chapel, followed by kevurah at the Lakewood Bais Hachaim.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}

During his weekly shiur, the former Rishon Letzion Rav Yitzchok Yosef addressed the ongoing war with Iran, speaking about the great nissim that have taken place while also urging the public to strictly follow safety instructions.

At the opening of the shiur, Rav Yosef spoke about the many miracles that have occurred in recent days.

“We must thank Hakadosh Boruch Hu for the nissim and niflaos that we experienced this past week,” he said. “In other places many were harmed, and here as well there were some injuries, but relatively speaking there were nissim and niflaos. We must thank Hakadosh Boruch Hu that He should continue to perform nissim and niflaos for us.”

At the same time, Rav Yosef emphasized that recognizing the miracles does not lessen the obligation to follow safety guidelines.

He stressed the importance of carefully observing the directives of Pikud HaOref.

“One must pay attention to all the instructions,” he said. “V’nishmartem me’od lenafshoseichem — if a person hears a siren, he should not take it lightly. He must do what needs to be done, as the halacha requires.”

{Matzav.com}

Emergency responders rushed to multiple impact sites in central Israel after a new wave of Iranian missile fire struck the region, leaving several people wounded, including one man in serious condition in Tel Aviv.

Magen David Adom paramedics began providing emergency care to a man who sustained severe injuries in Tel Aviv following the latest barrage. At the same time, medical personnel were also assisting two additional victims in Petach Tikva, where one person was reported to be in moderate condition and another suffered minor injuries.

The seriously wounded victim from Tel Aviv was transported to the emergency department at Ichilov Medical Center after the strike. According to medical officials, the man sustained a neck injury and is currently receiving treatment in the hospital’s trauma unit.

Israel Fire and Rescue Services said one of the strike locations appears to involve the collapse of a building, likely caused by a cluster-type missile. Emergency crews from Magen David Adom remain active at the affected areas, searching for additional victims and assisting the wounded.

Senior MDA medic Yechezkel Goldreich, who was among the first responders at the site, described the chaotic moments following the strike. He said: “I was in a park near the crash site when suddenly alarms sounded, and shortly afterwards a loud explosion was heard. I noticed a lot of smoke rising from the impact area, and I rushed to scan the area. There, I found terrified people lying on the grass, and a man about 40 years old who suffered a serious injury from shrapnel. I gave him initial medical treatment on the spot, and later, together with other MDA teams that arrived at the scene, we evacuated him to the hospital, where his condition is described as serious.”

Police said officers and emergency personnel are working to secure the impact zones and prevent civilians from approaching the damaged areas.

The IDF stated: “Home Front Command search and rescue forces, together with emergency teams, are currently operating at the impact sites in central Israel. The circumstances of the impact are under review.”

{Matzav.com}

Two lsrael Defense Forces troops have been killed battling Hezbollah terrorists in Southern Lebanon, the IDF said on Sunday afternoon.

One of the fallen soldiers was named as Sgt. 1st Class Maher Khatar, from the Golan Heights Druze village of Majdal Shams. He served as a combat engineering heavy equipment operator, the military stated.

According to Israel’s Ynet outlet, the two soldiers were killed by mortar fire or an anti-tank missile during defensive operations at a military position in Southern Lebanon, when a combat engineering force that included two D9 bulldozers went to extract a Puma armored personnel carrier that had become stuck.

During the rescue operation, one of the D9 bulldozers was reportedly hit, possibly by a mortar that struck a fuel tank or by a missile, resulting in the deaths of the two soldiers.

“In the incident in which Sgt. 1st Class Maher Khatar, of blessed memory, fell, another soldier also fell,” the army said. “His name has not yet been cleared for publication and will be published at a later time.”

In addition, a combat officer who sustained light wounds was evacuated for medical treatment in Israel. His family was informed, the IDF added.

The death toll among Israeli troops since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border terrorist massacre now stands at 926, according to IDF figures.

Israeli Defense Minister Yisroel Katz told Beirut on Shabbos to act swiftly against Hezbollah or else “Lebanon as a whole will pay the full price.”

Addressing Lebanese President Joseph Aoun directly during a situational assessment at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, Katz said, “Lebanon is not the United Nations. You [and Lebanon] committed to implementing the [ceasefire] agreement and disarming Hezbollah, and that is not happening.”

He continued, “We will not allow harm to our communities, we will not allow harm to our soldiers, and if the two stand against one another, the Lebanese government and Lebanon as a whole will pay the full price.”

Katz warned that as things stand, Beirut is forcing Israel to ensure the safety of its own citizens and soldiers at the expense of the Lebanese Republic.

“We have no territorial claims against Lebanon, but we will not be prepared for Lebanese territory to once again become what it was for many years—a base for firing at the State of Israel. We will not allow a return to that situation. Therefore we are addressing and warning: Act, and take action before we do even more,” the defense minister said.

If slain Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah “destroyed Lebanon, then [his successor], Naim Qassem, will also ruin it by continuing down this path,” Katz added.

Katz’s message was delivered in a recording from a meeting in the command bunker at the Kirya together with Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and Military Intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder, alongside other senior IDF commanders.

The IDF in an overnight strike on Shabbos attacked “key commanders” of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force in Beirut, the military announced.

The Quds Force’s Lebanon Corps “operated to advance terror attacks against the state of Israel and its civilians, while operating simultaneously for the IRGC in Iran,” it stated.

The Lebanon Corps served as a liaison axis between the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terror group and the Iranian regime and operated as a body supporting its force buildup, the Israeli military statement added.

“The IDF will not allow the Iranian terror regime elements to establish themselves in Lebanon and will continue to precisely eliminate the commanders of the Iranian terror regime wherever they operate,” concluded the statement.

Meanwhile, two soldiers of the army’s Givati Brigade were moderately wounded by terrorist anti-tank fire during a “defensive activity in Southern Lebanon on Friday, the IDF said over the weekend.

The troops of the brigade’s Rotem Battalion (435th), identified only as “M.” and N.” by the military, were evacuated to Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center’s Ichilov Hospital for treatment, it added.

Earlier on Friday, eight soldiers sustained injuries, including five who were seriously wounded, in a Hezbollah rocket attack targeting an IDF military position near the northern border. Among the lightly injured soldiers was the son of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Since Hezbollah joined the war against the Jewish state on March 2, the IDF struck over 600 terror targets across Lebanon “from the air, sea and ground,” the military announced in a statement on Sunday afternoon.

Israel’s strikes, which comprised some 820 munitions, eliminated more than 190 terrorists, including Abu Hamza Rami, the commander of Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Lebanon, two commanders at the equivalent rank of colonel and three battalion commanders.

The IDF carried out 27 waves of strikes in the Beirut area, including five in the capital’s southern suburbs of Dahieh, a Hezbollah stronghold, it said.

The IDF’s Northern Command has provided “extensive fire support to the forces operating in forward defensive postures in the security zone and has been eliminating threats in real time,” the military added.

Throughout the day on Sunday, the IDF attacked several Hezbollah rocket launchers that had been used to fire rockets towards civilian communities the Jewish state’s north, the army announced.

“In recent days, the IDF has begun an operation for forward defense to create an additional layer of protection in order to distance threats from the residents of the north,” according to the military statement.

The IDF is operating powerfully against the Hezbollah terror group, which decided to join the campaign and operate under the auspices of the Iranian terrorist regime, and will not allow harm to the civilians of the State of Israel,” it concluded. JNS

In a dramatic directive issued last night, the Vizhnitzer Rebbe instructed that the chassidus’s Talmudei Torah reopen beginning tomorrow, declaring that the children should return to learning Torah despite the tense security situation.

According to the directive, the educational institutions of Vizhnitz will resume studies near protected areas and in accordance with strict safety precautions. The instruction applies to all the chassidus’s schools in every city without exception.

The Rebbe emphasized the importance of the children’s learning, since the world continues to exist only in the merit of the pure breath of talmidei tashbar.

At the same time, the Rebbe ordered that the school schedule be modified for the time being. Under the new arrangement, all limudei chol will be completely suspended.

The Rebbe explained that there is currently no need for limudei chol, and therefore the school day will end immediately after the completion of the limudei kodesh. Students will then be dismissed earlier than usual.

Regarding safety procedures, the Rebbe instructed melamdim and school staff to make every effort to bring the students immediately into a protected space whenever a siren sounds.

He also directed that the children be strongly warned not to wander in the streets unnecessarily during this period.

When associates and educators expressed concern that the Ministry of Education might impose sanctions for opening the schools contrary to official guidelines, the Rebbe dismissed the concern and responded clearly that “one must fear only the Ribbono Shel Olam.”

{Matzav.com}

[COMMUNICATED]

Most real estate projects talk about square footage. Givat Hashalvah is telling a different story. It begins with a simple premise: the quality of life in Eretz Yisroel should carry dignity, pride, and a standard that reflects what frum families value, not only in the home, but in the life that surrounds it.   

You can see that shift in what the plan chooses to prioritize. Givat Hashalvah keeps coming back to togetherness, clarity, and the everyday rhythm of Torah life. And it isn’t only the design that makes that possible. It’s the people who have already joined, families arriving with shared purpose and shaping the tone from the start. As one buyer, Aryeh Simon, put it: ‘The standard of the project is truly above the cut, and what impressed me most is that it’s being built with a real kehilla atmosphere in mind.’ 

One of the campaign lines captures it plainly: “A home is where you live. A kehilla is how you live together.” The real question is simple: can a neighborhood be planned in a way that helps community form naturally, not by chance, but because the layout and shared spaces make it easier for people to connect? 

The master plan answers with a decisive yes. Parking is planned underground, keeping cars off the surface level. In its place, the plan creates pedestrian pathways, gardens, seating areas, and fountains, so the space between the buildings becomes a place for walking, meeting, and breathing. Instead of isolated buildings, the project is arranged as 18 residential buildings in three clusters, connected by a promenade that runs through parks and gardens, end to end. This is where the “spaces between” become the point, because those are the places where friendships form, where kids bump into each other, where the neighborhood starts to feel familiar. 

Then there are the communal anchors. Between the clusters sit seven dedicated multi-story residential lounges, totaling 26,000 square feet of community amenities planned for real daily use. These shared spaces include Torah libraries, shared workspaces, children’s gymborees, and event halls. Along the promenade, fountains and seating areas are woven into the walkways, with a bike path looping around the project. This is less about “amenities” as a marketing word, and more about community as an operating system, built into the plan. 

For many families, credibility matters as much as vision, especially in a market where people want to know that what is promised is what will be delivered. Givat Hashalvah points to the team behind the construction as part of that confidence: Solel Boneh is described as Israel’s most recognized construction name, with more than a century of experience and a track record tied to major national projects. In plain terms, the message is execution you can trust, quality that lasts, and delivery you can rely on.   

And the vision is broad enough to speak to different life stages. The plan includes a multilevel shopping mall, protected living, a 54,000 square foot fitness center, a pool, and ten shuls, rounding out a neighborhood designed to support a fuller way of living, both inside the home and together beyond it.   

Explore Givat Hashalvah → https://go.lyo.group/3LxM3tz

An 11-year-old boy who was critically injured after being struck by a bus in Beitar Illit has died of his wounds, in a heartbreaking tragedy that has shaken the city.

The accident occurred late Thursday night on Rechov Abba Shaul in Beitar Illit. The boy was hit by a passing bus while crossing the street and was found lying on the roadway with severe injuries to his abdomen and limbs.

Emergency volunteers who arrived first at the scene described the incident as extremely serious. Shmuel Feit and Binyomin Blau of Hatzalah said, “When we arrived at the scene we saw a pedestrian, an 11-year-old boy, suffering from injuries to his abdomen and limbs after being struck by a bus.”

Avremi Zeibald and Aviel Itach of Hatzalah and Magen David Adom added that they immediately began providing medical treatment. “We provided the child with initial medical treatment including bandaging and stabilization, and he was transported by intensive care ambulance to the trauma unit at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital.”

At first, the boy’s condition was described as moderate to serious. However, his condition deteriorated rapidly after the accident and he was soon listed in critical condition. Doctors fought to save his life, but tragically he passed away during Shabbos.

The victim was identified as Michoel Shabtai, an 11-year-old talmid at Talmud Torah Nitei Meir in Beitar Illit. He was the oldest child of his parents, Reb Yisroel Shabtai and Mrs. Sarah Malka Shabtai. He was born after seven years of anticipation and heartfelt tefillos.

Immediately after the accident, the family asked the public to daven for the recovery of Michoel ben Sarah Malka. Thousands of Jews in Eretz Yisroel and around the world joined in tefillah and undertook Torah learning and good deeds in his merit, but despite those efforts he was ultimately niftar.

Following the news of his passing, several protesters gathered at the location of the accident and hung signs claiming the incident was a terror attack, noting that the bus driver involved in the accident was Arab.

{Matzav.com}

[Video below.] Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu said Saturday night that “the moment of truth is approaching” in the war against Iran, calling on members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to lay down their weapons and urging the Iranian people to seize what he described as an opportunity for change.

Netanyahu delivered the remarks during a public statement to the media as Israel’s military campaign against Iran continues to develop. During the address, he appealed directly to both the Iranian population and members of the regime’s security forces.

At the start of his statement, Netanyahu reviewed Israel’s military actions over the past two and a half years, beginning with the Hamas massacre on Simchas Torah. He outlined the series of blows delivered to what he described as the Iranian-led terror axis across the region.

The prime minister said the war will continue “until the end.” He told the public that many Israelis have encouraged the government to continue fighting until victory is achieved.

“Citizens tell me — continue until the end and until victory. I say to you: We are continuing with full force!” Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu added that Israel’s actions have dramatically shifted the balance of power in the region.

“We are changing the face of the Middle East. We have turned Israel into a regional power that deters and defeats our enemies,” he said.

He explained that Operation Roaring Lion began after Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — who was killed in the opening strike — ordered that nuclear weapons be hidden deep underground in order to protect them from attack.

During the address, Netanyahu again turned to the Iranian public, saying the war is creating conditions that could allow Iran’s citizens to determine their own future.

The prime minister also issued a direct appeal to members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, urging them to lay down their weapons.

“If you do so, no harm will come to you,” Netanyahu said, warning that those who refuse to surrender their arms would bear responsibility for the consequences. He added that Israel has a detailed plan that includes additional steps and “many surprises” designed to destabilize the Iranian regime.

Netanyahu concluded by addressing the Iranian people themselves, saying that “the moment of truth is approaching.”

“Your liberation from the yoke of tyranny will depend on you,” he said. “If you rise up, the day is not far off when Israel and Iran will once again be strong friends.”

At the end of his remarks, Netanyahu revealed that many countries are now approaching Israel seeking cooperation.

“Many countries are turning to us now for cooperation, and they are doing it because we are strong, we are just, and we are fighting,” he said.

According to Netanyahu, success in Iran would lead to “a dramatic expansion of the circle of peace around us.”

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{Matzav.com}

This past Shabbos, the olam haTorah and the olam hayeshivos marked ten years since the histalkus of the rosh yeshiva, Rav Chaim Shlomo Leibowitz zt”l, rosh yeshiva of Ponovezh and Kaminetz. In connection with the yahrtzeit, the Bamah magazine published an extensive interview with his son, Rav Uziel Leibowitz, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Birchas Shmuel, reflecting on the personality, legacy, and enduring influence of his father.

“The loss in the olam haTorah and in the yeshivos is deeply felt,” Rav Uziel said. “At the same time, divreihem heim zichronam. He merited that his Torah spread throughout the entire world in a remarkable way.” Rav Uziel noted that both during his father’s lifetime and after his petirah, they were privileged to establish the mamleches haTorah Birchas Shmuel in Eretz Yisroel in his memory. Asked what it was like to grow up in the shadow of such a towering father, Rav Uziel spoke with great emotion.

He began by explaining that although they grew up in their father’s home, their father himself lived every moment with the image of his own father and grandfather before him. Everything he did followed the path that had been charted by his grandfather, the great rosh yeshiva Rav Boruch Ber. “We grew up in Yerushalayim,” Rav Uziel explained, “but in truth the spirit in our home was that of Rav Boruch Ber.” Their mother would often remark that their father did not merely remember Rav Boruch Ber, nor did he only study his approach. He lived Rav Boruch Ber. The entire course of his life was shaped by that towering figure, constantly seeking to learn from him the proper approach to Torah study and to life itself.

Rav Uziel described how his father’s entire lifestyle reflected the grandeur of an earlier era of great gaonim. In their home one could observe concepts and standards that were rarely seen elsewhere. When a person grows up with the living example of someone like Rav Boruch Ber guiding every step of life, he explained, one reaches levels that belong to earlier generations of greatness which we can hardly comprehend today.

He recalled the famous statement of his father’s rebbe, Maran HaGriz Soloveitchik zt”l, who once said about Rav Chaim Shlomo when he was only eighteen years old that just as Rav Boruch Ber had been the Rav Boruch Ber of the previous generation, Rav Chaim Shlomo would be the Rav Boruch Ber of the current generation. The Griz then cited the pasuk “עטרת זקנים בני בנים,” applying it to Rav Boruch Ber and Rav Chaim Shlomo.

After Rav Chaim Shlomo’s petirah, many remarked that with his histalkus the final living edition—the mahadura basra—of the Birchas Shmuel had departed from the world.

Rav Uziel continued by explaining that his father constantly stressed the importance of aspiration. The foundation of greatness in Torah and yiras Shamayim, he would say, lies in one’s ambitions. He would quote his grandfather, Rav Boruch Dov Leibowitz, who explained that Rav Boruch Ber merited to become Rav Boruch Ber because his lifelong aspiration had been to reach the level of Rav Akiva Eiger. If his ambitions had been more modest, he would never have reached such heights.

His father would also repeat the teaching of the Levush Mordechai, Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein zt”l, who said in his talks that the very foundation—the aleph-beis—of a ben yeshiva is the aspiration to become a gadol hador. A true ben yeshiva never settles for mediocrity but constantly strives to grow in Torah to the greatest extent possible.

This, Rav Uziel said, was the way his father lived. In matters of olam hazeh his life was marked by extraordinary simplicity. Anyone who entered his home could immediately see that this world was merely a corridor leading to Torah study and the fulfillment of mitzvos. But when it came to Torah itself there was no concept of limitation or contentment with less. There were no fixed hours for eating or sleeping; his entire day and night revolved around Torah. His life was completely immersed in Torah, in amalus baTorah, in striving in Torah, and in total dedication to Torah.

Today, Rav Uziel added, they have merited to establish institutions where hundreds of talmidim learn, and the spirit in those yeshivos reflects the same ideal — the aspiration for greatness in Torah, yiras Shamayim, and refined middos.

He also recalled hearing from one of the sons of the Griz that when the Griz wanted to teach his own children how to grow in Torah, he would tell them to look at Rav Chaim Shlomo and learn from his example.

When asked what it meant to be both the son and the foremost talmid of such a figure, Rav Uziel replied that to have a father who is also one’s rebbe muvhak — or conversely, a rebbe muvhak who is also one’s father — is an extraordinary gift from Shamayim. Throughout one’s life one has before him a living example who is both a fatherly figure and a spiritual mentor. In the presence of such a personality, he said, it becomes impossible to deviate even slightly.

In that context, the teaching aseh lecha rav takes on its fullest meaning. A genuine talmid connects to his rebbe with the same closeness that a son has to his father.

Rav Uziel noted that his father once told him in the name of the Griz that the pasuk “v’shinantam l’vanecha” refers to students because the phrase implies that the words of Torah must be sharp and precise in one’s mouth — something that only a true rebbe can instill in his talmidim.

The entire concept of what a rebbe and a talmid truly are, Rav Uziel said, had already been deeply ingrained in their family by their grandfather, Rav Boruch Ber.

He described how they witnessed the complete bitul their father showed toward his own father and teacher. Every aspect of his life — his limud, his thinking, even the exact wording he used when discussing a sugya — was shaped by how his father and grandfather had understood it. Before making any decision he would ask himself what his father and grandfather would have said or done.

Rav Uziel recalled the visible joy his father would experience after delivering a shiur klali in which he felt he had succeeded in accurately explaining the teachings of his father and grandfather.

He also described a conversation he once had with Maran Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv zt”l. Rav Elyashiv told him with great emotion that he still vividly remembered seeing Rav Chaim Shlomo learning with his father in the beis medrash Ohel Sarah. Rav Elyashiv said he could never forget the extraordinary bitul Rav Chaim Shlomo displayed toward his father.

Rav Uziel emphasized that his father’s talmidim felt a deep closeness and love from him, like sons. That relationship between rebbe and talmid, he said, was something his father had learned from Rav Boruch Ber, for whom the concept that talmidim are like children was not merely an idea but a living reality.

Rav Uziel also recalled a conversation he had with Maran Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman zt”l. Rav Shteinman told him that when he was young he had spent time in Kaminetz and had been instructed by his father to carefully observe the conduct of Rav Boruch Ber. Rav Shteinman said that even people who had not learned in the yeshiva could sense Rav Boruch Ber’s holiness and righteousness.

At the end of their conversation, Rav Shteinman asked Rav Uziel whether he knew why Rav Boruch Ber merited that his Torah is studied everywhere. Rav Uziel replied that this was precisely the type of question one asks in order to hear the daas Torah of the rosh yeshiva. Rav Shteinman then explained that it was because of Rav Boruch Ber’s extraordinary dedication to his talmidim. Because of that devotion, the talmidim in turn devoted themselves completely to continuing and spreading his Torah.

Rav Uziel added that his father himself displayed tremendous respect for every ben yeshiva and every talmid. He would speak to them with great honor and would never dismiss a student’s question as incorrect. Instead, he would strengthen the question and suggest what the student might have intended to ask. Often he would present the answer as emerging from the student’s own question so that the talmid would leave feeling he had discovered a genuine chiddush.

Rav Uziel also shared that his father would frequently spend Shabbos and Yom Tov recounting stories about the great gedolim of earlier generations. He would describe the events with remarkable detail, explaining what happened and why. Through these stories, Rav Uziel said, listeners could almost relive the experiences and absorb the ideals, yiras Shamayim, and values of those earlier generations.

This practice, he noted, also came from Rav Boruch Ber, who saw telling stories about the gedolei Yisroel as a powerful way to acquire yiras Shamayim and refined middos.

In conclusion, Rav Uziel spoke about the founding of the mamleches haTorah Birchas Shmuel in Eretz Yisroel. He said that his father had long cherished the aspiration that such a place of Torah be established in the spirit of Rav Boruch Ber, where future generations of bnei yeshiva could grow according to that tradition.

Indeed, with great siyata d’Shmaya they have merited to establish several institutions of Torah bearing the name Birchas Shmuel. The remarkable success they have seen, he said, is surely in the merit of their great grandfather Rav Boruch Ber and of his father Rav Chaim Shlomo Leibowitz zt”l, whose influence they continue to feel guiding the mekomos haTorah where new generations are growing and flourishing in Torah.

{Matzav.com}

Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu is continuing efforts to secure support for passing the state budget amid the ongoing war, holding discussions with senior leaders of the chareidi parties as the government seeks to move the budget forward even before advancing the draft law.

According to sources, Netanyahu spoke on Thursday with Degel HaTorah chairman MK Moshe Gafni regarding the matter. The following day, MK Meir Porush met with the prime minister in his office as part of the ongoing attempts to reach an understanding with the chareidi factions.

During his conversation with Netanyahu, Gafni clarified that the rabbinic leadership has not yet reached a decision on the issue. He explained that the matter still requires discussion within the Degel HaTorah faction, including consultations with faction chairman MK Uri Maklev and other members of the party, and that no final position has yet been determined.

As reported in recent days, Netanyahu is seeking to pass the state budget before moving ahead with legislation regarding the draft law. The request comes in light of the continuing war and the assessment that the legislation cannot realistically be completed in the current circumstances.

At the same time, Shas chairman MK Aryeh Deri, who also discussed the matter with Netanyahu, is said to be leaning toward supporting the move because of the war and the desire to avoid bringing down the government during such a critical period.

Officials in Shas, however, emphasized that their support is also dependent on the position taken by the Ashkenazi chareidi parties.

President Isaac Herzog said in an interview that any decision regarding a possible pardon for Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu must follow the legal process outlined under Israeli law.

Speaking to Fox News, Herzog emphasized that the issue is not currently under consideration while the country is engaged in war.

“Let’s put things on record and in perspective. First of all, during the war, there are no proceedings at all. So it’s off the charts and off the table. And the Prime Minister is solely focused on the war,” said Herzog.

He went on to explain the limits of his authority as Israel’s president and how the country’s system differs from governments where the head of state holds executive power.

“Number two, just to explain to your viewers, I’m the head of state. I don’t have executive powers. It’s similar to what you see in Europe and other countries. And I have the pardoning power. I’m, of course, obliged and sworn into Israeli law, just like you have American constitution for the President of the United States, we have the Israeli constitution for the President of Israel.”

Herzog added that any potential decision on a pardon would require input from the relevant legal authorities before he could act.

“I said that I will consider everything seriously, but I’m obliged under the process and under Israeli law to await opinions that must be given to me by the relevant authorities. And that is why, of course, everything is on the table, but it has to be done according to Israeli law,” Herzog stressed.

He also addressed recent calls from President Donald Trump urging him to pardon Netanyahu, responding with praise for Trump while maintaining that the matter remains an internal Israeli issue.

“I respect President Trump tremendously, honestly. And I take the brunt with a lot of affection and respect to him because he’s the leader of the free world who’s changing history. But on the merits of a case, which is an internal case in Israel, I am obliged, I’m sworn in, and I’m the President of the state of Israel.”

Herzog’s comments came several days after Trump sharply criticized him in an interview with Axios reporter Barak Ravid, accusing the Israeli president of delaying a pardon for Netanyahu.

“The president … should give Bibi the pardon today. I don’t want anything on Bibi’s mind other than fighting against Iran,” Trump said, claiming that Herzog had previously suggested he would grant the pardon but had not done so.

“He told me he would give it to him. But he has held it over Bibi’s head for a year,” Trump said. “Tell him I am exposing him. That president better …. give him the pardon right now – and stop using it as leverage for his own political career.”

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump’s administration has approved the rapid sale of more than 20,000 bombs to Israel valued at roughly $650 million by invoking emergency powers to bypass the usual congressional review process, according to a Reuters report citing two U.S. officials familiar with the transaction.

In a statement released late Friday, the U.S. State Department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined that an emergency situation required immediate approval of the weapons transfer. Because of that determination, the administration waived the standard congressional review that typically accompanies arms sales of this scale.

According to Reuters, the weapons package includes 12,000 BLU-110A/B general-purpose bomb bodies weighing 1,000 pounds each, which Israel had previously requested.

The decision follows the launch of a joint U.S.-Israeli air campaign against Iran that began a week earlier.

“This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States,” the State Department said in its statement, noting that Repkon USA, a Texas-based company, will serve as the primary contractor.

A State Department official provided additional information on Saturday, explaining that the package also includes BLU-111 500-pound general-purpose bombs as part of an amendment to a previously approved sale.

The official also said Israel is expected to acquire an additional $298 million in essential munitions through direct commercial purchases.

The move drew criticism from some lawmakers. Democratic Representative Gregory Meeks objected to the decision to bypass Congress, arguing that the emergency declaration suggested the administration had not adequately prepared for the conflict.

“The Trump administration has repeatedly insisted it was fully prepared for this war. Rushing to invoke emergency authority to circumvent Congress tells a different story. This is an emergency of the Trump administration’s own creation,” Meeks said in a statement quoted by Reuters.

{Matzav.com}

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President Donald Trump sharply criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer today, saying the United Kingdom is only considering joining the military campaign against Iran after the United States has already achieved victory.

Trump made the remarks in a post on Truth Social, responding to reports that Britain may send naval forces to the region. “The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, maybe the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer — But we will remember. We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!”

His comments came after Britain’s Ministry of Defence confirmed that one of the country’s two aircraft carriers had been placed on heightened readiness at Portsmouth in preparation for a possible deployment to the Middle East, according to the BBC.

A British destroyer, HMS Dragon, is also stationed in Portsmouth and preparing to depart for Cyprus after earlier delays.

Starmer has emphasized that the United Kingdom did not participate in the recent strikes but said British forces are still active in the region in a defensive role.

In remarks to the British public on Sunday, Starmer condemned Iran’s response to the U.S. strikes and described Tehran’s actions as dangerous.

He criticized what he called “indiscriminate” attacks by Iran after the U.S. strikes, adding, “The only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at source.”

Starmer also confirmed that Britain agreed to a U.S. request to allow American forces to use British military bases for what he described as a limited purpose.

Trump also voiced frustration in comments to the Telegraph in the U.K., saying he was unhappy with the timing of Britain’s decision.

He told the newspaper he was “very disappointed” in Starmer and argued that it “took far too long” for the prime minister to authorize the use of British bases for U.S. operations.

Meanwhile, Britain has increased its military presence across the region. According to the Ministry of Defence, British fighter aircraft are conducting flights over Jordan, Cyprus, and Qatar as part of regional defense efforts, and a Merlin helicopter is being deployed to support aerial surveillance operations.

Starmer said his government’s approach is focused on stability and responsible leadership during the crisis.

“While the region has been plunged into chaos, my focus is providing calm, levelheaded leadership in the national interest,” Starmer said this week. “That means deploying our military and diplomatic strength to protect our people.

“And it means having the strength to stand firm by our values and our principles, no matter the pressure to do otherwise. The longstanding British position is that the best way forward for the regime and world is a negotiated settlement with Iran where they give up their nuclear ambitions.”

Starmer said that position is why Britain chose not to participate in the initial joint strikes carried out by the United States and Israel on February 28.

Speaking in Parliament this week, he also stressed that any British military action must meet strict legal and strategic standards.

“We all remember the mistakes of Iraq, and we have learned those lessons. Any U.K. actions must ⁠always have a lawful basis, and a viable, thought-through plan,” Starmer said. “This government does not believe in regime change from the skies.”

Former British Prime Minister Liz Truss weighed in on the dispute, sharing Trump’s Truth Social comments on X and writing, “Justified and damning.”

{Matzav.com}

Iran’s ruling religious establishment may move within the next day to select a new supreme leader, according to reports indicating that members of the country’s Assembly of Experts could soon convene to make the decision.

Ayatollah Mozaffari, one of the members of the 88-member Assembly of Experts, said he hopes a meeting will be held in the coming 24 hours, although an official session has not yet been formally scheduled, according to Iranian International.

Because the Assembly’s regular meeting location was damaged in recent Israeli airstrikes, the selection process is expected to be conducted virtually.

The strikes earlier this week caused significant destruction to Iranian government and military facilities. According to The Jerusalem Post, the Tuesday attack “flattened” the IRGC’s compound in Qom, as well as a building in Tehran that served as the previous parliament site.

Under Iran’s political system, the Assembly of Experts is responsible for choosing the country’s supreme leader, and the next leader is expected to be selected from among the body’s 88 members.

Sources told the outlet that Mojtaba Khamenei had been expected to be announced as the next supreme leader on Saturday, but the vote did not proceed as planned after 14 members of the Assembly reportedly boycotted the session.

Mojtaba, the second son of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, is believed to have strong backing from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. However, some members of the Assembly have reportedly objected to the idea of transferring leadership directly to the son of the longtime ayatollah.

He has been widely associated with his father’s hardline ideological positions and strong anti-Western views.

President Donald Trump criticized the possibility of Mojtaba assuming the position, saying such a move would not resolve the current conflict.

“They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is a lightweight,” Trump said this week.

“We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran.”