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One of the missiles that Iran fired at Israel in the early hours of Sunday morning scored a direct hit on an apartment building in the central city of Bat Yam and Rechvot. In Bat Yam, six people were killed, including two children, an eight-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy, and two women, aged 69 and 80. Later on Sunday morning, two more bodies were recovered from the rubble. Seven people are missing, and search operations are underway at the site. Later on Sunday morning, it was reported that four of the missing people were found in hospitals. Rescue teams are continuing their search for three missing people. The IDF said that all the victims, dead and injured, were not in bomb shelters when the attack occurred. All the residents of the building who were in bomb shelters at the moment of the attack were unharmed. MDA reported that paramedics treated 99 people at the impact site in Bat Yam, including four in serious condition, seven in moderate condition, and 88 with light injuries. Bat Yam resident Meir Yehuda told Kan News, “The entire neighborhood was filled with smoke. The road was covered in glass, window shutters, and all kinds of debris. As I approached the site, I saw that half the building had collapsed. It was completely shaved off and was in flames. The surrounding buildings were also damaged.” “We know a lot of elderly people live in the area. We could hear people screaming ‘Help! Help!’ from the fifth and tenth floors. There was a fire in the middle. We lifted people on our shoulders.” Video of missile strike on building in Bat Yam: In Rechovot, two sites sustained direct hits: the Weizmann Institute and a residential apartment building. No one was injured at Weizmann, but 37 people in the building were injured: two seriously, 12 moderately, and 23 lightly. A Holocaust survivor was rescued alive from the rubble of the building. The injured victims were evacuated to seven hospitals in central Israel. Ynet reported that family members stood weeping at the entrance to a building that took a direct hit. “I’m afraid something happened to my father,” one of them said. On Motzei Shabbos, a missile hit a three-story home in the Arab city of Tamra in northern Israel, killing four women: a mother and her two daughters and a relative. (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)

Hezbollah has long been considered Iran’s first line of defense in case of a war with Israel. But since Israel launched its massive barrage against Iran this week, the Lebanese militant group has stayed out of the fray. A network of powerful Iran-backed militias in Iraq has also remained mostly quiet — even though Israel allegedly used Iraq’s airspace, in part, to carry out the attacks. Domestic political concerns, as well as tough losses suffered in nearly two years of regional conflicts and upheavals, appear to have led these Iran allies to take a back seat in the latest round convulsing the region. The ‘Axis of Resistance’ Hezbollah was formed with Iranian support in the early 1980s as a guerilla force fighting against Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon at the time. The militant group helped push Israel out of Lebanon and built its arsenal over the ensuing decades, becoming a powerful regional force and the centerpiece of a cluster of Iranian-backed factions and governments known as the “ Axis of Resistance.” The allies also include Iraqi Shiite militias and Yemen’s Houthi rebels, as well as the Palestinian militant group Hamas. At one point, Hezbollah was believed to have some 150,000 rockets and missiles, and the group’s former leader, Hassan Nasrallah once boasted of having 100,000 fighters. Seeking to aid its ally Hamas in the aftermath of the Palestinian militants’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel and Israel’s offensive in Gaza, Hezbollah began launching rockets across the border. That drew Israeli airstrikes and shelling, and the exchanges escalated into full-scale war last September. Israel inflicted heavy damage on Hezbollah, killing Nasrallah and other top leaders and destroying much of its arsenal, before a U.S.-negotiated ceasefire halted that conflict last November. Israel continues to occupy parts of southern Lebanon and to carry out near-daily airstrikes. For their part, the Iraqi militias occasionally struck bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria, while Yemen’s Houthis fired at vessels in the Red Sea, a crucial global trade route, and began targeting Israel. Condolences to Iran, condemnations of Israel Hezbollah and its leader Naim Kassem have condemned Israel’s attacks and offered condolences for the senior Iranian officers who were killed. But Kassem did not suggest Hezbollah would take part in any retaliation against Israel. Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollah militia — a separate group from Lebanon’s Hezbollah — released a statement saying it was “deeply regrettable” that Israel allegedly fired at Iran from Iraqi airspace, something that Baghdad complained to the U.N. Security Council over. The Iraqi militia called on the Baghdad government to “urgently expel hostile forces from the country,” a reference to U.S. troops in Iraq as part of the fight against the militant Islamic State group, but made no threat of force. Hezbollah was weakened by last year’s fighting and after losing a major supply route for Iranian weapons with the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad, a key ally, in a lightning rebel offensive in December. “Hezbollah has been degraded on the strategic level while cut off from supply chains in Syria,” said Andreas Krieg, a military analyst and associate professor at King’s College London. A changing attitude to Iran Many Hezbollah members believe “they were sacrificed for Iran’s greater regional interests” since Hamas’ attack on Israel triggered the latest Israel-Hamas war, […]

In one of the most destructive attacks since the current war with Iran began, a direct Iranian missile strike on the city of Bat Yam overnight left six people dead, over 100 injured, and sparked concerns for dozens still unaccounted for.

Massive damage was reported across the area, with rescue and emergency teams continuing to search the rubble into Sunday morning.

Among the fatalities were a 60-year-old woman, an 80-year-old woman, a 55-year-old woman, an 18-year-old boy, a 10-year-old boy, and a young girl. The injured included four people in serious condition, seven in moderate condition, and 88 with light injuries.

Rescue workers are continuing their efforts at the scene.

According to Bat Yam Mayor Tzvika Brot, “There are more than twenty people currently missing. We believe some may still be trapped under the rubble.”

He also reported that 61 buildings sustained damage, with six of them already marked for demolition due to structural collapse.

Emergency service spokesperson Nachman Touboul of United Hatzalah described the situation as “widespread destruction,” adding, “Unfortunately, two women and a 10-year-old boy were killed due to the severity of their injuries. Medical personnel treated over 120 people, most of them lightly injured, with some in moderate or serious condition. Our trauma response teams also supported numerous individuals suffering from anxiety and shock.”

United Hatzalah medics Yair Porush and Avichai Yisraelov, who were among the first responders, confirmed the scale of the devastation. “We arrived at a scene of widespread destruction. Sadly, a 60-year-old woman was pronounced dead. Together with other medics, we treated over 25 injured people. Most had light injuries, though some were in moderate condition,” they said.

Magen David Adom emergency medical technician Yosef Kurdi recounted: “After the missile barrage, the 101 emergency hotline received multiple reports of a direct hit on a building in Gush Dan, along with severe destruction to surrounding buildings. Large MDA teams arrived and began extensive searches throughout the area, including the 14-story building that took a direct hit, and neighboring structures.”

Kurdi added, “We provided medical care to about 65 injured people who were rescued from the buildings. One of them, a woman around 60 years old, was critically wounded, and we were forced to pronounce her dead at the scene. All casualties were transferred to a safe triage point and evacuated to area hospitals by ambulance and intensive care units.”

Photos from the aftermath show the harrowing scale of the destruction in Bat Yam.

{Matzav.com Israel}

U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. had “nothing to do with” Israel’s attack against Iran Sunday morning, warning that any attack against the U.S. will be met with the “full strength and might” of the U.S. military. “The U.S. had nothing to do with the attack on Iran, tonight,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “If we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the U.S. Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before,” he continued. “However, we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict!!!” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

In the past hour, seven drones launched at Israel from Iran, were intercepted by the Israeli Air Force and Israeli Navy, the military says.

TRAGIC UPDATE: The death toll at the scene of the Iranian missile attack in Bat Yam has risen to 6 after two additional fatalities were recovered. The victims include a woman around 60, a man around 70, a woman around 55, a boy around 10, a girl around 8, and a teenage boy around 18. There are reportedly still 18 people unaccounted for. Search and rescue operations continue.

President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Iran, stating that any assault on the United States would trigger an unprecedented military response “at levels never seen before.”

He emphasized that the power unleashed by the U.S. Armed Forces would be unlike anything witnessed in the past.

In a message posted on his Truth Social account, Trump made it clear that the United States was not involved in the recent overnight strike on Iranian territory. He added, “we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict!!!”

{Matzav.com}

The IDF releases footage of Israeli strikes on ballistic missile launchers in Iran. In the past hour, the Air Force carried out another wave of strikes in western Iran, targeting missile storage and launch infrastructure.

The IDF announced on Sunday morning the death of Sergeant First Class (res.) Noam Shemesh, a 21-year-old from Yerushalayim, who was serving as a squad commander in the Shimshon Battalion (92) of the Kfir Brigade. He was killed in action during fighting in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

With his passing, the total number of Israeli military personnel who have died since the beginning of the war has reached 867. Of those, 424 soldiers have fallen since the ground operation in Gaza commenced.

{Matzav.com Israel}

UPDATE: MISSING PERSON FOUND: The individual who was reported missing on Shabbos afternoon in Boro Park has been safely located. Boro Park Shomrim extends its thanks to Chaverim and all volunteers from across neighborhoods who participated in the successful search.

  HY’D: IDF Sergeant First Class (res.) Noam Shemesh, aged 21, was killed in Gaza, the IDF announced. Shemesh, from Yerushalayim, was a squad commander in the Shimshon Battalion (92), Kfir Brigade. No other details were released by the IDF.

The death toll from heavy rains that inundated parts of San Antonio has risen to 13, and all those missing have been found, authorities said Saturday. More than 7 inches (18 centimeters) of rain fell over a span of hours on Thursday, causing fast-rising floodwaters to carry more than a dozen cars into a creek. Some people climbed trees to escape. Firefighters rescued more than 70 people across the nation’s seventh-largest city. More than a dozen cars got stuck or overturned in Beital Creek. The San Antonio Fire Department said 11 of those who died were found in the Perrin Beitel search area around the creek. One person was found several miles upstream. (AP)

TEHILLIM: The tzibur is urgently requested to daven for Baruch Avraham Yisroel Ben Chava Yitta and Golda Bas Rochel Fraida, both of whom are in critical condition after being struck by a drunk driver in a serious Motzei Shabbos accident on Old Nyack Turnpike in Monsey. Two other children were also struck in the incident and are reported to be in stable condition.

The horrific scene in Bat Yam as search and rescue operations continue.

Footage from the site of an Israeli airstrike on the Hamedan Province of Western Iran earlier today shows the destruction of several trucks which appear to have been carrying ballistic missiles.

A manhunt unfolded on Shabbos across the Minneapolis suburbs as authorities searched for a suspect accused of impersonating a law enforcement officer and murdering a sitting Democratic legislator. The shootings, described by Governor Tim Walz as “a politically motivated assassination,” resulted in the deaths of Democratic leader Melissa Hortman and her husband, and left Senator John Hoffman and his wife wounded. Officials believe the suspect attempted to flee following the attacks.

The victims were shot in two separate early-morning incidents—first in Champlin, where police responded to reports of gunfire and found Hoffman and his wife Yvette suffering from multiple bullet wounds, and later in Brooklyn Park, where law enforcement, acting on a welfare check, encountered the suspect as he was exiting the Hortman residence dressed in a police uniform and near a car resembling a squad vehicle.

“When officers confronted him, the individual immediately fired upon the officers who exchanged gunfire, and the suspect retreated back into the home,” said Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley. The man managed to escape on foot, triggering a region-wide lockdown and a massive response involving hundreds of armed officers, checkpoints, and tactical units.

Authorities have identified the suspect as 57-year-old Vance Boelter. A photo released by officials showed Boelter in a tan cowboy hat, and investigators obtained surveillance footage believed to show his movements. The FBI announced a reward of up to $50,000 for information that leads to his arrest and conviction.

Boelter had previously served as a political appointee on Minnesota’s workforce development board—an entity on which Senator Hoffman also served. It remains unclear what level of interaction, if any, they had during their shared tenure. Boelter’s wife had also registered a private security company called Praetorian Guard Security Services LLC, which advertised armed patrol services using SUV-style vehicles that resembled police cruisers. Online images associated with the business show men in tactical gear with military helmets and ballistic vests.

A source close to the investigation told The Associated Press that Boelter’s car contained “No Kings” flyers—referencing a slogan used by anti-authoritarian protestors—and a collection of writings naming the victims and other political figures. The source added that some of the materials included threats directed at lawmakers who have publicly supported abortion rights. The same source requested anonymity due to the sensitive and ongoing nature of the investigation.

Governor Walz issued a somber message in response to the tragedy, saying, “We must all, in Minnesota and across the country, stand against all forms of political violence. Those responsible for this will be held accountable.” He ordered state flags lowered in tribute to Hortman.

Melissa Hortman, 55, had been a prominent Democratic voice in Minnesota politics since 2017 and had most recently held the honorary title of speaker emerita. She had taken a strong stance on reproductive rights, pushing through legislation in 2023 that enshrined abortion protections in Minnesota law, making it a haven for out-of-state patients and shielding providers from legal repercussions.

“She woke up every day, determined to make this state a better place,” said Walz. “She is irreplaceable.” Hortman and her husband, Mark, had two adult children. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner reported that she died at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds, while her husband was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Senator Hoffman, 60, was elected in 2012 and chaired the influential Senate Human Services Committee. He and his wife both underwent surgery after the attack, and Governor Walz stated, “We are cautiously optimistic they will survive this assassination attempt.”

Following the shootings, law enforcement urged state officials to exercise caution. The State Patrol advised Minnesotans to avoid attending “No Kings” protests out of an abundance of caution, even though there was no confirmed threat to the events. Despite the warnings and the official cancellation of organized protests, demonstrators still gathered at the Capitol and across the Twin Cities.

Boelter reportedly sent cryptic text messages to acquaintances before disappearing. According to the Star Tribune, he wrote: “I’m going to be gone for a while. May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn’t gone this way. … I’m sorry for all the trouble this has caused.” David Carlson, a friend, read the texts aloud to reporters.

Neighbors in Inver Grove Heights, where Boelter once lived, recalled little about him personally but spoke kindly of his family. “It’s really sad for the kids, very, very nice kids,” said Michael Cassidy, who remembered the suspect’s daughters playing outdoors. He also mentioned that Boelter’s wife had once joined his family in prayer.

A source briefed on the investigation told AP that multiple AK-style rifles were recovered from Boelter’s vehicle. He is believed to still be carrying a pistol. Police said that, based on current intelligence, the suspect had likely left the immediate area, prompting them to lift a temporary shelter-in-place order.

Douglas Thompson, a Brooklyn Park resident, expressed outrage. “This is crazy, someone going after representatives. This is wrong. I’m hoping they’ll catch them.”

The killings added to a growing list of violent incidents targeting political figures. In recent years, politicians across the ideological spectrum have faced threats, assaults, and plots. These include the 2020 kidnapping scheme against Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the 2022 hammer attack on Paul Pelosi, and the July 2024 attempted assassination of President Donald Trump, in which he was grazed by a bullet that fatally struck a supporter. More recently, a man with a rifle was arrested near Trump’s Florida residence.

In response to the Minnesota shootings, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he had requested an immediate security review for Democratic Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith. He also called for a bipartisan briefing on lawmaker safety. “Condemning violence is important but it is not enough,” Schumer wrote on X. “We must also confront the toxic forces radicalizing individuals and we must do more to protect one another, our democracy, and the values that bind us as Americans.”

Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, a Republican, called the events “evil” and said she was “heartbroken beyond words.”

President Donald Trump also issued a statement on the situation: “Our Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and the FBI, are investigating the situation, and they will be prosecuting anyone involved to the fullest extent of the law. Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!”

{Matzav.com}

An Iranian government representative issued a stern warning that any nation offering support to Israel would become a direct target of Iranian retaliation.

“Iran reserves the right – under international law – to respond decisively to this regime,” the official told CNN. “Any country that attempts to defend the regime against Iran’s operations will, in turn, see its regional bases and positions become new targets.”

Iran leveled accusations at the United States, claiming it had aided Israel in its military operation. However, the Trump administration rejected the allegation and cautioned Tehran during a U.N. Security Council session on Friday that it should “be wise” and enter negotiations about its nuclear ambitions, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Following Israel’s launch of Operation Rising Lion late Thursday, which focused on Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure, Secretary of State Marco Rubio made it clear that the operation was solely an Israeli initiative.

“Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran,” Rubio said in a statement released by the White House. “We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region.

“Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense. President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our regional partners. Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel.”

On Friday, President Donald Trump reportedly noted that the Israeli military had utilized “great American equipment” during the offensive.

According to information provided to CNN by American and Israeli officials, the U.S. military assisted in shooting down Iranian missiles aimed at Israel. An Israeli source also told CNN that other regional allies had contributed to bolstering Israel’s air defense systems.

{Matzav.com}

Israel has pressed the Trump administration to enter the conflict against Iran with the objective of dismantling the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, according to two Israeli sources familiar with the matter, Axios reports.

While Israel has launched extensive strikes, it lacks the necessary firepower—such as long-range bombers and bunker-busting munitions—to effectively destroy Iran’s Fordow enrichment facility, which is fortified deep within a mountain, Axios claims. The U.S. military, on the other hand, possesses these capabilities and has them stationed within range of Iranian territory.

Despite the request, the Trump administration has, so far, opted not to involve itself in the Israeli operation, maintaining that any Iranian retaliation against American assets would not be justified. Officials have warned that even limited U.S. strikes on Iranian soil could lead to full American entry into the conflict.

Israel sees the destruction of Fordow as crucial. If that site remains intact, officials say, the mission to neutralize Iran’s nuclear threat will be deemed a failure.

One Israeli official told Axios that the U.S. may ultimately take part in the operation and claimed that President Trump recently told Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu that he would be willing to assist if the situation demands it.

However, a White House spokesperson denied that assertion on Friday. A second American official confirmed Israel’s appeal for U.S. involvement but stated that, for now, there is no active consideration of entering the war.

A senior White House source commented to Axios, “Whatever happens today cannot be prevented.” The official continued, “But we have the ability to negotiate a successful peaceful resolution to this conflict if Iran is willing. The fastest way for Iran to accomplish peace is to give up its nuclear weapons program.”

Speaking to Fox News on Friday, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter emphasized, “The entire operation… really has to be completed with the elimination of Fordow.”

{Matzav.com}

Israeli military officials flatly rejected claims by Iranian state media alleging that two Israeli fighter jets had been shot down and one pilot captured. The IDF labeled the report a fabrication.

“This news being spread by Iranian media is completely baseless,” said Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson, dismissing the narrative as “fake Iranian media.”

At a press briefing today, IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Effie Defrin disclosed that more than 70 Israeli aircraft conducted a sustained two-hour operation over Tehran, targeting more than 40 strategic sites. He emphasized that this mission marked the IDF’s deepest incursion into Tehran’s airspace to date.

According to Defrin, Israeli forces maintained complete aerial freedom throughout the mission and no aircraft were lost, contradicting Iranian assertions that an Israeli jet had been taken down.

Following the press conference, the IDF confirmed that it had struck multiple missile systems and launchers inside Iran, specifically those positioned to threaten Israel.

This comes amid statements by Israeli defense officials earlier, asserting that the Israel Air Force can now operate deep into Iranian territory, including Tehran, due to the significant degradation of Iran’s air defense infrastructure.

{Matzav.com}

Overnight, three drones launched at Israel from Iran were shot down by the Israeli Air Force over southern Israel. The IDF publishes footage showing a helicopter shooting down one of the drones.