A delegation of Gedolei Eretz Yisroel will soon be traveling to the United States in support of Keren Olam Hatorah, the fundraising initiative established to sustain yeshivos and kollelim across Eretz Yisroel amid deep and painful funding cuts by the Israeli government.

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A devastating incident unfolded in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on Friday morning, when a building collapsed on Israeli soldiers. Sources tell YWN that an explosive device detonated, causing the structure to crumble, killing at least five soldiers and injuring several others, with some in critical condition. Israeli forces responded with heavy shelling as helicopters evacuated the wounded. The IDF is expected to release a statement shortly on this incident. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Rabbi Elie Lemmel, an outreach leader with Lev & Lamed, was violently assaulted Friday morning in Neuilly-sur-Seine, a wealthy suburb of Paris — marking the second time in less than a week he has been targeted in France. According to reports, the incident occurred at approximately 8:16 a.m. EDT while Rabbi Lemmel was sitting on the terrace of a local café. An Afghan national reportedly approached the rabbi and hurled a chair at him, allegedly for the sole reason that he was wearing a yarmulka. Bystanders quickly intervened and apprehended the assailant until police arrived. Rabbi Lemmel suffered minor injuries and was transported to a hospital for treatment.

Iran has ordered large quantities of material from China used in the production of ballistic missiles, according to a Wall Street Journal report published Thursday. The revelation comes as Tehran continues indirect nuclear negotiations with the United States — and has sparked renewed concerns about Iran’s military ambitions and regional destabilization efforts. Citing sources familiar with the transaction, the Journal reports that Iran’s order includes enough ammonium perchlorate — a key ingredient in solid-fuel missiles — to manufacture as many as 800 ballistic missiles. The materials were purchased by Iranian company Pishgaman Tejarat Rafi Novin Co. from Hong Kong-based Lion Commodities Holdings Ltd., and are expected to begin arriving in Iran in the coming months.

In a dramatic midday rescue earlier this week, the Chaverim of Rockland Search and Rescue team responded to an emergency involving an unwell hiker deep within the rugged trails near the Palisades, close to the New York/New Jersey border. Over two dozen trained volunteers sprang into action, equipped with specialized gear to handle the challenging terrain. The operation was carried out with the coordination and support of multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Orangetown Police Department, the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office under the leadership of Sheriff Louis Falco, and the Palisades Interstate Parkway Police of New Jersey.

The Israeli Navy is preparing to intercept a vessel sailing under the British flag and carrying prominent international activists, should it attempt to breach the maritime blockade on the Gaza Strip in the coming days. The ship, Madleen, is part of the latest mission organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, a pro-Palestinian group known for its anti-Israel stance. Among the 12 passengers are Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, Brazilian campaigner Thiago Ávila, Irish actor Liam Cunningham of Game of Thrones fame, and French-Palestinian European Parliament member Rima Hassan — who was previously barred from entering Israel over her support for boycotts and armed resistance. Israeli defense officials confirmed Thursday that they are closely tracking the vessel’s route.

Israel has assured the White House that it will not carry out a military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities unless President Donald Trump determines that negotiations with Tehran have failed, according to a report by Axios citing two Israeli officials familiar with the matter. The reassurance was delivered during a high-level visit to Washington last week by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Mossad Director David Barnea, and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi. The Israeli delegation met with senior U.S. officials amid growing concerns in Washington over the possibility that Israel might launch a unilateral attack on Iranian targets, potentially derailing ongoing diplomatic efforts.

Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk is hinting at the creation of a new political party, escalating his increasingly bitter public feud with President Donald Trump, after the two former allies traded barbs on Thursday night. In a poll posted on X, Musk asked his more than 180 million followers whether it was “time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle.” As of early Friday morning, the poll had garnered over 4.7 million responses — with more than 80% voting in favor of the idea. The poll came just hours after Trump, speaking from the Oval Office, criticized Musk for opposing his administration’s latest tax and spending bill. “I’m very disappointed in him,” Trump told reporters.

There was a notable absence last week when U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced in a 58-second video that the government would no longer endorse the COVID-19 vaccine for healthy children or pregnant women. The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — the person who typically signs off on federal vaccine recommendations — was nowhere to be seen. The CDC, a $9.2 billion-a-year agency tasked with reviewing life-saving vaccines, monitoring diseases and watching for budding threats to Americans’ health, is without a clear leader. “I’ve been disappointed that we haven’t had an aggressive director since — February, March, April, May — fighting for the resources that CDC needs,” said Dr.