About 200 Terrorists and Suspects Arrested at Nasser Hospital; US, UK Struck 18 Houthi Targets

Operation at Nasser Hospital Concludes: The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit announced that “during the last week, the precise operation of the 98th Division and Shayetet 13 against the Hamas terrorist organization in the area of the Nasser Hospital was concluded.”

“During the operational activity, boxes of sealed medicines were found in the hospital with the names of Israeli hostages on them, large quantities of weapons were found, and about 200 terrorists and suspects in terrorist activities were detained.”

“The operational activity was conducted to ensure minimal disruption to the hospital’s ongoing activities and without harming patients and medical staff. Furthermore, the soldiers of the division provided an alternative generator that allowed the hospital to continue functioning and treating patients, while all the vital systems of the hospital continued to operate on an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) throughout the operational activity.”

Last week, the hospital also received a supply of hundreds of food portions, including water, food, medical equipment, and baby formula. In addition, as part of the effort to protect the patients, officers from the Coordination and Liaison Administration for Gaza coordinated the transfer of several critically ill patients to other hospitals at the request of the hospital staff and in cooperation with the international community.

Meanwhile, in Khan Yunis, during efforts to evacuate the civilian population from combat zones during the weekend, IDF soldiers identified terrorists who had attempted escape by hiding amongst evacuating Gaza civilians, who were then apprehended by the IDF. In the same area, the troops killed several terrorists, located stored weapons, and destroyed rocket launch zones. (INN / VFI News)

“Though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed.” – Psalm 21:11

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US, UK Pummel Houthi Sites Across Yemen as Red Sea Attacks Escalate: The US and Britain struck 18 Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday, February 24, answering a recent surge in attacks by the Iran-backed rebel group on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, including a missile strike this past week that set fire to a cargo vessel.

According to US officials, American and British fighter jets hit sites in eight locations, targeting missiles, launchers, rockets, drones, and air defense systems. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to provide early details of an ongoing military operation.

This is the fourth time that the US and British militaries have conducted a combined operation against the Houthis since January 12. But the US has also been carrying out almost daily strikes to take out Houthi targets, including incoming missiles and drones aimed at ships, as well as weapons that were prepared to launch.

“The United States will not hesitate to take action, as needed, to defend lives and the free flow of commerce in one of the world’s most critical waterways,” said US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. “We will continue to make clear to the Houthis that they will bear the consequences if they do not stop their illegal attacks.”

The Houthis denounced the “US-British aggression” and vowed to keep up its military operation in response. (TOI / VFI News)

“Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the Lord and do good.” – Psalm 37:1-2

1 out of 4 Israelis Used Addictive Substances Since October 7: Since the October 7 massacre, 1 in 4 Israelis has been using addictive substances, according to a recent report by the Israeli Center for Addiction (ICA).

These substances include alcohol, unprescribed drugs, and prescription drugs, at a total 15% increase from the corresponding figure in mid-2022, although increased risk use of alcohol among certain cohorts actually decreased.

The report indicates, among other things, a significant increase in the use of prescription drugs, sedatives, and sleeping pills in particular. As of December 23, about 1 in 6 Israelis was dealing with an addiction to prescription drugs. Additionally, 1 in 10 was dealing with addiction to sedatives and sleeping pills – an increase of 100% and 180% compared to 2022.

The growth in the use of increased-risk sedatives and sleep medications was found regardless of gender and age (among women, men, young and old). Among young people, a 7% increase was found in the increased-risk use of cannabis (13.4% vs. 12.5%).

In addition, the increase in high-risk use of addictive substances parallels the increase in the proportion of Israelis who suffer from post-traumatic stress following the events of October 7: approximately 1 in 3 women and approximately 1 in 5 men were found to have a high level of post-traumatic stress following the events, an increase of about 150% and 65% respectively in comparison to the data in 2022. (JPost / VFI News)

“God, we pray that You heal all the people who are suffering both physically and mentally due to the war. We humbly ask that You take care of them, guide them towards recovery, and give them the strength to overcome their addictions. We pray for the mental well-being of everyone who has been severely affected since the October 7 massacre, and we hope that our healthcare system will meet their needs.”

Blinken Under Fire for Reversing Policy on ‘Settlements’: A Shameful Decision: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken came under fire following his announcement on Friday, February 23, that Israel’s presence in Judea and Samaria is “inconsistent with international law”, reversing the policy of the Trump administration on the issue.

Former US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman wrote on X, “Blinken is 100% wrong. I researched this for over a year with many State Department lawyers. There is nothing illegal about Jews living in their biblical homeland. Indeed, Undersecretary of State Eugene Rostow, also the Dean of the Yale Law School (who negotiated UNSCR 242), stated that Israel has the best legal claim to Judea and Samaria.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson shared Friedman’s post and wrote, “Ambassador David Friedman is absolutely correct. This is a shameful decision. The Jewish people have a historic and legal right to live in the land of Israel including in Judea and Samaria – the biblical heartland.”

Blinken, speaking at a news conference during a trip to Buenos Aires, said the United States was disappointed by Israel’s announcement on Thursday of plans to approve new housing units in Judea and Samaria in response to the shooting attack near Maaleh Adumim.

He said that the new construction is counterproductive to reaching an enduring peace and then added, “They’re also inconsistent with international law. Our administration maintains a firm opposition to settlement expansion, and in our judgment this only weakens, doesn’t strengthen Israel’s security.” (INN / VFI News)

“The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” – Proverbs 12:26

Antisemitism Explodes in Europe: In 2023, antisemitic incidents reached a record high in Denmark since the Jewish community began keeping records ten years ago. The community said in a new report that there have been 121 recorded antisemitic incidents in the country, an increase of 112 incidents from 2023’s nine incidents.

This is more than twice the previous record year of 2014, in which there were 53 incidents. November 2023 was the month with the highest number of incidents (42). Twenty of the recorded incidents were threats of harm or death against Jewish individuals or Jews as a group.

Meanwhile, in the UK, “for the first time ever, antisemitic incidents were recorded in every single police region,” states the Community Security Trust (CST) in their Antisemitic Incidents Report 2023. The report also states that an alarming “4,103 instances of anti-Jewish hate [were] recorded across the UK in 2023… the highest annual total ever reported.”

Further, when the hearings of a case filed by South Africa accusing Israel began at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Norway expressed support for the lawsuit.

Lastly, some 26 French lawmakers, belonging to three left-wing parties, recently signed a petition sent to the president of the International Olympic Committee demanding that the Israeli athletes participate in the Olympics without the symbols of the state – the Israeli flag and national anthem – and compete neutrally, as the Russian and Belarusian athletes competed in the Tokyo Olympics. (JPost / VFI News)

“You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” – Matthew 10:22

Iran Sends Russia Hundreds of Ballistic Missiles: Iran has provided Russia with a large number of powerful surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, six sources told British media, deepening the military cooperation between the two U.S.- sanctioned countries.

Iran’s provision of around 400 missiles includes many from the Fateh-110 family of short-range ballistic weapons, such as the Zolfaghar, three Iranian sources said. This road-mobile missile is capable of striking targets at a distance of between 300 km and 700 km (186 miles and 435 miles), experts say.

The shipments began in early January after a deal was finalized in meetings late last year between Iranian and Russian military and security officials in Tehran and Moscow, one of the Iranian sources said.

An Iranian military official – who, like the other sources, asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the information – said there had been at least four shipments of missiles and there would be more in the coming weeks. He declined to provide further details.

Another senior Iranian official said some of the missiles were sent to Russia by ship via the Caspian Sea, while others were transported by plane. “There will be more shipments,” the second Iranian official said. “There is no reason to hide it. We are allowed to export weapons to any country that we wish to.” (YNet / VFI News)

“Lord, we pray for an end to the war in Ukraine and full reparations in the country. We ask that any weapon used as an offense will not prosper and that greedy governments and nations will be prevented from acquiring even more power and harming the vulnerable. We also pray for the people in Iran and we ask that You raise a just government that will seek peace and represent them appropriately.”

Israeli-Developed Foldable Car Could Change Urban Driving: An Israeli innovation is capturing attention in the streets of Tel Aviv. City Transformer’s foldable car prototype, dubbed “the world’s first adaptable car,” can shrink to “drive like a car and park like a motorcycle.”

The electric car slims down from 2.5 meters (just over 8 feet) to just 1 meter (3.2 feet) in width and can reach up to 90 km/h (57 mph). Founded in 2014, City Transformer is gearing up for production of its advanced model at the Cecomp plant in Torino, Italy, with sales starting in July.

The company has secured 1,000 orders in Israel for medical emergency teams, plus another 1,000 globally. Priced at 16,000 euros before VAT and taxes, it may cost up to NIS 100,000 in Israel, raising questions about its market viability.

In its narrowest setting, the car’s top speed is 40 km/h (24 mph). With a push of a button on the steering wheel, it expands to full width to occupy a whole lane. It houses twin engines in the rear wheels, providing up to 20 horsepower, taking 5 seconds to reach 50 km/h (31 mph)—almost twice as slow as other modern electric cars.

Weighing just 450 kg (992 lbs), it easily merges into city traffic. Despite its compact size, the transformer boasts a sizable turning diameter of 8.5 meters (nearly 27 feet), facilitating easy parking with up to four vehicles fitting into an average city parking spot. (YNet / VFI News)

Israel Transplants Miniature Pacemakers in Patients: The first implants of the new generation Micra AV-2 miniature and innovative heart pacemakers were performed at the Shamir Medical Center on patients who required an artificial cardiac pacemaker.

This is a new generation of heart pacemakers similar to the one implanted in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about a year ago. The implantation of the new pacemaker at Sheba was performed in a procedure that took half an hour and was successful with excellent clinical outcomes and without incisions or scars.

The procedure was performed by Dr. Vladimir Vasilchenko, a senior cardiologist with extensive experience in advanced pacemaker implantation. “The advantage of the new generation of miniature heart pacemakers lies in better performance and lower risks compared to traditional pacemakers,” he explained.

“You no longer need to put anything under the skin that sticks out and you can see it or thread electrodes into the veins. This solution minimizes the need to put the patients through a very cumbersome system and instead uses an elegant and simpler system that does not circulate in the blood vessels and this is the great advantage,” explains Professor Elad Anter, head of the Arrhythmia Institute at the Shamir Medical Center.

At Sheba Medical Center, the surgery was led by Professor Roy Beinart, director of the Davidai Arrhythmia Center, on a 34-year-old patient born with a rare heart defect. She underwent complex surgery to alleviate her condition and afterward required the tiny pacemaker implantation due to her unique heart structure, which posed a relatively high risk of infection following the surgery.

The new generation heart pacemaker, Micra AV-2, developed by Medtronic, is the smallest in the world, designed to synchronize the heart’s electrical activity by sending electrical pulses to the right ventricle. (YNet / VFI News)

“Lord, we thank You for gifting us scientists and doctors who provide solutions for some of the most common and significant medical problems. We are extremely grateful for them and we ask that You continue to bless them with new ideas and innovations.”

The suggestions, opinions, and scripture references made by VFI News writers and editors are based on the best information received.