VFI News IDF Found Terror Tunnel Shaft in Compound Which Was Previously a Kindergarten; Hezbollah Reportedly Gathered Supplies from Europe to Attack Israel

IDF Found Terror Tunnel Shaft in Compound Which Was Previously a Kindergarten; Hezbollah Reportedly Gathered Supplies from Europe to Attack Israel . . .

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Troops of the Golani Brigade have been operating in the Rafah area to locate and dismantle Hamas terrorist infrastructure both above and below ground. 

During the operation, IDF troops located a tunnel shaft belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization within a compound that had previously served as a kindergarten, and approximately 100 meters from another compound that had previously served as a civilian school in the Rafah area. 

Troops of the Yahalom Unit, under the Golani Brigade's command, examined the tunnel shaft, which led to a booby-trapped underground route stretching for dozens of meters and connecting to a central route used by the Hamas terrorist organization.

The shaft and the tunnel route were subsequently dismantled. The IDF stated, "The Hamas terrorist organization systematically violates international law, cynically exploiting civilian institutions and the population as human shields for terrorist activities. The IDF will continue to operate with strength and determination against terrorist organizations." (INN/VFI News)

“Our Heavenly Father, we pray for protection over the soldiers going into the tunnels and that their missions will be successful. We pray that not one soldier will be lost in this operation and that all the tunnels that are intended for terror will be destroyed. We pray that the Hamas terrorist organization will be fully dismantled and that whichever innocent civilians are in Gaza will be spared and protected from their evil deeds. We continue to pray for the remaining hostages to return as quickly as possible. In Yeshua's name, amen.”

Hezbollah's network for acquiring materials to produce drones to attack Israel spans across multiple European countries, a French daily newspaper reported last week.

Starting in October 2023, the Iran-backed, Lebanon-based terror group carried out hundreds of drone attacks against the Jewish State, with reports from mid-October suggesting it had some 2,000 drones in its arsenal. 

According to the French newspaper, three Lebanese individuals arrested in July of 2024 were suspected of buying such materials via Spanish companies they owned. The components bought in Catalonia, which included electronic guidance systems, propulsion propellers, and hundreds of electric engines, sufficed to make drones capable of transporting several kilos of explosives, the report noted. 

Catalonia resident Firas A.H. was suspected of buying "materials that could be converted into weapons of war that could be used against civilian and military targets in Israel and Europe," the French daily cited the Spanish authorities as saying. 

However, according to a French source, the network had no intentions of carrying out terror attacks in Europe. 

According to the French newspaper, citing Spanish authorities, the network intended "to imminently proceed with the shipment by sea to Lebanon of a massive quantity of essential components for the construction of unmanned aircraft, with the resulting risk to collective security and, in particular, to the safety of Israeli citizens."(JPost/VFI News)

“Dear Lord, we pray that all the enemies of Israel and their wicked plans will fail. We pray in Yeshua's Name that they repent sorrowfully and if they don't, to be removed from society and receive justice for their crimes according to Your Will. We thank You for protecting us always. We are extremely grateful for You, Your Love and endless mercies which are new every morning.”

A Manchester Arena terrorist has 'attacked three prison officers with cooking oil and makeshift weapons', according to the Prison Officers' Association (POA). The officers received life-threatening injuries after being assaulted by Hashem Abedi at HMP Frankland, County Durham, on Saturday, April 12, the union said.

Abedi, 28, is serving life at a high-security prison for helping his brother plot 22 murders in the Manchester Arena bombing. The officers suffered burns, scalds and stab wounds when Abedi threw hot cooking oil over them before using makeshift weapons to stab them in the 'unprovoked' and 'vicious' attack, the POA added.

A source told media that Abedi was preparing food in a kitchen at the category A jail, dubbed 'Monster Mansion,' when his terrifying rampage began and he started throwing scalding oil on a pair of guards. The attacker is then said to have produced two huge homemade weapons with 20cm long blades before he started slashing at the duo as well as another officer. 

One of the guards was stabbed in the neck once and another officer was stabbed five times in the back, according to the source. All three officers were rushed to hospital after the vicious assault. 

Two are still receiving treatment, and Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP)  — who are leading the investigation into the attack — said on Saturday evening that they have serious injuries. Prison service sources said the third, a female, was released after being treated. 

Prison union sources suggested that Abedi may have stolen a weapon from a kitchen although there were unconfirmed reports that a knife may have been carried into the prison via a drone, according to British media. The attacker was restrained by prison officers who bravely raced to the horrific scene before a riot squad arrived. (DM/VFI News) 

“Dear God, we pray for the wounded officers’ physical and mental health. We pray that You help them recover fully and prevent them from developing PTSD after this horrid event. We also pray that the criminal will never be able to harm anyone else inside the prison and that you stop him from ever escaping. May You help him repent and seek You and Your Son with his whole heart. In Yeshua's Name we pray.”

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday, April 13, that he expected to make a decision on Iran very quickly after both countries said they held "positive" and "constructive" talks in Oman on Saturday and agreed to reconvene this week.

Trump, who has threatened military action if no deal is reached on halting Iran's nuclear program, told reporters aboard Air Force One that he met with advisers on Iran and expected a quick decision. He gave no further details."We'll be making a decision on Iran very quickly," he said.

An American news outlet cited two sources with knowledge of the issue as saying that a second round of nuclear talks between the United States and Iran would take place next Saturday in Rome. 

The talks held in Oman on Saturday were the first between Iran and the Trump administration, including the US president's 2017-2021 first term. Officials said they took place in a "productive, calm and positive atmosphere. On Saturday, Trump told reporters the US-Iran talks were going "okay," adding, "Nothing matters until you get it done, so I don’t like talking about it, but it’s going okay. The Iran situation is going pretty good, I think." 

Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araqchi will visit Russia this week, the foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday and will consult with Moscow regarding the latest talks between Iran and the US in Oman. (JPost/VFI News) 

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.” - Proverbs 11:30

Thanks to wonderful supporters like you, hundreds of families all over the country received financial aid from VFI for Passover. Among them were: terror survivors, lone soldiers, families in need (including many single-parent families), Holocaust survivors, and new immigrants from Ethiopia and other nations.

Yemen's government is reportedly preparing to launch a massive assault to recapture Hodeidah Port in western Yemen from the Houthis, according to a Friday report, April 11, in Emirati state media.

Yemen's internationally recognized government is preparing to mass nearly 80,000 troops for what would be the largest offensive of the civil war, according to statements by Dr. Abdulaziz Sager, chairman of the Gulf Research Center based in Saudi Arabia, on Friday.

"To my best knowledge, there is a preparation of almost 80,000 soldiers from the legitimate Yemeni government in different locations in order to take over [Hodeidah]," Dr Sager said.

80,000 soldiers would represent a majority of all non-Houthi forces in Yemen. This would constitute the largest offensive of the civil war and would also set the stage for an assault on the capital city Sana'a, which has been under Houthi control since 2014.

The Emirati state newspaper reported on Friday that renewed airstrikes on the Houthis generally, but in particular on Hodeidah, had helped pave the way for an upcoming assault, with reports indicating that strikes had killed several key Houthis. Hodeidah is considered one of Yemen's key ports and was a major source of food imports before the war. (JPost/VFI News)

“The Lord executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.” - Psalm 103:6

An immigration judge has ruled that Mahmoud Khalil can be deported from the U.S. due to his involvement in leading last year’s pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University. Judge Jamee Comans ruled in Louisiana on Friday, April 11, that Khalil, 30, can be deported, saying that the U.S. government met its burden of proof to remove him.

“I would like to quote what you said last time that there's nothing that's more important to this court than due process rights and fundamental fairness,” Khalil told the court. “Clearly, what we witnessed today, neither of these principles were present today or in this whole process.”

“This is exactly why the Trump administration has sent me to this court, 1,000 miles away from my family. I just hope that the urgency that you deemed fit for me are afforded to the hundreds of others who have been here without hearing for months.” Khalil's team of attorneys have until April 23 to file relief applications.

During the hearing on Friday, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) attorneys also spoke about how Khalil misrepresented himself on his green card application. DHS attorneys said that he willfully failed to disclose his employment with the Syrian office in the British Embassy in Beirut when he applied for permanent U.S. residency.

Federal officials also alleged that Khalil was "inadmissible at the time of his adjustment" because of "fraud or willful misrepresentation of material fact" in his status application. The agency further accused Khalil of failing to disclose his work with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees and membership in Columbia University Apartheid Divest. (FN/VFI News)

“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.” - Romans 13:1-2

New immigrants have not been deterred by the war; they’ve looked past the security challenges and have decided to uproot their lives, heading to the Holy Land. The Aliyah and Integration Ministry published a summary of immigration data on Wednesday, April 9, tracking the progression of the 27,281 who have moved to Israel since April 2024. 

New beginnings are afoot for new immigrants, or olim, hailing from countries in all corners of the world. The country with the most new immigrants is Russia, with 15,188. Following that are the United States, France, and Ukraine. 

Beyond the “typical” countries of origin, immigrants also arrived from South Korea, Kenya, Zambia, and even Afghanistan, adding a unique twist to the olim community. 

Olim come at various ages: 212 immigrants in the last year were at or above 85, and 5,700 were under 18, moving as part of one of the 15,020 families who immigrated. The largest group, making up 16% of immigrants, was the 25-34 year age range at 4,519 people. 

Among those who moved here in the last year was Salomé Bokobza, 30, who moved from France. “I never really considered aliyah until my trip here two [Passovers] ago in 2023. I am pretty traditional; I keep Shabbat and kosher, and I found it harder and harder to do so in France, especially as a young professional,” she told Israeli media on Wednesday. (JPost/VFI News) 

Israeli track team won the men's team gold medal in the marathon event at the European Running Championships on Sunday, April 13, in Belgium.

The race was run from Leuven to Brussels. Members of the Israeli team, Gashau Ayale, finished second, Maru Teferi, finished third, and Haimro Alame, finished fourth. The winner was Italian national Iliass Aouani. 

In the women’s competition, Israelis Chemtai Lonah Salpeter and Maor Tiyouri finished in third and fourth place, respectively. The Israeli team won second place in the team event. 

“In every competition I enter, I aim for the top. I want us to keep the team medal in the years to come. We want to dedicate this medal to the hostages and to uplift the people. I’m the happiest person in the world,” Ayale told the Israeli media following the team's victory. 

“I’m very happy for myself and for my team, also on a personal level. I’m pleased with the bronze medal, and I want to thank everyone,” Teferi told the same news outlet. “I came here just to run with the rest of the team—I wasn’t aiming for the podium.” (JPost/VFI News) 

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” - 1 Corinthians 10:31