The IDF has twice attempted to eliminate Mohammed Deif, the infamous head of Hamas’s military wing, the Izzedin al-Qassam Brigades, since the start of Operation Guardian of the Walls but Dief managed to narrowly escape with his life both times. The report was only cleared for publication on Tuesday night and was confirmed by IDF Spokesperson Hidai Zilberman on Wednesday morning. “I think he knows by now,” Zilberman said jokingly. One of the IDF’s main goals in Operation Guardian of the Walls has been the elimination of senior Hamas and Islamic Jihad commanders. The army has successfully killed dozens of commanders over the past week and a half but the elusive Dief has managed to survive Israel’s sixth attempt to end his life.

The fraud unit of the Tel Aviv Police District will investigate the bleacher collapse at the newly renovated Karlin-Stolin shul on Erev Shavuos in Givat Ze’ev in Jerusalem, which killed two and injured hundreds. The decision was made in order that the Jerusalem Police District isn’t in the position of investigating an incident in which it may have played a part. Senior Karlin-Stolin askanim are expected to be summoned this week for questioning in an investigation for suspected reckless manslaughter. The contractor and engineer responsible for the new shul will also be summoned for interrogation.

In the wake of the terrible tragedy on Erev Shavuos, when the collapse of bleachers at a Chanukas Habayis of a new shul for the Karlin-Stolin chassidus killed two and injured hundreds, a decision was made by the Gerrer Rebbe that bleachers will no longer be used at all in the Gerrer Beis Medrash at tischim or weddings, B’Chadrei Chareidim reported. The unprecedented decision was made despite the fact that all the bleachers used in Gerrer were designed and built with the full approval of the most stringent safety engineers. Due to the tragedy, a decision was made to act with the utmost caution and refrain from using bleachers even if they are approved to be safe.

President Joe Biden greatly increased the pressure on Israel to end the war with Hamas in Gaza, telling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a telephone call Wednesday that he expected “significant de-escalation” by day’s end. Biden asked Netanyahu to move “toward the path to a cease-fire,” according to a White House description of their conversation. Biden’s call came as political and international pressure mounts on him to intervene more forcefully to push an end to the hostilities. Biden, until Wednesday, had avoided pressing Israel more directly and publicly for a cease-fire, or conveyed that level of urgency for ending Israeli airstrikes targeting Hamas in the thickly populated Gaza Strip.

In an announcement published in the Yated Neeman on Sunday morning, Erev Shavuos, HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky and HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein called to the public to refrain from the usual minhag of walking to the Kosel on Shavuos. “During these days, when our enemies are acting brazenly, rachmana litzlan, and are trying to harm those who live in Eretz HaKodesh, it is incumbent upon each person to be mechazeik in all matters, and especially in limmud haTorah on Yom Matan Toraseinu,” the Gedolim stated.

Two people were R”L killed, dozens were injured – some critically – when bleachers collapsed at the new Stoliner Bais Medrash in Givat Ze’ev. It happened moments before Yom Tov, when hundreds of Chassidim had already gathered in the Bais Medrash, and were singing and dancing for a Chanukas Habayis, when suddenly, one of the bleachers collapsed, sending dozens of Bochrim falling to the ground. Magen David Adom and United Hatzolah volunteers rushed to the scene to treat the many injured. United Hatzolah had around 200 volunteers on the scene treating the inquired. Tragically, two people were R”L killed. Around 100 were injured, around 10 critically.   (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

At least five people are injured after a vehicular ramming attack in East Jerusalem, on Derech Shechem. The terrorist has “neutralized.” Initial reports state that the terrorist rammed into police officers as well as a police cruiser. MDA Spokesman: At 16:57 MDA Jerusalem Dispatch Center was notified about several pedestrians hit by a car at Nablus Road in Jerusalem. MDA EMTs and Paramedics provided medical treatment to 6 people injured 2 in mild to moderate condition and 4 in mild condition, evacuating them to the Hadassah hospital in Mount Scopus and to the Sharei Zedek hospital. MDA Paramedic Avi Sheef & senior EMT Moshe Hemed described: “upon arrival to the scene all injured were in consciousness and suffered from injuries to their lower limbs.

Hundreds of rockets were fired at southern and central Israel on Shabbos and a man in the Tel Aviv suburb of Ramat Gan was killed in a direct rocket strike on a residential building. “A large number of MDA members went door to door in Ramat Gan to search the damaged apartments,” Magen David Adom paramedic Lior Marmelstein said. “In one apartment we located an unconscious man in his 50s. After trying to revive him, we were forced to pronounce his death.” The victim lived in an apartment without a sealed room and was killed by shrapnel that pierced his ground-floor apartment. The rocket strike heavily damaged six buildings in Ramat Gan and started a fire. Two people were treated for smoke inhalation.

A 50-year-old woman who was seriously injured while running to a bomb shelter on Tuesday died of her wounds on Friday morning at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan. She was a resident of Neta’im, a moshav in central Israel. On Thursday night, an 87-year-old woman passed away after falling and hitting her head while running to a bomb shelter in a town near Ashdod. A 57-year-old man was seriously injured in Ashkelon when a piece of shrapnel penetrated his stomach. Two Israelis have previously died of heart attacks as a result of rocket attacks. Additionally, four other Israelis suffered mild injuries on Thursday while running to bomb shelters. The death toll in Israel from the current escalation has now reached nine. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

The IDF confirms that 3 rockets were launched from Lebanon towards Israel. For now the Israeli assessment is that the rockets from Lebanon were fired by Palestinian militants based in southern Lebanon, and not by Hezbollah. The rockets landed in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Northern Israel, and caused no damage. BREAKING: A short while ago, three rockets were fired from Lebanon into the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of northern Israel. — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 13, 2021 (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)