Israel begins pumping sea water into Hamas tunnels as Biden set to meet with hostage families

The Israel Defense Forces reported another soldier died overnight, bringing the total up to 116 killed since ground operations began in Gaza, according to Fox News' Trey Yingst in Israel.

When asked by Yingst on Thursday, Israeli officials did not give a specific timeline for securing northern Gaza, but added that operations in Khan Younis are taking place "in pockets, not with the aim of holding large pieces of land."

Watch Yingst's full report from southern Israel Thursday in the video above.

Israel's embassy in Washington, D.C., is raising awareness for the more than 130 hostages being held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza by lighting menorahs in their honor during Hanukkah.

"Over 130 hostages remain captive in Gaza," the embassy wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "This Hanukkah, we are going to #BeTheLight for those who can’t light a menorah this year."

In the post, pictures of the hostages could be seen on a wall behind multiple menorahs with lit candles.

Harvard University President Claudine Gay attends a menorah lighting on campus on Wednesday, Dec. 13.

Harvard's embattled president Claudine Gay attended a menorah lighting ceremony at the university on Wednesday amid resounding calls to resign over antisemitism demonstrations on campus and a lackluster testimony to Congress on the topic.

MEDIA

Rabbi resigns from Harvard's antisemitism board following school president's 'painfully inadequate testimony'

Rabbi David Wolpe announced he is exiting Harvard's antisemitism board as the university's president continues facing backlash over comments she made at a congressional hearing.

Approximately 100 students attended the daily lighting ceremony, which was organized by the Harvard Chabad organization. Gay, alongside Professor Jeff Bussgang, was spotted lighting the first candle.

In an Instagram post, the Harvard Chabad announced Gay's presence at the lighting, which led to her being blasted in the comment section.

"When someone asks for a definition of the word, ‘performative,’ we can show them this!" one person wrote.

"What a joke," another wrote. "Absolutely disgraceful."

"Resign," others commented.

Gay's appearance came the day after Harvard’s highest governing body announced that they would not be terminating her.

Click here to read more on this story from Fox News Digital's Sarah Rumpf-Whitten.

IDF operations in Shuja'iyya, Jabalia and Khan Younis remain active Thursday morning.

The Israel Defense Forces said its ground operations against Hamas terrorists remain active in three areas within Gaza.

In Shuja'iyya, the IDF reported that troops targeted Hamas terrorists of the Shuja'iyya Battalion and dismantled their central operating site inside a school compound.

In Jabalia, the IDF directed the Israeli Air Force to strike a sniper firing toward troops inside the building. During the operation, weapons were seized and "a number of terrorists" were neutralized, the IDF said.

Lastly, in Khan Younis, several locations with Hamas weaponry were located and troops destroyed two tunnel shafts, a rocket launch pit and a weapons storage facility.

The families of American citizens still believed to be held hostage by Hamas inside Gaza met with President Biden at the White House, urging him to do everything in his power to bring all of the remaining hostages home. 

Four Americans were released from Hamas captivity during a prisoner exchange last month and eight more are still reported captive after the Oct. 7 terror attack in Israel. 

Family members Ruby Chen, Orna and Ronen Neutra, Jonathan and Roy Dekel-Chen, Adi and Yael Alexander, and Liz Naftali joined Bret Baier on "Special Report" to share stories of their loved ones and place a spotlight on the effort to secure their release.

Read the full article about Gaza hostages by Ashley Carnahan

Israeli soldiers, tanks, howitzers and armored vehicles are seen as Israeli military mobility continues on the Gaza border, in Nahal Oz, Israel on December 13, 2023. (Photo by Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a press briefing on Wednesday that it is taking extensive steps to avoid Gazan casualties amid its war against Hamas.

During the conference, Major Keren Hajioff said that the Israeli military is "committed to international law and a moral code of conduct."

"First, we're encouraging Gazan civilians to temporarily move out of the line of fire," Hajioff explained. "We published a website with maps and instructions to guide Gazans in specific neighborhoods to safer areas."

The IDF official said that the Israeli military is taking precautions for Gazans without Internet service as well.

"We're also communicating by dropping fliers with instructions in Arabic," Hajioff continued. "We also have IDF officers communicating in Arabic, in the media, online, on the radio and on the ground. This is in addition to tens of thousands of individual phone calls that we're making to people in Gaza."

"I want to make it very clear, our warnings to civilians in Gaza to move away from the danger Hamas puts them in ultimately means that the IDF is announcing in advance its areas of operation," she added. "This is almost unheard of in military warfare."

The U.S. House of Representatives chamber is seen December 8, 2008 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images)

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning antisemitism on Wednesday, as the Israel-Hamas war continues.

The resolution specifically censured antisemitism on college campuses and the controversial testimonies by Ivy League presidents last week.

The final vote was 303-126 with three members voting present. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., was the only Republican member to vote against the resolution.

125 Democrats voted no, while 84 voted in favor. The three Democrats to vote present were Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., and Rep. Julie Brownley, D-Calif.

Two members - one Republican and one Democrat - missed the vote.

Fox News Digital's Kelly Phares contributed to this report.

Progressives must condemn Hamas as antisemitic incidents occur across the East San Francisco Bay Area, a neighborhood safety activist and former union organizer told Fox News. 

"The performative altruism that we've experienced in Oakland with our activist class has just been super cringe," said Seneca Scott, who founded the neighborhood safety nonprofit Neighbors Together Oakland. "These people are really useful idiots. And they're just parroting what they see in their algorithm."

"Synagogues being vandalized, Jewish students on universities not feeling safe and people walking in coffee shops in Oakland, California, having to see hate graffiti sprayed on the wall," Scott continued. "The real progressives need to take the lead and say 'We condemn Hamas. We don't agree with anyone who uses rape and torture and murder as a means of gaining power.'" 

Read the full article about Seneca Scott by Jon Michael Raasch

"1619 Project" creator Nikole Hannah-Jones argued Tuesday that embattled Harvard President Claudine Gay is taking heat because of her race, and critics are accusing of her of being soft on anti-Jewish hate as a phony excuse for firing her.

Hannah-Jones told CNN that the furor over Gay is to do with her being African American.

The journalist’s comments came days after Gay was grilled in a congressional hearing and later apologized after giving equivocating, vague responses about whether calls to exterminate Jews violated Harvard conduct rules. Gay has also been accused of multiple instances of plagiarism in past academic writings.

Read the full article about Nikole Hannah-Jones by Gabriel Hays

Soldiers sit on an artillery unity near the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip an injured one man on October 22, 2023 in Netivot, Israel. (Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images)

The Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum reported that an Israeli hostage was killed in Gaza, bringing the total number of deceased hostages to 20 out of 135 who have not been released.

The name of the deceased hostage is Tal Chaimi, 41. His family was informed earlier on Wednesday.

The Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum said that Chaimi was "was connected in every fiber of his soul to the kibbutz, and was one of the pillars of the community."

"His family and friends recount that he was always the first to help, lend a hand, and bring calmness and security to all around him," the press release read. "Just three months ago, Tal lost his mother Esti after a difficult illness."

"Tal leaves behind his wife Ella, three children - 9 year old twins and a 6 year old son, his father Zohar and his sister Or," the announcement added.

Fox News Digital's Dana Karni contributed to this report.

This image grab from an AFP TV footage shows a salvo of rockets fired from Gaza City on October 27, 2023, as battles between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement continue. (Photo by YOUSEF HASSOUNA/AFP via Getty Images)

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Wednesday that Hamas terrorists have fired over a hundred rockets from the humanitarian zone in the Gaza Strip.

The IDF said on X that 116 rockets were launched in total, including 38 that landed in Gaza.

"Hamas has fired 116 rockets from the humanitarian zone toward Israel since its opening on October 18," the IDF post read. "38 of those rockets fell inside Gaza, endangering their own civilians."

"Hamas continues to carry out terrorist activities from the humanitarian zone, designated to prevent harm to civilians, further endangering Gazan lives," the Israeli military added.

A sign for the University of Pennsylvania on campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US, on Friday, Dec. 8, 2023. (Michelle Gustafson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Ivy League administrators of two colleges rejected their schools’ foundational values of faith, morality and virtue last week when they failed to condemn threats of genocide on campus, several education and religious leaders told Fox News Digital this week.

"They’ve drifted radically from their founding principles," said former U.S. Department of Education Secretary William Bennett about some of America's most prestigious universities.

"They’ve forgotten their roots and their moorings," he said.

Read the full article on Ivy League schools by Kerry Byrne

Dunster House on the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023. (Mel Musto/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Outrage among university donors, corporate leaders and the public has been building since faculty and students across U.S. college campuses openly and even gleefully supported the Hamas October 7 atrocities against Israeli civilians.

The outcry reached a deafening roar after Tuesday, Dec. 5, testimony from the presidents of three of America’s top universities offered equivocation and double standards in response to congressional questioning about antisemitism on campus. Before the weekend was over, one of them, the president of the University of Pennsylvania, was forced to resign. 

Yet, many of those expressing indignation, including self-proclaimed liberals and progressives, are merely seeing years of racially divisive rules and rhetoric now fully bearing fruit.  

Read the full opinion piece by Ying Ma

Smoke rising in Shuja'iyya neighbourhood of Gaza is seen from Israel as it continues to deploy soldiers, tanks, military aircraft and armoured vehicles on Gaza Strip in Nahal Oz, Israel on December 13, 2023. (Photo by Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images)

ZIKIM BASE, Israel-Gaza border: It was one of the deadliest clashes of Israel’s ground war in Gaza against Hamas. Nine soldiers killed, some top officers, along with several injured. It happened when Hamas terrorists ambushed troops Tuesday on a mission in the Shejaiya section of Gaza City. On the same day, another soldier was killed farther north.

Fox News spent time that day, just a few miles away, at the Zikim base on the northern Gaza border, a dusty place with sand dunes around and the Mediterranean Sea nearby.  

We watched for several hours as troops steadily streamed toward and away from the battle. They rode in pumped-up, open-top Humvees that sometimes made them look more like extras in a "Mad Max" movie.  

Read the full piece on the Israel-Hamas war by Greg Palkot

Jerry Seinfeld performs onstage at the 2023 Good+Foundation “A Very Good+ Night of Comedy” Benefit at Carnegie Hall on October 18, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Good+Foundation)

Pro-Palestinian protesters marching through downtown Syracuse last week gathered outside the Landmark Theatre to protest comedian Jerry Seinfeld's stand-up show, accusing the star of being "complicit in genocide" over his support for Israel.

According to The Daily Orange, an independent student newspaper at Syracuse University, protesters called for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and an end to all U.S. aid to Israel.

They also condemned House lawmakers for passing a resolution last week which declared anti-Zionism as antisemitism.

Read the full article on Jerry Seinfeld by Taylor Penley

Source: Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum

New York City Mayor Eric Adams invited family members of hostages in Gaza to his home on Wednesday to celebrate Hanukkah.

According to a press release from the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum, the guests were related to hostages still in Gaza, including Omer Shemtov, Tamir Nimrodi, Itay Chen, Shlomi Ziv, Hanan Yablonka, Alex Lobanov and Ron Binyamin.

"We are at a defining moment, a moment when we understand the importance of light and what it symbolizes, especially after the terrible events of October 7," Adams said in a statement. "We want to be clear in our call: Hamas must be destroyed."

"I stand with the families of the hostages who came to New York to express the demand to bring their loved ones home now," he continued. "It is a failure that those responsible for these heinous crimes are not brought to justice when there are hostages in Gaza while the networks are filled with hate."

Fox News Digital's Dana Karni contributed to this report.

House to vote on bipartisan resolution demanding Harvard, MIT presidents resign over antisemitism

The House of Representatives is expected to vote on a bipartisan resolution Wednesday calling for the "immediate resignation" of Harvard President Claudine Gay and MIT President Sally Kornbluth after the boards of each respective institution decided to support the leaders despite their testimony about antisemitism on their campuses.

The resolution was announced on Tuesday hours after the fellows of the Harvard Corporation reaffirmed their support for Gay as the "right leader to help our community heal and to address the very serious societal issues we are facing" early Tuesday morning. 

House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., as well as Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., afterward introduced a resolution condemning the testimony of Harvard, MIT and UPenn's presidents and calling for "the immediate resignation of the remaining presidents at Harvard and MIT." 

Just two days after the hearing last week, MIT’s Executive Corporation had already pledged "full and unreserved support" for Kornbluth, issuing a statement that championed "her outstanding academic leadership, her judgment, her integrity, her moral compass, and her ability to unite our community around MIT’s core values."

Read the full article by Fox News' Danielle Wallace

Family members of American hostages speak out after meeting with Biden

Family members of the eight American hostages who remain in Hamas captivity in Gaza spoke to the press after meeting with President Biden on Wednesday.

The family members spoke with Biden and Secretary of State Tony Blinken at the White House. They told reporters that they were reassured that Biden's administration was doing everything within its power to secure the release of their family members.

While the families decided to keep the specifics of their conversation private, they encouraged the media and Americans to speak about their family members as people and not just hostages.

"They are not just numbers," the families said.

A recently released Hamas hostage's revelation of sexual violence against her fellow captives appears to refute anti-Israel progressives who tend to downplay or dismiss terrorists' atrocities.

Chen Goldstein-Almog, 48, was held hostage by Hamas with three of her children for 51 days following the Palestinian terrorist group's Oct. 7 attack on Israelis.

Her husband and eldest daughter were murdered by Palestinian terrorists during the attack.

Goldstein-Almog and her children were released by the terror group, and the wife and mother gave an interview with the Israeli press on Dec. 11 about her time as a hostage.

During her interview, Goldstein-Almog revealed she heard firsthand accounts of sexual violence from other female hostages by their Hamas captors.

Read the full article by Fox News' Houstone KeeneFox News' Houstone Keene

Fresh sanctions against Hamas leaders, some of whom live in Turkey, again raises the concerns the U.S. has over a historically important NATO ally continuing to support a widely-recognized terrorist group.

"Today’s Treasury announcement makes it clear, yet again, that Turkey is a state sponsor of Hamas," Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital. 

"Turkey continues to pose a major problem to the United States, NATO, Israel and the broader Middle East," he argued. "Sanctions are a good way to draw attention to the problem, but more needs to be done: The U.S. must begin to take steps to shut down the Incirlik air base and cut off Turkish banks from the financial system."

"NATO must take steps to remove Ankara from the alliance," Schanzer stressed. "Israel must begin to target some of the Hamas leaders in Istanbul through kinetic means, and the international community must begin to shun Turkey diplomatically."

The U.S. Treasury and the United Kingdom started targeting Hamas leaders and financiers with strict sanctions following the Oct. 7 terrorist attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel, but this week’s sanctions hit some of its leaders who currently live in Turkey. 

Read the full article by Fox News' Peter Aitken

Israel responds after UN overwhelmingly votes for humanitarian cease-fire: 'A gift to Hamas'

Israel will continue its war on Hamas in Gaza, whether it has international support or not, according to Israel's foreign minister.

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said Wednesday that agreeing to another cease-fire would be a "gift" to Hamas and that Israel’s military would continue its ground offensive in Gaza despite waning international support. The comment comes after the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to support a cease-fire.

"Israel will continue the war against Hamas with or without international support," Cohen said, Reuters reported. "A cease-fire at the current stage is a gift to the terrorist organization Hamas, and will allow it to return and threaten the residents of Israel."

In his statement, Cohen also called on the international community to act "effectively and aggressively" to protect global shipping lanes.

On Tuesday, the United Nations General Assembly voted 153 to 10 in favor of a resolution introduced by Egypt demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire between Hamas and Israel, and for the release of all hostages.

Read the full article by Fox News' Lawrence Richard

FOX News contributor Mike Pompeo joined 'America's Newsroom' to discuss the UNGA overwhelmingly voting for a cease-fire in Gaza as the war continues to plague the Middle East on Wednesday.

U.N. officials have decried the humanitarian situation in Gaza for weeks. While Israel has allowed some aid convoys into Gaza, observers say it is not adequate.

FOX News’ CB Cotton spoke with the loved ones of two hostages still being held captive by Hamas in Gaza on Wednesday.

The Israeli government says roughly 137 hostages remain in Hamas custody somewhere in the Gaza strip, though it is unclear how many of them remain alive. The U.S. State Department says up to nine of the hostages are American citizens.

Former CIA station chief Dan Hoffman discussed the White House’s approach to the Israel-Hamas war as President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spar over Gaza’s future.

Biden's administration has warned that an Israeli occupation of Gaza would be a "mistake," while Netanyahu has argued that Israel must control Gaza's security for a period following the war. Biden on Tuesday said Netanyahu must consider a two-state solution.

Former Deputy National Security Adviser KT McFarland joined 'Fox & Friends' to discuss a potential rift between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the war with Hamas on Wednesday.

Biden criticized Israel and Netanyahu for "indiscriminate bombing" in Gaza for the first time on Tuesday, leading to talk of a rift.

"Israel is starting to lose that support by indiscriminate bombing that takes place. We have to make sure that [Netanyahu] understands that he's got to make some moves. You cannot say no Palestinian state," Biden had said.

MIT alums rip 'disastrous' antisemitism testimony but stop short of calling for resignation

Hundreds of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) alumni have sent a scathing letter to the school's governing body, the MIT Corporation, and administration, scolding them for their support of MIT's president after her "disastrous" congressional testimony last week.

The letter, signed by over 700 MIT Jewish alumni and MIT allies, calls the school's administration into action after failing to condemn President Sally Kornbluth's testimony on Capitol Hill last week when she "implied that calls for genocide of Jews may not constitute bullying and harassment under MIT’s code of conduct, depending on context."

"Exactly what kind of message was the MIT Corporation trying to send to the MIT community, and especially its Jewish members, with such a statement so at odds with the overwhelming majority of the public?" the letter states.

"President Kornbluth’s failure to control antisemitism on MIT’s campus has distracted MIT’s students and administration from MIT’s core mission," the alumni say. "We are alarmed to observe MIT earning a national reputation for antisemitism on President Kornbluth’s watch, rather than for academic excellence, and joining a group of ignominious universities currently struggling with antisemitism on their campuses."

Read the full article by Fox News' Brianna Herlihy

Biden administration announced 4th round of sanctions on senior Hamas officials, supporters

President Biden's administration launched a fourth round of sanctions against senior Hamas officials and the terrorist group's supporters on Wednesday.

The U.S. says the sanctions have been "closely coordinated" with efforts by the United Kingdom as well. The eight targets play a major role in both operating Hamas and handling the terrorist group's finances, the administration says.

"The United States is imposing sanctions today on eight Hamas officials and facilitators for their actions representing the group’s interests abroad and managing its finances. This is the fourth round of sanctions that we have imposed since Hamas's October 7 horrible attack," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.

Comedian Michael Rapaport stars in Israeli 'Harry Potter' parody of college presidents' antisemitism

The Israeli comedy show "Eretz Nehederet," which translates to "A Wonderful Country," featured surprise guest Michael Rapaport in the series’ new "Harry Potter" parody on Tuesday.

Rapaport portrayed Professor Dumbledore overseeing a hearing of the heads of houses at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to discuss the issue of "anti-mudbloodism." The skit quickly became a mockery of the recent top American college presidents' Congressional testimony, with the Hogwarts professors offering the same responses.

"Does advocating for the genocide of mudbloods violate the code of conduct on bullying and harassment in Gryffindor?" Rapaport asked.

"It’s a context-dependent decision, Professor Dumbledore," Professor McGonagall answered.

Read the full article by Fox News' Lindsay Kornick

Israel vows war on Hamas will continue 'with or without' international support after Biden criticism

Israel will continue its war against Hams regardless of whether it maintains international support, Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen vowed Wednesday.

Cohen made the announcement in a public statement on Wednesday, saying a long-term cease-fire would be a "gift" to Hamas. The statement comes less than a day after President Biden criticized Israel for "indiscriminate bombing" in Gaza.

"Israel will continue the war against Hamas with or without international support," Cohen said in the statement. "A ceasefire at the current stage is a gift to the terrorist organization Hamas, and will allow it to return and threaten the residents of Israel."

Biden on Tuesday criticized Israel's handling of the conflict, and urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to consider a two-state solution.

Reuters contributed to this report

USS Mason shoots down Houthi rebel drone over Red Sea

The USS Mason shot down another Houthi rebel drone over the Red Sea on Wednesday following reports that militants were attacking a nearby vessel.

No damage or injuries were reported in the incident. U.S. Navy forces received reports of Houthi skiffs attacking the Motor Vessel Ardmore Encounter on Wednesday, with reports saying militants fired two missiles at the vessel that missed, according to a U.S. defense official.

The official says the U.S. has not confirmed the nature of the Houthi drone, but it is believed to have been a one-way attack drone. The official confirmed that the two missiles fired at the cargo vessel were anti-ship ballistic missiles fired from ground-based locations in Yemen.

The Houthi militants are an Iran-backed proxy terrorist group operating out of Yemen.

Fox News' Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report

FBI, DHS warn ‘threats to public safety’ amplified by Israel-Hamas conflict during holiday season

The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security are warning the public of heightened threats to public safety this holiday season and through winter associated with the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. 

The FBI says it is "closely monitoring threats to public safety during the holiday season which may be amplified" by the war. 

"We take all potential threats seriously and will work closely with our law enforcement partners to determine their credibility, share information, and take appropriate investigative action," the bureau says in a PSA.

Per an assessment from the FBI and DHS, ongoing tensions related to the conflict between Israel and Hamas "likely heighten the threat of lone actor violence targeting large public gatherings throughout the winter, including holiday-related, faith-based, New Year’s Eve, and First Amendment protected events related to the conflict." 

The bureau says these targets are likely to remain "attractive to lone actors inspired by a range of ideologies due to their accessibility and symbolic nature." 

Read the full article from Fox News' Bradford Betz

Auburn's Bruce Pearl says embattled university presidents falsely believe Palestinians are oppressed

Last week, three top university presidents made headlines when they were unable to say if calls for the genocide of Jews would violate university policy.

Liz Magill of Penn resigned, but Harvard's Claudine Gay was expected to hold her title. 

Sally Kornbluth has MIT's "full and unreserved support," the school said in a statement last week.

Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl, who is Jewish, said he is "grateful" he has not sensed antisemitism on his campus. And it doesn't seem like he believes Gay, Magill or Kornbluth are necessarily antisemitic.

However, he does believe there is a false narrative that Palestinian people are oppressed, which played a role in the presidents' questionable testimony.

"There's a connection between antisemitism and anti-Zionism. They would like to say they're not antisemitic … but when it comes to Israel, way too many people around the world have bought into the idea that somehow the Jews stole the Palestinians' land. That's just not true," Pearl told OutKick's Dan Dakich.

Read the full article by Fox News' Ryan Morik

Biden's timidity makes 'the likelihood of another 9/11 grow every day,' Lindsey Graham says

President Biden is the "last person" anyone should listen to regarding Ukraine and Israel, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told Fox News, saying his reticence to be "provocative" there and elsewhere has led to an America where the conditions for another 9/11 style terror attack have never been greater.

Graham told "The Story" he sides with Biden on supporting Ukraine but disagrees with the president's strategy.

"If President Biden had given Ukraine the weapons they needed early on, they would have even done better than they have today. He was slow to give them tanks, didn't want to give them F-16s, didn't want to give them long-range artillery," Graham said.

"To President Biden: On your watch, the conditions for [another] 9/11 are greater than I've ever seen since 9/11," Graham said. "[Christopher Wray] sees blinking lights everywhere since October 7 [when Hamas massacred Israelis]. All the jihadist groups in the world are urging their members to attack us here at home… Over 9000 a day coming across [the southern border] is unsustainable."

Read the full article by Fox News' Charles Creitz

Hamas ambush attack kills several Israeli soldiers in Gaza City: IDF

At least nine Israeli soldiers were killed during an ambush attack in Gaza City, Israeli media reported Wednesday. The surprise attack comes as Israeli forces continue their ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza.

Israeli ground troops are still locked in heavy combat with Palestinian fighters in and around Gaza City, more than six weeks after soldiers invaded the north. Clashes raged overnight and into Wednesday in multiple areas, with especially heavy fighting in Shijaiyah, residents said.

Israeli media said the ambush that killed seven took place in the Gaza City neighborhood of Shijaiyah, involving gunfire and several explosions. The same dense neighborhood was the scene of one of the biggest battles of an earlier war in Gaza.

The Israeli military said a total of eight soldiers were killed on Tuesday, and identified each of the fallen soldiers. The deceased included soldiers as young as 19, with the rest being in their 20s and 30s.

Read the full article by Fox News' Lawrence Richard

Abbott says Texas universities must ensure nobody on campus advocates for genocide, antisemitism

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, told colleges and universities in the Lone Star State on Tuesday that they should avoid teaching students about any social agendas and should work to root out antisemitism on their campuses.

Abbott was speaking at the annual conference of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board at the University of Texas in Austin when he warned universities that business executives are not interested in the social or political motivations of the academic institutions prospective employees attend, according to Fox 7.

"There's been none of them who have asked me what is the ideological bent of what is being taught in our universities? How are students being indoctrinated? They don't ask that because that is not applicable to what they are trying to achieve when they hire an employee," Abbott said.

The governor also urged university officials to ensure Jewish students are not subject to antisemitism when they step foot on campus in Texas, a reference to the controversial testimonies about the rise of antisemitism on campus delivered before Congress last week by Harvard University President Claudine Gay, then-University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill and MIT President Sally Kornbluth.

"You have a leadership responsibility, to ensure that there is no one on your campuses that are advocating for genocide or antisemitism. It is completely unacceptable in the state of Texas, period," Abbott told the Texas institutions.

Fox News' Landon Mion contributed to this report

Israel-Hamas war: IDF starts pumping water to flood Hamas' tunnel network

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is in the process of pumping seawater into Hamas tunnels in Gaza, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

The effort is an attempt to clear Hamas terrorists from the tunnels as the Israel-Hamas war continues. Israel began constructing the massive pump system earlier in December.

The tunnel network is suspected to be 300 miles in length. U.S. officials told WSJ that flooding the tunnels would take weeks. It is unclear which section of tunnels Israel plans to target first.

According to the WSJ, some White House officials are worried that using seawater would be ineffective and endanger Gazans' access to freshwater.

Fox News Digital's Andrea Vacchiano contributed to this report.