Israeli military recovers three bodies of hostages captured by Hamas in Gaza Strip

The Israeli Defense Forces revealed Saturday morning its troops' activity in the last 24 hours regarding the ongoing war against Hamas terrorists.

The IDF wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that troops have apprehended terrorists hiding in the al-Mu'tasim Bi'llah and al-Farabi schools in Gaza City's Rimal neighborhood, who turned themselves in. Troops also eliminated additional terrorists in the area.

Troops also found "weapons and underground terrorist infrastructure in operational compounds in Khan Yunis" and directed an Israeli Air Force strike "on a number of Hamas terrorists who fired at the troops from the roof of a compound in Jabalya."

Congress has yet to strike a deal on President Biden's $106 billion supplemental combining aid for Ukraine, Israel and our southern border — but Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., believes these crucial issues should be dealt with separately.

The Republican senator postulates the Senate's inability to talk about Ukraine, Israel and the necessary security measures at the southern border individually is due to "the left" having "taken over" the Democratic Party.

In an exclusive sit-down interview with Fox News Digital, Schmitt said that border security is the top issue in the aid supplemental.

"I've been very clear. I think all these issues should be dealt with separately," Schmitt told Fox. "The issues on the ground, the realities on the ground, the strategies, the political coalitions, the likelihood of success are very different for Israel versus Ukraine. I think that having a real debate about those things one by one would really be a more informed debate in supposedly the most deliberative body in the history of the world. That's not where we're at right now, which I think is frustrating for a lot of people."

This month saw the most migrant encounters ever recorded in a single day at the southern border, with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sources reporting encountering 12,000 illegal immigrants on Dec. 5. While Schmitt supports discussion on individual aid for our allies, he emphasized the need to secure America's border before sending money overseas.

"The truth is they hear a lot about the sovereignty of other countries' borders and maintaining the integrity of that, but not our own. I mean, we have an open border," Schmitt urged. "You've got policy changes that need to be made. You also have to have an executive willing to enforce the law. Joe Biden has not done that on day one."

Schmitt said Democrats are "the party of open borders," which results in real threats of potential terrorism on American soil.

"The Democrats aren't serious about closing the border. The left has taken over that party. It's the party of open borders now. And we're fooling ourselves if we don't think there are terrorists in this country that want to do harm. And it's — I think we're going to look back, and I hope I'm wrong about this, but really regret the Biden administration's decision. But again, this is sort of who they are," he said.

Fox News' Aubrie Spady and Cameron Cawthorne contributed to this report.

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

After months of left-wing frustration with Sen. John Fetterman’s, D-Penn., over his pro-Israel stance, the lawmaker officially declared he does not align with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

In an interview with NBC News, the freshman U.S. senator said, "I’m not a progressive," and explained how he differs with leftists in the party on the subjects of Israel and illegal immigration.

"I just think I’m a Democrat that is very committed to choice and other things. But with Israel, I’m going to be on the right side of that. And immigration is something near and dear to me, and I think we do have to effectively address it as well," Fetterman said.

Fetterman’s words come after weeks of him taking notably non-leftist positions on hot topics of the day.

Where many in the party have sympathized with the Palestinian’s struggles amid the Israel-Hamas War and have called for a "cease-fire" in the conflict, Fetterman has openly supported Israel’s right to defend itself, and has even mocked progressive protesters demanding he speak out against Israel’s war effort.

That's earned the ire of some of the far-left voices in the party and even former staffers who say they feel betrayed.

Separating from Democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., on the issue, NBC noted, "Fetterman’s fierce and unwavering support for Israel breaks sharply with demands by Sanders to withdraw U.S. military aid and has drawn searing criticism from the left as the Palestinian death toll soars amid the Israeli government’s bombing campaign in retaliation for the Oct. 7 Hamas attack."

He also has freely criticized his party for not pushing out Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., who was federally indicted for alleged involvement in a bribery scheme, in addition to bucking the party on calls for stronger border security.

Fox News' Gabriel Hays contributed to this report.

Al-Jazeera camera operator Samer Abu Daqqa was killed Friday in what was believed to be an Israeli drone strike in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, on Friday. (Al Jazeera)

A cameraman for Al Jazeera television was killed Friday by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza and a reporter was wounded, the news network said.

Palestinian cameraman Samer Abu Daqqa was killed and Wael Dahdouh the Gaza chief correspondent for the Qatari-owned news channel, was injured.

Both were reporting in the city of Khan Younis on Israeli airstrikes the night before when they were reportedly hit by the strike.

“CPJ is deeply saddened and alarmed by a drone attack that injured Al-Jazeera journalist Wael Al Dahdouh and killed Samer Abu Daqqa in Khan Yunis, Gaza, and the pattern of attacks on Al-Jazeera journalists and their families,” said Carlos Martínez de la Serna, the program director for the Committee to Protect Journalists. “CPJ calls on international authorities to independently investigate the attack and hold those responsible to account.”

U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the Biden administration offered its “deepest sympathies and condolences” to the family of Abu Daka.

“We know it’s a heavy loss indeed. And we’re grateful that he and your colleagues are still out there covering this war,” he told reporters. “Journalists need to be able to have the freedom to cover conflicts around the world — to cover anything, but certainly cover conflicts. And it’s never acceptable to deliberately target them as they do such vital, dangerous, dangerous work.”

He added that it didn’t appear that the reporters were deliberately targeted.

“I will tell you that, again, we stay in touch with our Israeli counterparts every day. We still don’t have any indications that they are deliberately targeting journalists,” Kirby said.

Dahdouh lost his wife, son, daughter and grandson on Oct. 25 during an Israeli airstrike at the Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza, Al Jazeera said in a statement.

As of Friday, 64 journalists and media workers – 57 Palestinians, four Israelis and three Lebanese -- have been killed during the Israel-Hamas war, CPJ said.

Another 13 reporters have been injured while three remain missing and 19 have been arrested, the group said.  

Palestinians rest in front of Al-Aqsa mosque at Jerusalem's Old City during the holy month of Ramadan. REUTERS/Ammar Awad

Hamas is willing to target holy Islamic sites in an effort to kill Jews so Israel is forced to defend mosques, Gilad Erdan, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations said Friday.

In a speech to the U.N., Erdan said the terror group is willing to destroy the Al-Aqsa mosque, the third holiest site in Islam after Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia, and compared the group to the Islamic State, which is known for destroying holy and historical sites.  

“Today Hamas proved that murdering Israelis is even more important than preserving the Islamic holy sites they claim to protect,” he told the global body.

Erdan then held up a tablet with a video that he said showed Hamas rockets fired toward the vicinity of the Temple Mount, known as Al-Haram Al-Sharif by Muslims. 

“Israel’s Iron Dome intercepted the missile and defend Al-Aqsa mosque from Hamas,” he said. “Think about this. Israel is defending Al-Aqsa mosque from Hamas’ missiles.”

“To the Arab Leage. To the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, I ask ‘This is who you have chosen to defend?’ A group of genocidal terrorists that prefer jihad at any costs over Islamic holy sites,” he added.

Al-Aqsa sits on the Temple Mount in the Old City, which houses holy sites for Jews, Christians and Muslims, in East Jerusalem. Near the Mosque sits the Dome of the Rock, an Islamic holy site where Muslims believe the prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven.

Al-Aqsa has been a point of contention between Israel and Palestinians for decades. Jews are forbidden from praying in the Temple Mount and instead pray at the nearby Western Wall.

As part of an agreement, Jordan retains control over the Al-Aqsa compound, a site also revered by Jews.

Muslims can pray at the site while others can only visit. However, Palestinians have accused Israelis of violating the status quo by praying at the site and exercising more control outside the compound by restricting Muslim worship.

Palestinians became incensed in January when Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited Al Aqsa.

"The Temple Mount is open to all," Ben-Gvir said on social media at the time.    

The Galaxy Leader cargo ship is escorted by Houthi boats in the Red Sea in this photo released November 20, 2023. Houthi Military Media/Handout via REUTERS

Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacked or threatened to attack three container ships Friday in the Red Sea as shipping continues to encounter great risks in the region.

The attacks on Friday began at 7 a.m. when Houthi forces threatened a Liberian-flagged ship, the MSC Alanya, U.S. Central Command said.

The ship was traveling in the southern part of the Red Sea when it was threatened.

The Houthis directed the vessel to turn around and proceed south, authorities said. The ship maintain communication with U.S. forces and to continued north and is believed to be traveling safely.

At 9 a.m., a Houthi drone struck the Al Jasrah, a Liberian-flagged vessel traveling south in the Red Sea.

“The AL JASRAH immediately broadcast a mayday signal that said the crew was fighting a fire caused by the attack,” a Central Command statement said. “The fire has since been extinguished and the crew has since determined that no further assistance is needed.”

Hours later at 1 p.m., the Houthis fired two ballistic missiles toward the shipping lanes in the Bab el-Mandeb strait.

One missile hit the MV PALATIUM 3, which broadcast a mayday call and reported that the vessel was on fire. The USS Mason responded to the request. No injuries were reported by any of the ships attacks.

“This latest round of attacks is yet another demonstration of the great risk to international shipping caused by these Houthi actions,” Central Command said.

Shipping in the Red Sea has gotten dangerous as the Houthis have attacked and threatened vessels with increasing regularity since Israel declared war on Hamas.   

People protest following an announcement by Israel's military that they had mistakenly killed three Israeli hostages being held in Gaza by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, at a demonstration in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Friday. REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura

Large crowds have gathered in Tel Aviv, Israel and blocked off a road in a protest calling for the government to take more initiative to ensure the release of hostages after Israeli troops mistakenly killed three of them hours earlier.

The Times of Israel reported the crowd was marching toward the Israel Defense Forces Kirya headquarters.

“Their time is running out! Bring them home now!” the crowd is heard chanting. “There is no victory until every last hostage is released!”

Families of the remaining hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza are reportedly angry following reports that IDF troops mistakenly killed three hostages Friday.

The newspaper said there were reports that the government has been holding off on initiating a hostage deal because Israeli leaders want to continue military operations against the terror group. 

A family hold portraits of Lebanese journalists who were killed by Israeli strikes, during a protest calling for an end to the war in Gaza and for an immediate cease-fire, in front of the Lebanese National Museum in Beirut, Lebanon last week. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Five Democratic senators are calling on President Biden to urge Israeli and Egyptian leaders to allow journalists into the Gaza Strip to cover the war there in an effort to protect press freedom.

“We ask you to further urge the Israeli government, as well as the Egyptian government, to respect press freedom by allowing all interested journalists to report without restriction from Gaza, with the exception of operational security requirements for embedded journalists, and provide journalists with the appropriate protections to carry out their essential work,” said a joint statement from Sens. Peter Welch of Vermont; Brian Schatz of Hawaii; Chris Van Hollen of Maryland; Tim Kaine of Virginia and Cory Booker of New Jersey.

Several journalists have been killed covering the conflict between Israel and Hamas, according to press freedom groups.

Without protections for journalists, “the world is unable to get a complete and accurate understanding of events,” the statement said.

The senators noted that Hamas doesn’t respect freedom of the press and has a history of “using propaganda and harassing, obstructing, torturing, and using physical violence against journalists in Gaza.”

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby speaks at a Thursday press briefing at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said President Biden was briefed on the “heartbreaking” deaths of three hostages mistakenly killed by Israeli forces in Gaza.

“It’s heartbreaking, it’s tragic,” Kirby told reporters.

Kirby said the U.S. expects Israel will conduct an investigation into the killings and what led to Israeli troops to open fire on the captives.

“This news coming out of Gaza today about these hostages being killed in the conduct of a raid. I want to be careful here not to speak to too many specifics because we don't have perfect visibility on exactly how this operation unfolded and how this tragic mistake was made,” Kirby said.

The Israel Defense Forces said it began reviewing the deadly shooting and that “immediate lessons from the event have been learned.” 

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan speaks during a press briefing, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Friday. REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan expressed “his deepest sympathy” for the deaths of Palestinian civilians during a Friday meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, the White House said.

Sullivan met with Abbas in West Bank city of Ramallah.

The pair discussed humanitarian assistance for Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the importance of protecting them.Thousands of Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, drawing international calls for a ceasefire.

“President Abbas and Mr. Sullivan discussed efforts to promote stability in the West Bank, including ongoing actions against terrorism and incitement, as well as recent measures to counter extremist settler violence against Palestinians,” a White House readout said.

“Mr. Sullivan reemphasized President Biden’s longstanding vision for a more peaceful, integrated, and prosperous Middle East region, and ultimately a path to a two-state solution that provides for equal measures of justice, freedom and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians alike,” the readout added.

The Biden administration has called for a two-state solution in an effort to bring stability to the region. 

A Palestinian doctor treats a prematurely born baby at Al Aqsa Hospital in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, on Sunday. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

The largest healthcare union in the Unites States is calling for a ceasefire in Gaza so “urgent relief” can be provided on the ground.

The Executive Council of 1199SEIU said the union was “deeply troubled by the worsening health and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.”

“ We reiterate our unequivocal condemnation of Hamas’ attack on October 7, the killings, use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, and kidnappings of Israelis and foreign nationals,” the union said in a statement released Friday. 

“We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages taken by Hamas and the end to indiscriminate rocket attacks against Israel.”

However, the union said it rejects "the notion that Israel's attacks on hospitals filled with patients, apartment blocks filled with families and the deaths of 11,000+ Palestinian women and children are acceptable collateral damage.”

Alon Shamriz, 26; Samer Talalka, 22 and 28-year-old Yotam Haim were identified as the three hostages killed Friday. (Hostages and Missing Families Forum)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mourned the deaths of three hostages killed Friday by IDF troops in Gaza.

“Together with the entire people of Israel, I bow my head in deep sorrow and mourn the fall of three of our dear sons who were taken hostage, among them Yotam Haim and Samar Talalka,” he wrote on X.

The third hostage was later identified as Alo Shamriz.

“This is an unbearable tragedy. The entire State of Israel mourns this evening. My heart goes out to the grieving families in their difficult time,” the prime minister said.

“I strengthen our brave warriors who are pursuing the sacred mission of returning our abducted, even at the cost of their own lives,” he added.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the killings were a “painful incident for every Israeli.”

“This evening I spoke with the IDF Chief of the General Staff about the details of this tragic incident in order to learn lessons immediately,” he said.

Alon Shamriz, 26, was identified Friday as the third hostage killed by IDF troops. (Bringthemhomenow.net)

The name of the third hostage held by Hamas who was mistakenly killed Friday by Israeli forces has been released. 

Alon Shamriz, 26, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza on Oct. 7, Israel said. 

“The IDF expresses deep remorse over the incident and sends the families its heartfelt condolences,” the Israel Defense Forces said. 

The hostages were killed during military operations in Gaza. 

"During combat in Shejaiya, the IDF mistakenly identified three Israeli hostages as a threat. As a result, the troops fired toward them and they were killed," the IDF said in a statement.

"During searches and checks in the area in which the incident occurred, a suspicion arose over the identities of the deceased," the IDF continued. "Their bodies were transferred to Israeli territory for examination, after which it was confirmed that they were three Israeli hostages."

The other two hostages were identified as Yotam Haim, 28 and Samer Talalka, 22. 

Containers are seen on the Maersk's container ship Maersk Gibraltar at the APM Terminals in the port of Algeciras, Spain. REUTERS/Jon Nazca/File Photo

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Grant Shapps, his counterpart in the United Kingdom, discussed the ongoing threat to civilians and container ships attacked by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, the Pentagon said Friday.

The Houthis have increasingly targeted ships in the region following Israel’s war declaration on Hamas.

“They both noted that the scale and frequency of these attacks constitute a significant international problem that must be addressed,” a readout of the call provided by Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said.

The most recent attack occurred this week involving the Maersk Gibraltar container ship happened near the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

The Yemeni Armed Forces said a drone strike hit the ship but U.S. Central Command said the rebels missed.

A spokesperson from the German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd said Friday that it may follow in Maersk's footsteps and pause all of its shipping operations in the Red Sea, according to Sky News.

The decision reportedly is being considered after one of Hapag-Lloyd's ships, the Al Jasrah, caught fire Friday in the Red Sea after being hit by a projectile launched from rebel-controlled Yemen, a U.S. defense official and a private intelligence firm told the Associated Press.

“Hapag-Lloyd will take additional measures to secure the safety of our crews,” the company said in a statement earlier.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Rockets are fired toward Israel from the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, on Friday, Dec. 15. (AP/Ariel Schalit)

Images captured Friday show a fresh barrage of rockets being fired towards southern Israel from the Gaza Strip.

An image released by the IDF on Friday, Dec. 15, showing fighting in the Gaza Strip. (IDF)

The Israel Defense Forces said Friday that its troops and personnel from the Shin Bet intelligence agency are fighting Hamas in the neighborhood of Khan Younis where the terrorist's groups Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar lived in recent years.

"In one of the battles, the fighters worked on the ruins of one of the houses in which he lived in recent years, which was attacked by air at the beginning of the war," the IDF said.

"During the fighting, the fighters spotted a terrorist squad that came out of a tunnel shaft and aimed an RPG at them, killing them before they could fire at them," the IDF added.

Danish shipping company Maersk announced Friday that it is pausing all cargo shipments through the Red Sea following the targeting of one of its vessels yesterday by a missile, a report says.

"Following the near-miss incident involving Maersk Gibraltar yesterday and yet another attack on a container vessel today, we have instructed all Maersk vessels in the area bound to pass through the Bab al-Mandab Strait to pause their journey until further notice," the company told Reuters.

Maersk reportedly will instead send ships on a detour around Africa.

Earlier today, a U.S. defense official told the Associated Press that a ballistic missile fired from Yemen struck a Liberian-flagged cargo ship in the Red Sea near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The official identified the vessel in that incident as the MSC Palatium III.

The Israel Defense Forces said Friday that sirens warning of incoming rocket fire are sounding off in Jerusalem.

"After 70 days of nonstop rocket fire throughout the country, as Shabbat comes in, sirens are sounding in Jerusalem," it wrote in a post on X.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan announced Friday that he has been informed by Israel that it will "open its border crossing at Kerem Shalom for direct delivery of humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza."

The Kerem Shalom crossing is at the southern end of the Gaza Strip.

"We welcome this significant step. President Biden raised this issue in recent phone calls with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and it was an important topic of discussion during my visit to Israel over the past two days," Sullivan said in a statement issued by the White House.

"The United States remains committed to expanding and sustaining the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza," Sullivan added. "We will continue to work closely with Egypt and other partners on the delivery and distribution of humanitarian assistance through Rafah crossing, and we hope that this new opening will ease congestion and help facilitate the delivery of life-saving assistance to those who need it urgently in Gaza."

The Israel Defense Forces said Friday that three more of its soldiers have died during its war with Hamas inside the Gaza Strip.

It identified the troops as Sgt. First Class Shay Uriel Pizem, 23, Staff-Sgt.-Maj. Tomer Shlomo Myara, 28 and Sgt. Oz Shmuel Aradi, 19, according to The Jerusalem Post.

All three soldiers died in fighting in the southern Gaza Strip, The Jerusalem Post also reported.

The Israel Defense Forces have released a video Friday appearing to show airstrikes being carried out against Hamas positions along the Gaza-Egypt border linked to the terrorist group’s “smuggling efforts.” 

“Fighter jets, helicopter gunships and remotely manned aircraft of the Air Force... this week destroyed military sites, guard posts, observation posts, weapons warehouses and command and control rooms of the general security mechanisms of Hamas located in the border area of the Gaza Strip and Egypt,” the IDF said. 

“The sites that were attacked in the Rafah area, where Hamas terrorists operated, aided the smuggling efforts led by Hamas and included weapons that endanger the IDF soldiers operating in the Strip and the citizens of Israel,” it continued. 

“Damage to these terrorist infrastructures harms the terrorist organization's ability to smuggle more weapons into the Strip,” the IDF added.

Containers are seen on the Maersk Gibraltar in the port of Algeciras, Spain, on Jan. 19. (Reuters/Jon Nazca)

Danish shipping company Maersk on Friday is disputing a claim from the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen that one of its cargo ships was struck by a drone yesterday near the entrance of the Red Sea.

The Houthis said it executed a military operation on the Maersk ship and registered a direct hit with a drone, according to Reuters.

But a Maersk spokesperson told the news agency that the Maersk Gibraltar "was not hit."

The company said yesterday that the ship was targeted by a missile near the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the entrance of the Red Sea while traveling from Oman to Saudi Arabia.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Friday that Israel is intending to avoid civilian casualties in its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip but the U.S. wants to see the "results match up to that."

Sullivan spoke at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli President Isaac Herzog and the country's war cabinet.

Sullivan said "Israel selects targets and tries to distinguish between targets that hit Hamas and those that might take the lives of innocent civilians."

"At the end of the day what we have consistently said is that Israel has the intent to make sure that it is drawing those distinctions clearly and in a sustainable way, and we want to see the results match up to that," he added.

Sullivan said the topic is a conversation that he has had with Netanyahu today and yesterday. 

Some of the materials recovered in the Gaza Strip. (IDF)

The Israel Defense Forces said Friday it has foiled a “Hamas terrorist ambush” attempt that used dolls, children’s backpacks and speakers playing sounds of crying in hopes of luring soldiers to a tunnel. 

“The ambush attempted to use dolls and children's backpacks with speakers playing sounds of crying. These were placed intentionally near a tunnel shaft connecting to a large tunnel network,” the IDF said in a statement. 

“This network extends under other nearby civilian structures, including a school and a medical clinic. It also connects to a mosque containing a Hamas command center equipped with cameras that were monitoring IDF troops,” the IDF continued. “The command center is connected to the medical clinic's power supply.” 

The IDF added that “Hamas anti-tank and intelligence positions were also located in the area, along with an extensive network of explosives aimed at targeting IDF troops.” 

An image released by the IDF appeared to show some of the items recovered from the reported ambush attempt. 

Smoke rises following an Israeli bombardment in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, on Friday, Dec. 15. (AP/Leo Correa)

The United States is currently debating what a postwar Gaza Strip could look like, including who would govern the territory, should Israel be successful in its military objective to eliminate Hamas.

According to a senior U.S. official, the White House could consider reactivating Palestinian security forces to govern the Gaza Strip. Palestinian security forces previously governed in Gaza but were driven out by Hamas during its rise to power and eventual takeover of the territory.

The proposal, floated as one of several, was the first specific indicator of Washington's vision for who could govern in Gaza after the Israel-Hamas war comes to an end. It is not clear to what extent the U.S. and Israel differ on the timetable and both sides have agreed fighting could continue for several more months.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met on Friday to discuss postwar arrangements for Gaza.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A U.S. defense official told the Associated Press Friday that a ballistic missile fired from rebel-held territory in Yemen struck a Liberian-flagged cargo ship in the Red Sea near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, where numerous incidents have unfolded in recent days. 

The official identified the vessel as the MSC Palatium III and said it remained unclear if anyone was hurt. The missile apparently was aimed at the Al Jasrah, which was set on fire by a projectile earlier Friday, the official said. Another missile launched in the salvo missed both ships. 

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen – who have claimed responsibility following other attacks on ships this week -- did not immediately acknowledge either attack. 

The Al Jasrah is operated by German-based shipper Hapag-Lloyd, which said no crew member had been hurt in that attack. 

“Hapag-Lloyd will take additional measures to secure the safety of our crews,” the company said, without elaborating. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Demonstrators hold fliers, including one showing the photograph of 19-year-old Nik Beizer, as they gather to call for the release of Israeli hostages in front of the Red Cross headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 5. (Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

The Israel Defense Forces announced Friday that it has recovered the bodies of two 19-year-old Israeli soldiers that were taken captive by Hamas -- Cpl. Nik Beizer and Sgt. Ron Sherman.

The bodies "have been recovered from Gaza during operational activity and returned to Israeli territory," the IDF wrote in a post on X. "The IDF sends the families its heartfelt condolences and will continue to support them. Our national mission is to locate the missing and return all the hostages home."

Beizer began his military service on April 30 and was working at a base near a Gaza border crossing on Oct. 7 as part of a unit that helps coordinate the flow of goods into the Palestinian enclave, The Times of Israel reports.

“That’s the irony,” his mother Katy Beizer said earlier, according to The Times of Israel. “Everyone at this base is taking care of the Palestinians, working so that Gazans can live their lives.”

The aunt of Sherman said he texted his mother that "he loves her" as his base came under attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, the newspaper also reported.

The announcement of the recovery comes after the IDF said Friday that the body of Elia Toledano, another Israeli hostage, was recovered by its Special Forces unit and brought back to Israel as well. 

Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli strike on residential buildings in Rafah in the Gaza Strip on Friday, Dec. 15. (AP/Hatem Ali)

Media outlets, humanitarian organizations and the United Nations continue to report and rely heavily on death toll data shared by Hamas-run ministries in Gaza, even though they recognize that the figures are no longer reliable and are now only an "estimate," as the Israeli military offensive to wipe out the Islamist terror group after its Oct. 7 massacre causes a chaotic and deepening humanitarian crisis in the territory. 

However, international bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and the official Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, as well as many mainstream news outlets around the world, continue to maintain that the sensitive and inflammatory data – which could easily be another element of Hamas’ war propaganda – can and should be considered reliable.

"Western leaders should be concerned about civilian casualties, of course, but they don’t account sufficiently for Hamas manipulating the numbers and using its people as human shields," David Adesnik, a senior fellow and director of research at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD), told Fox News Digital. 

Former UN Ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley joined 'Hannity' Thursday night to discuss President Biden's foreign policy decisions as the Israel-Hamas war rages on.

The 2024 presidential candidate said Iran is the reason terrorist groups like Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthis exist, and encouraged the Biden administration to cut all funding to the country.

"This is about preventing war and Biden is failing on the job miserably and making the world less safe," Haley said.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the COP28 U.N. Climate Summit on Dec. 2 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (AP/Kamran Jebreili)

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called out Vice President Kamala Harris for allegedly pushing President Biden and other administration officials to be more sympathetic toward Palestinians.

His comments come after Politico reported Thursday that Harris has recently been pushing those in the Biden administration, including Biden himself, to be more sympathetic toward Palestinians and show more concern for the damage in Gaza.

One person close to the vice president's office told the outlet that the U.S. should start being "tougher" on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In a statement to Fox News, Cruz said "Since day 1 Biden administration officials have been pathologically obsessed with undermining Israel. Unfortunately and infuriatingly, that obsession continues in the aftermath of Hamas's atrocities on October 7. The costs for America and Israel's national security are catastrophic."

The source allegedly said that Harris has been "more forceful at seeking a long-term peace and two-state solution."

Harris' Press Secretary Kirsten Allen told the outlet "there is no daylight between the president and the vice president, nor has there been," adding the vice president and Biden "have been clear: Israel has a right and responsibility to defend itself; humanitarian aid must be allowed to flow into Gaza; innocent civilians must be protected; and the United States remains committed to a two-state solution."

The body of hostage Elia Toledano, 28, was recovered in Gaza and brought back to Israel, the Israel Defense Forces said Friday morning.

Toledano was present at the Nova music festival and was one of many taken hostage by Hamas terrorists during the group's unprecedented attack in Israel on Oct. 7. His body was located by IDF Special Forces.

The force said it sends Toledano's family "heartfelt condolences."

"Our national mission is to locate the hostages and return all of them home. We are working together with security agencies, and with all intelligence and operational means in order to return all of the hostages home," the IDF wrote on X, formerly Twitter.