Israel considering flooding Gaza tunnels with seawater to drive Hamas fighters out: report

Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari issued an "urgent call for action" Wednesday morning where he stated the rescue of the 138 hostages in Hamas' captivity in Gaza remains a "critical mission."

"I can say with absolute certainty, every minute in Hamas captivity endangers their lives. This is an urgent call for action. The international community must take action, the Red Cross must have access to the hostages that are in the hands of Hamas," he said, reminding listeners that the hostages include women, children and the elderly.

POLITICS

State Dept: Hamas refuses to release women hostages to prevent sharing horrors of captivity

A State Department official said Hamas is refusing to release its remaining female hostages in part because it fears what they will reveal.

Hagari added that some of the hostages have been injured since they were taken captive, and some have been harmed during the more than 60 days they have been in captivity.

"The Israel Defense Forces will do everything in its power to rescue our hostages and bring them home. We call others to do the same," he concluded.

The Israeli Air Force struck approximately 250 Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip in the past day, the Israel Defense Forces said.

In addition to the IAF strikes, the IDF said troops on the ground are still locating weapons, tunnels, explosives and additional military infrastructure in Gaza. Troops are also directing fighter jets to strike terror targets once found.

"We also know they're targeting launching sites responsible for a number of rocket barrages that took place as recently as yesterday targeting Israel's second largest city of Tel Aviv," Fox News' Trey Yingst said from southern Israel Wednesday.

Fox News' Trey Yingst reports the latest from southern Israel in the video above.

The 2020 Christmas tree is displayed at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. (Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images/File)

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has canceled the annual Christmas tree lighting at the capitol in favor of a virtual event amid planned pro-Palestinian protests, according to a report.

Wednesday's 92nd Annual California State Capitol Tree Lighting was initially expected to be an in-person event in Sacramento, but an announcement by the governor's office stated that a pre-recorded virtual ceremony will be released on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

A spokesperson for Newsom told local outlet KCRA that nationwide protests were a factor in the decision to hold the event virtually.

"As we continue to see protests across the country impacting the safety of events of all scales — and for the safety and security of all participating members and guests including children and families — the ceremony this year will be virtual," the spokesperson said. "The program is unchanged and viewers can tune in Wednesday evening to watch this year’s festivities."

The Sacramento Regional Coalition for Palestinian Rights, and several other organizations, planned to protest at the event, in efforts to "out Gov. Gavin Newsom for hiding from the public because he doesn't want to face their anger at his shameful stance in regard to the genocide in Gaza."

Click here to read more about the now-virtual tree lighting from Fox News Digital's Adam Sabes.

A heartwarming video shows the first day of school for 5-year-old Emilia Aloni after she was kidnapped and held hostage by Hamas terrorists for seven weeks.

Emilia, who was freed on Nov. 24, was held hostage in Gaza along with her mother, Danielle. 

The little girl was spotted in the touching video wearing a bright pink and blue outfit as she returned to her kindergarten classroom in Israel.

The footage shows Emilia's teacher, who meets her at the gate, with a bright smile on her face for the long-awaited return of her student.

Read the full article about Emilia Aloni by Sarah Rumpf-Whitten

Jewish groups are united to form The 10/7 Project aiming to combat inaccurate reporting and "misinformation" from Hamas as the war unfolds between Israel and the terrorist group. (The 10/7 Project)

Prominent Jewish organizations are coming together to launch The 10/7 Project aimed at combating the media's inaccurate reporting about the Israel-Hamas war as well as "misinformation" from the terrorist group.

The five leading groups, the American Jewish Committee (AJC), the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, call The 10/7 Project a "new centralized communications operation" meant to "promote continued U.S. bipartisan support for Israel by working to ensure more complete and accurate information about the Israel-Hamas war in real time for policymakers and the American public," according to a press release Tuesday.

"Having these five organizations work together in this fashion is unprecedented and shows how important American Jewry believes this moment is to the State of Israel to combating Jewish hate in America and the world," the project's executive director Josh Isay told Axios.

Read the full article on The 10/7 Project by Joseph Wulfsohn

President Joe Biden steps off from Air Force One as he arrives at Logan Airport. (Photo by David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

President Biden criticized Hamas over recent reports that its militants raped and sexually assaulted Israeli women and girls.

The president was speaking at a campaign event in Boston when he brought up Israelis' “horrific accounts of unimaginable cruelty," at the hands of Hamas terrorists.

“Reports of women raped — repeatedly raped — and their bodies being mutilated while still alive — of women corpses being desecrated, Hamas terrorists inflicting as much pain and suffering on women and girls as possible and then murdering them,” Biden explained. “It is appalling.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Fox News senior foreign affairs correspondent Greg Palkot reported the latest developments from the Israel-Hamas war on "Special Report" Tuesday.

Speaking from southern Israel, Palkot focused on Gaza and the latest on the Israeli military offensive against Hamas.

"We are at an Israel Defense Force[s] staging area about six miles from Gaza," the correspondent explained. "Armored personnel carriers shuttling troops back and forth to the front line, artillery pounding away."

Palkot also addressed the "surging humanitarian crisis" happening in Gaza as civilians in Palestinian continue struggling to survive.

"Israeli health ministry officials [are] saying that recently freed hostages were given tranquilizer pills before their release to make them appear calm and happy, after weeks and weeks of abuse and terror," Palkot added. "Chilling stuff."

Rep. Pramilla Jayapal (D-WA) speaks during a news conference on Title 42 on Capitol Hill on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., issued a statement about Hamas' sex crimes against Israeli women after being criticized by her own party over comments she made about the subject.

"I said it's horrific, and I think that rape is horrific. Sexual assault is horrific. I think that it happens in war situations. Terrorist organizations like Hamas, obviously are using these as tools," Jayapal had said on CNN’s "State of the Union." "However, I think we have to be balanced about bringing in the outrages against Palestinians – 15,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes, three-quarters of whom are women and children."

In a statement released Tuesday, Jayapal said that she "unequivocally condemn[s]" Hamas terrorists for using "rape and sexual violence as an act of war."

"I understand that I have critics who disagree with me on policy, but for them to insinuate that I would think, say or act in any way that equivocates on rape is outrageous and completely inconsistent with my record and life's work," Jayapal's statement read. "It also deeply hurts the ability to have meaningful conversations about critical issues."

"The pain that Israelis and Palestinians are feeling today is raw and very present," she added.

An Israeli military tank rolls near the border with the Gaza Strip on December 5, 2023, amid continuing battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas. (Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images)

Social media users and X fact-checkers hit back against former Bernie Sanders campaign press secretary and current The Hill TV host Briahna Joy Gray this week after sharing multiple posts denying the validity of accounts of Israeli women raped by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7.

X accounts ripped Gray, accusing her of "dehumanizing" the Jewish people and stooping low to "disrespect" Jewish rape victims.

Gray’s controversial claims also earned her multiple "Community Notes" fact-checks, reminding her of the existence of multiple corroborated reports of Hamas terrorists raping Israeli women during October terrorist attack in Israel. 

Read the full article about Briahna Joy Gray by Gabriel Hays

Planned Parenthood signage on August 19th 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Bill Tompkins/Getty Images)

Planned Parenthood broke its silence on Hamas' October 7 attacks against Israel, issuing a statement "unequivocally condemn[ing]" the terrorist group's acts of violence.

The organization acknowledged that Hamas terrorists killed over a thousand civilians, kidnapped over 200 hostages and sexually assaulted women and girls.

"Planned Parenthood unequivocally condemns the atrocities committed by Hamas, and rape as an act of war in any conflict," the statement read. "Our work is rooted in ensuring that health care is accessible to all and creating a world where people, families and communities can survive and thrive."

The letter then addressed Palestinian fatalities in Gaza and discussed the humanitarian crisis impacting civilians.

"We believe that reproductive and maternal health care is a human right and must be provided at all times, including periods of violence and war," the statement added.

Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel Eli Cohen addresses the press on the situation in the Middle East at the United Nations Headquarters while accompanied with family members of individuals kidnapped by Hamas on October 24, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Eli Cohen announced that he revoked the residence visa of a U.N. official due to her alleged silence on Hamas' terrorist attacks against Israel.

"We will no longer be silent in the face of the bias of the UN!" Eli Cohen wrote on X Tuesday. "I decided to revoke the residence visa to Israel of the UN 'humanitarian' coordinator Lynn Hastings."

"Someone who did not condemn Hamas for the brutal massacre of 1,200 Israelis, for the kidnapping of babies and the elderly and for the horrific acts of abuse and rape, and for using the residents of Gaza as human shields, but instead condemns Israel, a democratic country that protects its citizens, cannot serve in the UN and cannot enter Israel!" he added.

Gazan residents spoke to the Center for Peace Communications about their experience living in the territory during the Hamas-Israel war.

Some of the interviewed Gazans were critical of Hamas militants, who they accused of terrorizing residents.

"[Hamas] is driving around in jeeps, shooting in the air, beating up merchants … and where are those trucks [of aid]?" one Gazan said.

Another Gaza resident said that he recently went to the market to get chicken and saw that the price was unusually high. When he asked Hamas police nearby if they prohibited price gauging, the officials claimed they did but told the resident to just not buy the chicken.

"Folks are saying if they'll stay in power...they'll grow stronger and more oppressive," a resident said.

Israeli military tanks roll near the border with the Gaza Strip on December 5, 2023, amid continuing battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas. (Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images)

The Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet security service released several images Tuesday discovered in tunnels constructed by Hamas, including one showing five senior figures of the terror group who were killed during a strike.

The picture shows a group of Hamas leaders in a meeting while eating, according to a joint IDF and Shin Bet statement. The five led the Northern Gaza Brigade, the second largest in Hamas.

"With assistance from the IDF Intelligence Directorate and the ISA, IDF soldiers eliminated the brigade's commander, Ahmed Al-Ghandoor, the Deputy Brigade Commander, Wael Rajab, and other senior operatives, including: the commander of the brigade's support battalion, the head of the technical and operational support department, and the observation officer for the northern Gaza Strip," the statement said.

Read the full article about the Israel-Hamas war by Louis Casiano

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., ripped claims in a new interview that Israel has committed war crimes in its retaliatory strikes against Hamas following its Oct. 7 massacre in the country.

Fetterman told CNN anchor Abby Phillip Monday night that Hamas must be destroyed in order for Israelis to exist peacefully and said he values the lives of innocent Palestinian children as much as he does innocent Israeli children. The Democrat has taken heat from the party's left flank for his staunch support of Israel in media and public appearances.

Phillip brought up accusations Israel has committed war crimes in Gaza following the Oct. 7 terrorist attack. 

Read the full article about John Fetterman by Gabriel Hays

A picture taken from Rafah, on the southern Gaza Srip, shows smoke billowing over buildings following Israeli bombardment on December 4, 2023, amid continuing battles between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. (Photo by SAID KHATIB/AFP via Getty Images)

Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant addressed criticisms of Israel's offensive in Gaza,  arguing that the only "legitimate" action is destroying Hamas.

“Lately, I have been asked whether we have the legitimacy to continue fighting, and to that I answer: we do not have the legitimacy to stop," Gallant said.

"There is only one legitimate thing to do: to win against Hamas, to strike them and eliminate them – destroying their governing and military capabilities, and bringing the hostages home," he added.

The Israeli official also reported that he had met the families of hostages in Gaza, and said that their stories were "difficult to hear."

"And I tell the families and the few hostages that arrived after being released: we are fully dedicated to bringing back all the hostages, with no exception," Gallant continued. "The IDF is creating the conditions for this. And we take all the actions and invest all our efforts in bringing them home."

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

Liz Magill, president of the University of Pennsylvania, during a House Education and the Workforce Committee hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. (Haiyun Jiang/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill was under pressure during a House antisemitism hearing on Tuesday, as Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., noted that a Penn professor who called for "intifada" against Israel kept his job at the prestigious institution and other antisemitic speakers have been allowed to have events on campus. 

Banks, in turn, noted how former President Trump's director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Thomas Homan, was prevented from speaking on campus amid anti-Trump student protests, as was India's now-Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amy Wax, a tenured law professor who opposes the diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, agenda. 

"Just weeks before the Oct. 7 terror attacks against Israel, Penn hosted a Palestine Writes Literature Festival," Banks said. "The event featured Marc Lamont Hill, who was fired by CNN for calling for the destruction of Israel. It also hosted and included a member of the Palestinian Youth Movement, which has collaborated with the terrorists and maybe most notably, Roger Waters, the really wacky former Pink Floyd vocalist. The same Roger Waters, by the way, who's publicly used anti-Jewish slurs, desecrated the memory of Anne Frank and has dressed up as a Nazi and floated a pig balloon with a star of David – at many of his concerts. Why in the world would you host someone like that on your college campus to speak at the so-called Palestinian Rights Literature Festival?" 

Read the full article about Liz Magill by Danielle Wallace

Several top women's organizations have been largely silent on Hamas' crimes against women, and many have yet to speak up after Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., was accused of downplaying Hamas terrorists’ sexual violence against Israeli women. On "The Faulkner Focus" Tuesday, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., called out Jayapal and the women's groups, including Planned Parenthood and Women's March, for refusing to speak out against war crimes.

SEN. MARSHA BLACKBURN:  It is disgusting and the fact that you have Congresswoman Jayapal who will try to draw a moral equivalence when asked about these sexual atrocities that have been committed against Israeli women. She should be listening to members of her party like Senator Gillibrand, who understands that this is a crime. These are war crimes. What is happening to these women is a crime. What Hamas is doing is barbaric. It is indecent. And what we know, if you want to make certain that the Palestinian people, the women are protected, you got to get rid of Hamas. Same goes if you want to protect Israeli women and children. Get rid of Hamas. These terrorist organizations are barbaric, act like animals, and there is no human decency that they are exercising.

Read the full article on Hamas sex crimes by Madeline Coggins

Source: Israel Mission to the UN

On Monday, Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan screened the IDF's video of Hamas terrorist attacks against Israelis.

The screening, which marked the first time the graphic footage was shown at an American university, took place at Harvard University.

At the event, the ambassador grilled Harvard University's administration for allegedly not being supportive enough of Jewish students during the war.

“This bastion of higher education and leadership is supposed to set the bar of decency and morality as high as it can go, yet following October 7th, it has become clear that regarding Israel’s war against pure evil, Harvard’s moral bar is nonexistent," Erdan argued. "For a school that puts ‘veritas’ – truth – above all, this is particularly shameful."

"From the university’s initial silence following the attack, to extended silence following the pro- terror voices, and to the shameful response to the assault of Jewish students, Harvard has become dangerous for Jews," the ambassador added.

Erdan also promised that the viewing would have a profound effect on the audience and said that," “Once you see this footage, it will change the way you view the Middle East."

On Tuesday, the "Outnumbered" panel discussed recent reports of "gruesome" sex crimes committed by Hamas terrorists during the Israel-Hamas war.

"We are getting new, horrifying reports of what Hamas terrorists have done to Israeli women during their final moments on October 7th," co-host Emily Compagno explained. "Gruesome accounts of sexual assault and rape from eyewitnesses with the details too graphic for us to even describe on air."

"And while Hamas has released some of the female hostages, Israeli officials believe that at least 18 others are still being held by the terror group," she added.

Co-host Morgan Ortagus blasted U.N. Women for not condemning the sexual assaults quickly enough.

"You would think that U.N. Women would be for women," Ortagus said. "It took them two months, Two months. They issued a statement on December 2nd in order to condemn using rape as a weapon of war the way that Hamas used it against Israeli women."

Smoke rises above buildings in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, as battles between Israel and Hamas militants continue on December 5, 2023. (Photo by MAHMUD HAMS/AFP via Getty Images)

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Lt. Col. Richard Hecht said in a briefing on Tuesday that the Israeli military is continuing to target Hamas terrorists in underground tunnels, which he called "unprecedented."

"So far, we have located over 800 tunnel shafts and destroyed 500 of these," Hecht explained. "The level of fortification is unprecedented."

"While we've been operating, we are ensuring that there is minimum harm to civilians with soldiers on the ground going from building to building," the spokesman added.

Hecht added that he spent the last two days in a "harm mitigation cell" and described what he learned.

"We've been making a game with everything we have in our capabilities, every effort we can to facilitate the movement of civilians in the south in order to mitigate civilian casualties," he added. "Our best efforts and minds are focused on understanding the human terrain in Gaza."

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gestures as he speaks with Russian President during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow on April 4, 2019. (Photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko / POOL / AFP)

Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu issued a blistering critique of women's rights organizations on Tuesday, accusing them of ignoring sex crimes committed by Hamas terrorists.

During a presser, Netanyahu referenced the "sexual torture" and "unbelievable rapes" that officials have determined Hamas terrorists perpetrated against Israeli women.

"I didn’t hear the civil rights organizations, people in the UN, I didn’t hear the outcry, where are you?" Netanyahu said in Hebrew. "You were quiet because we’re talking about Jewish women?

"I have to say this, in a language that everyone understands," he continued before switching to English.

"I say to the women’s rights organizations to the human rights organizations, you’ve heard of the rape of Israeli women, horrible atrocities, sexual mutilation - where the hell are you?" the prime minister added. "I expect all civilized leaders, governments, nations to speak up against this atrocity."

Fox News Digital's Camille Moore contributed to this report.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin walks down the steps of the Pentagon to greet Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu on December 4, 2023 in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder said on Tuesday that the Department of Defense is in contact with its Israeli counterparts on a "near daily basis."

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin actively discusses how the U.S. can assist Israel's security amid the war, Ryder said.

"I'm not going to get into the specifics other than to say, again, we consult closely with Israel Secretary Austin speaks his counterpart on a near daily basis," Ryder explained.

"And part of those discussions includes the kind of security assistance Israel needs to prevent a future terrorist attack in the future," he added.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., laced into Harvard University President Dr. Claudine Gay during a House committee hearing on the rise of antisemitism on college campuses on Tuesday, challenging that the Ivy League school's leader answer for students chanting for violence against Israel.

"Harvard students calling for the mass murder of African-Americans is not protected free speech at Harvard, correct?" Stefanik asked, leading to her point.

The New York Republican demanded that Gay respond to the "yes or no question," before asking the Harvard president if she was familiar with the term "intifada." Stefanik cited multiple instances of Harvard students chanting, "There is only one solution. Intifada, Revolution," and, "globalize the intifada," since Hamas' October 7 massacre and Israel's counteroffensive in Gaza that followed. 

Read the full article about Elise Stefanik by Danielle Wallace

The State Department announced Tuesday that it is implementing a new visa restriction policy following "unprecedented levels of violence" in the West Bank "by Israeli extremist settlers targeting Palestinians and their property, displacing entire communities, as well as violence by Palestinian extremist militants against Israeli civilians.

Spokesman Matthew Miller said during a briefing that "Violence in the West Bank this year is at levels not seen since the second Intifada" and "in recent weeks, an alarming surge in violent acts has driven this unwelcome record even higher."

"Today, as President Biden recently warned, the United States is taking action to address this escalating violence in the West Bank by implementing a new visa restriction policy under Section 212 A3C of the Immigration and Nationality Act," he said. "Under this policy, the United States will pursue visa restrictions against individuals involved in or meaningfully contributing to the undermining of peace security or stability in the West Bank. This includes acts of violence against persons or property, as well as undue restrictions on civilians, access to essential services and basic necessities."

Miller continued by saying that "Immediate family members of such persons may also be subject to these restrictions" and "The department is pursuing initial action against individuals pursuant to this visa restriction policy, today."

"We unequivocally condemn attacks by violent Israeli extremists against Palestinians and those by violent Palestinian extremists against Israelis," he added.

EXCLUSIVE: A top conservative group affiliated with the Heritage Foundation is pushing Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to keep President Biden’s $106 billion supplemental aid request from coming to the House floor. 

"Please do not undermine the gains that have been made on behalf of the American people by substituting one corrupt, unaffordable end-of-year deal for another. Hold firm to the convictions you and I and the American people share in common," Heritage Action President Dr. Kevin Roberts wrote to Johnson.

He was particularly critical of the roughly $61 billion requested for Ukraine, a topic that has become a lightning rod within the GOP.

The package would include funding for Israel, Ukraine, the U.S. border, and humanitarian efforts, among other items. Republicans in both the House and Senate have warned that such a package would fail on its own.

FBI Director Christopher Wray testified Tuesday that the terror threat facing the United States has reached unprecedented levels since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., asked Wray to describe the current "threat matrix" facing the United States at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

"What I would say that is unique about the environment that we're in right now in my career is that while there may have been times over the years where individual threats could have been higher here or there than where they may be right now, I've never seen a time where all the threats or so many of the threats are all elevated, all at exactly the same time," the FBI director replied. 

"So, blinking red lights analogy about 9/11 — all the lights were blinking red before 9/11, apparently," Graham continued. "Obviously, all of us missed it. Would you say there's multiple blinking red lights out there?" he asked. 

"I see blinking red lights everywhere," Wray answered. 

The presidents of Harvard, MIT and UPenn are being confronted Tuesday during a House committee hearing dedicated to confronting the surge in antisemitism seen on American college campuses in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war, as Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., pressed the trio about the "race-based ideology of the radical left" she said their institutions are supporting. 

In her opening statement, Foxx, chair of the House Education and Workforce Committee, held a moment of silence "to recognize all the Israelis and others who have been killed, injured, or taken hostage by Hamas terrorists." 

Addressing the witnesses, Harvard University President Dr. Claudine Gay, University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill and Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Dr. Sally Kornbluth, Foxx said that "each of you will have a chance to answer to and atone for the many specific instances of vitriolic, hate-filled antisemitism on your respective campuses that have denied students the safe learning environment they are due." 

"As you confront our questions in this hearing, remember that you are not speaking to us, but to the students on your campus who have been threatened and assaulted and who look to you to protect them," Foxx said. "

Foxx played a video of many pro-Palestinian protesters at college campuses shouting "intifada," an Arabic word for uprising that is used to describe past Palestinian campaigns against Israel.

A man looks through a hole in the wall of a house as a result of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip, in Ashkelon, Israel, on Tuesday, Dec. 5. (AP/Tsafrir Abayov)

Images have emerged Tuesday of a damaged residential building in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon following a strike by a rocket that was fired from the Gaza Strip.

Two women in their 60s were injured in the blast, according to The Jerusalem Post.

The Israel Defense Forces also said Tuesday that sirens were activated in Tel Aviv and northern Israel, warning of potential rocket strikes.

The Lebanese Army wrote on X Tuesday that shelling from the Israeli military has killed one of its soldiers, in what is being reported as the first death of a Lebanese soldier in the Israel-Hamas war.

Israel has been engaging in back-and-forth border skirmishes against the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah since the beginning of the war.

The Lebanese Army wrote that an "army military center in the Nabi Aweida -- Al-Adaysah area was bombed by the Israeli enemy, which led to the martyrdom of a soldier and the injury of 3 others, who were transferred to a hospital for treatment."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces for comment.

Fox News' Ben Evansky contributed to this report.

Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, left, and King Charles III, center, and Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attend a group photo at the COP28 U.N. Climate Summit on Friday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (AP/Peter Dejong)

The leader of Qatar – which has played a key role in negotiating a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas – has accused Israel on Tuesday of committing “crimes of genocide” in Gaza. 

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said in Doha Tuesday that “all religious, ethical and humanitarian values have been violated in occupied Palestine through crimes the occupation forces are committing against humanity,” according to the Associated Press. 

He added that self-defense “doesn’t permit the crimes of genocide that Israel is committing.” 

Israel and the U.S. say the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas has been using civilians as human shields in the Gaza Strip, which is adding to the death toll there. 

As of Tuesday, more than 15,000 people have been killed in Gaza during Israel’s campaign to eliminate Hamas, the AP reported, citing a military official. 

Hamas began the war on Oct. 7 by launching a surprise attack on Israel and has refused calls to release more hostages. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Israeli solders are seen moving Tuesday in the Gaza Strip. (IDF)

An Israel Defense Forces commander said Tuesday that Israel’s military is currently “in the most intense day since the beginning of the ground operation -- in terms of terrorists killed, the number of firefights, and the use of firepower from the land and air.” 

Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, who leads the Southern Command, said in a statement that “We are in the heart of Jabalya, in the heart of Shuja'iyya, and now also in the heart of Khan Younis.” 

“We intend to continue to strike and secure our accomplishments,” he added. 

The IDF also said since the end of a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas last week, “Israeli Air Force aircraft have carried out two rounds of strikes involving dozens of aircraft from all the combat squadrons.  

“Hundreds of munitions were utilized during strikes on tunnels, operational shafts, and anti-tank missile launch positions in order to support the movement of IDF infantry soldiers on the ground,” it added. 

Fox News' Ben Evansky contributed to this report.

The State Department says the U.S. suspects one reason Hamas is refusing to release its remaining female hostages is to prevent them from revealing the horrors they experienced in captivity.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller says that Hamas' refusal to release the women led to the collapse of the cease-fire on Friday.

"It seems that one of the reasons they don't want to turn women over that they've been holding hostage — and the reason this pause fell apart — is that they don't want these women to be able to talk about what happened to them during their time in custody," Miller said during a Monday press briefing.

The statement comes amid heightened tensions regarding Hamas' brutal treatment of women during and after its Oct. 7 massacre. Israel has documented extensive instances of rape and sexual assault and has called on the United Nations to take action.

A helicopter carrying Israeli hostages released by Hamas lands at the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel, on Thursday, Nov. 30. (AP/Leo Correa)

The hostages who have been freed by Hamas from the Gaza Strip were given tranquilizer pills before being transferred to Israel in a bid to make them appear happier following their treatment in captivity, a report says. 

Dr. Hagar Mizrahi, the head of the Ministry of Health’s medical division, told the Israeli government about the alleged druggings on Tuesday, according to The Times of Israel. 

The newspaper reports that Mizrahi named the drug Clonazepam, which is known outside of Israel as Klonopin and Rivotril. 

The National Institutes of Health describes Clonazepam as being “used to relieve panic attacks,” amongst other purposes. 

The hostages, who spent more than 50 days in captivity, were first handed over to the International Red Cross before being transferred to Israel. 

The Israel Defense Forces say sirens are sounding in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, warning of incoming rocket fire.

Meanwhile, a building in the city of Ashkelon has been hit Tuesday with a barrage of rockets fired from Gaza, the Jerusalem Post is reporting, citing Israeli media.

A woman in her 60s reportedly was among the wounded in that incident.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greets soldiers as he visits the Gaza Strip on Nov. 26. (Avi Ohayon/GPO/Handout via AP)

The families of hostages still being held by Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip say they will meet Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

The families have sought to meet with Netanyahu and his wartime Cabinet since a truce deal between Israel and Hamas that saw the release of 105 hostages expired last Friday, according to The Associated Press. 

The families say they want to hear from Netanyahu that he has their relatives’ fate in mind as Israel moves ahead in its war against Hamas. 

Israel said this morning that 137 hostages are believed to remain in Gaza, including 17 women and children. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Turkey’s state-run news agency reported Tuesday that the country's intelligence officials have warned their Israeli counterparts of “serious consequences” if they attempt to target Hamas members on its territory. 

The warning comes after the leader of Israel's domestic security agency, Shin Bet, said his organization is prepared to destroy Hamas “in every place."

“In every place, in Gaza, in the West Bank, in Lebanon, in Turkey, in Qatar, everywhere,” Ronen Bar said in comments aired Sunday night by Israel’s public broadcaster Kan 11, according to the Associated Press. “It’ll take a few years but we will be there to do it.”

The Anadolu Agency, quoting unnamed Turkish intelligence officials, said “necessary warnings were made” to Israeli officials who were told their actions would “have serious consequences.” 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A mini-bus carrying Israeli hostages released by Hamas and Israeli military personnel arrives at the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel, on Nov. 30. (AP/Leo Correa)

Israel's military said Tuesday that 137 hostages remain held by Hamas terrorists inside the Gaza Strip.

"We have a moral obligation to continue to do everything to bring everyone home," the Israel Defense Forces wrote on X.

Seventeen of those hostages are women and children, according to the IDF.

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on ‘Fox News Sunday’ that the U.S. believes around 9 Americans are among the hostages still in captivity.

Yesterday, Mark Regev, a senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told Fox News that “we have to fear” for the safety of those Americans, adding that "I can't be confident that anyone is alive, unfortunately.” 

The Israeli Air Force said Tuesday that its fighter jets have attacked Hezbollah targets in Lebanon following a series of launches that entered its territory. 

"A short time ago, fighter jets of the Air Force attacked a series of targets of the terrorist organization Hezbollah in Lebanese territory. Among the targets attacked: terrorist infrastructures, positions and military sites where weapons were stored and from which terrorists of the terrorist organization operated," it said in a post on X.

"In addition, earlier today several launches were identified that crossed the territory of Lebanon towards various areas in the north of the country and fell in open areas," the Israeli Air Force added.

Palestinians inspect the damage of buildings that were hit by Israeli airstrikes in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City on Oct. 31. Israel reportedly has set up seawater pumps in the area now and is considering flooding tunnels underneath Gaza that are occupied by Hamas, a report says. (AP/Adel Hana)

Israel is considering a plan to pump seawater into the extensive tunnel system underneath the Gaza Strip to drive Hamas militants out of their hiding places, a report says. 

Israel’s military last month finished installing at least five large seawater pumps – which can draw water from the Mediterranean Sea -- near the coastal Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

American officials told the newspaper that Israel first informed the U.S. of the plan in early November, drawing a mixed reaction as there are concerns about how pumping seawater may damage the environment. 

“We are not sure how successful pumping will be since nobody knows the details of the tunnels and the ground around them,” one source told The Wall Street Journal. “It’s impossible to know if that will be effective because we don’t know how seawater will drain in tunnels no one has been in before.” 

Jon Alterman, senior vice president at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, also said “It’s hard to tell what pumping seawater will do to the existing water and sewage infrastructure. It is hard to tell what it will do to groundwater reserves. And it’s hard to tell the impact on the stability of nearby buildings.” 

Former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leads a panel entitled: "Women Building a Climate Resilient World" in the main plenary hall on day five of the UNFCCC COP28 Climate Conference at Expo City Dubai on Dec. 04 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized Hamas supporters on Monday for overlooking the terrorist group's sex crimes against Israeli women.

Speaking at a United Nations meeting via remote video, Clinton called it "outrageous" to ignore the reports of sexual assaults.

"Organizations, governments and individuals who are committed to a better future for women and girls have a responsibility to condemn all violence against women," Clinton said. "It is outrageous just that some who claim to stand for justice are closing their eyes and their hearts to the victims of Hamas."

The former U.S. official noted that "women on both sides of the current conflict in the Middle East have long worked for a just and lasting peace."

"I have grieved with Israeli women who have lost loved ones to terrorist attacks, but refuse to believe that peace is impossible," Clinton continued. "I have talked and listened to Palestinian women who have suffered greatly from the conflicts of the past decades, yet dream of a peaceful future and a state of their own."

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre refused Monday to condemn comments from a top progressive lawmaker who called for "balance" when condemning Hamas' use of sexual violence against Israeli women.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said "we have to be balanced about bringing in the outrages against Palestinian" when asked specifically about mass rape committed by Palestinian militants, during an interview Sunday with CNN. When asked about Jayapal's comments, Jean-Pierre reiterated that using rape as a weapon of war was "reprehensible," but stopped short of condemning the congresswoman.

"I can only speak for the president — that's who I can speak for," Jean-Pierre told Fox News correspondent Jacqui Heinrich during the daily White House press briefing Monday. "We've been clear that what Hamas did is absolutely reprehensible, full stop. We're going to continue to be clear about that."

"We think rape and the use of rape — being used as a weapon — that is also reprehensible and that's full stop and I'll just leave it there," she continued. "That's speaking for the president of the United States and I think I've been very clear on that."

After Jean-Pierre was pressed about Jayapal's comments in particular, she again declined to address the congresswoman's remarks directly.

"I just commented on it. I just laid out what we believe is unacceptable," she added.

Fox News' Thomas Catenacci contributed to this report.