Israel executes 'precise and targeted operation' inside al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza

Fox News' Trey Yingst reports the latest information from southern Israel as of noon local time Thursday.

Yingst said the Israeli military is continuing its operations in the al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City as of Thursday after gaining control of the al-Shati camp in northern Gaza.

"The Israelis controlled where we could go and who we could talk to, but it did give us some insight into the situation on the ground," Yingst said before sharing a preview of his reporting from inside the hospital.

The Israel Defense Forces shared pictures Thursday of Hamas weapons reportedly found and destroyed during the military's takeover of the al-Shati camp in northern Gaza earlier this week. 

During the operation, the IDF said troops found a weapons cache belonging to Hamas' navy, which included diving gear, explosives and various weapons.

Troops also struck terrorists and located weapons including explosive belts and barrels, RPGs, anti-tank missiles, communications equipment and intelligence documents, the IDF reported.

The IDF said troops found a Hamas naval weapons cache during the takeover of the al-Shati camp in northern Gaza. (Israel Defense Forces)

IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said on Tuesday troops completed the takeover of al-Shati.

Fox News Correspondent Trey Yingst, who is on the ground in Israel, said the al-Shati camp was "largely considered to be a Hamas headquarters and a stronghold for the organization inside the [Gaza] Strip."

Police in the nation's capital responded to the Democratic National Committee's headquarters Wednesday evening as pro-Palestinian demonstrators grew violent while calling for an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war.

About 150 people were "illegally and violently protesting" near the DNC headquarters building in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C., according to U.S. Capitol Police.

Six Capitol police officers were injured during the clash on Wednesday evening, according to the agency. Their injuries stemmed from minor cuts, pepper spray burns and punches thrown by protesters who turned violent alongside peaceful protesters.

Videos on social media showed protesters shoving police officers and trying to hold on to metal barricades at the DNC headquarters while officers attempted to remove them.

Capitol police and the Metropolitan Police Department, who also responded to the protest, did not immediately confirm to Fox News Digital how many arrests were made at the event.

Protesters included members of "If Not Now" and "Jewish Voice for Peace." Both organizations have organized other demonstrations in Washington D.C. since Hamas' unprecedented Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Read more on the protest in D.C. here.

Fox News Digital's Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Adam Sabes, Kelley Kramer and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.

Lawrence Summers, president emeritus and professor at Harvard University, during a panel session on the closing day of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Friday, Jan. 20, 2023. (Source: Stefan Wermuth/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Former Harvard president and Washington Post contributing columnist Lawrence Summers published a column Wednesday that ripped Harvard University and other U.S. colleges for their slow responses to the wave of antisemitism on their campuses.

Summers, a current professor at Harvard and former treasury secretary under President Clinton, adapted the column from a speech he gave at the Harvard Medical and Dental School Shabbat Observance last week expressing worry over the "moral and mortal peril in the world and in university communities like my own" stemming from the new wave of antisemitism following Hamas’ massacre in Israel last month.

Condemning the antisemitism seen at Harvard and other campuses, he stated, "For more than two decades, since I spoke of antisemitism in effect if not intent in response to the Divest Israel movement while serving as Harvard’s president, I have been alarmed."

Read the full article about Lawrence Summers by Gabriel Hayes

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., refused on Wednesday to answer multiple questions about the pro-Palestinian rallying cry "from the river to the sea" and whether she is antisemitic — after the White House said the use of the phrase can be antisemitic.

Fox News’ Hillary Vaughn quizzed the Palestinian-American lawmaker, asking her if she regrets using the phrase. 

"Congresswoman, do you regret using the phrase "from the river to the sea"? It's used by terrorists to call for the genocide of the Jewish people. Do you regret using it?" Vaughn said.

Read the full article about Rashida Tlaib by Adam Shaw

Members of the United Nations Security Council observe a minute of silence for all those who lost their lives since the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Oct. 7 at a Security Council meeting on the situation in Gaza, at the UN headquarters in New York, Nov. 10, 2023. (Photo by Xie E/Xinhua via Getty Images)

The United States allowed a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for pauses in the fighting within Gaza to pass despite a lack of condemnation for Hamas.

Fifteen members of the security council passed the resolution Wednesday, which calls for a cease-fire for a "sufficient number of days" in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas. The resolution also calls for the "unconditional release" of hostages taken by Hamas during the Oct. 7 terrorist attack.

Twelve members of the council voted in favor of the resolution, while the U.S., Russia and Britain, who have veto power, abstained from the vote Wednesday. The resolution doesn't include a condemnation of Hamas' actions. The Security Council attempted to pass a resolution four times before the council was successful.

Read the full article on the UN by Adam Sabes

Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst reported about his visit inside Gaza's al-Shifa Hospital on Wednesday's episode of "Special Report".

"We were shown weapons in the radiology building," Yingst's post on X read. "We were not shown any tunnels. The raid is ongoing at this hour. Hundreds of Palestinians are still inside."

Trey walked around the hospital and found reported Hamas weapons and ammunition inside. Some of them were found inside an MRI room of the hospital. Hamas literature was also found in the hospital.

"What we have here is professional Hamas literature, all of it with the official insignia of of Hamas," IDF Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus explained. "And we have here really a mix of tactical procedures for commanders, how to attack a tank and what type of ammunition to use in there."

"I also questioned the Israeli military about the criticism they faced about raiding a medical facility," Yingst added. "We'll have more of their answers tomorrow."

Fox News Poll reveals where voters stand in the Israel war with Hamas. (Fox News)

More than a month after Hamas launched a horrific attack in Israel, most voters blame the terrorist group for the war in the Gaza Strip and continue to side with the Israelis over the Palestinians. 

That’s according to the latest Fox News survey, released Wednesday.

In the war, 66% of voters side with the Israelis as 22% support the Palestinians. That is about where sentiment was when the war started in October (68% vs. 18%).

Read the full poll results on the Israel-Hamas war by Victoria Balara

People carrying Palestinian flags and banners gather in front of the Palace of Westminster to organize a pro-Palestinian demonstration in London, United Kingdom on November 15, 2023. (Photo by Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Members of Parliament in the United Kingdom House of Commons voted against an amendment demanding its government call for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war.

The amendment was added to the government's legislative agenda for 2024 on Wednesday, but wasn't passed by Members of Parliament.

According to Reuters, the Scottish National Party introduced the amendment which reads, "(We) call on the government to join with the international community in urgently pressing all parties to agree to an immediate cease-fire."

Read the full article on the UK by Adam Sabes

The pro-Palestinian rally in Times Square on Oct. 8, the day after Hamas' terror attack on Israel, was organized in part by The People's Forum. (Photo by BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images)

A multimillionaire tech mogul and his wife are helping to bankroll groups behind pro-Palestinian protests that have occurred in the wake of the Oct. 7 terror attack by Hamas on Israel.

Neville Roy Singham, a U.S.-born entrepreneur who made millions after founding and selling an IT consulting firm called Thoughtworks, and his wife Jodie Evans, the co-founder of left-wing anti-war group Code Pink, have been the primary funders of a group called The People’s Forum since 2017, according to a report by The Free Press’s Francesca Block. The group bills itself as a "movement incubator for working class and marginalized communities" and "nurtures the next generation of visionaries and organizers who believe that through collective action a new world is possible."

The People’s Forum has played a role in organizing several pro-Palestine protests since Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7 in which the terror group’s members killed at least 1,200 Israelis and took over 200 hostages from Southern Israel into Gaza. 

Read the full article on Neville Roy Singham by Eric Revell

U.S. forces in the Qamisli district in the Al-Hasakah province of Syria on Aug. 18. (Hedil Amir/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

U.S. forces in Syria and Iraq have been attacked 57 times since mid-October, a defense official told Fox News on Wednesday.

The official told Fox News that three of those attacks have taken place on Wednesday, when rockets were fired toward Mission Support Site Green Village in eastern Syria. According to the official, the rockets didn't land on base and didn't cause any injuries.

Wednesday's attacks mark the 57th attack on U.S. forces in Syria and Iraq since Oct. 17, and there have been six since Sunday.

Read the full article about U.S. attacks by Adam Sabes and Liz Friden

Gilad Erdan, Israel's Permanent Representative to the UN, waits to speak as the UN Security Council meets about the conflict between Israel and Hamas, on November 10, 2023, at UN Headquarters in New York City. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)

Israel's Permanent Representative to the UN Gilad Erdan called out the UN Security Council on Wednesday for voting for "humanitarian pauses" in the Israel-Hamas war.

"The @UN Security Council’s resolution is disconnected from reality and is meaningless," Erdan said in a post on X. "Regardless of what the Council decides, Israel will continue acting according to int’l law while the Hamas terrorists will not even read the resolution at all, let alone abide by it. It is unfortunate that the Council continues to ignore, not condemn, or even mention the massacre that Hamas carried out on October 7, which led to the war in Gaza. It is truly shameful!"

Erdan accused Hamas of "deliberately" harming civilians in Gaza to generate anti-Israel sentiment.

"Hamas's strategy is to deliberately deteriorate the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and increase the number of Palestinian casualties in order to motivate the UN and the Security Council to stop Israel," the ambassador continued.

"It will not happen. Israel will continue to act until Hamas is destroyed and the hostages are returned," he added.

U.S. President Joe Biden departs the White House November 14, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

President Biden’s strong backing of Israel and his response to its war with terrorist organization Hamas speaks to the mainstream of the Democratic Party and the majority of Americans, according to supporters of the president, despite progressive Democrats publicly opposing the administration's rejection of a cease-fire.

Multiple Biden allies told Fox News Digital that the administration’s stance against a cease-fire protects Americans and national security interests at home and abroad.

Nearly a dozen Biden allies defended the president's policies in interviews with Fox News Digital after more than 400 government officials within the administration signed onto a letter opposing the president's handling of the war, and demanding a cease-fire.

Read the full article about President Biden by Brooke Singman

A protester holds a sign at a "All out for Gaza" protest at Columbia University in New York on November 15, 2023. (Photo by BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images)

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters stood outside of Columbia University in New York City on Wednesday, holding signs while chanting and demanding the removal of Jewish people from Gaza, while others boycotted the suspension of two far-left student-led groups by the school's administration.

The "emergency protest" was shared on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, by groups such as WOLPalestine (Within Our Lifetime) and CUNYPalestine, noting the event was scheduled for Nov. 15 at 2 p.m.

"All Out for Gaza at Columbia University," the post read. "In solidarity with Columbia SJP (Students for Justice in Palestine) and JVP (Jewish Voices for Peace) who were recently unjustly suspended by the university administration.

Read the full article about Columbia University by Greg Wehner

A New York University (NYU) flag flies outside of the NYU business school on August 25, 2020. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

New York University was hit with a groundbreaking lawsuit, the first of what is expected to be a series against elite universities, for allegedly allowing antisemitism to fester on its campus and also "deliberately" seeking to "make the campus environment even more… frightening for Jewish students," according to court documents. 

"NYU is among the worst campuses for Jewish students, and NYU has long been aware of the festering Jewish hatred permeating the school," the suit filed by Kasowitz Benson Torres, an influential firm based in New York City, said.

It alleged that NYU was aware of "ongoing and disgraceful acts of anti-Jewish bigotry," and refused to act in violation of Jewish students' Title VI civil rights and sought remedial measures and financial penalties. The suit made startling allegations, including that NYU's administration's actions, or lack thereof throughout the years, added fuel to antisemitism on campus. 

Read the full article about NYU by Hannah Grossman

The "Outnumbered" co-hosts reacted to the rise of antisemitism and Tuesday's March for Israel rally, as the war between Hamas and Israel continues.

Fox News contributor Morgan Ortagus, who is Jewish, thanked the show for lending her support amid rampant antisemitism.

"I'm so grateful to this show, to all of you, to the producers. I've never cried on air," Ortagus explained. "And a couple of weeks ago, just seeing the images and the rampant anti-Semitism, having a daughter, it has been so hard to talk about it. But I'm so appreciative of you guys for for giving us the voice, giving us the opportunity."

"I never have felt unsafe in this country for my daughter the way I do now," she continued, adding that she was appreciated for the 300,000 people who showed up to the March for Israel rally.

"Between October 7th and November 7th, there have been 832 anti-Semitic attacks," co-host Kayleigh McEnany said. "Do the math, that means 28 per day. That means more than one every hour."

Jon Lovitz arrives at the Mike Tyson Cares and We2Matter's 100 Women Matter Celebrity Fundraiser Gala on August 17, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Legendary comedian and actor Jon Lovitz blasted HBO host Jon Oliver this week after the British talk show host reprimanded the United States for supporting Israel and the "suffering" it has caused in Gaza following Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre.

Lovitz replied to a social media post from Oliver’s talk show with an X post noting how the U.S. would obviously support its "democratic ally" Israel over the radical terror group that killed 1400+ people in the country last month.

Pushing back against the British HBO host’s skepticism of America’s alliance with Israel, Lovitz declared, "God bless America. #IstandwithIsrael."

Read the full article on Jon Lovitz by Gabriel Hays

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released video early Wednesday showing weapons found inside the al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza.

"IDF troops are continuing the precise and targeted operation against Hamas in the Shifa Hospital complex, in which the troops are conducting searches for Hamas terrorist infrastructure and assets," the IDF said in a statement.

"As the soldiers entered the hospital complex, they engaged with a number of terrorists and killed them," the statement added. "Following this, during searches in one of the departments of the hospital, the troops located a room with technological assets, along with military and combat equipment used by the Hamas terrorist organization."

The footage shows Israeli officers sorting through the firearms, ammunition and weapons reportedly left by Hamas fighters.

The IDF says that "technological assets and extensive intelligence information" found in the hospital are being reviewed by authorities.

Former Israeli Prime Minister and Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara Netanyahu at an election-night event on November 1, 2022 in Jerusalem, Israel.

The wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has written a letter Wednesday to first lady Jill Biden, urging her to call for the "immediate release" of child hostages who are "suffering" in the captivity of Hamas terrorists. 

Sara Netanyahu opened her plea by saying that "I’m writing to you not only as Bibi’s wife but first and foremost as a mother." 

"For over a month now, 32 children have been held kidnapped in Gaza, brutally torn from their parents and their homes," Netanyahu said. "These children are surely suffering from untold trauma, not only by being kidnapped, but having witnessed the brutal murder of their parents and siblings on that horrific October 7th." 

Read the full article about Sara Netanyahu by Greg Norman

Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times columnist and bestselling author Thomas L. Friedman on February 26, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

New York Times opinion columnist Thomas Friedman, one of President Biden's favorite writers, is urging him to follow in part former President Trump's plan for a two-state solution in the Middle East. 

After visiting Israel and the West Bank, Friedman came to the conclusion that America needed an active "vision for how the Gaza war must end" in a column published Tuesday.

"The Biden plan — are you sitting down? — could actually use as one of its starting points President Donald Trump’s proposal for a two-state solution," Friedman wrote, "because [Benjamin] Netanyahu embraced that in 2020, when he had a different coalition. (Netanyahu and his ambassador in Washington practically wrote the Trump plan.)"

Read the full article about Thomas Friedman by Jeffrey Clark

Debra Messing speaks during 'March For Israel' at the National Mall on November 14, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images)

Social media users criticized "Will & Grace" star Debra Messing after she gave a speech in defense of Israel during a pro-Israel rally in Washington, D.C., this week.

Users on both sides of the political spectrum slammed Messing for her impassioned speech condemning the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, with pro-Israel conservatives hitting her for voting for Biden, who has given aid to Israel’s enemies, as well as pro-Palestinian leftists accusing her of defending "genocide" in Gaza. 

Messing, a Jewish person and Hollywood liberal, gave the speech in front of thousands at the "March for Israel" in D.C. on Tuesday. The Jewish Federations of North America organized the event to support Israel amid its war with Hamas and to call out terror and hatred being shown towards the Jewish community.

Read the full article about Debra Messing by Gabriel Hays

From left: House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, President Biden and Rep. Ritchie Torres (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll, Ting Shen/Bloomberg, Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call)

Top House lawmakers are investigating the breadth and depth of the digital wealth owned by terror groups like Hamas just over a month after the Gaza-based organization's surprise attack on Israel.

"Reports indicate that Hamas-linked digital wallets received about $41 million and Palestinian Islamic Jihad-linked digital wallets received about $93 million between August 2021 and June 2023. Yet, it remains unclear how much, if any, of the publicly identified digital assets are accessible to or remains in the possession of Hamas," the lawmakers wrote to President Biden and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

"According to reports, Hamas shut down its digital asset fundraising campaign in April 2023 citing the ability of government officials to identify and prosecute donors."

The bipartisan letter is led by House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., Financial Services Committee Chairman Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., Digital Asset subcommittee Chairman French Hill, R-Ark., and Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y.

"We request the White House and the Treasury to utilize the open blockchain ledger to assess the footprint of Hamas’ digital asset fundraising campaign. In doing this, Congress can better understand the United States’ available tools and capabilities to target bad actors on blockchain and support legitimate digital asset use and innovation," Emmer told Fox News Digital.

A top United Nations humanitarian aid official is being ripped Wednesday by an Israeli ambassador after sharing an image on X showing him shaking hands with Iran’s foreign minister, who reportedly helped Hamas plan its Oct. 7 attack on Israel. 

U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths posted that he held a meeting in Geneva with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian about the "devastating" situation unfolding in the Gaza Strip and the "critical" need to deliver aid to the area. 

The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Amirabdollahian had taken part in at least two planning meetings in Lebanon with the terrorist groups Hezbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad ahead of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which launched the Middle East war.  

"Tell me @UNReliefChief, what role do you see Iran playing in such regard?" Israeli Ambassador to Geneva Elion Shahar wrote in response to Griffiths’ post. "What role do you see for the prime sponsors of a terrorist organization who murdered, raped, and tortured over 1,200 Israelis?" 

"Did you ask him about the weapons Iran has transferred to Hamas through aid shipments, which were used to kill Israelis on October 7th?" she continued. "Did you ask him about the money Iran has transferred to Hamas, which pays for its leaders' 5-star hotels in Qatar where they cheered when young Israelis were murdered on TV?" 

"Iran is part of the problem, not the solution," she concluded. "It is about time the U.N. starts to understand this simple truth." 

Fox News Digital's Greg Norman contributed to this update.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited troops at the Zikim military base near north Gaza and said, "There is no place in Gaza that Israel will not reach." 

Netanyahu was briefed on the fighting that occurred on Oct. 7, when Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel and attacked residences and military posts in southern Israel. Hamas killed more than 1,200 people in the assault, mostly civilians, and took some 240 people hostage back to Gaza.

Standing next to soldiers at the base, Netanyahu said: “Do you remember when we were told that we would not break into Gaza? We broke through. We were told that we would not reach the outskirts of Gaza City – we arrived. We were told that we won’t enter Shifa – we entered.

“There is no hiding, no shelter, no refuge for the murderers of Hamas,” Netanyahu said. “We will arrive and eliminate Hamas and return our abductees – these are two sacred missions.”

The Associated Press contributed to this update.

Hundreds gathered Sunday at a Ventura County, California, intersection where a week earlier, a 69-year-old Jewish man struck his head on concrete and later died after a confrontation with an unnamed pro-Palestinian protester. 

Flowers, wreaths, candles and letters surrounded the spot in front of the gas station at Westlake and Thousand Oaks Boulevards, where Paul Kessler sustained his fatal injuries. 

One man held a sign that read, "We want justice for Paul," per footage shared with Fox News Digital. Others bandied Israeli flags and sang "Oseh Shalom" — a Hebrew song praying for peace for the country, its people and the world.

Blood still marked the ground where Kessler's head struck the sidewalk in widely-shared footage from around 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 5 showing medics attending to a bleeding but alert Kessler at the scene as police questioned onlookers.

Kessler was pronounced dead at nearby Los Robles Hospital about 10 hours after the incident. Per the Ventura County Medical Examiner during a press conference Tuesday, Kessler's non-lethal injuries were noted on the left side of his face, while internal injuries included skull fractures, swelling and bruising to the brain. 

Kessler's manner of death was determined to be homicide, Medical Examiner Christopher Young said. 

Fox News Digital's Christina Coulter contributed to this update.

BBC News Channel has apologized for an inaccurate report that claimed Israeli forces were targeting "medical teams and Arab speakers" inside of Gaza's main hospital.

On Tuesday, a BBC News program reported that Israeli forces were carrying out an operation against Hamas forces inside Al Shifa hospital. 

The news anchor then claimed that the soldiers were targeting individuals, including hospital workers and Arab speakers, inside the hospital, which would constitute a war crime. The BBC News anchor cited Reuters as the source of their information. However, reporting from Reuters on Israeli troops entering the hospital contradicted the BBC.

"Israel said its troops uncovered unspecified weapons and "terror infrastructure" inside the hospital compound after killing fighters in a clash outside. Once inside, they said there had been no fighting and no friction with civilians, patients or staff," an article from Reuters noted.

"Witnesses who spoke to Reuters from inside the compound on Wednesday described a situation that appeared calm, if tense, as the Israeli troops moved between buildings carrying out searches," the outlet added.

One of the most influential news organizations in the world, BBC issued an on-air apology for its claims about the Al Shifa hospital the following morning.

"BBC News, as it covered initial reports that Israeli forces had entered Gaza's main hospital, we said that medical teams and Arab speakers were being targeted," the anchor said. "This is incorrect and misquoted a Reuters report which said IDF forces included medical teams and Arabic speakers for this operation. We apologize for this error, which fell below our usual editorial standards."

The anchor also noted that the correct version of events was broadcast "minutes later."

Fox News Digital's Nikolas Lanum contributed to this update.

Pro-Palestinian protesters marched in Staten Island on Tuesday, chanting anti-Israel slogans and burning the Israeli flag. 

"From the river, to the sea," hundreds of people shouted, a phrase that appears in the founding charter of the terrorist group in Hamas and calls for the destruction of Israel. 

Protesters were also filmed burning an Israeli flag. 

Police arrested six people, including at least one minor, in connection to the pro-Palestinian rally in St. George, SILive.com reported. 

The rally was organized by the pro-Palestinian group WIthin Our Lifetime and held outside of Borough Hall. NYPD officers forced the demonstration to relocate onto Richmond Terrace, disrupting traffic, the report said. 

Protesters also criticized President Bident and the U.S. government's support for Israel in th ewar against Hamas. People chanted, "Israel bombs, USA pays. How many kids have you killed today?" 

“What other words can be used for this besides ethnic cleansing? Besides genocide? Words that these mainstream media outlets still refuse to use,” Nerdeen Kiswani, founder and chair of Within Our Lifetime, told SILive.com. 

“There are Palestinian men, women and children, every day, on our screens begging people to look at the world and tell the world to stop this genocide. But they are not stopping it. In fact, countries like the one we live in, like the United States, are funding it,” she said. 

Israeli soldier stands near boxes labelled "Medical Supplies" at the Al Shifa hospital complex, amid their ground operation against Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, during what they say is a delivery of humanitarian aid to the facility in Gaza City, November 15, 2023 in this handout image. Israeli Defence Forces/Handout via REUTERS

A senior official with the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry told the Associated Press that Israeli forces are still operating inside al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical facility in the territory.

Speaking by phone from the hospital, Munir al-Boursh said Israeli soldiers ransacked the basement and other buildings, including those housing the emergency and surgery departments.

“They are still here ... patients, women and children are terrified,” he said. He said doctors vowed to stay with their patients “till the end.”

The White House confirmed Tuesday that Hamas terrorists are using al-Shifa Hospital and the tunnels beneath it as a base for military operations and to hold hostages. The Israel Defense Forces said earlier Wednesday it is carrying out a "precise and targeted operation against Hamas" in a specific part of the hospital away from patients and medical staff. The IDF also said it delivered medical supplies.

Al-Boursh told the AP he spoke with an Israeli official by phone on Wednesday and asked him to join the forces searching the facility, but he refused. 

The IDF says it recovered weapons from the basement of the hospital. 

The Associated Press contributed to this update.

The mood in the nation’s capital ranged from somber to jubilant Tuesday, as tens of thousands of people rallied in support of Israel and the Jewish community.

"I feel like it's my duty right now to be here, to be advocating for my people," Tal told Fox News.

Demonstrators draped themselves in American and Israeli flags as they congregated at the National Mall for the "March for Israel."

"We love America, and we’re so happy that America is standing behind Israel," Elliot from New Jersey said. "It’s really great to all be here together, show support to each other and say thank you to the country."

A coalition of Jewish organizations planned the march to show support for Israel in the wake of the Oct. 7 terror attacks in which Hamas killed around 1,200 people, primarily Israeli civilians. More than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its counterattack, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.

"I came to stand with Israel during this really crazy time … and stand up for the hostages to come home, and for peace, once and for all," Cillia from Michigan said.

Fox News Digital's Hannah Ray Lambert and Jon Michael Raasch contributed to this update.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib is part of a secret social media group in which its members have glamorized Hamas in its war battle with Israel after the terror group attacked and killed hundreds of innocent Israeli civilians last month, Fox News Digital has found. 

The Michigan Democrat is a member of the Palestinian American Congress group on Facebook. The group is hidden from non-members and does not appear on the platform's search engine, though Fox News Digital was able to gain access to it.

The group's founder, Maher Abdel-qader, who has extensive ties to Tlaib and has also been linked to other liberal politicians, has come under fire in the past for his antisemitic social media posts, including questioning if the Holocaust ever occurred.

The Palestinian American Congress group, of which Tlaib is a member, has featured pro-Hamas posts in the wake of the deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

On Oct. 12, one group member posted: "We don't want to throw you in the sea...we want you to ride it back from where you came." The message was accompanied by a picture of an elderly Israeli woman and a Hamas fighter holding her captive.

Fox News Digital's Joe Schoffstall and Peter Hasson contributed to this update.

UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief, Martin Griffiths speaks during an international humanitary conference for civilians in Gaza, at the Elysee Presidential Palace, in Paris, on November 9, 2023. (Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

The United Nations' top emergency relief official on Wednesday condemned the Israeli military operation in Gaza's al-Shifa Hospital and said Hamas must not use it as a 'shield' for their activities. 

“Look, Hamas must not, should not, use a place like a hospital as a shield for their presence,” said Martin Griffiths in a video statement, adding that "hospitals should not become a place of – a war zone – of danger." 

Earlier on X, Griffiths said he was "appalled" by overnight reports of Israeli military operations inside the hospital.

The U.N. World Health Organization says Shifa patients have needs that are “well beyond basic care.” Images reportedly from the facility showed medics trying to keep newborns warm in blankets because power for incubators had failed.

“The babies have no incubators,” Griffiths said. “Some are dead already. We can’t move them out. It’s too dangerous.”

“I understand the Israelis’ concern for trying to find the leadership of Hamas, that’s not our problem,” he added. “Our problem is protecting the people of Gaza from what’s being visited upon them.”

The Associated Press contributed to this update.

A Diversity, Equity and Inclusion teacher at a Maryland middle school is being investigated over social media posts suggesting Hamas terrorists' attack on Israel was a hoax. (Google Maps)

A Diversity, Equity and Inclusion teacher at a Maryland middle school is being investigated over a social media posts suggesting the Hamas terrorists' attack on Israel was a hoax and other posts about the war in the Middle East.

Sabrina Khan-Williams, a World Studies teacher and a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team leader at Tilden Middle School, made a series of posts doubting reports about Hamas' Oct. 7 attack against Israel, according to Facebook screenshots obtained by The Daily Wire.

"Debunked!! No music festival attack. Babies were not burned. Women were not violated," she wrote in one post.

More than 11,000 people have been killed in Gaza and Israel since Hamas launched its largest attack against Israel in decades on Oct. 7, prompting a military response from Israeli forces. Thousands more have been wounded, and many others have been taken hostage by Hamas and raped, tortured and murdered.

Kahn-Williams suggested in another post that Hamas did not start the war against Israel.

"Hamas did not start this. They were just the perfect vehicle for Zionists to continue its apartheid," she wrote.

Fox News Digital's Landon Mion contributed to this update.

ANKARA, TURKIYE - NOVEMBER 15: Turkish President and the Leader of the Justice and Development (AK) Party Recep Tayyip Erdogan makes statements as he attends his party's group meeting at the Turkish Grand National Assembly in Ankara, Turkiye on November 15, 2023. (Photo by Emin Sansar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made incendiary anti-Israel comments on Wednesday, calling Israel a "terrorist state" intent on destroying Gaza and its residents. 

In a speech to members of his own political party, Erdogan also vowed to bring Israeli political and military leaders before an international tribunal to be tried for war crimes.

“Israel is implementing a strategy of total destruction of a city and its people,” Erdogan said. “I say openly that Israel is a terrorist state.”

In the same speech, Erdogan referred to Hamas terrorists as "resistance fighters" trying to protect their land and people.

Turkey recently normalized relations with Israel but its war with Hamas in Gaza has again strained their ties. Israel recalled its diplomats from Turkey last month after Erdogan accused Israel of committing war crimes. Turkey later also recalled its ambassador from Israel.

Turkey has found itself at odds with its NATO allies, most of whom have backed Israel’s right to defend itself following the Hamas terrorist attack on Oct. 7, while Turkey has echoed the stances of other Middle Eastern nations in questioning Israel and defending the Palestinians.

Fox News Digital's Peter Aitken and the Associated Press contributed to this update.

Reports of a potential hostage deal between Israel and Hamas is evidence that the terror group is reeling from the IDF's barrage of Gaza, a top adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told FOX News Tuesday.

Hamas and Israel are reportedly close to to a deal that would exchange as many as 70 women and children held hostage by Hamas in return for the release of female Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

Mark Regev, who recently served as Israel's ambassador to the United Kingdom and is now a senior adviser to Netanyahu, said one aspect of the deal should underline how evil Hamas truly is.

He cited a figure of 240 people estimated to be held by Hamas, including 32 children and infants.

"I always ask us to remember what sort of people kidnap babies and infants, what sort of people can kidnap a 9-month-old baby. They really are sick. They really are depraved. What more could one say about Hamas?" Regev said.

"But if they are moving towards releasing hostages, it's not because they have suddenly become humanitarians. It's because they've been on the receiving end of the IDF's (Israeli Defense Force) military might. And they are feeling the pain, feeling the pressure."

Regev said he is hopeful for a deal soon, while reiterating the IDF's pressure campaign must continue in order to expedite the possibility of future prisoner releases by a potentially teetering Hamas.

Fox News Digital's Charles Creitz contributed to this update.

An aerial view shows the compound of Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on November 7, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (BASHAR TALEB/AFP via Getty Images)

The Israel Defense Forces emphasized Wednesday that its forces conducting a "precise and targeted operation" at the al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza are targeting Hamas.

The White House confirmed Tuesday that Hamas terrorists are using Gaza's largest hospital , al-Shifa, and the tunnels beneath it as a base for military operations and to hold hostages. Both Hamas and hospital officials have denied the allegation. 

“Israel is at war with Hamas, not with the civilians in Gaza,” said Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, a spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Forces. “The IDF has publicly warned time and again that Hamas’s continued military use of Shifa Hospital jeopardizes its protected status under international law.”

Hagari said Israeli forces in Gaza included medics and Arabic speakers to try and provide assistance in the “complex and sensitive environment.”

Israel continues to attack Hamas military targets in Gaza with a relentless campaign of airstrikes. Thousands of Palestinians have moved southward toward the Rafah border crossing into Egypt as the Israeli military has urged civilians to evacuate the warzone in the north. 

Fox News Digital's Brandon Gillespie and the Associated Press contributed to this update.

An Israeli practises using a newly acquired gun, at a weapons distribution point for people allowed to carry arms, at the Ayyelet HaShahar Kibbutz, in northern Israel, near the Lebanese border on October 12, 2023. (Photo by JALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images)

Israeli citizens are rushing to arm themselves in the wake of the deadly Oct. 7 terror attacks.

A news release from the Ministry of National Security said more than 236,000 new requests for gun permits have been filed since the attack – a figure equal to the number filed over 20 years, the ministry said. 

Israelis feel uneased after Hamas terrorists caught the country off-guard, infiltrating through the south and slaughtering more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, at a music festival and in their homes. 

Armed civilian security squads entered the breach in the army’s absence to fight off some of the attackers. Shortly after, Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir said he would expand and arm such squads with 10,000 assault rifles that would be distributed particularly in border towns, mixed Jewish-Arab cities and West Bank settlements. 

Some 1,700 permits are being issued daily after the Ministry of National Security eased restrictions, the report said. By comparison, an average of 94 were issued daily in November 2022, and an average of 42 a year earlier.

The Associated Press contributed to this update.

Israel Defense Forces said captains Omri Yosef David(left) and Yedidya Asher Lev(right) were killed in Gaza on Tuesday. (Israel Defense Forces)

The Israel Defense Forces announced two more soldiers were killed on Tuesday as Israel's war against Hamas terrorists continues.

The fallen have been identified as Omri Yosef David, 27, and Yedidya Asher Lev, 26, and their families have been notified. Both David and Lev were captains, according to the IDF's memorial page.

As of Wednesday morning, there here have been 49 IDF soldiers killed since ground operations began in Gaza.

On Wednesday, the IDF said its forces have entered Gaza's al-Shifa Hospital after surrounding the facility earlier. 

The army said its forces were carrying out “a precise and targeted operation against Hamas in a specified area” at al-Shifa Hospital. It gave no further details but said it was taking steps to avoid harm to civilians.

In a statement, the Israeli military said it had warned "the relevant authorities in Gaza once again that all military activities within the hospital must cease within 12 hours. Unfortunately, it did not.”

Fox News' Yonat Friling and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

ISRAEL - NOVEMBER 11: Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visits the 91st Division's base in northern Israel, November 11, 2023. (Photo by Israeli Defense Minister/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant said the Jewish state "will not stop its operations in Gaza" until Hamas is obliterated and hostages are back home with their families during a Wednesday meeting with U.S. Special Coordinator Brett McGurk.

The meeting between Gallant and McGurk, U.S. Special Coordinator for the Middle East , took place at the Ministry of Defense's headquarters in Tel Aviv. The two discussed operational developments in Israel's war against Hamas and the complexity of fighting the terrorist group given that it operates in civilian buildings.

Intelligence and additional details related to the hostages being held by Hamas and efforts to bring them home were also discussed.

The two leaders spoke on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and how to overcome the challenges in facilitating aid to the civilian population, as well as the international community's role in getting more urgent supplies delivered to the area.

Gallant also expressed his appreciation for America's ongoing support and deep partnership, and the two agreed to remain in close contact.

Fox News' Dana Karni contributed to this report.

Israel Defense Forces said medical supplies provided by the force have arrived at the al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza. (Israel Defense Forces/X)

The Israel Defense Forces said medical supplies, including baby food and incubators, have arrived at al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza amid the targeted attack on Hamas terrorists inside the building.

"We can now confirm that incubators, baby food and medical supplies, provided by the IDF, have successfully reached the hospital," the IDF wrote on X.

The supplies arrived Wednesday morning after Israeli soldiers began a "precise and targeted operation" against Hamas, which operates out of the hospital. The operation remains active, according to the IDF.

Arabic-speaking soldiers and the IDF's medical team are reportedly at the hospital to ensure the supplies make it to those in need.

The Israeli army alleges the main command center for Hamas is hidden inside the hospital, in underground tunnels beneath the structures that house hundreds of patients and medical staff. Both Hamas and al-Shifa Hospital staff deny the allegations.

More than 11,200 Palestinians — two-thirds of them women and minors — have been killed since the war began, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, which does not differentiate between civilian and militant deaths. About 2,700 people have been reported missing.

The Associated Press contributed to this update.

Israel Defense Forces said troops killed Hamas terrorists and encountered explosive devices and terror cells during its "precise and targeted operation" at the al-Shifa Hospital.

The area of the hospital where the operation is taking place was decided upon by intelligence indicating Hamas activity was coming from the area, the IDF said.

Before entering, troops discovered explosive devices and terrorist cells, which prompted an "engagement" that left Hamas terrorists dead, according to the IDF.

A Hamas training camp containing terror tunnel shafts, classrooms, intelligence material and dozens of weapons, including rockets and loaded RPGs, was located in the area on Tuesday by Israeli forces.

In addition, the IDF said it struck two terrorists with a UAV after it identified a terrorist cell exiting a building with an anti-tank missile launching post in the northern Gaza Strip. The terrorists were carrying suspected IEDs, which were planted in the area.

Fox News' Dana Karni contributed to this report.