The Israel Defense Forces said soldiers with the Givati Brigade found tunnel shafts, a model of an IDF armored vehicle and a wall simulating the security fence in Gaza while conducting operations at the headquarters of Hamas' Northern Brigade located in the Sheikh Zayed neighborhood.
The neighborhood is where many senior members of Hamas live, according to the IDF, and there are outposts used by the terrorist organization's Nukhba forces located among civilians.
Operations by IDF troops were conducted at an outpost where several tunnel shafts, including one 50 meters deep and 7 meters wide, were located.
"A scaled-down model simulating an IDF armored fighting vehicle and a wall simulating the security fence of Gaza were also located in the area," the IDF said.
IDF troops also reported finding many weapons, launch complexes with a lathe for rocket production and underground pits used to launch rockets. Dozens of terrorists were also found in the area and eliminated, according to the IDF.
The outpost was destroyed after the operation.
Another operation in the same area revealed "many weapons in a vehicle that was apparently used by Hamas terrorists during the brutal massacre on October 7th inside a mosque," the IDF concluded.
Hundreds of police officers in Germany searched the properties of Hamas members and supporters across the country Thursday morning after a Nov. 2 ban on any show of support for the terrorist group.
The German government implemented the ban after a celebration in Berlin of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel held by the group Samidoun, which has since been dissolved.
“We are continuing our consistent action against radical Islamists," German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said. “By banning Hamas and Samidoun in Germany, we have sent a clear signal that we will not tolerate any glorification or support of Hamas' barbaric terror against Israel."
There are around 450 Hamas members in Germany, according to the country's domestic intelligence service via The Associated Press. The members participate in activities ranging from expressions of sympathy to fundraising activities meant to strengthen the terrorist group's presence abroad.
The raids on Thursday mostly took place in Berlin, the AP said, as more than 300 officers searched 11 locations in efforts to "seize evidence and assets." Raids also took place in the states of Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein.
Thursday's raids come two days after German police raided the homes of 17 people in Bavaria accused of "spreading antisemitic hate speech and threats targeting Jews online," the AP said.
German police also raided 54 locations across the country last week suspected of promoting Iranian leadership ideology and Hezbollah activities in Germany.
“We are keeping a close eye on the Islamist scene,” Faeser said. “Islamists and antisemites cannot and must not feel safe anywhere here.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Israel Defense Forces is encouraging residents in Gaza City to take advantage of a "local tactical pause of military activity" and evacuate to the humanitarian zone south of Wadi Gaza.
The local pause for humanitarian purposes will take place between 10:00 and 14:00 in the al-Salam and al-Manara neighborhoods in Khan Yunis.
"Residents of Gaza City, especially the neighborhoods of the Old City of Jabalia and Shuja’iya, we urge you to evacuate your residential areas immediately in order to preserve your safety via the Salah al-Din Road until 16:00, to reach the south of Wadi Gaza and the humanitarian zone," the IDF wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The IDF said for residents to contact them through text or at @gaza_saver on Telegram if evacuation paths are blocked as Hamas is trying to prevent the move south.
"For your safety, you must stay in southern Gaza, specifically in the humanitarian zone in al-Mawasi, which allows the appropriate conditions for your protection and that of your loved ones. We encourage you to seize the time and move south!" the IDF wrote.
{{#rendered}}Brit Hume, Fox News chief political analyst, joins "Special Report" to discuss the temporary cease-fire and prisoner swap deal reached between Israel and Hamas.
Israel is set to swap 150 Palestinian detainees for 50 hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza. Hume described the deal as "not good" from a military perspective, but explained that Israel is known for making lopsided deals in order to rescue Israeli citizens being held hostage.
"Israel has a long history of going to extraordinary lengths to get its people back, captive Israeli citizens, and they have made deals far more unequal than this in the past. So, this is what they do, and it is deeply embedded in Israeli tradition," Hume said, later adding that this is a "very difficult situation to deal with."
Hear more of Hume's analysis on the deal in the video above.
Israel Defense Forces said troops have identified and destroyed approximately 400 of Hamas' tunnel shafts during continued operations in the Gaza Strip.
The IDF credited the Yahalom special forces unit of the Combat Engineering Corps for playing a "significant role" in finding and destroying the tunnel shafts used by the terrorist group.
"Hamas has embedded its network of terrorist tunnels below population centers across the Gaza Strip. Many of the shafts leading to its tunnel network are located within civilian hospitals, schools and homes," the IDF said.
A U.S. Navy destroyer in the Middle East shot down multiple drones launched from Yemen on Thursday, officials said.
The USS Thomas Hudner shot several one-way attack drones launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, U.S. Central Command said. The drones were shot down as the warship was on patrol in the Red Sea.
Neither the ship nor crew were injured. The warship shot down a drone last week also launched from Yemen.
The drone attack is the latest in a series of attacks on American troops stationed in the Middle East amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. On Sunday, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship and took 25 crew members hostage.
“All ships belonging to the Israeli enemy or that deal with it will become legitimate targets,” the Houthis said.
{{#rendered}}Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday spoke with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and with the prime minister of Qatar about the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas as well as other issues pertaining to the region.
In a conversation with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Blinken affirmed the urgency of addressing humanitarian needs in the Gaza Strip and preventing further spread of the conflict, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
Blinken also praised efforts by Saudi Arabia to bring peace to the conflict in neighboring Yemen.
Speaking to UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Blinken stressed the importance of ending the conflict in Sudan.
In discussions with Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Blinken said the United States was committed to advancing a two-state solution for Israel and Palestinians.
He also praised Qatar’s “critical efforts to help broker the deal to secure the release of at least fifty hostages - including Americans – taken by the terrorist group Hamas during its brutal assault against Israel.”
An Israeli family is concerned about the potential release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli hostages in Gaza that could include a teenager sentenced to 12 years in prison for stabbing one of the family members.
Nafoz Hamad was convicted earlier this month of attempted murder and obstruction of justice for the December 2021 stabbing of Moriah Cohen in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarra, an area that became a flashpoint in the May 2021 conflict between Israel and Hamas.
On Wednesday, Cohen was informed that the teen, who was 14 at the time of the stabbing, could be released, The Times of Israel reported.
Hamad is one of 300 Palestinians on a list who could be released as part of a deal between Israel and the terror group.
“The children were with my wife when she was stabbed and we promised them that they would never see her [the terrorist] again and that she would be in prison for the rest of her life,” said Dvir Cohen, Moriah’s husband.
“I don’t know what will happen next Saturday if my wife opens the door and sees this devil in front of her.”
Under the terms of the deal, Israel will release 150 Palestinians during a four-day ceasefire in exchange for 50 Israeli women and children who have been held by Hamas in Gaza since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israeli communities.
Another 150 Palestinian prisoners could be released at a later date in exchange for more hostages, the news report said.
Cohen, a reservist with the Israel Defense Forces, told the newspaper he plans to fight the Hamad’s release.
“About two weeks ago, the sentence was handed down to her and we thought that with this we had closed the legal affair,” he said. “Today we seek legal help again — we very much hope the terrorist will not come back here or that they at least give her a deportation order.”
The release of hostages from Gaza will not happen before Friday, Israel said Wednesday.
Hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas were progressing and continued into Wednesday, the Office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on behalf of Israel National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi.
Both sides of the conflict agreed this week to a temporary ceasefire to begin Thursday morning.
The pause in fighting is for humanitarian purposes, including the release of the hostages. It was believed the captives would be released Thursday.
Qatari negotiators helped broker the ceasefire agreement, which is excepted to take effect at 10 a.m. local time Thursday.
Under the terms of the deal, Hamas has agreed to release dozens of hostages in tandem with Israel agreeing to release Palestinian prisoners on a 3-to-1 ratio.
Fox News’ Trey Yingst reported Hamas leaders would release one hostage for every three Palestinians that Israel releases from its prisons.
{{#rendered}}President Biden spoke with Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi on Wednesday to discuss a deal to secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas during its brutal assault against Israel and the latest developments in the region.
The pair discussed the coordination of humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza and the release of hostages, the White House said.
"The President reiterated that under no circumstances will the United States permit the forced relocation of Palestinians from Gaza or the West Bank, or the besiegement of Gaza, or the redrawing of the borders of Gaza," the White House said. "He also affirmed that under no circumstances can Gaza remain a sanctuary for Hamas where they can threaten Israel and Palestinians alike and imperil any pathway to a durable peace."
Biden also stated his commitment to the establishment of a Palestinian state and recognized Egypt’s role in setting the conditions for that outcome, the administration said. .
Israel and Hamas have agreed to a temporary ceasefire for humanitarian purposes, including the release of hostages.
At least 50 hostages – women and children – will be released over 4 days, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
On Wednesday, Biden called the deal a “testament to the tireless diplomacy and determination of many dedicated individuals across the United States government to bring Americans home.”
The ceasefire goes into effect 10 a.m. Thursday local time.
Part of the deal includes Hamas allowing representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to visit the Israeli hostages, Netanyahu said.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the hostage release deal with Hamas which could see around 150 Palestinian prisoners and Israeli captives the “right choice.”
Netanyahu’s remarks came Wednesday evening, hours before Israeli hostages are slated to be released from Gaza. He further vowed that Israel would continue its war in Gaza.
“I want to be clear. The war is continuing. The war is continuing. We will continue it until we achieve all our goals,” Netanyahu said.
Israel and Hamas have agreed to a four-day ceasefire expected to begin Thursday amid the bloody conflict.
Netanyahu, along with the other members of his special war cabinet, told a press conference earlier Wednesday they will resume the war until Hamas is destroyed and all of the 240 hostages it is holding are released.
The cease-fire deal — whose logistics were being worked out late Wednesday — temporarily freezes both sides at a tenuous moment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Israel Defense Forces have released new images Wednesday of soldiers moving through tunnels underneath a hospital in the Gaza Strip.
The labyrinth of tunnels at the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City includes rooms where "Hamas terrorists can operate and stay for extended periods," the IDF says.
"Behind the breached blast door, soldiers discovered an air-conditioned hideout room and a bathroom. The soldiers of the 7th Brigade also located two additional tunnel shafts near the hospital: one on a nearby street and the other in a nearby house," it said.
"The findings unequivocally display Hamas’ deliberate method of operating underneath hospitals," the IDF added. "The terrorist organization also exploits the hospital buildings, using them to store weapons in and as terrorist headquarters."
The findings come as a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas – which is expected to last four days – is just hours away from going into effect.
Fox News’ Ben Evansky contributed to this report.
{{#rendered}}The head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency and an Israel Defense Forces general tasked with handling abductions are visiting Qatar Wednesday to finalize details of how Hamas will release some of the hostages it is holding in the Gaza Strip, a report says.
During the visit, the Israeli delegation will be presented with the full list of hostages who are to be released as part of the Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal, according to Israel's N12 News.
The deal is set to go into effect Thursday morning at 10 a.m. local time.
While hostages are being released from Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners being held by Israel, there will be a 4-day pause in fighting.
That pause could go on longer if Hamas agrees to release more hostages, Israel says.
Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., is asking the Associated Press and Reuters to answer questions about their journalists’ knowledge of the October 7th Hamas attack after Israel accused the outlets of having a forewarning of the terrorist strike that killed over 1,200 people.
Lawler, along with a bipartisan group of lawmakers, are penning letters to the news outlets demanding answers about any possible knowledge they may have had prior to the Hamas attack, which the outlets previously denied.
"That these journalists would knowingly not share this information, and in the process save thousands of Israeli and Gazan lives, is simply beyond the pale," said Lawler.
After a report from Honest Reporting raised ethical questions about why some AP and Reuters journalists were at the site of attack shortly after the atrocities occurred, the Israeli government’s press office director, Nitzan Chen, accused the outlets of being "alongside Hamas terrorists, documenting the murder of Israeli civilians, lynching of soldier and kidnappings to Gaza," according to a letter obtained by Politico.
However, the Associated Press and Reuters are denying any involvement.
The Supreme Court of Israel has rejected appeals Wednesday to the cease-fire and hostage release deal with Hamas, according to an Axios report.
A group called the Almagor Terror Victims Association filed a petition Wednesday arguing that the deal is a threat to Israeli security and violates the right to equality since only some of Hamas' hostages are set to be released, The Times of Israel reports.
But now with appeals against the deal rejected, the hostage release and cease-fire agreement appears ready to be implemented tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. local time, or 3 a.m. ET.
The Office of Israel’s Prime Minister says 50 total hostages will be released from Hamas over a 4-day period, while “the release of every additional ten hostages will result in one additional day in the pause” in fighting.
"The Government of Israel, the IDF and the security services will continue the war in order to return home all of the hostages, complete the elimination of Hamas and ensure that there will be no new threat to the State of Israel from Gaza,” the office also said.
{{#rendered}}The body of a 26-year-old Israeli who vanished following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack has been found dead Wednesday, reports say.
Yokneam Mayor Simon Alfasi said "Our Shani is gone. Our hearts are broken into pieces. We are all crying and refuse to believe, how much we waited for a different ending," according to The Jerusalem Post.
"Forty-seven days of hope came to an end with receiving the bitter news this morning about the murder of Shani on October 7. My heart goes out to my dear parents Jacob and Michal, her brother Aviel and her sister Nitzan - who for seven weeks turned every stone and went everywhere in Israel and the world to find Shani, and fought and cried out to bring her home," Alfasi reportedly added. "We all hug the family and stand by their side. May her memory be a blessing."
The Times of Israel reports that Gabay was working at the music festival that was attacked by Hamas and was presumed to be a hostage before today's announcement.
Israel and the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas reached a temporary cease-fire deal Wednesday that includes the release of Israeli hostages being held in the Gaza Strip.
The first of 50 hostages – including three Americans – are expected to be released from captivity in Gaza starting at 10 a.m. local time Thursday. The hostages are expected to be released in groups of 10-12 over the course of four days, if the cease-fire holds.
Fox News correspondent Jeff Paul reports that in previous releases, the hostages first went through a border crossing in the city of Rafah, at the southern end of the Gaza Strip, into Egypt.
They were then flown back to Israel to be evaluated at hospitals before talking to Israeli security forces about what they had seen and been through, according to Paul.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said "the release of every additional ten hostages will result in one additional day in the pause" in the fighting, which is currently expected to last four days.
An Iranian-backed militant group in Iraq is warning Wednesday that it’s considering “expanding” its “scope of targets” if American forces continue targeting their fighters.
U.S. fighter jets struck a Kataib Hezbollah operations center and a Kataib Hezbollah command and control node south of Baghdad on Tuesday, two defense officials told the Associated Press, after U.S. forces stationed at Ain al-Asad air base in Iraq were attacked the same day.
There were Kataib Hezbollah personnel at both sites at the time of the strikes, but the officials said they could not yet confirm whether anyone there was killed. Officials in Iraq said the attack had killed eight Kataib Hezbollah members.
Kataib Hezbollah said in a statement Wednesday that it was considering “expanding the scope of targets” if the U.S. military continues with its strikes, adding that the attack “will not go unpunished.”
Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said close-range ballistic missiles were used against U.S. and coalition forces at the Ain al-Asad air base, resulting in "several non-serious injuries and some minor damage to infrastructure."
The dangerous back-and-forth strikes have escalated since Iranian-backed militant groups under the umbrella group called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq and Syria began striking U.S. facilities on Oct. 17, the date that a blast at a hospital in Gaza killed hundreds. The attacks have continued unabated since, with at least 66 rocket and missile attacks hitting U.S. facilities and wounding at least 62 service members.
Fox News’ Bradford Betz and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
{{#rendered}}Israel's Air Force announced Wednesday that one of its fighter jets has "successfully intercepted a cruise missile that was launched towards Israeli territory a short time ago."
The Air Force said the incident happened "following a warning about the infiltration of a hostile aircraft in the area of the city of Eilat," in the very southernmost point of Israel.
"The threat did not penetrate the territory of Israel," the Air Force added.
The military branch said earlier Wednesday that it also has struck a "number of terrorist targets" belonging to Hezbollah in Lebanon, where border skirmishes have been ongoing.
The relatives of some of the Israeli hostages being held captive by Hamas inside the Gaza Strip tell Fox News that they have not been notified yet who will be among the first hostages to be freed Thursday as part of the recently-brokered deal.
“We haven’t heard anything, we don’t know anything yet. We are hopeful, but we don’t know,” Efrat Machikawa, who has not heard from her aunt, uncle or three cousins since the Oct. 7 attack, told “Fox & Friends.”
Gili Roman, the brother of captive Yarden Roman, said “We do not fully trust Hamas. We are talking about a very cruel terrorist organization.
“But we hope that they will stand up to the agreement that they have signed and we will see on a daily basis more and more of our loved ones,” he said.
“It is a better morning than the morning we had yesterday and we hope that tomorrow will be even a better morning,” Roman added.
Smoke has been seen rising from the Gaza Strip Wednesday as Israel and Hamas are preparing to implement a temporary cease-fire in the region, which Egyptian state media says will go into effect at 3 a.m. ET Thursday.
Residents in Gaza City reported to the Associated Press that fighting there intensified overnight with gunfire and airstrikes.
“Apparently they want to advance before the truce,” resident Nasser al-Sheikh was quoted as saying.
The Israel Defense Forces, in a post on X this morning, reiterated once again for people in Gaza City to evacuate the area.
“Hamas has lost its control over northern Gaza and is trying to prevent Gazans from moving southward for their safety,” it added.
The IDF said in a statement that Israeli forces "continue to operate in the Gaza Strip to kill terrorists, destroy terrorist infrastructure, and locate weapons stored inside civilian buildings."
"This morning, IDF troops neutralized a terror tunnel shaft from which a Hamas terrorist exited and fired at the soldiers. Moreover, IDF troops identified terrorists and located weapons in a structure used by the Hamas terrorist organization," the IDF said. "The troops killed the terrorists and destroyed the structure."
"In addition, over the past day, as part of the assistance to ground troops, Israeli Navy forces struck several Hamas military targets, including a structure from which sniper fire was carried out against the troops, as well as several military posts located along the coastline," the IDF continued.
Fox News' Dana Karni contributed to this report.
{{#rendered}}Egypt's state-run Qahera TV channel is reporting Wednesday that the temporary cease-fire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas is set to go into effect at 10 a.m. local time tomorrow, according to the Associated Press.
The deal will include the release of 50 hostages being held by the Palestinian terrorists, including three Americans, in exchange for a reported 150 Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
The office of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the hostages will be released over a 4-day period.
"The release of every additional ten hostages will result in one additional day in the pause" of fighting, it added in a post on X.
"The Government of Israel, the IDF and the security services will continue the war in order to return home all of the hostages, complete the elimination of Hamas and ensure that there will be no new threat to the State of Israel from Gaza," the prime minister's office also said.
The loved ones of hostages being held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip met Wednesday with Pope Francis at the Vatican, with one family member saying "we are all against the war."
Alexandra Ariev, whose 19-year-old sister Karina -- an IDF soldier who is amongst the captives -- described Francis' time as "precious and we are very grateful and thankful for him listening to us, and we are sure that he has done things before the meeting and he is doing currently and he will do in the future things that will help us and our families.
"We are all against the war. We do not want innocent to be injured or hurt or be murdered in any side. We want our loved ones back," Ariev added, later noting that Karina was taken from her bed in her pajamas on Oct. 7 and "is all I have in this world."
Francis also met separately with relatives of Palestinian prisoners being held by Israel, according to the Associated Press.
Hamas said it has approved the temporary cease-fire agreement with Israel that includes the release of hostages.
"Based on our responsibility towards our patient and stationed Palestinian people, and our tireless efforts to strengthen the steadfastness of our heroic people in the proud Gaza Strip, and to provide relief and heal their wounds, and in pursuit of consolidating the will of our victorious resistance on the October 7th [event] against the Zionist enemy, and after negotiations for many days, we announce, with the help and success of God Almighty, that We reached a humanitarian truce agreement (temporary cease-fire) for a period of four days, with diligent and appreciated Qatari and Egyptian efforts," the terrorist group wrote in a statement.
"The terms of this agreement were formulated according to a vision that aims to serve our people and strengthen their steadfastness in the face of aggression, and always pay attention to their sacrifices, suffering and concerns," the statement added. "At the time when we announce the arrival of a truce agreement, we affirm that our victorious brigades and all our resistance factions will remain the protective shield and defender of our people until the occupation and aggression are defeated."
Hamas concluded, "We promise our people that we will remain loyal to their blood, their sacrifices, their patience, their bond, and their aspirations for liberation, freedom, the restoration of rights, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, with God’s will."
Fox News' Dana Karni contributed to this report and provided the English translation.
{{#rendered}}President Biden and other administration officials said Tuesday that they welcomed the temporary cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas that includes the release of hostages.
Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken all released statements supporting the agreement between Israeli officials and Hamas terrorists amid the ongoing war in the Middle East.
The president said he welcomes the deal to secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas during its "brutal assault" against Israel on Oct. 7 and that he is "extraordinarily gratified that some of these brave souls, who have endured weeks of captivity and an unspeakable ordeal, will be reunited with their families once this deal is fully implemented."
Harris said in her statement that she welcomes "the commitment that Israel has made to support an extended pause to ensure this deal can be fully carried out and to ensure additional humanitarian assistance reaches civilians in Gaza" and that "the flow of aid must substantially increase and civilians must be protected." She also called on Hamas to "release all the remaining hostages."
In a statement Tuesday night, Blinken wrote that he cannot imagine what the hostages have endured the past few weeks and that he is thankful they will soon be reunited with their loved ones.
"Today’s outcome is the result of tireless diplomacy and relentless effort across the Department and broader United States government," Blinken said. "I appreciate the leadership and ongoing partnership of Egypt and Qatar in this work. I also thank the government of Israel for supporting a humanitarian pause that will facilitate the transfer of hostages to safety and allow additional humanitarian assistance to reach Palestinian civilians in Gaza. While this deal marks significant progress, we will not rest as long as Hamas continues to hold hostages in Gaza."
Coverage for this event has ended.