Israel confirms release of 5th hostage group by Hamas as final day of cease-fire nears

The Israel Defense Forces issued a "daily message" to residents of Gaza with safety instructions amid a temporary cease-fire deal that includes swapping Hamas hostages for Palestinians detained in Israel.

The IDF reminded Palestinians to not move to northern Gaza as it is still considered a war zone, adding that it is OK to move south of Wadi Gaza via the Salah al-Din Road.

"It is forbidden to approach within a kilometer of the border," the IDF wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "Entry into the sea is prohibited."

The IDF said the instructions have been issued for the safety of civilians.

Elan Carr and Cameron Hamilton join Trace Gallagher on "FOX News @ Night" to discuss how mediators are hoping to extend the Israel-Hamas cease-fire.

Hamilton, a former Navy SEAL who trained with the Israel Defense Forces, said, Hamas benefits from "carnage and destruction" and described taking and holding onto hostages as "psychological warfare." He also said Israel is in a tough situation, but he knows the IDF will do all it can to rescue those being held by Hamas.

"We see these young children, we see these women that have been put into slavery and they've been captured so they're going to expend every effort to bring them back," Hamilton said.

Members of the far-left "Squad" from left to right: Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Cori Bush, D-Mo., Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. (Getty Images)

The House of Representatives' Tuesday votes on reaffirming Israel's right to exist and condemning the terrorist group Hamas revealed division among members of the far-left "Squad."

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich, and Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., were the only members of the radical eight-person group to not vote in favor of H. Res. 888, which centered on Israel's existence. Tlaib was the only House member who chose to vote "present," while Bush didn't vote.

Bush similarly didn't vote on H. Res. 793, which condemned Hamas' brutal Oct. 7 attack against Israel and demanded the immediate release of its remaining hostages taken in the attack. However, Tlaib joined the rest of her "Squad" colleagues in voting for the resolution despite her past refusal to condemn the attack.

Read the full article on the Israel-Hamas war by Brandon Gillespie

The National Christmas Tree outside the White House fell on Tuesday night. (Fox News)

Pro-Palestinian protestors interrupted the White House's annual Christmas tree lighting on Tuesday afternoon, as the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas continues.

Four demonstrators were arrested, according to the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP). Some demonstrators chanting “cease-fire now” interrupted the ceremony, but did not break through police lines. 

"Tonight during the annual Christmas tree lighting at the Capitol, four people were arrested by U.S. Capitol Police and charged with disorderly conduct, District of Columbia Code 22-1321," the USCP said in a statement.

The White House Christmas tree had fallen earlier that day due to strong winds.

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

Actress Cynthia Nixon speaks as she announces a hunger strike calling for a ceasefire in Gaza outside the White House on November 27, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Actress Cynthia Nixon, known for starring in the HBO show "Sex and the City" and its new spin-off, joined a hunger strike alongside politicians and activists demanding President Biden establish a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

"As the mother of Jewish children, whose grandparents are Holocaust survivors, I have been asked by my son to use any voice I have to affirm as loudly as possible that ‘never again’ means ‘never again for everyone,'" Nixon declared in a prepared speech.

She condemned the number of Palestinian deaths in Gaza amid Israel's response to Hamas' October 7 terror attack on Israeli civilians.

Read the full article about Cynthia Nixon by Alexander Hall

Gigi Hadid walks the runway during the Isabel Marant show as part of Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2020/2021 on February 27, 2020 in Paris, France. (Photo by Kristy Sparow/Getty Images)

Model Gigi Hadid apologized after receiving a wave of backlash for sharing a claim about the conflict in Gaza she admits she did not fact check.

"The post is no longer available to view, but according to the New York Post and other publications, it accused the Israeli state of a number of crimes against Palestinian children before Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attack," Metro.uk reported Tuesday.

The New York Post reported on Monday morning that Hadid had claimed Israel was "the only country in the world that keeps children as prisoners of war" and is responsible for "abduction, rape, humiliation, torture, murder of Palestinians years and years before Oct. 7, 2023."

Read the full article about Gigi Hadid by Alexander Hall

MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan has been one of the strongest critics of Israel in the mainstream media during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, but it's nothing new for the hard-left anchor who has never been shy about offering strident commentary.

During the conflict, he has consistently voiced hostility toward Israel, which he has long opposed as an "illegal" occupying power of Palestinians. 

While with The Intercept, he frequently blistered the country, blaming it for the rise of Hamas in the first place and defending the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against its critics.

Read the full article about Mehdi Hasan by Joseph Wulfsohn and Brian Flood

The family of a 16-year-old Israeli teen who was kidnapped by Hamas when it raided his kibbutz on October 7 shared with FOX News harrowing text messages from his last moments before being taken hostage.

Amit Shani, who was 15 at the time the terrorists kidnapped him, frantically texted a group of friends as the Palestinian militants invaded his home.

Shani's cousin, Elle Benami, appeared on "The Faulkner Focus" and shared Shani's messages, which were translated from Hebrew to English.

Read the full article about Amit Shani by Charles Creitz

Two Thai hostages who were kidnapped from Israel by Hamas were taken back to Israel on Tuesday night, footage shows.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry released video showing the captives meeting Thai Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara on Tuesday night. Thais were the largest group of foreigners killed or kidnapped by Hamas terrorists, due to the large number of Thai workers in Israel.

Hamas terrorists killed dozens of Thai people on October 7, and are believed to have taken 24 hostage. Several of the captives have been released during the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.

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

Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) appeared on "The Story" Tuesday afternoon to discuss the latest news from the Israel-Hamas war.

During the interview, Coons refuted calls to implement certain conditions on American aid to Israel, as 26 U.S. Senators have called for.

"There are conditions that are already attached to our aid to a wide range of countries," Coons explained. "And I think the conditions that already apply under law are sufficient for this circumstance."

The Delaware senator added that he believes Israel is fighting a "just war" against Hamas terrorists.

"The war that Israel has declared on Hamas in Gaza is a just war and is one that is required in order for there to be a path forward for security and for peace in Gaza," he added. "It is my hope...that on the other side of this conflict, there will be a genuine path towards a two state solution between Israel and the Palestinian people."

The mother of a hostage who was taken captive by Hamas terrorists says that she is overjoyed to see hostages being released during the Israel-Hamas cease-fire.

Rachel Goldberg, whose son Hersh Goldberg-Polin was kidnapped on October 7, appeared on "America Reports" Tuesday to talk about the latest developments with the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.

"I am actually thrilled with the how the progression of these hostages being returned...I just saw that a dear friend of ours, wife and daughter, were released tonight," Goldberg explained. "I can't describe how happy these last few nights of seeing these children going back to their families [make me]."

The mother said that while she feels hopeful, she also remains concerned for her son. Goldberg-Polin was reportedly injured by terrorists and lost a limb.

"I worry about my son, who I know was in critical condition...and will now permanently live the rest of his life without a limb," she explained. "I'm concerned for his health. I don't know if he's getting the antibiotics that he needs. I'm hoping that he got the surgery that he needed."

"But I am thrilled with the releases of all of these hostages," Goldberg added.

U.S. maritime posture in Middle East as of November 28, 2023.

A U.S. official told Fox News that an Iranian drone flew near a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Middle East on Tuesday.

The drone allegedly flew near the USS Eisenhower in the Persian Gulf. The ship was in international waters at the time.

The Iranian drone reportedly ignored multiple warnings, according to the U.S. official. The U.S. military is considering the incident unsafe and unprofessional on Iran's part.

Fox News Digital's Liz Friden contributed to this report.

Entrance sign into campus at Indiana University in Bloomington Indiana. (Photo by: Don & Melinda Crawford/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Jewish student organizations at Indiana University (IU) issued a statement Tuesday denouncing antisemitism on their campus amid the Israel-Hamas war

IU student Ethan Fine posted the statement on X, in response to allegedly antisemitic remarks made by IU's student government president.

"The Jewish groups who signed onto the letter represent the vast majority of the estimated 4,500 Jewish students at IU," Fine wrote on X. "After a meeting with the student body president, it was clear to us that she is no longer fit to serve."

According to a statement released by the student official, she is accused of telling a Jewish student that they were "playing the victim."

"We are calling on [the student body president] to resign and for the members of her executive branch to be replaced," Fine added. "We stand together. We stand united against antisemitism."

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks during a news conference following a closed-door lunch meeting with Senate Democrats at the U.S. Capitol November 28, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Senator Chuck Schumer announced on Tuesday that he will be making a "major address" about antisemitism on Wednesday, as the Israel-Hamas war continues.

Schumer, who serves as the Majority Leader of the U.S. Senator, called hatred against Jews "a crisis" in the United States.

"Antisemitism is a crisis in the country," Schumer wrote on X. "As the highest-ranking Jewish elected official, I feel compelled to speak out about it."

"I’ll be giving a major address on it tomorrow," the senator added.

The U.S. military on Tuesday delivered its first of three rounds of humanitarian aid intended for the people of Gaza, according to the Pentagon.

Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Ryder told reporters that the U.S. airlifted 24.5 metric tons of U.N. humanitarian supplies to provide "vitally needed medical supplies, warm clothing, and food and nutrition assistance to the people of Gaza." 

USAID requested that the supplies be transported via a US Air Force C-17 cargo plane, Ryder said. The aircraft arrived earlier Tuesday in Egypt where it was to be transported into Gaza and distributed by U.N. agencies. 

Read the full article about the Israel-Hamas war by Bradford Betz

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) arrives to the U.S. Capitol Building on September 26, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) announced on X that he and other Senators watched graphic footage related to Hamas' terrorist attacks on Tuesday.

"Today, my Senate colleagues and I watched footage of the devastation caused by Hamas' horrific terrorist attack against Israel," Tillis wrote on X. "What we saw was not for the not for the faint-hearted. "

The North Carolina Republican then said that Hamas was "pure evil and must be destroyed."

"Hamas has made it clear that they will stop at nothing to eliminate Israel and its people," the senator added. "As Israel's longtime ally and friend, we must do everything we can to support its efforts to defend itself and destroy Hamas."

In an undated photo released by Zodiac Maritime, the tanker Central Park is seen. Attackers seized the tanker linked to Israel off the coast of Aden, Yemen, on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023, authorities said. (Zodiac Maritime via AP)

The Pentagon said Tuesday that the USS Mason and Central Park, an Israeli-owned tanker, were not the intended target of Houthi missiles that fired from Yemen over the weekend. 

The missiles came after five armed assailants attempted to seize the MV Central Park, an Israeli-owned tanker operated by Zodiac Maritime, in the Gulf of Aden on Sunday. The vessel sent out a distress call and forces from the USS Mason, an American destroyer, responded.

The five assailants attempted to flee in their small boats, but the U.S. forces pursued them and fired warning shots, resulting in their eventual surrender, according to Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder. 

Read the full article about the Pentagon by Bradford Betz

Avigail Idan was held in captivity by Hamas.

Avigail Idan, the 4-year-old girl who was released by Hamas captors on Sunday evening, was discharged from Schneider Children's Medical Center on Tuesday.

"Avigail aged 4, was discharged from hospital earlier today," Schneider Children's Medical Center announced in a statement. "The staff at Schneider Children's Medical Center were excited alongside her at this achievement."

"Avigail was discharged today following treatment from the moment of her return to Israel on Sunday, November 26, 2023, in the specially assigned department at Schneider Children's Medical Center," the statement continued.

The hospital said that Idan was treated by "psychosocial" providers after being held in captivity for nearly two months. Her parents were killed by Hamas terrorists on October 7 before she was kidnapped.

"Since her arrival, the medical and psychosocial team at Schneider accorded her all-embracing medical and emotional care," the press release added.

Supporters of Palestine gather at Harvard University at a rally in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Oct. 14, 2023. (JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)

The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is opening an investigation into Harvard University following antisemitism on campus in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war, Fox News has learned. 

In a letter obtained by Fox News Digital dated Tuesday, Kristi R. Harris, Chief Attorney for the OCR Boston Office said that the OCR will be opening an investigation into whether Harvard "failed to respond to alleged harassment of students based on their national origin (shared Jewish ancestry and/or Israeli) in a manner consistent with the requirements of Title VI." 

"Please note that opening the complaint for investigation in no way implies that OCR has made a determination on the merits of the complaint. During the investigation, OCR is a neutral factfinder, collecting and analyzing relevant evidence from you, the University, and other sources, as appropriate," the letter says. 

Read the full article about Harvard University by Danielle Wallace

A Red Cross vehicle carrying newly released hostages drives towards the Rafah border point with Egypt, in the southern Gaza Strip on November 28, 2023. (Photo by MOHAMMED ABED/AFP via Getty Images)

An Israeli doctor says that 84-year-old hostage Elma Avraham is in better condition after she was rushed to a hospital upon being released from Hamas.

Avraham "suffered from many underlying illnesses and received medication essential to her life on a regular basis before she was kidnapped," according to Soroka Medical Center director Moti Klein.

"Elma was evacuated in a very difficult condition when all vitals, all her vital signs, level of consciousness, pulse, blood pressure, blood, body temperature and blood sugar were extremely, extremely low," Klein explained. "This is the reason for the definition of immediate danger to her life."

Klein added that her condition was "most likely caused by not receiving those essential medications." He reported that upon arrival, she was "unconscious in a very difficult situation while she was breathing and receiving support for her collapsed buddy system."

"I am happy to inform that in the last few hours there has been improvement in her condition," the doctor continued. "She is conscious, she is breathing on her own and does not need the same level of support she needed upon arrival. She was responding well to the treatment given to her and is receiving and still receiving."

Members of the Red Cross prepare to transport hostages released by Hamas in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip on November 28, 2023. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images)

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Tuesday night that the 12 newly-released hostages are currently inside Israeli territory.

In a statement, the IDF said that their special forces division is "currently with the 12 released hostages."

"After an initial medical assessment, the released hostages will continue to be accompanied by IDF soldiers as they make their way to Israeli hospitals, where they will be reunited with their families," the press release added. "The Israel Defense Forces salutes and embraces the released hostages upon their return home."

The Israeli military said that they remain determined to bring home all of the hostages that were kidnapped by Hamas from Israel.

"The IDF, together with the entire Israeli security establishment, will continue to operate to bring home all the hostages," the press release continued. "The IDF Spokesperson reiterates the importance of demonstrating patience and sensitivity during this time out of respect for the released hostages and their families."

Hamas' youngest hostage, 10-month-old Kfir Bibas, has been handed over to another terrorist group in Gaza along with his family, according to the IDF, and the news is leaving a distraught relative to plead for her loved ones' safe return.

"I can't say we are surprised about the level of cruelty and inhumane behavior from Hamas in this deal, in this cease-fire," Yifat Zailer, cousin of Kfir's mother Shiri, told "FOX & Friends" on Tuesday.

"They signed an agreement to release all women and children. Tomorrow is the last day supposedly of this cease-fire, of this agreement as it was signed. And there is still no news about my family, if they'll be returned or not."

Read the full article about Kfir Bibas by Taylor Penley

The Sather Tower on the University of California, Berkeley campus in Berkeley, California, U.S., on Friday, June 4, 2021. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

A coalition of Jewish groups filed a lawsuit agains the University of California on Tuesday, alleging the institution is allowing the "unchecked spread" of antismeitism across its campuses.

The Brandeis Center and Jewish Americans for Fairness in Education, filed the lawsuit in California early Tuesday. The lawsuit comes as antisemitic incidents have skyrocketed across the country and the globe, especially on college campuses.

The lawsuit points to 23 student groups at UC Berkeley Law School that require new members of guest speakers to disavow Israel, according to Politico.

“Conditioning a Jew’s ability to participate in a student group on his or her renunciation of a core component of Jewish identity is no less pernicious than demanding the renunciation of some other core element of a student’s identity — whether based on race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual identity,” the lawsuit says. “No such imposition is required — or would be remotely tolerated — of other students.”

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are facing a closing window to approve new funding for Israel and Ukaine as the two countries continue their war efforts.

President Biden's administration has called on Congress to fund both Israel and Ukraine in a single bill, but many Republicans oppose such an idea. While Republicans overwhelmingly support funding for Israel's war agaisnt Hamas, the party's opposition to funding for Ukraine's military has slowly grown since Russia's invasion.

UN 'downplayed' Hamas violence to perpetuate image of Israel as 'the aggressor': Israeli professor

Israel is attempting to get the United Nations to recognize and condemn Hamas’ sexual crimes against Israeli women and girls, allegedly perpetrated during the Hamas-led terror attack on Oct. 7.

During a meeting at the U.N. in Geneva on Monday, Israeli officials attempted to raise awareness of the alleged sexual violence against women and urged the international body – which often condemns global injustices and human rights violations – not to keep quiet about the issue.

Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, an associate professor at the Bar-Ilan University, who spoke at the event, told Reuters that the U.N. rights bodies have "downplayed" and "minimized" sexual violence to perpetuate Israel as "the aggressor" in the current conflict.

"Among the war crimes and the crimes against humanity that Hamas committed on October 7th were also sexual crimes, sexual assaults, rapes, that were part, that were a systematic part of their attack, of the massacre and we are expecting a strong condemnation," she said. "We expected recognition of that. We expected a clear and loud statement that says that there is no justification for using the bodies of women as a weapon of war. None of this came until now."

The professor said she was "deeply concerned, because of the complete lack of acknowledgment, of recognition by United Nations bodies and entities and by the international human rights world, lack of recognition that indeed Hamas committed horrific sexual crimes against women, against women and girls, on October 7th in Israel."

Read the full article by Fox News' Lawrence Richard

Israeli hostage briefly escaped Hamas before locals handed him to terrorists

One of the recently released Hamas hostages had previously escaped imprisonment and survived for days in the rubble of Gaza before locals recaptured him, according to a report. 

"He tried getting to the border. But he didn’t have the capacity to understand where he was or where he needed to go, so he couldn’t navigate through the open field," Ron Krivoi’s aunt, who spoke about his struggle during an appearance on KAN’s Reshet Bet radio on Monday morning. 

Russian-Israeli Krivoi departed Gaza as part of the third group released as part of a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas brokered through Qatar. Both parties agreed Tuesday to extend the cease-fire by two days, conditional on the release of more hostages. 

The 25-year-old was working at the Supernova festival on Oct. 7 as a sound technician when Hamas terrorists attacked, according to The Times of Israel. Russian President Vladimir Putin had personally requested Hamas include Krivoi in the second wave of released hostages as part of a separate deal. 

Krivoi’s aunt claimed that he had not remained imprisoned the entire time, having briefly escaped and survived for four days in the ruins of the Gaza Strip, The Jerusalem Post reported.

She explained that Hamas had kept him in a residential building during his imprisonment, but then the Israel Defense Force’s bombing had collapsed part of the building and allowed him to escape. 

Read the full article by Fox News' Peter Aitken

Hamas begins transfer of 5th group of Israeli hostages to Red Cross: Report

Israeli media is reporting that Hamas has begun to transfer the fifth group of Israeli hostages to the custody of the International Red Cross.

Neither Hamas nor Israel have detailed how many hostages are in Tuesday's group.

The exchange comes following a tumultuous morning in which both Israel and Hamas accused one another of breaching the cease-fire agreement. Multiple Israeli soldiers were lightly injured when three separate explosions went off in northern Gaza.

Israel and Hamas agreed to extend the cease-fire through Wednesday.

Fox News foreign correspondent Trey Yingst explained Israel's claim that Hamas violated the temporary cease-fire agreement with three explosions in Northern Gaza that injured a number of IDF troops on Tuesday.

Both Israel and Hamas accused one another of breaching the cease-fire, which has so far held for five days. Israel says the three explosions occurred in close proximitty to IDF soldiers, lightly injuring a number of them.

Both parties say the other instigated a fire-fight that took place at the site of one of the detonations. Neither party has indicated plans to call off the cease-fire, however.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., accused the Biden administration of enabling "gross human rights violations" in Gaza by sending military aid to Israel as it seeks to eradicate Hamas.

The progressive lawmaker held a tele-town hall on Monday evening where she fielded multiple questions on the Middle Eastern conflict, including a constituent who said the U.S. should "just defund Israel and send funding and aid to Gaza."

She also encouraged pro-Palestinian activists to keep putting pressure on Democratic lawmakers to support a cease-fire, even as heightened tensions around the issue have led to instances of vandalism and threatening behavior. 

"Forces that are recipients of U.S. military aid cannot be engaging in gross human rights violations," Ocasio-Cortez said, citing a set of statutes known as the Leahy law. "And if they are engaged in gross human rights violations, then that aid must be either pulled, reconsidered, conditioned, etc."

The Leahy law stops the government "from using funds for assistance to units of foreign security forces where there is credible information implicating that unit in the commission of gross violations of human rights," according to the State Department.

"What we are witnessing is the gross violation of human rights in Gaza, and that is being done with U.S. military assistance," Ocasio-Cortez said. "I don't think that the American people want to see our public resources going to finance gross human rights violations."

Read the full article by Fox News' Elizabeth Elkind

Israeli diplomats held a meeting at the United Nations in Geneva calling attention to the sexual violence committeed by Hamas during its Oct. 7 massacre in Israel on Tuesday.

Israel has widely documented rape, murder, and other crimes against women committed by Hamas during the attack. While the U.N. has already condmened the Oct. 7 massacre, experts who spoke at Israel's Tuesday event say U.N. rights bodies "downplayed" and "minimised" the sexual violence.

"We expected a clear and loud statement that says that there is no justification for using the bodies of women as a weapon of war. None of this came up until now," said Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, an Associate Professor at the Bar-Ilan University. "It turns around the conventional framing of viewing Israel as the aggressor, and Palestinians as the ultimate victim."

Meanwhile, the U.N. Human rights office says it has not been granted access to visit Israel to investigate the crimes committed on Oct. 7.

"The Office is attempting to carry out remote monitoring of these and other human rights violations reported in Israel and the OPT (Occupied Palestinian Territories). Lack of direct access to Israel and the OPT has hampered the work," U.N. spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told Reuters. "We have repeatedly stressed the need for rigorous investigations and accountability for all serious breaches of international human rights and humanitarian law, irrespective of the identity of the alleged perpetrators," she added.

Reuters contributed to this report

Top Israeli commander says IDF is 'prepared' to continue war on Hamas after cease-fire

A top Israeli military official delivered an update on the conflict with Hamas and the progress in rescuing hostages in Gaza on Tuesday.

 Chief of the General Staff, LTG Herzi Halevi says Hamas has so far released 76 hostages. Herzi said Israel will not be satisfied untill every hostage has returned home, however.

"Each one who is released brings great relief, but there is no ounce of relief in the fact that more remain. We will operate to bring them all back," Herzi said.

"The IDF is prepared to continue fighting. We are using the days of the pause as part of the framework to learn, strengthen our readiness and approve future operational plans," he added.

Israel's cease-fire agreement with Hamas began Friday, and the groups agreed on a two-day extension on Monday. It is unclear whether Israel will agree to further extensions later this week.

Herzi went on to assure Israeli citizens that there will be thorough investigations into how the IDF and Israel's intelligence community failed to prevent Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre.

NYC chancellor denies students who stormed halls demanding Jewish teacher's ouster are 'radical'

New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks on Monday staunchly denied allegations that the approximately 400 students who swarmed the halls of Hillcrest High School last week demanding the ouster of a Jewish teacher who supports Israel had been in any way "radicalized." 

"This is a really good school with wonderful young people. And I’m so taken aback by this notion that these kids are terrorists … or radicalized. Even that kind of language is just terrible, and it’s irresponsible," Banks said at a press conference, confirming that some students had been suspended or faced disciplinary action after the incident. Viral video showed students acting out after the teacher's social media profile showed she attended an off-campus rally in support of Israel.

Citing privacy and confidentiality laws, Banks declined to say how many students were disciplined or provide more details but said he did not suspend all the hundreds in the hallway. 

On November 20, a teacher at Hillcrest High School "was targeted based on her support for Israel expressed in a permissible way outside of school hours and her Jewish identity," Banks said, outlining how the "safety of multiple of our staff and students were put at risk after approximately 400 students acted disruptively during class changing time, roving the school and calling for the removal of a Jewish educator." Officials said the Jewish teacher was on a different floor at the time the crowd of students stormed the halls. 

Read the full article by Fox News' Danielle Wallace

Majority of Palestinian prisoners released by Israel were detained without charges: Report

A majority of the Palestinian prisoners Israel has released in its cease-fire agreement with Hamas had been detained without charges, according to a new report.

Israel has identified 300 Palestinian prisoners who it says are elligible to be released under the current cease-fire exchange agreement with Hamas. Roughly 80% of those prisoners are listed only as "detained," meaning they have not faced formal charges, according to a report from CNN.

So far, Hamas has released 69 hostages from Gaza and Israel has in turn released 150 Palestinian prisoners. Of those prisoners, 98 were being detained without charges, according to CNN.

Large plumes of smoke could be seen rising over the Gaza skyline on Tuesday, but Israel says they are not the result of airstrikes or any other offensive action.

IDF spokesman Peter Lerner joined Fox News on Tuesday to discuss the issue. He said ISrael has yet to determine a cause for the pillars of smoke. Israel and Hamas are in the first day of their newly-extended cease-fire, with Hamas expected to release 10 additional Israeli hostages later in the day.

Hamas officials accused Israel of a "clear violation" of the cease-fire agreement, claiming an Israeli aristrike occurred.

The mother of one of the three Palestinian students shot in Vermont over the weekend says her son has a bullet lodged in his spine and doctors overseeing his recovery aren’t sure if he will be able to walk again, according to a report. 

Elizabeth Price, whose 20-year-old son Hisham Awartani attends Brown University, told ABC News, "I'm shaking. I'm hollow inside. I'm aching to be with my son" following the incident that happened Saturday night in Burlington. 

"He's lying immobilized in a bed, but he had very high spirits in the beginning. And I think now it's beginning to sink into him the extent of -- the enormity of -- the challenge that faces him," Price reportedly said. "He may have to be in a wheelchair. … I believe that he'll be able to walk, but his life has been taken away from him as it is, and he's gonna have to recreate this new life." 

"Justice to me means making sure that the man who shot my son is behind bars," Price also told ABC News. "Justice to me is making sure that crimes like this don't happen again. Justice to me is also about my son finding a way to rebuild his life." 

Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday morning said that federal authorities are probing whether the shooting was a hate crime. 

Read the full article by Fox News' Greg Norman

Israeli journalists are blasting tech billionaire Elon Musk's visit to Israel this week as the X owner is facing accusations of antisemitism.

On Monday, Musk met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhu, Israeli President Isaac Herzog as well as the families of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas. He also toured an Israeli kibbutz where civilians were murdered on Oct. 7 during terrorist attacks. 

But his trip wasn't welcomed by everyone in Israel, particularly members of the media. 

"Blatant antisemite & publisher of antisemitism Elon Musk should be persona non grata in Israel," Haaretz editor in chief Esther Solomon posted on X. "Instead, Netanyahu - plumbing new depths of amoral sycophancy - gifts him a PR visit to the kibbutzim devastated by Hamas. Profane, venal, bilious, both of them."

"Hard to stomach welcoming someone who just days ago endorsed a virulently antisemitic trope, has dabbled for years in antisemitism and has turned this platform into a cesspool of hate. It's quite frankly gross," Times of Israel reporter Amy Spiro similarly wrote.

Read the full article by Fox News' Joseph A. Wulfsohn

Israel-Hamas war: US looks to increase aid into Gaza through Egypt, includes warning for Israel

The United States will accelerate its humanitarian assistance into Gaza, including food, fuel and medical supplies, with the first of three relief flights beginning this week, Fox News has learned.

The U.S. military will be sending a series of items, which also include supplies to help Palestinians survive the upcoming winter conditions, to North Sinai and Egypt on Tuesday, according to senior administration officials. Additional plane loads of supplies and aid will then be sent in the coming days, the officials said.

Additional talks are in the works with the Israeli government on how to allow even more assistance to the 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, many of whom have been displaced from their homes and face unsustainable living conditions in south and central Gaza, where about 80% of the Gaza Strip population now lives.

These supplies and fuel are not linked to the release of hostages, the officials said. As of Tuesday, Hamas has released at least 69 hostages, 51 of them Israeli, while Israel has released roughly 150 Palestinian prisoners.

Read the full article by Fox News' Lawrence Richard

Hamas is expected to release 10 more Israeli hostages Tuesday as the extended cease-fire between the two sides holds.

Fox News Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst reported on the latest developments as the first day of the extended cease-fire began. Yingst said the majority of the hostages released so far have been women and children. Each of the hostages released on Monday still have fathers and husbands in Hamas custody.

Hamas transfers 10-month-old Israeli hostage, family to separate Palestinian terror group in Gaza

Hamas transfered custody of a 10-month-old Israeli hostage and his family to another terrorist group in southern Gaza, Israeli Defense Forces said Tuesday.

The IDF's Arabic spokesman Avichay Adraee announced the transfer late Monday night. The family consists of the infant, Kfir; his 4-year-old brother Ariel, and their parents. The IDF did not specify precisely which organization they have been transfered to.

"In Hamas prison, infants under one year old who have not seen the light of day for more than 50 days are detained. Hamas treats them as if they were spoils and sometimes hands them over to other terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip," Adraee wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

"For example, the Bibas family, the two red-haired children “The Reds,” who were kidnapped from their home in Nir Oz by a member of the Hamas terrorist organization (pictured) and are being held in the Khan Yunis area by one of the Palestinian factions."

Israel-Hamas war: U.S. Navy says Houthis fired 2 ballistic missiles toward Israel-linked ship

U.S. intelligence officials told Fox News on Monday that the Iran-backed Houthis are the group that fired two ballistic missiles toward the USS Mason.

The assessment was done by the U.S. Navy. Officials believe that the Yemeni Houthis more likely wanted to target the MV Central Park, a vessel linked to Israel, based on the missiles' trajectory.

One of the two missiles splashed in the ocean, five nautical miles from the MV Central Park and 10 nautical miles from the USS Mason.

Two U.S. officials told Fox News that the second missile exploded midair.

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

Additional hostages were released Monday night as part of the temporary cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

Video shows Eitan Yahalomi and his mother BatSheva greeting each other.

The temporary cease-fire agreement includes the swap of hostages taken by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack against Israel for Palestinian prisoners held in the Jewish State.

More than 15,000 people have been killed in Gaza and Israel since Hamas launched its largest attack against Israel in decades on Oct. 7, leading to 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.

Fox News' Landon Mion contributed to this report

California GOP Rep. David Valadao's office vandalized by anti-Israel protestors

A California congressman is the latest victim of antisemitism attacks happening across the country as Rep. David Valadao's (R-Calif.) Hanford office was vandalized Monday morning, according to a post on X from Rep. Valadao.

Rep. Valadao posted a photo of his Hanford office Monday afternoon covered in "Murdered by Israel" posters and fake blood.

"This morning, my Hanford office was vandalized by anti-Israel protestors. I strongly support the right to peaceful protest, but violence and vandalism are never acceptable. In a democracy, harassment and intimidation is not how you make your voice heard," Rep. Valadao posted.

Read the full article about David Valadao by Stepheny Price