IDF says military leaders are approving plans for ground operation in Gaza to eradicate Hamas
Israel will permit Egypt to deliver limited humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip through the border crossing at Rafah as the Israeli military continues airstrikes on the Palestinian territory in a campaign to eradicate the terrorist group Hamas. At least 4,800 people have been killed on both sides in the conflict, including at least 1,400 Israelis and 32 Americans.
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The Ain al-Asad air base in western Iraq, which hosts U.S. and international forces, was targeted by drones and rockets Thursday evening, according to Reuters.
Two security sources told the outlet "multiple blasts" were heard inside the base and it was not immediately clear if the attacks caused casualties or damages. The area around the base was closed by the Iraqi military, who began a search operation.
Rockets hit another military base hosting U.S. forces near Baghdad's international airport, a U.S. defense official confirmed to Fox News.
“We can confirm a rocket attack on U.S. and Coalition forces at the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center, near the Baghdad International Airport, occurred Friday at approximately 2:50 am local. Initial assessments indicate two rockets were fired," the official said. "One was intercepted by a counter-rocket system and the other impacted an empty storage facility. There were no casualties reported. We will provide additional information as it becomes available.”
The attack took place at 7:50 p.m. ET, approximately 10 minutes before President Biden delivered a prime-time address from the Oval Office.
The Thursday attacks mark four in the past 24 hours targeting Iraqi military bases that host U.S. forces. Two separate drone attacks took place on Wednesday with one causing minor injuries to a small number of troops, according to Reuters. The U.S military was able to intercept the armed drone.
Reuters and Fox News' Liz Friden contributed to this report.
Al-Naba, a weekly magazine put together by ISIS, called for the targeting of Jews across the world in its edition published Friday.
Issue 413 features what the publication describes as an infographic titled “Practical ways to support Muslims in Palestine,” which encourages attacks on Jewish people and Israel in efforts to "return its land to the House of Islam again."
Translated from Arabic to English, the page says the first step of support is through “military victory” with the overall objective of attacking Jewish people in America, Europe and across the world in their neighborhoods, synagogues, and nightclubs. It also encourages attacks with fire and vandalism on embassies belonging to Israel and its allies.
The page describes the second step of support as educating generations that “the battle with the Jews” is not patriotic or nationalistic, but “purely religious and ideological,” adding that the “battlefield” includes all places where Jewish people are present.
The third step is “support through supplication,” which describes prayer as a “deadly weapon if conditions and etiquette are met.”
Since Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on Oct. 7, security has increased in major American cities and countries around the globe as law enforcement works to prevent acts of antisemitism and violence against Jews.
Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, is accusing President Biden of using Israel's fight against Hamas terrorists to push additional aid to Ukraine in its ongoing battle with Russia, describing the effort in the president's prime-time address from the Oval Office Thursday night as "completely disgraceful."
During Biden's address, which focused primarily on the conflicts in both countries, he said he would be sending Congress an "urgent budget request" on Friday to fund America's national security needs, which includes supporting critical partners like Israel and Ukraine.
Vance responded to the president's push for funding in both countries in real time on X, formerly Twitter, and called his efforts "disgusting."
"What Biden is doing is disgusting. He’s using dead children in Israel to sell his disastrous Ukraine policy to skeptical Americans. They are not the same countries, they are not the same problems, and this effort to use Israel for political cover is offensive. Hell no," the senator wrote.
Vance joined Sean Hannity as a guest Thursday night to further explain his thoughts, where he added that it's "completely disgraceful" that Biden is trying to sell Americans on a "Ukrainian escalation" while addressing Israel's fight against Hamas since the terrorist group launched its attack on the Jewish state on Oct. 7.
"If he wants to sell the American people on $60 billion more to Ukraine, he shouldn't use dead Israeli children to do it. It was disgusting," Vance said, reiterating that "it is a separate country and a separate problem."
Israel will evacuate residents in the city of Kiryat Shmona, which is near Lebanon, as the Israel Defense Forces announce increased activity at the northern border.
Israel's Ministry of Defense and the IDF said the city's residents will be evacuated to state-funded guest houses following a plan approved by Defense Minister Yoav Galant.
"A short while ago, the Northern Command informed the mayor of the city of the decision. The plan will be managed by the local authority, the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Defense," the MoD said on X, formerly Twitter.
The IDF gave a summary Thursday of recent activity at the Lebanese border which included: nine launches crossed from Lebanon into Israel, four interceptions by the IDF Aerial Defense Array and several anti-tank missiles fired from Lebanon toward Israel.
The force said it responded by "returning fire to the origin of the strikes, thwarting a terrorist cell using an IDF unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and striking Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure using tank fire."
Fox News' Yael Kuriel contributed to this report.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference on Jan. 30, 2023, in Jerusalem, Israel. (Amir Levy/Getty Images)
Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged the challenges faced by his staff since Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel in a long letter sent to his team Thursday night, which was obtained by Fox News' James Levinson.
Blinken, who returned from a trip to the region on Wednesday after arriving in Israel on Oct. 12, praised his staff for their work "under tremendous pressure" after giving a rundown of the trip's objectives then went on to discuss the personal impact of the conflict.
"I know that, for many of you, this time has not only been challenging professionally, but personally. Some of our colleagues in the region, especially among our locally employed staff, have been directly affected by the violence, including by losing loved ones and friends," he wrote.
He continued: "Others have felt the ripples of fear and bigotry fueled by the conflict -- including in the United States, where mounting acts of hatred against Arab Americans, Muslims and Jews are making people feel vulnerable in their own communities, simply because of who they are or what they believe."
Blinken also wrote that the loss of innocent lives and the images produced from the Israel-Hamas war are "wrenching" and impact everyone, even those without direct ties to the conflict. He added that he mourns the loss of all innocent lives, Israeli and Palestinian, and he will not give up on the vision of both groups living with "equal measures of security, freedom, justice, opportunity, and dignity."
He went on to encourage his team to "devote extra care and attention to each other" and reminded them additional support is available if needed.
The letter concluded with: "We have a difficult stretch ahead. The risk of greater turmoil and strife is real. And yet, where this crisis goes from here is not inevitable. It will come down, in no small part, to how America -- and each and every one of us -- leads in this critical period.
"So for all you have already done -- and all that you will do as we navigate this crisis -- thank you.
"I'm proud as ever to be on your team."
Fox News' James Levinson contributed to this report.
EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., is facing a demand for her removal from future classified briefings on military operations in Israel after she sided with Hamas over the Biden administration concerning the explosion at a Gaza hospital earlier this week.
In a Thursday letter obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital, Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, accused the far-left "Squad" member of spreading "misinformation" when she repeated Hamas' claim Israel was behind the hospital explosion. U.S. and Israeli intelligence officials have repeatedly said it was caused by a rocket fired from Gaza.
Jackson also accused her of being a Hamas sympathizer.
"I demand that Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib be prevented from participating in any classified briefing about Israel's ongoing military operations, Israel's self-defense efforts, or any American military movements in and around the region," Jackson wrote to Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, R-N.C. and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.
"We must not allow Hamas sympathizers in this body to serve as the mouthpiece for Palestinian terrorists. Rather than condemn the attacks by Hamas, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has chosen to side with Hamas by spreading misinformation," he wrote.
Jackson went on to write it had "become clear that Congresswoman Tlaib's allegiance lies with Hamas," and that she couldn't be trusted with sensitive information that could "put American and Israeli lives at risk."
"I demand that her security clearance be revoked immediately and that she be prevented from participating in any relevant briefings," he added.
In a statement to Fox, Jackson vowed to do everything in his power as a member of the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees. He said Tlaib and her fellow "Squad" members should not view American intelligence on the situation in Israel.
"I don't know what's more concerning, that we have Members of Congress who are antisemites and support Hamas, or that we let those Members of Congress attend classified briefings on the war in Israel," he said.
"You do not let the enemy know your plans, and letting Representative Tlaib into these briefings is doing exactly that. Furthermore, this anti-American, anti-Jewish sentiment from elected ‘leaders’ must STOP, it is dangerous!" he added.
Fox has reached out to Tlaib's office for comment.
Fox News Digital's Brandon Gillespie and Houston Knee contributed to this update.
President Biden will request funding from Congress for Israel and Ukraine in order to "fund America’s national security needs" – an investment he said will "pay dividends for American security," while warning that both Hamas and Russian President Vladimir Putin seek to "completely annihilate a neighboring democracy."
The president addressed the nation from the Oval Office Thursday night, a day after he visited with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli officials in Tel Aviv. Biden and Israeli officials discussed the ongoing war, and the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Gaza Strip.
The president said he will send Congress an "urgent budget request" on Friday "to fund America's national security needs to support our critical partners, including Israel and Ukraine is a smart investment that's going to pay dividends for American security for generations."
The president said the package, if approved, will help to "keep American troops out of harm's way, help us build a world that is safer, more peaceful and more prosperous for our children and grandchildren in Israel."
"We must make sure that they have what they need to protect their people today," Biden said. "And always the security package I'm sending to Congress and asking Congress to do is an unprecedented commitment to Israel's security that will sharpen Israel's qualitative military edge, which we've committed to the qualitative military edge."
Biden said the funding would help to ensure that the Iron Dome "continues to guard the skies over Israel."
"That means protecting civilians in combat as best as they can. And the people of Gaza urgently need food, water and medicine."
The president also spoke to President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority Wednesday and said he "reiterated that the United States remains committed to the Palestinian people right to dignity and to self-determination."
"The actions of Hamas terrorists don't take that right away," Biden said.
But while Biden said he is "heartbroken by the tragic loss of Palestinian life," he stressed that the blast that killed hundreds in a hospital in Gaza "was not done by the Israelis."
Israel declared war against Hamas after the terrorist group infiltrated the country on Oct. 7, firing thousands of rockets at residential areas and brutally murdering more than one thousand civilians, while taking hundreds of others hostage.
"The terrorist group Hamas unleashed pure, unadulterated evil in the world," Biden said. "But sadly, the Jewish people know perhaps better than anyone that there is no limit to the depravity of people when they want to inflict pain on others."
Biden added: "Hamas has a stated purpose for existing: it is a destruction of the state of Israel and the murder of Jewish people."
But the president stressed that Hamas "does not represent the Palestinian people."
"Hamas uses Palestinians civilians as human shields, and innocent Palestinian families are suffering greatly because of that," Biden said.
At least 4,200 people have been killed in the war on both sides, including at least 1,400 Israeli civilians and soldiers and 31 Americans. Palestinian health authorities say at least 2,808 Palestinians have been killed and more than 10,950 wounded.
More than 30 American citizens have died in Israel and 12 are left unaccounted for.
Meanwhile, the president shifted to Russia's war in Ukraine.
"History has taught us that when terrorists don't pay a price for their terror, when dictators don't pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and death and more destruction--They keep going," Biden said. "And the cost and the threats to America and the world keep rising."
He added: "If we don't stop Putin's appetite for power and control of Ukraine, he won't limit himself just to the Ukraine."
Biden said Putin has "already threatened to remind, quote, remind Poland that their western land was a gift from Russia. One of his top advisors, a former president of Russia, has called Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, Russia's Baltic provinces."
"These are all NATO's allies. For 75 years, NATO's kept peace in Europe and has been the cornerstone of American security," Biden said. "And if Putin attacks NATO ally, we will defend every inch of NATO's, which the treaty requires and calls for, will have something that we do not seek."
Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
President Biden said during his Thursday address to the nation that terrorists and dictators must "pay a price" for their terror and aggression.
"You know, history has taught us that when terrorists don't pay a price for their terror, when dictators don't pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and death and more destruction. They keep going, and the cost and the threats to America and the world keep rising," Biden said from the Oval Office.
"So if we don't stop Putin's appetite for power and control of Ukraine, he won't limit himself just to the Ukraine," he added.
He went on to tout NATO's peacekeeping success across Europe following World War II.
In his speech Biden also called for Israel not to "be blinded by rage" in its response to the Hamas attacks, and said he would send an urgent funding package to Congress in support of it and Ukraine.
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/Pool
President Biden cautioned Israel not to "be blinded by rage" in its military response to the brutal attacks by Hamas terrorists that took place on Oct. 7.
In his Thursday address to the nation, Biden implored Israel to learn from America's "mistakes" following 9/11.
"When I was in Israel yesterday, I said when Americans experienced the hell of 9/11 we felt enraged as well. While we sought, and got justice we made mistakes. So, I caution the government of Israel not to be blinded by rage," he said.
And here in America, let us not forget who we are. We reject all forms, all forms of hate, whether against Muslims, Jews or anyone. That’s what great nations do, and we are a great nation," he added.
Biden also said he would be sending an urgent funding request to Congress in support of Israel and Ukraine.
The White House took serious heat on social media Thursday for posting an image of President Biden meeting with U.S. troops in Israel without obscuring their identities.
Though the White House account deleted the photo soon after sharing it on Instagram, X users ripped Biden’s team for the dangerous mistake, accusing the administration of "compromising" the troops’ identities while they were in Israel defending U.S. interests in wake of Hamas’ terrorist attack on the U.S. allied country.
Journalist Sam Shoemate shared an edited image of the post X, claiming that the White House shared it without obscuring the faces of what appeared to be special forces on Wednesday night.
He wrote, "The Whitehouse media team shared this picture last night (I added the black boxes) without blurring or censoring the faces of the ‘Delta Force’ (CAG) operator’s faces. They deleted it an hour later after hundreds of thousands had already viewed it. This is a massive failure on the Biden admin."
The caption on the original White House post stated, "In Israel, President Biden met with first responders to thank them for their bravery and the work they’re doing in response to the Hamas terrorist attacks."
During a U.S. Department of Defense briefing Thursday, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder was asked to confirm if the soldiers depicted were in fact U.S. special operators and if there was a policy against taking photos of special forces.
Ryder punted to the White House, stating, "I'd have to refer you to the White House on that. I just don't have any to provide. Thank you."
Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin confirmed the White House’s blunder on Thursday afternoon, posting, "NEW: The White House admits they accidentally doxxed US Special Forces by posting an uncensored photo of them w/ Biden in Israel."
He added the White House’s statement, which said, "As soon as this was brought to our attention, we immediately deleted the photo. We regret the error and any issues this may have caused."
X users berated the White House for this potentially disastrous error.
U.S. military veteran and author Sean Parnell appeared shocked by the post, writing, "Holy God. Biden doxed Delta. This without question puts a target on them & their families."
Fox News contributor Sara Carter wrote, "Is the White House really this stupid or are they just trying to get people targeted? This is totally unacceptable…These operators are required to maintain a level of discretion that this administration has completely disregarded. I would know, my husband is a retired operator."
She added, "They are elite trained fighters and something as simple as facial ID recognition is putting them in direct threat by adversaries. How did this happen White House?"
Republican U.S. Congressional candidate in Washington Joe Kent slammed the Biden administration, posting, "The Biden Admin operates at the confluence of hubris, malice & incompetence. Nothing says thank you for doing our nation’s most dangerous missions like showing every terrorist in the world the identities of our warriors. Democrats can’t be trusted w/our national security."
CPAC senior fellow and former White House adviser Mercedes Schlapp declared, "This is the most INCOMPETENT White House. The Biden administration is putting in military danger."
Conservative commentator Ian Miles Cheong wrote, "The identities of Delta Force operators are supposed to be highly confidential because of the nature of their work. Biden just blew their cover."
And Washington Times columnist Charles Hurt condemned White House staff, saying "the fires of hell are not hot enough for these people."
White House officials did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for further comment.
Fox News Digital's Gabriel Hays contributed to this report.
President Biden announced Thursday he would be submitting a joint urgent budget request to Congress on Friday in support of Israel and Ukraine in their respective wars.
"American leadership holds the world together. American alliances keep America safe. American values make us a partner they want to work with. You put all of that at risk if you walk away from Ukraine and turn our backs on Israel," Biden said during his address to the nation.
"Tomorrow I will send to Congress an urgent budget request to fund America’s national security needs and support Israel and Ukraine. It’s a smart investment that will pay dividends for American security for generations," he said.
Biden did not specify the amount of the package, but said it would "keep American troops out of harm's way," and would help build a safer world.
He added that it would "sharpen" Israel's military, and ensure the nation had what it needed to continue defending itself against terrorist attacks from Hamas.
An American frustrated by activists downplaying Hamas' brutal attack detailed the horrific massacres his family in the Israel Defense Forces have seen.
"Anybody who claims that this didn't happen is just denying the truth and is part of the problem and should be lumped together with the people of Hamas," Marc Tobin, who lives in Israel, told Fox News.
In response, Tobin, who has three sons and 13 nephews serving in the IDF, relayed his families' experiences. The IDF sent his middle son to the Gaza border last Monday to find terrorists still in Israel and to ensure survivors were accounted for in the nearby villages. He and his fellow soldiers went door-to-door in Kfar Aza.
"Unfortunately, they saw the massacre," Tobin said. "A lot of the bodies had been put into — already — body bags so they saw all the different sizes of bodies, the adults, the children and unfortunately, the infants."
Tobin said his son fortunately didn't see the bodies before they were put in bags, "but there were enough in his unit that did see that people were butchered."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office last week released photos of babiesthat it says Hamas terrorists "murdered and burned" in Kfar Aza during the attack. More than 70 of the kibbutz's 765 residents were killed, according to the Times of Israel.
IDF troops found about 200 dead, including babies, some of whom they said were decapitated, Israeli media reported.
"I think Hamas is just like the Nazis were," Tobin said.
Tobin said protesters and activists ignoring Hamas' atrocities are taking a page out of Adolf Hitler’s chief propagandist's playbook to create and spread disinformation.
"[Joseph] Goebbels had a strategy of if you say it enough, then people believe it," he said.
At University of Massachusetts Amherst last week, over a hundred students turned out for an anti-Israel protest advertised as an event to stand in solidarity with Palestinians "breaking out of their open air prison." Another event outside Cambridge City Hall last week was promoted with text on a flyer that said "VICTORY IS OURS" and "LONG LIVE PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE."
Fox News Digital's Kassy Dillon contributed to this update.
President Biden is set to address the nation from the Oval Office Thursday night about America's response to Hamas' terrorist attacks against Israel and the war in the region, the White House said.
The address, which is expected to begin at 8 p.m., comes a day after President Biden visited with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli officials in Tel Aviv. Biden and Israeli officials discussed the ongoing war, and the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Gaza Strip.
Biden has pledged to support Israel, but is expected to announce $100 million humanitarian aid to Gaza and the West Bank.
"I was very blunt about the need to support getting humanitarian aid to Gaza – get it to Gaza and do it quickly," Biden told reporters Wednesday on his trip back to Washington, D.C.
Biden said he "got no pushback, virtually none" from Netanyahu.
Israel declared war against Hamas after the terrorist group infiltrated the country on Oct. 7, firing thousands of rockets at residential areas and brutally murdering more than one thousand civilians, while taking hundreds of others hostage.
At least 4,200 people have been killed in the war on both sides, including at least 1,400 Israeli civilians and soldiers and 31 Americans. Palestinian health authorities say at least 2,808 Palestinians have been killed and more than 10,950 wounded.
More than 30 American citizens have died in Israel and 12 are left unaccounted for.
The White House said the president is also expected to discuss "Russia's ongoing brutal war against Ukraine" during the address Thursday night.
The president, during his address, is expected to ask for additional billions of dollars in military assistance for both Israel and Ukraine.
The funding request, which is expected to be formally rolled out on Friday, is likely to be around $100 billion over the next year. The total figure is expected to include some funding for Taiwan’s defense and for managing the flow of migrants at the southern border with Mexico.
The Associated Press and Fox News Digital's Brooke Singman contributed to this update.
The deputy mayor of Jerusalem demanded "proof of life" for the more than 200 hostages estimated to have been taken from Israel by Hamas militants and other assurances before humanitarian aide promised by President Biden or any other government arrives in Gaza for Palestinians.
"The first thing we need is proof of life. We haven't had anything," Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum told Fox News Digital. "We haven't had the Red Cross being able to see them. We haven't had the U.N. even talking about the hostages . What happens to our hostages is three and five-month-old babies and their mothers, mothers with three children, young women serially raped, paraded down the street, an old lady with dementia in a wheelchair, people ridiculing her down the street and abusing her. Who are these people and why?"
"This is something that I think we cannot give up on the hostages," she said, speaking from Israel via Zoom. "We need to demand, if you want humanitarian assistance, we understand that. But we need our hostages to be a priority for all governments and for our government. And any type of humanitarian assistance has to be conditional on the assurance that our hostages, especially the injured ones, will at least be having medical treatment. And we haven't had any assurances of anything."
President Biden announced Wednesday that the United States is providing $100 million in humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank.
"I'm all for humanitarian aid, but the problem is that the leadership in the West Bank is corrupt. So they steal from their people. They also pay terrorists pension life pensions for every Jew they kill," Hassan-Nahoum told Fox News Digital. "And that's why in the United States, you guys passed the Taylor Force Act after a man called Taylor Force, who essentially was killed, murdered by Palestinian terrorists and his killers are getting a life pension. And the American government passed a law that they wouldn't give any money to the Palestinians until the pay for slay policy was rescinded, which it never was. And so I understand that President Biden is doing this from a good place."
"It's just very difficult to get decent accountability from the Palestinian leadership," she said. "The most minimum thing I would ask for is to ensure that the money does not go to an educational system. Their educational system is basically teaching hatred and how to kill Jews and Palestinian Authority funds, which they receive from around the world, are paying pensions to people who kill Jews, thereby incentivizing people to kill Jews. And the more you kill, the higher the pension. And so that's my fear."
"And as long as we can guarantee or the U.S. can guarantee through its different nonprofit arms here in the ground that it is actually going to humanitarian aid, then I'm in favor," she said. "But very few people can actually give us those guarantees."
As for the educational system in Palestine and concern in the West over taking in Gazan refugees taught to hate Jews, Hassan-Nahoum added, "The irony is that the U.N., through their schools that are funded by the international community, are actually teaching this hatred curriculum. So, you know, it's interesting. So you – we get they get money for teaching hatred and then, of course, nobody wants to take them in as refugees. But why are you giving them the money to begin with?"
Fox News' Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told troops near the Gaza border on Thursday that they'd soon see it "from inside."
"You see Gaza now from a distance, you will soon see it from inside. The command will come," Gallant told soldiers near the border. Troops were not expected to enter while foreign leaders were visiting.
After Gallant made the statement to troops, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted "With the warriors. Are ready," on X.
Reuters contributed to this report.
A U.S. Navy destroyer intercepted several missiles fired near the coast of Yemen on Thursday, though it is unclear what the missiles were targeting, Pentagon officials said.
U.S. Department of Defense spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed Thursday that the crew of the USS Carney, a guided missile destroyer operating in the Northern Red Sea, shot down three land attack cruise missiles and several drones that were launched by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen.
"This action was a demonstration of the integrated air and missile defense architecture that we have built in the Middle East and that we are prepared to utilize whenever necessary to protect our partners and our interests in this important region," Ryder said, adding there were no casualties to U.S. forces, nor any on the ground that he knows of. "Information on these engagements is still being processed, and we cannot say for certain what these missiles and drones were targeting."
The missiles were launched from Yemen and were heading north along the Red Sea, "potentially" toward targets in Israel, Ryder said.
According to Ryder, the response was one the U.S. military would have taken for any similar threat in the region.
"This attack may be ongoing," he said. "As [Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin] has made clear, we have the capability to defend our broader interests in the region."
"The crew of the Carney did just that, and across the force we will remain vigilant to any other potential threat," Ryder added.
The Department of Defense is in the process of bolstering forces in the Middle East to deter a wider conflict, but also bolster stability and defend national security interests.
Fox News' Digital's Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
The White House admitted to accidentally doxxing U.S. Special Forces by posting an unredacted picture of them with President Biden in Israel.
In a statement, the White House said the post has been removed.
“As soon as this was brought to our attention, we immediately deleted the photo. We regret the error and any issues this may have caused," the White House said.
Fox News' Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
Israel's Ambassador to Ankara Irit Lillian presents the letter of credentials to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (not seen) at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkiye on December 27, 2022. (Photo by Aytac Unal/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Israel's ambassador to Turkey, Irit Lillian, left the country, according to Turkish station NTV.
Israel's National Security Council issued a warning earlier in the week about traveling to Turkey, stating that Israelis might be targeted.
The council advised Israeli citizens in Turkey to leave the country. Israeli airlines arranged flights for Israelis wanting to leave Turkey.
Reuters contributed to this report.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul visits the Western Wall in Jerusalem on Wednesday. Hochul’s father died overnight while she was touring wartime Israel, with the teary-eyed governor slipping a note grieving the loss into Jerusalem’s Western Wall holy site. Credit: AP
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul learned of her father's death during her ongoing visit to Israel while trying to show support for the Jewish state, and slipped a note grieving her loss into Jerusalem’s Western Wall holy site on Thursday.
Hochul, a Democrat, learned her father, John Courtney, 87, died overnight from a brain hemorrhage in Florida. The news came on her second day in Israel amid its war with Hamas.
While at the Western Wall, Hochul appeared to wipe away a tear before placing a handwritten note with prayers for Israel and for her father into a crack in the limestone wall.
"I pray for my father, who cherished his visit to this Holy Land, and who passed during the night," Hochul’s handwritten message read, the New York Post reported.
Her father's death came as Hochul met with Israeli leaders and displaced families impacted by Hamas' deadly Oct. 7 cross-border attack on Israeli civilians. Israel has since declared war on the terrorist group.
More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed and roughly 200 others were abducted and taken into Gaza by Hamas. Gaza's Health Ministry said Thursday that 3,785 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 12,500 others have been wounded since the outbreak of the war.
Hochul met with Israeli families displaced by the conflict and heard painful stories from families of American citizens taken hostage by Hamas and from Israelis who have been wounded during the fighting. She also held meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog, and Israeli President Isaac Herzog, reiterating New York's solidarity with Israel.
A nonprofit organization is funding travel costs for Hochul and her staff, and the state is covering the costs for her security detail, according to the governor’s office.
The Associated Press and Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier refuels from the underway replenishment oiler USNS Laramie in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, Oct. 11, 2023. (U.S. Navy photo via AP)
The U.S. Navy intercepted several missiles fired near the coast of Yemen on Wednesday, two U.S. told Fox News.
It was unclear what the missiles were targeting.
One official said the missile were fired from Iranian backed Houthi militants. Iran has provided the Houthi rebels with weapons amid a crippling war in Yemen.
Bring. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a press conference at the Pentagon on Thursday that the missiles were heading "potentially towards targets in Israel."
Fox News' Liz Friden contributed to this report.
Lebanese army soldiers scuffle with protesters during a demonstration, in solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza, near the U.S. Embassy in Aukar, a northern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
The State Department is urging a worldwide caution alert Thursday for Americans as tensions increase due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
The department cited “potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests” in its alert message.
It urged U.S. citizens abroad to “exercise increased caution.” Earlier this week, the State Department raised its travel alert advisory in Lebanon and warned Americans to avoid traveling to the country amid increased protests and the unstable security situation there.
Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based terrorist group, has been trading rocket fire with the Israeli military for nearly two weeks.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Thursday that 32 Americans have been confirmed killed in the Israel-Hamas war.
Another 11 Americans are unaccounted for, Miller told reporters at a news conference.
"With respect to our work to secure the release of hostages, that work is ongoing," he added.
At least 4,800 people have been killed in the war on both sides, including at least 1,400 Israeli civilians and soldiers since Hamas launched a surprise attack on October 7. The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry claims at least 3,478 Palestinians have been killed and more than 10,950 wounded.
President Biden on Wednesday said that freeing Hamas hostages is his administration's top priority.
There's no higher priority than the release and safe return of all these hostages," Biden said in Israel. The president also pledged to ask Congress for an "unprecedented" support package for Israel's defense and said he would ask lawmakers for $100 million in humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians in Gaza facing bombardment by Israeli forces.
Fox News' Greg Norman contributed to this update.
The Israeli military said Thursday there are a confirmed 203 hostages taken by Hamas and missing individuals in the Gaza Strip, including 30 children and youths and as many as 10-20 elderly.
Another 100-200 people are missing and their fate is unknown, according to new IDF data. Thirteen American citizens remain unaccounted for and are feared to be held hostage in Gaza.
IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the families of those taken captive have been notified and that the number is likely to rise as the military gathers more intelligence, the Jewish News Syndicate reported.
Hamas is reportedly claiming that it will "protect" its hostages taken during the war with Israel and will only release them "when circumstances on the ground allow."
Those comments surfaced Monday in a video message from Abu Obeida, whom Reuters says is the spokesman of the Palestinian terrorist group’s armed wing.
Obeida said Hamas has "a group of detainees of different nationalities, these are our guests and we seek to protect them," according to Reuters.
"We will release detainees of different nationalities when circumstances on the ground allow," he reportedly added, without elaborating.
Israel has amassed tens of thousands of troops on the border with Gaza and is anticipated to soon launch a ground invasion with the purpose of rescuing hostages and eradicating Hamas.
Fox News' Greg Norman contributed to this update.
The "CBS Evening News " was roasted Wednesday night for a social media post that suggested Israel was to blame for the explosion that rocked the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City despite President Biden and the Israeli government saying otherwise.
"CBS Evening News" wrote on X, the platform formally known as Twitter, that the "humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to grow following a hospital explosion that killed hundreds. CBS News spoke to a doctor who says Israel's army had previously warned the facility to evacuate."
The quickly ridiculed CBS post accompanied a video in which a Gaza woman said they got "bombed," and the CBS News reporter put an emphasis on Palestinian claims that an Israeli rocket previously struck the hospital. CBS then spoke with a doctor who suggested Israel was at fault, and put a spotlight on injured children before finally mentioning that President Biden said the Israeli military is not to blame more than a minute into the video.
"From the street of Tehran to war-torn Yemen, few believe the president and say Israel is squarely responsible for the explosion as well as the widespread misery unfolding in Gaza," CBS reporter Imtiaz Tyab said.
Readers added context to the misleading CBS post, and it was slapped with a community note that said "President Joe Biden has confirmed that the explosion was most likely a result of the misfiring of a Hamas missile. Video also shows that the explosion was in a car park and does not appear to have demolished any buildings."
The CBS News segment shared to over 400,000 followers never explained that the Israeli government determined the blast was caused by a rocket misfire launched by Islamic Jihad, another terrorist organization active in Gaza. It also failed to mention the widespread backlash the mainstream media has faced for believing the Hamas-backed health ministry in Gaza’s claim that Israel struck a hospital in the first place.
Many were quick to mock CBS for the post.
"This is literally disinformation," one person wrote as another added, "Did Hamas write this tweet?"
Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this update.
The Israel Defense Forces said Thursday military leaders are currently approving operational plans for a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip.
"As part of the completion of the preparation for the continuation of the fighting, the approval of operational plans and the deployment of forces in the field are currently happening," the IDF said, adding that Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, the head of the IDF Southern Command, was touring the units currently stationed in southern Israel.
”Now, our maneuvers are going to take the war into their territory. It's going to be long, it's going to be intense, the best commanders and soldiers are here," Finkelman told troops at the front lines, according to IDF.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also visited troops near the Gaza border Thursday and assured them that Israel will prevail in the conflict with Hamas.
"We are going to win with all our might,” Netanyahu said, according to the Times of Israel. “All of Israel is behind you, and we are going to heavily strike our enemies so that we can achieve victory.”
Israel has amassed tens of thousands of troops on the border with Gaza after Hamas infiltrated the Jewish state through the south and slaughtered hundreds of Israelis on October 7. An Israeli invasion to eradicate the terrorist group has been anticipated for days and it is unclear when it will begin.
Fox News' Kassy Dillon contributed to this update.
Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told ground troops at the border with Gaza to prepare to invade the Palestinian territory, but he did not say when the invasion would start, according to the Associated Press.
In a meeting with soldiers at the border Thursday, Gallant urged forces to "get organized, be ready" for orders to advance.
“Whoever sees Gaza from afar now, will see it from the inside,” he said. “I promise you.”
Israel has massed tens of thousands of troops along the border following a bloody Oct. 7 cross-border massacre by Hamas terrorists.
Israeli airstrikes continued to pound the Gaza Strip Thursday in a relentless retaliatory assault for the atrocities committed by Hamas. At least 4,800 people have been killed in the war on both sides, including at least 1,400 Israeli civilians and soldiers and 31 Americans when Hamas terrorists infiltrated southern Israel on October 7.
The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry claims at least 3,478 Palestinians have been killed and more than 10,950 wounded. Twelve American citizens remain unaccounted for.
Those casualty counts are expected to rise once Israel begins ground operations in Gaza.
The Associated Press contributed to this update.
A Christian Israeli living three miles from the border with Lebanon said he evacuated his family because he believes Hezbollah is a more powerful enemy than Hamas.
"There's no reason for kids and children to hear those explosions," Shadi Khaloul said. "As a responsible father, I just sent them away from here, and I asked them to just pray for us."
Since Hamas’ brutal Oct. 7 attack, there have been fears of Hezbollah — an Iran-backed terrorist group in Lebanon — entering the war. Israel evacuated its residents that live within 1.2 miles from Lebanon on Monday amid cross-border fire, including Hezbollah launching anti-tank missiles into the Jewish state.
"Our family was evacuated, too, by itself," he said. "We didn't wait for the military to actually ask us because I know the scenario and what will happen if this front will really open widely."
Khaloul, 47, said he evacuated his wife, children, brother, and sister-in-law, as well as his nieces and nephews to Europe, though he didn't specify which country "for security reasons."
"I am here with my parents," Khaloul said, adding that he hasn’t evacuated because "I am here to defend our home, community and Israel."
Khaloul, who is a major for the Israeli Defense Forces' reserves and was previously a paratrooper, said he believes Hezbollah is more dangerous than Hamas because of its involvement assisting President Bashar al-Assad during the Syrian civil war.
"They, in the last 10 years, were well-trained in a war — active war — in Syria," he said. "They already know how to fight. They know how to use military equipment and how to fight physically other forces."
Republicans on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee pressed President Biden's nominee for ambassador to Israel, Democrat Jack Lew, on his past work on Iran sanctions during a nomination hearing Wednesday.
Several pro-Palestinian demonstrators protesting against Israel disrupted the first few minutes of the hearing. After they were escorted out, the meeting continued uninterrupted.
Lew defended his record on the Iran deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, and asserted he would work to advance a "negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
"I want to be clear, Iran is a threat to regional stability and to Israel's existence," Lew said. "If confirmed, I will uphold President Biden's commitment to deny Iran a nuclear weapon."
In 2018, a Senate report by the investigative subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee found that Lew, during his tenure as secretary to the Treasury under the Obama administration, "granted a specific license that authorized a conversion of Iranian assets worth billions of U.S. dollars using the U.S. financial system."
The report found that the administration tried to convert $5.7 billion from U.S. banks to Iranian assets. It noted that the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control "encouraged two U.S. correspondent banks to convert the funds."
Fox News' Jamie Joseph contributed to this update.
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 17: Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) speaks to reporters following a closed-door lunch meeting with Senate Republicans at the U.S. Capitol October 17, 2023 in Washington, DC. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) spoke on a range of issues including the United States' support for Israel following the Hamas terrorist attacks. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., introduced a bill Thursday to reallocate the $6 billion in Iranian funds to Israeli defense amid Israel's war against Hamas.
The bill seeks to take the $6 billion, which was released to Iran in September as part of a negotiation for the release of five American prisoners, and put it into an account for Israel to use in its fight against Iran-backed Hamas.
"As the Iranian-backed terror group Hamas continues its barbaric attacks against the Israeli people, the United States must stand firmly by our biggest ally in the Middle East," Daines said in a statement. "The United States must not only restrict Iran’s access to Biden’s $6 billion ransom payment but also repurpose those funds to help Israel recover from these horrific actions."
The bill also proposes that frozen Iranian assets beyond the initial $6 billion cannot be unfrozen or utilized until the president confirms to Congress that hostilities between Hamas, other Iranian-backed groups, and Israel have ceased; until full compensation has been provided to Israel for damages caused by attacks; or until Iran is actively participating in an internationally agreed mechanism to compensate Israel for determined amounts owed.
Fox News' Jamie Joseph contributed to this update.
Sen. Tim Scott , R-S.C., wants to ban any federal student aid from going to colleges and universities that facilitate or promote events with an antisemitic message.
The new legislation introduced Thursday comes in the wake of dozens of anti-Israel rallies hosted by student groups, and in some cases encouraged by faculty, following the devastating Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack that killed the most Jews in a single day since the Holocaust.
The Stop Antisemitism on College Campuses Act would keep those schools from eligibility for Title IV funds, which includes federal student aid. As a reference point, in the 2020-2021 school year, the total Title IV funding dispersed by the federal government was roughly $125 billion.
Scott, a 2024 GOP presidential hopeful, said this legislation, which will also have a companion measure in the House, "hits" the colleges "where it hurts – their pocketbooks."
"Any university or college that peddles blatant antisemitism, especially after Hamas’ brutal attack on Israeli civilians, women and children, has no place molding the minds of future generations, never mind receiving millions of taxpayer funds to do so," said Scott.
"We must not only call out this hate but crush it wherever it rears its ugly head. If these schools don’t change their ways, my legislation hits them where it hurts – their pocketbooks," he said.
"No college or university should receive a single cent from the federal government to fund violent antisemitism," he added.
Fox News' Brianna Herlihy contributed to this update.
TEL AVIV, ISRAEL - OCTOBER 19: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (R) meets Israeli President Isaac Herzog (L) in Tel Aviv, Israel on October 19, 2023.
United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited Israel on Thursday, when he held diplomatic talks with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and condemned Hamas, a terrorist group that governs Gaza, for their ruthless assault on Oct. 7, when they slaughtered more than 1,400 Israelis in a single day.
Sunak’s visit came on the 13th day of Israel's war with Hamas, and he minced no words in describing the terror group.
"First and foremost, I want to express my solidarity with you and your country after you have suffered something unspeakable, a barbaric act of terrorism, as you said, we should call it what it is: an act of terrorism perpetrated by an evil terrorist organization, Hamas."
"We will stand with Israel, we will stand with you in solidarity with your people and your right to defend yourself, to bring security back to your country, to your people, to ensure the safe return of the hostages that have been taken," Sunak said. "Because that's the right thing to do. You have not just a right to do that, I think you have a duty to do that, to restore that security to your country. But I'm also grateful to you for the support that the Israeli government has provided to the families and British nationals who have been caught up in this tragedy."
The unequivocal moral distinction comes as some U.S. lawmakers, including Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., repeated a debunked claim that Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) were responsible for an explosion that struck a Gaza hospital, reportedly killing hundreds of civilians. On Wednesday, Tlaib also accused the Biden administration of funding a "genocide" against Palestinians.
Rep. Ilhan Omar , D-Minn., walked back her comments on social media blaming Israel for the explosion that occurred at a Gaza hospital but stopped short of offering an apology.
Many prominent progressives and members of the media rushed to believe Hamas' claims that an Israeli airstrike was responsible for an attack on the hospital where hundreds of civilians were reportedly killed.
However, both the IDF and the Biden administration have debunked the terrorist group's narrative, saying the explosion came from a misfired rocket from the Islamic Jihad. But not before it sparked international outcry with riots erupting in multiple countries.
"Our office cited an AP report yesterday that the IDF had hit a Baptist hospital in Gaza," Omar wrote Wednesday night. "Since then, the IDF denied responsibility and the US intelligence assessment is that this was not done by Israel. It is a reminder that information is often unreliable and disputed in the fog of war (especially on Twitter where misinformation is rampant). We all have a responsibility to ensure information we are sharing is from credible sources and to acknowledge as new reports come in."
She added, "It is critical that we have a fully independent investigation to determine conclusively who is responsible for this war crime."
Fox News' Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this update.
The first U.S. shipment of military aid to Israel arrived Thursday, the Israeli Ministry of Defense said.
A cargo plane carrying armored vehicles to replace those damaged in the war with Hamas landed at Ben Gurion Airport, officials said.
"This delivery is part of a large-scale procurement operation led by the Israel Ministry of Defense's Directorate of Production and Procurement (DOPP) and the US Procurement Mission, aimed at bolstering the IDF's fleet of vehicles to address a range of operational scenarios," the Israeli Ministry of Defense said.
The delivery is part of a larger NIS 400 million procurement to bolster the Israeli army's vehicle fleet, according to a news release.
"This procurement effort aligns with the specific needs of the IDF and encompasses a diverse array of specialized vehicles, including armored ambulances, operational armored vehicles, tactical trucks, and mechanical engineering equipment," the defense ministry said.
Officials said several hundred more vehicles are currently en route to Israel for use by the IDF.
SDEROT, ISRAEL - OCTOBER 19: Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant meets soldiers on the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip on October 19, 2023 in Sderot, Israel. (Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images)
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said he is taking responsibility for the surprise terror attack by Hamas in which hundreds of Israelis were massacred on October 7.
“I am responsible for the defense establishment. I was responsible for it in the last two weeks, even in the difficult incidents, and I am responsible for bringing it to victory in the battle,” Gallant told reporters Thursday.
“We will be precise and deadly and we will continue until we complete the mission,” Gallant said.
Israel was caught off guard on October 7 when hundreds of Hamas terrorists infiltrated the country by land, sea and air, ravaging communities near the border with Gaza and raping, torturing and killing civilians both young and old.
The New York Times reported that Israeli intelligence had detected a surge of activity on some of the Gaza terrorist networks it monitors in the hours before the attack. But for reasons unknown, Israeli soldiers on the Gaza border did not respond to an alert.
Hamas then used drones to take out Israeli communications and surveillance, which allowed terrorists to breach the border fence. Thousands of Palestinians rushed through the border and committed atrocities in more than 20 Israeli towns and army bases in what was the worst terror attack in the nation's 75-year history.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., on Wednesday sent a letter "formally requesting" that Capitol police save security footage and arrest records from the massive House protest demanding a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and likened the demonstration to the Jan. 6 riot.
Greene shared on X a copy of the letter addressed to U.S. Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger asking that his department "preserve all video surveillance footage, photographic evidence, police reports and arrests records from all House Office Buildings on October 18, 2023."
"The group that organized the insurrection, Jewish Voice for Peace, is a pro-Islamic anti-Semitic group that seeks the destruction of the state of Israel, according to the Anti-Defamation League," the letter says. In describing the demonstration as an "insurrection," Greene echoed the verbiage used by the House Jan. 6 committee to describe the 2021 riot at the Capitol while Congress was certifying President Biden's victory over former President Trump.
"These actors caused elevators to be shut down, staircases and hallways to be blocked, exits to be made inaccessible, and official legislative business to be obstructed, putting Members of Congress, their staffs, and Capitol visitors at risk," Greene said of the demonstration.
CC’ing Chairman Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., Greene also said the Committee on House Administration "must investigate this incident and review all footage and evidence provided by Capitol Police, and the insurrectionists involved must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
Fox News' Danielle Wallace contributed to this update.
The leader of Hamas' security forces was killed Thursday as Israel continues to bombard the Gaza Strip in an effort to eradicate the terrorist group.
An Israeli strike killed the head of the Hamas-led national security forces, Jehad Mheisen, and members of his family in their house, a Hamas news agency reported Thursday, according to Reuters.
The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said earlier the Palestinian death toll has risen to 3,785, including 1,524 children, 1,000 women and 120 older people. The casualty counts reported by Hamas do not distinguish between civilians and terrorists.
Additionally, Palestinian authorities say 12,493 people have been wounded since Israel began its bombardment campaign after Hamas launched a surprise attack that killed more than 1,400 Israelis on October 7.
Israel has said hundreds of Palestinians were killed by terrorist rockets launched from Gaza that fell short of targets in Israel, including one that caused an explosion at a hospital parking lot in Gaza.
Israel Defense Forces has also said it recovered the bodies of about 1,500 Hamas terrorists inside its territory since October 7.
Reuters contributed to this update.
Vandals drew a swastika outside the iconic 2nd Avenue Deli in New York City. (2nd Avenue Deli via FOX 5 New York)
An iconic Jewish deli in New York City that has publicly supported Israel after the terror attacks by Hamas was vandalized with a swastika.
The vandals targeted a 2nd Ave Deli location in the Upper East Side on the corner of 1st Avenue and 75th Street, FOX 5 New York reported.
Since the October 7 terror attacks on Israel, the deli has posted several pro-Israel messages on its Instagram page.
"We Stand with Israel. We stand against the clear evil that has once again shown itself today," one post read.
FBI Director Christopher Wray on Saturday warned of a spike in domestic threats linked to Israel's war against Hamas terrorists.
"History has been witness to antisemitic and other forms of violent extremism for far too long. Whether that be from foreign terrorist organizations, or those inspired by them, or domestic violent extremists motivated by their own racial animus, the targeting of a community because of their faith is completely unacceptable," Wray said. "We remain committed to continue confronting those threats—both here in the United States and overseas."
President Biden has placed a condition on humanitarian aid going into the Gaza Strip, as Israel said Wednesday it will allow Egypt to deliver limited supplies for civilians. The aid will be the first assistance given to Gaza since Israel imposed a punishing 10-day siege on the territory.
The announcement to allow water, food and other supplies happened after Biden visited Israel Wednesday hoping to prevent a wider conflict in the region. During his one-day visit to Israel, Biden announced $100 million in humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank but said if Hamas confiscates the aid "it will end."
Biden's visit tried to strike a balance between showing U.S. support for Israel amid its war with Hamas while expressing concern for the civilian casualties. He unequivocally said the U.S. stands with Israel and its right to defend itself from Hamas terror attacks but attempted to dampen growing alarm among Arab allies that the current war could escalate into a wider conflict.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the approval to allow the aid was given after Biden requested it. He said Israel "will not thwart" deliveries of food, water or medicine from Egypt, as long as they don’t go to Hamas militants.
A Hezbollah official is warning that the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group is "thousands of times stronger" than before, and that U.S., Israel and other "malicious Europeans" should be careful, reports say.
The comments were made Wednesday by senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine during a rally in a suburb of Beirut, where protesters also waved Hezbollah and Palestinian flags and chanted "Death to America and Israel," according to The Guardian.
"The response to the mistake you might make with our resistance will be resounding," Safieddine also was quoted by Reuters as saying. "Because what we have is faith, and God is stronger than you, all your battleships, and all your weapons."
The fiery remarks came on the same day President Biden visited Israel and cautioned other countries from becoming involved in the Israel-Hamas war.
"The world will know that Israel is stronger than ever. And my message to any state or any other hostile actor thinking about attacking Israel remains the same as it was a week ago. Don't, don't, don't," Biden said.
"And later this week, I'm going to ask the United States Congress for an unprecedented support package for Israel's defense. We're going to keep Iron Dome fully supplied to continue standing sentinel over Israeli skies, saving Israeli lives," he added. "We moved U.S. military assets to the region, including positioning the USS Ford carrier strike group in the eastern Mediterranean with the USS Eisenhower on the way to deter further aggression against Israel and to prevent this conflict from spreading."
Fox News' Greg Norman contributed to this update.
A U.S. defense official tells Fox News one-way drones targeted al-Tanf, a U.S. base in Syria on Wednesday, the same day as the attempted drone attacks in Iraq. Al-Tanf is on Syria's border with Iraq.
It is unclear how many drones and if there are any injuries or damage to the base.
On Wednesday, the U.S. intercepted two one-way attack drones targeting Iraq's al-Asad air base where American troops are located, two defense officials confirmed to Fox News.
The incident happened early Wednesday morning local time and no injuries were reported.
Defense officials tell Fox News the U.S. currently has about 900 U.S. forces in Syria and 2,500 troops in Iraq.
Reuters first reported the thwarted attack, citing two U.S. officials who said the two drones were intercepted before they could strike.
The officials who spoke on condition on anonymity declined to say who was believed to have been responsible for sending the one-way drones toward the base hosting American troops.
The foiled attack in Iraq came hours after a blast at a Gaza hospital that Hamas claims killed hundreds of Palestinians.
Israel said the explosion at the Al-Ahli al-Arabi hospital was the result of a failed rocket launch by Palestinian terrorists, while Palestinian authorities claimed it was an Israeli strike.
Fox News' Liz Friden and Danielle Wallace contributed to this update.
The Israel Defense Forces said Thursday that security forces arrested 80 terror suspects in the West Bank, including 63 Hamas operatives.
The arrests were made as part of a "wide-scale counterterrorism activity" conducted by IDF, the Shin Bet internal security agency and the Israel Border Police. In a joint statement, the Israeli forces said 524 wanted suspects were arrested across the West Bank and Jordan Valley since the surprise attack on October 7, and that "over 330 of them are operatives of Hamas." Israeli security forces also confiscated more than 50 weapons, IDF said.
Additionally, Israeli security forces said they demolished the home of a terrorist, Ahmed Yasin Jidan, who carried out a shooting attack in July that killed IDF Staff Sergeant Shilo Yosef Amir, local Israeli news station i24 News reported. IDF said that suspects threw stones at security forces during the demolition and the army responded "with measures to disperse demonstrations."
BEIJING, CHINA - OCTOBER 18: Chinese President Xi Jinping heads to a group photo session with other leaders at the Third Belt and Road Forum on October 18, 2023 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Suo Takekuma-Pool/Getty Images)
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday in Beijing urged visiting Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly to open a humanitarian corridor for civilians fleeing the war in Gaza, the Associated Press reported.
Xi also reiterated China’s backing of the formation of a Palestinian state as solution to the ongoing violence, according to the AP.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in contact with his Chinese counterpart last week and urged Beijing to use its influence in the Middle East to prevent other state or non-state actors from joining the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the State Department said.
Blinken spoke with Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi during his tour of the Middle East, where he met officials from Arab nations to rally support for Israel amid its war with Hamas. The Biden administration is concerned that Lebanese terrorists with Hezbollah may attack Israel, opening a two-front war, and seeks to prevent that disastrous outcome.
Iran, which backs Hezbollah , has called the Israeli bombardment of Gaza "crimes" and warned that Muslims and so-called resistance forces will join the war if Israel does not cease fire.
"If the crimes continue, Muslims will be impatient, resistance forces will be impatient, and nobody will be able to prevent them," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tuesday. "Bombardments should be immediately stopped, Muslim nations are angry."
President Biden on Wednesday, during a visit to Israel, pledged "$100 million in new U.S. funding for humanitarian assistance in both Gaza and the West Bank."
"This money will support more than 1 million displaced and conflict-affected Palestinians, including emergency needs in Gaza," he said.
The president made the large commitment in a speech delivered after he met with Israeli leaders to discuss the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. Biden said at least 31 Americans have been killed in the conflict so far and that his highest priority is the return of hostages taken captive by Hamas.
"Later this week, I'm going to ask the United States Congress for unprecedented support package for Israel's defense. We're going to keep Iron Dome fully supplied to continue standing sentinel over Israeli skies, saving lives," Biden also said. "We move U.S. military assets to the region, including positioning the USS Ford carrier strike group in the eastern Mediterranean with the USS Eisenhower on the way to deter further aggression Israel and to prevent this conflict from spreading."
Speaking about efforts to rescue hostages, Biden said "To those who are living in limbo, waiting desperately to learn the fate of a loved one, especially to families of the hostages – You're not alone. We're working with partners throughout the region, pursuing every avenue to bring home those who are being held captive by Hamas.."
Hamas is reported be holding around 199 Israelis and other foreign nationals, while as of Wednesday, 13 Americans remain unaccounted for since the beginning of its new war with Israel.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis criticized the president's $100 million "gift" to Hamas, asserting that money intended for humanitarian aid will end up funding terrorism.
“We know Hamas is going to commandeer that money and Hamas is going to use it to advance terrorism,” the Republican presidential candidate said in a video message. “I say no U.S. tax dollars to the Gaza Strip.”
Fox News' Greg Norman and Louis Casiano contributed to this update.
Suspected North Korean-made F-7 rocket-propelled grenades, many with a distinctive red stripe on their warhead, are seen at an Israeli military base in southern Israel, Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023. Hamas fighters likely used North Korean-manufactured rocket-propelled grenades during their unprecedented assault on Israel that killed over 1,400 people and saw scores taken hostage. (AP Photo/ Alon Bernstein)
Iran-backed terror group Hamas likely used North Korean weapons during its attack on Israel on Oct. 7, analysis and various evidence, including a militant video and weapons seized by Israel, now show, according to the Associated Press.
A video of Hamas terrorists using a F-7 rocket-propelled grenade, allegedly made by North Korea, is at the center of the controversy after the country denied selling arms to the terrorist group. The shoulder-fired weapon fires a single warhead and can be quickly reloaded, making them ideal for attacks against armored vehicles.
The video of the men with the North Korean-made weapon was confirmed through analysis by two experts on North Korean arms and South Korean military intelligence, according to the AP, who also conducted an analysis of weapons captured on the battlefield.
"It is not a surprise to see North Korean weapons with Hamas," said Matt Schroeder, a senior researcher with Small Arms Survey who wrote a guide to Pyongyang’s light weapons.
In addition to the F-7 rocket launcher, Hamas propaganda videos and photos have included North Korea's Bulsae guided anti-tank missile. Hamas also used North Korea's Type 58 self-loading rifle, a variant of the Kalashnikov assault rifle, according to N.R. Jenzen-Jones, a weapons expert who works as the director of the consultancy Armament Research Services.
Jenzen-Jones cited imagery of the weapons wielded by Hamas terrorists.
"North Korea has long supported Palestinian militant groups, and North Korean arms have previously been documented amongst interdicted supplies," Jenzen-Jones told The AP.
State-affiliated outlet Korean Central News Agency published a full-throated repudiation of military experts claiming there is evidence North Korean weapons are being used by Hamas.
"The U.S. administration's reptile press bodies and quasi-experts are spreading a groundless and false rumor that 'North Korea's weapons' seemed to be used for the attack on Israel," wrote North Korean international affairs commentator Ri Kwang-song.
"It is nothing but a bid to shift the blame for the Middle East crisis caused by its wrong hegemonic policy onto a third country and thus evade the international criticism focused on the empire of evil."
Fox News Digital's Lawrence Richard and the Associated Press contributed to this update.
Senator John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023. (Nathan Howard/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., issued strong statements in support of Israel on Wednesday in which he struck down calls for a ceasefire and questioned those who blamed the deadly hospital blast in Gaza on Israel.
Fetterman, who immediately condemned Hamas' terror attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, Wednesday afternoon that it's "truly disturbing" members of Congress were quick to take the word of Hamas, who blamed the death of hundreds at a Gaza hospital on an Israeli airstrike, over "our key ally."
"Who would take the word of a group that just massacred innocent Israeli civilians over our key ally?" the Pennsylvania senator asked on X.
He continued: "I will always stand with Israel and look forward to supporting any military, intelligence, or humanitarian aid to get the job done."
A few hours later, Fetterman continued to address the Israel-Hamas war by saying Hamas' attacks are the reason why thousands of innocent Israelis and Palestinians are dead and "now is not the time to talk about a ceasefire."
In a thread on X, the congressman wrote:
"Innocent Israelis were the victims of a terrorist attack that resulted in the largest loss of Jewish lives since the Holocaust. Now we know that the tragedy at the Gaza hospital was not caused by Israel.
"I grieve for every innocent person and brave Israeli soldier killed since Hamas started this war. If not for the horrific attacks by Hamas terrorists, thousands of innocent Israelis and Palestinians would still be alive today.
"Now is not the time to talk about a ceasefire. We must support Israel in efforts to eliminate the Hamas terrorists who slaughtered innocent men, women, and children. Hamas does not want peace, they want to destroy Israel. We can talk about a ceasefire after Hamas is neutralized.
"In the meantime, I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to quickly deliver the aid our ally Israel needs. This includes confirming ambassador-nominee Jack Lew as soon as possible."
TOPSHOT - US President Joe Biden joins Israel's Prime Minister for the start of the Israeli war cabinet meeting, in Tel Aviv on October 18, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. US President Joe Biden landed in Tel Aviv on October 18, 2023 as Middle East anger flared after hundreds were killed when a rocket struck a hospital in war-torn Gaza, with Israel and the Palestinians quick to trade blame. (Photo by MIRIAM ALSTER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
President Biden will address the nation from the Oval Office on Thursday to discuss the wars in Israel and Ukraine, the White House said.
Biden will deliver his speech at 8 p.m. ET.
“Tomorrow, President Biden will address the nation to discuss our response to Hamas’ terrorist attacks against Israel and Russia’s ongoing brutal war against Ukraine,” a White House statement said.
Biden visited Israel on Wednesday where he spoke with Israeli officials about the ongoing war with Hamas and the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Gaza Strip.
He has pledged to support Israel while at the same time providing military aid to Ukraine amid its war with Russia.
The United States Navy is sending another warship to the eastern Mediterranean as tensions in the Middle East rise amid the Israel-Hamas war.
The USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20), the Navy's command and control ship, left Gaeta, Italy, on Wednesday to join the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group in support of U.S. operations in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
Operating as the most sophisticated Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence (C4I) ship ever commissioned, according to the Navy, the USS Mount Whitney was the tactical command hub for the U.S. military's Operation Odyssey Dawn against the Libyan regime in 2011.
"USS Mount Whitney incorporates various elements of the most advanced C4I equipment and gives the embarked Joint Task Force Commander the capability to effectively command widely dispersed air, ground and maritime units in an integrated fashion," the Navy said in a release, adding that "the ship's afloat communications capability is second to none."
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