At least 33 Americans killed in Israel-Hamas war, secretary of state tells UN
Israeli forces have escalated their bombardment of the Gaza Strip as the war with Hamas enters its 18th day. The war is now the deadliest war in Gaza for both sides. The Hamas-run Health Ministry claims at least 5,087 Palestinians have been killed and 15,270 wounded. More than 1,400 Israelis have been killed since the Oct. 7 surprise attack by Hamas, in which 222 people including foreigners were taken captive into Gaza. Four people have been released so far.
Coverage for this event has ended.
Taysir Mubasher, the commander of the North Khan Yunis battalion of Hamas, was killed by Israeli soldiers Wednesday morning, according to intelligence gathered by Israel Defense Forces and Israel Securities Authority.
Mubasher, who previously served as a commander in Hamas' naval forces and held positions in weapons manufacturing, had extensive experience in the military, according to the IDF. He was also related to senior Hamas operatives, including Mohammed Deif, supreme commander of Hamas' military wing.
The IDF said Mubasher was responsible for "numerous terror attacks" against Israelis and IDF soldiers over the years, including the 2002 attack at the Atzmona pre-military academy, which left five students dead and several more injured.
He is also accused of directing the 2003 terror attack in the Vered Post, being involved in the infiltration into Zikim beaches during Operation "Protective Edge," and manufacturing explosive devices used to explode a tunnel under an IDF post in Gush Katif in 2004, which claimed the life of an IDF soldier and injured several others.
Since Hamas launched its unprecedented attack on Israel on Oct. 7, Israeli forces say they have killed at least 21 of the terrorist group's leaders.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported early Wednesday morning that Hamas terrorists attempted to invade Israel by sea on Tuesday.
"Hamas terrorists attempting to infiltrate Israeli territory by sea were identified by naval forces in southern Israel earlier today," the IDF explained in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "The terrorists were thwarted and the tunnel was struck, in addition to a weapons warehouse used by the terrorists in Gaza."
The IDF later updated the post, explaining that "Hamas terrorists were found exiting a tunnel on the Gaza coast, attempting to infiltrate southern Israel via sea."
Fox News' Trey Yingst reported from Israel Wednesday at noon local time that small arms fire took place overnight near the beach of Zikim, which sits between Israel and Gaza, to which the Israeli military responded by firing flares.
Two Hamas militants were killed during the infiltration attempt, Yingst reported, adding that the terrorist group has a "frogman unit" made up of trained scuba divers who attempt to access Israeli territory from the Mediterranean Sea.
"This just gives you a sense of the different ways Hamas is trying to target Israel," Yingst said.
Hamas has attempted to infiltrate Israel by sea before, Yingst said, and past videos have shown Israel's navy responding to the attack by firing into the water and killing any militants in it.
"It was absolutely a suicide mission. The Israelis have locked down the beach, the sea. They have naval ships off the coast of Gaza and Israel. They've got infantry troops along the northern part of the Gaza Strip," Yingst explained, adding that the attempt didn't "make sense."
Fox News Digital's Andrea Vacchiano contributed to this report.
Victor Marx, a Marine veteran who founded Christian nonprofit "All Things Possible," which ministers to women and children who have experienced trauma worldwide, said he was told it's too dangerous to visit the children in Gaza during his ministry's trip to Israel.
All Things Possible is currently in Israel helping families access food and shelter amid the Israel-Hamas war. They also brought 1,000 Lion and Lamb stuffed animals to comfort children affected by the conflict. The toys are programmed in multiple languages and come with music, Bible verses and prayers that Marx said "are specifically designed to lower anxiety for kids who are suffering."
Marx wanted to travel to Gaza to give these same gifts to the Palestinian children who are also suffering, but said he was told they would be kidnapped or killed by terrorists if they visited the area.
"And I thought to myself, you're telling me that they would rather hate what they perceive as their enemy than love their children and get them help? That really shows you how absolutely backwards this is," Marx told Fox News Digital.
His group has worked in some of the most dangerous places in the world, including Syria and Iraq, and has even helped children of ISIS.
"[Children] are often the unintended victims of physical violence and intense trauma. We go into the most dangerous places in the world to reach them," Marx's website reads.
Fox News Digital's Kristine Parks contributed to this report.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during the daily press briefing on Oct. 23, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre denounced antisemitism on Tuesday after she was slammed for answering a question about President Biden's "level of concern" surrounding hate against Jews by condemning anti-Muslim behavior.
Jean-Pierre began Tuesday's press briefing with National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby by clearing up her highly criticized answer to the antisemitism question.
"All right, I want to make something clear at the top, because I understand how important moral clarity is, especially at this time. So, when Jews are targeted because of their beliefs or their identity, when Israel is singled out because of anti-Jewish hatred, that is antisemitism, and that is unacceptable. There is no place for antisemitism. Full stop. Period.
"This is important to the President. It’s important to me personally and to everyone in the administration.
"Following the Hamas terror attacks in Israel, which were the deadliest for Jews since the Holocaust, the President has been consistent and clear: We must all do our part and forcefully — forcefully speak out against antisemitism, and we must ensure there is no place for hate in America — not against Jews, not against Muslims, not against Arab Americans, not against Palestinian Americans, not against anyone."
Jean-Pierre also told Fox News Digital in an emailed statement Tuesday that she misheard the question, writing that she has "blasted the repulsive increase" in antisemitic remarks and acts following Hamas' attack.
"I appreciate the chance to address this. Yes, I did mishear the question. As I have footstomped many times from the podium and on the air, antisemitism is an abomination that this President has fought against his entire life; and I feel strongly about that work," she wrote. "That’s why, in the briefing room, I have blasted the repulsive increase in antisemitic rhetoric, conspiracy theories, and hate crimes in our nation, calling out that, tragically, this is a rising threat. And it’s a threat the President is taking concrete action every day to fight."
Fox News Digital's Brian Flood contributed to this report.
Turning Point USA staffer Peter Christos joined Laura Ingraham on "The Ingraham Angle" Tuesday evening after he was attacked by a pro-Palestinian mob in Skokie, Illinois, on Sunday.
"The next thing I knew, I was punched in the back of the head, pushed into bushes, and then punched repeatedly, kicked in the head, and hit with a flagpole," Christos said. "Thankfully there was a police officer there to help me get to safety, but the overall situation was very, very scary."
Christos said the attack left him with bruising on his hands and back, and a concussion.
The Israeli Air Force said Wednesday morning it conducted two separate airstrikes overnight, one in West Bank and another in Syria.
An airstrike took place in Syria in response to two rockets that were fired into Israel, Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson reported from the Jewish State. Military infrastructure and Syrian army positions for launching mortar bombs were targeted in the aerial attack, the IAF said.
The Jenin refugee camp inside the West Bank was also hit by an airstrike after "armed terrorists shot and threw explosives at our forces" during an activity, the IAF said.
"A manned aircraft remotely attacked the terrorists to remove the danger," the branch wrote on X, formerly Twitter, in Hebrew. "Vulnerabilities have been detected."
Both operations were also made public on the IAF's X account.
A Harvard CAPS/Harris poll conducted online from Oct. 18 through Oct. 19 found a majority of American voters back Israel over Hamas, but college-age students are narrowing the gap.
When asked if they sided with Israel or Hamas more in the ongoing conflict, 95% of voters ages 65 and older chose Israel while 52% of voters in the 18-24 age range chose the Jewish State and the remaining 48% chose Hamas.
The average percentage of support for Israel over Hamas from the 25-64 age range was 82%.
Mark Penn, former Clinton adviser and chairman of the Harris Poll, said the "enormous" gap was indicative of a generational divide.
"When I probed deeper, wow! Are these college-age kids misinformed? Forty-five percent believe, you know, that Israel bombed the hospital. Most believe Iran is not behind everything," he said Tuesday on "The Story." "They are in another world when it comes to information far removed from reality."
The poll was conducted among 2,116 registered voters and held a margin of error of +/- 2%.
Fox News' Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.
The United Nations emblem is seen in front of the United Nations Office (UNOG) in Geneva, Switzerland. (Photo by Johannes Simon/Getty Images)
A reference to Iran was omitted from the U.S.-sponsored draft resolution that was expected to be voted on by the United Nations Security Council, Fox News has learned.
The first draft resolution, which was obtained by Fox News Digital, said that "Iran must cease the export of all arms and related matériel to armed militias and terrorist groups threatening peace and security across the region, including Hamas ..."
The latest version did not have any references to Iran. It only "[u]rges Member States to intensify their efforts to suppress the financing of terrorism, including by restricting financing of Hamas through applicable national-level authorities, in accordance with international law and consistent with Resolution 2482 (2019)."
A spokesperson for the U.S. mission to the United Nations told Fox News Digital that Russia was the cause for the omission.
"Regarding the U.N. resolution, Russia's mission in New York insisted that references to Iran be removed," the statement read. "I suggest reaching out to the Russians to ask why they made those demands."
Fox News Digital's Kyle Morris contributed to this report.
Israel's Iron Dome missile defence system intercepts a rocket above Tel Aviv on October 24, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (Photo by GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP via Getty Images)
The Pentagon is in the planning stages of sending Iron Dome missile defense systems and has positioned F-16 fighter jets as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continues battling with Hamas terrorists.
A U.S. Department of Defense official confirmed the latest development to Fox News.
"The U.S. will be flowing additional Iron Dome support to Israel," the defense official said. "As a result, the Department of Defense is currently engaged in planning to support the provision of U.S. Iron Dome batteries to Israel."
"In addition to the capabilities that we've already announced, I can also confirm that the New Jersey Air National Guard's 119th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron arrived within U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility today with additional F-16 fighting Falcon Squadron bolstering U.S. posture to deter further aggression in the region," a Pentagon official added.
Hamas terrorists have fired 3,000 rockets at Israel since October 7. According to the IDF, Israel's Iron Dome neutralized around 90% of the threats.
The system was first used in 2011. It can detect incoming projectiles from around 40 miles away.
Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner and Liz Friden contributed to this report.
American officials say that 24 U.S. service members were injured by attacks in the Middle East last week.
A spokesperson for the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) told Fox News that the attacks were conducted with drones and rockets.
A drone attack at the al-Tanf garrison in Syria injured 20 American personnel on October 18. The same day, 4 other service members were wounded at the al-Asad base in Iraq.
According to the spokesperson, all affected service members have returned to duty. Some of the personnel may have follow-up appointments for additional treatment.
Fox News' Liz Friden contributed to this report.
Hundreds of pro-Israel demonstrators gathered in Boston Common on Monday evening amid the war between Hamas and Israel.
Many of the protestors objected to the New York Times' coverage of an airstrike at a Gaza hospital on October 17. The report claimed that hundreds were killed by an Israeli airstrike, based off of information from Hamas officials.
Israeli and American intelligence later found that Israel was not responsible for the incident. A rocket fired by Iran-backed terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad misfired and crashed.
A protestor named Lia, who hails from Israel, told Fox News that the article made Jews less safe.
"It’s anywhere from adults to kids in schools who later take this false information and use it to attack innocent Israelis just because they read some fake article," she said. "People are being harassed and abused because of it."
Another Israeli named Tamir said that the reports endangers Jews across the world.
"I can feel people being hostile towards us," he said.
Fox News Digital's Kassy Dillon contributed to this report.
Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during the 2023 First in the Nation Leadership Summit on October 13, 2023 in Nashua, New Hampshire. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is working with the chancellor of the Sunshine State's university system to crack down on pro-Hamas sentiment at universities.
Ray Rodrigues, chancellor of the State University System of Florida, recently wrote a letter to Florida state universities condemning the terrorist attacks against Israel, which began on October 7.
"During a holy Jewish holiday, the recognized terrorist organization, Hamas, launched an unprovoked attack on Israel – among those killed were babies, women, and elderly," Rodrigues wrote. "To date, approximately 1,400 Israelis have been killed, including 31 American citizens. Governor DeSantis, our State University System and the Florida College System have condemned these attacks."
The letter added that it would be a "felony under Florida law to knowingly provide material support … to a designated foreign terrorist organization." Rodrigues referenced that at least two universities in the Florida system had students tied to National Students for Justice in Palestine, which called the Hamas attacks "the resistance."
"Based on the National SJP’s support of terrorism, in consultation with Governor DeSantis, the student chapters must be deactivated," the letter said. "These two student chapters may form another organization that complies with Florida state statutes and university policies."
"The two institutions should grant these two chapters a waiver for the fall deadlines, should reapplication take place," Rodrigues added.
Fox News Digital's Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
The Pentagon is seen from a flight taking off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on November 29, 2022 in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
U.S. officials announced on Tuesday that American troops in the Middle East have been attacked 14 times in the last week.
The attacks were carried out with rockets and one-way drones. U.S. Department of Defense spokesman Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder explained that, between October 17 and 24, American troops in Iraq were attacked 10 times.
During the same time frame, U.S. troops in Syria were attacked three times.
At a Monday briefing, a senior defense official said that they expected to see a "significant escalation" of attacks against American troops due to the war.
"I think it’s fair to say when you see this uptick in activity in attacks by many of these groups, there’s Iranian fingerprints all over it," the defense official explained.
Two U.S. defense officials confirmed later on Tuesday that Iran proxy forces fired a rocket at Iraq's Ain al-Asad air base, which houses American troops.
No injuries or damages or reported from the rocket, which was intercepted.
Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner and Liz Friden contributed to this report.
U.S. President Joe Biden arrives at a ceremony for recipients of the National Medal of Science and National Medal of Technology and Innovation in the East Room of the White House on October 24, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
President Biden discussed the Israel-Hamas war over the phone with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday, as the leaders agreed to try to prevent the escalation of the conflict.
"The two leaders agreed on pursuing broader diplomatic efforts to maintain stability across the region and prevent the conflict from expanding," a statement from the White House read. "They welcomed the delivery of humanitarian assistance from Egypt into Gaza and recognized that much more is needed for civilians to have sustained access to food, water, and medical assistance."
The statement also acknowledged the $100 million donation to support humanitarian efforts on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which is headquartered in Saudi Arabia.
Biden and the Crown Prince also advocated for the immediate release of hostages that were taken by Hamas into Gaza.
"They also affirmed the importance of working towards a sustainable peace between Israelis and Palestinians as soon as the crisis subsides, building on the work that was already underway between Saudi Arabia and the United States over recent months," the statement added. "They agreed to remain in close coordination directly and through their teams over the coming period."
Several Hamas terrorists attempted to infiltrate Israel from the Gaza Strip by sea and were killed by Israeli Navy forces, the IDF said.
At least six Hamas terrorists were killed when Israeli fighter jets responded to a diver squad attempted to enter Israel by Zekim beach, sources tell Fox News.
Israeli forces have struck more than 400 terrorist targets in the past 24 hours, the military said Tuesday.
As part of its "wide-scale operation" to dismantle Hamas' capabilities, the IDF said the targets struck include: Hamas gunmen setting up to fire rockets in Israel's direction, an operational tunnel shaft allowing Israel to be infiltrated through the sea, and Hamas command centers and staging armaments in Mosques.
The focus continues to be on eliminating Hamas operatives and "weapons storage sites, underground terrorist tunnels, command centers, observation posts and more," the IDF said in its daily recap.
The force also said it will continue operating with the safety of innocent civilians in mind.
Fox News' Elizabeth Pritchett and Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this update.
Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council John Kirby speaks during the daily briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on October 24, 2023. (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday that the White House believes a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war will only benefit the terrorists.
"We're going to continue to make sure Israel has the tolls and the capabilities that they need to defend themselves," Kirby told reporters. "We're going to continue to try to get hostages and people out of Gaza appropriately. And I think you've heard us say, a ceasefire right now really only benefits Hamas."
The Biden administration has stood by Israel as the United Nations and other foreign leaders have called for the Jewish state to stop its bombardment of the Gaza Strip and allow humanitarian aid to reach the besieged Palestinians. Israel has said its airstrikes in Gaza are aimed at legitimate military targets and that Hamas terrorists are using civilians as human shields.
On whether Israel will soon begin an anticipated ground invasion of Gaza to eradicate Hamas, Kirby said, "that is a question for the Israeli Defense Forces."
Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., called out White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre over her "weak answer" to a rise in antisemitism in the United States amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.
On Monday, Jean-Pierre said she had not seen any "credible threats" when asked about the Biden administration's "level of concern" regarding potential attacks on Jewish Americans.
"Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim have endured a disproportionate number of hate-fueled attacks and certainly President Biden understands that many of our Muslim, Arab-American and Palestinian-American loved ones and neighbors are worried about the hate being directed at their communities," she added.
Moskowitz would later criticize her comments on X.
"What a weak answer," he said. "And why are you looking in the book? What's the approved answer? The simple answer is yes, you are concerned about the rise of antisemitism. Of course, we are also worried about hatred against Muslim Americans. Must do better."
After backlash, Jean-Pierre would later clarify her comments made during the White House press briefing.
"To be clear: the President and our team are very concerned about a rise in antisemitism, especially after the horrific Hamas terrorist attack in Israel," she wrote.
Fox News' Nikolas Lanum contributed to this update.
Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh acknowledged Tuesday there is a "direct connection" between Iran and the Islamist terror group Hamas.
During an interview on "America's Newsroom," Singh said the U.S. military is focused on "sending a clear message to Iran" by positioning forces near the Middle East to make sure that "Israel has what it needs in their fight right now."
She did not confirm reports that U.S. officials have pressured Israel to delay a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. "The IDF is one of the most capable militaries in the world. We are providing our support. We are providing our assistance. It's really up to them to decide when they they move forward with any type of incursion," said Singh.
Pressed on whether Iran is behind several drone and missile attacks on U.S. bases in the Middle East, Singh said there is "no question" that Iran is supporting proxy groups that have attacked American forces.
"I will reiterate, we are one of the most lethal fighting forces the world has ever seen. Iran knows that. And while they continue to launch these attacks on our U.S. forces, it is our decision at our time when we choose to respond," said Singh.
And asked about Iran's role in the Israel-Hamas war, she stated, "there is a direct connection between Israel and Hamas."
"How much Iran knew about the attack that Hamas was going to launch on October 7th, I think we're still doing our own analysis of that," Singh said. "But there is no question there is a clear thread between the two. We know that Iran continues to train, equip, financially support Hamas in its endeavors in Gaza. And so I think that's certainly a clear link to draw there."
The Israeli military said Tuesday that three Hamas deputy commanders were killed by precision airstrikes inside the Gaza Strip.
The strikes show Israel Defense Forces are prioritizing Hamas senior leadership as the military bombards Gaza ahead of an expected ground invasion to eradicate the terrorist group.
“During the night, IDF aircraft also attacked operational headquarters used by operatives of the terrorist organization Hamas and assembly points of the terrorist organization located inside mosques,” IDF said in a post on X.
The Hamas deputy commander of the Nusirat battalion, the deputy commander of the Shati battalion and the deputy commander of the Alfurkan battalion were killed in the strikes, the IDF said.
IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said earlier that in the past day the IDF attacked over 400 military targets in the Gaza Strip, targeting dozens of Hamas operatives who were preparing to fire rockets at Israel.
Hagari said IDF also attacked an operational tunnel shaft used by Hamas to get access to the Mediterranean coast.
TOPSHOT - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron (L) after their joint press conference in Jerusalem on October 24, 2023. Macron's visit comes more than two weeks after Hamas militants stormed into Israel from the Gaza Strip and killed at least 1,400 people, according to Israeli officials while Israel continues a relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip and prepares for a ground offensive with more than 5,000 Palestinians, mainly civilians, killed so far across the Palestinian territory, according to the latest toll from the Hamas health ministry in Gaza. (Photo by CHRISTOPHE ENA/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
French President Emmanuel Macron met with Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday and called for the international coalition initially built to fight against ISIS to now target Hamas.
The U.S.-led coalition has fought ISIS in the Middle East for years, and Macron did not offer details about how the coalition could be involved in Israel's retaliatory war against Hamas. Israel has appeared poised for a ground invasion of Gaza for more than a week.
"France is ready for the international coalition against Daesh in which we are taking part for operations in Iraq and Syria to also fight against Hamas," he told reporters, using another term used for ISIS.
He added that the fight against Hamas "must be without mercy but not without rules."
Netanyahu has called for international support for the war against Hamas, but Israel has not requested any foreign boots on the ground. The U.S. has devoted two aircraft carrier strike groups to the Eastern Mediterranean as a deterrent for Iran, Hezbollah or other regional powers from joining the war against Israel.
Both Israeli and U.S. officials have suggested that U.S. forces would intervene should Iran or its proxy, Hezbollah, join the war.
Fox News' Anders Hagstrom contributed to this update.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a United Nations (UN) Security Council meeting on the conflict in Middle East at the UN headquarters in New York City on October 24, 2023. Fighting has raged for more than two weeks in the Gaza Strip after Hamas gunmen stormed into Israel on October 7, killing at least 1,400 people, according to Israeli officials. More than 5,000 Palestinians, mainly civilians, have been killed across Gaza in relentless Israeli bombardments in retaliation for the attacks, the Hamas-run health ministry said on October 23, 2023. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at least 33 Americans have been killed in the violence since the Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel.
In remarks to the United Nations Security Council, Blinken called on the international community to recognize that Israel has a right to defend itself from Hamas' "barbaric terrorist attack."
"Where is the outrage?" Blinken demanded after recounting the atrocities committed by Hamas. "Where is the revulsion? Where is the rejection? Where is the explicit condemnation of these horrors? We must affirm the right of any nation to defend itself and to prevent such horror from repeating itself. No member of this council, no nation in this entire body could or would tolerate the slaughter of its people."
Blinken addressed concerns from the Palestinians and other foreign officials over Israel's bombardment of Gaza and the Palestinian civilians caught in the crossfire.
"Palestinian civilians must be protected. That means Hamas must cease using them as human shields," Blinken said. "It's hard to think of a greater act of cynicism."
He also called on Israel to restart the flow of food, water, medecine and other essential humanitarian assistance into Gaza and to ensure that civilians can "get out of harm's way."
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen speaks during a United Nations (UN) Security Council meeting on the conflict in Middle East at the UN headquarters in New York City on October 24, 2023. Fighting has raged for more than two weeks in the Gaza Strip after Hamas gunmen stormed into Israel on October 7, killing at least 1,400 people, according to Israeli officials. More than 5,000 Palestinians, mainly civilians, have been killed across Gaza in relentless Israeli bombardments in retaliation for the attacks, the Hamas-run health ministry said on October 23, 2023. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said children kidnapped by Hamas were "victims of evil" before denouncing U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres for criticizing Israel's military campaign to eradicate Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Cohen held up a composite picture of kidnapped children before delivering a forceful speech at the United Nations Security Council meeting.
"As we meet here today, young babies, children are held in Gaza. This is beyond imagination. A living nightmare," Cohen said.
He showed the pictures of the children held captive by terrorists and recounted the horrific atrocities committed by Hamas in Israel on Oct. 7, a day he said will go down in history as a "brutal massacre."
"Mr. Secretary-General, in what world do you live?" Cohen said, directing his remarks at Guterres. "Definitely this is not our world."
"Hamas are the new Nazis," Cohen said. "Just as the civilized world united to defeat the Nazis, just as the civilized world united to defeat ISIS, the civilized world has to stand united behind Israel to defeat Hamas."
Cohen spoke after Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Ryad al-Maliki on Tuesday demanded that the international community stop "massacres" in Gaza by Israel.
“The ongoing massacres being deliberately and systematically and savagely perpetrated by Israel — the occupying power against the Palestinian civilian population under illegal occupation — must be stopped,” Maliki said.
Maliki warned the ongoing conflict will spill over into other regions in the Middle East unless Israel ceases its bombardment of Gaza.
"It must be clear that this can only be achieved by putting an immediate end to the Israeli war launched against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. Stop the bloodshed. There is no amount of humanitarian aid that can address the situation, if more death, destruction and devastation are imposed." Maliki said, demanding sympathy for the Palestinian victims of Israel's airstrikes.
"If that reality does not change, there are so many fronts open for war and none for peace."
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - 2023/10/13: Israel Ambassador Gilad Erdan speaks as images of kidnapped people displayed on the screen behind at "Standing with Israel" event organized by Permanent Mission of Israel at UN Headquarters. Families of Israelis kidnapped by Hamas terrorists during their invasion into Israel attended and spoke at the event. Noa Kirel sang Israel National Anthem Hatikvah at the end of the event. (Photo by Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Israel's ambassador to the United Nations ripped the "horrible views" of U.N. Secretary General António Guterres expressed at a meeting of the Security Council on Tuesday and called on him to resign.
Ambassador Gilad Erdan called the secretary-general's speech "shocking" for stating that the Oct. 7 terror attacks on Israel by Hamas "did not happen in a vacuum."
"The shocking speech by the @UN Secretary-General at the Security Council meeting, while rockets are being fired at all of Israel, proved conclusively, beyond any doubt, that the Secretary-General is completely disconnected from the reality in our region and that he views the massacre committed by Nazi Hamas terrorists in a distorted and immoral manner," Erdan posted on X, formerly Twitter.
"His statement that, 'the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum,' expressed an understanding for terrorism and murder. It’s really unfathomabale [sic]. It’s truly sad that the head of an organization that arose after the Holocaust holds such horrible views. A tragedy!"
Erdan then demanded that Guterres resign.
"The @UN Secretary-General, who shows understanding for the campaign of mass murder of children, women, and the elderly, is not fit to lead the UN," he wrote in a follow-up post.
"I call on him to resign immediately.
"There is no justification or point in talking to those who show compassion for the most terrible atrocities committed against the citizens of Israel and the Jewish people. There are simply no words."
The Tsadik family holds up posters of missing Israelis. (Guy Tsadik)
New Yorker Guy Tsadik decided to answer the protesters who have been tearing down posters of the hostages held by Hamas.
"There is good and evil, and you need to be on the side of good," Tsadik told Fox News Digital. "The idea that there is even one counter-protester who is legitimizing these crimes should be alarming to every American. You can't appease evil."
The 46-year-old New York businessman decided to become a street activist. Along with his wife Tami, their 9-year-old son Eitan and 21- year-old daughter Maya, the family set out and canvassed local businesses to put up the posters of the missing in the shop windows along the commercial strip that encompasses several towns on New York's Long Island. He said that he was met with wide-ranging support from more than 100 merchants who readily displayed the poignant and heartbreaking posters in their front windows.
"This goes to the basis of humanity. I am thinking of my own children. I was seeing pictures of the hostages, kids who don't have their parents, a 4-year-old child being held hostage, who doesn't have his parents, babies in cages in Gaza. I was hoping to come up with something that I could do for them."
Tsadik found the website of the two Israeli artists from New York who have designed the posters, KidnappedfromIsrael.com. He downloaded the link at a local printer store and printed out a heavy stack of posters for his project. Mindful of the anti-Israel protesters who have gone around and torn down the hostage photos elsewhere, he prevailed on shop owners to tape his posters inside their windows.
"I made sure that they were put inside of the stores, and not outside of the stores so that they couldn't be torn down. These people who are tearing them down would be the very same people, if they were in Gaza, they would be executed in a dark alley," he said.
"They are misinformed or completely evil. The fact that they do not have compassion for innocent civilians, is beyond the pale. They are justifying these crimes against humanity, while in Israeli hospitals the murderers and terrorists are being treated side by side. The perpetrators and the victims are in adjoining rooms."
Fox News' Eric Shawn contributed to this update.
Rocket sirens blared in the Tel Aviv region Saturday morning, including inside the capital city, sending more than a million Israelis scrambling for shelter, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Rocket fall was reported in the central Israeli city of Holon. Israel's national rescue service said it was looking into the reports.
Hamas claimed responsibility for two earlier rocket barrages on Saturday just hours before the third and largest was reported.
Two people were lightly injured by rocket shrapnel, the Magen David Adom ambulance service said, according to the Times of Israel.
Rocket sirens also sounded in the northern towns of Elkosh and Netua, near the Lebanon border, the Times of Israel reported.
Hezbollah forces have repeatedly clashed with Israeli troops along the border as the Lebanese terrorist group has condemned the bombardment of Gaza and voiced support for the Palestinians against Israel.
Hamas terrorists have fired thousands of rockets towards Israel since Oct. 7, when terrorists infiltrated the country and indiscriminately slaughtered hundreds of Israeli men, women and children, killing as many as 1,400 people.
The United Nations Security Council is meeting Tuesday to vote on a U.S.-drafted resolution that backs Israel in its war against Hamas.
The resolution condemns the terrorist attacks by Hamas on Oct. 7 and "the taking and killing of hostages, murder, torture, rape, sexual violence, and continues indiscriminate firing of rockets.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen will speak at the Tuesday meeting and seek support to pressure Hamas to release the more than 200 hostages still held captive in Gaza.
Cohen will be accompanied by three Israelis representing the families of people being held hostage by Hamas terrorists, the Wall Street Journal reported.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said civilians on both sides of the conflict must be protected.
"I have condemned unequivocally the horrifying and unprecedented Oct. 7 acts of terror by Hamas in Israel. Nothing can justify the deliberate killing, injuring and kidnaping of civilians or the launching of rockets against civilian targets," Guterres said, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
"But the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas, and those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people," Guterres said.
"We must demand that all parties uphold and respect their obligations under international humanitarian law. They constant care in the conduct of military operations to spare civilians and respect and protect hospitals, and respect the inviolability of U.N. facilities, which today are sheltering more than 600,000 Palestinians," he continued.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said Tuesday that Hamas "regrets" provoking a war with Israel and that a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip has been delayed by "strategic considerations."
“Israel is in the midst of a war that was launched by the Hamas terror group. It already regrets it,” Halevi said at a press conference near the Gaza border, according to the Times of Israel.
“We’ve prepared for this. The IDF and the Southern Command have prepared quality offensive plans to achieve the goals of the war,” he said. “The IDF is ready for the [ground] maneuver, and we will make a decision with the political echelon regarding the shape and timing of the next stage,” Halevi says.
The IDF Commander-in-Chief admitted there are "tactical and even strategic considerations" that have delayed the ground offensive, but added the Israeli military is now better prepared for what would be a costly operation.
“We are making use of every minute to be even more prepared,” Halevi said. “And every minute that passes on the other side, we strike the enemy even more. Killing terrorists, destroying infrastructure, collecting more intelligence for the next stage."
Israel seeks to eradicate Hamas in the Gaza Strip after the terror group launched a surprise attack on Oct. 7 that claimed the lives of at least 1,400 Israeli civilians, the deadliest terror attack in the Jewish state's history. Horrific details of the indiscriminate slaughter of Israeli men, women and children have emerged since soldiers and journalists have toured the communities ravaged by Hamas. Many reports are too graphic for television coverage.
“This war has one address: The Hamas leadership and all those who acted under its command. They will pay the price for what they did,” Halevi said.
The Biden administration has urged Israel to delay a ground invasion of Gaza, so that hostage negotiations might continue and humanitarian aid be delivered to the Palestinians, the New York Times reported.
"American officials also want more time to prepare for attacks on U.S. interests in the region from Iran-backed groups, which officials said are likely to intensify once Israel moves its forces fully into Gaza," the report said.
U.S. officials that spoke to the Times reportedly said the U.S. government has made no demands of the Israelis and still supports a ground invasion to eradicate the terrorist group Hamas after the Oct. 7 surprise attack that killed more than 1,400 Israelis.
However, a ground invasion would involve costly urban warfare. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin , in his conversations with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant, has reportedly compared the situation to the campaign to destroy ISIS in the Iraqi city of Mosul between 2016 and 2017. At the time, Austin was head of U.S. Central Command and American troops were supporting Kurdish and Iraqi forces in the fight.
"The first thing everyone should know, and I think everyone does know, is that urban combat is extremely difficult," Austin said on ABC News' "This Week" on Sunday.
Civilian casualties have been heavy on both sides since the war started. The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza claimed Tuesday Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip have killed more than 700 people in the past 24 hours.
The reported Palestinian death toll is 5,791, including 2,360 children, ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said in a statement. At least 16,297 others were wounded, he said.
He said they have received 1,550 reports of missing people, including 870 children, suggesting that those missing could still be under the rubble of collapsed buildings.
Israeli officials have said an additional 1,500 bodies of Palestinian terrorists were recovered inside Israel after the Oct. 7 attack.
Fox News' Trey Yingst and the Associated Press contributed to this update.
Fox News foreign correspondent Trey Yingst offered a harrowing report about what a detained Hamas terrorist told Israeli interrogators regarding the heinous acts committed against his victims.
On Saturday, Yingst detailed a video Fox News had obtained of an interrogation of a terrorist who participated in the Oct. 7 attack, warning viewers, "What I'm about to describe is incredibly graphic, but it gives new details on what took place two weeks ago."
"In the video, he [the Hamas terrorist] describes the preparation and coordination for this assault on southern Israel," Yingst said. "He talks about a Telegram group that Hamas fighters had, and they were communicating as the massacre took place, sending videos as they got them, as they were killing civilians in their homes."
"And this interrogator asks him about Islam and [the terrorist] acknowledges that in the religion, you are told not to kill women, children and elderly people, but he describes what Hamas commanders told them to do. He says that commanders said they could do whatever they felt like doing and that this was a suicide mission, telling them they should not plan on coming back."
According to the interrogation exchange, the Hamas terrorist said commanders told them to "step on the heads of civilians, to behead them and do whatever they felt like."
Yingst reported how the terrorist "agreed" with the comparisons that were made between Hamas and ISIS, telling the Israeli interrogator, "We burned, we slaughtered and beheaded people."
"He said, ‘We became animals, things that humans do not do,’" Yingst said quoting the terrorist.
Fox News' Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this update.
A founding member of the Democratic Socialists of America condemned the organization and cut ties with it over its response to Hamas attacks on Israeli citizens. (DSA photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images, Hamas photo Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
Democratic Socialists of America founding member Maurice Isserman announced Monday he is leaving the organization for its response to Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israeli civilians.
Isserman, who is still described on the socialists’ website as a founding member of DSA penned a piece for The Nation headlined, "Why I Just Quit DSA."
"I left to protest the DSA leadership’s politically and morally bankrupt response to the horrific Hamas October 7 anti-Jewish pogrom that took the lives of 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and saw over 200 hostages carried off to Gaza, both groups of victims including children and infants," he wrote.
"Its statement on October 7 made no mention—let alone offering any criticism—of Hamas, declaring instead, ‘Today’s events are a direct result of Israel’s apartheid regime—a regime that receives billions in funding from the United States,’" he continued.
NYC-DSA also co-sponsored a pro-Palestinian rally in New York City the day after the massacre where demonstrators burned and stomped on an Israeli flag and taunted Israel supporters with an image of a swastika. Several progressives, including lawmakers, subsequently condemned or renounced their membership with DSA.
Fox News' Alexander Hall contributed to this update.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 06: Barack Obama speaks onstage during the 2022 Sandy Hook Promise Benefit at The Ziegfeld Ballroom on December 06, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
Former President Obama is warning that any strategy the Israeli military takes in its war against Hamas that ignores the danger to civilians "could ultimately backfire."
Obama made the remark in a lengthy statement posted on Medium, where he said "Israel has a right to defend its citizens against such wanton violence" perpetrated by the Palestinian terrorist group and that he fully supports "President Biden’s call for the United States to support our long-time ally in going after Hamas, dismantling its military capabilities, and facilitating the safe return of hundreds of hostages to their families."
"Still, the world is watching closely as events in the region unfold, and any Israeli military strategy that ignores the human costs could ultimately backfire," Obama said. "Already, thousands of Palestinians have been killed in the bombing of Gaza, many of them children. Hundreds of thousands have been forced from their homes.
"The Israeli government’s decision to cut off food, water and electricity to a captive civilian population threatens not only to worsen a growing humanitarian crisis; it could further harden Palestinian attitudes for generations, erode global support for Israel, play into the hands of Israel’s enemies, and undermine long term efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region," he added.
The comments come as Israel has built up its military presence along the Gaza border ahead of a possible ground invasion into the territory.
Fox News' Greg Norman contributed to this update.
An Iraqi boy carries a picture of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a protest in Baghdad, October 20, 2023, to express their support of the Palestinian people amid the ongoing battles between Israel and Palestinian groups. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP via Getty Images)
The House Foreign Affairs Committee will host a classified briefing on Iran Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. ET after senior defense officials reported a "significant escalation" of attacks against U.S. troops in the Middle East.
These attacks have "Iranian fingerprints all over" them, according to a senior U.S. defense official and senior U.S. military official who spoke on a background briefing with reporters on Monday. Both officials suggested attacks will likely increase on U.S. troops over the coming days.
The defense official reiterated that Iran is funding, equipping, guiding and directing partners and proxies across the Middle East, including Lebanese Hezbollah militia groups in Iran, Syria and Yemen.
"I think it’s fair to say when you see this uptick in activity in attacks by many of these groups, there’s Iranian fingerprints all over it," the defense official said.
The senior defense official also reflected on the objectives set forth when the Department of Defense got involved. First, it was supporting Israel with expediting security assistance, then to help contain the conflict to Gaza while deterring groups from stepping onto the stage and expanding the conflict beyond Gaza.
The third reason was to protect U.S. forces and personnel and focus on hostage recovery.
But Iran and other forces have sought ways to escalate the conflict by targeting U.S. forces with drones and rockets.
U.S. troops are in Iraq and Syria to support local partners to achieve the defeat of ISIS, the senior defense official said. So, when the efforts continue to increase, Iran is giving space for ISIS to "reconstitute" and destabilize the region, the official added.
Fox News' Chad Pergram and Greg Wehner contributed to this update.
The Israel Defense Forces said Tuesday it has dropped leaflets in the Gaza Strip making a direct appeal to Palestinians to provide Israel with information on captives held by Hamas.
“If you want a better future for you and your children, take action and provide us with solid and useful information as soon as possible regarding the hostages in your area,” the leaflet reads.
The Israelis are offering protection and even a monetary award to any Palestinian who comes forward with verifiable information leading to the rescue of an Israeli hostage.
“The Israeli army assures you that it will put forth maximum effort to provide you and your home with security, as well as a financial reward,” the leaflet says, guaranteeing "complete confidentiality."
The message contains a QR code, phone number and contact info on Telegram, WhatsApp and Signal for those with information to confidentially share it with the Israelis.
Fox News' Trey Yingst contributed to this update.
A senior Hamas leader denied that the more than 200 Israelis and foreigners currently held captive in Gaza are hostages and gave the conditions for their release in a television interview.
Khaled Mashaal, formerly the chief of the terrorist group's politburo, told Sky News in an interview that the civilians being held by Hamas will only be freed if Israel stops its bombardment of Gaza — all the while denying that the captives are hostages.
"They are not hostages," Mashaal said, adding that the Israelis are being held in different locations in Gaza. He claimed Israeli airstrikes have killed more than 22 of the captives and said the bombardment must cease for the hostages to be released.
"Let them stop this aggression and you will find the mediators like Qatar and Egypt and some Arab countries and others will find a way to have them released and we'll send them to their homes," Meshaal said.
He claimed the hostage releases cannot happen while Israel continues to hit Gaza with airstrikes.
"We want to stop the random bombardments, the total destruction, the genocide so that the al Qassam soldiers can take them from their places and hand them to the Red Cross or whoever," he told Sky News.
"We need the right conditions to allow them to be released."
Fox News' Trey Yingst contributed to this update.
JERUSALEM – Over the past two weeks, since Palestinian terrorist group Hamas carried out its deadly attack in southern Israel killing some 1,400 Israelis, there is a fear that a new front in the old war between Israelis and Palestinians could open up – in the digital realm.
While doctored images and fake news have long been part of the Middle East wartime arsenal, with the arrival less than a year ago of easy-to-use artificial intelligence (AI) generative tools it seems highly probable that deepfake visuals will soon be making an appearance on the war front too.
"Hamas and other Palestinian factions have already passed off gruesome images from other conflicts as though they were Palestinian victims of Israeli assaults, so this is not something unique to this theater of operations," David May, a research manager at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital.
He described how in the past, Hamas has been known to intimidate journalists into not reporting about its use of human shields in the Palestinian enclave, as well as staging images of toddlers and teddy bears buried in the rubble.
"Hamas controls the narrative in the Gaza Strip," said May, who follows Hamas’ activities closely, adding that "AI-generated images will complicate an Israeli-Palestinian conflict already rife with disinformation."
There have already been some reports of images reupped from different conflicts, and last week, a heartbreaking photograph of a crying baby crawling through the rubble in Gaza was revealed as an AI creation.
"I call it upgraded fake news," Dr. Tal Pavel, founder and director of CyBureau, an Israeli-based institute for the study of cyber policy, told Fox News Digital. "We already know the term fake news, which in most cases is visual or written content that is manipulated or placed in a false context. AI, or deepfake, is when we take those images and bring them to life in video clips."
Pavel called the emergence of AI-generated deepfake visuals "one of the biggest threats to democracy."
Fox News' Ruth Marks Eglash contributed to this update.
Lebanese MP Gebran Bassil attends the 12th parliamentary session to elect a new president in the capital Beirut's downtown district on June 14, 2023 amid bitter divisions between the powerful Iran-backed Hezbollah and its opponents. Lawmakers in crisis-hit Lebanon failed for a 12th time to elect a new president, with bitter divisions between the powerful Iran-backed Hezbollah and its opponents marring the vote. (Photo by ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images)
A prominent Lebanese Christian politician allied with Hezbollah said Tuesday that Lebanon would only enter a war with Israel in self-defense after an attack.
The comments by Gebran Bassil, head of the Free Patriotic Movement of former President Michel Aoun, came as sporadic clashes continue on the Lebanese border with Israel between Hezbollah and armed Palestinian groups in Lebanon on one side and Israeli forces on the other.
“No one can drag us into war unless the Israeli enemy attacks us, and then we will be forced to defend ourselves,” Bassil said after a meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, another Hezbollah ally. Bassil also spoke by phone to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Monday. “All the Lebanese agree that they do not want war, but that does not mean that we should allow ourselves to be attacked without a response.”
International leaders fear the war between Israel and Hamas could expand into a larger, regional conflict should Hezbollah and its arsenal of an estimated 150,000 rockets and missiles intervene on the side of Hamas. The flare ups on the border between Israel's military and Hezbollah fighters have internally displaced 19,646 people in Lebanon, according to the International Organization for Migration.
Last week, Israel evacuated a town on the border with Lebanon amid the escalating violence.
The Associated Press contributed to this update.
The New York Times drew heavy criticism last week for amplifying the Hamas-run Health Ministry’s claims that an Israeli airstrike struck a hospital in Gaza without informing its readers that the information couldn’t immediately be verified.
The Times released an editor’s note on Monday saying its initial accounts "attributed the claim of Israeli responsibility to Palestinian officials, and noted that the Israeli military said it was investigating the blast."
"However, the early versions of the coverage — and the prominence it received in a headline, news alert and social media channels — relied too heavily on claims by Hamas, and did not make clear that those claims could not immediately be verified. The report left readers with an incorrect impression about what was known and how credible the account was," the statement read in part.
The Israeli Defense Forces denied striking the hospital, writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, that a "failed rocket launch by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization hit the Al Ahli hospital in Gaza City."
An Associated Press visual analysis released on Saturday found the most likely cause of the explosion was the result of a rocket "fired from within Palestinian territory" that broke up in the air and fell to the ground.
President Biden also said he had seen data from the Defense Department that showed Israel was not to blame for the explosion at the Gaza hospital.
FOX News’ Pete Hegseth slammed the New York Times for relying "only on Hamas."
"They relied only on Hamas in this scenario. They were the only ones making this claim. They threw a number out there. They threw a hospital out there and the New York Times ran with it," Hegseth said Monday on "Outnumbered."
Fox News' Ashley Carnahan contributed to this update.
An 85-year-old woman who was held captive by Hamas and released Monday is speaking out about the terror inflicted on her and her husband, who is still held hostage.
Yocheved Lifshitz is one of the first hostages to speak out about her experience in the Gaza Strip since she was taken captive by terrorists on Oct. 7. Lifshitz said she was taken to Gaza on the back of a motorcycle and beaten with sticks by people inside the territory. She said her captives fed her only once a day, adding that Hamas did provide hostages with some medicine and hygiene supplies.
Lifshitz described the tunnel system beneath Gaza as a "spider's web" which terrorists use to hide from the Israeli military's airstrikes and infiltrate Israel.
She said the people assigned to guard her “told us they are people who believe in the Quran and wouldn’t hurt us.”
Her daughter, Sharone Lifschitz, told reporters the family hopes that all the hostages who were held captive with her mother will come back and that "the story is not over" until they are freed.
Fox News' Trey Yingst and the Associated Press contributed to this update.
Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt. (Getty Images)
Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., said Monday he has "grave concerns" about Israel's potential ground invasion into Gaza amid an ongoing war prompted by Hamas' terror attack on the Jewish State.
In a statement released Monday, Welch said he has "grave concerns about the wisdom and military efficacy" of an Israeli ground invasion in Gaza and that there is "no doubt" an imminent ground invasion would be "catastrophic for innocent Palestinians in Gaza and jeopardize urgent efforts to save hostages."
"Israel has the absolute right to attack Hamas for the brutal, heinous slaughter of more than 1,400 Israelis and the taking of more than 200 hostages," Welch wrote. "But, Israel also has a responsibility to protect Palestinian civilians living in Gaza, including one million children. Already, more than 5,000 Palestinians have died."
"The humanitarian conditions in Gaza are terrible and getting worse every day," Welch continued. "One million Palestinians, including women and children, have been displaced. Most are living in the open—without food, without shelter, fuel, water, or access to medicine. United Nations relief efforts have begun but are unable to meet the extreme needs of the moment."
The senator concluded, "A ground invasion would further exacerbate the dire conditions in Gaza."
Fox News' Landon Mion contributed to this update.
Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said members of the far-left "Squad" of Democrats should be kept "on the fringe where they belong" and suggested their "influence has waned and weakened" because of extreme ideology related to the ongoing Israel-Gaza war.
Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., have irked supporters of Israel on both sides of the political aisle since Hamas’ devastating terror attacks on Oct. 7 that killed hundreds of civilians, including women, children and babies. Tlaib accused the Biden administration of funding a "genocide" against Palestinians and has spread the debunked claim that Israel bombed a Gaza hospital, Ocasio-Cortez has accused Israel of war crimes and Omar seemed to equate the Israeli victims killed by Hamas terrorists and Palestinians killed in the ongoing Israeli response.
"I think Rashida Tlaib has been so marginalized in her own district. And like, AOC, I don't even see her in the media anymore. I think these individuals with their radical ideas have marginalized themselves," Greenblatt told Fox News Digital.
Greenblatt was in Washington, D.C. last week and attended a meeting of Jewish communal leaders, the Jewish community and congressional leadership. He was pleased to see influential people from all sides standing with Israel, and believes the "Squad" should be disregarded on the topic.
"Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer and Steve Scalise and Mitch McConnell all said exactly the same thing. So, I just think AOC doesn't matter that much. She's one of 430-something people, or Tlaib or Ilhan Omar, and we don't need to assign them any more influence because already you see that their influence has waned and weakened in the last few years as their positions have become more radical, and they've reduced their ability, I think, to reach a wider audience," Greenblatt continued. "There are extreme voices on all sides. Let's leave them on the fringe where they belong."
Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.
24 October 2023, Israel, Tel Aviv: Yocheved Lifshitz, one of the two freed hostages, holds a cup of water while leaving Ichilov Hospital after she was released by Hamas from the Gaza Strip last night. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa (Photo by Ilia Yefimovich/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Two Israeli hostages named Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, and Nurit Cooper, 79, were released by Hamas terrorists on Monday, officials say.
The two women were kidnapped from their houses in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7. Both of the women's husbands are still being held as hostages - Amiram Cooper, 85, and Oded Lifshitz, 83.
According to a statement released by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Office, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) acted "in all channels" to "overcome the many obstacles Hamas has laid" and secure the women's release.
"After they were transferred to the hands of the IDF, they are making their way to a medical center in Israel who is prepared for them and where their family members await them," the statement read. "We thank Egypt for the assistance and the Red Cross for their important role as life savers."
"The government of Israel, IDF and the security establishment, will continue to act to the best of their abilities to trace all missing and return all hostages back home," Netanyahu's press release added.
Fox News's Yael Rotem-Kuriel contributed to this report.
The Israel Defense Forces announced it has struck more than 400 terrorist targets in the past 24 hours, according to a post made on X, formerly Twitter, Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. local time.
As part of its "wide-scale operation" to dismantle Hamas' capabilities, the IDF said the targets struck include: Hamas gunmen setting up to fire rockets in Israel's direction, an operational tunnel shaft allowing Israel to be infiltrated through the sea, and Hamas command centers and staging armaments in Mosques.
The focus continues to be on eliminating Hamas operatives and "weapons storage sites, underground terrorist tunnels, command centers, observation posts and more," the IDF said in its daily recap.
The force also said it will continue operating with the safety of innocent civilians in mind.
Tuesday marked the 18th day of Israel's counteroffensive against Hamas since the terrorist group launched its unprecedented attack against the Jewish State on Oct. 7.
Live Coverage begins here