Israel intensifies search for Hamas leadership as terror group threatens to kill remaining hostages
Israeli Defense Forces ramped up attacks on Hamas' remaining strongholds in southern Gaza on Monday. Israel is searching for senior Hamas leadership, specifically Yahya Sinwar. Meanwhile, Hamas has threatened to kill all of the remaining hostages in its custody if Israel does not comply with its demands for more aid, among other things.
Coverage for this event has ended.
IDF soldier describes being shot 12 times, pretending to be dead: 'I waited for the final bullet'
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) First Lt. Eden Ram wrote about her experience with Hamas terrorists on October7.org, describing the horrors she witnessed when the Israel-Hamas war began.
"They blew up the last door, came into the room, and shot a volley of bullets at us without pause, screaming," Ram wrote. "When they were done, they waited a little, spoke in Arabic, searched for documents, checked that we were dead and then left."
"Throughout this I was not sure if I was dead or alive, I felt dead, but I could still see and hear and feel," she continued. "I waited for the final bullet that would hit me and kill me, but it never came."
Ram reported that she was shot 12 times by Hamas terrorists.
"I had been shot 12 times - bullets in my legs, my left hand and my shoulder," the soldier wrote. "I thank God who watched over me and was with me in that room."
"I still can’t believe that I am here, that I am alive and that with the help of God I should get back to regain full function. It is simply a miracle," she concluded.
Bill Ackman says Harvard board resisted firing president to avoid appearance of 'kowtowing' to him
Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman said Monday night that Harvard's governing board was reluctant to fire University President Claudine Gay following her controversial comments before Congress about the rise in antisemitism on campus over concerns it would appear they were conceding to him.
Ackman, a Harvard alumnus who has been critical of the university's response to antisemitic behavior on campus, said reporters informed him that one of the board's reasons for not firing Gay was that they did not want the public to suspect they were "kowtowing" to him.
"I have been told now by two reporters that one of the factors that made it challenging for the @Harvard board to fire Gay was that they were concerned it would look like they were kowtowing to me," Ackman wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
"In other words, the reporters explained, quoting the trustees: 'Had Bill just stopped tweeting, we would have come to the right answer.' So much for Veritas," he continued.
During last week's hearing before the House Education and the Workforce Committee, House GOP Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., demanded Gay, University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill and MIT President Sally Kornbluth answer whether calls on campus for intifada, or the genocide of Jews, violated their respective universities' codes of conduct or rules against bullying and harassment.
"It can be, depending on the context," Gay responded, prompting Stefanik to press her for a yes or no answer.
"Antisemitic speech when it crosses into conduct that amounts to bullying, harassment, intimidation — that is actionable conduct, and we do take action," Gay said.
College’s ‘professor of peace’ ousted over alleged war crimes, antisemitism and sexual misconduct
The Ohio-based Oberlin College removed a former Iran regime official and religion professor, Mohammad Jafar Mahallati, from his teaching post after a three-year pressure campaign from Iranian Americans who were outraged over his role in covering up the mass murder of at least 5,000 Iranian political prisoners in 1988.
Andrea Simakis, a spokeswoman for the controversial college administration, told Fox News Digital that "Professor Mahallati was placed on indefinite administrative leave on November 28."
Fox News Digital reported last month that Iran’s former U.N. ambassador, Mahallati, was being investigated by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights for subjecting Jewish students to harassment, including defending the U.S. and EU-designated terrorist organization Hamas.
Less than a month later, the college scrubbed its website of Mahallati’s profile and deleted a fact sheet, in which the college allegedly whitewashed Mahallati’s reported crimes against humanity, antisemitism and genocidal rhetoric targeting the Baha’i community in Iran.
Mahallati has reveled in his title as the "Professor of Peace" on the Oberlin campus because of his teachings on peace and friendship.
Photographs viewed by Fox News Digital show the college removed his nameplate from his office. The ostensible ouster of Mahallati marks a stunning admission by Oberlin College President Carmen Twillie Ambar that her three-year defense of Mahallati was no longer tenable. Ambar and her administration have been reeling from a series of Mahallati scandals since 2020, including his alleged endorsement of a fatwa to murder the American-British author Salman Rushdie.
The California-based Alliance Against Islamic Regime of Iran Apologists (AAIRIA) spearheaded the high-intensity campaign to fire Mahallati. Lawdan Bazargan, the lead organizer on the campaign, has crisscrossed the United States and some European countries to draw attention to Mahallati’s reported crimes against humanity.
Fox News' Benjamin Weinthal contributed to this report.
Houthis fires cruise missile on ship in Red Sea, USS Mason rendering assistance
A land-based cruise missile launched from Houthi-controlled Yemen struck the Motor Transport STRINDA, causing some damage and a fire, a senior U.S. defense official confirmed to Fox News.
The USS Mason is on the scene to render aid, the defense official said.
No U.S. ships were near the location of the attack, which took place about 60 nautical miles north of the Bab-al-Mandab.
There were no casualties reported in connection with the incident.
Fox News' Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.
Chaos at the Capitol: Over 40 Pro-Palestinian protestors arrested in Senate Office Building
A protest for a cease-fire in Gaza led to over 40 arrests at the Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill Monday, according to Fox 5 Washington D.C.
The pro-Palestinian protesters were demanding a cease-fire in Gaza while illegally demonstrating inside the Congressional space, according to authorities.
Just after 10 a.m., a Capitol spokesperson told Fox 5 that the demonstrators arrived, with one man even climbing a statue in the atrium, before being charged with resisting arrest.
Read the full article about the pro-Palestinian protests by Stepheny Price
Spielberg announces new project to document accounts of Oct. 7 attacks
Director Steven Spielberg expressed shock at the atrocities of Hamas terrorists against the Jewish people on Oct. 7 in announcing a project to document its horrors.
The violence that occurred that day in Israel and the wave of antisemitism around the world that followed has reminded many of echoes of the Holocaust.
Spielberg, who directed the Oscar-winning Holocaust film "Schindler’s List," indicated the terrorist attacks left him shaken in a press release from his USC Shoah Foundation announcing the project.
Read the full article about Steven Spielberg by Alexander Hall
Israel-Hamas war: Protesters chain themselves to White House gates during demonstration
A group of Jewish demonstrators chained themselves outside the White House on Monday while protesting the U.S. government's involvement in the Israel-Hamas war.
The group held a sign reading, "Jewish Elders to Biden: STOP THE GENOCIDE, CEASEFIRE [sic] NOW."
Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) said on X that the protesters were affiliated with the Jewish Elders for Palestinian Freedom.
"Hours before the annual White House Hanukkah party, 18 Jewish elders chain themselves to the White House gates demanding @POTUS stop funding and arming the genocide in Gaza," JVP wrote on X.
'SNL' gets blowback for 'vile' skit focusing on GOP lawmaker instead of college presidents
"Saturday Night Live's" cold opening this week was about the congressional testimony from college presidents of Harvard, UPenn and MIT. However, it was considered a flop due to its perceived focus on a GOP lawmaker instead of the controversial testimony of the college presidents.
In the NBC variety show’s parody of the hearing, the primary target appeared to be Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., over her aggressive questioning and politics.
"I am here today because hate speech has no place on college campuses. Hate speech belongs in Congress, on Elon Musk’s Twitter, in private dinners with my donors and in public speeches by my work husband Donald Trump," cast member Chloe Troast’s Stefanik said in the skit.
Read the full article about SNL by Lindsay Kornick
Israel-Hamas war: IDF, ISA conduct 'situational assessment' of Gaza Strip
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Monday that it conducted a "situational assessment inside the Gaza Strip" with the Israel Security Agency (ISA).
IDF Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi explained that there was "big pressure" in the Gaza Strip amid the war.
"I think that the surrendering, the people coming out and raising their hands, is also a break in their spirit," Halevi said. "It accelerates our accomplishments, in the end, we want to progress quickly."
"We are securing our accomplishments in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, the entrance in the southern part of the Strip, and also deep down into the ground - all of these places, all of these intensifications, are very important for our accomplishments," he continued.
"I say here to the whole forum, pass this also to your people, for each of you to bring this back home, to his place: the pace of the entrance and the course of the entrance is very impressive, also speaking in historical terms, with a defensive apparatus system that was ready and waiting, your presence here inside an urban, complex area is very very impressive, and now to dismantle, dismantle, dismantle," Halevi concluded.
Senate likely to recess without passing Ukraine and Israel funding, sources say
The Senate is likely to leave town for the holidays without passing the Biden administration's $106 billion national supplemental security package, three sources familiar with the talks told Fox News Digital on Monday.
The package, which Biden requested from Congress in October, carves out roughly $60 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel and $14 billion for faster asylum processing at the border and more agents. The administration urged Congress to pass the supplemental by the end of the year.
However, Senate Republicans have been trying to strike a deal for weeks that would include stricter border security policies — such as higher asylum standards and immediate screenings for migrants — in the package. Democrats disagree and have argued the bill should not include policy changes.
Read the full article on the U.S. Senate by Jamie Joseph
Fareed Zakaria tells Harvard, MIT and other top schools to ‘abandon' politics and rebuild trust
CNN host Fareed Zakaria said that the country's elite schools "have gone from being centers of excellence to institutions pushing political agendas" in a clip that has gone viral on social media.
"People sense the transformation," Zakaria said, adding that this "souring on higher education makes America an outlier among all advanced nations" in a clip that has received over 23 million views and counting online.
Zakaria argued that as a result of ideological extremism, America's top universities are "no longer seen as bastions of excellence but partisan outfits, which means they will keep getting buffeted by these political storms as they emerge."
Read the full article about Fareed Zakaria by Jeffrey Clark
Israel-Hamas war: IDF arrests 140 terrorists since end of cease-fire
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari gave a briefing on the latest developments with the Israel-Hamas war on Monday.
During the press conference, Hagari said that that the IDF "will continue to locate all Hamas strongholds, especially in the Khan Yunis area, and apply military pressure until they dismantle Hamas' infrastructure there."
"Since the fighting resumed, the IDF and ISA have arrested about 140 Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists across the Strip," the spokesperson explained. "In total, more than 500 terrorists have been arrested just in the last month."
Hagari added that over 250 of the terrorists were brought into Israel for "further investigation."
"We interrogate the terrorists in the field and they tell us about the hiding places of additional terrorists and provide significant intelligence information for the generation of new targets for the continuation of the fighting," Hagari continued.
Fox News Digital's Dana Karni contributed to this report.
Israel-Hamas war: IDF 'increasing speed' of humanitarian aid into Gaza
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) provided an update about the status of humanitarian aid in Gaza on Monday.
"Israel is increasing the speed at which humanitarian aid is inspected and sent into Gaza: integrated security screenings of trucks containing water, food, medical supplies and shelter equipment will be conducted at the Nitzana and Kerem Shalom Crossings," the Israeli military said on X.
"The trucks will then be forwarded to international aid organizations in Gaza via the Rafah Crossing in Egypt," the statement added.
The IDF said that their actions will help bring humanitarian aid into Gaza faster, and will "improve the volume of security screenings of aid entering Gaza."
"We emphasize that no supplies will be entering Gaza from Israel, but rather all aid will enter through the Rafah Crossing," the post added.
Rabbi quits Harvard's antisemitism task force after president's 'painful' testimony to Congress
Harvard's antisemitism task force lost one of its members following President Claudine Gay's testimony to House lawmakers, which is fueling widespread calls for her resignation.
Rabbi David Wolpe, who joined the task force back in October, detailed why he decided to quit during "America's Newsroom" as Gay and MIT President Sally Kornbluth have endured mounting pressure to resign from their positions following the bombshell hearing last week.
"It was clear to me that we were not going to be able to make the kinds of changes that Harvard needed," Wolpe told Bill Hemmer on Monday, calling Gay's remarks "so painful."
Read the full article about Rabbi David Wolpe by Bailee Hill
Advent 'virtual pilgrimage' for peace brings the Holy Land to would-be pilgrims
With the current war in Israel resulting in the cancellation of many planned tours and pilgrimages to the Holy Land, the Magdala Tourist Center in the biblical town of Magdala is offering a "virtual pilgrimage" during Advent to help bring the Holy Land to those who cannot get there in person.
Dubbed the "Star of Wonder Advent Pilgrimage of Peace," the free virtual pilgrimage began on Sunday, December 3, the first Sunday of Advent. Videos are available on Magdala's YouTube page.
The pilgrimage consists of videos from different locations throughout Israel and Palestine, all of which are significant to the story of Jesus' birth. A different video will be released each Sunday, the Magdala Tourist Center told Fox News Digital.
Read the full article about Magdala by Christine Rousselle
Americans forces in Middle East attacked at least 90 times since Oct. 7: U.S. official
A senior U.S. defense official told Fox News that American bases in the Middle East were attacked twice on Monday, bringing the total number of attacks to at least 90 since October 17.
The incidents happened in Iraq and Syria. A one-way attack drone was shot down near Al-Asad Airbase in Iraq, where no injuries or damage were reported.
In a different incident, a multi-rocket attack was launched at the patrol base in al-Shaddadi, Syria. No injuries or damage to infrastructure were reported.
Fox News Digital's Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.
Mike Pompeo on Biden admin's reluctance to target Iran: 'Weakness begets war'
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reacted to news that U.S. forces shot down more Houthi drones in the Red Sea on Monday.
Pompeo also concerns about why the President Biden administration has been reluctant to respond to Iranian adversaries with more force. The White House is facing criticism for failing to deter Iran and its proxies from entering the conflict.
Antisemitism at elite colleges masks 'deeper rot' of DEI dominance in higher education: WSJ op-ed
Antisemitism exposed on college campuses across the country is just one sign of the "deeper rot" caused by anti-American and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion "DEI" policies at these universities, the Wall Street Journal warned.
During a congressional hearing on antisemitism last week, the presidents of Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and The University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) refused to say whether calls for genocide violated university rules of conduct.
Harvard and University of Pennsylvania leaders later walked back their statements, after widespread public outrage. UPenn President Liz Magill and Board of Trustees Chair Scott Bok resigned amid the backlash.
The Journal suggested the Ivy League administrators' claim of protecting free speech was disingenuous, as Harvard and Penn ranked last in one nonprofit's survey out of 248 colleges for free speech in 2023. Thus, the public should take their shocking responses at face value.
"The three presidents have apologized for or moderated their comments before Congress, but that was only after the political consequences became clear. Believe what they said the first time. That is what their institutions now stand for," the editorial board wrote.
Taking steps against antisemitism won't address the "deeper rot of anti-American, anti-Western" philosophies, or the DEI policies "that use race, gender and sexuality as political weapons to enforce intellectual conformity, dictate tenure decisions, and punish dissenters," the board said.
Read the full article by Fox News' Kristine Parks
UMass police investigating antisemitic graffiti incident
Police at the University of Massachusetts at Boston are investigating a series of antisemitic graffiti incidents on the school's campus.
School officials discovered the graffiti last week and were quick to condemn it. Police are investigating the incident as a hate crime, but have yet to announce suspects.
"Monday evening, we were made aware that bathrooms in several buildings on our campus had been defaced with hateful and vile antisemitic graffiti. Immediately, along with other campus leaders and law enforcement officials, we inspected the sites of the vandalism," UMass chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco wrote in a letter to the campus. "There can be no equivocation on what this is: a hate crime that strikes at the heart of who we are. And we should all be outraged that this reprehensible, cowardly behavior has infiltrated the UMass Boston community."
"We ask that you join us in condemning this cruel and misguided attempt to divide the UMass Boston community. We are much, much better than this," he added.
Israel's goal of eradicating Hamas is happening: KT McFarland
Former Trump deputy national security adviser KT McFarland discussed whether Israel is winning the ground war in Gaza on 'Varney & Co' on Monday.
McFarland says the IDF is well on its way toward the goal of eliminating Hamas entirely from Gaza, but work remains to be done. Israel's top priority is locating Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who is believed to be sheltering somewhere in Khan Younis, the largest city in southern Gaza.