Gazans flock to aid trucks as US, Israel discuss future of Hamas war

Gun ownership in California’s Jewish community is spiking as Jews take self-defense into their own hands while the war in Israel continues raging, according to a rabbi who trains the community on gun safety.

"Magen Am’s mission is to train and empower the community to deter and respond to security threats. We're trying to give everybody the tool to be empowered to protect themselves," Los Angeles-based Rabbi Yossi Eilfort said in a video produced by the NRA exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital.

Eilfort is an NRA instructor and founder of Magen Am USA, the only Jewish, nonprofit organization licensed on the West Coast to provide armed security services.

Magen Am, which operates in LA as well as Phoenix, trains volunteers and community members in extensive classes on gun safety, hand-to-hand self-defense, de-escalation, verbal tactics and the use of intermediate weapons such as Tasers or batons.

The video features a few women who Eilfort and Magen Am have trained on gun safety, as well as security personnel who work with the company to strengthen protection around Jewish institutions, such as schools and synagogues.

"Magen Am means ‘nation’s shield.’ I like to say we're like a shield. Were about 30-30-30: Where one-third is hired professionals dealing with institutional security; one-third dealing with community training; and then one-third is working with government law enforcement," Eilfort, who is also a former MMA fighter, explained in the video of how Magen Am operates.

War broke out in Israel on Oct. 7 when the terrorist group Hamas launched attacks on the nation, which sparked protests and antisemitic rhetoric stateside as supporters of Palestine took to the streets of cities such as New York and Los Angeles.

"I feel like a target. Explosives have been thrown at the synagogue right behind my house," one woman trained by Magen Am said in the video.

Fox News' Emma Colton contributed to this report.

The Israeli Defense Forces announced Tuesday morning that it has killed a prominent financier who helped funnel tens of millions of dollars to fund Hamas' military forces, salaries and war activities.

Subhi Ferwana, alongside his brother, "funneled tens of millions through his company 'Hamsat' to fund Hamas' military forces, terrorists' salaries and war activities," the IDF wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

"Ferwana transferred funds to Hamas’ military wing during the war and was aware that these funds would be vital for continuing the wing’s ability to fight," the IDF continued. "The funds were used - among other things - for intensification of military forces, the payment of terrorists’ salaries during the war, and to finance Hamas' war activities."

Alec Baldwin was spotted in a heated confrontation with pro-Palestinian activists as protests flooded the streets of New York City on Monday.

Livestreamed footage showed the actor being asked by a pro-Palestinian activist "Whose pocket are you in?" and pressing him on whether he condemns Israel while invoking Hollywood. 

"I'm in Hollywood's pocket, you say?" Baldwin responded before slamming the "stupid question."

The "30 Rock" star was then seen shouting in the activist's face, "Ask me a smart question!"

Read the full article about Alec Baldwin by Joseph Wulfsohn

Fox News senior foreign affairs correspondent Greg Palkot reported from Israel during his "Special Report" appearance on the latest news concerning the Israel-Hamas war.

Palkot reported that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin affirmed his support of Israel after a recent meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"Words of support and caution coming from the top man at the Pentagon as the region sees yet another visit from the Biden administration official as the troubles continue on a range of fronts," he explained.

The reporter also touched on the IDF's accidental killing of three Israeli hostages.

"As funerals continue for the three hostages killed mistakenly last week by Israeli forces, officials mourned the loss and pledged to learn from the incident," Palkot said. "[There is also] boosting ceasefire talks and angry protests by hostage families demanding the rescue of remaining captives."

Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., speaks during the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus news conference at the House Democrats 2023 Issues Conference in Baltimore, Md., on Thursday, March 2, 2023. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

A group of anti-Israel protesters descended on the home of Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., over the weekend blowing car horns and screaming as they sought to punish him for what they claimed was his "silence" on the deaths of Palestinians in Gaza amid Israel's war with Hamas.

"This is my home at 3 AM," Thanedar wrote in a post on X, including a video that showed cars lined in the street outside his home, an individual waving a cloth-like material, and others screaming through megaphones. The video appeared to be posted by a supporter of the protesters.

"You are complicit in the bombing of Gaza… Your silence is violence. Your silence is abhorrent, and we will not let you sleep!" one protester can be heard screaming.

Read the full article on Shri Thanedar by Brandon Gillespie

Cargo ships are seen at Israel's Haifa commercial shipping port in the Mediterranean Sea on December 13, 2023. (Photo by Mati Milstein/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Leading global freight firms have begun avoiding the Red Sea and rerouting vessels amid ongoing attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Oil giant BP on Monday was the latest major company to announce a pause in shipments through the Red Sea, following in the footsteps of Maersk, which had a vessel targeted by anti-ship missiles last week. 

The vessels have begun to sail around Africa, adding exorbitant costs and delays that industry analysts forecast will compound in the coming weeks. 

Read the full article on Houthi attacks by Bradford Betz

Pro-Palestinian protesters marched through NYC on Dec. 18, 2023. (Fox Live Feed)

Pro-Palestinian protesters marched through New York City on Monday afternoon, making stops at major transportation hubs and disrupting traffic along the way.

The hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters walked in traffic lanes while passing buses and cars, demanding a cease-fire in Gaza.

Many of the protesters were seen holding Palestinian flags and signs that read, "From Gaza to Jenin, Revolution until Victory," and "Support Palestinian Resistance," among other things.

The protest began at Grand Central Station before moving to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, and there were reports the protest would move to Penn Station next.

Read the full article on the NYC protest by Greg Wehner

An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) paratrooper named Shahar appeared on "America's Newsroom" on Monday to discuss the latest developments with the Israel-Hamas war.

During his appearance, Shahar said that a cease-fire is "not an option."

"If we cease fire, it means that Israel ceases fire," Shahar explained. "Hamas is just going to regroup and do October 7 again and again and again until someone in the world or Israel can ensure that this never happens again and ensures that the education system, the radical jihadists education system that keeps growing up more and more terrorist is eradicated."

"We can't stop," he added. "And we saw what happened last time that the Israelis didn't have the IDF to protect it, and Israel didn't exist. So we have to really do what we have to do."

Harvard-Harris Poll co-founder Mark Penn appeared on "American Reports" Monday to discuss U.S. perception of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

A recent poll reportedly found that 60% of Gen Z participants thought the October 7 attack against Israel was justified. During the interview, Penn told host John Roberts that it was unprecedented for participants to show so much support for a terrorist group.

"People do mature over time, but I've never seen anything like this," Penn explained. "I've never seen support for a terrorist group."

"I've never seen such upside down attitudes because none of these kids have been to Israel, really have a thorough understanding, and they only know what they've been told," he added.

Penn also said that the opinions were "clearly generated [from] and connected to social media, and far removed from what everybody else in the United States believes."

People wait at a gas station during gas station disruption in Tehran, Iran, December 18, 2023. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA West Asia News Agency via REUTERS)

The oil minister in Iran confirmed on Monday that a cyberattack caused a nationwide disruption to gas stations.

Reuters reported that the hacking group, Gonjeshke Darande, or "Predatory Sparrow," claimed to carry out the attack, as reported by Iranian state TV and Israeli local media.

Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji told Iranian state TV early on that the disruption affected about 70% of the petrol stations in Iran, adding that the cause was possibly outside interference.

Read the full article about Javad Owji by Greg Wehner

This picture taken from the Israeli side of border with Lebanon shows smoke billowing following Israeli bombardment around the southern Lebanese village of Aita al-Shaab on December 18, 2023 amid increasing cross-border tensions as fighting continues with Hamas militants in the southern Gaza Strip. (Photo by JALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images)

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported on Monday that Israel was being attacked by Hezbollah terrorists who were firing from United Nations areas and Lebanese Armed Forces compounds.

"Since October 7th, the Hezbollah terrorist organization has carried out hundreds of attacks on Israel, including rocket, anti-tank missile and UAV attacks on communities and military positions in northern Israel," the IDF said in a statement. "To date, five Israeli civilians have been killed in these attacks and 80,000 civilians in northern Israel have evacuated their homes."

The Israeli military argued that Hezbollah is violating UN Security Council Resolution 1701 by "continuing to operate and fire projectiles and UAVs from southern Lebanon at Israel."

"Moreover, Hezbollah has carried out many of these attacks from areas near UN positions and Lebanese Armed Forces compounds," the IDF continued. "This demonstrates Hezbollah’s blatant abuse of the international and national institutions responsible for security in southern Lebanon."

The IDF concluded their press release by vowing that they would "continue to defend Israel's northern border from any threat."

Source: @GenCQBrownJr via X

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, the official announced on X.

"Honored to meet with @IsraeliPM today," Austin's post read. "My fourth trip to Israel as Secretary of Defense and my second since the October 7 attacks underscores an important message: the United States’ commitment to Israel’s security is unshakable."

Gen. Charles Q. Brown, who serves as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that he and Austin also met with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief of the General Staff Herzl Halevi.

"Today, @SecDef and I met with @IsraelPM, @yoavgallant, and Chief of the General Staff LTG Halevi in Tel Aviv to discuss Israel’s ongoing campaign to defeat Hamas and emphasize the strategic alliance between our two countries," Brown said on X.

Source: Fox News

U.S. forces in the Middle East have been attacked 101 times in Iraq and Syria since October 17, Fox News has learned.

The latest three attacks happened on December 16, according to a U.S. defense official. There have not been any attacks on the American bases since.

Since October 17, there have been 46 separate attacks against American forces in Iraq and 55 in Syria. The attacks have been conducted with a mix of rockets and one-way drones.

It is unclear which group launched the weapons towards U.S. troops in the latest 3 attacks, but Houthis have continually targeted the U.S. in the region since the escalation of the Israel-Hamas war.

Rockets fired from Gaza are intercepted over Gaza envelope communities on December 17, 2023 in Southern Israel. (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

Fox News foreign correspondent Trey Yingst confirmed on X that Hamas terrorists have released another Israeli hostage video on Monday.

According to Yingst, one of the hostages is 79-year-old Chaim Peri.

"Hamas released another hostage video tonight. The man in the middle is 79-year-old Chaim Peri," Yingst said on X.

"The Nir Oz resident spent his free time driving Palestinian children to hospitals for treatment and making art to protest violence against Palestinians," he added. "He is a peace activist."

Israeli hacker group takes credit for cyberattack shutting down majority of Iran's gas stations

An Israeli hacker group is taking credit Monday for a cyberattack that disrupted operations at nearly 70% of the gas stations in Iran, reports say. 

Iranian state media is claiming that an Israeli hacker group called Gonjeshke Darande, also known as Predatory Sparrow, is behind the outages, according to Reuters. The news agency cited Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji as saying the disruptions at one point reached 70% of gas stations in Iran, before noting that 1,650 out of the 3,800 gas stations that the ministry supervises were operational. 

Gonjeshke Darande later claimed responsibility for the cyberattack, according to Israel's Ynet News and Times of Israel. A series of posts on a Telegram page reported to be theirs said the attack was carried out in response to "the aggression of the Islamic Republic and its proxies in the region." 

"Khamenei, playing with fire has a price," statements continued, referencing Iran's supreme leader. "A month ago we warned you that we’re back and that we will impose [a] cost for your provocations. This is just a taste of what we have in store."

Read the full article by Fox Business' Greg Norman

Boston Globe demands Harvard state clearly if President in antisemitism scandal plagiarized:

Boston's leading newspaper called out Harvard University for its "confusing" message on plagiarism, after the university backed embattled President Claudine Gay amid allegations she plagiarized past academic writings.

"Last week the university’s governing board released a confusing statement that appeared to confirm a few instances of plagiarism — without using that word," the Boston Globe editorial board wrote on Monday.

Gay faced scrutiny last week after media outlets reported several instances of alleged plagiarism in Gay's past writings. The Harvard Corporation said an independent academic probe discovered "a few instances of inadequate citation" in her writings as well. However, they "found no violation of Harvard's standards for research misconduct." 

Despite this, Gay said she would be "proactively requesting four corrections in two articles to insert citations and quotation marks that were omitted from the original publications."

Read the full article by Fox News' Kristine Parks

Ilhan Omar personally warned Biden his re-election in trouble if he ignores Muslim voters

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said she personally warned President Biden about his re-election efforts and the importance of Muslim and young voters, who feel "heartbroken" about the Israel-Hamas war.

CBS Minnesota anchor Esme Murphy asked the far-left "Squad" member about an "abandon Biden" movement, and asked her if she would support the president in 2024. 

"I recently had a conversation with the president," she responded. "Muslims were very pivotal to his election, they mobilized in all the key states. Young people were very instrumental in getting him elected. And what I reminded him is that he needs to listen to these voices. People are heartbroken. It's been really hard to have conversations about politics and policy. People just want the images of young children's bodies that are piling up to end, and they want our support for this to end." 

Omar has been very critical of the president's position in the Israel-Hamas conflict and, in October, questioned his stance during a diatribe on Capitol Hill. 

Read the full article by Fox News' Hanna Panreck

Sec. Austin reaffirms US support for Israel, urges protection of Gaza civilians

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin raffirmed U.S. support for Israel during a joint press conference with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday.

Austin also said the U.S. continues to urge Israel to do all it can to protect civialians in Gaza as the war against Hamas continues.

"Protecting Palestinian civilians in Gaza is both a moral duty and a strategic imperative. So we will continue to stand up for Israel's bedrock right to defend itself. And we will also continue to urge the protection of civilians during conflict," Austin told reporters.

Fox News senior strategic analyst Gen. Jack Keane (Ret.) provided analysis of the growing unrest in the Middle East after a cargo ship in the Red Sea was targeted by Houthi rebels yet again.

Houthi rebels are an Iran-backed terrorist organization, one of many that Tehran has used to destabilize the region further amid Israel's war against Hamas.

A suspect has been arrested in Washington, D.C., after allegedly spraying an unknown substance at two people while making antisemitic remarks in the vicinity of a synagogue, police say. 

Brent Wood, a 33-year-old with a last known address in Toledo, Ohio, is now facing charges of simple assault and resisting arrest in relation to the incident on Sunday morning, which is being investigated as an offense "being motivated by hate or bias," according to the Metropolitan Police Department. 

"On Sunday, December 17, 2023, at approximately 9:26 a.m., Second District officers responded to the 2800 block of N Street, Northwest, for the report of an individual spraying an unknown substance at two victims while shouting an anti-Semitic phrase," police said in a statement. 

"Responding officers located the suspect and placed him under arrest. As a precautionary measure, the suspect’s vehicle was swept with no hazardous materials found," police added. "No injuries were reported." 

Read the full article by Fox News' Greg Norman

Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized President Biden's efforts to deter IRan from escalating war in the Middle East on Monday.

Pompeo joined Fox Business to discuss the nearly 100 Iran-backed attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria since mid-October. Biden's administration has pushed a strategy of detering Iran and its proxies from escalating Israel's war on Hamas into a regional conflict, but critics argue it has had little success.

Italy weighs joining navy coalition to protect Red Sea trade

Italy's navy is weighing a decision to join a military coaltion seeking to secure the Red Sea against Houthi rebel attacks on trading vessels, Reuters reported Monday.

The U.S. called for nations to form such a coalition earlier this month as the Iran-backed Houthis ramped up missile and drone attacks on international shipping vessels. The Red Sea functions as a key artery for much of the world's fuel shipments.

The U.S., France and U.K. have already ramped up naval presence in the region. The U.S. Navy's USS Carney and USS Mason have also shot down multiple Houthi drones.

Israeli fighter jets carried out a series of air strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Monday.

"Fighter jets of the Air Force recently attacked a number of targets of the terrorist organization Hezbollah, among them terrorist infrastructures, a launch site and a military structure. In addition, IDF fighters identified and attacked terrorists earlier today in a known area of ​​the terrorist organization Hezbollah," IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a statement.

"Also, a number of launches from the territory of Lebanon towards a number of areas on the border of Lebanon were detected," he added.

Israel has maintained a steady rhythm of strikes on Hezbollah as the Iran-backed terrorist organization has repeatedly probed Israel's northern border.

Harvard admissions applications fall sharply amid antisemitism controversy

Harvard reported a 17% decline in its early admissions applications compared to a year ago as the Ivy League college remains embroiled in controversy over its handling of antisemitism on campus.

Harvard College announced Thursday that it accepted 692 students to the class of 2028 out of the 7,921 applicants who applied under Harvard’s Early Action Program, which required applications to be submitted by Nov. 1. 

That amounts to a 17% drop compared to last year’s early application window when 9,553 submitted applications, and is the smallest number of early applicants since the pandemic began – though this year’s group is larger than the annual early applications received in the 2017-2019 period.

Two of Harvard’s fellow Ivy League institutions saw increases in the number of early applications received. 

Yale University received 7,856 early applications this year, an increase of 1.4% from a year ago and the second-highest number in its history, the school announced in a release Friday. The University of Pennsylvania – which saw President Liz Magill resign last week amid a controversy over the handling of antisemitism on campus – also saw 500 more applications than last year, according to a report by Bloomberg.

Read the full article by Fox Business' Eric Revell

BP pauses oil tanker traffic through Red Sea amid Houthi rebel attacks

The BP oil giant will pause all of its shipments through the Red Sea effective immediately due to a series of attacks on trade vessels by Houthi rebels in Yemen, the company announced Monday.

BP is the latest major company to announce a pause in shipments, following in the footsteps of Maersk, which had a vessel targeted by anti-ship missiles last week. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels have sought to disrupt trade in the region in an effort to halt Israel's war against Hamas.

Largest health care union in US calls for Gaza ceasefire

The largest health care union in America is calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, adding to the growing list of labor organizations in the U.S. urging Israel to end its strikes targeting Hamas terrorists due to concern for Palestinian civilians.

The executive council of 1199SEIU, which represents more than 450,000 health care workers throughout New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Florida and Washington, D.C., called for the ceasefire in a statement Friday.

"1199SEIU calls for the immediate cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip, to allow for urgent humanitarian relief amid the collapse of the territory’s health and other infrastructure," the statement begins. 

"We reiterate our unequivocal condemnation of Hamas’ attack on October 7, the killings, use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, and kidnappings of Israelis and foreign nationals. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages taken by Hamas and the end to indiscriminate rocket attacks against Israel."

Read the full article by Fox Business' Breck Dumas

Israeli Defense Forces uncovered a Hamas cash stash amounting to nearly $1.4 million at the home of a senior Hamas member on Monday.

"The fighters of the multi-dimensional unit under the command of the 551st Brigade Combat Team located in the house of a senior member of the Hamas terrorist organization in the Jabaliya area, suitcases of terrorist funds worth approximately NIS 5,000,000 and many weapons," the IDF said in a statement.

The 5,000,000 NIS translates to $1, 371,000.

Retired Navy SEAL Mike Sarraille joined 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss how the U.S. has responded to Iranian-backed attacks in the Middle East on Monday.

U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria have suffered nearly 100 attacks by Iran-backed terrorist organizations, despite President Biden's efforts to deter Iran from escalating Israel's war against Hamas.

The Israeli Defense Forces offered new images of what they say is the largest-ever "terror tunnel" made by Hamas in Gaza, Fox News Foreign Correspondent Try Yingst reported Monday.

The IDF says the tunnel extends to just 400 meters away from the most heavily-trafficked crossing between Israel and Gaza.

Washington State community vandalized with anti-Israel slogans across dozens of buildings: police

Police in Washington state are searching for the suspects involved in vandalizing over 50 buildings with calls for a "ceasefire" and "free Palestine."

According to a post on Facebook from the Edmonds Police Department, on Saturday morning, dozens of business owners in Edmonds reported being vandalized with calls to end the Israel-Hamas War painted in red on their windows.

"Overnight, multiple businesses downtown (several blocks near 5/Main) were tagged with posters and graffiti. The graffiti stated 'free Palestine' or 'cease fire'," police posted.

Read the full article by Stepheny Price

The Israeli Defense Forces announced the deaths of four soldiers who were killed in combat in southern Gaza as the war against Hamas terrorists continues.

• SSF Urija Bayer, 20-years-old, a combat soldier in Maglan

• SSF Liav Aloush, 21-years-old, a combat soldier in Duvdevan

• MSG (Res.) Etan Naeh, 26-years-old, a combat soldier in Duvdevan

• MSG (Res.) Tal Filiba, 23-years-old, a combat soldier in Yahalom

"The IDF expresses its deepest condolences to the families and will continue to standby them," the IDF wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Fox News' Landon Mion contributed to this report

Israel-Hamas war: IDF accuses Hezbollah of 'dragging' Lebanon into war

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari gave a press briefing about the latest developments in the Israel-Hamas war on Sunday.

During his briefing, Hagari said that Hezbollah is "increasing its attacks against Israel, firing rockets, missiles and drones, killing Israeli civilians and soldiers and displacing over 80,000 Israelis from their homes in the north."

"Since Hezbollah began its attacks, the IDF has been responding by striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon," Hagari explained.

The spokesperson then accused Hezbollah of endangering Lebanese citizens.

"Hezbollah, a proxy of Iran, is dragging Lebanon into an unnecessary war that would have devastating consequences for the people of Lebanon," he added. "This is a war that they do not deserve."

Fox News' Andrea Vacchiano contributed to this report