Gazans increasingly blame Hamas for devastation as terrorist group rejects Israeli cease-fire offer
Gazans are increasingly blaming Hamas for the suffering and destruction in Gaza in recent weeks, according to the Wall Street Journal. The sentiment came to a head Thursday when the terrorist organization rejected a hostage exchange and cease-fire offer from Israeli forces. Roughly 1.8 million Gazans have been displaced in the conflict, a majority of the region's residents.
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Israel has killed more than 2,000 ‘terrorists’ since the end of cease-fire, IDF says
Israeli forces have killed more than 2,000 “terrorists” since the end of a brief cease-fire with Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces said Thursday.
“Since the end of the operational pause on ground operations in Gaza, our forces have eliminated over 2,000 terrorists from the air, sea, and land,” IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said during a press briefing.
Hagari also said the IDF had destroyed a tunnel network in the “Hamas Elite Quarter” in the heart of Gaza City.
“This is a complex network of tunnels connecting hideout apartments to various facilities and bunkers of senior members of the Hamas terrorist organization, which we revealed to the world yesterday,” he said.
Israel and Hamas resumed military operations earlier this month after a brief pause in fighting to exchange hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
Israel is facing growing pressure from its citizens to ensure the release of the remaining hostages being held captive in Gaza. Hamas has rejected Israeli proposals for a week-long truce in exchange for hostages.
The terror group reportedly declared it will no longer discuss releasing any hostages until Israel ends its military campaign In Gaza.
House Dems include antisemitism in resolution condemning Islamophobia, Palestinian discrimination
A group of House Democrats introduced a resolution this week that condemns antisemitism, Islamophobia and "anti-Palestinian discrimination."
The bill, led by progressive Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., memorialized 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi, a Palestinian boy who was stabbed to death by his parents’ landlord in an alleged hate crime. The bill is co-sponsored by Reps. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., and Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J.
In addition to honoring him, the resolution text also included a provision saying the U.S. "has zero tolerance for hate crimes, Islamophobia, antisemitism, and anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab discrimination."
And in what appears to be a veiled jab at leftists’ pro-Israel colleagues, the resolution also stated that "it is the duty of elected officials and media to tell the truth without dehumanizing rhetoric when informing the public of factual information."
UN resolution vote on pause of Israel-Hamas war delayed
A United Nations Security Council vote on a resolution calling for a pause in fighting and a boost to humanitarian aid in Gaza was delayed once again Thursday.
The vote has been delayed a handful of time as negotiations are still ongoing in an effort to prevent a veto.
One key provision is the establishment of a monitoring mechanism to oversee the delivery of much-needed aid going into the Gaza Strip.
Currently, Israel monitors the limited aid and fuel going into Gaza from the Rafah crossing via Egypt and the Israel-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing.
“We have worked hard over course of the last week, with Egypt, to come up w a resolution we can support, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US ambassador to the U.N. told reporters Thursday. “We do have a resolution now and ready to vote on it. Humanitarian assistance for those in need; mechanism on the ground that will support it."
“I won’t share on how I will vote, but we are ready to move on humanitarian aid,” she added. The vote is slated to take place Friday.
Houthis have ‘bitten off more than they can chew’ amid Red Sea attacks, Pentagon says
An international force created to protect global shipping in the Red Sea amid a series of attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis now has more than 20 nations, the Pentagon said Thursday.
In a press briefing, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder called the Houthis “bandits” and said that "they've bitten off more than they can chew when it comes to taking on the entire international community."
Ryder described the protection force, known as Operation Prosperity Guardian, as a sort of highway patrol in the water.
The Houthis have targeted multiple commercial shipping vessels in the region with drone and missile attacks.
The last attack occurred on Monday, the day the coalition was announced.
Israeli president blames UN for lack of aid to Gaza, should do its job instead of ‘complaining’
Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Thursday said the United Nations is to blame for the small amount of humanitarian aid reaching Gaza.
Herzog said three times as much aid could be delivered to Gaza “if the UN, instead of complaining all day, would do its job.”
The U.N. closed of two border crossings into Gaza on Thursday after an Israeli airstrike killed four people there. Israel shut down nearly all the crossings into Gaza after Hamas’ unprecedented attack on Oct. 7.
“This attack has nothing to do with the issues of the dispute between us and the Palestinians,” Herzog said, “This was born out of an extreme fundamentalist view within the Islamic world, a jihadist view that does not believe in any Western and liberal ideas, and does not recognize the existence of the Jewish people here in their country.”
The Rafah gate from Egypt has stayed open. Israel opened a second crossing following international pressure.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
UN report says more than 500,000 people starving in Gaza
A United Nations report says more than 500,000 people in the Gaza Strip and “starving” and many more are at risk.
The report released Thursday by the U.N. and several nongovernmental agencies found that found that the entire population of 2.2 million Gazans are in a food crisis or worse.
“It is a situation where pretty much everybody in Gaza is hungry. More than 500,000 people, half a million people, are starving. That means that one in every four people is starving in Gaza as we speak,’’ said World Food Program chief economist Arif Husain.
The report said 478,000 people in Gaza are at crisis levels, 1.17 million are at emergency levels and 576,600 are at catastrophic — starvation — levels.
“It doesn’t get any worse,’’ Hasain said.
The U.N. is slated to vote on a resolution that calls for a pause in the fighting between Israel and Hamas and an increase in humanitarian aid. Gaza has been bombarded with airstrikes and now, military operations on the ground, following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israeli communities.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Dem Senator calls for cease-fire shortly after meeting with group pushing to cut aid to Israel
Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., called for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war just days after meeting with a group pushing for cuts to military aid to the Jewish state.
Baldwin held a meeting with World Beyond War in the second week of December, where activists reportedly pressed Baldwin to "call for a ceasefire in Israel and Palestine now, work to cut military aid to Israel, and call on Israel to lift the siege on Gaza," according to the anti-war group's website.
When asked about the meeting, Baldwin initially told the Washington Examiner, "We know that Hamas will not agree to a cease-fire. So you’re really asking Israel to unilaterally stop, and we know Hamas won’t, both through words and actions."
Despite stating Hamas will not agree to a cease-fire with Israel, Baldwin is changing her tune, saying Israel's "indiscriminate bombing and military approach has led to unacceptable bloodshed.
"Baldwin called for a cease-fire Thursday, releasing a statement saying Netanyahu's government’s actions do not "appear to be moving us closer to our ultimate goals of removing Hamas from power and achieving a lasting peace in the region through a two-state solution."
Read the full article from Joe Schoffstall and Aubrie Spady.
Canada announces temporary visas for Gazans with Canadian relatives
Canada on Thursday said residents in the Gaza Strip with Canadian relatives can apply for visas to the country.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller said he expects the program to be up and running by Jan. 9, The Associated Press reported. He added that the Canadian government can’t guarantee safe passage out of Gaza amid Israel’s war with Hamas, which controls the Palestinian territory.
The Canadian government will begin accepting applications for people with extended family connections to Canada, including parents, grandparents, siblings and grandchildren.
They will be offered three-year visas if they meet eligibility and admission criteria, Miller said.
He said he expects the number of those who will be able to come to Canada to be in the hundreds.
MSNBC's Reid claims US support for Israel’s war is like funding the Rwandan genocide
During MSNBC’s "The ReidOut" on Wednesday, host Joy Reid claimed American support for Israel’s war in Gaza is like if the U.S. "funded" and armed the Rwandan genocide.
In a discussion with former U.S. State Department official Josh Paul, Reid claimed the situation of Palestinians in Gaza dying amid U.S.-backed Israel's war against Hamas would be like if America supported the killing of almost 800,000 Tutsi people in Rwanda at the hand of the Hutu people in 1994.
She also invoked Darfur, claiming the Gaza situation is like if the U.S. funded the genocide of the Darfuri people in western Sudan.
In a discussion with former State Department official Josh Paul, Reid claimed the situation of Palestinians in Gaza dying amid U.S.-backed Israel's war against Hamas would be like if America supported the killing of almost 800,000 Tutsi people in Rwanda at the hand of the Hutu people in 1994.
She also invoked Darfur, claiming the Gaza situation is like if the U.S. funded the genocide of the Darfuri people in western Sudan.
Hamas says 'no talk about prisoners or exchange deals' until Israel stops Gaza campaign: report
The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas reportedly issued a statement Thursday declaring that there will be no more discussions about releasing the hostages it is holding until Israel stops its military campaign in Gaza.
"There is a Palestinian national decision that there should be no talk about prisoners or exchange deals except after a full cessation of aggression," the statement read, according to Ynetnews.
Separately, the deputy chairman of Hamas in Gaza, Khalil Al-Hayya, told Al Jazeera that "We want an end to the aggression, then we will go to reconstruction and construction, and then we will talk about the prisoners," The Jerusalem Post reports.
Both statements have emerged as Fox News’ Trey Yingst reported this morning that Hamas is continuing to reject Israeli officers of a weeklong cease-fire in exchange for hostages.
About 129 hostages are believed to remain in the Gaza Strip.
Read the full article by Fox News' Greg Norman
US Defense Secretary Austin speaks with French counterpart on Houthi Red Sea attacks: Pentagon
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his French counterpart Wednesday about the ongoing attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis on commercial vessels in and around the Red Sea, the Pentagon said.
Austin and Sébastian Lecornu, French minister of the armed forces, discussed how the attacks have become a serious threat to global shipping, the Pentagon said Thursday.
“Both leaders agree that the Red Sea is vital for global commerce, noting that the scale and increasing frequency of these attacks constitute a significant international problem that must be addressed,” said Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.
Ryder said the U.S. and France are both making “significant contributions to stability in the region.”
“Secretary Austin thanked France for its support to the 44-nation joint statement condemning the Houthis' illegal attacks on international shipping," he added.
Egyptian foreign minister says nations on Red Sea have responsibility to protect it
Egypt's foreign minister on Thursday said countries on the Red Sea have a responsibility to protect it as Yemen’s Houthis continue to disrupt commercial shipping with small-scale attacks.
"We continue to cooperate with many of our partners to provide suitable conditions for the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea," Sameh Shoukry added in a press conference with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron in Cairo.
The waterway has become more dangerous as the Houthis continue to initiate drone and missile attacks on commercial ships.
On Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that the United States and several other nations are creating a new force to protect ships transiting the Red Sea.
Several of attacks have damaged vessels and prompted multiple shipping companies to not enter the Bab el-Mandeb Strait until the security situation can be addressed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Biden in contact with national security team over UN resolution regarding Gaza, White House says
President Biden has been in touch with his national security team regarding a proposed United Nations resolution calling for a pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas and a substantial increase in humanitarian aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip, the White House said Thursday.
“He has been in touch with the national security team, including our team at U.N. headquarters, about how they're how they're doing this, how we're approaching this,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said during a news briefing.
He noted that there is a debate over who will conduct inspections of the aid delivered.
“I am not going to negotiate this language here from this podium. We're still actively working with our U.N. partners about the resolution and the language itself,” he said. “Israel has had, and understandably so, has had a role in the inspection regime, a key role, a pivotal role. And we understand and respect that.”
Israel, Hezbollah trade fire in attacks
Israel and Hezbollah traded fire Thursday in new exchanges on the Israeli-Lebanon border, officials said.
Several attacks were launched from Lebanon toward Israel, the Israel Defense Forces said. The IDF responded with artillery and tank fire and fighter jets.
In addition to battling Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Israel has fought a somewhat low-intensity conflict with the Lebanon-based Hezbollah since Oct. 7.
The clashes have sparked fears that the fighting could escalated into a regional war.
Israeli forces destroy network of Hamas tunnels in Gaza, IDF says
The Israel Defense Forces announced Thursday that it had destroyed a complex network of tunnels connecting apartments, offices and other locations of senior Hamas leaders.
The mission was carried out by the Yahalom combat engineering unit and the 401st brigade, the IDF said.
The tunnel for Hamas’ “Senior Quarter” was discovered Wednesday night in Gaza City, authorities said.
Boston nativity scene vandalized with ‘Jesus was Palestinian’
A Boston nativity scene was vandalized overnight and spray-painted with “Jesus was Palestinian” police said.
Video footage captured by Boston 25 shows the message in white paint on a platform that supports the three-dimensional depiction of the Nativity of Jesus.
Boston police officers responded to the scene just before 8 a.m. Thursday and the incident is being investigated. The Boston Parks Department has installed the Nativity scene on Boston Common for nearly 100 years.
This year’s display was assembled on Nov. 27, the news network reported.
The incident came after the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. was vandalized.
The message “Free Gaza” was spray-painted on the monument this week.
Both incidents come as Israel and Hamas continue to battle one another in the Gaza Strip.
Billionaire Harvard donor pulls back donations over President's antisemitism remarks
Billionaire Len Blavatnik has paused donations to Harvard University over its handling of President Claudine Gay's recent appearance before Congress.
Blavatnik and his family foundation have donated over $270 million to Harvard in the past, Bloomberg News reported Thursday. He is only the latest donor to pull back in protest after Gay refused to state that calling for the genocide of Jews would infringe on Harvard's rules against bullying and harassment.
"The problem Harvard has is that all their sources of revenue are strained," David Bergeron, a retired deputy assistant secretary in the US Education Department, told Bloomberg. "Their ability to raise money is clearly strained and their ability to leverage federal programs is potentially at risk."
Gay is facing pressure to resign amid antisemitism and mounting plagiarism accusations.
Ikea warns of product delays due to Houthi rebel attacks on ships in Red Sea
Ikea is the latest major company whose operations have been impacted by the series of attacks on trade vessels in the Red Sea by Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Inter Ikea Group told FOX Business in a statement that the situation in the Suez Canal – which connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea – will result in "delays and may cause availability constraints for certain Ikea products."
The Suez Canal is the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia. It is estimated that about 15% of world shipping traffic transits via the waterway.
The furniture giant is now being forced to evaluate "other supply options to secure the availability of our products" while it monitors the situation closely.
In the meantime, the company said it has been in "close dialogue with our transportation partners to ensure the safety of people working in the IKEA value chain and to take all the necessary precautions to keep them safe."
Read the full article by Fox News' Danielle Genovese
Israeli military claims takeover of Hamas leadership compound in Gaza City
Fox News senior foreign affairs correspondent Greg Palkot reported on Israel’s continued campaign against Hamas on Thursday, detailing IDF claims to have taken over a key Hamas leadership compound.
Palkot says the compound was located in Gaza City, the largest population center in the region and the target of much of Israel's eargy aggression.
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump visit site of Oct. 7 massacre in Israel
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump visited the site of an Israeli community ravaged by Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre on Thursday.
The surprise visit comes as Israel and the U.S. are pushing Hamas to accept a cease-fire agreement. Kushner and Trump listened to the stories of survivors from the Kfar Aza kibbutz, according to the Jerusalem Post.
“Thank you for sharing your stories with us. I just have to say it’s very humbling for me to be with you, with the heroic acts that you did,” Kushner told the residents. “What you did had made a massive difference."