Last Update

UN Security council calls for extended pause in Israel-Hamas war as IDF strikes Hamas leaders

The United Nations Security Council called for a days-long pause in fighting in Gaza on Thursday as Israeli forces continued to strike against Hamas leaders in Gaza City. Israeli forces took control of the Al-Shifa Hospital and are working to "destroy" Hamas in the region.

35Posts

incoming update…

Coverage for this event has ended.

Pinned

Israeli forces strike Islamic Jihad stronghold in Gaza, kill Hamas terrorists in school: IDF

WATCH ABOVE: Fox News' Trey Yingst reports from southern Israel Friday at noon local time.

The Israel Defense Forces said it struck an Islamic Jihad stronghold overnight Thursday during continued ground operations in Gaza.

Prior to the strike, troops raided and took over a stronghold belonging to the commander of the group's northern command area that contained senior terrorists' offices and a strategic weapons manufacturing site, according to IDF intelligence.

Israeli forces said they found heavy-weight rockets, unmanned aerial vehicles and additional weapons inside the post before the Israeli Air Force conducted a strike on it.

IDF troops also killed an undisclosed number of Hamas terrorists after entering a school in Gaza where they were hiding. "A large number of weapons" was also discovered inside the school, the IDF said.

Targeted raids continued in several areas of Gaza, revealing technological equipment, weapons caches, and additional weapons, including Kalashnikov rifles, explosive devices, grenade launchers, vests, RPGs, and anti-tank missile launchers.

Posted by Elizabeth Pritchett

Israeli child held hostage by Hamas spends 9th birthday in 'tunnels of Gaza,' father shares

Emily Hand, a young girl being held hostage by Hamas, will turn 9 years old on Friday "in the tunnels of Gaza," her grief-stricken father, Thomas Hand, told Fox News Digital in an interview this week in New York City.

"No party. No friends. She won’t even know if it’s day or night. There’s no light down there. So she won’t know it’s her birthday," Hand said.

Her birthday will be marked here in America with billboards that go on display in Times Square and Madison Square Garden in Manhattan at 8 a.m. on Friday. 

Emily was only 2½ years old when her own mother died of breast cancer and has been raised by her dad and others in their tightly knit kibbutz since then. She was at a sleepover at a friend’s house in the kibbutz of Be’eri in southern Israel when Hamas launched its Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Even at nine, she is older than many of the hostages as he youngest was just 9 months old when snatched away as a trophy of terror. 

Thomas Hand’s suffering over the past 40 days has made international headlines. He was first told in the days after the terror attack that his little girl was dead and said in one interview that he welcomed it because it was better than her being held captive and tortured by Hamas.

Officials told Hand "in all probability she's in Gaza because there was no blood in the bomb shelter and there was no blood in the house that matched Emily's DNA," he said.

Read more on Thomas Hand's hopes for his daughter here.

Fox News Digital's Kerry J. Byrne contributed to this report.

Posted by Elizabeth Pritchett

Jewish students at Columbia feeling unsafe as hundreds protest suspension of Palestinian groups

Several Jewish students at Columbia University who felt so unsafe on campus they wanted to conceal their identity said they "can't wait to graduate" as hundreds gathered to protest the school's suspension of two pro-Palestinian student groups.

"Things that are being chanted by hundreds and hundreds of students daily when we walk past the library — ‘From the river to the sea,' 'Globalize the intifada’ — these things are aggressive, violent statements," one of the Jewish students who attends Columbia Law School said.

Students wearing keffiyehs have repeatedly harassed Jewish gatherings on campus, screaming "F**k the Jews" over and over, he said.

"I was proud to be in Columbia. Now I just can't wait to graduate," he told Fox News. "I don't care much to be here. I don't feel like I want to be so involved and part of the community. It feels like there's a lot of hate."

Columbia is one of several major universities that's been criticized for its response to the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel and for high-profile antisemitic incidents on campus. Earlier this month, the Ivy League said it was establishing an antisemitism task force to address the "terribly resilient" hatred Jewish students faced on campus.

Click here to read more from Jewish students at Columbia.

Fox News Digital's Teny Sahakian contributed to this report.

Posted by Elizabeth Pritchett

Texas teacher accused of singling out Israeli highschooler after pro-Palestinian comment

A concerned parent in Texas believes her high school daughter, who is Israeli, was targeted by her teacher after antisemitic remarks were written on the board in the classroom.

Talya Hayoun, a freshman at Dickinson High School in Dickinson, Texas, told FOX 26 Houston that she walked into her English class to find the popular pro-Palestinian mantra, "No justice, no peace. Justice for Palestine," written on the white board.

Hayoun said the message was not part of a lesson and believes it was an opportunity for the teacher to share her opinion about the ongoing Israel-Hamas war with her students.

"I'm really, really scared. I'm the only Israeli at school," the teen said. "No one is Jewish over there. They made me feel guilty that I'm Jewish and that I'm from Israel."

Click here to read more about this story.

Fox News Digital's Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.

Posted by Elizabeth Pritchett

IDF says troops have delivered water, food to al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza

Israel Defense Forces said it is continuing to provide and deliver aid to people in Gaza's al-Shifa Hospital while its military conducts a "precise and targeted" operation against Hamas terrorists in the building.

Early Friday morning, the IDF posted on X, formerly Twitter, that troops delivered over 4,000 liters of water and 1,500 ready-made meals to the hospital.

"The well-being of civilians, including patients and staff, remains a priority," the force wrote.

Posted by Elizabeth Pritchett

Hamas tunnels, weapons found at hospitals, IDF says

Underground tunnels and weapons were discovered under three of the largest hospitals in the Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces said.

Tunnels were found at the Al-Shifa and Rantisi hospitals, the IDF said Friday.

Inside the Al-Quds Hospital, Israeli troops found a large amount of weaponry. An image released by the IDF shows rifles, radios, grenades and other military items in what appeared to be a hospital room.

The IDF also released video footage and images of the two unearthed tunnels.

The footage of the tunnel at Al-Shifa, Gaza’s largest hospital, shows a deep hole in the ground littered with concrete, wood rubble and sand. Israel says Hamas uses the hospitals for military purposes.

The terror group has accused the IDF of targeting hospitals with airstrikes, resulting in thousands of civilian casualties.

Posted by Louis Casiano

Pro-Palestinian protesters shut down San Francisco bridge, organ delivery delayed

Pro-Palestinian protesters shutdown a San Francisco bridge Thursday and tied up traffic, resulting in the delay of organs needed for transplant procedures at a local hospital. \

Hundreds of protesters created the traffic jam after shutting down the Bay Bridge, Fox San Francisco reported. The chaos started around 7:45 a.m. and at least 70 people were arrested and 29 cars were towed. 

At least 200 protesters chained themselves together and tossed their car keys into the bay, a move that stalled efforts to reopen the bridge and frustrated drivers. 

"This was very well planned," California Highway Patrol Officer Art Montiel told KTVU.  

The traffic jam delayed the delivery of organs slated to be used for transplants operations, a spokesperson for UCSF Health told the news outlet. 

However, the slowdown was not expected to affect the outcome for patients, the spokesperson said. 

Images show protesters holding large banner calling for an end of U.S. support to Israel and another that read: “Stop the Genocide.”      

Posted by Louis Casiano

Mugshot of California pro-Palestinian protesters accused of killing Jewish man released

California authorities released a booking photo of a California college professor accused of killing a Jewish man at concurrent pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrations earlier this month. 

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office released the image of Loay Alnaji, who was taken into custody on Thursday and charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the Nov. 5 death of Paul Kessler

Alnaji is being held at Ventura County Jail on $1 million bail. Authorities allege that Alnaji, 50, caused Kessler, a 69-year-old pro-Israel protester, to knock his head onto the concrete when he fell, which resulted in brain hemorrhaging that would kill him hours later in the hospital. 

In the weeks preceding Alnaji’s arrest, some witnesses told Fox News Digital that the pro-Palestinian protester struck Kessler with his megaphone.  

Some said he tried baiting Kessler and used the megaphone to shout into the faces of pro-Israel protesters. 

Alnaji, who was born in Kuwait, is a full-time professor teaching computer science at Ventura County Community College's Moorpark campus.

Fox News Digital's Christina Coulter contributed to this report.

Posted by Louis Casiano

Menorah in New York vandalized, sustains $2K worth of damage

A menorah display outside a Long Island, New York home was vandalized Wednesday when someone broke two of its lights, authorities said. 

Video footage released by the Nassau County Police Department shows someone walking up to the large display on the front lawn of a home at around 12:35 a.m. in Hempstead, 30 miles east of New York City. 

The suspect destroyed two lights with an unidentified object and fled on foot, police said. The act of vandalism caused around $2,000 in damage. No arrests have been made. 

The suspect was only described as an adult male who was wearing a black backpack. Authorities did say whether the incident was motivated by hate. 

Antisemitic incidents have increased in the weeks since Israel declared wars on Hamas following the terror group’s deadly Oct. 7 attack on the Jewish state. 

Pro-Palestinian rallies across the United States have seen insult directed at Jewish supporters of Israel, the burning of the Israeli flag and the tearing down of posters of Israeli captives being held in the Gaza Strip.  

Posted by Louis Casiano

Iranian proxies continue targeting US troops in Syria and Iraq, with a total of 58 since Oct. 17: Pe

Iranian proxies have committed 58 attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria since Oct. 17, the Pentagon said Thursday. 

Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters during a briefing that 27 of the attacks took place in Iraq, while the other 31 were in Syria. Seven of the attacks in Syria have occurred since Sunday. 

Singh was asked if the Pentagon was waiting for a U.S. servicemember to be killed before taking a stronger stance or more effective action against the proxies. 

"I mean, we would never want to see that. We would never want that to be the outcome of any attack," Singh replied. "We’re not waiting on something to act. We are…we have responded, and if there are more attacks, we will certainly respond at a time and place of our choosing." 

She noted the action taken by the USS Thomas Hudner, an Arleigh Burke-Class destroyer, which shot down a drone from Yemen in the Red Sea on Wednesday. 

Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner contributed to this report.

The drone was heading toward the warship when it was shot it down. It was the latest drone attack in a series of attacks on American troops stationed in the Middle East amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

Posted by Louis Casiano

IDF says hidden booby-trapped vehicle, weapons found in Gaza hospital complex

Israeli troops discovered a hidden booby-trapped vehicle inside the complex of a Hamas-run hospital in Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces said Thursday. 

In a video posted to X, the IDF said the vehicle contained AK-47 rifles, grenades, RPGs, sniper rifles and other explosives. 

“This is what Hamas is trying to hide from you,” an IDF spokesperson said in the footage. 

Near the vehicle were weapons, ammunition and other items, including handcuffs and knives displayed on the ground, the IDF said. 

“And where they’re hiding all this equipment is in the hospital,” the spokesperson said. “A place that’s supposed to be for humanitarian aid. They have all this evil hidden here.”

“This is where they choose to hide everything because they know the IDF won’t attack, the air force won’t attack here," he added. "They use the hospital as human shields."

Israel has long claimed tat Hamas has used hospitals and other sensitive locations as cover to conceal its military operations. 

On Tuesday, John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council, said that intelligence supports Israel's claims about Hamas activities in hospitals.  

"I can confirm for you that we have information that Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad use some hospitals in the Gaza Strip, including al-Shifa, and tunnels underneath them, to conceal and to support their military operations and to hold hostages," Kirby told reporters on Air Force One. 

Posted by Louis Casiano

IDF chief of staff says Israel close to ‘destroying’ Hamas’ military system in Gaza’s north

The chief of staff for the Israel Defense Forces on Thursday credited his troops with moving closer to destroying Hamas’ “military system” amid its weeks-long campaign against the terror group. 

Herzi Halevi visited soldiers on the ground inside the Gaza Strip, where he spoke of Israel’s response to Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israeli border communities. 

“As the campaign move forwards, with what you have done here with these battalions, Division 36 and 252, we are quite close to destroying the (Hamas) military system that existed in the north of the Gaza Strip,” he said, according to a press release. “We will complete it, we still have some things to do, but we are getting closer.” 

He said the IDF will continue its military operations and that “as much as it depends on us, area after area, we're going to kill the commanders and kill the operatives and destroy the infrastructure.” 

“You have done it excellently so far, take what you've learned so far - for almost three weeks, and do it even better,” Halevi added. 

Israel has battered Gaza with continuous airstrikes in the weeks since the attack, resulting in thousands dead and an escalating humanitarian crisis.   

Posted by Louis Casiano

Kirby suggests it's unlikely Hamas' ideology will be eliminated

It’s highly unlikely that Israeli military operations will eliminate the ideology of Hamas, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby suggested Thursday. 

Israel has pummeled the Gaza Strip for six weeks with airstrikes as Israeli leaders have vowed to eliminate the terror group

"What we have learned through our own experiences ... through military and other means, you can absolutely have a significant impact on [a] terrorist group's ability to resource itself, to train fighters, to recruit fighters, to plan and to execute attacks," Kirby said Thursday during a briefing. 

He noted that Hamas leaders have repeatedly said they plan to attack Israel for the foreseeable future.

Military operations against a particular group, no matter how precise and targeted, cannot eliminate an idea, he said, citing the defeat of other terror groups in recent years. 

"I mean, look at the shadow of itself that ISIS is right now, look at the shadow of itself that al Qaeda is right now. That doesn't mean that the ideology also withers away and dies," he said. "But you can absolutely have a practical, meaningful effect on a terrorist organization's ability to conduct and execute its attacks." 

Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report. 

Posted by Louis Casiano

Israeli forces release video of tunnel near Gaza hospital

Israel released video footage that purportedly shows part of a tunnel on the grounds of a hospital complex in Gaza

The tunnel was near the Al-Shifa hospital, which Israel has said is used by Hamas to plan attacks and military operations. 

On Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces released footage showing weapons and military equipment inside the hospital, which has shelter thousands of civilians amid Israeli shelling. 

Israeli officials claim that the facility is being used as cover by Hamas terrorists and that the group has set up its main command center underneath the building.   

"A few of the most interesting things that we found totally confirms, without any doubt, that Hamas systematically uses hospitals in their military operations, in violation of international law," IDF Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said as he walked through an MRI building at the hospital. 

Fox News' Trey Yingst contributed to this report.

Posted by Louis Casiano

Shelling ramps up at Israel-Lebanon border with Hezbollah, IDF trading missile strikes: report

The Israel Defense Forces and Lebanon-based Hezbollah have ramped up shelling against each other as both sides continue to trade airstrikes.

Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, said it has struck eight targets so far in Israel on Thursday, including Israeli soldiers and a military barracks, "in support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip," according to Reuters.   

In response, the IDF said it hit a site in Lebanon that has tried launching anti-tank missiles toward its territory and that artillery strikes have been directed at other locations, the news agency adds.  

Israel’s counterattack has impacted several villages along Lebanon’s southern border, a source told Reuters. There were no reported injuries. Both sides have repeatedly traded airstrikes since Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israeli border communities. 

Since Hamas launched its war on Israel, more than 70 Hezbollah fighters and 10 civilians have been killed in shelling in Lebanon, Reuters reports.  

Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report. 

Posted by Louis Casiano

IDF soldiers recover body of Hamas hostage found near Al-Shifa Hospital

Israeli Defense Forces say they found the body of a hostage taken in Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Thursday.

Israeli forces say they found Yehudit Weiss' body in a building adjacent to the Al-Shifa Hospital, which Israel says Hamas had been using as a headquarters until early this week. The IDF did not offer any details about Weiss beyond her name, but noted that her family has been contacted.

Soldiers searching the building say they also found military equipment including Kalashnikov rifles and RPG's inside.

Weiss was one of roughly 240 people taken hostage by Hamas duirng its Oct. 7 massacre in Israel. She is now among a small number of hostages confirmed to have been killed since Israel's war on Hamas began.

Fox News' Dana Karni contributed to this report

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Pro-Palestinian protesters block bridges in Boston, San Francisco during rush hour

Pro-Palestinian protesters blocked traffic on bridges in Boston and San Francisco during rush hour Thursday morning to call for a cease-fire in Gaza as Israel continues to target Hamas leadership more than a month after the militant group’s deadly incursion into Israel.

On the Boston University bridge, the group IfNotNow, which says it represents members of Boston’s Jewish community, chanted "Cease-fire now!" and demanded that Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., support an immediate cease-fire and use her influence to stop the Israeli government’s military action in Gaza. 

The protest slowed traffic to a trickle on the bridge, which connects Boston and Cambridge, as the group held signs that said, "Let Gaza Live," and unfurled a banner across the roadway that read, "Jews say: Ceasefire now."

"We care about Palestinian lives, we only want to hurt Hamas," one protester on the bridge told NBC Boston, while another said, "There can’t be peace for Jews unless there is peace for Palestinians."

Meanwhile, Pro-Palestinian protesters also shut down the Bay Bridge in San Francisco, where President Biden was courting world leaders at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. 

Fox News' Stephen Sorace contributed to this report

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Republicans blast pro-Palestinian protests at DNC: ‘Nation’s capital is under siege’

Republicans shared their thoughts on the violent protests outside the Democratic National Committee (DNC) on Wednesday night that saw U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officers pepper sprayed by protesters.

The Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C., saw fireworks on Wednesday night when pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with police in front of the DNC.

Republicans weighed in on the protests online, with Florida Rep. Kat Cammack posting a video of the protest while she was on Capitol Hill.

"I am on Capitol Hill right now and it’s on lockdown," Cammack wrote. "No getting in or out of our offices."

"We have officers that were pepper sprayed by pro-Hamas protestors with a lot of people attempting to break into the Democratic HQ," she continued. "Anyone else notice how violent the so-called ‘ceasefire’ crowd is?"

Fox News' Houston Keene contributed to this report

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

The Guardian removes Osama bin Laden's ‘Letter to America’ after TikTok unearths pro-terror screed

The Guardian removed Osama bin Laden's infamous "Letter to America" this week as the words of the terrorist mastermind behind the attacks of September 11, 2001, went viral after being unearthed by social media users.

The left-wing outlet had the anti-American and antisemitic letter published on its website since 2002 and was the first Google search result when searching for the document. But the publication deleted bin Laden's letter amid a sudden spike in traffic.

A spokesperson for The Guardian told Fox News Digital, "The transcript published on our website 20 years ago has been widely shared on social media without the full context. Therefore we have decided to take it down and direct readers to the news article that originally contextualized it instead."

The Guardian declined additional comment.

The 9/11 attacks killed nearly 3,000 people, with many thousands more injured and suffering from long-term illnesses, after Islamic terrorists crashed four hijacked airliners into the World Trade Center, Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania; the latter was forced down by heroic passengers. In the letter to the American people translated in English, bin Laden justified al-Qaeda's attacks against the U.S. because "you attacked us" and "you attacked us in Palestine."

"Palestine, which has sunk under military occupation for more than 80 years. The British handed over Palestine, with your help and your support, to the Jews, who have occupied it for more than 50 years; years overflowing with oppression, tyranny, crimes, killing, expulsion, destruction and devastation," bin Laden alleged. 

Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Suspect arrested in death of pro-Israel demonstrator Paul Kessler

California police have arrested Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji, 50, in relation to the death of Jewish man Paul Kessler at an Israel protest last week.

Alnaji has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and has a bail set at $1,000,000. The arrest comes roughly a week after Kessler, 69, died in the hospital after striking his head on the concrete during an altercation with Alnaji.

Footage showed Kessler bleeding on the ground following the incident. Alnaji, a pro-Palestinian protester had allegedly manhandled Kessler and caused him to fall.

The Ventura County Sheriff's Department stated last week that they had identified a 50-year-old suspect in the case, but they had not yet identified him nor made an arrest.

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

AOC leads two dozen Democrats calling for Israel cease-fire over 'violations against children'

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is leading renewed calls for President Biden to support a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas over the "grave violations" being committed against children in the war. 

"We write to you to express deep concern about the intensifying war in Gaza, particularly grave violations against children, and our fear that without an immediate cessation of hostilities and the establishment of a robust bilateral ceasefire, this war will lead to a further loss of civilian life and risk dragging the United States into dangerous and unwise conflict with armed groups across the Middle East," the progressive lawmaker wrote.

She and 23 other progressives wrote to Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday, asking for details on the U.S. plan to de-escalate tension in the region. 

They cited figures from both Israel and the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza about how many children have been killed or abducted since Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing hundreds of civilians.

Israel has responded by bombarding Gaza with rocket fire and a ground invasion.

"We reaffirm our unequivocal condemnation of the Hamas attacks on Israel that took place on October 7th, in which Hamas killed over 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals, and captured over 200 hostages, who were subsequently taken to Gaza," the Democrats wrote.

Fox News' Erik Hoffman contributed to this report

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Massachusetts town flying Palestinian flag sparks backlash from residents, Jewish congregation

A local Jewish leader spoke out on "FOX & Friends" Thursday after his Massachusetts town approved a permit to allow a Palestinian flag to fly in town.

Marc Freedman, president of Congregation Ahavat Olam in North Andover, said the flag was now a "symbol of antisemitism" following the Oct. 7 attacks. 

"It is a symbol to just eliminate the entire Jewish population," he said. 

Town officials approved a permit Monday allowing the Palestinian flag to be flown on the North Andover Town Common. 

"I think they're just a bunch of cowards. They took a legal initiative, a legal statement from council that said you need to follow specific guidelines and must raise this flag, when in their hearts, in their hearts, I know every single one of them did not want to raise their flag," he said. 

He said the council put personal concerns ahead of the town and added, "that's not what leadership does."

Fox News' Hanna Panreck contributed to this report

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

IDF footage shows Hamas rockets stashed under child's bed inside Gaza terrorist's home

Israeli Defense Forces released footage of troops searching the home of a Hamas terrorist in Gaza and uncovering a stash of rockets hidden under a young child's bed on Thursday.

IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari says the rockets and other weapons found inside the home were destroyed soon afterward. Footage shows an Israeli soldier walking past a pink "baby girl" sign before revealing several rockets inside a compartment in the bed.

"Rockets were found inside a bed in the children's bedroom inside the house of a Hamas terrorist during operational activity carried out by the troops of the 551st Brigade. The terrorist was a part of a Hamas terrorist cell in Beit Hanoun," Hagari said in a statement.

"During the operational activity, the troops uncovered a significant amount of weapons including rockets, explosive devices, and dozens of kilos of explosives. The weapons were subsequently destroyed by the forces," he added.

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Information, photos about Hamas hostages found on laptop inside hospital: IDF

Israeli Defense Forces uncovered information about hostages taken by Hamas on a laptop found inside the Al-Shifa Hospital on Thursday.

Israel says the laptop had photos and videos taken of hostages after the Oct. 7th massacre in Israel. Israeli forces say evidence indicates Hamas was using Al-Shifa Hospital as a base of operations “within the last few days."

“At the end of the day, this is just the tip of the iceberg,” Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus told the BBC. “Hamas aren’t here because they saw we were coming. This is probably what they were forced to leave behind. Our assessment is that there’s much more.”

Fox News' foreign correspondent Trey Yings and cameraman Yaniv Turgeman visited the hospital with Israeli special forces early Thursday.

Israel says Hamas took some 239 hostages on Oct. 7, though the U.S. has said there is no way to know how many of those are still alive.

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

TikTok influencer goes viral for promoting Osama bin Laden's 'Letter to America'

A TikTok influencer went viral this week for promoting Osama bin Laden's "Letter to America."

Online personality and pro-Palestinian activist Lynette Adkins urged her over 175,000 TikTok followers on Tuesday to read the words of the terrorist mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks. 

"I need everyone to stop what they're doing right now and go read- It's literally two pages. Go read 'A Letter to America," Adkins said the video. "And please come back here and just let me know what you think because I feel like I'm going through, like, an existential crisis right now and a lot of people are, so I just need someone else to be feeling this."

Her video received roughly 800,000 views and over 80,000 likes on TikTok.

Fox News' Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Hamas weapons found in Gaza hospital during IDF raid

Fox News Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst and cameraman Yaniv Turgeman went inside the Al-Shifa hospital with Israeli special forces on Thursday, sharing images of weapons found inside the complex.

Israeli forces say the weapons are evidence that Hamas had used the facility--and tunnel systems under it--as a base of operations.

Footage from Yingst and Turgeman's visit showed rifles stashed behind an MRI machine as well as other supplies.

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Biden says war in Gaza won't end until there's a Palestinian state

President Biden says he thinks Israel's military operation in Gaza will stop when Hamas "no longer maintains the capacity to murder, abuse, and do horrific things to the Israelis."

Speaking at a press conference after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Biden called on the Israeli military to exercise caution as they pursue Hamas military targets near civilian infrastructure. He said the Israel Defense Forces has "an obligation to use as much caution as they can in going after their targets."

However, he added, "Hamas said they plan to attack Israelis again and this is terrible dilemma."

Biden and his administration have remained steadfast in support for Israel's ongoing war against Hamas. U.S. officials have strongly condemned the Oct. 7 terror attacks on Israel, in which Hamas terrorists infiltrated the Jewish state and massacred as many as 1,200 people, taking some 240 back to Gaza as hostages. Other world leaders have condemned Israel's military actions in Gaza, specifically attacks on hospitals and other civilian infrastructure, pointing to the staggering death toll figures released by the Hamas-led Gaza Health Ministry. Israel has said, and the White House confirmed, that Hamas uses Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest in Gaza City, as a military base to store weapons and plan terrorist attacks. 

The U.S. government has rejected calls for a cease-fire in the conflict, insisting that Israel has a right to defend itself. At the same time, the Biden administration has pressured Israel to allow short-term pauses in the fighting so humanitarian aid, including food and medical supplies, can be delivered to the Palestinians living in Gaza. 

Fox News' Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Israeli military gains 'operational control' over Gaza harbor used by Hamas

Israeli Defense Forces have gained "operational control" over the Harbor in Gaza city, previously a Hamas stronghold.

The IDF announced its successful oepration in the harbor on Thursday, saying Hamas had used the area to train maritime forces.

"The IDF has gained operational control over the Hamas-operated Gaza Harbor," The IF wrote in a statement. "Disguised as a civilian area, the harbor was used by Hamas as a training facility for their naval commando forces to plan and execute terrorist attacks."

"During the operation, conducted by soldiers of the 188th Armored Corps' Brigade and Flotilla 13, numerous terrorist tunnel entrances and terrorist infrastructures were destroyed," the statement continued.

Israel has conducted a relentless campaign against Hamas terrorists cells in Gaza City. The terrorist group has maintained a labyrinth of tunnels beneath the population center.

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Hamas reportedly agrees to tentative deal to free dozens of hostages

Hamas has agreed to release dozens of hostages from Gaza under terms of a tentative deal that the Israeli government is now considering, the Washington Post reported Thursday.

While the exact terms of the deal remain unclear, it is believed to involve the release of some Palestinian prisoners held in Israel in addition to a multi-day pause in fighting in Gaza. The deal may already have been rejected, however.

Hamas terrorists took up to 240 hostages during their Oct. 7 massacre inside Israel. That number includes 10 Americans and many other foreign nationals who were in Israel.

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

UN rights chief calls for international investigation into alleged Israel-Hamas war crimes

UN human rights chief Volker Turk appeared to call for an international investigation into alleged war crimes commited by Israel in its war against Hamas on Thursday.

Turk made the comments after returning from a visit to the Middle East, though he was not allowed to access Israel or Gaza. The official condemned Israel's treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank and argued that some in Israel have no qualms about killing civilians.

"Extremely serious allegations of multiple and profound breaches of international humanitarian law, whoever commits them, demand rigorous investigation and full accountability," he said during a U.N. briefing in Geneva, going on to decry the "intensification of violence and severe discrimination agaisnt Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem."

"It is apparent that on both sides, some view the killing of civilians as either acceptable or collateral, or a deliberate and useful weapon of war," he continued.

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Driver rams barrier at Israeli embassy in Tokyo, injures police officer

Police in Tokyo arrested a lone driver who rammed his vehicle into a barrier outside the Israeli embassy on Thursday.

Israeli ambassador to Japan Gilad Cohen confirmed the incident in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Japanese police say they arrested the suspect, a 53-year-old man who was suspected to be a member of a "right-wing organization."

A police officer outside the embassy received minor injuries in the incident.

"Shocked by the suspected vehicular ramming attack on a police officer on guard near the Israeli embassy in Tokyo. This matter is under investigation by the local police. I would like to express gratitude to the Japanese government and Tokyo Police for their commitment to ensuring our security. Wishing a speedy recovery to the injured police officer," Cohen wrote on social media.

Reuters contributed to this report

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Top media outlet marred by string of retractions and apologies related to Israel-Hamas war

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has been blemished with a string of apologies and retractions related to stories detailing developments in the Israel-Hamas war.

England's premiere outlet, which celebrated its 100th anniversary last year, is the oldest and largest local and global broadcaster and has been heralded as an integral source of worldwide news.

But the broadcaster's reputation has been questioned in recent weeks after a series of inaccurate news reports led critics and social media users to wonder why the BBC's mistakes erred on behalf of Hamas and Palestinians.

On Tuesday, BBC News Channel aired a report that claimed Israeli forces had descended on Al Shifa hospital in Gaza and targeted "medical teams and Arab speakers" inside.

While reports did indicate the IDF had entered the hospital, no reports corroborated the claim that soldiers had targeted those inside.

The error led the BBC to issue an on-air apology, retraction and a written statement.

"As BBC News covered initial reports that Israeli forces had entered Gaza's main hospital, we said that 'medical teams and Arab speakers' were being targeted. This was incorrect and misquoted a Reuters report," the BBC said. "We should have said IDF forces included medical teams and Arabic speakers for this operation. We apologize for this error, which fell below our usual editorial standards." 

Fox News' Nicholas Lanum contributed to this report

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Chicago college professor justifies Hamas attack 'after 75 years of Israeli white supremacy'

A Chicagoland sociology professor sent a mass email to her students and department colleagues attempting to rally support for Palestinians who she claims have faced "75 years of Israeli White supremacy."

Brooke Johnson, an associate professor and sociology department coordinator at Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU), argued "As critical sociologists we are trained to analyze power and inequality in society" and that "this importantly comes with the responsibility to speak up when we witness harm, injustice, and violence," stressing "What is currently happening in Palestine is one of those moments." 

"After 75 years of Israeli White supremacy, including displacement, human rights violations, and systemic violence, Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th which resulted in 1400 deaths and 240 hostages," Johnson wrote in a Nov. 8 email obtained by Fox News Digital. "Israel is now collectively punishing Palestinians. The Palestinian death toll from Israeli airstrikes exceeds 10,000, and almost half of these are children. This number increases daily as airstrikes continue; water, food and medical aid are cut off; and demands for a humanitarian cease-fire increase."

One student who received the email was left "really upset" by what Johnson wrote, calling the accusations she made against Israel including being guilty of "White supremacy" as "just not true."

"I called my mom and I started crying," the student, who did not wish to be identified, told Fox News Digital. 

The student accused Johnson of "justifying" the Oct. 7 attack.

Fox News Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Pro-Palestinian protest erupts in violence outside DNC headquarters, Capitol police injured

Police in the nation's capital responded to the Democratic National Committee's headquarters Wednesday evening as pro-Palestinian demonstrators grew violent while calling for an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war.

About 150 people were "illegally and violently protesting" near the DNC headquarters building in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C., according to U.S. Capitol Police.

Six Capitol police officers were injured during the clash on Wednesday evening, according to the agency. Their injuries stemmed from minor cuts, pepper spray burns and punches thrown by protesters who turned violent alongside peaceful protesters.

Videos on social media showed protesters shoving police officers and trying to hold on to metal barricades at the DNC headquarters while officers attempted to remove them.

Capitol police and the Metropolitan Police Department, who also responded to the protest, did not immediately confirm to Fox News Digital how many arrests were made at the event.

Protesters included members of "If Not Now" and "Jewish Voice for Peace." Both organizations have organized other demonstrations in Washington D.C. since Hamas' unprecedented Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Fox News Digital's Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Adam Sabes, Kelley Kramer and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Israeli Air Force strikes home of Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas' Political Bureau: IDF

The Israel Defense Forces said Thursday its air force conducted a strike on the home of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

Haniyeh, who is the head of Hamas' Political Bureau, is accused of using his residence in Gaza as terrorist infrastructure and a meeting point for Hamas' senior leaders to direct attacks on Israel.

It's not clear if anyone was killed in the strike as Haniyeh lives in Qatar, according to the Times of Israel.

Fox News Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report

Posted by Anders Hagstrom

Live Coverage begins here