Israel Defense Forces trade fire with Hezbollah as Israel faces rockets from Hamas

An Israeli soldier celebrated his wedding Tuesday, a little over a week after he was wounded battling Hamas terrorists and his younger brother was declared missing in action.

Amid grief and uncertainty, Yonatan and Galya Tzvi, both 24, tied the knot in a scaled-down ceremony that had been planned months before Hamas terrorists stormed into Israel Oct. 7 and slaughtered more than 1,400 people.

"It was obviously a very bittersweet wedding and there were tears," the groom's father, Rabbi Doron Perez, told Fox News Digital. "But somehow we were able to celebrate, and it was also very happy."

When fighting broke out, Yonatan, a soldier in a paratrooper brigade, was dispatched to Sderot then to an army base in Nahal Oz, less than two miles from the border with Gaza.

Hamas terrorists had breached the security fence and taken over the army base.

Yonatan's 22-year-old brother Daniel, a tank commander, happened to be stationed there when fighting broke out.

"When [Yonatan] went into the base, some of the tanks were missing. He knew where Daniel’s tank was parked, and it wasn't there," Doron said.

Fox News' Rebecca Rosenberg contributed to this report.

Two astronauts aboard the International Space Station told Fox News their view of Earth without borders and living alongside people from other nations has helped them feel a sense of unity, even as the Israel-Hamas war rages.

"One of the things we experience up here is a different perspective of the world of our planet," European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen told Fox News. "A lot of people call it the overview effect."

"We see the Earth as a single planet that we all share together," he continued. "You don't see borders between countries, and so you get an idea that perhaps borders are something artificial."

Though astronauts may not be able to differentiate between different countries from space, territorial border disputes over the Gaza Strip between Palestinians and Israelis have been ongoing for decades. After Hamas — the ruling party in Gaza — invaded Israel and murdered over 1,400 Israelis on Oct. 7, the Jewish nation declared war on the Islamic terrorist group and launched retaliatory strikes.

"There's much more that unifies us," NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbel told Fox News. "In addition to seeing our Earth from the very unique vantage point that we have, we also have a very international crew up here."

Fox News' Jon Michael Raasch and Matt Leach contributed to this report.

Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he would rescind student visas of foreign nationals in the U.S. and send them back to their home countries if they expressed support for Hamas terrorists' attack against Israel.

Speaking at a campaign event in Iowa on Friday, the White House hopeful discussed his plans to remove Hamas-supporting foreign nationals attending U.S. colleges and universities from the country as many pro-Palestinian student groups at various institutions across the nation release statements and organize demonstrations endorsing Hamas' largest attack against Israel in decades.

"You see students demonstrating in our country in favor of Hamas," DeSantis said. "Remember, some of them are foreigners."

DeSantis said he will be "canceling your visa, and I’m sending you home" if he wins the presidency in 2024.

More than 5,700 people have been killed in Gaza and Israel since Hamas' attack against Israel on October 7, leading to retaliatory action from Israeli forces. Thousands more have been wounded, and many others have been taken hostage by Hamas and raped, tortured and murdered.

Former Israel-based NBC News correspondent Martin Fletcher reacted to the news Friday that two of his wife's relatives who had been taken hostage by Hamas were released.

"My wife has been in touch with her family directly in Israel," Fletcher said Friday on MSNBC. "And she's been told that the hostages are now with the Red Cross in Israel. And that's as much as we know."

"Obviously a huge sigh of relief," Fletcher later said, "and at the same time concerned that there's so many more hostages. And the question being, is this the beginning of a prisoner swap of some kind?"

Fletcher explained that the American mother and daughter Judith and Natalie Raanan of Evanston, Ill., are distant cousins of his wife but that they are part of a "tight-knit family."

"I can tell you one thing, the family's rallied around them in an extraordinary manner hoping that this would happen. And the fact that it actually happened as a miracle," Fletcher said.

The veteran journalist, who previously served as NBC News' Tel Aviv bureau chief, speculated that Hamas "suddenly" releasing two American hostages could indicate a "calculated" decision about a potential prisoner swap. 

However, Fletcher also revealed he still has a relative among the remaining hostages as his family buried another relative who was murdered in the Oct. 7 attacks.

Fox News' Gabriel Hays and Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced steps to increase the posture of the armed forces after recent escalations by Iran in the Middle East and Hamas terrorists' attack on Israel.

"Following detailed discussions with President Biden on recent escalations by Iran and its proxy forces across the Middle East Region, today I directed a series of additional steps to further strengthen the Department of Defense posture in the region," Austin wrote in a statement. "These steps will bolster regional deterrence efforts, increase force protection for U.S. forces in the region, and assist in the defense of Israel."

This comes after more than 5,700 people have been killed in Gaza and Israel since Hamas terrorists launched their largest attack against Israel in decades on October 7, leading to retaliatory action from Israeli forces. Thousands more have been wounded, and many others have been taken hostage by Hamas and raped, tortured and murdered.

"First, I redirected the movement of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group to the Central Command area of responsibility," Austin wrote. "This carrier strike group is in addition to the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, which is currently operating in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. It will further increase our force posture and strengthen our capabilities and ability to respond to a range of contingencies."

"I have also activated the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery as well as additional Patriot battalions to locations throughout the region to increase force protection for U.S. forces," he continued. "Finally, I have placed an additional number of forces on prepare to deploy orders as part of prudent contingency planning, to increase their readiness and ability to quickly respond as required."

The secretary concluded, "I will continue to assess our force posture requirements in the region and consider deploying additional capabilities as necessary."

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

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Saturday and thanked them for their efforts in securing the release of two American hostages by Hamas.

"Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Secretary Blinken thanked Prime Minister Al Thani for Qatar’s important assistance in securing the release of two Americans held hostage by Hamas. They discussed efforts to secure the immediate and safe return of all hostages and reaffirmed the strategic partnership between the United States and Qatar," a readout of the call states.

The United States drafted a United Nations Security Council resolution stating that Israel has the right to defend itself and also calls for Iran to stop exporting arms to "militias and terrorist groups threatening peace and security across the region."

According to Reuters, the draft text calls for protecting civilians and states that nations must comply with international law when responding to terrorist attacks. It also urges the  "continuous, sufficient and unhindered" aid delivery to the Gaza Strip.

It's unknown when or if the United States will put the resolution up for a vote.

The draft resolution comes after the U.S. vetoed a Brazilian resolution on Wednesday that called for humanitarian pauses in the Israel-Hamas war to allow aid into Gaza.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Arab and Western representatives failed to agree on a statement condemning Hamas for the terrorist attack on Oct 7, according to the Times of Israel.

Lior Haiat, spokesperson for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign affairs, blasted the summit in a post on X.

"Saturday, October 7th, was a wakeup call to the world to fight terrorism together. The Islamist terror threat does not only endanger Israel, it endangers the states of the region and the whole world," Haiat said. "It is unfortunate that even when faced with those horrific atrocities, there were some who had difficulty condemning terrorism or acknowledging the danger. Israel will do what it has to do and expects the international community to recognize the righteous battle."

According to Reuters, Arab leaders at the summit condemned Israel's response to the attack.

President Biden was briefed on developments in Israel and Gaza on Saturday, according to the White House.

"President Biden was briefed this afternoon by his national security team via phone on the latest developments in Israel and Gaza. Participants in the briefing include Chief of Staff Jeff Zients, Secretary of State Tony Blinken, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer," a White House spokesperson said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni held a private meeting on Saturday.

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently holding a private meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the Kirya in Tel Aviv. They will later hold an expanded meeting," the Israeli PM's office wrote in a post on X.

Dozens of Hollywood A-listers composed an open letter addressed to President Biden this week urging him and other world leaders to push for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

Celebrities including Academy Award winner Joaquin Phoenix, actress Cate Blanchett, comedian Jon Stewart, and 52 others signed the letter calling for peace between the Israeli and Palestinian people. 

As noted in Variety, their letter stated, "We ask that, as President of the United States, you call for an immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Gaza and Israel before another life is lost. More than 5,000 people have been killed in the last week and a half – a number any person of conscience knows is catastrophic. We believe all life is sacred, no matter faith or ethnicity and we condemn the killing of Palestinian and Israeli civilians."

The letter continued, "We urge your administration, and all world leaders, to honor all of the lives in the Holy Land and call for and facilitate a ceasefire without delay – an end to the bombing of Gaza, and the safe release of hostages."

As of Friday, there are 203 Israelis still held hostage by Hamas militants since the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel. Eleven Americans are still unaccounted for since the attack, most likely captured by the terror group.

Other celebrities who signed the letter to the Biden administration include actors Kristen Stewart, Susan Sarandon, Riz Ahmed, and Mahershala Ali.

They added, "As of this writing more than 6,000 bombs have been dropped on Gaza in the last 12 days — resulting in one child being killed every 15 minutes."

The non-profit organization "Artist 4 Ceasefire" put together the message and asked UNICEF spokesperson James Elder to add a comment, which stressed the humanitarian crisis that Israel is inflicting on Palestinians in Gaza as the nation builds it war effort against Hamas.

Elder wrote, "Children and families in Gaza have practically run out of food, water, electricity, medicine and safe access to hospitals, following days of air strikes and cuts to all supply routes. Gaza’s sole power plant ran out of fuel Wednesday afternoon, shutting down electricity, water and wastewater treatment."

"The humanitarian situation has reached lethal lows, and yet all reports point to further attacks. Compassion — and international law — must prevail," he added. 

Other prominent U.K. actors have called out Israel for exacerbating the current crisis. Actress Tilda Swinton and others – under the banner "Artists for Palestine UK" – signed a letter accusing world governments allied with Israel of "aiding and abetting" the Jewish state’s "war crimes" in Israel. 

Recently actress Juliana Margulies took a strong stance of support for Israel following the deadly attack earlier this month, blasting those in Hollywood who are not speaking out against the current wave of antisemitism.

Commenting on this alleged silence, Margulies told Variety, "I don’t understand. It is shocking."

Fox News Digital reached out to Artists 4 Ceasefire for comment on the letter, though the organization has yet to respond.

Fox News' Gabriel Hays contributed to this update.

President Biden said that the first convoy of humanitarian assistance was delivered to the Gaza Strip.

"Today, the first convoy of humanitarian assistance since Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attack on Israel crossed the border into Gaza and reached Palestinians in need.  The opening of this essential supply route was the result of days of diplomatic engagement at the highest levels. I made it clear from the outset of this crisis--in both my public statements and private conversations--that humanitarian assistance was a critical and urgent need that had to get moving, and I express my deep personal appreciation for the leadership of President Al-Sisi of Egypt, Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel, and the United Nations to allow the resumption of this assistance," Biden said in a statement.

"The United States remains committed to ensuring that civilians in Gaza will continue to have access to food, water, medical care, and other assistance, without diversion by Hamas. We will continue to work with all parties to keep the Rafah crossing in operation to enable the continued movement of aid that is imperative to the welfare of the people of Gaza, and to continue working to protect civilians, consistent with obligations under international humanitarian law," he added. "We also continue to work around the clock, in partnership with Egypt and Israel, to facilitate the ability of U.S. citizens and their immediate family members to exit Gaza safely and travel via Egypt to their final destinations."

A spokesperson for Israel's military says it will increase attacks on the Gaza Strip beginning Saturday to prepare for the next stage of the war with Hamas.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told reporters that its trying to create optimal conditions for a possible ground invasion

“We will deepen our attacks to minimize the dangers to our forces in the next stages of the war. We are going to increase the attacks, from today,” Hagari said.

Hagari also repeated calls for Gaza City residents to move south for their safety.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is calling for an international peace summit to end the violence between Israel and Hamas. 

Speaking at a conference in Cairo on Saturday, Abbas reiterated his “complete rejection of the killing of civilians on both sides.” He also urged the “release of all civilians, prisoners, and detainees,” likely alluding to some 210 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and the Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Abbas leads the Palestinian Authority, a government exercising semi-autonomous control in the West Bank. The government is deeply loathed among Palestinians, who view it as corrupt and collaborationist with Israel.

Hamas, which the State Department designates a terrorist group, seized control of the Palestinian Authority in the Gaza Strip in 2007 and is widely supported in the West Bank.

Other Arab leaders spoke at the Cairo conference, calling for more humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza and condemning Israel's bombardment of the Palestinian territory.

Jordan's King Abdullah accused Israel of committing war crimes by targeting civilian infrastructure. Israel has said Hamas uses Palestinian civilians as human shields and that anywhere where rockets are being launched is a legitimate military target. 

The office of Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sissi said the international response to Israel's "killing of innocent people" has fallen short.

“While we see one place officials rushing and competing to promptly condemn the killing of innocent people, we find incomprehensible hesitation in denouncing the same act in another place,” it said in reference to fierce Western condemnation of Hamas’ attack on Israel and a weaker reaction to Palestinian suffering.

The Associated Press contributed to this update.

HBO host Bill Maher skewered America’s Ivy League universities Friday night, accusing them of being hotbeds of "indoctrination" after many student groups have been hammering Israel in the wake of Hamas’ deadly attack against that country.

Citing antisemitic rallies and statements cropping up in academia following the attack, the "Real Time with Bill Maher" host advised that young people should avoid attending these schools.

At the outset of the segment, Maher stated, "As an Ivy League graduate who knows the value of a liberal education, I have one piece of advice for the youth of America: Don’t go to college."

Showing images of Pro-Palestinian/anti-Israel demonstrations at Harvard University, the comedian continued, "And if you absolutely have to go, don’t go to an elite college, because as recent events have shown, it just makes you stupid."

Maher stated that the tragedy in Israel revealed "how higher education has become indoctrination into a stew of bad ideas, among them the simplistic notion that the world is a binary place where everyone is either an oppressor or oppressed, in the case of Israel, oppressors being babies and bubbes." 

Fox News' Gabriel Hays contributed to this update.

The Philadelphia Inquirer apologized for publishing an editorial cartoon that pushed "antisemitic tropes" this week.

The editorial board for the big city paper put out a piece expressing regret for posting cartoonist Monte Wolverton’s illustration on Tuesday. The cartoon criticized Israel’s response to Hamas’ murder of around 1300 people in the Jewish state.

"It is clear this cartoon was highly insensitive, particularly at the current moment when antisemitism is on the rise. We hear the outcry and apologize for the pain it caused," the editorial declared.

The image created by the Cagle Cartoons-syndicated artist depicted a massive black military boot emblazoned with a Star of David about to step on a crowd of Palestinians that contained multiple Hamas militants scattered throughout. 

A speech bubble attributed to the boot wearer – a representation of the Jewish state about to crush its enemy – stated, "Distance yourselves!" The crowd of Palestinians and Hamas militants was drawn scattering under the approaching boot, which appeared poised to crush most of the people depicted.

Wolverton had shared the drawing to social media platform X, where many users rebuked the image. One posted, "This cartoon is shameful," another claimed, "Monte supports baby killers," and someone else stated, "Nice moral relativism, you antisemitic piece of trash."

The Wednesday editorial stated, "The Inquirer Editorial Board regrets the publication of an editorial cartoon by Monte Wolverton of the Cagle Cartoons syndicate that appeared in Tuesday’s editions."

The board admitted, "In hindsight, the cartoon depicting an oversized Israeli military boot stepping on Hamas terrorists hiding among civilians in response to the Oct. 7 attack should not have been published."

It also claimed, "Regardless of the interpretation, the illustration reinforces pernicious antisemitic tropes about Israeli aggression."

Fox News' Gabriel Hays contributed to this update.

A senior Israel Defense Forces official says the military will try not to target areas in Gaza where humanitarian aid is being delivered, unless Hamas fires rockets from them.

“It’s a safe zone. We have a system which every time we decide that an area … is a safe zone, we declare no attack in this area. We won’t attack them,” the official told reporters, according to the Associated Press.

He added that the definition of what constitutes a “legitimate target” has changed, because the use of civilian infrastructure by Hamas “turns a private home into a legitimate target. And anyone who supports that home is a legitimate target.”

The official acknowledged that IDF has struck houses where civilians were living among terrorists.

Earlier, at least 12 Palestinians were killed by an Israeli airstrike that hit a house in central Gaza, according to witnesses at the scene. 

The Associated Press contributed to this update.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday welcomed the first delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip since the Israel-Hamas war started on October 7. 

“With this convoy, the international community is beginning to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza that has left residents of Gaza without access to sufficient food, water, medical care, and safe shelter,” Blinken said in a statement.

“We urge all parties to keep the Rafah crossing open to enable the continued movement of aid that is imperative to the welfare of the people of Gaza” he added, emphasizing that Hamas "must not interfere with the provision of this life-saving assistance." 

Blinken said the U.S, was still working with Israel and Egypt to arrange for dual U.S. citizens to be able to leave Gaza via the Rafah crossing. Many Palestinians with foreign passports are gathered at the crossing, but have not yet been allowed to cross.

The Associated Press contributed to this update.

Some Jewish students at Georgetown Law School say they're facing threatening anti-Israeli rhetoric from classmates and from outside groups that are being promoted on the Washington, D.C. campus. 

The hostile rhetoric includes what appears to be a globally orchestrated antisemitic campaign that the students fear will incite physical violence on campus as war escalates between Israelis and Palestinians. 

"Knowing you're sitting in class next to someone who advocates the destruction of Israel is frightening," Julia Wax, a first-year Georgetown Law student from San Diego, California, told Fox News Digital.

She and other law school students recently formed the Georgetown Law Zionists as a show of resolve in response to the threats. 

"Because it's law school, people here are nuanced with their hate," Wax said.

The group is concerned that administrators have failed to publicly condemn violent, antisemitic and anti-Zionist language that is being shared by other students or shouted at events and protests promoted on campus.

Last weekend at Franklin Park, about a mile from campus, protesters chanted, "We don’t want no Jewish state. We want '48."

The demonstration was promoted by law school students and attended by classmates, too, the Georgetown Law Zionists claim.

"When we hear that, we hear that they want the extermination of Jews," said Wax. "They don't want peace in Israel at all. They want to eliminate or displace 6 million Jewish people."

Fox News' Kerry J. Byrne contributed to this update.