Last Update October 21, 2023 03:44pm ET
Hamas has released two American hostages held captive since the war in Gaza began on Oct. 7 following mediation efforts by Qatar. Israel continues to pummel the Gaza Strip with airstrikes while the border crossing between Egypt and Gaza has opened to allow limited humanitarian aid to reach the besieged Palestinians.
Covered by: Chris Pandolfo, Landon Mion and Adam Sabes
Fast Facts
- Israel has declared war against Hamas after the terrorist group infiltrated the country on October 7, firing thousands of rockets at residential areas and butchering civilians
- At least 5,700 people have been killed in the war on both sides, including at least 1,400 Israeli civilians and soldiers and 32 Americans. The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry claims at least 4,385 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and the West Bank and more than 13,561 wounded. At least 10 Americans are feared to be held captive by Hamas
- President Biden announced Thursday he will make an “urgent budget request” to Congress for $105 billion in military aid to both Israel and Ukraine
- The Israeli military said Thursday there are a confirmed 203 hostages taken by Hamas and missing individuals in the Gaza Strip, including 30 children and youths and as many as 20 elderly
- Two American hostages, Judith and Natalie Raanan, were released by Hamas on Friday following Qatari mediation efforts
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1 hour(s) ago
PINNED
Israel will increase attacks on Gaza: Military
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.
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47 seconds ago
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Italian Prime Minister Meloni hold private meeting
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni held a private meeting on Saturday.
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.
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44 min(s) ago
Joaquin Phoenix, other A-listers call on Biden to urge ceasefire between Israel, Hamas
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.
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1 hour(s) ago
President Biden says first convoy of humanitarian aid was delivered to Gaza
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.”
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2 hour(s) ago
Palestinian president calls for peace summit to end Israel-Hamas war
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.
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2 hour(s) ago
Bill Maher mocks Ivy League schools for ‘indoctrination’ and anti-Israel hate
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.
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3 hour(s) ago
Philly Inquirer apologizes for publishing editorial cartoon with ‘antisemitic tropes’
The Philadelphia Inquirer recently apologized for publishing an editorial cartoon pushing “antisemitic tropes.”
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.
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3 hour(s) ago
IDF official says civilian homes are ‘legitimate’ targets if Hamas terrorists are there
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.
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3 hour(s) ago
Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomes aid to Palestinians but says more is needed
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.
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4 hour(s) ago
Jewish students at Georgetown Law fear violence amid heated rhetoric from anti-Israel classmates
Some Jewish students at Georgetown Law Schoolsay 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.
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4 hour(s) ago
Father of American hostages released by Hamas speaks out
The father of two American hostages who were released by Hamas on Friday spoke out after their safe return.
Uri Ranaan, of Illinois, told reporters he had “no idea” why Hamas decided to release his wife, Judith, and their 17-year-old daughter, Natalie.
“I think it’s a matter of luck, I have no idea,” he said.
The 71-year-old told the Associated Press he was overjoyed at their freedom and that both were doing well. Judith and Natalie are currently in the care of the Israelis and Raanan said they should both be back in the United States early next week.
An Israeli army spokesperson told the AP the two Americans were out of the Gaza Strip and with the Israeli military. Hamas said Friday it released them for humanitarian reasons in an agreement with the Qatari government.
They were the first hostages to be released since Hamas militants, according to Israel, abducted roughly 200 people during their Oct. 7 rampage.
Asked if he had a message for other families of hostages, Ranaan said, “Keep praying and hope for the best.”
The Associated Press contributed to this update.
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5 hour(s) ago
Ukrainian orphans who escaped to Israel were forced to evacuate once again: ‘Beautiful children’
A group of Ukrainian orphans who arrived in Israel last year after the invasion of Ukraine were safely evacuated from their home in southern Israel less than 24 hours after Hamas began its attacks on October 7.
The children all lived at the Federation of the Jewish Communities (FJC) of the CIS “Alumim” Children’s Home and Orphanage in Zhytomyr, Ukraine.
It was evident in the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that the children would have to leave Zhytomyr, said the group. Several organizations, including the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ), worked together to arrange for the safe transportation of the 60 children to safety in Israel. The IFCJ partners with FJC.
In September 2022, the children moved to what they thought would be their permanent home in the city of Ashkelon, in southern Israel.
That changed on October 7, the day of the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah.
“We woke up to the sound of a siren, then another and another,” according to a press release from IFCJ.
Within minutes, said the release, those in the orphanage realized that “this time something serious was happening, and that the Hamas had cooked us up an unconventional holiday.”
The staff and children of the orphanage ran to a shelter, where they stayed for about six hours.
“Then the stories of what was really happening around us started to arrive, about terrorists infiltrating and people wounded or killed,” said the release.
“At some point, we received an alert about the infiltration of terrorists close to us, and we were told to stay in our homes. Shocked and terrified, we locked ourselves into the house, staying close to the shelter, and prayed for this frightening situation to end quickly,” they said.
“We decided that we had to leave the city, despite the fear of the trauma that a sudden departure could cause, despite the uncertainty about where would we go.”
The group quickly found a place to live at a school in Kfar Chabad, a village in central Israel.
But while they found a place that would take them in, the feat of actually getting there would be another challenge.
“We then received an order from the IDF Home Front Command that there was great danger on the roads, and no one could leave the city or their home, and everyone must stay next to a safe room or shelter,” said IFCJ.
On the afternoon of October 8, however, the group was given permission to evacuate Ashkelon, Fox News Digital is told.
Fox News’ Christine Rouselle contributed to this update.
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5 hour(s) ago
UN chief says Hamas atrocities against Israel don’t justify ‘collective punishment’ of Palestinians
Protesters raise signs in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as Egyptian army officers and bodyguards escort United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to his vehicle during his visit to oversee preparations for the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border in the east of North Sinai province on October 20, 2023. (Photo by KEROLOS SALAH/AFP via Getty Images)
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterressays the “reprehensible assault” on Israel “can never justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”
Speaking at a summit Egypt is hosting on the Israel-Gaza war, Guterres called for Israel to spare civilians and hospitals, schools and other civilian infrastructure from its relentless airstrike campaign against Hamas.
The secretary-general said a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is “the only realistic foundation for a true peace and stability.”
“Israelis must see their legitimate needs for security materialized, and Palestinians must see their legitimate aspirations for an independent state realized,” he said.
He said the U.N. is working around the clock with all parties to ensure a sustainable delivery of aid to Gaza, following the crossing of a first 20-truck convoy on Saturday.
“But the people of Gaza need a commitment for much, much more — a continuous delivery of aid to Gaza at the scale that is needed,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this update.
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5 hour(s) ago
Washington Post stealth edits caption describing Israeli children as being ‘detained’ by Hamas
The Washington Post stealth edited the caption of a photo Thursday that initially described Israeli children as having been “detained” by Hamas terrorists. The caption was subsequently changed to say they were “taken hostage.”
The terror group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, with hundreds of terrorists pouring into the country, killing over 1,200 Israelis and kidnapping many others. The Israeli military said Thursday there are still 203 hostages in Gaza.
The Post published a piece Thursday about the families of hostages, but it was the caption of a photo of a mother saying, “Two of her children have been detained by Hamas,” that drew the most attention.
The Post was called out for the mild language in a series of viral social media posts.
Conservative author Bethany Mandel pointed out the initial caption in The Post story in a screenshot timestamped 7:45 p.m., writing, “Interesting choice of words from Washington Post. ‘detained,’” along with a thinking emoji.
At some point soon after, The Post stealth edited the sentence with no explanation.
Mandel followed up with another screenshot timestamped at 9:18 p.m. showing the caption had been changed to “have been taken hostage” and commented, “Well that was fast.”
Fox News’ Alexander Hall and Alexa Moutevelis contributed to this update.
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BREAKING NEWS6 hour(s) ago
Rocket barrage fired towards Tel Aviv, southern Israel
A picture taken from Sderot shows a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip being intercepted by an Israeli Iron Dome defence missile on October 21, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and Hamas. (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images)
A large barrage of rocket fire was detected headed towards south and central Israel on Saturday morning.
Rocket alerts blared in Tel Aviv, Bat Yam, Ashdod and Yavne, according to data from Israeli Home Front Command.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths.
Hamas terrorists have fired thousands of rockets towards residential areas in Israel since the October 7 surprise attack, in which more than 1,400 Israeli civilians were slaughtered.
Israel Defense Forces said Saturday more than 550 rockets launched by Hamas and the terror group Islamic Jihad have misfired and killed innocent civilians in Gaza. A fiery blast at the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza on Tuesday that caused international outcry is now believed to have been the result of a misfired rocket.
Palestinian terrorists have continued to rain down rocket fire on Israel even as the Israeli military has returned fire with artillery and airstrikes targeting Hamas infrastructure in the Gaza Strip.
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6 hour(s) ago
IDF and Hezbollah fighters trade fire on Lebanese border, Israeli-American reservist killed
Israel Defense Forces traded fire with Hezbollah terrorists on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon on Saturday, after terrorists fired anti-tank missiles into Israeli territory overnight. An Israeli-American dual citizen serving as a reservist was killed in one of the attacks, IDF said.
The soldier was identified as Staff Sgt. (res.) Omer Balva, 22, a commander in the 9203rd Battalion of the Alexandroni Brigade, the Times of Israel reported. A child of Israeli parents, Balva grew up in Rockville, Maryland. He was in the U.S. last week when called into reserve service, and he promptly returned to Israel to report for duty.
The Israeli military said an anti-tank guided missile was fired from Lebanon into the Margaliot area in northern Israel. IDF responded with a drone strike against the terrorist squad.
Additionally, another missile was launched from Lebanon targeting the Hanita area, IDF said. Israeli troops responded with artillery fire that struck missile launchers on the Lebanese side of the border, IDF said.
“The IDF is ready for all scenarios in the various sectors and will continue to act for the security of Israeli citizens,” a military spokesperson said.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Saturday that Hezbollah terrorists have been paying a “heavy price” for their attacks on Israeli military outposts since the war with Hamas began on Oct. 7.
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7 hour(s) ago
Aid trucks arrive in southern Gaza carrying food, medicine for Palestinians
The first convoy of humanitarian aid for Palestiniansarrived in southern Gaza on Saturday, crossing into the besieged territory over the border with Egypt.
President Biden said earlier this week an agreement with the Israelis had been reached to allow 20 aid trucks to cross the border at Rafah and added Friday that the first of those trucks would pass through within 48 hours.
Witnesses told Reuters aid trucks exited the crossing after checks and proceeded into Gaza’s southern area including the major towns of Rafah and Khan Younis where hundreds of thousands of people displaced by Israel’s unrelenting air war are sheltering.
However, Palestinian officials expressed displeasure that fuel supplies were not included in the delivery and said the relief was only three percent of what normally arrives for Gaza before the war broke out.
“Excluding the fuel from the humanitarian aid means the lives of patients and injured will remain at risk. Gaza hospitals are running out of the basic requirements to pursue medical interventions,” the Gaza health ministry said.
Israel’s “total siege” of Gaza after the Oct. 7 cross-border attack on southern Israel by Islamic terrorists with Hamas has left its 2.3 million people running out of food, water, medicines and fuel.
The United Nations said the convoy included life-saving supplies that would be received and distributed by the Palestinian Red Crescent, with Hamas’ consent. Israel has warned that no aid should end up in Hamas hands.
United Nations officials have said at least 100 trucks daily are needed to meet the urgent needs of the Palestinian people, a difficult task to accomplish in a warzone.
Reuters contributed to this update.
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7 hour(s) ago
Sen. Blackburn concerned over Biden funding request for Gaza after Hamas reportedly stole aid
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 19: Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) listens at a news conference on the Supreme Court at the U.S. Capitol Building on July 19, 2023 in Washington, DC. Senators with the Senate Judiciary Committee held the press conference to discuss Senate Judiciary Chairman Richard Durbin’s (D-IL) upcoming ethics bill for U.S. Supreme Court justices. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., is concerned President Joe Biden’s supplemental request to Congress, which includes humanitarian aid for Gaza, will further fund terrorism in the region.
“Even last week, we got a report that Hamas was intersecting aid that was going and whether it is money, food, fuel even first aid kits and medical supplies — they’re taking it all and it is not even Gazans,” Blackburn told Fox News Digital in an interview Friday. “So, we’ve got to move to a position where humanitarian aid is going to make it to people that are suffering, and not terrorists.”
Last week, the United Nations agency that delivers aid to Palestinians, announced Hamas leaders in Gaza had stolen medical supplies and fuel that was meant for civilians. They later deleted the post on X and claimed nothing had been stolen.
In Biden’s $105 billion emergency supplemental request, he outlined $9 billion for Ukraine, Gaza and Israel.
“The majority of the American people support Israel, and they want to make certain that aid is going to make it to people who need that aid,” Blackburn said. “You now have this progressive group that conducts themselves as if they are Hamas sympathizers, and that is incredibly disappointing to see.”
Blackburn’s jab was aimed at progressive “Squad” members like Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Rep. Ilhan Omar who have called for a ceasefire in Gaza and oppose more funding for Israel’s military.
Fox News’ Jamie Joseph contributed to this update.
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7 hour(s) ago
Socialist Twitch star Hasan Piker raises $1 million for Palestinian aid
Leftist Twitch streamer Hasan Piker. (Screenshot courtesy HasanAbi/YouTube)
Leftist commentator Hasan Piker raised more than $1 million for Palestinian medical relief in a matter of days through a Twitch campaign.
“I’m incredibly proud of you guys,” Piker told his fans as the donations poured in. “It’s incredible, it’s unimaginable, it is ridiculous. This is where this community thrives.”
More than 1,400 Israeli civilians and soldiers have died since Hamas launched a surprise attack on Oct. 7. Retaliatory strikes from Israel have killed more than 4,000 Palestinians and injured thousands more, according to the Gaza health ministry.
Piker launched the fundraiser about a week ago. Fans raised $180,000 in the first 40 minutes and surpassed $1 million as of Wednesday afternoon. Piker kicked in at least $50,000, according to the Tiltify page.
The funds will be split between ANERA, Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, Palestine Red Crescent Society and Medical Aid for Palestinians, according to Piker.
Piker did not respond to an interview request from Fox News about the fundraiser.
A self-described socialist, Piker is one of the most-watched streamers on Twitch. The live-streaming service is often used by gamers, but Piker has amassed millions of followers for his political commentary. He previously contributed to the left-leaning news and commentary outlet The Young Turks, which his uncle co-founded.
He has been a vocal critic of the “colonial apartheid” and accuses Israel of imposing on Palestinians. In a recent stream, he unleashed a profanity-laden tirade justifying Hamas’ invasion.
Fox News’ Hannah Ray Lambert contributed to this update.
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7 hour(s) ago
Hamas-led Palestinian health ministry claims Gaza death toll rises to 4,385
At least 4,385 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since Israel began its airstrike campaign to eradicate Hamas, including 1,756 children, the Hamas-led health ministry claims.
The Palestinian health authority said more than 14,000 people have been wounded since the start of the war on Oct. 7, when Hamas infiltrated Israel and massacred as many as 1,400 Israeli civilians, taking more than 200 captives back to Gaza.
In the West Bank, Hamas claims Israeli forces have killed 84 Palestinians and wounded more than 1,400.
The numbers reported by Hamas, which cannot be verified, make no distinction between civilians caught in the crossfire — including by Hamas and Islamic Jihad rockets that misfire — and terrorists targeted by the Israeli military.
Israel has said the bodies of some 1,500 Hamas terrorists were recovered inside its territory since the start of the war. Israel has continually bombarded the Gaza Strip with airstrikes on a mission to eradicate Hamas after the surprise attack two weeks ago.
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8 hour(s) ago
Egyptian President el-Sisi rejects Palestinian refugees
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, gives a joint statement with French President Francois Hollande (unseen) at the Elysee Palace, on November 26, 2014, in Paris. Egypt’s president began a two-day trip to France, the second leg of a first European tour aimed at bringing Egypt out of the diplomatic cold after he oversaw a crackdown that damaged Cairo’s international reputation. (ALAIN JOCARD/AFP via Getty Images)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has doubled down on his government’s rejection of Palestinian refugees from Gaza.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have in Gaza have moved southward towards the border crossing into Egypt at Rafah as Israel has warned civilians to evacuate airstrikes at Hamas targets to the north. However, Egypt has not permitted Palestinians to flee the territory and resettle in the Sinai Peninsula.
El-Sisi said the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian people will not be resolved if Palestinians are forced to leave their homes and “end the statehood dream.”
“The whole Egyptian people won’t accept the liquidation of the Palestinian cause … and will never happen on the expanse of Egypt,” el-Sisi said.
Speaking at a summit his government is hosting on the war Saturday, the Egyptian leader set out a roadmap to end the ongoing war which included ensuring the flow of aid to Gaza, negotiating a cease-fire, and embarking on peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians to establish a Palestinian state based on the borders before the 1967 Mideast war.
“We are facing an unprecedented crisis that requires full attention to avert expanding the conflict,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this update.
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8 hour(s) ago
US rescue group in Israel navigating an ‘absolute mess’ on the ground
Save Our Allies co-founder Tim Kennedy is detailing the “incredibly difficult” challenges his rescue organization is facing trying to evacuate Americans trapped in Israel.
The former Army sniper joined “FOX & Friends ” Friday from near the Gaza border in hard-hit Ashkelon to discuss the logistical hurdles as Israeli forces prepare a ground invasion to root out Hamas.
“We were in Egypt earlier this morning trying to figure out how they’re going to be getting these people out… there’s tons, tens of thousands of refugees that are going to be coming out of there. We have American hostages, American refugees. It’s just an absolute mess,” Kennedy began.
“But one of the scariest things is the temperament around Israel by their neighbors. Being in Egypt, it was incredibly difficult, one, to move through the border and to obviously be an American moving into Egypt related to an Israel crisis. It’s difficult here.”
A trio of House Republicans Thursday put forward a resolution “[c]ondemning the Biden Administration for failing to fulfill the United States Government’s duty to American citizens left stranded in Israel” as violence rips through the country.
Kennedy however applauded the State Departmentfor doing “amazing work” by arriving quickly and providing “constant” flights. He described the first days in Israel as the most difficult following Hamas’ attacks.
“There are people that were hiding in bunkers. There were people that were too scared to leave the positions that they were at after seeing the videos that were coming out. We had to physically go and find those people and then escort those people from where they were to where they could be flown out,” he said, describing flights out on a “one-propeller airplane from Haifa to Cyprus.”
“It’s been hard. We were in Be’er Sheva yesterday talking to a police unit,” he continued. “They had to respond to this area. And all along the east side of Gaza, they lost one-quarter of everyone that is in their department, was injured, was missing, is missing still, or was killed in the fighting. You can see just the despair and brokenness inside of them and the things that they saw on the ground.”
Fox News’ Elizabeth Heckman contributed to this update.
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8 hour(s) ago
NY Times defends rehiring Gaza journalist who praised Hitler
The New York Times is defending its rehiring of a Gaza journalist who was previously exposed for praising Hitler.
The Times rehired freelance videographer Soliman Hijjy as part of its coverage of the Israel-Hamas war. In August 2022, the pro-Israel media watchdogHonestReporting shed light on Hijjy, whose work had been featured by the Times between 2018 and 2021.
HonestReporting found that Hijjy praised Adolf Hitler in a 2012 Facebook post, writing, “How great you are, Hitler” in Arabic.
In a 2018 post, Hijjy shared a photo of himself with a caption that translated to either “I’m in tune like Hitler during the holocaust” or “in a state of harmony as Hitler was during the Holocaust.”
In a separate post, he referred to the terrorist group Hamas’ rocket fire toward Israel as “the resistance.”
At the time, a spokesperson for The Times told HonestReporting that it was looking into Hiijy’s social media posts and declined to comment further in response to FOX News’ inquiry.
However, in the wake of Hamas’ horrific Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, Hijjy’s name has reemerged in the Times’ coverage of the brewing war, as first pointed out by the Jewish newspaper Algemeiner.
The Times is now standing by Hijjy.
“We reviewed problematic social media posts by Mr. Hijjy when they first came to light in 2022 and took a variety of actions to ensure he understood our concerns and could adhere to our standards if he wished to do freelance work for us in the future,” a spokesperson for the Times told FOX News Digital. “Mr. Hijjy followed those steps and has maintained high journalistic standards. He has delivered important and impartial work at great personal risk in Gaza during this conflict.”
FOX News Digital asked multiple follow-up questions, including what were the Times’ specific standards Hijjy was adhering to and how can he cover the Israel-Gaza conflict impartially when he has praised Hitler in the past. The Times spokesperson declined to comment further.
Fox News’ Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this update.
Posted by Chris Pandolfo Share
9 hour(s) ago
Israeli ambassador says UN has ‘betrayed’ its mission in the face of Hamas atrocities
Israel’s ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan, Nobel Prize laureate Professor Daniel Kahneman and family members of Israeli hostages hold petition for release of children held in Gaza. (Israel mission to U.N.)
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan and the families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza are calling for the United Nations to demand the immediate release of children held captive by Hamas.
A petition signed by 86 Nobel Prize winners demands the release of children held hostage by Hamas terrorists to Untied States Ambassador Robert Wood. The U.S. will deliver the petition to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, according to a news release.
“Since the barbaric Hamas massacre of children, women and the elderly, the UN has betrayed its mission to prevent and fight against atrocities and war crimes. The UN has almost completely ignored the blood of Israeli citizens and even the kidnapping of children and babies. This is the last moment in which the UN can justify its existence,” said Ambassador Erdan.
“I call on the UN Secretary-General to wake up and prove that the blood and lives of the kidnapped children are really important to him, and that he does not prioritize aid to Gazan supporters of the massacre in Israel over innocent children kidnapped by terrorists. The Nobel Prize winners placed before the Secretary-General the proper scale of moral values — I urge him to listen to them!”
Posted by Chris Pandolfo Share
9 hour(s) ago
IDF says Hamas is holding at least 210 kidnapped civilians after two Americans released
An Israel Defense Forces spokesperson said Saturday the families of 210 kidnapped civilians have been informed that their relatives are held hostage by Hamas.
The update comes as Israel enters the 15th day of its war since Hamas terrorists infiltrated the country on October 7 and savagely killed as many as 1,400 Israelis, taking some captives back to Gaza. Israel has responded with a relentless campaign of airstrikes on the Gaza Strip — where some 2 million Palestinians live — and has amassed tens of thousands of troops on the border with Gaza in anticipation of a ground operation to eradicate Hamas.
“We continue to attack governmental and military targets, eliminate terrorists that took part in the attack on Saturday October 7th, and terrorists who may be a threat in the next stages,” the IDF spokesperson said.
On Friday, two American nationals held captive by Hamas were released. A source with knowledge of the release confirmed to Fox News that the two American hostages, a mother and her daughter, were released “on humanitarian grounds” following Qatari mediation efforts.
IDF also said that more than 550 rockets launched by the terror groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad have misfired and killed innocent civilians in Gaza.
Israel has urged Palestinian civilians to move south, away from military targets in the northern Gaza Strip. “We will increase the attacks over Hamas’ strongholds in the northern Strip towards the next stages in the war,” IDF said.
A limited supply of humanitarian aid is moving into the Gaza Strip from the southern border crossing with Egypt in Rafah after Israel agreed to let food, water and medicine be delivered to the Palestinian people.
Meanwhile, in the country’s north, Israeli troops have continued to clash with Hezbollah terrorists on the border with Lebanon.
“Our message is clear,” IDF said. “Whoever tries to infiltrate the territory of Israel will get killed, and whoever shoots towards us will get hurt.”
Posted by Chris Pandolfo Share
9 hour(s) ago
Israel remains focused on destroying Hamas despite ceasefire calls: ‘No other option’
On a tour of southern Israel Thursday aimed at boosting morale among troops preparing for a likely ground operation inside Gaza, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant promised to lead Israel to a decisive victory against Hamas.
“We will be precise and forceful, and we will keep going until we fulfill our mission,” Gallant stated.
What exactly that mission is has been clearly echoed throughout Israel’s military ranks up to its political leadership over the last two weeks since an elite unit of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel.
After the murder of 1,400 people, civilians and soldiers and the kidnapping of 210 people, Israel has said it will not stop this war until Hamas, its people and its infrastructure are wiped out.
Voices around the world have begun questioning whether Israel’s response is “proportionate,” calling for restraint as the civilian death toll in Gaza rises and demanding a cease-fire before this conflict drags in other, more nefarious, regional players
But Israelis remain steadfast, believing there is no choice — “It’s either them or us.” There is no room in the region for both.
Speaking to Fox News Digital, Eylon Levy, an Israeli government spokesman, reiterated Israel’s goal to destroy Hamas.
“Demanding a ceasefire from Israel is saying that Hamas should get away with what it did — and should keep its ability to do it again,” Levy said.
“Until we complete our mission of dismantling Hamas, urging a ceasefire is the pro-Hamas position.
“We’re talking about whole families cremated alive, burned until there was nothing left of the children but fragments of bone and ash,” Levy said, describing the sprawling attack on multiple communities and towns throughout southern Israel. “These images reminded us not only of ISIS but of the worst horrors of the Holocaust. Israel cannot allow this satanic terror organization to threaten its citizens any longer.”
Fox News’ Ruth Marks Eglash contributed to this update.
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9 hour(s) ago
Former Rep. Justin Amash says family members killed in Gaza church after Israeli airstrike
UNITED STATES – MAY 15: Rep. Justin Amash, I-Mich., walks down the House steps after voting on the rule for the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act on Friday, May 15, 2020. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Former Michigan Rep. Justin Amash, a Libertarian, said Friday that several of his relatives were killed in a Greek Orthodox church in Gaza that was damaged by an Israeli airstrike amid the war between Israel forces and Hamas terrorists.
Amash is a Palestinian-American who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2021. The former congressman left the GOP in 2019 before later joining the Libertarian Party.
“With great sadness, I have now confirmed that several of my relatives (including Viola and Yara pictured here) were killed at Saint Porphyrius Orthodox Church in Gaza, where they had been sheltering, when part of the complex was destroyed as the result of an Israeli airstrike,” Amash wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “Give rest, O Lord, to their souls, and may their memories be eternal.”
“The Palestinian Christian community has endured so much. Our family is hurting badly. May God watch over all Christians in Gaza—and all Israelis and Palestinians who are suffering, whatever their religion or creed,” he continued.
The explosion struck St. Porphyrius Thursday evening and knocked down a wall of the church. At least 500 displaced Muslims and Christians had taken shelter in the church, where the Hamas-run government’s health ministry said at least 16 were killed.
The Israeli military said a strike on a nearby command center damaged part of the church, and that the incident is under investigation. The military said the church was not the target of the strike.
More than 5,600 people have been killed in Gaza and Israel since Hamas launched its 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.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Posted by Landon Mion Share
9 hour(s) ago
Rafah border crossing between Gaza, Egypt to open for civilian passage
In this aerial view, a convoy of lorries carrying humanitarian aid enter the Gaza Strip from Egypt via the Rafah border crossing on October 21, 2023. The first of 20 trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered the war-torn and besieged Gaza Strip on October 21 through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, said AFP correspondents on both sides. (Photo by MOHAMMED ABED/AFP via Getty Images)
The Rafah border crossing connecting Gaza to Egypt will open Saturday morning to allow passage for civilians fleeing Gaza amid continued violence between Israeli forces and Hamas terrorists.
The U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs said the crossing is expected to open at 10 a.m. local time, although the time period it will remain open is unclear.
“We have received information that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will open on Saturday, 21 October at 10:00 AM local time,” the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs said in a statement. “If the border is opened, we do not know how long it will remain open for foreign citizens to depart Gaza.”
“We anticipate that many people would attempt to cross should the border open, and U.S. citizens attempting to enter Egypt should expect a potentially chaotic and disorderly environment on both sides of the crossing … The situation remains dynamic and fluid and the security environment is unpredictable. You should assess your personal safety and security before choosing to move toward the border or trying to cross,” the statement added.
More than 5,600 people have been killed in Gaza and Israel since Hamas launched its largest attackagainst 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.
Posted by Landon Mion Share
9 hour(s) ago
Blinken calls for Hamas to release hostages ‘immediately,’ says 10 Americans are unaccounted for
TOPSHOT – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to the media before boarding his plane in Cairo en route to Jordan on October 15, 2023. Blinken said on October 15 there was a consensus among the United States’ Arab allies to contain the Israel conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. (Photo by Jacquelyn Martin / POOL / AFP) (Photo by JACQUELYN MARTIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for Hamas to release all hostages and said that 10 Americans are still unaccounted for.
“First, it’s very simple. Hostages should be released immediately and unconditionally. That’s been our position from day one. It remains our position,” Blinken said. “I would not take anything that Hamas says at face value.”
His comments come after two hostages were released from Hamas captivity on Friday.
“We welcome their release. We share in the relief that their families, friends and loved ones are feeling. But there are still ten additional Americans who remain unaccounted for in this conflict,” Blinken said.
Blinken said some of the 10 American citizens unaccounted for are being held hostage by Hamas.
A source with knowledge of the release previously told Fox News that the American hostages , a mother and daughter, were released “on humanitarian grounds” after Qatari mediation efforts.
An Israeli official said their names are Judith and Natalie Raanan.
Fox News’ Trey Yingst, Yonat Friling, Chris Pandolfo and Greg Norman contributed to this update.
Posted by Adam Sabes Share
10 hour(s) ago
Timeline of attacks on US forces as threats increase in Middle East
The USS Carney in the Mediterranean Sea on Oct. 23, 2018. The USS Carney, a Navy destroyer, on Thursday, took out three missiles that had been fired from Yemen and were heading north, U.S. officials said. (AP)
As tensions heighten in the Middle East, U.S. forces in the region are facing hostile threats and an array of attacks as the Biden administration increases its support for Israel.
A U.S. naval warship shot down 15 drones and four cruise missiles Thursday during a nine-hour span near the Yemeni coast, a larger barrage than was previously thought.
The USS Carney, a guided missile destroyer, was heading south through the Suez Canal in Egypt on Wednesday and was in the northern Red Sea when incidents occurred on Thursday.
Since the war between Israel and Hamas began on Oct. 7, there have been a handful of attacks on U.S. positions in the Middle East. The Pentagon has moved warships and aircraft to the region to be ready to provide Israel with assistance.
In addition, 2,000 U.S. troops were put on heightened alert and are ready to be deployed if needed. The troops are likely Army and Air Force personnel and would be able to respond quickly, particularly to provide intelligence and surveillance, transportation and medical assistance.
The aggression against American military personnel coincides with protests and riots near U.S. embassies in the Middle East. Below is a rundown of attacks on U.S. forces in recent days.
U.S. forces intercepted two one-way attack drones targeting Iraq’s al-Asad air base just west of Baghdad where American troops are located. One drone was destroyed, and the other was damaged, U.S. Central Command said.
Coalition forces sustained minor injuries and there was some damage to the base.
In another part of Iraq, U.S. forces at the al-Harir air base destroyed a drone. No injuries were reported.
“Our missiles, drones, and special forces are ready to direct qualitative strikes at the American enemy in its bases and disrupt its interests if it intervenes in this battle,” Ahmad “Abu Hussein” al-Hamidawi, head of the Iraqi Kataib Hezbollah militia, said in a statement.
Thursday, Oct. 19
The USS Carney was in the Northern Red Sea when it shot down the four cruise missiles and 15 drones launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. No injuries or damage were reported.
The Defense Department initially said the warship shot down three land attack cruise missiles and “several” drones before the full scale of the attack was known.
A defense official said the cruise missiles and drones were shot down with the SM-2 surface-to-air missiles and that the rockets were clearly headed for Israel. A U.S. official said they don’t believe the missiles — which were shot down over the water — were aimed at the U.S. warship.
Syria
On the same day, the Al Tanf Garrison military base in southern Syria where American troops are present was targeted by two drones. U.S. and coalition forces engaged and destroyed one drone while the other impacted the base.
U.S. troops have maintained a presence at the base for a number of years to train Syrian allies and monitor Islamic State militant activity.
Friday, Oct. 20
Two rockets were fired toward the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center in Iraq, near the Baghdad International Airport around 2:50 a.m.
One rocket was intercepted by a counter-rocket system and the other impacted an empty storage facility. No casualties were reported.
Fox News’ Louis Casiano, Liz Friden, Greg Wehner and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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