Sec. Austin travels to Israel as thousands protest against mistaken killing of Israeli hostages

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

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

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

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

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

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

Police search for suspects responsible for "ceasefire" vandalism. (Edmonds Police Department)

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

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

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

Read the full article about Edmonds by Stepheny Price

Israeli soldiers stand near the opening of a tunnel near the border with Israel on on December 15, 2023, northern Gaza Strip. (Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images)

A group of recently released hostages and their relatives met with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and war cabinet minister Benny Gantz Saturday evening. 

One of the freed hostages, quoted by The Times of Israel, relayed the fear that captives endured daily and the lingering trauma they’ve experienced since their release. 

"Every passing day is terrifying. You have no idea what kind of monsters we are dealing with. If they’re feeling threatened, they will use the captives. They scared us that the IDF would use the Hannibal Directive on civilians, and therefore we were scared when the [IDF] bombings were close," the unnamed individual was quoted as saying, referring to the IDF’s use of heavy fire if a soldier is abducted – even at the risk of killing the soldier. 

Read the full article about Hamas tunnels by Bradford Betz

Several church services canceled in Nashville due to email threat. (Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville)

Several Sunday services and other events have been canceled by the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville after receiving an email threat, according to the organization.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the organization posted out of caution that many organizations would be canceling Sunday services due to an email threat.

"This morning, Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville, along with numerous other Jewish communal organizations, received an emailed threat. We immediately notified MNPD and the Secure Community Network, and we established contact with our local and statewide Jewish organizational leadership to make sure all were aware and able to respond appropriately," the organization stated.

Read the full article about the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville by Stepheny Price

A Palestinian girl plays outside the the Holy Family Church in Gaza City on December 19, 2021. (Photo by Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Israeli Defense Forces confirmed an "incident" at the last Catholic Church in Gaza following accusations from the prelate that soldiers shot and killed two Christian women and struck a convent.

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa claimed in a letter Saturday that two Christian women were killed by IDF snipers inside the Holy Family Church in Gaza during a larger assault on the parish.

"When reviewing incidents that may have taken place in the vicinity of churches in Gaza, it was found that an incident took place during yesterday afternoon (Saturday) in another area in Gaza, near the Latin Church in the Shejayia area," an IDF spokesperson told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement.

Read the full article about the Gaza church killing by Timothy H.J. Nerozzi

People attend the conference titled 'The sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the responsibility of the Islamic Ummah' organized by the 'Pakistan Ummah Unity Assembly' with the participation of many Islamic scholars and leaders of political parties in Islamabad, Pakistan on December 06, 2023. (Muhammed Semih Ugurlu/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Hamas leaders and Islamic scholars met in Pakistan’s capital for a convention last week and argued that Israel’s war in Gaza would end if Pakistan, a country armed with nuclear weapons, threatened Israel. 

Their comments were widely reported in Pakistani newspapers and picked up by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), which aims to bridge "the language gap [that] exists between the West and the Middle East."

The conference, titled "The sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the responsibility of the Islamic Ummah" was organized by "Pakistan Ummah Unity Assembly, a network of Islamic religious organizations, per MEMRI. 

Read the full article about the Islamic convention by Bradford Betz

IDF international spokesman Maj. Doron Spielman appeared on "Fox News Live" Sunday to discuss the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

During the interview, Spielman said that Hamas considers the hostages in Gaza to be "bargaining chip[s]."

"We cannot rely on Hamas's goodwill," Spielman said. "Hamas is an evil terror machine that took those people hostage in the first place."

"And the only way that we're going to bring them to the negotiating table once again is when they feel like that their backs to the wall and they have nowhere to go because those people for them are nothing more than a bargaining chip," he continued.

The spokesman emphasized that Israel is doing "everything [it] can" to bring back hostages.

"We're going to do everything we can not only to bring their children home, but to destroy Hamas so that the next wave of families in the future won't have to deal with this. We won't be creating the hostages of the future," Spielman added.

Israeli police pose for a photo as they guard streets in the Old City on December 15, 2023 in Jerusalem. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

Israeli officials have established over 800 new "civilian emergency security squads" as the Israel-Hamas war continues, according to Israeli media.

According to Tazpit Press Service (TPS), the large number of squads was established throughout Israel since the war began on October 7.

The squads' mission is "to serve as an operational reserve force, available for quick activation, in order to assist the police forces in the various security incidents and emergency situations," according to TPS.

The Israeli news agency said that the police volunteers are "are provided with training, rifles and combat support equipment for operational needs."

A dog walks near the Erez Crossing near the border with Israel on December 15, 2023, northern Gaza Strip. (Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images)

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) posted a video on X of a lieutenant walking around damage caused by Hamas terrorists.

"The horrors left by Hamas near and around the Erez Crossing," the IDF said on X Sunday, adding that they found a "tunnel big enough to fit cars."

The lieutenant, whose name is Masha, walked around the Erez Crossing between the Gaza Strip and Israel.

"This is the main point of entrance from Gaza into Israel and the first point of attack on October 7th," Masha detailed. "Hamas terrorists shot RPGs at that gate right behind me and entered into the base, massacring soldiers and officers."

"This building is part of a complex that was taking care of the humanitarian crossing of Gazans into Israel before the war started," she added. "Now there's nothing left of it."

International shipping company Maersk says it is ordering its vessels to avoid the Red Sea following attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen.

A Maersk vessel was targeted by multiple Houthi missiles while transiting the Red Sea last week, though none struck home. The Houthi rebels are an Iran-backed terrorist organization that has declared support for Hamas.

Fox News senior foreign affairs correspondent Greg Palkot reported on the IDF's admission to mistakenly killing three Israeli hostages in Gaza City on Sunday.

Thousands of Israeli citizens gathered in Tel Aviv this weekend to protest the incident as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the country to continue its war against Hamas.

Fox News contributor Jason Chaffetz and political strategist Lucy Caldwell discussed how Harvard President Claudine Gay hung on to her job after her testimony on antisemitism.

Chaffetz expressed shock that she was able to remain in her role despite refusing to state that calling for the genocide of Jews would infringe Harvard's policies against bullying and harassment. Gay had also faced accusations of plagiarism.

Trump says Ukraine and Israel wars 'wouldn't have happened' on his watch

Former President Trump, the GOP's current 2024 presidential frontrunner, said soaring inflation and conflicts in Ukraine and Israel "wouldn't have happened" on his watch, blasting Democrat President Biden during a campaign rally in New Hampshire on Saturday as the two head to a likely 2024 rematch. 

The former president referenced an interview given by Hungarian Prime Minister Vikor Orban, in which Orban touted Trump's foreign policy.

""He did not initiate a new war and… it would have been the greatest thing. Our world would have been a very different place right now," Trump quoted Orban as saying.

"He said it would have been very different. And there was no way that Russia – and he's right there – there's no way that Russia would have invaded Ukraine. It would not be possible for Russians to do that if President Trump were president, it wouldn't have happened. And guess what? It didn't happen. And you know what else wouldn't have happened? The attack on Israel wouldn't have happened and inflation wouldn't have happened." 

Trump also told the crowd that Biden puts America last when it comes to global interests. 

Read the full article by Fox News' Danielle Wallace

Daughter of presumed Hamas hostages says people are 'confusing the real issue' amid fight to reunite

It has been 71 days since Hamas terrorists launched a surprise attack on Israel that resulted in the immediate deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the abductions of roughly 240 people, including several Americans.

Though more than 100 hostages have been freed from Hamas' custody in recent weeks, eight Americans remain unaccounted for and are presumed to have been taken captive by the terrorist group during the early October massacre.

Two Americans who disappeared on that devastating day and have not been heard from since include Judith Weinstein and Gad Haggai, a couple in their 70s who resided in southern Israel's Kibbutz Nir Oz near the Gaza border. The pair were on a morning walk when the chaos erupted Oct. 7.

The couple's daughter, Iris Weinstein Haggai, spoke to Fox News Digital about the pain she's suffered since her parents went missing. She has received no indication about the condition of her parents.

Read the full article by Fox News' Kyle Morris

Israel's most wanted: ‘Butcher of Khan Younis,’ other Hamas terrorists now in IDF's sights

Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’ top leader in Gaza, his younger brother, Muhammed, and two other senior military commanders of the Iranian-backed Islamist terror group – Rafa’a Salameh and Mohammad Deif – are considered to be the worst killers from the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis. 

All are now the most wanted terrorists by Israel.

As the IDF gears up for what could be its fiercest battle yet against Hamas, the army dropped leaflets over Gaza’s second most populous city on Thursday, calling on residents of the Hamas stronghold to share any information about the whereabouts of the four men and offering a substantial financial reward – some $1 million in total – for anyone brave enough to come forward.

All four terrorists were born and raised in Khan Younis, a city about two miles east of the Mediterranean Sea, and Sinwar, who already has the nickname "the Butcher of Khan Younis," for his violent and cruel torture methods against his enemies, both Israeli and Palestinian, is widely seen as the mastermind of the massacre of Israeli civilians carried out by thousands of Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, sparking the current war. 

Read the full article by Fox News' Ruth Marks Eglash

IDF soldier wounded in West Bank stabbing attack

An Israeli soldier was moderately wounded in a stabbing attack by an unidentified terrorist on Sunday.

The stabbing took place near Ranthis Village in the West Bank, which has been a hotbed of pro-Hamas activity since Israel began its retaliatory campaign in Gaza. IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari says the soldier opened fire at the attacker after being wounded, but missed.

Other IDF personnel chased down the assailant, however, and apprehended him.

"The IDF forces gave the soldier initial medical treatment [at the scene] and he was referred for medical treatment at a hospital. His family was informed," Hagari said.

So far, at least 120 Israeli soldiers have been killed in the country's war against Hamas. Of those, at least 20 have come as the result of friendly fire or accidents, according to the IDF.

IDF uncovered largest-ever Hamas 'terror tunnel' meters from Gaza-Israel border

Israeli Defense Forces say they uncovered the largest Hamas "terror tunnel" ever discovered this weekend.

The IDF says the tunnel system reaches as deep as 50 meters and lies just 400 meters away from the Erez Crossing, the largest crossing area between Israel and Gaza. IDF troops are continuing to explore the tunnels, but they say the system of branching paths stretches well over 2.5 miles.

Hamas covered the system's cronstruction with a massive tented area, preventing clear surveillance from Israeli aircraft prior to the Oct. 7 massacre. Israel highlighted footage showing Hamas terrorists blowing through the Erez crossing on the morning of the attack.

Israel says the project was overseen by Muhammad Sinwar, the brother of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

US CENTCOM commander meets with IDF leaders in Tel Aviv

U.S. CENTCOM commander Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla traveled to Israel this weekend to meet with IDF commanders in Tel Aviv ahead of a visit from U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Kurilla met with IDF Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Hertzi Halevi; Israeli Security Agency Director.Ronen Bar and other senior military officials. The visit comes as President Biden's administration has encouraged Israel to adopt a new strategy in its war against Hamas.

"General Kurilla and the Israeli leaders discussed strategic matters, the current security situation, humanitarian assistance, and civilian harm mitigation efforts," the Pentagon wrote in a statement.

Fox News' Liz Friden contributed to this report

Fox News Poll: Voters divided over what US should do in foreign conflicts

As President Joe Biden and Congressional Republicans debate the spending package meant to provide aid to Israel and Ukraine, a new Fox News survey finds voters divided over what role the U.S. should play related to the wars in the two countries.

For Israel, 30% think the U.S. supports it too much, while 27% say it is not enough.  The largest number, 38%, say U.S. support is about right.

There is a 6-point increase since November in those saying the U.S. is not supportive enough and that’s driven entirely by Republicans (+11 points).

Overall, a majority of 61% supports the Israelis, yet that’s down from 66% in November and 68% in October, at the outset of the war.  

That decline in support can be mostly attributed to Democrats (-8 points), nonwhite voters (-8), and women (-6). Just under half of Democrats (48%) support the Israelis, while a third (33%) support the Palestinians.  Just over three-quarters (76%) of Republicans support Israelis.

Still, the decrease does not translate into support for the Palestinians, as the 23% who side more with them has held steady compared to a month ago. Instead, more are unsure (6%) or don’t back either side (10%). 

Read the full poll summary by Fox News' Victoria Balara

Israeli Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari published footage of IDF air strikes and tank attacks on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in Sunday.

Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terrorist group, has repeatedly attacked Israel on its northern border since Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre.

"A plane and a combat helicopter of the Air Force attacked a number of terrorist infrastructures and a military structure of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the territory of Lebanon some time ago," Hagari wrote, according to a translation.

"In addition, a remotely manned aircraft attacked a terrorist cell identified in Lebanese territory earlier today (Sunday). Also, an aircraft and a tank attacked weapons and observation equipment of the Hezbollah terrorist organization," he added.

Former ambassador-at-large Nathan Sales joined ‘Fox News Live’ to discuss the latest news emerging from the Israel-Hamas war as a U.S. warship was reported to have shot down 14 Houthi drones this weekend.

Sales argued that President Biden's administration must "get serious" about detering Iran as its terrorist proxies have attacked U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria nearly 100 times since mid-October.

Fox News foreign correspondent Trey Yingst joined ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ to discuss how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is urging Israel to continue the war against Hamas after the IDF mistakenly killed 3 Israeli hostages in Gaza.

Yingst says there may come a "new phase" in the conflict in the New Year, with President Biden's administration urging Israel to drastically roll back its airstrikes and artillery operations in Gaza after December.

Israeli Defence Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari released footage showing IDF troops uncover a Hamas tunnel system that linked to a children's room in the basement of a Gaza home on Sunday.

"During activity in Jabalya, the Nahal Brigade located an operational tunnel shaft inside a children's room in the basement of a building. This shaft included built-in stairs and was destroyed by the brigade's engineering forces," Hagari wrote.

Jewish Americans of all ages forced to ‘make a choice’ on embracing heritage amid antisemitism spike

There is a rise in antisemitism in America and worldwide after the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas' deadly Oct. 7 terrorist attack on innocent Israeli civilians and the Jewish nation's retaliation.

Now, young American Jews have to choose whether to identify their heritage in public.

While many Jewish Americans have been galvanized by public antisemitism, it's a different decision when it comes to young children.

A young Jewish woman from Seattle, who asked to remain anonymous, told Fox News Digital she wears a Star of David "every single day." But since the attack, she and her husband have trepidation about allowing their daughters to identify as Jewish at school.

"My husband and I have chosen to keep an ‘I stand with Israel’ sign in our window, even though his parents, who are Israeli, have begged us to take it down because they're terrified," the woman said.

Read the full article by Fox News Houston Keene

While the world was shaken by the attacks on October 7, 2023, Israelis and those in the region are no strangers to conflict with Hamas. 

"This was a well-orchestrated plan devised over the course of years by the elected leaders of Gaza with the sole intention of keeping the region entrenched in a never ending cycle of bloodshed," FOX News' Pete Hegseth said in a trailer for FOX Nation's "Battle in the Holy Land: Israel at War."

The three-part series, now streaming on FOX Nation, not only explores the latest conflict between the waring states, it also unpacks the complex history and religious connections that have engulfed the region in conflict for centuries.

"You can't understand the battle without first understanding the history and religious connections to this sacred land," Hegseth said. 

Read the full article by Fox News' Madeline Coggins

Former Trump attorney David Schoen says Western figures calling for a cease-fire in Gaza are "playing into Hamas' hands."

Schoen appeared on Fox News with host Mark Levin and argued that it was always Hamas' plan to sue for an extended cease-fire after commiting its atrocities in Israel on October 7.

"This is part of their playbook from the start — attack with atrocities, rape, torture, murder, mutilation and then push for a cease-fire."

Georgia teacher accused of threatening to behead Muslim girl for calling his Israeli flag offensive

A Georgia middle school teacher was arrested after allegedly threatening to cut off the head of a Muslim student who confronted him about an Israeli flag in his classroom.

Benjamin Reese, 51, a seventh-grade social studies teacher at Warner Robbins Middle School, was arrested on Dec. 8 on charges of making terroristic threats and cruelty to children, jail records show. He was released on bond two days later, but bond conditions require him to stay away from the school and the student he is accused of threatening.

A girl approached Reese in a hallway and told him she found the Israeli flag in his classroom offensive because Israelis were killing Palestinians, according to an incident report. The student said Reese told her he was Jewish and has relatives in Israel, accused her of being antisemitic and began screaming threats toward her.

Several witnesses reported hearing Reese scream threats, including one where he said he would cut the girl's head off.

"You motherf---ing piece of s---t! I’ll kick your a--! I should cut your motherf---ing head off!" he reportedly screamed.

Some students said they also heard Reese saying he would "slit her goddamn throat and drag her a-- outside and cut her head off."

When a deputy asked Reese if he threatened any students, he denied the allegations, the report said. He said he told a student who was offended by the flag that she was being antisemitic but denied saying anything racist to her.

Fox News' Landon Mion contributed to this report

Israeli official Mark Regev appeared on "Fox News Live" on Saturday to discuss the latest developments in the Israel-Hamas war, including the IDF's accidental killing of Israeli hostages in Gaza.

Regev, who serves as a senior advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said that the three hostages who were killed were "clear[ly]" misidentified as threats.

"We have to thoroughly get to the bottom of what happened because obviously we want to do our best that it will never be repeated," Regev explained. "It's clear that our forces misidentified these three individuals. They were identified as a threat, as Hamas terrorists."

The Israeli official cited the fact that Hamas fighters tend not to wear uniforms as a possible reason why the hostages were mistaken for terrorists.

"Hamas terrorists don't wear uniforms necessarily," he said. "They routinely dress in civilian clothing. There have been numerous examples of them trying to trick our soldiers, speaking Hebrew and so forth."

"And then in the height of battle and the pressure of combat, soldiers on the ground, obviously, as I said, misidentified them and tragically killed them," Regev added.

Fox News' Andrea Vacchiano contributed to this report