Blinken returns to Israel to sell Israeli leaders on President Biden's humanitarian 'pause'

Former Navy SEAL and Senate candidate Tim Sheehy said President Biden should be aiding Israel with "unconditional support" after the country was brutally and unexpectedly attacked by Hamas on Oct. 7.

"Israel knows how to fight Hamas better than we do. They don't need our help to do this," Sheehy told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview at Bridger Aerospace in Bozeman, Montana.

He added: "What they need is our unconditional support for their independence against all the hostile Muslim actors that have been trying to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth for almost 80 years now."

Sheehy, a Republican running for Montana Democrat Sen. Jon Tester's seat, called attention to the importance of standing up to Iran and said the Biden administration "doesn't view Iran as the mortal enemy of American freedom that it really is."

Sheehy highlighted President Joe Biden unfreezing $6 billion in assets to Iran just weeks before Hamas attacked Israel last month — a step opposed by Republicans that eventually resulted in the refreezing of the funds after Hamas launched an attack on Israel. 

"The most important thing America can do is stop empowering Iran," said Sheehy. "We need to stop enabling Iran with billions of dollars of unfrozen assets, billions of dollars of oil revenues that they shouldn't be getting and year after year of appeasement from the Obama administration and now the Biden administration that for some reason doesn't view Iran as the mortal enemy of American freedom that it really is."

Read more from Fox News' Aubrie Spady and Thomas Phippen by clicking here: Navy SEAL veteran, Senate candidate urges Biden to 'stop enabling Iran' as Israel fights for 'survival'

An Israeli artillery unit fires during a military drill in the annexed Golan Heights near the border with Lebanon on November 2, 2023. JALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images

On Friday, Lebanon’s state news agency reported Israeli shelling on the outskirts of several towns along the Lebanese border.

The shelling comes after Hezbollah launched a simultaneous attack against 19 Israeli military posts with mortar fire and anti-tank missiles and also launched suicide drones for the first time in the conflict on Thursday. Also on Thursday evening, Hamas claimed responsibility for rocket strikes on the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona that injured two people.

Israel responded with airstrikes and artillery shelling of Lebanese border areas, with Lebanese state media reporting four civilians were killed in the Saluki Valley area.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued an open warning against Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah, which operates in Lebanon, discouraging them from invading Israel, calling it "the mistake of its life."

"We will cripple it with a force it cannot even imagine, and the consequences for it and the Lebanese state will be devastating," Netanyahu said last month.

The border activity comes just hours ahead of a highly anticipated speech by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, his first since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war.

His speech could establish Hezbollah's role in the Israel-Hamas war, potentially joining the conflict and subsequently adding a second front for Israeli forces who continue to fight in Gaza. The Hezbollah leader may also say Palestinian armed groups will remain out of the Middle Eastern conflict.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken talks to reporters prior boarding his aircraft to depart Washington on travel to the Middle East and Asia at Andrews Air Force Base. Md., Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. Jonathan Ernst/Pool via AP

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in Israel on Friday, returning to the Middle East for a second time in weeks. During the frenzied trip, Blinken is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli President Isaac Herzog and the Israel's war council and push for a humanitarian "pause."

As he did last month, Blinken will stress U.S. support for Israel and try to prevent a wider Mideast war and will pitch a more nuanced message than he offered in the immediate aftermath of Hamas’ bloody attack in Israel on Oct. 7, when more than 1,400 people were killed.

Blinken's agenda this time will include a call for Israel to observe a humanitarian "pause" to allow for humanitarian aid and additional supplies to get to Gazan civilians who have become victims in Israel's pursuit to eliminate Hamas, the terror group that governs the Gaza Strip.

“We will be talking about concrete steps that can and should be taken to minimize harm to men, women and children in Gaza," Blinken told reporters at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, before he departed for his trip to Israel and Jordan. "This is something that the United States is committed to."

Blinken will also push for the evacuation of more foreigners from Gaza. He is also expected to stress the importance of protecting civilians and to press Israel to rein in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

President Biden said Wednesday he thought there should be a humanitarian “pause” in the Israel-Hamas war in order to get “prisoners” out. The president has not specifically called for Israel to pause its military operations in Gaza and has so-far pushed against a "ceasefire."

Critics have said the Biden administration's call for a "pause" is a linguistics twist to actually mean a ceasefire. Pausing is ceasing fire, lawmakers and political commentators have expressed.

Netanyahu said Monday that calls for a cease-fire amount to surrendering to Hamas, which "will not happen."

Israel's military is also skeptical about a "pause," saying it would give Hamas fighters time to reorganize. The IDF has said does not want to give up pressure on Hamas.

The Secretary of State is also expected to press the Israeli leaders and its neighbors to begin considering what a post-conflict Gaza will look like, including who will govern it in Hamas' absence and how to establish an independent Palestinian state.

U.S. officials, including Biden and Blinken, have said repeatedly that they do not believe an Israeli re-occupation of Gaza is feasible. Israel agrees and said it does not intend to occupy the territory.

The White House in a statement said Biden has “made clear that the United States will continue to stand with Israel and affirmed Israel’s right to defend itself in line with international humanitarian law.”

The Associated Press contributed to this update.

The Jewish community in South Florida, a key voting bloc for the state, is closely eyeing President Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war and say the issue has emerged as a political test for 2024.

Jacob Solomon, president of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, said South Florida has a large Orthodox community that maintains a strong connection to Israel in the U.S.

“We are among the most pro-Israel Zionist communities in North America,” he told the Associated Press.

Georg Lipsztein, a member of a Shul of Bal Harbour, located just north of Miami Beach, in the heart of South Florida's Jewish community, has said he is glad to see Biden supporting Israel.

“I think he has sent a strong message, and that is very important,” Lipsztein told the Associated Press. “Israel is going to do what it has to do.”

While Biden has been unequivocal in supporting Israel's right to self-defense, he has subtly shifted his tone. On Wednesday evening, President Biden said there should be a "pause" in the Israel-Hamas War to provide humanitarian aid to Gazans and get those trapped in the Gaza Strip released.

Flyers with photos of some of the of more than 200 hostages held by Hamas militants after their unprecedented attack on Israel over two weeks ago are displayed to a utility pole, Oct. 24, 2023, in Surfside, Fla. AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File

Rabbi Andrew Jacobs, who leads a synagogue in Fort Lauderdale, Ramat Shalom, is among the rabbis and community leaders in the region that are encouraging congregants to stay informed.

He has also warned congregants to be prepared as “when the ugliness of war comes out” and critics begin to push back on Israel's ground offensive in Gaza.

“We have to be vigilant to all calls and cries for ceasefire or putting blame on Israel right now because this work needs to be done once and for all to bring peace to that region,” Jacobs said. “President Biden has expressed very strong support for Israel and those of us who support the Jewish state are going to continue to expect him to keep doing the same thing."

Other progressive groups have begun pressuring Biden to change his unequivocal support for Israel.

One Miami student, 20-year-old Nicole Segal, told AP she is hoping for continuing support from the administration, but has been disheartened by what she sees as a lack of support from others.

“It’s very shocking that not enough non-Jewish people are standing up for Israel. I feel as if when there were other political matters, they stood up,” she said. “It’s upsetting.”

Eric Lob, a Florida International University professor and non-resident scholar at the Washington-based think tank Middle East Institute, said Biden must exhibit “a delicate balance of showing support for Israel rhetorically and militarily but trying to prevent the humanitarian crisis in Gaza from getting out of control."

South Florida's Jewish community used to be a Democratic stronghold but has moved to the right, helping former President Donald Trump win the state in 2020 and helping DeSantis coast to a huge re-election win last year.

Trump won about 43% of Florida's Jewish voters in the 2020 presidential election, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis won 45% of Jewish voters in his re-election

If Florida is to regain its status as a competitive state, how Jewish voters perceive Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war will be critical.

In 2016, Democrats had about 327,000 more registered voters in the state. The GOP now has about 626,000 more registered voters.

The Associated Press contributed to this update.

People burn the Israeli flag during a protest to express their solidarity with Gaza in the Tunisian capital Tunis on October 21, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. Hasan Mrad/DeFodi Images News via Getty Images

Antisemitism and other hostilities towards Jewish people are on the rise as Israel continues to fight against Hamas, the terror group that carried out the deadliest terror attack in Israel's history on Oct. 7.

Since Hamas led the October 7 massacre of over 1,400 people in Israel, Hamas has found empathy in the United States, the United Kingdom, France and other countries around the world.

These supporters have "threatened and targeted Jewish and Israeli individuals and institutions worldwide," according to the Anti-Defamation League, which reported rises of antisemitic incidents by hundreds of percent in several countries.

In the United States, there were 312 antisemitic incidents between Oct. 7 and Oct. 23, a nearly 400% rise year-over-year, according to the Anti-Defamation League. The increase led the Biden administration to partner with universities to combat threats against Jewish students. 

REMEMBERING US VICTIMS KILLED AND MISSING IN THE ISRAELI-HAMAS WAR

In Austria, the Jewish Community of Vienna reported there were 76 antisemitic incidents since Oct. 7 — a 300% increase from October 7 to October 19.

In France, the Minister of Interior reported there have been 819 antisemitic incidents and 414 arrests since October 7. 

In Germany, the Federal Association of Departments for Research and Information on Antisemitism (RIAS), which records antisemitic incidents, reported there was a 240% increase of antisemitic incidents from October 7 to October 15. 

In South Africa, the South African Jewish Board of Deputies reported there were 41 antisemitic incidents in the month of October, a significant increase from previous years. 

In the UK, the Jewish community’s security organization, CST, reported there were 893 antisemitic incidents from October 7-31, an increase of 609% compared to the same 25 day period in 2022.

Palestinian fighters from the armed wing of Hamas are taking part in a military parade in front of an Israeli military site to mark the anniversary of the 2014 war with Israel, near the border in the central Gaza Strip, on July 19, 2023. Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images

IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari clarified in a strongly worded statement that Israel is at war with Hamas, the paramilitary group that governs Gaza which the U.S. State Department has designated as a terrorist organization. The statement comes amid international rebuke that suggests Israel was targeting civilians.

"I want to make something very clear. Israel at war with Hamas - Israel is not at war with the civilians in Gaza," Hagari said.

The IDF spokesperson also highlighted the humanitarian support Israel has provided to Gazans.

"We're facilitating the entry of water, food, medicine and medical equipment into Gaza. Millions of liters of water per day flow from Israel into Gaza," he continued. "Israel is not at war with the civilian of Gaza, which is why we have encouraged the exit of wounded people from Gaza to Egypt. Egypt is leading this important humanitarian effort together with the United States and others.

Hagari added: "We encourage this effort. We have expended our teams to increase efficiency of this effort."

"Our war is against Hamas. Hamas does not care about the civilians in Gaza. Hamas steals fuel. Hamas steals fuel from hospitals, and uses this fuel for the Hamas war machine. It is because we are not at war with the civilians in Gaza, and because Hamas does not care about the civilians in Gaza, that we've been calling on the civilians in Northern Gaza and Gaza city to move south, away from Hamas strongholds in the north next to Gaza city, move south temporarily for your own safety, move south it is a safer area then the north, in the north there is intense fighting right now, in the south there is access to humanitarian aid. We will provide corridors for your safe way to move south."

"Israel is not at war with the civilians in Gaza," he again clarified. "Israel is at war with Hamas. We are fighting to free our hostages from Hamas, and free Gaza from Hamas."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Israel was at war with Hamas after Israel suffered the worst terror attack in its history on Oct. 7, when Hamas led an invasion across the Gaza-Israel border and slaughtered more than 1,400 people in Israel.

According to the Office of the Director of  National Intelligence, the Hamas charter calls for establishing an Islamic Palestinian state to replace Israel and rejects all agreements made between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel. The terror group primarily operates in the Gaza Strip and areas of the West Bank.

Pro-Palestinian protesters were seen on the streets of New York City Thursday burning the Israeli flag and ripping down posters intended to help find those kidnapped by Hamas terrorists in Israel.

Pro-Israel protesters stood guard in front of the missing person signs Thursday evening outside the City University of New York chancellor's office as police tried to maintain peace between the two sides.

But pro-Palestinian protesters could be seen ripping up the missing person posters and repeatedly stomping on them.

Fox News' Adam Sabes contributed to this report.

Barnard College President Laura Rosenbury addressed rising antisemitism on the New York City campus Thursday as the war between Israel and Hamas rages in the Middle East.

"I am appalled and saddened to see antisemitism and anti-Zionism spreading throughout Barnard and Columbia. The massacre resulted in the largest single-day slaughter of Jewish people since the Holocaust, but I have encountered posters in our halls and tunnels that justify the deliberate murder of innocent civilians, employ racial slurs, espouse misinformation, and call for the elimination of entire groups of people," Rosenbury said in a letter.

Rosenbury continued by saying she has seen students walking to class with bowed heads in fear of what and who they will encounter.

"I have learned about what is happening on social media and especially on Sidechat, where members of the Barnard and Columbia communities anonymously attack one another using profanity and death threats," said Rosenbury.

Rosenbury added that she is also appalled and saddened by the anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim rhetoric happening on campus.

"I have heard members of our community group all Palestinians with Hamas and use dehumanizing language toward Arabs and the people of Gaza. I have learned that students are being doxxed simply because they belong to our Muslim Students Association or other student groups," said Rosenbury.

Rosenbury continued by saying the safety and well-being of their students is her top priority, and that they must do better.

"Hate speech and discrimination are unacceptable anywhere on our campus, and we will continue to remove hateful posters, encourage our community to report hate and discrimination, and investigate and respond to all such reports," said Rosenbury.

Rosenbury explained the school is developing a proactive approach designed to prevent hate and discrimination by implementing steps to ensure all students feel safe and experience a strong sense of belonging. Rosenbury added the school will share their progress on their webpage.

"For now, I know that change is possible. Over the past few weeks, some students have exemplified the very best of Barnard by supporting one another across differences of religion, nationality, and political opinion. They are peacefully, constructively, and respectfully discussing nuanced and deeply emotional topics from a place of compassion and open-mindedness. They embrace and care for one another across their multiple identities and different points of view. They are living Barnard’s mission," Rosenbury concluded.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is speaking out on the war in the Middle East saying Israel is severing all contact with Gaza.

"There will be no more Palestinian workers from Gaza. Those workers from Gaza who were in Israel on the day of the outbreak of the war will be returned to Gaza," said Netanyahu in a post on X.

Netanyahu also posted that the Security Cabinet decided on Thursday to "deduct all funds designated for the Gaza Strip – in addition to the deduction, required by law, of funds paid to terrorists and their families – from Palestinian Authority funds."

A group of pro-Palenstinian supporters were seen clashing with pro-Israel supporters on the streets of New York City on Thursday.

The video shows the pro-Palenstinian supporters burning an Israeli flag and ripping down signs of kidnapped Israelis.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., made a statement on X Thursday saying that Israel needs to "reconsider" its approach to the war against Hamas terrorists.

"It's time for Israel's friends to recognize that the current approach is causing an unacceptable level of civilian harm and does appear likely to achieve the goal of ending the threat from Hamas...I urge Israel to immediately reconsider its approach," Murphy said.

Murphy's letter says the Hamas terrorists involved in the the attacks on October 7 must be held accountable.

"As I have said consistently, Israel has a right and an obligation to defend its people from terror attacks like the horrific events of October 7. The Hamas terrorists who planned and executed those attacks must beheld accountable, and the ability of Hamas to carry out similar attacks in the future must be eliminated," said Murphy.

Murphy's letter continues saying he shares Israel's desire to destroy the threat from Hamas terror groups.

"I know Israel cares about the impact of this war on innocent Palestinians, even as they track Hamas's hideouts inside and below mosques , apartment buildings, and schools. But the way in which the current campaign is being waged - most recently evidenced by the terribly high human cost of the strikes on the Jabalya refugee camp - suggests that they have not struck the right balance between military necessity and proportionality," said Murphy.

Murphy then urged Israel to immediately reconsider its approach.

"The current rate of civilian death inside Gaza is unacceptable and unsustainable. I urge Israel to immediately reconsider its approach and shift to a more deliberate and proportionate counterterrorism campaign, surgically targeting Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders and terrorist infrastructure while more highly prioritizing the safety of civilians in accordance with the law of armed conflict. This does not mean that Israel should stop fighting Hamas, but it must take concrete steps to end the current widespread harm to innocent people and children inside Gaza," said Murphy.

According to the IDF, in the last few hours, over 130 Hamas group terrorists have been thwarted.

The IDF announced that troops struck terrorist infrastructure and destroyed a large numbers of weapons that were found during ground operations in Gaza.

IDF says that troops have located weapons and destroyed terrorist infrastructure and Hamas military compounds while continuing to engage in fierce battles against Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip.

According to the IDF, soldiers on the ground struck a number of military command and control centers used by senior Hamas terrorist operatives.

The troops struck terrorist infrastructure that was deliberately located in civilian areas, as well as military compounds.

An Israeli Navy missile boat also struck buildings rigged with explosives and observation posts used by the Hamas terrorist organization, the IDF said.

Israeli Navy forces and IDF aircraft struck terror targets belonging to Hamas' naval forces, including structures that were designated for planning and carrying out terrorist attacks, according to the IDF.

Yael Rotem-Kuriel contributed to this story.

IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari confirmed that Gaza City is now encircled by Israeli forces and that the focus is on dismantling the Hamas terror group.

"Our soldiers encircling the city that constitutes the center of Hamas terror. The forces attacking posts used by Hamas leadership and anywhere there is a fight, IDF will win, even if battle will be hard," said Hagari.

Hagari emphasized that the term "cease fire" is not on the table.

Hagari revealed Wednesday evening that Hamas leader Ismail Haniya is expected to arrive for a visit in Iran.

"Tehran, is pushing the Houthis and Hezbollah to divert our attention from Gaza, but we are focused on returning the hostages and nothing will deter our attention," said Hagari.

Yael Rotem-Kuriel contributed to this story.

Fox News’ Peter Doocy confronted the White House Thursday over its friendly overtures to the nation of Qatar for helping to secure the release of American hostages in Gaza despite it being the home of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

“Oh, geez, Peter. Let's take a step back here and look at this,” National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby responded.

Doocy pressed him, “They are a terrorist group that killed Americans and kidnapped Americans within the last month.”

Kirby argued that Qatat had “been helpful” in getting Americans out of Gaza and that the nation was a “key player” in the talks.

“Qatar has lines of communication with Hamas that almost nobody else has. Now, I'm not saying we support Hamas. Of course we don't. They're a terrorist organization. And Israel has an absolute right to go after them. But Qatar has lines of communication that not everybody else has,” Kirby said.

He then claimed the administration would bare the brunt of media criticism if they weren’t doing everything they could to get the Americans being held hostage out.

However, Kirby did not address Doocy’s question over Qatar allowing the leader of Hamas to reside in the country.

Fox News' Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.

National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby takes questions during the daily briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on November 2, 2023. (Credit: Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

Thursday morning, President Joe Biden announced that so far 74 U.S. citizens and family members have left Gaza through the Rafah crossing and John Kirby echoed the President by confirming those numbers.

"That's in addition to the five Americans who departed Gaza yesterday. And I want to stress that these numbers are changing in real time," said John Kirby, the coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House.

Kirby added that the U.S. Embassy in Cairo has deployed a consular team to the Rafah crossing to support the American citizens and make sure they get back to the embassy.

"And then we work with them on onward movement as appropriate," said Kirby.

Biden admin wants humanitarian pauses 'as necessary' to get aid into Gaza, people 'out'

President Biden's administration is exploring the possibility of multiple "humanitarian pauses" in the Israel-Hamas war aimed at getting aid into Gaza and hostages and foreign nationals out.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby made the comments during a press briefing on Thursday. Reporters pressed him on what a "humanitarian pause" meant.

Kirby said each request for a pause would be taken on its own merits, and he was hopeful that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other powers involved would consider pauses on a case-by-case basis.

Kirby said Israel had already agreed to at least one pause when Hamas released two American hostages in October.

The administration has drawn a distinction between a full cease-fire and humanitarian pauses.

Biden announces successful evacuation of 74 Americans out of Gaza

President Biden announced that 74 Americans were successfully evacuated out of Gaza into Egypt via the Rafah crossing on Thursday.

Biden announced the development in response to shouted questions from reporters.

"We got out today, 74 American folks out, they're dual citizens, coming home," Biden said above the noise of Marine One's helicopter blades.

The Biden administration had said earlier Thursday that there were 400 American citizens in Gaza seeking evacuation. That number has now dropped to 326, and the U.S., Egypt, Israel and Qatar are maintaining negotiations to keep the Rafah crossing open.

Biden has also endorsed the idea of a pasue in fighting to allow more aid into Gaza and allow more foreign nationals to leave the Gaza Strip. Israel has so far rejected all calls for a ceasefire or a pause, however.

Outrage as Iran regime chairs United Nations Human Rights Council body despite 'alarming' abuses

Iran will take the chair of a United Nations human rights social forum on Thursday, with many critical of the appointment due to Tehran’s decades-long record of human rights abuses and terrorism. 

"The United States finds it absurd that an official from the Iranian regime will assume the role of Chair for the Human Rights Council’s one-day ‘Social Forum,’" U.S. Permanent Representative to the Human Rights Council Ambassador Michele Taylor wrote in a statement ahead of the forum. 

"It is unacceptable that any body associated with the promotion and protection of human rights be chaired by a representative from a nation implicated in such persistent and flagrant human rights abuses  as Iran," she added, stressing that the U.S. "categorically" refuses to "sit, converse, or engage in any discussion on human rights chaired by Iran."

The Human Rights Council in May appointed Iranian Ambassador Ali Bahreini as the chair-rapporteur for the 2023 "Social Forum," which per the letter announcing the appointment focuses on "the promotion of human rights." This year’s theme particularly focuses on the use of science, technology and innovation to help in that pursuit. 

Hillel Neuer of the watchdog group U.N. Watch noted that the appointment was announced shortly after Iran executed two men by hanging them over crimes of using social media to criticize religion.

Fox News' Peter Aitken contributed to this report

Jewish TikTok influencers wrote an open letter to the company demanding that it take action against asurge of anti-semitism on the site following Hamas' October 7 massacre.

The influencers called on TikTok to "fix" their existing safety tools; moderate content more fairly; prioritize verified content in times of crisis, and provide more robust systems for responding to physical threats to users and creators.

300 miles of Hamas subterranean terror tunnels the next big challenge for IDF: 'Gaza metro'

In his daily briefings, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari regularly reminds Israelis that the war against Hamas in Gaza is being fought from "the air, the sea and the land," yet he misses out on one important arena that is likely to become the focus as Israel sends its troops deeper into the Palestinian enclave: The vast web of underground tunnels built by Hamas.

According to those who closely track the Iranian-backed terror group, as well as admissions by its own leaders, Hamas has built an approximately 300-mile subterranean system that snakes beneath civilian homes, schools and hospitals in urban areas of the Gaza Strip.

And for the past three weeks – since its forces carried out a massive and brutal terrorist attack inside Israel on Oct. 7 – Hamas’ leadership, both political and military, has been safely holed up down there as Israeli fighter jets pound the territory from above.

On Wednesday during a briefing with the foreign press, Hagari said the massive damage in the Jabalia refugee camp after an Israeli airstrike on Tuesday was worsened by the fact that there were tunnels underneath the densely packed urban area. Locals reported seeing sinkholes opening up under the bombed-out buildings.

As Israeli ground forces expand further inside Gaza, the IDF will be forced to turn its attention to this underground battlefield, which is a challenge faced in other recent conflicts, particularly in the Middle East, but never on this scale, experts told Fox News Digital this week.

Fox News' Ruth Marks Eglash contributed to this report

Editor of Harvard Law Review among group who harassed, 'assaulted' Jewish student on Harvard campus: Report

An editor of the Harvard Law Review was among a group of students who harassed and pushed a Jewish student during an anti-Israel protest on the university's campus this week.

Footage appears to show law review editor Ibrahim Bharmal participating in the harassment by shouting slogans and crowding in on the student, according to analysis by the Canary Mission, a group that investigates antisemitism. The victim later had correspondence with the FBI and identified both Bharmal and Elom Tettey Tamaklo, a divinity school student, as assailants in the group, according to the Washington Free Beacon.

Footage of the incident exploded across social media earlier this week. Bharmal and Tmaklo had been participating in a "Die-in for Gaza" on Harvard's campus when the Jewish student approached the event.

Demonstrators then crowded around the Jewish student and obstructed him, with some appearing to push him backward as he tried to evade.

Bharmal did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital

Fox News' Greg Norman contributed to this report

Arkansas man sues US government in effort to save wife, children trapped in Gaza

An Arkansas man of Palestinian descent is suing the U.S. government in an effort to have his wife and their two young children, both American citizens, evacuated from Gaza amid Israel’s war against Hamas.

The lawsuit filed on behalf of American citizen Ramiz Younis of Little Rock in the Eastern District of Arkansas on Monday says that his wife, Folla Saqer, a U.S. legal resident, their two-year-old son, Zain Ramiz Younis, and their eight-month-old daughter, Zaina Ramiz Younis, attempted to flee Gaza through the Egyptian boarder at the Rafah border crossing as recently as Sunday, "only to be turned away by the Egyptian authorities." 

"In fact, Falla had her passport stamped literally at the border just as the bombing from the Israel Government began," the complaint says. "Because Israel threatened to bomb the area, despite her passport being stamped and being with her children, she was denied exit from Gaza. She abandoned multiple items such as luggage and a baby stroller at the border." 

The lawsuit implores defendants Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to "use all resources at their disposal that are necessary and available, including but not limited to deployment of military ships, vessel and airplanes and/or contracting with private commercial ship liners and airline carriers to evacuate U.S. citizens from Gaza and return them safely to the United States or another nation outside of the warzone in the most expeditious manner available."

As of Thursday, Fox News obtained a list of exactly 400 Americans cleared to leave Gaza "as soon as today." Younis' son and daughter, both U.S. citizens, are on the list, but the status of his wife was not immediately known.

Fox News' Danielle Wallace contributed to this report

Massachusetts family stranded in Gaza makes it through Rafah crossing into Egypt

The Massachusetts family stranded in Gaza amid the ongoing war between Israeli forces and Hamas terrorists has entered Egypt through the Rafah crossing and are on their way to Cairo, Fox News Digital has learned.

Abood Okal, Wafa Abuzayda and their 1-year-old son, Yousef, were visiting family in Gaza when Hamas launched its largest attack against Israel on Oct. 7. The family has been in the region since late September, and had intended to return home to Medway, Massachusetts, on Oct. 13 before the violence delayed their plans.

In an audio recording obtained by Fox News Digital, Okal explained that the family ran out of drinking water on Sunday and that a nearby desalination station had run out of fuel needed to power generators. He said they had been roaming the main roads and streets in Rafah City, where they were staying in a single-family home with 40 other people including his sister Haneen and her three kids, in search of trucks or carriages carrying tanks of 1,000 or 2,000 liters of drinking water. Haneen and her children are also Americans.

"We stood in line, I think it was for maybe about two hours, to fill one gallon. They tried to limit the portions, so ours was a gallon. And we're hoping that would last us for the rest of the day today and for most of tomorrow until we could find another place to get drinking water from," Okal said in the recording created on Monday.

Fox News' Aishah Hasnie and Landon Mion contributed to this report.

Hamas is hoarding 200,000 gallons of fuel as Gaza hospitals run dry, US, Israeli officials say

Hamas terrorists are hoarding some 200,000 gallons of fuel to continue its barrage of rocket fire into Israel and keep the air clean in its labyrinth of undeground tunnels as Gaza's hospitals lose power, U.S. and Israeli officials say.

Gaza's only cancer treatement facility ran out of fuel on Wednesday, but U.S. and Israeli officials as well as academics told the outlet that Hamas has more than enough to meet Gaza's needs.

“Hamas has its own supply stockpile of fuel,” Blinken told the Senate Appropriations Committee. “If it cared a whit about the people of Gaza, it would make sure itself that it used that fuel to have the hospitals be able to operate the incubators, stay turned on, etc. But, of course, it doesn’t.”

Experts say Hamas is hoarding the fuel to continue its offensive operations against Israel as well as to maintain its vast array of tunnels beneath Gaza.

“We don’t know how much they have, and we definitely don’t know how much they need, because no one is sure to what extent this underground city goes,” Elai Rettig, an assistant professor of political studies at Bar Ilan University in Tel Aviv, told NBC News. “If it’s just for ventilation and basic communication, it will last for months.”

Israeli Defense Forces released audio of a call on Wednesday that they say shows that Hamas has been taking fuel from hospital stocks as the war continues.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi has vowed Thursday that Israel will provide fuel for hospitals in they do run out, however.

“We have not brought fuel in to this point,” he says. “We check the situation in the Strip every day. For over a week, they tell us that the fuel in the hospitals will run out, and it hasn’t. We’ll see when the day comes [that it runs out. When that day comes], fuel will be transferred, with oversight, to the hospitals, and we will do everything to ensure that it doesn’t reach Hamas infrastructure and won’t serve [Hamas’s] war aims,"

Senate Republicans grill Biden Education secretary over antisemitism on college campuses

Senate Republican lawmakers are demanding to know what Education Secretary Miguel Cardona is doing to protect Jewish college students against the backdrop of rising antisemitic incidents on university campuses across the country. 

"Many Jewish and pro-Israel students have felt unsafe in their institutions of higher education, especially following Hamas’ attack on Israel," Idaho Republican Sens. Jim Risch and Mike Crapo wrote to Cardona.

They asked Cardona whether his department was aiding FBI probes and other investigations into antisemitism on college campuses, and how the department was working to ensure Jewish students were protected. 

"At Cooper University in New York City, Jewish students were locked in a library during a pro-Palestinian rally. At Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, a professor said he was ‘exhilarated’ by the Hamas attack," the senators wrote, listing off instances reported in the media in recent weeks.

"Also at Cornell, an anonymous post was shared that threatened Jews. In Washington, DC at George Washington University, campus buildings were projected with pro-Palestinian messages, which made some students on campus feel unsafe," the senators wrote. 

Risch previously wrote to Cardona in March, accusing the Biden administration of allowing "taxpayer-funded antisemitism" on college campuses. He and 14 colleagues demanded to know "to what extent" federal dollars went toward programs and events that meet the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism.

Fox News' Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report

Pro-Palestinian group may have raised money for Hamas, broke donation laws: state AG

Virginia's top lawyer is opening an investigation into a Muslim charity, saying his office has "reason to believe" the group could be operating illegally and unlawfully benefiting terrorist organizations.

GOP Attorney General Jason Miyares announced he is opening a probe into AJP Educational Foundation, Inc., which does business under the name American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), a group that purports to educate the public on "how the people of Palestine have been living under occupation for decades."

"We believe once Americans know the truth that their tax dollars support the longest-lasting and the last military occupation in modern history they won’t stand for it and will demand that Congress change our foreign policy in the Middle East to one that is more balanced and just for everyone living in the Holy Land," the group's website states. 

Miyares says his office's Consumer Protection Section has reason to believe the organization, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, may be soliciting contributions in the commonwealth without first having registered with the commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The AG will also investigate allegations the group may have used funds raised for illegal purposes under state law, including benefiting or providing support to terrorist organizations.

Those allegations stem from a decades-old legal battle against the group waged by Stanley and Joyce Boim, whose 17-year-old son David was killed by Hamas in 1996.

Fox News' Brianne Herlihy contributed to this report

400 Americans cleared to leave Gaza as soon as today, sources involved in negotiations say

400 Americans have been cleared to leave Gaza through the Rafah crossing to Egypt as soon as today, two sources involved in the negotiations told Fox News Digital.

The U.S. State Department is working to assign American citizens in Gaza specific departure dates, and officials say they’ll notify those in Gaza who have already been in contact with the U.S. government.

Dozens of foreign passport holders were allowed to leave through the crossing on Wednesday following negotiations between the U.S., Egypt, Israel and Qatar. The Rafah crossing had previously remained closed at the insistence of both Israel and Egypt.

Fox News' Rich Edson contributed to this report.

Israel is contesting reports that the government of Bahrain is recalling its ambassador to Israel and has cut off economic ties amid the ongoing war against Hamas.

Fox News foreign correspondent Trey Yingst said there were reports of Bahrain's pullout early Thursday morning. Israel has faced ramping pressure from its Arab neighbors to halt its retaliatory war against Hamas, but Israeli officials deny that Bahrain has taken any such action.

"We would like to clarify that no notification or decision has been received from the Bahraini government or the Israeli government to recall the countries' ambassadors. The relations between Israel and Bahrain are stable," Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Lior Haiat claimed on Twitter.

Bahrain has not released an official statement on the matter.

Israel contests reports of Bahrain recalling its ambassador to Israel, cutting economic ties

Leaders in Iraq, Syria, Jordan and a prominent school in Egypt all condemned Israel's war on Hamas just days after Hamas' own unprecedented massace in Israel, which left over 1,400 people dead.

Hamas is believed to have taken some 242 hostages back into Gaza. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes and ground operations have killed thousands in Gaza.

Rep. Tlaib posts message for Biden from American trapped in Gaza

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., says she received a recording from a Michigan resident trapped in Gaza on Thursday.

Tlaib said the recording was meant to be a message for President Biden, who has continued in his full support of Israel's retaliatory war against Hamas.

"Zakaria Alarayshi, a Michigan resident, trapped in Gaza, sent me the following text and voice note this morning," Tlaib wrote on Instagram.

"This is a message is for President Biden," Tlaib quoted Alarayshi as saying. "This war must stop. Women and children are dying every minute. Entire families are being wiped out in their homes. We have no food, no water and no medicine and nowhere to go. We are dying slowly. We ask you and we ask our president for an immediate ceasefire and for help to get us out of here. No where is safe in Gaza. They asked us to go south, we did. And now they are bombing our streets, our homes and our shops. We need immediate help. Is there any humanity left in the world?"

Tlaib followed up the recording by saying, "The voices of those who on the ground in Gaza need to be heard now more than ever."

Tlaib has come under heavy fire in recent days for blindly repeating a claim from Hamas that Israel had bombed a hospital in Gaza, killing 500 people. Later intelligence would indicate that not only were the casualties a fraction of that, but the blast originated from a rocket fired by militants in Gaza that fell short of its target.

IDF shuts down Hamas social media campaign aimed at farming information on Israeli forces

Israeli Defense Forces announced the dismantling of an online fishing program they say was operated by Hamas militants and their allies on Thursday.

IDF Spkesman Daniel Hagari says the system of fake accounts sought to lure members of the Israeli military into fake relationships in hopes of divulging troop movements and other key information.

"In recent days, the information security system thwarted an infrastructure of [accounts] that operated on social networks in order to release information about IDF forces and activities. This is an infrastructure that operated dozens of profiles by the Axis countries in order to provide information to the terrorist organization Hamas," Hagari wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

"The characters hold authentic photos, manage a kind of romantic relationship, in a variety of ways of conversations through correspondence, voice recordings and video calls. Each avatar has a set of avatars whose role is to strengthen their credibility on the network - 'parents,' 'siblings,' and 'friends,'" he added.

"This network contained dozens of profiles on social networks, with an emphasis on Instagram and the scope of the potential victims - hundreds to thousands of IDF soldiers in regular and reserve," he continued.

US, partners discussing foreign troops serving as Gaza peacekeeping force after Israeli war: report

The United States and its partners are reportedly discussing sending foreign troops to Gaza to serve as an "international peacekeeping force" in the region currently controlled by Hamas militants following the war in Israel. 

Two U.S. senators confirmed the early, closed-door talks to Politico, though it is unclear if negotiations including potential sending American troops. 

"There certainly has been discussion with the Saudi about their being part of some international peacekeeping force if only to provide resources, and, longer term, supporting Palestinian leadership and a separate state, obviously," Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told Politico. "Reconstruction of Gaza will require a vast amount of resources, which the Saudis potentially could help provide." 

"I’m not sure how active the conversation is about U.S. troops," Blumenthal added, speaking of the discussions he had with the congressional delegation with whom he traveled to Israel last month. "I would think that maybe an international force could be mustered without U.S. troops."

"There are ongoing conversations regarding the possible composition of an international force," Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., also told Politico, reportedly declining to go into detail. "They are very preliminary and fragile."

"I do think it’d be important to have some kind of multinational force in Gaza as a transition to whatever comes next," he added. 

Veteran Middle East reporter Pierre Rehov discussed his interviews with terrorists like those in Hamas and said many of them are simply "brainwashed."

"These people often live in a very repressive society, and the children are very often stolen [from] their parents," Rehov said. "They are brainwashed in school, in mosques. They are brainwashed at every single level of their society."

"So the end result is that, at a certain point in their life they believe that in order to have a normal life that they cannot have on Earth, they need to kill other people and eventually kill themselves," he continued.

Israel's war on Hamas has continued for nearly a month after the terrorist group slaughtered 1,400 people in an unprecendented Oct. 7 assault.

Left-wingers turn on Fetterman over support for Israel, accuse him of being 'silent on genocide'

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., is taking serious heat from his progressive base for showing unconditional support for U.S. ally Israel in the wake of Hamas’ brutal attack against the country.

According to a new NBC News report, many of his supporters are accusing the rookie senator of betraying his base and being "silent on genocide" because he supports Israel’s military retaliation for Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attacks that killed over 1,400 people in the Jewish state.

Fetterman, known as a progressive champion, said after the Hamas terrorist attack that "I unequivocally support any necessary military, intelligence, and humanitarian aid to Israel. The United States has a moral obligation to be in lockstep with our ally as they confront this threat. I also fully support Israel neutralizing the terrorists responsible for this barbarism."

The piece noted that although this statement was in line with his party’s position on the issue, "he has perhaps faced more open opposition than any of his colleagues," including opposition "from people who have been his supporters and, in some cases, his former staffers."

An anonymous former Fetterman campaign staffer explained the spat between Fetterman and his supporters, stating, "When you represent a large, diverse state and have pockets of really progressive, lefty people — and really conservative people on the other spectrum — you’re going to run afoul of somebody sometimes. Sometimes it’s going to be people who are in your base."

Anti-Israel protesters stage walkout from Hillary Clinton's class at Columbia University

Dozens of Columbia University students staged an anti-Israel walkout from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's class there on Wednesday.

Roughly 30 students of the class of 300 abruptly stood up and left the room 30 minutes into Clinton's lecture on women’s involvement in peace processes. The students were protesting the school's handling of pro-Israeli students who had displayed the photographs of students who had declared in an open letter that Israel was at fault for the Oct. 7 massacre by Hamas.

A truck displaying the images of "Columbia's leading antisemites" had driven around campus for several days, and student protesters demanded that Columbia provide “immediate legal support for affected students” and “a commitment to student safety, well being and privacy," according to the New York Times.

Clinton herself has expressed support for the state of Israel, and rejected calls for a ceasefire earlier this week.

Pope Francis endorses two-state solution for Israel, Palestinians: 'Wise solution'

Pope Francis endorsed a two-state solution for Israel and Palestinians as "wise" on Wednesday.

Francis called on the two parties to return to the Oslo Accord nearly reached by Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian Liberation Organisation leader Yasser Arafat in 1993. The deal would have established a State of Palestine, but Arafat rejected the deal.

"Those are two peoples who have to live together. With that wise solution, two states. The Oslo accords, two well-defined states and Jerusalem with a special status," Francis told and Italian broadcaster.

"The war in the Holy Land frightens me," Francis added. "How will these people end this story?"

Reuters contributed to this report.

Some Democrats in Michigan have have express worry that President Joe Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war could cost him re-election in Michigan, a state that he almost certainly can't afford to lose in 2024.

The president has reaffirmed Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas, which the State Department has designated as a foreign terrorist organization. However, he faces pressure from the state’s prominent Democrats and others to alleviate tensions as they claim he is losing support within the Arab American community.

“The message has been relayed. We’ve had calls with the White House. We’ve had calls with DNC officials,” said Abraham Aiyash, the third-ranking Democrat in the state House of Representatives, referring to the Democratic National Committee.

Aiyash added: “We’ve been clear in saying the humanity should matter, but if that is not a calculation that you’re going to make in this moment, recognize that there will be electoral reverberations to this.”

"People are openly saying that the Biden administration and Democrats who agree with his position on the war do not deserve our votes next year in the election. That’s come across very clear from community activists and people who are on the ground,” said Dawud Walid, the executive director of Michigan’s Council on American-Islamic Relations.

A senior Michigan Democratic Party official who spoke with the Associated Press said Biden’s handling of the war has emerged in the state as a “huge” problem. It could become more vexing if the war stretches on, closer into the 2024 election, the official added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed several more casualties in the Gaza Strip on Thursday morning, bringing the total number of soldiers killed in the second phase of the war to 17.

On Wednesday, Israel's military said 10 soldiers were killed after Hamas fired an anti-tank guided missile at one of its units in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. Additional casualties were reported as the day went on and the IDF subsequently increased the death toll to 16 by Wednesday evening.

By Thursday morning, IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said 17 total Israeli soldiers had died in Gaza. He also updated the number of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza to 242.

Israeli forces entered the second stage of their war with Hamas earlier this week and the IDF expanded ground operations in what is expected to be a lengthy military operation. Israeli ground troops are now tasked with clearing out a complex network of Hamas tunnels and other fortified strongholds.

Until this week, Israel largely relied on airstrikes and artillery to retaliate against Hamas' massacre in Israel on Oct. 7. The IDF said it has attacked 11,000 targets in Gaza Strip since Oct. 7.

President Biden on Israel-Hamas war: 'I think we need a pause'

President Biden said there should be a "pause" in the Israel-Hamas War to provide humanitarian aid to Gazans and get those trapped in the Gaza Strip released.

The comment came during a campaign event in Minnesota on Wednesday evening, when a member of the audience shouted: "As a rabbi, I need you to call for a ceasefire right now.”

The president — who has not supported a ceasefire since the war began on October 7 — said that he would support a "pause."

“I think we need a pause," Biden began. "A pause means give time to get the prisoners out.”

In his comments, Biden was exerting pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to give Palestinians a brief reprieve from Israel's retaliatory military operation. He also said he convinced both Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to allow aid into Gaza.

Biden later said that he understood the "emotion" over the war and said it is "incredibly complicated for Israelis."

"It’s incredibly complicated for the Muslim world as well… I supported a two state solution, I have from the very beginning," he continued. "The fact is the matter is that Hamas is a terrorist organization. A flat-out terrorist organization."

Biden's call was a subtle departure for the president and top White House aides, who throughout the Mideast crisis have been steadfast in stating they will not dictate how the Israelis carry out their military operations in response to the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.

The Democratic president has faced intensifying pressure from liberal members of his own Democratic Party, fellow world leaders, and human rights groups, who say that the Israeli bombardment of Gaza is collective punishment and that it is time for a cease-fire.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.