Israel fends off aggression at Lebanon border as it prepares to invade Gaza

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Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., is calling on the Department of Homeland Security to deport foreign nationals, including people in the U.S. on student visas, who have expressed support for Hamas' terrorist attacks on Israel.

In a letter sent to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Monday, Cotton demanded the department take immediate action to remove the foreign nationals, who the GOP lawmaker says have "no place" in the U.S.

"I write to urge you to immediately deport any foreign national—including and especially any alien on a student visa—that has expressed support for Hamas and its murderous attacks on Israel. These fifth-columnists have no place in the United States," Cotton wrote.

"Federal law is clear that any alien who 'endorses or espouses terrorist activity or persuades others to endorse or espouse terrorist activity or support a terrorist organization' is inadmissible and must be deported," he continued. "Swiftly removing and permanently barring from future reentry any foreign student who signed onto or shared approvingly the anti-Semitic letter from the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee on October 7 would be a good place to start."

Shortly after the attack on Oct. 7, Harvard Palestine Solidarity Groups released a statement signed by about 30 student organizations that read, "We, the undersigned student organizations, hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence."

The statement was later deleted after student organizations began removing their signatures amid bipartisan backlash and some CEOs demanding the names of the students who signed it.

Israel's Defense Forces Chief of the General Staff, LTG Herzi Halevi, sent a letter to his fellow soldiers, commanders and reservists amid the war in the Jewish State stemming from a surprise attack by Hamas terrorists.

"On Saturday morning, October 7 2023, Hamas terror organization commenced a murderous surprise attack against the State of Israel," Halevi began. "They seek to destabilize Israel's sovereignty by carrying out cruel and criminal actions. During this fateful hour, we are keeping our oath to protect our homeland and Israel's freedom and are fighting back. This is the eleventh consecutive day that the IDF is striking the enemy from the air, ground and sea."

"We destroyed enemy infrastructure, leadership and capabilities and caused significant damage," he continued. "We will pursue and catch them everywhere and will strike them with force. We are determined and unified in our mission to protect our home and are prepared for any situation at every front. Our uncompromising responsibility is to overwhelm the enemy and restore security everywhere."

More than 3,600 people have been killed since Hamas launched its attack against Israel on Oct. 7, leading to retaliatory action from Israeli forces. Thousands more have been wounded, and many others have been abducted by Hamas and raped, tortured and murdered.

"We took a hard hit and we are responsible, but now the initiative is in our hands," Halevi wrote. "Every single one of you has a role in the challenges we face ahead. The war will be difficult and long and the IDF will prevail. The IDF will prevail because of our dedication to the mission, our bravery, and camaraderie. The IDF will prevail because our war is just. The IDF will prevail thanks to the might of the nation we are a part of. We will prevail because of our abilities and because we trained for this mission. We will prevail, and in everything that we do we will act according to the IDF spirit and its values."

"We will remember our comrades, soldiers, commanders, security forces; the rapid response teams and the civilians that bravely stormed the enemy, and courageously fought and saved many lives," the letter reads. "They fought and paid with their lives, but their blood was not absorbed into the soil in vain; they are our legacy, and we will continue their mission."

Halevi added, "The Israeli people have faced hardships before. The IDF was and still is the protector of the nation, and we are a generation of fighters that are another link in the chain of generations of protectors of the country. Our power, determination and unity will prevail in this chapter of history as well."

"The citizens of Israel trust in you. I trust in you," he concluded.

When pro-Palestinian protesters  chant "Palestine from the river to the sea," they are really calling for the "extermination of the Jewish state," one former counterterrorism coordinator warned.

"They think that Israel shouldn't exist at all," Nathan Sales told "Sunday Night in America." "This is exterminationist rhetoric and our First Amendment means that we have to tolerate this kind of speech, but the antidote for that kind of abhorrent speech is more speech. We need to expose what these Hamas sympathizers are really all about."

Several American cities have seen protests against Israel by pro-Palestinian supporters since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas. Instead of condemning Hamas, many have spoken out against Israel for military operations in besieged territory, citing civilian casualties. 

Sales said now is the time Americans must "stand strong with Israel."

"The attack ... [is] the worst day for Israel in its 75-year history. It's the worst slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust. We've said, ‘Never again.’ Well, now is the time to show that we mean it and the way you show that you mean it is at least being out in the streets and showing support for Jews who are now looking over their shoulders and fearing for their lives."

Fox News' Maria Lencki contributed to this report.

Author and professor Matt Goodwin scolded the BBC live, on the air over the network's decision not to label Hamas as "terrorists" Monday.

Goodwin was on the BBC's "Politics Live" when he became infuriated during a conversation about people who sympathize with Palestinians and the way British Jews have been treated since Hamas launched its deadly terror attacks on Israel.

"I can’t remember a time in my life when I felt more ashamed by our national debate, and our country, as I have over the last week. I’ve tried to imagine how I would feel if I was a British Jew. We have a national broadcaster, the BBC, unable to call a Nazi-inspired, ISIS-inspired terrorist group ‘terrorists,’" Goodwin said.

"We have the same broadcaster investigating BBC Arabic journalists for expressing sympathy for Hamas, we have the institutions of our national community, like Wembley Stadium, showing the rainbow flag to protest against Qatar, but not showing the colors of Israel in solidarity," he continued. "And we have the universities, where I work, a few years ago fall over themselves to express solidarity with George Floyd, and what happened centuries ago in America, but are unable to issue the same condemnation of what has happened in Israel."

Goodwin went on to say that anti-Israeli protesters and anyone who glorifies terrorism should be "treated the same way as supporters of ISIS."

Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.

CENTCOM Commander Army Gen. Michael Kurilla testifies during the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the U.S. Central Command and U.S. Africa Command in Review of The Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2024 and The Future Years Defense Program, in Dirksen Building on March 16, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Army Gen. Michael "Erik" Kurilla, U.S. Central Command Commander, arrived in Tel Aviv Tuesday morning to "conduct high level meetings" with Israeli military leadership, according to the unit.

Kurilla will meet with Israeli Chief of Defense Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi to discuss Israel's defense requirements, outline America's support efforts to avoid expansion of the war against Hamas, and to reiterate the Department of Defense's support for the longtime ally.

“I’m here to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself, and am particularly focused on avoiding other parties expanding the conflict,” Kurilla said in a news release.

USCENTCOM is one of eleven unified combatant commands of the DoD.

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Senate leaders returned to the floor Monday afternoon for the first time since their Columbus Day recess, which was particularly busy with codels to China and Israel, and behind-the-scenes conversations with the White House about an emergency funding package to Israel. 

"We want to move this package quickly," Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the floor . "The Senate must go first — I know that the House is in disarray, but we cannot wait for them. The needs are too great, and if we pass a strong package, with strong bipartisan support, it will import to in the House somehow or other to act despite the morass they are in."

Schumer led a delegation of bipartisan lawmakers to the Holy Land over the weekend, just a few days after he cut his codel to China short last week. He said on the floor the trip pushed back "in a significant way against the dangerous false equivalency between what Hamas is doing and the response against them."

"Let us be clear. Hamas is an evil organization that wants to see Israel wiped off the face of the map. They don't believe in a two-state solution," he said.

Fox News' Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.

Soldiers prepare a tank near the border between Israel and Lebanon on October 16, 2023 in Shlomi, Israel. (Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images)

A draft proposal from Russia that called for ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war was recently rejected by the United Nations Security Council.

The one-page draft proposal, which was introduced on Friday, called for access to humanitarian aid and an immediate ceasefire. It also condemned violence and hostilities against civilians.

The proposal notably did not include any mention of Hamas. The war began when Hamas terrorists began attacking Israel on October 7, and at least 1,400 Israelis have died since.

"By failing to condemn Hamas, Russia is giving cover to a terrorist group that brutalizes innocent civilians. It is outrageous. It is hypocritical, and it is indefensible," U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said.

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

Ron and Linda Neumann boarded a plane from Israel to Florida amid the country's war with Hamas. (Project DYNAMO)

Florida couple Ron and Linda Neumann were two of 270 people rescued from Israel on Sunday as part of efforts from Project DYNAMO and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

The Neumanns, who live in Melbourne, Florida, were visiting Israel and living in Rehovot when Hamas terrorists began attacking the country on October 7.

The desperate couple reached out to the State Department after two of their flights were cancelled. Ron, a Vietnam War veteran and son of a Holocaust survivor, called his rescue a miracle.

"How we got on this plane is a miracle from God because we had no way to get out," he said during a Monday press conference. "We were in an area that was getting constant bombardment."

The Neumanns' poodle was also one of four dogs rescued. DeSantis welcomed the 270 people and four animals when they arrived in Tampa Sunday night.

Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

A U.S. Navy sailor from USS Bataan stands watch as the amphibious assault ship transits the Suez Canal with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit on Aug. 6. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Nayelly Nieves-Nieves)

The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) is travelling towards Israel via the Red Sea, a defense official said to Fox News.

The unit is made up of around 2,000 Marines and sailors that specialize in special operations and rapid response.

The unit's final destination is unknown, and it is unclear if it will join the USS Ford carrier strike group in the Eastern Mediterranean. The USS Eisenhower carrier strike group is also headed towards the area.

The MEU is separate from the 2,000 U.S. troops who received orders over the weekend to "be ready to potentially deploy."

The news comes as the White House continues to lend their support to Israel, with President Biden condemning the Hamas terrorists who began attacking the country on October 7.

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

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference in Tel Aviv, on October 17, 2023, after an overnight meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Photo by JACQUELYN MARTIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed that President Biden will visit Israel this Wednesday.

In remarks made on Tuesday morning, Blinken said that Biden's visit will happen "at a critical moment for Israel, for the region, and for the world."

"The president will reaffirm the United States solidarity with Israel and our ironclad commitment to its security," the White House official said.

Blinken also added that Biden will speak to Israeli leaders about how to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza.

"The president will hear from Israel how it will conduct its operations in a way that minimizes civilian casualties and enables humanitarian assistance to flow to civilians in Gaza in a way that does not benefit Hamas," he explained.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed his country late on October 11, as Israel continued fighting against Hamas terrorist attacks that began on Saturday.

WARNING: This story contains graphic details

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed his country late on October 11, as Israel continued fighting against Hamas terrorist attacks that began on Saturday.

At least 1,200 Israelis have died since the surprise attack began on Simchat Torah, a Jewish holiday. Most of the deaths were civilians.

"We are dealing with it an enemy that is cruel and worse than ISIS," the prime minister explained.  "We saw children, boys and girls who were shot in their heads. Men and women who were burned alive. Young women who were raped and slaughtered, children whose heads were cut were decapitated."

"We are fighting with all our strength on all fronts," he said later in his speech. "We have moved over to the offense. Every Hamas member will be destroyed...They are ISIS, they will be destroyed."

Fox News' Andrea Vacchiano contributed to this report.

This family of five wiped out by Hamas on Oct. 7 were found dead holding each other, according to a report. (Facebook)

The bodies of five Israeli family members murdered by Hamas terrorists were found hugging each other, according to Israeli media.

Aviv Kutz, 54, his wife, Livnat, 49, and their children, Rotem, 19, Yonatan 17, and Yiftach 15, were all killed in their Kfar Aza home on October 7, the Times of Israel reported.

The Kutz family was considered missing until their neighbors found them in a bed, with Aviv protectively embracing his children and wife.

"They were all amazing kids with huge hearts. They had their whole lives ahead of them," the children's aunt, Adi Levy Salama, said.

Salama said that the family moved to Kfar Aza after spending several years living in Boston, Massachusetts.

Fox News Digital's Rebecca Rosenberg contributed to this report.

A salvo of rockets is fired by Palestinian militants from Gaza as an Israeli missile launched from the Iron Dome defence missile system attempts to intercept the rockets, fired from the Gaza Strip, over the city of Netivot in southern Israel on October 8, 2023. (Photo by MAHMUD HAMS/AFP via Getty Images)

A covert Hamas group called the "Shadow Unit" is likely controlling the holding of Israeli and American hostages, according to an expert - and their involvement poses a significant safety risk.

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) recently penned a report in the Long War Journal about the group's potential involvement. Hamas disclosed the existence of their Shadow Unit in 2016.

FDD author Joe Truzman told Fox News Digital that the unit's overseeing of the hostage situation will complicate things for Israeli officials.

Truzman also said that some Americans may be held captive, but Hamas would target Israelis more than U.S. citizens for bargaining power with the Israeli government.

Fox News Digital's Michael Lee contributed to this report.

Gigi Hadid attends The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

The Israeli government’s official Instagram account had harsh words for model Gigi Hadid after she criticized the country's leadership amid the Israel-Hamas war.

"There is nothing Jewish about the Israeli government’s treatment of Palestinians," Hadid said on Instagram, according to Variety. "Condemning the Israeli government is not antisemitic and supporting Palestinians is not supporting Hamas."

The State of Israel’s account directly responded to the model, asking her "Have you been sleeping the past week?"

"There is nothing valiant about Hamas’ massacre of Israelis," the account wrote. "Condemning Hamas for what it is (ISIS) is not anti-Palestine and supporting Israelis in their fight against barbaric terrorists is the right thing to do."

Fox News Digital reached out to Hadid's management for comment, but did not receive an immediate response.

Fox News Digital's Alexander Hall contributed to this report.

After Hamas terrorists launched an unprecedented and massive attack on Israel on October 7, the country's leader promised a swift and devastating response.

After Hamas terrorists launched an unprecedented and massive attack on Israel on October 7, the country's leader promised a swift and devastating response. 

In a video message early the morning of the violent attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "Citizens of Israel, we are at war — not in an operation, not in rounds — at war."

“The enemy will pay an unprecedented price,” he added, promising that Israel would “return fire of a magnitude that the enemy has not known.”

Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israeli territory Saturday, the Israeli military said in a statement. Residents in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip were urged to remain in their homes at the time as rockets and gunfire were reported in Sderot and southern Israel.

Dozens of IDF fighter jets were seen delivering strikes to a number of targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip.

In accordance with assessments by Israel's defense establishment, Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant has announced a "special security situation" in Israel’s homefront, within a 0-80 km radius from the Gaza Strip that enables the IDF to provide civilians with safety instructions and close relevant sites.

There has been fighting between Israel and Gaza in years past.

Fox News' Landon Mion, Trey Yingst, Yonat Friling and Reuters contributed to this update.

Police cordon off the area and take security measures around the King Baudouin Stadium after a gunman killed at least two Swedish nationals in Brussels, Belgium on October 17, 2023. (Photo by Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Belgian authorities issued a terror alert after two Swedish citizens were fatally wounded by a gunman in Brussels on Monday.

The attack, which targeted three people, happened just after 7 p.m. The two Swedes died, but the third victim - a taxi driver - was "said to be out of danger," according to Belgium's National Crisis Center.

"The takeover by the federal prosecutor's office occurred because of the possible terrorist motive of the shooting," the agency explained. 

A social media user who claimed to be the shooter identified himself as Abdesalem Al Guilani and a "fighter for Allah."

"My name is Abdesalem Al Guilani and I am a fighter for Allah," the suspect said in a video message, according to Reuters. "I am from the Islamic State. We love who loves us and we hate who hates us. We live for our religion and we die for our religion. Alhamdulah."

The Associated Press and Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) dduring their meeting at the Kremlin on January 30, 2020 in Moscow, Russia. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is having a one-day visit to Moscow. (Photo by Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke about the Israel-Hamas war over the phone on Monday night, according to officials.

The Russian leader reportedly offered his help in preventing a humanitarian disaster in Gaza, where the Israeli military is preparing to stage a ground invasion.

According to the Kremlin, Putin said he wanted to work towards ending "the Palestinian-Israeli confrontation and achieving a peaceful settlement through political and diplomatic means."

Putin had previously blamed the United States for creating an environment that caused Hamas terrorists to attack Israel on October 7.

"Settlement mechanisms have been established, but the United States has neglected these mechanisms over the past few years and decided to regulate everything on its own, did not use these mechanisms and in recent years has relied on meeting the material needs of the population living in the Palestinian territories," Putin said.

"In fact, they tried to replace the solution of fundamental political problems with some material handouts. Of course, this is very important for people who have a low standard of living, it is important to solve socio-economic issues," he added.

Reuters and Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace, Yonat Friling, Greg Wehner and Adam Sabes contributed to this report.

Protestors are detained by law enforcement personnel during a demonstration to support Gaza outside the White House on October 16, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Over 30 protestors outside of the White House were arrested on Monday, according to the U.S. Secret Service.

"[M]ore than 30 individuals were arrested by the U.S. Secret Service’s Uniformed Division for Unlawful Entry or Incommoding after crossing safety barriers or blocking entrances during a demonstration at the White House complex," a U.S. Secret Service spokesperson explained in a statement to Fox News.

Monday's arrests come after over 10,000 pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in D.C. as part of the "Day of Action for Palestine" event.

The director of development for the American Muslims for Palestine – the organization that put together Saturday's protests – criticized the Biden administration to Fox News Digital.

"We need a ceasefire. We need innocent people to stop being killed," Mohamad Habehh said. "It seems that the Biden administration would rather condemn people calling for peace than try to step in."

Fox News Digital's Jon Michael Raasch contributed to this report.

At least 30 Americans have died since the Israel-Hamas war erupted on October 7, with 13 others still missing, according to the U.S. State Department.

An unknown number of the missing Americans are believed to be among the nearly 200 hostages that were captured by Hamas terrorists and taken into Gaza.

While officials have not disclosed the identities of the deceased U.S. citizens, family members from across the country have confirmed their deaths.

American student Hayim Katsman was shot and killed by Hamas terrorists after they raided his home in Kibbutz Holit and found him hiding in a closet.

Hayim's sibling Noy Katsman told Fox that after texting his brother that morning and asking if he was OK, Hayim said he was safe. Their family heard about Hayim's death hours later.

Fox News Digital's Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.

IDF Yahalom member Chaim Malespin appeared on "America Reports" to update the public about the new developments in the Israel-Hamas war.

"We're trained. We are prepared. We don't want to be here. You know, we have families...but we have to defend our kids. We have to secure our borders," Malespin said.

"Now it's time to just show these criminals, these grotesque terrorists, that that terror will not, is not going to continue. Our families will be safe and security will be restored," the special operations soldier added.

Malespin also explained that he and other IDF soldiers are trained to minimize civilian casualties, as Israel plans to invade the Gaza Strip.

"[Egypt] will let Palestinians come through. And we're excited about that," he explained. "We will get them out of harm's way. We don't want any collateral damage. We don't want any civilian injuries. It's not our way because we are defenders. Israeli Defense Force [sic], just here to defend the homeland."

Fox News Digital's Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

"60 Minutes" host Scott Pelley said that President Biden seemed "tired" during an interview that aired on Sunday night, as America continues efforts in war-torn Ukraine and Israel.

"As we spoke to the president, his Secretary of State was in Israel; his Defense Secretary was at a NATO meeting on Ukraine," Pelley said. "America's oldest president seemed tired from directing all of this." 

"It had been a rough week and we could see it on him," the CBS host said.  "But he was very clear on what he stood for and how his policies, in his view, would see America through."

Biden has repeatedly affirmed his support for Israel since the country was attacked on the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah. At least 1,400 Israelis have died since October 7.

Fox News Digital's Jeffrey Clark contributed to this report.

Israeli security forces stand guarded at the check point as they increase measures in Sderot, Israel on October 16, 2023. (Photo by Saeed Qaq/Anadolu via Getty Images)

With the U.S. sending military equipment and aid to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as they fight against Hamas terrorists, American commentators have been debating which additional steps the U.S. should take.

In an opinion piece for Fox News Digital, former CIA chief Daniel Hoffman outlined three actions that the U.S. should do to help Israel.

"[I]f there is one thing I learned at CIA, it's the importance of seeing the world through the eyes of our most sadistic adversaries," Hoffman wrote. "Hamas had another reason for graphically propagating their bloodthirsty terrorist acts of atrocity."

"As counterintuitive as it might appear at first glance, Hamas wanted to make it impossible for Israel not to mount a ground offensive in Gaza...But Hamas' brazen attacks into southern Israel made it clear that strategy of deterrence is no longer viable," he added. "Israel has no choice but to ensure Hamas can never again plot future attacks from ungoverned space in Gaza."

Click here to read Hoffman's three proposed steps.

Smoke rises after Israeli army launches artillery attacks on Zahajra town on Lebanese border in Lebanon on October 16, 2023.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has put in "be ready to potentially deploy" orders for a select number of American troops "for the further defense of Israel," an official told Fox News.

The Wall Street Journal reported that around 2,000 troops were selected this weekend, a number Fox News has confirmed. It is unclear which exact units were chosen, or under which circumstances they could be deployed.

Top officials stressed that this deployment would not be for a combat role, but for advising and medically supporting Israeli forces.

A defense official also confirmed that the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, a special operations force made of around 2,000 Marines and sailors, is heading closer to Israel through the Red Sea. This unit is different from the 2,000 troops previously reported.

The news comes as the Biden administration has continually expressed support for Israel after the country was attacked by Hamas terrorists on October 7.

"We must be crystal clear: We stand with Israel," Biden said during a speech last week. "We stand with Israel. And we will make sure Israel has what it needs to take care of its citizens, defend itself and respond to this attack."

Fox News' Liz Friden and Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report.

Palestinians walk past piles of garbage in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Monday, Oct. 16. (Reuters/Mohammed Salem)

Some people in Gaza are resorting to drinking salty tap water from the territory’s contaminated aquifer or are digging wells in places near the sea as humanitarian conditions continue to deteriorate Monday, according to Reuters.

For days, Israel has been maintaining a blockade of the Gaza Strip, preventing food, water, medicine and fuel from entering the region occupied by around 2.3 million people.

Israeli Energy and Infrastructure Minister Israel Katz has said the blockade will end if Hamas releases the 199 civilians it is believed to have taken captive since the war began on Oct. 7. But as of Monday, the terrorist group still has not acted on that offer.

At the southern end of the Gaza Strip, Egypt also has been keeping its border crossing with Gaza closed.

The lone aquifer in Gaza is contaminated with sewage and seawater, Reuters reports.

The news agency also says garbage is piling up in the Gaza Strip and hospitals are still seeing an influx of patients due to Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes against Hamas.

Fox News' Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

What is Israel's Iron Beam?

The Iron Beam is a high energy laser weapon system created by the Israeli defense technology company, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, along with Israel Aerospace Industries, also developed the Iron Dome and David's Sling.

The Iron Beam debuted at the Singapore Airshow on February 11, 2014. It will eventually serve as one part of Israel’s multi-layer air and anti-missile defense system, working in conjunction with the Iron Dome.

The 100-kilowatt defense system ranges several kilometers and was designed with the purpose of intercepting many airborne threats including, rockets, artillery, mortars and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

The Iron Beam uses a fiber laser to generate a laser beam that is then used to destroy airborne targets.

A few of the main benefits of the Iron Beam are lower costs per shot, as compared to the Iron Dome and less manpower needed for operation.

The Iron Beam isn't supposed to be operational until 2024 or 2025, but in the wake of Israel’s current war with Hamas, the weapon could potentially be called into action sooner.

Fox News' Ashlyn Messier contributed to this report.

Israeli invasion of Gaza may be delayed 'a few more days'

Israel's invasion of Hamas may be delayed "a few more days" into next week, an Israeli Defense Force member suggested on Monday.

IDF Yahalom member Chaim Malespin says he "did hear word" that the invasion is delayed. The IDF has amassed a force of some 300,000 near Northern Gaza in anticipation of a ground operation. As of Monday morning, nearly 200 hostages remained in Hamas custody somewhere in Gaza.

"I did hear word that it is delayed, the major entrance is delayed--to dismantle Hamas--is delayed, for a few more days," Lerner told Fox News. "I believe it's Shabbat, now, coming up Saturday, that we actually will have the major [offensive]. Of course, you know there are missions going in that we don't talk about, but the big one is supposed to be in a few days, not tonight."

Israel has rained down thousands of air strikes on Hamas targets throughout Gaza, and it has urged civilians to flee toward the south.

While President Biden has said and Israeli occupation of Gaza would be a "mistake," the U.S. declared its full support for Israel to defend itself and retaliate against Hamas.

Israeli victims of Hamas violence include a dancing daughter, a jewelry designer, others

More than 4,000 people have died in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas after the terror group carried out a brutal attack on Oct. 7, which included the slaughter of more than 1,400 Israelis in communities surrounding Gaza. The deaths also include 260 attendees of a music festival that Hamas terrorists killed that same day. 

While the identities of all those who have been killed in the violence or taken hostage by the terror group are unknown to the public, the Israeli government has identified several victims as: a daughter who initially decided not to go to the Tribe of Nova music festival but changed her mind at the last minute, an Israeli jewelry designer described as "the softest soul," an elderly couple married more than 50 years, a third-generation Israeli soldier, and many others.

As officials have identified those who died, remain missing or those taken hostage by Hamas, surviving family members have begun to shed light on who they were, their personalities and their lives.

Karin Journo, 24, recently fractured her leg and talked herself out of going with her friends to the Tribe of Nova music festival on Saturday, Oct 7. Content with her decision, she even sold her ticket. However, a week before the event, she changed her mind — a decision that changed her life forever.

At 8:43 that Saturday morning, the 24-year-old French-Israeli airport worker sent a final text to her loved ones.According to her father, Doron Journo, the text read, "To the whole family, I want to say that I love you a lot, because I am not coming home."

Fox News' Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.

An American family who was stuck in Israel following the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7 described his experience of leaving the country on Monday.

Ami Schreiber and his family were visiting with his parents in Jerusalem on OCtober 7 when the attack took place. They were scheduled to depart that day, but the chaos of air raid sirens caused them to miss their flight.

"There was so much chaos going on. We didn't know," Schreiber said. "There were missiles flying overhead."

Schreiber said they were able to get a flight to Greece ultimately, and he then flew from Greece to Amsterdam and from there to New York City. Finally, they rented a car and drove back to their home in Maryland.

He said that watching footage of the conflict from the U.S. is "surreal," given that he and his family were just in many of the places being filmed.

Hamas is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and several other countries as Hamas has perpetrated terrorist attacks against Israel since the early 1990s.

Hamas is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and several other countries as Hamas has perpetrated terrorist attacks against Israel since the early 1990s.

Hamas was established in 1987 during the first intifada, and the group took control of Gaza in 2007. On Oct. 8, 1997, about 10 years after the terror group was organized, it was named as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department. Hezbollah, a terror group that emerged out of Lebanon, has also been designated a terrorist group by the U.S.

Apart from the U.S., the U.K., Israel, Australia, Japan and the European Union are among other countries and regional blocs that have officially designated Hamas as a terrorist organization. Leaders from these countries have spoken out about the recent events that have unfolded in Israel.

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said, "The people who support Hamas are fully responsible for this appalling attack. They are not militants. They are not freedom fighters. They are terrorists." Sunak joined a vigil with local communities at Finchley United Synagogue in London.

Fox News' Ashlyn Messier contributed to this report.

https://foxnews.1eye.us/us/2-iranians-who-could-pose-significant-security-threat-captured-us-border-sources-say

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that an Israeli invasion of the Gaza strip would "open the gates of Hell" for Israel and the region, according to Iranian state media.

Qalibaf made the statement during a Monday meeting of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

“The blockade of Gaza and cutting off the supply of water, electricity, medicine and food to this area is a clear example of genocide,” he said. “In addition, the use of non-conventional military weapons such as banned phosphorus bombs in these attacks violates international conventions on the prohibition of chemical weapons."

Israel has rejected claims that it used white phosphorus against anyone in Gaza. It says the substance is present only in smoke munitions that are not used against combatants directly.

Iran has threatened repeatedly to join the war against Israel if the IDF moves forward with plans to invade Gaza.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken stood alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and vowed that the United States will 'always' back the Jewish state.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken stood alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and vowed that the United States will 'always' back the Jewish state. 

"The message that I bring to Israel is this: You may be strong enough on your own to defend yourself, but as long as America exists, you will never, ever have to. We will always be there by your side," Blinken said last week.

"That's the message that President Biden delivered to the prime minister from the moment this crisis began. It's the message that I and my other colleagues in the government have delivered to our Israeli counterparts on a daily, even an hourly basis. It's the message that I bring with me to our discussions today, and it's what I'll affirm, when I meet with the members of Israel's newly formed national emergency government.  We welcome the government's creation and the unity and resolve that it reflects across Israel's society." 

"I can tell you there is overwhelming – overwhelming – bipartisan support in our Congress for Israel's security here in Israel and everywhere," he added.

Fox News' Danielle Wallace contributed to this update.

Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terrorist organization operating out of Lebanon, is gradually getting involved in the Israeli-Hamas war.

Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terrorist organization operating out of Lebanon, is gradually getting involved in the Israeli-Hamas war.

Hezbollah, whose name means “Party of God,” is a Shia militia group. The U.S. state department and other countries have named Hezbollah a foreign terrorist group.

Hezbollah and Israel have been at odds since the terrorist group was organized. The goal of Hezbollah was to remove Israel Defense Forces from southern Lebanon. In 2006, Hezbollah engaged in a five-week war with Israel, where they killed 158 Israelis, mostly soldiers, and kidnapped 2, according to Reuters.

Hezbollah was formed in the early 1980s. Its longtime leader is Hassan Nasrallah. Nasrallah has led the group since 1992 when the previous leader was assassinated by the IDF. In 2021, Nasrallah said that the group had 100,000 fighters, Reuters reported.

Fox News' Ashlyn Messier contributed to this report.

An Israeli Navy squad stopped a number of Hamas terrorists from reaching Israel’s coastline on the morning of Oct. 7, according to footage released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) over the weekend.

The IDF said the video shows soldiers in the Snapir unit spraying machine gun fire on Hamas terrorists as they swam toward the Israeli coast near the city of Ashdod.

"Israeli Navy ‘Snapir‘ Unit opened fire on terrorists who were swimming toward the shoreline in an attempt to infiltrate Israel by sea," the IDF said. "Soldiers thwarted a number of terrorists, preventing them from reaching the coastline."

The video shows Hamas speedboats on fire. Surviving terrorists were seen swimming in the sea, along with Hamas divers, as the Snapir unit opened fire and used depth charges from small Defender-class boats, the Times of Israel reported.

Fox News' Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.